captum bominis

animi au

Cic. Acad.

Ingenti vir fo ftrictly obliged them, was but an Artifice to ingenio make himself heard with more entire Refpe&. Pythago This Philofopher's Life, is at prefent a Subjec ras, fupra of Controverfy, as well as his Opinion. He must no doubt, have been a Man of profound Capacity, of a moft penetrating Judgment, and guftioris. moft indefatigable Industry. His common MeApul. thod of Teaching, was by Geometry and Queft. Numbers; by the former he explain'd material Diog.La- and fenfible Things, as he did intellectual ert. Things by the latter, and by Mufick. He had A. Gelli- too folid a Genius to fancy any Thing real in Numbers, which are purely intentional, or Jamblichus. notional, as Ariftotle proves in his Metaphyficks. Porphyr. But he found fuch a Facility in difplaying the Perfections of Things by Harmony and Proportions, as scarce ever to express himfelf in other Language; and his Numbers were fo many inftructive Characters and Symbols.

us.

c.

This whole Science of Numbers, fo familiar to Pythagoras, has been a Secret ever fince, and we are yet at a Lofs about it. Jamblichus, in his Life of this Philofopher tells us, that he invented a Mufick proper for the Cure of the Pallions. His Morality is loofe and diforder'd, confifting of fine Sayings without Foundation. His Phyficks are almost the fame with thofe of the Platonists. His Doctrine of two Principles, the one good, the other evil, upon which the Manichees grounded their Herefy, is utterly Falfe; in as much as there can be but one Firft Caufe of all real and fubftantial Effects. Pythagoras boafts in Plutarch, that the chief Benefit he deriv'd from Philofophy, was to be incapable of Wander or Surprize, as being inftructed in the Cause and ReaNil admi- fon of every Appearance; and Horace obferves vari propè res eft una, Numici, &c.

the

the fame in his Epiftle to Numicius. After all, Pythagoras had fo extraordinary a Genius for TythagoPhilofophy, that the fucceeding Masters esteem- reorum ed it an Honour to tread in his Steps. Socrates nomen multa fa and Plato are beholden to him for most of their cula fic fine Notions. And upon a clofer View of the viguit, other Sects, we fhall ftill find fomewhat of Py- ut nulli thagoras's Spirit diffus'd through, and reigning alii dosti in them all.

V.

.

viderentur Cic.Tufc.

vocavit è

parens ju

Fin.

Socrates was the first that ever began to reduce socrates the confufed Ideas of his Predeceffors into fome primus Method and Order, by ranging their natural PhilofoObfervations under proper Heads, fo as to ren- phiam deder them ufeful in the forming of Arts and celo. Cic. Sciences. Befides all that Agreeableness of Wit Tufc. which arifes from a facility of Genius and Fe- Socrates licity of Parts, he had all the Depth, and all qui philothe Solidity imaginable; and yet this Height ofophie Understanding and this Abundance of Light, re dici po was attended with true Simplicity, and in teft. fant Meeknefs. While really engaged in eve- Idem de ry Thing, he feem'd wholly unimploy'd; he Plutarch, preferv'd an Air of Pleafantry in treating of de Gen. the graveft Subjects; and his most serious Medi- Socrat. tations never rob'd him of his good Humour. Dulcem, As 'twas his constant Intention not to fpeak like facetum a Wit, but like an honeft Man, fo there was al-feftivique ways fomewhat juft and noble in his very Trif- fermonis ling, and his Raillery. He pretended to no accepimus. Accomplishment, and was capable of All. Cic. Off.2 Thofe Notices which ferv'd him for the Inftructi-Socrates in ironia on of others, and which advanced his Scholars to longe omfuch a Degree of Improvement, feem'd only to nibus leembarrass him with Uncertainty; and as ratio- pore præ~ nal as he was, he too much diftrufted his Reafon. ftitit. The Quickness of his Difcernment was fo op- Orat.

prefs'd

Socratem

Idem de

Socrates

tat Socra

lat alios.

Acad.

