Tongue nor that from whence they translate employed by the Booksellers on this difficult Task because they murder a noble Author cheaper than a Man of Parts willdo him Justice and like a Spaniard will live upon a Clove of Garlick and work hard for what will but suffice to buy 'em a great Coat to keep 'em from the Cold This is the cause we have few good Translations Whereas the French are more accurate because they who give themselves to Undertakings of that kind among them are such whose Business is Learning and who are otherways provided for than to depend on the Generosity of a Bookseller for their Bread And whilst a business of that consequence is carried on by such Hands we have no reason to expect any greater Performances But had we the good Fortune to have all the Arts and Sciences and all the fine thoughts of all those great men that have writ they would be so voluminous that many a man of Sence would labour under as great a difficulty as before both for time to peruse and Money to purchase them But this difficulty is quite removed by the Athenian Society for One hour in a week is all the time that is required to peruse them and Two pence weekly sufficient to purchase those Papers in which every one may find the Marrow of what great Authors have writ on any curious Subject with the improvement of many ingenious and learned men upon it Nor is the Reader confined to that silly Magisterial Argument of some of the old Pythagoreans an ipse dixit but is only desired to yield to the force of Reason it self and what Authorities are brought will easily be seen to be supernumerary Proofs unless about Matter of Fact and the verity of any Passage in History as that of Iosephus about our Saviour Iesus Christ which can be decided by nothing but the Testimony of all Ages up to the time when such Book was writ which is a much more natural and rational way to come to the Truth than by the conjectural Arguments of some opinionated men of this present Age who would needs preferr a meer Ghess to a Cloud of Witnesses a method quite contrary to all the Justice and Proceedings in the World If the Reader will consider what I have said I am confident he can't but in Justice acquit me of Flattery when I shall say that all the Endeavours of the great men of all Nations and Ages from the beginning of Learning to this time have not contributed to the encrease of Knowledge so much as this Institution of the Athenian Society What the Ancients did I have already in a few words discussed and tho' I will not deny that the Advance that has been made since the Restauration of Learning is very extraordinary yet it must be granted that it falls short of this 'T is true it was great to cast off Authorities and to have Recourse alone to Reason and Experiment the only sure Foundation of all Learning without which we spend our Years in painful Study to fill our Heads with false and empty Notions foreign enough from Truth which is the aim of all Study for without a pretty good assurance of that the Mind can never be satisfied But though the Treasure of Knowledge encreased so vastly yet the Possessors of this Treasure did not grow much more numerous than of old so that the Benefit of it reached only to such as could go to the expence of Studying at the chargeable places called Universities few else being the better for this new Revolution in the Empire of Wisdom most of the rest of Mankind were an ignorant Generation that bore the Form the Shape the Image of Men and had the use of their Tongue to make known their Thoughts but it was only to discover how very little difference there was betwixt them and their Brothers the Brutes The Learned dealt with Mankind till now as some bigotted Clergy-men do in giving the greatest part to Ignorance here as they do to the Devil hereafter I confess those few and imperfect Translations we have did a little refine the Conversation of a great many who had not the good Fortune to be skill'd in Languages but those Books are as I have hinted before too large too difficult and too dear for several that are as willing and as fit to learn though they have not so good a Purse to spare either their Money or their Time on them from their necessary Occasions of getting their Livelihood But the Society have opened an easier way and set Learning in so fair a light that won with its Beauty every one must with eagerness embrace it in a form so agreeable to all Capacities and those who are so near a Kin to their Bodies as not to care for the Embellishments of the Mind will have a clearer Mark set upon them of sordid Ignorance If these and many more are the Advantages that will accrew to the Public from this Undertaking I believe the Learned will receive no less I mean those who are not so full of themselves that they cannot with Patience peruse the Works of any one else for all the knotty points of Philosophy Divinity Mathematics c. which have employ'd the curious part of the World thus long are form'd into Quaeries by the Inquisitive and answered with an abundance of Reason by the Society who are not only men of Parts but also blest with a Temper that is Industrious to the highest degree and by consequence must give a general Satisfaction in their Performances to the best of Judges in every Science But here methinks I see some plodding grave Gentleman that has