( ^6$ ) 
know which to recur to as their Guides, if they would 
beMaftersof any particular part of Knowledge; it be- 
ing in hVs Opinion a very pernicious thing, and very 
dettruiiive to the Increaft of Salid Learning, to reft up- 
on the Ancients where the Moderns have fuccceded them; 
or to ftudy Second-hand Books upon Subjects which 
have been borrowed from the Ancients; efpecialJy fince 
he pretends to prove that in fome things either of them 
i have Po far out-done the other, that ic cannot be a mat- 
ter of Difpure amongft able Judges, to which fide one 
ought to give the preference. Hereupon, in order to 
make out this Propofition, he divides his DifcQurfe into 
three general Parrs. ( i.) He enquires what Sciences the 
' Ancients may have been (uppofed to bring to Perfection, 
chiefly becaufe they got the dart by being born firft. 
( z.) Wherein the Ancients have excelled the Moderns, 
and why they may have been fuppofed to have been fo. 
( J.) Wherein the Moderns have out done the Ancients, 
.Under the firft Head he reckons Et hicks md Politkkp^ . 
under the fecond Or^/^ry and Poefis ; all the other parts 
of Learning have either been improved by the Moderns, 
or the Queftion cannot well be decided, (cha/^ i.) 
He begins with Ethicks and Politicks, Here ha fup- 
pofts that the Aaciencs might have been as well skilled 
i as the Moderns, fince nothing but Experience is requi- 
i 'fite to underlland thofe things, which the Ancient 
j gyptians, Greeks^ and Romans could not mifi oi; who 
lived in formed Societies for fo many Ages I accordingly 
he loftances in Arijiotles Ethicks to Micomachus^ Xena- 
phons CyriUy Tkeophraftm\ Characters, Tnllys Oifices, 
and feverai other Ancient Bcoks,a3Mafter-pieces in their 
refj^eftive kinds, of Moral and Political Knowledge, 
j Yet all this, according to our Author, requires no par- 
ticular ftrength of Genius to compleat it, fince the Chi* 
I nefes 2.v^d Peruvians {k^m to have done as great things 
towards the raifing of wife and lading Governments , 
which 
