Let not thy Tongue difcover thy Intent, } He was very averfe to Tyranny, and efteemed Monarchy little better in any Shape; he was used to fay, That a Tyrant, who chufeth rather to command Slaves than Freemen, is like an Husbandman who preferreth the gathering of Locufts and catching of Fowls, to the reaping of Corn. Concerning his Writings, it remains doubtful whether he left any behind him. Auguftine mentions fome Books of Natural Philofophy; Simplicius, fome written on Nautic Aftrology; Laertius, two Treatifes on the Tropics and Equinoxes; and Suidas, a Treatife on Meteors, written in Verfe. His Death happened in Point of Time as is faid above; the Occafion appears to have been his attending the Olympic Games, where, oppreft with Heat, Thirft, and the Weakness of his Years, he, in public View, funk into the Arms of his Friends. He was buried, according to his own Appointment, in an obfcure Part of the Milefian Fields, where he predicted in future Times their Forum fhould be. Page 1. Line 2. An Olympiad was a Measure of Time ufed by the antient Grecians, confifting of 4 Years; it was first inftituted by Iphitus, in the Year of the World 3174, on Account of the Olympic Games, which were celebrated every 5th Year in the Planes of Elis, near the City of Olympia, in Honour of Jupiter Olympius. Page 2, Line 22. The Seven Wife Men, were Thales, Solon, Pittacus, Periander, Cleobulus, Chilo, and Bias, greatly renowned through all Antiquity. Page 2, Line 30. That this Doctrine (tho' very antient) is not wide of the Truth, appears by many modern Experiments on the Nature of Vegetation of Plants and the Animal Oeconomy, the Generation of Metals and Foffils, &c. as we shall fhew in its proper Place. A ANAXIMANDER. NAXIMANDER, a Milefian, Countryman, Companion, Kinsman, Disciple, Succeffor, and Propagator of the Doctrine of Thales, was born in the 42d Olympiad. He demonstrated the Compendium of Geometry, and firft published a Geographic Table. As early as the 50th Olympiad he publickly explained the Obliquity of the Zodiac, and invented the Gnomon. He was Master of every Branch of Aftronomy, imputed to Thales; and if Tully and Pliny may be depended upon, he was deeply fkilled in Natural Philofophy, predicting the famous Earthquake that overturned the City of Sparta, and tore away Part of the Mountain Taygetus; he wrote, as Suidas informs us, a Treatife De Naturâ: as alfo one on the Sphere, and divers others. He is faid to have differed from Thales, holding Infinity to be the Principle of all Things; but this, perhaps, is not different, as it is not explained what is meant by Infinity, unless this my→ ftical Expreffion elucidates his Intention: That, it is one infinite in Magnitude, the Parts thereof changing, the Whole immutable, out of which all Things proceed, and into which all Things refolve. Hence, that there are infinite Worlds generated, which corrupt and degenerate into that from whence they proceeded. The various Writers of his Life, confidering him as an Aftronomer, seem in many Instances either to have misunderstood him, or given us their own Abfurdities, for his Opinions; they are therefore, replete with Contradictions, Ifhall for that Reafon only recite fuch as are confiftent with themselves. He held the Doctrine of innumerable Worlds; That the Orb of the Sun is 28 times bigger than the Earth; and that the Moon hath a thin Light of her own, befides that which she borroweth from the Sun. His Opinions concerning Meteors are the fame as those espoused by the best Philofophers of later Ages; and his Notion of the Origin of Beings was, that the firft Creatures were generated in Humidity, which is the fame as Thales taught, of Water being the Principle of all Things; whence it may be concluded, that Anaximander distinguished between Principle and Element. The Time of his Death is no where afcertained, fo as to agree with his Birth, Age, and his being the Succeffor of Thales: For For which Reafon I fhall leave that Particular unnoticed, as a long Criticism on that Head is not material to the present Purpose. ANAXIMENES. NAXIMENES was firft the Disciple of Thales, and afterwards an Auditor of Anaximander; he was of the fame Country with both, and the Succeffor of the latter. He held Air to be the Principle of the Universe, of which all Things are engendered, and into which all refolve. That Spirit and Air are only two Words fignifying the fame Thing. His general Opinion of the Heavens and Meteors, was the fame as his Mafters; and of the