Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/50

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the History of

that he should find a mighty Treasure there, was m the mean time robb'd by his Companions, that stay'd above, of his Cloak, and all the Booty that he had before gotten?

The Philosophy of the Moderns.And yet, notwithstanding all these unfortunate Hindrances, there have been many commendable Attempts in this way, in the Compass of our Memories, and the Age before us. And though they have been for the most part carry 'd on, by the private Diligence of some few Men, in the midst of a thousand Difficulties, yet it will not be unprofitable to recount some of them; if it were only to give a fair Ground of Hope, how much Progress may be made by a form'd and regular Assembly, seeing some single Hands, with so small Encouragement, could dispatch so much of the Work.

There are five new Ways of Philosophy, that come into my Observation.

Sect. XIII. Modern Dogmatists.The first is, of those, who, out of a just Disdain that the Antients should still possess a Tyranny over our Judgments, began first to put off the Reverence that Men had born to their Memories; and handling them more familiarly, made an exact Survey of their Imperfections: But then, having rejected them, they pursue their Success too far, and strait fell to form and impose new Theories on Men's Reason, with an Usurpation as great as that of the others: An Action, which we that live in this Age, may resemble to some things that we have seen acted on the Stage of the World: For we also have beheld the Pretenders to publick Liberty, turn the greatest Tyrants themselves. The first part of these Men's Performance is very much to be prais'd: They have made the
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Ground