been at the Expence of many a laborious Year to gain the Mastery of Latin Greek and Hebrew with a supercilious frown condemning this Society not for falling short of their first Pretence but because they keep up too close to it For says he What Honour will be due to Learned men that have spent so many years in the study of Languages and the Criticisms of them if the Kernel of that Nut they are so long a cracking be given to every illiterate Fellow that understands not what 's Latin for the Book he reads This desire of Honour and Veneration and to be esteemed something more than Men has been the cause of the small Progress of Learning in former Ages as I have already shewn and therefore ought to be cast away with the other Fopperies of those times which obstructed the Growth of Knowledge and the Gentlemen of this Kidney may satisfie themselves that the number of Illiterate Fellows will be much less and yet the Skill in the Languages be in as much esteem as it deserves as long as the study of ancient Authors especially the Poets which can never be delivered in any other Language with that Force and Beauty they have in their own shall be valued by the Ingenious Criticisms will still be pleasing though a thousand times repeated
boil like a Pot and that when that Fire went out the Sea ebb'd Some of equal Absurdity think the Sea to be or rather contain a great Animal and that as it turns and moves from side to side it causes the ebbing and flowing There have not been a few that have held the Moon to be the efficient cause of this Motion Others among which number if I mistake not Galilaeus is Chief are of opinion that the Sun as it gives Motion to the other parts of the World causes this Revolution of the Waters tho' they be but a part of that Globe we call the Earth and therefore would not be supposed to have a different or at least a peculiar motion to themselves from the same Cause supposing that the System of Copernicus is true of the diurnal Motion of the Earth There is another Opinion built upon this Systeme which is this That the diurnal Revolution of the Earth upon its own Axis is the only cause of the Flux and Reflux of the Sea for as other Waters that are conveyed in Pipes will rise to as great a height as the place from whence they first descend so these of the Sea upon the descent if we can term any part of that Motion so which has an equal reference to and distance from the Center of the Earth flow down as far as the Shore permits but being there stop'd rebound up again as much the other way which is the ebb and flowing But this is no less absurd than any of the rest I have inserted for first if this were the cause there could be no such variety of Tides as is well known since the Earth turns upon its own Axis in an equal space of time as well as with an equal even and constant motion without any rub So that we are to seek in the most difficult part of this wonderful motion still For How comes it to pass that the Tide flows some fathoms more in some places than in others and that constantly and therefore not caus'd by any accidental Wind driving in upon that Shore But there remains as great a difficulty as to the cause of the seven times flowing of the Euripus in a day Lastly if there be such a descent in the motion of the Earth as to make the Waters fall down to the brim as I may call it then by the same Rule they would fall out when that part of the Globe came to be perpendicular downward for if there be a descent there must be a lowest part of that descent and then what I have urg'd would infallibly follow 'T would be endless to run through all the Absurdities of this last as well as those of the other opinions I have related which might well follow when they never considered all the Consequences of the Doctrin they advanc'd The Society in their third Mercury decides the Question with more Reason and Certainty in this manner What is the reason of the Suns motion but the necessary Law of the Creation or the first-establish'd Order of Nature For had the Sun been fixt in any one part of the Element the opposite part of the Earth would have been burnt up and all the rest frozen and consequently the whole Globe of Earth rendered uncapable of fructifying And as the motion of the Sun was necessary in the Order of Nature for all those Beings that depend upon it so it was equally necessary that the Sea should have a particular Commission or Order from its Creator the only efficient Cause for a Flux and Reflux else it would have stagnated and corrupted and by consequence unfit for Procreation of Fishes and Navigation For the Objections which are or can be raised against this consult the Mercury and there you will find them answered to your full satisfaction But if you require some more immediate cause of this Motion of the Waves Vol. 5 Numb 6 Quest. 