Lib. VI. Of the Advancement of Learning. 179 



ralized and made familiar : And therefore Anjiotlc when he thinks td 

 tdiX DcmocrJtHs doth in truth commend him, where helaith, Ij vecpuU 

 indeed dijpute, andnotfoUovp ajter fimihlndcs, &c. Charging it as a de- 

 feft upon Democritifs that he was too copious in Comparijom. But thoje 

 xphofe conceits are Jeated in popular opinions^ have nothing elfe to do but 

 to diJpHte and prove. Whereas on the contrary thufe rvhofe conceits are be- 

 yondpopular opinionsj^ave a double labour-,firJi^that what they produce may 

 be conceiv'di) then, that they be proved. So that it is ofneceffity with 

 them to have recourfe to Similitudes ^nd Tranjlations^ whereby they 

 may infinuate themfelves into mens capacities, 'therefore we fee in the 

 infancy of Learning, in rude times, when thofe Comprehenfions which 

 are now Vulgar and Trivial, were then new and unheard ofj the world 

 was full o^Parables and Similitudes'-, for otherwife men would have pall- 

 ed over without mark or due attention, or elfe rejeded for Para- 

 doxeSjthat which was propounded. For it is a rule of Traditive Art, 

 That vphatjoever Science is not conjonant to Anticipations or Prefuppofiti- 

 ons, mujipraj in aid of Similitudes and Comparifons. And thus much of 

 the divers forts of Methods, namely fuch as have not heretofore been 

 noted by others. As for thofe other Alethods^ Analytickj) Syjiatick^ J 

 Dieritick,j Cryptick^^ Homerical^ and the like 5 they have been well in- 

 vented and diftributed 5 nor do we fee any caufe why we (hould dwell 

 upon th:m. 



Ill But thefe are the kinds of Method:, the Tarts are two j the one of 

 the Difpofition of airhole work.:, or of the Argument of fome Book.j the o- 

 ther of the Limitations of Propojitious. For there belongs to Archite- 

 Sure not only the frame of the whole Building 5 but likewife the form 

 and figure of the Columns, Beams, and the like i znd Method is as it 

 were the Archite&ure of Sciences. And herein Ramus merited better a Ramus; 

 great deal in reviving thofe excellent Rules Ka5' oA» -zt^Stov, Tree vtd$, yuxB' 

 cuJ-d, than in obtruding one only Method and Dichotomie. But it falls out 

 I know not by what fate, that of humane things (^according as the Poets 

 often feign ^ the mofi precious have the moji pernicious Keepers. Certainly 

 diligent endeavours about the rank and file of Propofitions, caft him 

 upon thofe Epitomes and J/jal/orvs of Sciences j for he had need fet out in 

 a lucky hour, and to go on by the conduft of a happy Genius, that at- 

 tempts to make Axioms of Sciences Convertible 5 arid yet withal not 

 make them Circular:, or returning into themfelves --, notwithftanding 

 we deny not, but that if^«?w/'s intention in this kind is profitable. 7'/6ere 

 remains yet two Limitations of Propofitions :, befides that they may be 

 made Convertible j the one touching the Extenfion 5 the other touching 

 the Produ&ion of them. Surely Knowledges have, if a man mark it 

 vvell^two other dimeofions befides Profundity j namely Latitude and Lon- 

 gitude. For Profundity is referr'd to the Truth and Reality of them 5 

 and thelc make them (olid. As for the other two, Latitude may be ta- 

 ken and reckoned of Science into Science ; Longitude may be accepted 

 and underftood from the higheft general Propofition, to the loweft par- 

 ticular in the fame Science. The one comprehends the bounds and 

 true limits of Sciences, that Propofitions may be properly, not promi(^ 

 cuouOy hanoTed 5 and that all Repetition , Excurfion, and Confufion 

 may be avoided : the other gives rule how far, and to vvhat degree of 

 Particularity, Propofitions of fciences may be deduced. Certainly 



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