Page:Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme.djvu/12

iv The Remaines, while containing much of value, are not of equal merit throughout. Aubrey had the faculty of collection rather than that of selection, and he was clearly inclined to be credulous, and thought to be so by some of his most noteworthy contemporaries. The great naturalist John Ray, for example, expresses himself plainly on this head in a letter printed by Aubrey in the Natural History and Antiquities of Surrey (v. 410). He says:— "I think (if you can give me leave to be free with you) that you are a little too inclinable to credit strange relations. I have found men that are not skilful in the history of nature very credulous, and apt to impose upon themselves and others, and therefore dare not give a firm assent to anything they report upon their own authority, but are ever suspicious that they may either be deceived themselves, or delight to teratologize (pardon the word), and to make show of knowing strange things."

In the same work, however (iv. 407, Appendix), Aubrey gives the following justification of his conduct:—

"It may seem nauseous to some that I have raked up so many old western proverbs, which I confess I disdain not to quote. Pliny himself being not afraid to call them oracles, lib. 18, cap. 4: 'Ac primum omnium oraculis majore ex parte agemus, quæ non in alio vitæ genere plura certiorave sunt.' For proverbs are drawn from the experience and observation of many ages, and are the ancient natural philosophy