Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/211

 have pretended to excel the Ancients, is almost entirely owing to it: And withal, its general Uses are so obvious, that it would be Time lost to enlarge upon them; but it must be taken Notice of, because Sir William Temple has questioned (m) whether Printing has multiplied Books, or only the Copies of them, from whence he concludes, that we are not to suppose that the Ancients had not equal Advantages by the Writings of those that were ancient to them, as we have by the Writings of those that are ancient to us. But he may easily solve his own Doubt, if he does but reflect upon the Benefit to Learning which arises from the multiplying Copies of good Books: For though it should be allowed, that there were anciently as many Books as there are now, which is scarce credible, yet still the Moderns have hereby a vast Advantage, because, (1.) Books are hereby much cheaper, and so come into more Hands. (2.) They are much more easily read; and so there is no Time lost in poring upon bad Hands, which wastes Time, wearies the Reader, and spoils Mens Eyes. (3.) They can be printed with Indexes, and other necessary Divisions, which, though they may be made in MSS. yet they will make them so voluminous and cumber-