AUTHORS PREFACE 13 



method, renders himself acceptable and famous, he in ap 

 pearance erects an art, but in reality corrupts the labors of 

 his predecessors. This, however, is usually well received 

 by posterity, as readily gratifying their curiosity, and in 

 dulging their indolence. But he that rests upon estab 

 lished consent as the judgment approved by time, trusts to 

 a very fallacious and weak foundation; for we have but an 

 imperfect knowledge of the discoveries in arts and sciences, 

 made public in different ages and countries, and still less of 

 what has been done by particular persons, and transacted in 

 private ; so that neither the births nor miscarriages of time 

 are to be found in our records. 



Nor is consent, or the continuance thereof, a thing of 

 any account, for however governments may vary, there is 

 but one state of the sciences, and that will forever be demo- 

 cratical or popular. But the doctrines in greatest vogue 

 among the people, are either the contentious and quarrel 

 some, or the showy and empty; that is, such as may either 

 entrap the assent, or lull the mind to rest; whence, of 

 course, the greatest geniuses in all ages have suffered 

 violence; while out of regard to their own character they 

 submitted to the judgment of the times, and the populace. 

 And thus when any more sublime speculations happened to 

 appear, they were commonly tossed and extinguished by the 

 breath of popular opinion. Hence time, like a river, has 

 brought down to us what is light and tumid, but sunk what 

 was ponderous and solid. As to those who have set up for 

 teachers of the sciences, when they drop their character, and 

 at intervals speak their sentiments, they complain of the 

 subtilty of nature, the concealment of truth, the obscurity 

 of things, the entanglement of causes, and the imperfections 

 of the human understanding; thus rather choosing to ac 

 cuse the common state of men and things, than make con 

 fession of themselves. It is also frequent with them to 

 adjudge that impossible in an art, which they find that art 

 does not affect; by which means they screen indolence and 

 ignorance from the reproach they merit. The knowledge 