2 referrs you to an ingenious Book writ by a Member of the Society called The Visions of Souls before they enter into the Body and in the 23d Dialogue of that Book you will find your Curiosity answered in a most witty and surprizing manner I must needs say the whole Book is an extraordinary Piece of refined Notions entertaining Wit and great and well-digested Learning and indeed too much above the Capacities of most of our English Readers to sell well for if it were but understood I am confident nothing that this Age has produced would be more grateful to the Curious And if it were translated into French that Nation would value it and be sensible that the English had as noble and speculative a Genius as any of them but the Humour of most men and some that pretend a little to sence is to give censure of a thing according to the Vogue tho' they never saw it themselves tho' perhaps as I am sure in this case 't is true that proceeded from the Ignorant which being the more numerous make up the Cry or those at least who did not understand it But what can be more fine than their Discourse upon Individuation A point confess'd by the great Mr. Boyl as they observe of the most nice and difficult nature I shall transcribe it because there can be no Abreviation so well done but it must be an Injury to its Excellence The Question is this What is Individuation or wherein consists the Individuability of a thing It may n't be improper pursues the Author for I omit the Preface of it which is a kind of an Apology because I think it needs none to run through the different Orders of visible Beings and search them all for a distincter Idea of it than the Schools afford To begin with those Species of Body which are not properly organiz'd and have neither Life nor Sense as Stones Metals c. in these Individuation seems to consist in nothing but greater or lesser Take the less part of a Stone away you may still call it the same Stone Like an equal part with the Remains that Individuation ceases and they are two new Individuals Divide a Stone c. as long as you please every part of it will be a Stone still another individual Stone as much as any in the Mountains or Quarry 't was first cut out of even tho' reduc'd to the minutest Sand or if possible a thousand times less But when we take one step farther and proceed a degree higher to the Vegetable Kingdom the Case is far otherwise and indeed Nature seems to be still more distinct and as it were careful in its Individuation the higher it rises till at last it brings us to that great Transcendental Individual the only proper uncompounded Essence the One God blessed for ever To return to Plants their Individuation consists in their singular form contexture and order of their Parts whereby they are disposed for those uses to which Nature has designed them and by which they receive and maintain their Beings
THE HISTORY OF THE Athenian Society For the Resolving all Nice and Curious QUESTIONS BY A GENTLEMAN WHO GOT Secret Intelligence Of their Whole Proceedings To which are prefix'd Several POEMS WRITTEN BY Mr. Tate Mr. Motteux Mr. Richardson and others Foelix qui Potuit Rerum cogâ—…oscere causas Virg. Nam nihil â—…gregius quà m res est cernere apertas Ab dubiis Lucret. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocrates LONDON Printed for Iames Dowley and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster Price 1 s. The EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the Gentlemen of the ATHENIAN SOCIETY Gentlemen EVER since my First Thoughts of writing this History I have frequently consider'd whom I should select as a fit Patron of my Endeavors this way but these Considerations still concluded that you who on the firm Foundation of your own Excellence have establish'd your selves in the Esteem of the more solid part of Mankind without the Auxiliary Support of any great Man's Assistance that You who had no Richelieu to cherish your first Essays or guard your Rising Merit were ablest to Patronize that which chiefly aim'd at giving the World a Draught in little of what it ow'd to your Incomparable Performances If it were not that most Writers have a sordid present Gain in View when they design a Dedication I am confident we should see few Noblemens Names at the beginning of their Works since it must be confess'd 't would be more for the Advantage of their Reputation to chuse one another for Patrons a Writer being better qualified to defend that which he has once espous'd with his Pen than any Great man with his empty Name or a long Catalogue of Titles At least I am sure no man will think my Choice improper when he shall consider how well able you are to protect my Failings with your Invincible Pens against all those who shall hereafter attaque them Nor will the Defect of what I have writ make me at all despair of your favourable Reception since every Action ought to receive its Value from the Intention not the awkward manner of Performance My Will design'd your Honor tho' my Pen has not come up to the Greatness of my Aim I was no sooner convinced by what you published of the Possibility of carrying on so Noble an Undertaking but I resolved to attempt this History which I hop'd to perfect without the knowledge of any of your Learned Society being sensible that your abounding Modesty would endeavour to stifle that which might bear the least resemblance of a Panegyriâ—… in the Eye of even the Envious but by the want of Caution in some concern'd in the publishing it I found before the last sheet was printed one of your Society had Intelligence of it whose Letter may convince the World that this Fear of mine was not without Just Ground But I will not pretend wholy to justifie my self for publishing this History without your Leave since a thing of this nature indeed merited better Helps than I had to the compiling