herein they followed, and from whom, most probably, they desumed their narrations. And the like hath been committed by Epiphanius in his Physiology; that is, a book he hath left concerning the nature of animals. With no less caution must we look on Isidore, bishop of Seville; who, having left in twenty books an accurate work De Originibus, hath to the etymology of words superadded their received natures; wherein, most generally, he consents with common opinions and authors which have delivered them.

12. Albertus, bishop of Ratisbone, for his great learning and latitude of knowledge, surnamed Magnus. Besides divinity, he hath written many tracts in philosophy; what we are chiefly to receive with caution, are his Natural Tractates, more especially those of minerals, vegetables, and animals, which are indeed chiefly collections out of Aristotle, Ælian, and Pliny, and respectively contain many of our popular errors. A man who hath much advanced these opinions by the authority of his name, and delivered most conceits, with strict enquiry into few. In the same classes may well be placed Vincentius Belluacensis, or rather he from whom he collected his Speculum Naturale, that is, Gulielmus de Conchis, and also Hortus Sanitatis, and Bartholomeus Glanvil, sirnamed Anglicus, who writ De proprietatibus Rerum. Hither also may be referred Kiranides, which is a collection out of Harpocration, the Greek, and sundry Arabic writers; delivering not only the natural but magical propriety of things; a work as full of vanity as variety, con

Vincentius Belluacensis.] The following statement of the merits of Vincent of Beauvais is given by the late Rev. J. J. Conybeare, in his account of the Symbola Aurea Mensa Duodecim Nationum of Michael Maier, published in the Annals of Philosophy, Sec. Ser. vol. vi. p. 428: -"Vincent of Beauvais, certainly one of the most laborious and generally informed writers of the middle ages. His Speculum Naturale is the largest and most interesting Encyclopædia which I know of the philosophy and natural history of that period. It seems to have been laid under contribution pretty largely, if not altogether copied, in a work better known to our own black letter students, 'Bartholomaus de proprietatibus rerum (alluded to by our author in the same paragraph.) I have now before me what a bibliographer would term a venerable and perfect copy of Vincent's S. N. (Cologne, 1494.) The sixth and seventh books contain much alchemical matter, chiefly extracted from Avicenna and a work termed Alchemiste."-Br.

taining many relations, whose invention is as difficult as their beliefs, and their experiments sometime as hard as either.

13. We had almost forgot Jeronymus Cardanus,2 that famous physician of Milan, a great enquirer of truth, but too greedy a receiver of it. He hath left many excellent discourses, medical, natural, and astrological; the most suspicious are those two he wrote by admonition in a dream, that is, De Subtilitate and Varietate Rerum. Assuredly this learned man hath taken many things upon trust, and although he examined some, hath let slip many others. He is of singular use unto a prudent reader; but unto him that only desireth hoties,3 or to replenish his head with varieties, like many others before related, either in the original or confirmation, he may become no small occasion of error.

14. Lastly, authors are also suspicious, not greedily to be swallowed, who pretend to write of secrets, to deliver antipathies, sympathies, and the occult abstrusities of things; in the list whereof may be accounted, Alex. Pedimontanus, Antonius Mizaldus, Trinum Magicum, and many others. Not omitting that famous philosopher of Naples, Baptista Porta; in whose works, although there be contained many excellent things, and verified upon his own experience, yet are there many also receptary, and such as will not endure the test. Who, although he hath delivered many strange relations in his Phytognomonica, and his Villa, yet hath he more remarkably expressed himself in his Natural Magick,"

2 Cardanus.] There is a most copious and interesting account of Cardan, and review of his works (ascribed to James Crossley, Esq., of Manchester), in the Retrospective Review, vol. i. p. 94-112.

3 hoties.] i. e. the quiddities of things, for ró ort, in Greek, signifies the quiddity, that is, the essential or formal cause of every thing in nature.-Wr.

66

4 receptary.] Generally or popularly admitted." quotes the present passage, but spells the word receptory.

Dr. Johnson

5 Phytognomonica.] "I would recommend the treatise of Baptista Porta, on Physiognomy, as an excellent commentary on that of Aristotle." Thos. Taylor's Introduction to his translation of Aristotle's History of Animals and Treatise on Physiognomy, p. xx.-Br.

6 Natural Magick.] "That strange mixture of learning and absurdity:” J. J. Conybeare, Ann. Phil. Sec. Ser. vol. iv. p. 436. A judgment quite in accordance with our author's on the merits of the works of Baptista Porta in general.—Br.

and the miraculous effects of nature. Which containing various and delectable subjects, with all promising wondrous and easy effects, they are entertained by readers at all hands; whereof the major part sit down in his authority, and thereby omit not only the certainty of truth, but the pleasure of its experiment.

