Foscarini, Paolo Antonio, An epistle to fantoni, 1661

Page concordance

< >
Scan Original
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
< >
page |< < of 33 > >|
1ſeems) not onely to Phyſical Reaſons, and Common Principles
received
on all hands (which cannot do ſo much harm) but alſo
(which would be of far worſe conſequence) to many Authori­
ties
of ſacred Scripture: Upon which account many at their
firſt
looking into it, explode it as the moſt fond Paradox and
Monſtrous
Capriccio that ever was heard of. Which thing pro­
ceeds
only from an antiquated and long confirmed Cuſtome,
which
hath ſo hardened men in, and habituated them to Vul­
gar
, Plauſible, and for that cauſe by all men (aſwell learned as
unlearned
) Approved Opinions, that they cannot be removed
one
ſtep from them: So great is the force of Cuſtome (which
not
unfitly is ſtiled a ſecond Nature) prevailing over the whole
World
, that touching things men are rather pleaſed with, de­
lighted
in, and deſirous of thoſe, which, though evil and obnox­
ious
, are by uſe made familiar to them, than ſuch, wherewith,
though
better, they are not accuſtomed and acquainted.
So in
like
manner, and that chiefly, in Opinions, which when once they
are
rooted in the Mind, men ſtart at, and reject all others
whatſoever
; not only thoſe that are contrary to, but even all
that
ever ſo little diſagree with or vary from theirs, as harſh to
the
Ear, diſcoloured to the Eye, unpleaſant to the Smell, nauſe­
ous
to the Taſt, rough to the Touch.
And no wonder: For
Phyſical
Truths are ordinarily judged and conſidered by men,
not
according to their Eſſence, but according to the preſcript of
ſome
one whoſe deſcription or definition of them gaines him
Authority
amongſt the vulgar.
Which authority nevertheleſs
(ſince 'tis no more than humane) ought not to be ſo eſteemed, as
that
that which doth manifeſtly appear to the contrary, whether
from
better Reaſons lately found out, or from Senſe it ſelf, ſhould
for
its ſake be contemned and ſlighted; Nor is Poſterity ſo to be
confined
, but that it may, and dares, not only proceed farther,
but
alſo bring to light better and truer Experiments than thoſe
which
have been delivered to us by the Ancients.
For the Ge­
nius
's of the Antients, as in Inventions they did not much ſur­
paſs
the Wits of our times; ſo for the perfecting of Inventions
this
Age of ours ſeems not only to equal, but far to excell former
Ages
; Knowledge, whether in the Liberal or Mechanical Arts,
daily
growing to a greater height.
Which Aſſertion might be
eaſily
proved, were it not that in ſo clear a caſe, there would be
more
danger of obſcuring, than hopes of illuſtrating it with any
farther
light.

Text layer

  • Dictionary
  • Places

Text normalization

  • Original
  • Regularized
  • Normalized

Search


  • Exact
  • All forms
  • Fulltext index
  • Morphological index