ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 97 



tions, however, which have a tincture of superstition, 

 should be kept separate, and unmixed with others, that 

 are merely natural. But the relations of religious prodi 

 gies and miracles, as being either false or supernatural, 

 are unfit to enter into a history of nature. 



As for the history of nature wrought or formed, we 

 have some collections of agriculture and manual arts, but 

 commonly with a rejection of familiar and vulgar experi 

 ments, which yet are of more service in the interpretation 

 of nature than the uncommon ones: an inquiry into me 

 chanical matters being reputed a dishonor to learning; 

 unless such as appear secrets, rarities, and subtilties. 

 This supercilious arrogance, Plato justly derides in his 

 representation of the dispute between Hippias and Soc 

 rates touching beauty. Socrates is represented, in his 

 careless manner, citing first an example of a fair virgin, 

 then a fine horse, then a smooth pot curiously glazed. 

 This last instance moved Hippias choler, who said, 

 . &quot;Were it not for politeness sake, I would disdain to 

 dispute with any that alleged such low and sordid ex 

 amples.&quot; Whereupon Socrates replied, &quot;You have rea 

 son, and it becomes you well, being a man so sprucely 

 attired, and so trim in your shoes. 1 1 And certainly the 

 truth is, that they are not the highest instances that al 

 ways afford the securest information; as is not unaptly 

 expressed in the tale so common of the philosopher, 3 who, 

 while he gazed upward to the stars, fell into the water. 3 For 

 had he looked down, he might have discovered the stars 

 in the water; but looking up to heaven, he could not see 

 the water in the stars; for mean and small things often dis 

 cover great ones, better than great can discover the small; 

 and therefore Aristotle observes, &quot;That the nature of every 

 thing is best seen in its smallest portions.&quot; 4 Whence he 

 seeks the nature of a commonwealth, first in a family; and 

 so the nature of the world, and the policy thereof must be 



1 Plato, Hipp. Maj. iii. 291. 2 Thales; see Plato, Theset. i. 174. 



3 Laertius, &quot;Life of Thales.&quot; 4 Arist. Polit. i. and Phys. i. 



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