CIS DE AUGMENTIS SCIENTIARUM 



et illi qui de primis rerum inventoribus aut scientiarum origi- 

 nibus verba fecerunt, casum potius quam artem celebrarunt ; 

 atque animalia bruta, quadrupedes, aves, pisces, serpentes, 

 magis quam homines, tanquam Scientiarum doctores intro* 

 duxerunt : 



Dictamnum Genitrix Cretaea carpit ab Ida 

 Puberibus caulem foliis, et flore comantem 

 Purpureo : non ilia feris incognita capris 

 Gramina, cum tergo volucres baesere sagittae. 1 



Adeo ut minime mirum sit (cum in more apud antiques fuerit 

 rerum utilium inventores consecrare) apud ^Egyptios, gentem 

 priscam (cui plurimse Artes initia sua debent), templa plena 

 fuisse simulachris brutorum, hominum vero simulachris prope 

 vacua ; 



Omnigenumque Deum monstra, et latrator Anubis, 

 Contra Neptunum, et Venerem, contraque Minervam, &c. 2 



Quod si malis, ex traditione Graecorum, Artes potius homi- 

 nibus ut inventoribus tribuere; haudquaquam tamen dixeris 

 Prometheum ad ignis inventionem contemplationes adhibuisse ; 

 aut cum silicem primo percuteret scintillas expectasse; sed 

 casu in illud incidisse, atque (ut aiunt) furtum Jovifecisse. Ita 

 ut ad artium inventionem quod attinet, caprae silvestri pro 

 emplastris, Philomelas pro modulationibus musicis, Ibidi pro 

 lavationibus intestinorum 3 , operculo ollae quod dissiliit pro 

 re tormentaria, denique (ut verbo dicamus) casui aut cuivis 

 alteri rei plus debeamus, quam dialecticae. Nee vero multo 

 aliter se habet modus ille inveniendi, quern recte describit Vir- 

 gilius, 



Ut varias usus meditando extunderet artes 

 Paulatim. 4 



Non enim alia hie proponitur inveniendi methodus quam cujus 

 bruta ipsa sunt capacia, et quam crebro usurpant; nimirum 



Advancement of Learning, he refers to the Thecetetus, which is certainly a mistake, as 

 no such remark is to be found there. The nearest approach to it is, I think, T& /tej> 

 aroix^io- &^oya Kal Ht.yvaxrTa flvai, aia6r)Ta Se, &c. , the relation of letters to syllables 

 and words being here as elsewhere typical of the nature of knowledge. 



1 Virg. ^En. xii. 412. 2 Virg. ^En. viii. 698. 



* See Plutarch, De Solertid Animalium, or De hide. Compare Pliny. The story 

 of the accidental invention of gunpowder by Schwartz is well known. So too is it said 

 that the Jesuit's bark was discovered by the lions who cured their fevers by drinking 

 the water into which it had fallen. It is obvious that all stories of this kind are more 

 or less mythical. The subject has been systematically discussed by Virey. (Journal 

 de Pharmacie, 1818.) 



Virg. Georg. i. 133. 



