L I B . 1 1 1. Of the Advancement of Learning, i o i 



and of popular Errors, now paffing unargued in Natural Hiftory, and 

 in Opinions , that Sciences be no longer diftemper'd and embaled by 

 them. 



^ As fo)r the rlacits of Ancient rhilofophert, as Were thofe offji^^g^?- 

 rasy PhiloloMS^ Xenophon, Anaxagoras^ rarmenides, Leucippusj Demo' '" 

 critus^ and others, (which men ufe difdainfully to run overj it will not 

 be amils to cafl: our eyes with more reverence upon them. For al~ 

 though Arijiotle^after the manner of the race of the Ottomans^ thought he AriM 

 could not jafely reign ,. unlefhe made away all his Brethren 5 yet to thofe 

 "who (erioufly propound to themfelves the inquifition and illuftration 

 pi Truth, and not Dominion or Adagijirality, it cannot but feem a mat- 

 ter of great profit, to fee at once before them, the feveral opinions of 

 (everal Authors touching the Natures of things. Neither is this for a- 

 ny great hope conceiv'd,that a more exafit truth can any way be expedt- 

 ed from thefeor from the like Theories.For as the lame Fh^nomena:)the 

 lame Calculations are (atisfied upon the Aftronomical Principles both of 

 Ttolomy and Copernicus : So the popular experience we embrace j and 

 the ordinary view and face of things, may apply it felf to many feve- 

 ral Theories 5 whereas a right inveftigation of truth requires another 

 manner of feverity and fpeculation. For as Ari^otle laith elegantly, 

 That children at firsi indeed call all men Fathers^ and rpomen Mothers, ^°J'^''' 

 but afterwards they dijlinguifli them both : So- certainly experience ia 

 Childhood, will call every Philofophy, Mother , but when it comes to 

 ripenefs, it will di(cern the true Mother. In the mean time it is good 

 to read over divers Philofophies, as divers GlofTes upon Nature 3 where- 

 of, it may begone in one place j another in another , is more corredj'- 

 ed. Therefore I could wifti a colledion made, but with diligence and ^* ^"^.'T 

 judgment, De Antiquis Philojophiis, out of the lives of Ancient Philo- lofophfuV 

 fophers 5 out of the Parcels of Plutarch of their Placits 5 out of the Ci- 

 tations of Plato 5 out of the Confutations of Arijlotle 5 out of a fparfed 

 mention found in other Books as well of ChriftianSj as of Heathens, (as 

 ont of La&antius, Philo, Philojlratus, and the reft): For 1 do not yet 

 fee extant a work^of this Nature. But here I muft give warningjthat this 

 be done diftindtly, fo as the Philofophies, everyone feverdly, be com- 

 pofed and continued^and not colledted by titles and handfuls, as hath 

 been done by Plutarch. For every Philofophy while it is entire in the 

 whole piece, fupports it fclfj and the opinions maintained therein give 

 light, Jirength, and credence mutually one to the other 3 whereas if they 

 he fimple and broken, it will found morejirange and diffonant. In truth 

 when I read in Tacitus the Adions of Nero, or of Claudius inverted ^^^'^5 

 with Circumftances of Times, Perfbns, and inducements ; I find them 

 not fo ftrange, but they may be true; but when I read the fame Atli- 

 ons in Suetonius Tranquillus, rcprefented by titles and common places, 

 and not tn order of Time, they feem monftrous and altogether incre- s.,fton"- 

 dible : £0 is Philofophy when it is propounded entire 3 and when it isfli- 

 ced and articled into fragments. Neither do I exclude out of this Ca- 

 lendar of the Placiis, or SeBs of Philofophy, the Theories and opinions 

 of later times, as that of The op hrajlus Paracelfus eloquently reduced in- 

 to a body and Harmony of Philofophy by Severinus the Dane, or cf 

 Telefius of Cofenze, who reviving the Philofophy of Parmcnides hath 

 t«rn'd the weapons of the Peripateticks upon themfelves, or of Patri- 



