UOOK I.] UNREASONABLE DEFERENCE TO GREAT NAMES. 49 



dictators instead of consuls, is a principal cause that the 

 sciences are no farther advanced. For hence, though in 

 mechanical arts, the first inventor falls short, time adds per 

 fection ; whilst in the sciences, the first author goes farthest, 

 and time only abates or corrupts. Thus artillery, sailing, 

 and printing, were grossly managed at the first, but received 

 improvement by time; whilst the philosophy and the sciences 

 of Aristotle, Plato, Democritus, Hippocrates, Euclid, and 

 Archimedes, flourished most in the original authors, and 

 degenerated with time. The reason is, that in the mechanic 

 arts, the capacities and industry of many are collected 

 together ; whereas in sciences, the capacities and industry 

 of many have been spent upon the invention of some 

 one man, who has commonly been thereby rather obscured 

 than illustrated. For as water ascends no higher than the 

 level of the first spring, so knowledge derived from Aristotle 

 will at most rise no higher again than the knowledge of 

 Arislotle. And therefore, though a scholar must have faith 

 in his master, yet a man well instructed must judge for him 

 self ; for learners owe to their masters only a temporary 

 belief, and a suspension of their own judgment till they are 

 fully instructed, and not an absolute resignation or perpetual 

 captivity. Let great authors, therefore, have their due, but 

 so as not to defraud time, which is the author of authors, and 

 the parent of truth. 



Besides the three diseases of learning above treated, there 

 arc some other peccant humours, which, falling under popular 

 observation and reprehension, require to be particularly 

 mentioned. The fii^t is the affecting of two extremes ; 

 antiquity and novelty : wherein the children of time seem 

 to imitate their father ; for as he devours his children, so 

 they endeavour to devour each other ; whilst antiquity envies 

 new improvements, and novelty is not content to add with 

 out defacing. The advice of the prophet is just in this case ; 

 &quot; Stand upon the old ways, and see which is the good way, 

 and walk therein.&quot; 1 For antiquity deserves that men should 

 stand awhile upon it, to view around which is the best way; 

 but when the discovery is well made, they should stand no 

 longer, but proceed with cheerfulness. And to ep&amp;lt;?ak tho 



* Jeremiah vi. 10. 



