Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/120

 mand her. This will take in Astronomy, Mechanicks, Opticks, Musick, with the other Physico-Mathematical and Physico-Mechanical Parts of Knowledge; as also, Anatomy, Chymistry, with the whole Extent of Natural History. It will help us to make a just Comparison between the Ancient and Modern Physicks; that so we may certainly determine who Philosophized best, Aristotle and Democritus, or Mr. Boyle and Mr. Newton.

In these Things therefore the Comparison is to be made, wherein one can go no higher than the Age of Hypocrates, Aristotle and Theophrastus, because the Writings of the Philosophers before them are all lost. It may therefore be plausibly objected, that this is no fair Way of Proceeding, because the Egyptians and Chaldæans were famous for very many Parts of real Learning long before; from whom Pythagoras, Thales, Plato, and all the other Græcian Philosophers, borrowed what they knew. This Sir William Temple insists at large upon; so that it will be necessary to examine the Claims of these Nations to Universal Learning: In doing of which, I shall follow Sir William Temple's Method; and first give a short Abstract of his Hypothesis, and then enquire how far it may be relied on.