Caufe of the Rainbow, the fame as in modern Philofophy: That Earthquakes proceed from the Rarity and Dryness of the Earth, from Excefs of Heat, or Cold; the latter he called Contraction, or Condensation, the former Laxation or Rarity: Thus illuftrated, a Man's Breath compreffed by his Lips and condenfed, is cold, (as when we blow on any Thing to cool it,) but iffuing from an open Mouth, is hot, by reason of its Rarity. And more than this we do not find concerning him. A ANAXAGORAS. NAXAGORAS was a Native of Glazomena, and born in the 67th Olympiad. He was eminent for his noble Birth and wealthy Poffeffions, but more for his Contempt of them, which he quitted for the Delights of Philofophy, turning his Thoughts from Civil Affairs to the Acquifition of Natural Knowledge; but for his Improvidence herein Plato highly blames him, because a Competency might rather affift, than be an Impediment to him in the Attainment of human Wifdom. Being asked, Why he had no Regard to his Country? he, pointing to the Heavens, anfwered, My greatest Regard is to my Country. And again, To C 2 what what End he was born? he answered, To contemplate the Sun, Moon, and Heavens. In the 20th Year of his Age he went to Athens to study Philofophy, and continued there 30 Years. He is reputed the first who added Mind to Matter, and on that Account he was honoured by the Athenians. Some of his Cotemporaries, however, difputed his Right to this Honour; alledging, That this Sentiment was taught much earlier, as no Doubt it was, tho' not in that Country. His Opinion of a fupreme Being was much clearer, more rational, and intelligent, than any of his Predeceffors in Greece; he held that God is an infinite felf-moving Mind, and the efficient Caufe of all Things; that the fame divine Mind, out of infinite Matter confifting of fimilar Parts, made every Thing according to its Species, reducing into Order what was before confufedly mingled together. His Conceptions of Nature were, That the upper Regions were replete with Fire, and the operative Power there he called Ether. His Notion of the Sun, that it was a burning Plate, the common Opinion of that Time; but that the Moon was a dark Body enlightened by the Sun, habitable, having Hills, Plains, and Waters; that the Inequality in her Face proceeded from a Mixture cold and Earthy, and that the Milky Way is the Light of fome Stars. The Winds he conceived to proceed from an Extenuation of the Air by the Sun: And that Earthquakes are caused by the Air, apt to ascend, but finding Difficulty in getting out, causeth that Perturbation, effected principally by the exterior, at certain Times breaking in upon the interior Air, and there producing the fame Force as we perceive, when, upon the Collifion of the Clouds, and Motion of the agitated Air, they produce Thunder and Lightning. His Thoughts concerning the Animal World, That Creatures were first generated by Humidity, Calidity, and earthy Matter. That the Voice is produced by the ftriking of the Wind against firm refifting Air, returning the Counter-blow to the Ear; which is the Manner whereby alfo the Repercuffion of the Air is formed called Echo; and that the Gall is the Caufe of acute Difeafes, which, over-flowing, is difperfed into the Lungs, Veins, &c. Laertius For PRINTING by SUBSCRIPTION, QUINTILIAN'S INSTITUTES OF THE ORAT O R; Tranflated into ENGLISH from the most correct By J. PAT SULL, M. A. This WORK being chiefly calculated for all thofe, whofe Function, or Duty of Life, makes it incumbent on them to speak in Public; it cannot be queftioned but its Utility on their Side must be very confiderable; and as such, it may naturally be prefumed, it should merit their Encouragement. The facred Orator, the Senator, the Civilian, the Barrister, the Author, the Academical Profeffor, the Student, the Schoolmafter, the Actor, will all find their Account in this Syftem of Oratory, preferably to any other; as by it, the Talent of speaking, one of the greatest Bleffings of Providence to Mankind, is not only improved by the exacteft Rules, but the Heart alfo corrected by the most wholsome moral Precepts, and the Judgment formed in its Tafte for the GooD, and the TRUE in Writing. Undoubtedly, it is laudable to rescue fo great an Author from Obfcurity, and by making him appear in an ENGLISH Drefs, to eftablifh, if poffible, the beft Standard of Criticism, and to revive among BRITONS the genuine ATTIC and ROMAN Eloquence. In grave QUINTILIAN's copious WORK we find POPE'S Eflay on Criticism. |