Thus have we made a brief enumeration of these learned men; not willing, any to decline their works (without which it is not easy to attain any measure of general knowledge), but to apply themselves with caution thereunto. And seeing the lapses of these worthy pens, to cast a wary eye on those diminutive and pamphlet treatises? daily published amongst us. Pieces maintaining rather typography than verity, authors presumably writing by common places, wherein for many years promiscuously amassing all that makes for their subject, they break forth at last in trite and fruitless rhapsodies, doing thereby not only open injury unto learning, but committing a secret treachery upon truth. For their relations falling upon credulous readers, they meet with prepared beliefs; whose supinities had rather assent unto all, than adventure the trial of any.

Thus, I say, must these authors be read, and thus must we be read ourselves; for discoursing of matters dubious, and many controvertible truths, we cannot without arrogancy entreat a credulity, or implore any further assent, than the probability of our reasons and verity of experiments induce.

7 And seeing the lapses of these worthy pens, to cast a wary eye on those diminutive and pamphlet treatises.] A most useful and prudent caution. -Wr.

8 rhapsodies.] Things thrown together without mutual relation : mere collections.

9 whose supinities.] Whose indolence.

1 and thus must we be read.] This is such a modest profession, as makes me wonder that any man should undertake to quarrel with him, as one of late hath professedly done.- Wr.

The Dean refers of course to Alexander Ross's Arcana Microcosmi, and Robinson's Endoxa.

CHAPTER IX.

Of others indirectly effecting the same.

THERE are, besides these authors and such as have positively promoted errors, divers other which are in some way accessory; whose verities, although they do not directly assert, yet do they obliquely concur unto their beliefs.2 In which account are many holy writers, preachers, moralists, rhetoricians, orators, and poets; for they depending upon invention, deduce their mediums from all things whatsoever; and playing much upon the simile, or illustrative argumentation, to induce their enthymemes unto the people,3 they take up popular conceits, and from traditions unjustifiable, or really false, illustrate matters of undeniable truth. Wherein, although their intention be sincere, and that course not much condemnable, yet doth it notoriously strengthen common errors, and authorise opinions injurious unto truth.

Thus have some divines drawn into argument the fable of the phoenix, made use of that of the salamander, pelican, basilisk, and divers relations of Pliny, deducing from thence most worthy morals, and even upon our Saviour. Now, although this be not prejudicial unto wiser judgments, who are but weakly moved with such arguments, yet is it ofttimes occasion of error unto vulgar heads, who expect in the fable as equal a truth as in the moral, and conceive that infallible philosophy, which is in any sense delivered by divinity. But wiser discerners do well understand that every art hath its own circle; that the effects of things are best examined by sciences wherein are delivered their causes: that strict and definitive expressions are always required in philosophy, but a loose and popular delivery will serve oftentimes in

2 unto their beliefs.] Unto the belief of errors.

3 to induce their enthymemes, &c.] An enthymem is an imperfect syllogism, where either the major or the minor is omitted, as being easily supplied by the understanding. The term, however, seems used here in no such precise signification. The author merely means to say, that, to obtain readier assent to the maxims or propositions delivered, preachers, moralists, &c., have garnished them with popular though erroneous conceits.

divinity.4 As may be observed even in Holy Scripture, which often omitteth the exact account of things, describing them rather to our apprehensions, than leaving doubts in vulgar minds upon their unknown and philosophical descriptions. Thus it termeth the sun and the moon, the two great lights of heaven. Now if any shall from hence conclude the moon is second in magnitude unto the sun, he must excuse my belief: and it cannot be strange if5 herein I rather adhere unto the demonstration of Ptolemy, than the popular description of Moses. Thus it said

(2 Chron. iv. 2,) "That Solomon made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." Now in this description the circumference is made just treble unto the diameter: that is, as 10 to 30, or 7 to 21. But Archimedes demonstrates [in his Cyclometria] that the proportion of the diameter unto the circumference is as 7 unto almost 22, which will occasion a sensible difference, that is almost a cubit. Now, if herein I adhere unto Archimedes, who speaketh exactly, rather than the sacred text, which speaketh largely, I hope I shall not offend divinity; I am sure I shall have reason and experience of every circle to support me.

Thus moral writers, rhetoricians, and orators, make use of several relations, which will not consist with verity. Aristotle in his ethics takes up the conceit of the beaver, and the divulsion of his testicles. The tradition of the bear, the viper, and divers others are frequent amongst orators. All which, although unto the illiterate and undiscerning hearers [it] may seem a confirmation of their realities, yet this is no reasonable establishment unto others, who will not depend hereon, otherwise than on common apologues; which

4 a loose and popular delivery, &c.] The author's illustration and application of this position in the remainder of the paragraph, might have well served as a reply to the tirade of Dean Wren against the Copernican system of astronomy, in his note at page 35, and has been used by some of the most eminent of our modern geologists, in attempting to show that certain opinions, which they have deduced from geological phenomena, are only apparently and not really at variance with the Mosaic account of creation.

s and it cannot be strange if.] Ed. 1646 reads, "and I think it cannot be taken for heresy, if."