Fontenelle, cftheVfefulnefs 



There are fo many things to be difcovcr'd* 

 whereof a great part, in all likelyhood fhall ne- 

 ver be known j that they give an opportunity to 

 thofe who will not encounter with the Thorns and 

 Difficulties of Natural Philofophy, to affect a 

 fort of Dilcouragement. A great many to vilify 

 this Natural Science, pretend a mighty venerati- 

 on for the works of Nature, and that they are 

 abfolutely incomprehehfible. However, Nature 

 is never Co admirable, nor (o admir'd as when 

 known. True it is, that what is known is in- 

 confiderable in companion of what is not yet 

 known. Nay, Sometimes what is not known, 

 is exactly what feems fliou'd be the fboneft 

 known. As for inftance, it is not at leaft cer- 

 tainly known* why a Stone thrown up into the 

 Air falls down again ; but we certainly know the 

 caufe of the Rainbow, why it doth not exceed a 

 certain height ; why its breadth is always the 

 fame \ why when there are two Rainbcws at the 

 fame time, the Colours of the one are overfet 

 with reference to the Colours of the other j and 

 yet the fall of a Stone in the Air appears a more 

 fimple Phenomenon, than the Rainbow. But in 

 a word, altho' we do not know every thing, we 

 are not neither ignorant of every thing. And 

 altho 5 we are ignorant of the moft fimple Events, 

 yet we have a knowledge of what feems the moft 

 Complex. So that if we have on the one hand 

 reafon to fear, left our Vanity {hou'd flatter us 

 with the hopes of attaining to the knowledge of 

 things above our reach , on the other we ought 

 to dread, left our Slothfulnefs mould alfo flat' 

 ter us that we are condemn'd to a greater degree 

 of Ignorance than really we are. 



People 



