THE FIRST BOOK 197 



see, artillery, sailing, printing, and the like, were grossly 

 managed at the first, and by time accommodated and 

 refined; but contrariwise the philosophies and sciences of 

 Aristotle, Plato, Democritus, Hippocrates, Euclides, 

 Archimedes, of most vigour at the first, and by time 

 degenerate and imbased ; whereof the reason is no other, 

 but that in the former many wits and industries have con- 

 tributed in one ; and in the later many wits and 

 industries have been spent about the wit of some one, whom 

 many times they have rather depraved than illustrated. % 

 For as water will not ascend higher than the level of the \ 

 first spring-head from whence it descendeth, so knowledge ;. 

 derived from Aristotle, and exempted from liberty of 

 examination, will not rise again higher than the knowledge 

 of Aristotle. And therefore, although the position be 

 good ; Oportet discentem credere, yet it must be coupled with 

 this, Oportet edoctum judicare ; for disciples do owe unto 

 masters only a temporary belief and a suspension of their 

 own judgment until they be fully instructed, and not an 

 absolute resignation or perpetual captivity : and therefore 

 to conclude this point, I will say no more but, so let great 

 authors have their due, as time which is the author of authors 

 be not deprived of his due, which is further and further to 

 discover truth. Thus have I gone over these tbre^e 

 ea r n in g ; besides the which, there are some 



other rather peccant humours than formed diseases, which 

 nevertheless are not so secret and intrinsic but that they 

 fall under a popular observation and traducement, and 

 therefore are not to be passed over. 



The first of these is the extreme affecting of two 

 extremities ; the one Antiquity, the other Novelty : wherein 

 it seemeth the children of time do take after the nature 

 and malice of the father. For as he devoureth his children, 

 so one of them seeketh to devour and suppress the other ; 

 while antiquity envieth there should be new additions, and 

 novelty cannot be content to add but it must deface. 

 Surely the advice of the prophet is the true direction in 

 this matter, State super mas antiquas, et videte quaenam sit 

 via recta et bona, et ambulate in ea. Antiquity deserveth 



