PARTICULAR STUDIES. CCCclxi 



apparent resemblances, and resemblances in apparent 

 differences, (a) He had not any attachment either to 

 antiquity or novelty, (b) He prevented mental aberration 

 by studies which produced fixedness, (c) and fixedness 



This great man s attention to small things was very remarkable : as an 

 instance of it, he one day said to me, &quot; Sir, when you get silver in change 

 for a guinea, look carefully at it, you may find some curious piece of coin.&quot; 



Johnson, vol. i. 3. 



(a) The great and radical difference of capacities as to philosophy and 

 the sciences lies here, that some are stronger and fitter to observe the 

 differences of things, and others to observe their correspondences; for a 

 steady and sharp genius can fix its contemplations, and dwell and fasten 

 upon all the subtlety of differences, whilst a sublime and ready genius per 

 ceives and compares the smallest and most general agreements of things ; 

 but both kinds easily fall into excess, by grasping either at the dividing 

 scale or shadow of things. 



(6) Bacon says, that one of the distempers of learning is an extreme 

 affection of two extremities, antiquity and novelty ; wherein the daughters 

 of time do take after the father; for as time devoureth his children, so these 

 one of them seeketh to depress the other; while antiquity envieth there 

 should be new additions, and novelty cannot be content to add things 

 recent, but it must deface and reject the old. Surely the advice of the 

 prophet is the true direction in this case, state super vias antiquas et videte 

 quanam sit via recta et bona et ambulate in ea. Antiquity deserveth that 

 reverence, that men should make a stay awhile, and stand thereupon, and 

 look about to discover which is the best way ; but when the discovery is 

 well taken, then not to rest there, but cheerfully to make progression. 

 Indeed to speak truly, Antiquitas seculi, Juventus Mundi; certainly our 

 times are the ancient times, when the world is now ancient, and not those 

 which we count ancient, ordine retrograde, by a computation backward 

 from our own times. His works abound with similar observations. 



(c) Men do not sufficiently understand the excellent use of the pure 

 mathematics, in that they do remedy and cure many defects in the wit and 

 faculties intellectual. For if the wit be too dull, they sharpen it; if two 

 wandering, they fix it ; if too inherent in the sense, they abstract it. So 

 that as tennis is a game of no use in itself, but of great use in respect it 

 maketh a quick eye and a body ready to be put into all postures, so in the 

 mathematics, that use which is collateral and intervenient is no less worthy 

 than that which is principal and intended. 



This is to be exactly observed, that not only exceeding great progression 

 may be made in those studies, to which a man is swayed by a natural 



