84 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [BOOK II. 



writers has appeared, and that too rather in a luxurious than 

 solid manner ; as rather abounding in things superfluous, 

 viz. the representation of plants and animals, &c., than care 

 ful observations, which should ever be subjoined to natural 

 history. In fine, all the natural history we have is absolutely 

 unfit for the end we propose, viz. to build philosophy upon ; 

 and this both in the manner and matter thereof ; hence we 

 set down inductive history as deficient. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Civil History divided into Ecclesiastical and Literary. Deficiency of 

 the latter. The Absence of Precepts for its Compilation. 



CIVIL history, in general, may be divided into three parti 

 cular kinds, viz. sacred, civil, and literary ; the latter whereof 

 being wanting, the history of the world appears like the 

 Ktatue of Polyphemus, without its eye ; the part that best 

 shows the life and spirit of the person. In many particular 

 sciences indeed, as the law, mathematics, and rhetoric, there 

 are extant some short memoirs, and jejune relations of 

 sects, schools, books, authors, and the successions of this kind 

 of sciences, as well as some trivial accounts of the inventors 

 of things and arts ; but we say, that a just and universal 

 literary history has not hitherto been published. 



The design of this work should be, to relate from the 

 earliest accounts of time, 1. what particular kincjs of learn- 

 ing and arts flourished, in what ages, and what parts of the 

 world ; 2. their antiquities, progress, and travels on the 

 globe ; 3. their decline, disappearance, and restoration. In 

 each art should be observed, 4. its origin and occasion of in 

 vention ; 5. the manner and form of its delivery ; and 6. the 

 means of its introduction, exercise, and establishment. Add 

 to these, 7. the most famous sects and controversies of learned 

 men , 8. the calumnies they suffered, and the praises and 

 honours they received ; 9. all along let the best authors and 

 books be noted ; with 10. the schools, successions, academies, 

 societies, colleges, orders, and whatever regards the state of 

 MMMiing : but 11. principally let events be throughout coupled 

 wiiii their causes (which is the soul, as it were, of civil history), 

 la plating the nature of countries and people, and 12. thei/ 



