( 4 ) 
Not only Prophane Hiftory furnifhes us with Inftances 
of the Application that has been made to this kind of 
Learning 5 but Ecclefiaftical Hiftory affords us much 
greater Examples of the many Popes and Fathers of 
the Church, who have thought fit to join this with 
their other Studies. St. Angujline may fuffice to convince 
us of this 5 who, how watchful foever he was to fup- 
prefs all growing Errors, and inftrud the Faithful in 
/ the Duties of Cnridianity, applied himfelf neverthelefs 
to this part of Knowledge: And hisTreatife Dedvitate 
Dei (hows us, that we ought not to defpife the Know- 
ledge of any thing, which God himfelt has thought 
v/orthy to create. 
But we need not go fo far for Inftances, when we 
have them here at home, in the Perfon of the Reverend 
^ Willi dm Pel/rjjier, Bifhop of Montpellier. Has not he 
writ feveral Books upon this Subjeft ? Or could the 
famous Rondeletius ever have perfe&ed his Great Work 
of Fifhes and Shells found in our Seas, without the Af- 
fiftance and Incouragement of this worthy Prelate? Our 
Kings themfelves have fometimes taken Pleafure in exa- 
mining Nature $ and the Hiftorians of France affine us, 
that * * Francis I. made fo great a Progrefs in this kind of 
Learning, without any other Affiftance, than the Con- 
verfatioa of the Learned James Cholin , and Peter Cajlelan , 
■f Gariel. Series Pr&fulun* Magalonenfinm, in vita Guillelmi Pelif- 
ferij. Et prhuan. lib. Hi for. fid temporis , uhi de obitu Guillelmi 
Rondeletii. 
* Thuan. Hid. fui temporis lib. 2. Pracipueque natural is hi fori a 
narratione dcleffabatur, in qua tantum audiendo profecerat, ut quamvis 
d pueritia nullu liter is mint us, quidquid de Animalib ns, Infcctis, Plantis, 
Afetdllis , Gemmis, ah antiques et recentibus Scriptpribus memorise prodim 
turn eft, et meminijfet, et apte ediffereret. U/hs ad hoc f Her at opera Jac. 
Cholini prinsum , dein Petri Caftellani viri probit ate et morum gravitate et 
AoBrind pr aft anti ffimf quern , Epifcopatu Adatifconenfi^ magnique Eleemtr 
finari) dignitate prop'.erea remancravit, ac Magiftrum Bibliotheca pojt 
Mtidai obitum conftituit. 
Mezeray edit, in fold Paris 1 68 y. tom. 2. pag. 1045. 
that 
