PREFACE. IX 



&quot; ordine retrogrado,&quot; by a computation backward 

 from ourselves, (cf) 



The objections to change seem to be 



1. BY INTELLIGENCE. 



2. BY IGNORANCE. 



3. By INTEREST. 



THE ANTIPATHY OF INTELLIGENCE. 



The desire to diminish evil, which varies with our 

 knowledge and sensibility (r) is one of our chief 

 sources of delight, (s) A delight so exquisite, a pas 

 sion so powerful that, like all strong passions, it has 

 a tendency to act without sufficient knowledge, (&amp;lt;f) 

 and, with some knowledge, to run into excess, (u) 

 Intelligence, conscious of the blessings which it en 

 joys, and knowing the frailty of man s foresight : 

 conscious that perplexities accompany the most be 

 neficial alterations, (,r) and that delay cannot be at 

 tended with permanent evil : Knowing that the love 

 of change is nearly allied to a contempt of authority 



((?) Antiquity deserveth that reverence, that men should 

 make a stand there upon, and discover what is the best way; 

 but when the discovery is well taken, then to make progression. 

 And to speak truly, &quot; Antiquitas saeculi juventus mundi.&quot; These 

 times are the ancient times, when the world is ancient, and 

 not those which we account ancient &quot; ordine retrogrado,&quot; by a 

 computation backward from ourselves. See note C at the 

 end, p. [vi.] 



(r) See note D at the end, p. [vii.] 



(s) See note E at the end, p. [ix.] 



(/) See note F at the end, p. [xii.] 



(M) See note G at the end, p. [xiv.] 



(z) See note H at the end, p, [xv.] 



