been ill
convey'd to us: as it appears also, that never any of their followers
surpass'd them. And I assure my self, that the most passionate of those,
who now follow _Aristotle_, would beleeve himself happy, had he but as
much knowledge of Nature as he had, although it were on condition that
he never might have more: They are like the ivie, which seeks to climb
no higher then the trees which support it, and ever after tends
downwards again when it hath attain'd to the height thereof: for, me
thinks also, that such men sink downwards; that is to say, render
themselves in some manner lesse knowing, then if they did abstain from
studying; who being not content to know all which is intelligibly set
down in their Authour, will besides that, finde out the solution of
divers difficulties of which he says nothing, and perhaps never thought
of them: yet their way of Philosophy is very fit for those who have but
mean capacities: For the obscurity of the distinctions and principles
which they use causeth them to speak of all things as boldly, as if they
knew them, and maintain all which they say, against the most subtill and
most able; so that there is no means left to convince them. Wherein they
seem like to a blinde man, who, to fight without disadvantage against
one that sees, should challenge him down into the bottom of a very dark
cellar: And I may say, that it is these mens interest, that I should
abstain from publishing the principles of the Philosophy I use, for
being most simple and most evident, as they are, I should even do the
same in publishing of them, as if I opened some windows, to let the day
into this cellar, into which they go down to fight. But even the best
Wits have no reason to wish for the knowledge of them: for if they will
be able to speak of all things, and acquire the reputation of being
learned, they will easily attain to it by contenting themselves with
probability, which without much trouble may be found in all kinde of
matters; then in seeking the Truth, which discovers it self but by
little and little, in some few things; and which, when we are to speak
of others, oblige us freely to confesse our ignorance of them. But if
they prefer the knowledge of some few truths to the vanity of seeming to
be ignorant of nothing, as without doubt they ought to do, and will
undertake a designe like mine, I need not tell them any more for this
purpose, but what I have already said in this Discourse: For if they