Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/29

7 in the Walks, and Porches, and Gardens, and such publick places about their Cities; whereas the graver and more reserv'd Ægyptians, had confin'd it to their Temples.

In Greece, the most considerable (and indeed almost the only successful) Trials, that were made in this way, were at Athens; the Wit of whose Inhabitants, was, 'tis true, admirably fit for the reducing of Philosophy into Method, and for the adorning of it with the noblest Words, when once it had been before compleated in its Substance: But yet their Genius was not so well made, for the undergoing the first Drudgery and Burden of Observation which is needful for the Beginning of so difficult a Work. This will appear, if we remember, that they were the Masters of the Arts of Speaking to all their Neighbours; and so might well be inclin'd, rather to chuse such Opinions of Nature, which they might most elegantly express, than such, which were more useful, but could not so well be illustrated by the Ornaments of Speech. Besides this, their City was the general School, and Seat of Education; and therefore the Epitomes of Knowledge best served their turn, to make their Scholars, in a short time, finish the course of their Studies, and go home satisfied with a Belief of their own Proficience, and their Teacher's Wisdom. They were also commonly (as most of the other Grecians) Men of hot, earnest, and hasty Minds; and so lov'd rather to make sudden Conclusions, and to convince their Hearers by Argument, than to delay long, before they fixt their Judgments; or to attend with sufficient Patience the Labour of Experiments. But to say no more, they had but a narrow Territory; and the Rh