Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/131

Rh From these Indians Pythagoras probably obtained most of his natural and moral philosophy. Probably the Egyptians also got much of their learning from them; and it seems likely that in the first place all this knowledge came from China.

But even allowing the greatness of the ancients, we cannot be sure that we derive any advantage from it, for their great advances may have been due to the native genius of single men who have never been equalled since. The greatness of the ancients may even have been a hindrance to the moderns, who have been obliged to learn all that the ancients have discovered, and so may have had their inventive powers weakened. A dwarf sees less than the giant though he stands on his shoulders, if he is naturally shorter sighted, or does not look about him so much, or is dazzled with the height.

Many causes contributed to the decay of learning after the fall of the Roman Empire, and though learning and knowledge in Western Europe have much increased during the last