#atione,

prefs'd by the Fertility of his Invention, that his difputandi different Views of Things, had no other Effect, quadam but to caft him into Irrefolution and Sufpenfe. Jubtilitate By his ingenuous Confeffion, upon all Occafions, fophifta that he knew nothing, he expos'd the Vanity and rum inftiPrefumption of the other Philofophers his Contuta refellebat. temporaries, who boasted that they knew every idem de Thing; and his avow'd Ignorance procur'd him clar. Orat. more Reputation than all his Knowledge. He Ia difpu was wont to give those that oppos'd him in Diftes, ut ni- courfe as much Advantage as they defired, that bil affir- he might refute with the more Authority, the met, refel-lefs he affum'd in Debating: And thus he gain'd an abfolute Power over their Sentiments by his idem Qu. Deference and Compliance. It was chiefly by Socrates concealing his Advice, that he engaged others ipfe fibi to follow it; and the Empire he acquir'd over detrabens Men's Minds was owing to the Art he had of in difpu- declining it, by always fhewing an Indifference plus trifor his own Opinion. But as he was the Leader buebat iis of all the Sects; fo he was, in fome fort, the quos vole- Author of all their Heats and Divifions. For his bat refel- Reafonings were commonly level'd against Reafon; and while he establish'd the Sciences, he Ariftot. left the Means of deftroying them, the common Elench. Refult of his Inftructions being rather Doubt than Affurance, in his Hearers. But he muft ftill be allow'd to have contributed much to that Form and Character which Philofophy took foon after. For, 'twas he that first traced out the Plan of Logick and Morality, and fupplied Principles to Phyficks. Yet the peculiar Bent of his Genius, which carried him to feek for too much Nicety, and to refine upon every thing, was the reason that he handled thefe Matters with lefs Solidity than his Succeffors. Not but that his Authority is of very great Weight, when he advances any Point; but his Conceptions are,

lere. idem

ibid.

for

for the most Part, rather Principles than Decifions; and, upon the whole, his Philofophy feems much more proper to pull down than to build, He is famous for fhewing a Greatnefs of Spirit, under the Simplicity of his Life and Conduct: For, when Lyfias, having compos'd an Oration orationem in his Defence, read it to him in the Prifon, he Lyfia dichofe rather to die, than to make ufe of an Ad- fertam fibi vocate, who he thought did not plead with a videri, for tem & vi, Dignity fuitable to his Caufe: And he at rilem nota length underwent the fatal Sentence with fuch videri. a Prefence of Mind, as aftonifh'd and fham'd his Cic. de Orat. Judges.

VI.

In Platonis

Plato is the finest Speaker of all Antiquity, Trapeand therefore he is more defirous to be heard, zunt. in than follicitous to be believ'd; he is always flo- Beffarion, rid, but not always found. The falfe Tafte Plato quidam quafi that reign'd in his Time, through the Example Deus Phiand Credit of the Sophifts, led him into this lofophorum. Gaiety of Stile. His Genius feems compos'd of Cic. de all the Judgment, Invention, and Elegance in N. Deor. the World, but has very little Method; and yet libris nibil he recompences this Defect by fome fecret affirmatur, Oeconomy and Artifice of Difcourfe, that still in utramcarries him to his Aim. He chofe the Way of que partem multa dif Teaching by Dialogue, as the more free and feruntur. difengaged Manner, and coming nearest to the idem Qu. Air of Converfation. He is rich in his Pre- Acad. faces, and magnificent in his Entrance; but, like Socrates before him, he determines little, and scarce fettles any Thing. But then there's fo natural a Grace in all he fays, that we can conceive nothing more charming. Thofe petty Incidents which he fo artificially mingles with the greatest Affairs, thofe Trifles and Nothings with which he fo finely circumftantiates what is most effential or important in a Sub

je&t,

Quint.

ject, renders his Stile peculiarly attractive; and 'tis chiefly by this Advantage that he pleases and engages. Yet his too great Fondness of Appearing thus agreeable, carries him too far into the marvellous Strain. His Difcourfes are too often made up of Fable, and Metaphor, and perpetual Allegory. He has recourfe to Myftery, the better to fecure his Character; and 'tis by the Stratagem of fome Falfity that he atL.17.C.5. Que ars tempts for the most part to convince Men of digna lite-the Truth. Calius Rhodiginus affirms, That we ris Platoni ought to regard his Senfe rather than his Exdefuit? preffions, which are so often wrapt up in FiPhilofo- gures. He was too much a Politician for a Phiphorum lofopher; frankly acknowledging in an Epiftle quis dubi-to Dionyfius of Syracufe, that the only Reason why Bat Plato- he advanc'd all his Doctrines under the Name nem fuiffe of Socrates, was that he might not be responsapracipu ble for his own Opinion at fo critical a Time, 24113, five acumine when scarce any Thing would go down with dicendi, fi-the Palate of the Athenians. The Condemnatie ve elo- on of Socrates made him fo very cautious and facultate circumfpect, that to recommend himself to the Divina? Publick, and to take off the Jealousy of his be Idem. ing in the Sentiments of his Mafter, he contriPlato non ved to pass for a Pythagorean. Though he was Lingua fo-a Perfon of a vast Capacity, (For what is there, lun, fet animi fays Quintilian, that Plato did not know?) and virtutis though he had an admirable Genius for the Scimagifter. ences, of which he always fpeaks better than Cic. de other Men, yet it must be confefs'd, That he Orat. rais'd the Credit of his Philofophy more by the moribus Vertues of his Life and Conduct, than by his quam ex Speculations of Doctrine. For it was he who Dorina first taught that true Philofophy confifted more Socratis in Fidelity and Conftancy, in Justice and Sincerity, and the Love of our Duty, than in large

quentia

Plus ex

traxit.

Senec

Plato Ep.

Attain

10.