Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/379

 Thoughts of the Difficulty of these Studies, that Sir Henry Savile made as formal a Business of his Prelections upon the Definitions, Axioms, and VIII First Propositions of the First Book of Euclid, which may be thoroughly comprehended by a Man of ordinary Parts in Two Hours Time, by the Help of Tacquets Elements, as a Man would now of Lectures upon the hardest Propositions, in Mr. Newtons Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. To these judicious Abridgements the wonderful Increase of this Part of Knowledge, for these last LXX Years is in a great Measure to be attributed; and though Methodizers and Compilers of Systems have very often the hard Fate to be undervalued by those who have been Inventors themselves; yet, in Mathematical Sciences the Case is something different; for things cannot be abbreviated here, without an almost intuitive Knowledge of the Subjects then to be abridged, and brought into one View. In Moral, or Historical Discourses, an Epitomizer immediately sees what is either in its self superfluous, or not to his particular Purpose; and so when he has cut it off, what remains is in