ous, which are owing to the Author's vehement Defire of fignalizing himself by new Conceptions, and of faying what none had faid before him. Nothing can be lefs folid, than those four Images, which he fets up for the Principles of all Things. He is conftantly upon the Metaphor, and scarce ever speaks of Things according to their natural Import. He feems to have been entirely a Stranger to the geometrical Way of Reasoning in Ufe with the Schoolmen. But the Spaniards, who have the Advantage of otherNations in grave Reflection, refin'd fo strongly upon Logick in the laft Age, as to alter the Purity of natural Reafon by the Subtilties of their Argumentation, and by falling into empty and abstracted Notions, void of all Reality. Their Philofophers found out a Way to be Mafters of Reason in fpight of good Senfe, and to give fome Sort of Colour and Out-fide to the most extravagant Affertions. And by this means their Debates were fo fill'd with the Chicane of vain Contention, as to ferve for nothing but to raise the Choler, and to blacken the Blood. Smiglefius, a Jefuit of Poland, is one of the laft that has written on Ariftotle's Logick, with a juft Mixture of Subtilty and Solidity. His very fagacious Spirit has founded the Depth of this Art, with fo much Juftnefs and Clearnefs, as is fcarce to be parallel'd in any other Author. His Logick is an admirable Work. The rest of the Modern Philofophers have applied themselves rather to Phyficks than Logick. But nothing can be more extravagant than Vanhelmont's 10gical Treatife, in which he pretends to overthrow the whole Ariftotelian Syftem, without any Ground to fupport his own. Defcartes began a Logick, which he left unfinish'd: Some Fragments of it are still in the Hands of his Difci

ples,

ples, under this Title, Of Erudition. There are fome Strokes of Logick in his Method, where he tells us, That the Mind of Man being finite, it ought to begin with the Confideration of fimple Objects, and then gradually to accustom it felf to the Knowledge of compound Things, and the Art of diftinguishing them from each other. He fays, If we would make a right Difcernment between Truth and Falfhood, we must diveft our felves of Prejudices, by learning first to doubt of all Things. His Principle, I think, therefore I am, which he lays down as the first evident and fenfible Truth, upon a clofe Examination will appear to be fomewhat defective: For fince the Propofition, I think, refolves it felf into this other, I am thinking, I am, therefore I am, will make but a frivolous Repetition. After all, as he is the best Notionalist of the Moderns, what he delivers, how new foever, is not ill conceiv'd, but difcovers that Depth of Meditation which was his peculiar Excellence. But nothing is more immethodical than his Difcourfe of Method. 'Tis a Medley of Morality, Phyficks, and Metaphyficks, that scarce afferts or establishes any one Doctrine. Yet we find in it fome Marks of Sincerity, which fhew us the true Character of his Genius; efpecially, where he makes that very, ingenuous Confeffion, "That the only Advantage to be acquired by "Philofophy, is the Art of Speaking probably "of all Things, and of raising the Admiration " of fuch as know lefs than our felves." Campanella's Logick is confus'd and perplex'd, as being form'd upon the Model of the Averroifts, which he too ftrictly copied. But, to conclude this Subject, we may affirm, That of the modern Treatifes of Logick, the moft accomplish'd in all its Parts, is that which Peter Mounyer, a Phy

fician of Grenoble, has publish'd on the Works of Honoratus Faber, the Jefuit. What he has written on the Art of Syllogifm and Confequence, which is his main Bufinefs, is an Original in its kind: No Man has ever carried these SpecuRations farther, or has more exhaufted the Matter, by reciting the almoft infinite Modes and Connexions of the Syllogiftick Terms. But let us pafs on to the Confideration of Moral Philofophy, as a Doctrine of lefs Obscurity and greater Reality.

1

RE

REFLECTIONS

UPON

MORALITY.

A

I.

Una pars

de Fin.

S Logick teaches us to think and fpeak, pbilofofo Morality, or Ethick, teaches us to pbia diffelive: The one is imploy'd in directing rendi, althe Conceptions, the other in regulating the tera viDefires of the Soul. Democritus was the first of vendiCic. the philofophick Order that began with Wonder Facere do to reflect, how Man, being ignorant of Himself, cet pbilofhould yet engage his Curiofity in studying the fophia, non heavenly Bodies. This latter was the whole dicere. SeBufinefs of the Philofophers before Socrates, who nec. Quod eft first applied himself to the forming of the Manners. ante pedes Pythagoras had indeed given him a Specimen of nemo videt this Defign, who deduc'd the Rules of Morality & cali from the Obfervation of Nature. This Part of ferutamur Knowledge, which Pythagoras learned by his plagas. Converfe with the Egyptian Priefts, was not his Cic. de first Inclination, yet twas what fuited very well with his Genius, and was accordingly profecu ted by him. The great Aim and Tendency of Tota philofopho his moral Doctrine was to purge the Mind from the Impurities of the Body, and from the commenta Clouds of the Imagination, by the Study of tio mortis. Philofophy, which he term'd The Meditation of eft. Cice Ff

Death.

Div.

rum vita

Tufc.Qu.

Death. It feems to have had more Purity and Piety than the other Systems, but lefs Exactnefs. For it contain'd only fingle Maxims without Order or Dependance; and thefe Maxims were but a bare Explication of divine Worship, of Piety to Parents and Friends, of natural Honefty, of Modefty, Integrity, publick Spiritedness, and other common Offices of Life. And with the Precepts of this found Doctrine, he informed the Minds of the People. St. Jerom obferves that the whole Scheme of Pythagoras's Morals is contain❜d in his Golden Verfes, which yet are not fo properly to be afcrib'd to him, as to his Difciples. Hierocles, Governour of Alexandria under Diocletian, has written a Comment on this Poem. Cap. 1. Longinus mentions but two Words of Pythagoras, which alone gives us a noble Idea of his moral Doctrine: When being ask'd what Accomplishments advanc'd us nearest to the Divine Nature, he answer'd Beneficence and Veracity. And Mor. C... though Ariftotle affures us, that this Philofopher's Difcourfes did not proceed fo much upon the Subject of Virtue, as thofe of Socrates; yet Cicero has confefs'd, that there appear'd in the Followvr qui fa. piens ba- ers of Pythagoras a peculiar Character of Wisdom, beretur is which fo diftinguish'd them from all other Sects, continuò that at Rome in the Time of the first Confuls, Pythagorea wife Man and a Pythagorean were esteem'd tur. Cic. equivalent Terms: And what Apuleius TETufc. Qu. ports of the Sobriety of thefe Profeffors, might Athenæus very justly claim the Admiration of ancient 1. 4. c. 16. Times.

Magn.

us putare

Socrates

II.

Socrates improv'd this Morality which Pytha primus goras had brought out of Egypt, with the Addiphilofo- tion of fettled Principles, and with fome Sort of phie moregular Method, by the Definitions and Divififuit. Cic. ons of the feveral Virtues. Other Philofophers, Qu. Acad.

ralis autor

his