Whatever sceptic could enquire for, 135 His notions fitted things fo well, That which was which he could not tell; 140 But oftentimes miftook the one For th' other, as great clerks have done. Where Entity and Quiddity, 145 The ghosts of defunct bodies, fly; Where truth in perfon does appear, As metaphyfic wit can fly: In school-divinity as able As he that hight Irrefragable; 150 A fecond Ver. 131. Enquire.] Inquere, in all editions to 1689, inclufive. Ver. 152. Irrefragable.] Alexander Hales, fo called; he was an Englishman, born in Gloucestershire, and flourished about the year 1236, at the time when what was called School-divinity was much in vogue; in which science he was fo deeply read, that he was called Doctor Irrefragabilis; that is, the Invincible Doctor, whofe arguments could not be refifted. A fecond Thomas, or, at once To name them all, another Dunce : Profound Ver. 153, 154. Dunce.] Thus they stood in the two first editions of 1664, left out in thofe of 1674, 1684, 1689, 1700, and not reftored till 1704. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican Friar, was born in 1224, studied at Cologne and at Paris. He new-modelled the fchool-divinity, and was therefore called the Angelic Doctor, and Eagle of divines. The moft illustrious perfons of his time were ambitious of his friendship, and put a high value on his merits, fo that they offered him bishopricks, which he refufed with as much ardour as others feek after them. He died in the fiftieth year of his age, and was canonized by Pope John XXII. We have his works in 18 volumes, feveral times printed. Johannes Dunfcotus was a very learned man, who lived about the end of the thirteenth, and beginning of the fourteenth century. The English and Scots ftrive which of them fhall have the honour of his birth. The English fay he was born in Northumberland; the Scots allege he was born at Dunfe in the Merfe, the neighbouring county to Northumberland, and hence was called Dunfcotus: Moreri, Buchanan, and other Scotch hiftorians, are of this opinion, and, for proof, cite his epitaph; Scotia me genuit, Anglia fufcepit, Gallia edocuit, Germania tenet. He died at Cologne, Nov. 8, 1308. In the Supplement to Dr. Cave's Hiftoria Literaria, he is faid to be extraordinary learned in phyfics, metaphyfics, mathematics, and aftronomy; that his fame was fo great when at Oxford, that 30,000 scholars came thither to hear Profound in all the Nominal 155 And Real ways beyond them all : He could raise scruples dark and nice, 160 165 The itch, on purpose to be scratch'd; And stab herself with doubts profound, Only hear his lectures; that when at Paris, his arguments and authority carried it for the immaculate conception of the Bleffed Virgin, so that they appointed a festival on that account, and would admit no scholars to degrees but fuch as were of this mind. He was a great oppofer of Thomas Aquinas's doctrine: and, for being a very acute logician, was called Do&or Subtilis, which was the reason also that an old punster always called him the Latby Doctor. Ver. 155, 156.] Gulielmus Occham was father of the Nominals, and Johannes Dunscotus of the Reals. These two lines not in the two first editions of 1664, but added in 1674. Ver. 157, 158.] Altered thus in edit. 1674, and continued till 1704. And with as delicate a hand, Could twist as tough a rope of sand. Only to fhew with how small pain 170 And, as he was dispos'd, could prove it $75 Below the moon, or else above it; What Adam dreamt of, when his bride Came from her clofet in his fide; All this, without a glofs or comment, He could unriddle in a moment, In proper terms, fuch as men fmatter 180 185 When they throw out and mifs the matter. For his religion, it was fit To match his learning and his wit; 190 'Twas Ver. 181.] Several of the Ancients have fuppofed that Adam and Eve had no navels; and, among the Moderns, the late learned Bishop Cumberland was of this opinion. Ver. 189.] Mr. Butler is very exact in delineating his hero's religion; it was neceffary that he fhould be fo, that the reader might judge whether he was a proper perfon to fet up for a Reformer, and whether the 3 religion 'Twas Prefbyterian true blue; For he was of that ftubborn crew Of errant faints, whom all men grant To be the true Church Militant; Such as do build their faith upon 195 The holy text of pike and gun; And prove their doctrine orthodox, 200 Which religion he profeffed was more eligible than that he endeavoured to demolish. Whether the Poet has been juft in the pourtrait must be left to every reader's cbfervation. Ver. 193, 194.] Where Prefbytery has been eftablished, it has been ufually effected by force of arms, like the religion of Mahomet; thus it was established at Geneva in Switzerland, Holland, Scotland, &c. In France, for fome time, by that means, it obtained a toleration: much blood was fhed to get it established in England; and once, during that Grand Rebellion, it seemed very near gaining an establishment here. Ver. 195, 196.] Upon thefe Cornet Joyce built his faith, when he carried away the King, by force, from Holdenby: for when his Majesty asked him for a fight of his inftructions, Joyce faid, He should fee them prefently; and fo drawing up his troop in the inward court," Thefe, Sir, (faid the Cornet) are my in"ftructions." Ver. 199, 200.] Many inftances of that kind are given by Dr. Walker, in his Sufferings of the Epifcopal Clergy. |