Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/70

 Author of all others, even Nature it self. Would they have us make our Eyes behold Things, at no farther Distance, than they law? That is impossible; seeing we have the Advantage of standing upon their Shoulders. They say, it is Insolence, to prefer our own Inventions before those of our Ancestors. But do not even they the very same Thing themselves, in all the pretty Matters of Life? In the Arts of War, and Government; in the making, and abolishing of Laws; nay even in the Fashion of their Cloaths, they differ from them, as their Humour or Fancy leads them. We approach the Ancients, as we behold their Tombs with Veneration; but we would not therefore be confined to live in them altogether; nor would (I believe) any of those, who profess to be more addicted to their Memories. They tell us, that in this Corruption of Manners, and Sloth of Men's Minds, we cannot go beyond those, who searched so diligently, and concluded so warily before us. But in this they are confuted by every Day's Experience. They object to us Tradition, and the Consent of all Ages. But do we not yet know the Deceitfulness of such Words? Is any Man, that is acquainted with the Craft of founding Sects, or of managing Votes in popular Assemblies, ignorant, how easy it is to carry Things in a violent Stream? And when an Opinion has once master'd its first Opposers, and settled itself in Men's Passions or Interests; how few there be, that coldly consider, what they admit for a long time after? So that when they say, that all Antiquity is against us, 'tis true, in shew, they object to us the Wisdom of many Ages; but in reality, they only confront us, with the Authority of a few leading Men. Nay, what if I should say, that this Honour for Rh