484 DE AUGMENT1S SCIENTIARUM LIB. PRIM. 



immortalis visa est res illis, atque incorruptibilis. 1 Nos autem 

 quibus divina revelatio illuxit, conculcantes haec rudimenta 

 atque ofFucias sensuum, novimus non solum mentem, sed et 

 affectus perpurgatos", neque animam tantum, sed etiam corpus' 

 ad immortalitatem assumptum iri suo tempore. Sedenim me- 

 minerint homines, et nunc et alias ubi opus fuit, me in proba- 

 tionibus de dignitate scientiae inde ab initio sejunxisse testimonia 

 divina ab humanis ; quam methodum constanter retinui, sepa- 

 ratim utrunque explicans. 



Quamvis vero haec ita sint, nequaquam tamen hoc mini su- 

 mo, neque me consequi posse confido, ut ulla causae hujus pro 

 doctrina peroratione aut actione judicia rescindam, vel jdEsopici 

 galli, qui granum hordei gemmae praetulit ; vel Midce, qui cum 

 arbiter factus esset inter Apollinem Musarum, et Panem ovium 

 praesidem, opulentiae palmam detulit; vel Paridis, qui spreta 

 sapientia ac potentia primas voluptati et amori dedit; vel 

 Agrippina, eligentis, Occidat matrem modo imperet '-, imperium 

 licet cum conditione detestanda praeoptantis ; vel Ulyssis, qui 

 vetulam pr&tulit immortalitati, typi certe eorum qui consueta 

 optimis praeponunt ; plurimaque ejusmodi judicia popularia. 

 Haec enim antiquum obtinebunt : verum et illud 

 etiam manebit, cui innixa est semper doctrina 

 tanquam firmissimo fundamento, quodque 

 nunquam labefactari poterit, 

 Justificata est Sapientia 

 a Jiliis suis.* 



1 The doctrine of the soul's immortality here referred to Is that which was attributed 

 to Aristotle and his followers, who are here contrasted with the Platonists, as being 

 more " immersed in the senses." What Aristotle's opinion as to the immortality of the 

 soul really was, is a question which when his philosophy began to be studied indepen- 

 dently of the scholastic theology attracted great attention. I may refer particularly 

 to the celebrated work of Pomponatius. In common with others who in his day pro- 

 fessed themselves followers of the genuine Aristotelian philosophy, he obtained, perhaps 

 not undeservedly, the reputation of holding irreligious opinions on this and on other 

 questions. It is well known that about the same time a school of Platonists was 

 formed, whose opinions, so far at least as related to natural religion, were favourably 

 contrasted with those of the Aristotelians. Beside Pomponatius, the Qucest. Feripat. 

 of Caesalpinus, ii. c. 8., may be referred to. 



2 "Occidat dum imperet." Tac. Ann. xiv. 9. S. Matt. xi. 10. 



