146 HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. 



that, at this time, the cause of Cartesianism was 

 looked upon as the cause of free inquiry and modern 

 discovery, in opposition to that of bigotry, prejudice, 

 and ignorance. Probably the poet was far from 

 being a very severe or profound critic of the truth 

 of such claims. " This petition of the Masters of 

 Arts, Professors, and Regents of the University of 

 Paris, humbly showeth, that it is of public notoriety 

 that the sublime and incomparable Aristotle was, 

 without contest, the first founder of the four ele- 

 ments, fire, air, earth, and water; that he did, by 

 special grace, accord unto them a simplicity which 

 belongeth not to them of natural right;" and so on. 

 " Nevertheless, since, a certain time past, two indi- 

 viduals, named Reason and Experience, have leagued 

 themselves together to dispute his claim to the rank 

 which of justice pertains to him, and have tried to 

 erect themselves a throne on the ruins of his autho- 

 rity; and, in order the better to gain their ends, 

 have excited certain factious spirits, who, under the 

 names of Cartesians and Gassendists, have begun to 

 shake off the yoke of their master, Aristotle ; and, 

 contemning his authority, with unexampled teme- 

 rity, would dispute the right which he had acquired 

 of making true pass for false and false for true ; 

 In fact this production does not exhibit any of the 

 peculiar tenets of Descartes, although, probably, 

 the positive points of his doctrines obtained a foot- 

 ing in the University of Paris, under the cover of 

 this assault on his adversaries. The Physics of 