of it and none were capable of affording them effectually but your selves yet it was an Error of the better side a Trespass caus'd by a too unconsidering Esteem and Value for your Noble Undertaking and no less Performances which have not only engag'd me in this Affair but alwaies to be as I must here subscribe my self Gentlemen Your Admirer and Humble Servant R. L. To the Athenian Society THE Warmth your Beams produc'd you must excuse Your Commendation first inspir'd my Muse Your friendly Praise supports her feeble Wing You both invite and teach her how to sing And while by Art your charming Numbers move Her Wood-wild Notes instruct her to improve Censure in this Attempt can only say That I my Debt of Thanks too poorly pay That from your Bounty I my Tribute raise And but return the Product of your Praise Yet Mortals thus to Sacred Altars go With Presents which the Gods did first bestow We treat them from the Stores which they dispense Not to Requite but shew our grateful Sense To sing your Toils let abler Bards aspire While I at distance silently admire How much oblig'd your Country is to you If Wit and Learning here those Charms renew That Art's Admirers once to Athens drew If thither Conqu'ring Rome for Knowledge sought What Miracles have you for Britain wrought Who Athens home to us at your own Charge have brought Aspiring Lewis's self must yield to you In that sole Praise which he can call his Due Translated Learning France too dearly buys Which cheaply your Compendious Book supplies This Diff'rence too your Preference secures His Aim was Glory Publick Good was Yours For while you move the various Orbs of Wit Conceal'd the great Intelligences sit N. Tate Atticae Societati DOcta cohors Musis Apolline nata secundis Per quam Cecroplis vita resurgit avis Cujus luce novum nostra decus additur Urbi Visit arctoas mitior aura plagas Eja age naturae penetralia pande latâ—…ntis Invitam excutiens quà licet usque Deam Fortia languenti praebe medicamina mundo Phoebeumque tuo lumine redde diem Lux divina Sophi Titanla lumina vincit Et penetrat terras super astra volat Quin pergis victuram in saecula promere chartam Quin Sophiae sequeris liberioris iter Ingens restat adhuc messis novus ordo laborum Auxiliatrices sperat Apollo manus Barbariem moresque feros manus Attica ademit Nec subigenda tibi monstra minora manent P. Motteux The same in English To the Athenian Society SOns of the Muses at whose welcome Birth Auspicious Phoebus cheer'd the drooping Earth By whom once more old Learned Athens lives Our great Metropolis new Fame receives And a more gentle Air our Northern Climes revives Go on descend to Natures deepest Cell The gloomy Night that veils the bashful Dame dispel Help a whole World which doth your Aid implore And scatt'ring Beams of Light our golden days restore Learning's diviner Rays the Sun 's outvye And pierce the Globe and range the loftiest Skie In never-dying Lines your task renew Through Learning's boundless Sea your course pursue Vast undiscover'd Regions wait for you The mighty Work much Art much Toyl demands And even Apollo wants assisting Hands In dismal shades the ancient World did stray Till Athens Wisdom did its Light display Athens once more must change our Darkness into Day P. Motteux To the Athenian Society E'Re Science was or Learning had a Name Dilated Memory recorded Fame 'T was long before Forgetfulness was born Or Wit could find out Ignorance to scorn When Men could back Six hundred years relate And still pursu'd their very distant Fate Deeds sooner far than Men did dye And long-protracted Life forgat Mortality Wide as the Heaven their Thoughts did roul To Actions great as the extensive Soul Letters and Books the Helps We use To keep expiring Sence alive Needless to Them who could at
taken up with Subtilties and Notions deduc'd from these Principles they too being all of the Clergy to devise any means of making the rest of men wiser than before But that which gave me the greatest cause of wonder was that since the benefit of Printing Books and consequently Learning grew more general and with that an universal Inclination of most men to spread it still farther that nothing of this nature should by none of the Great men and Virtuoso's of our own or foreign Nations be found out before about a year since I am not ignorant that there is a Book called Sphinx Theologico-Philosophica that bears some resemblance to the Athenian Mercury but then it differs so much when you come to peruse it that if it had not been to obviate some mens unreasonable Fancies I would not have nam'd it for there the Author proposes his Difficulties and solves them himself but with an endless number of vulgar Errors grounding all his Answers on ill Authorities School Divinity and those antiquated Systems of Philosophy which were compos'd as I said before out of the misunderstood Writings of Aristotle who if we may credit his Letter to Alexander the Great never intended any one should reap much Knowledge from them except his own select Scholars for that great King being fired with generous Ambition of excelling all Mankind in Knowledge as well as Power when he was inform'd that Aristotle had publish'd his Acroamatick Books sent him a Letter of Reprimand in which were these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander to Aristotle Health YOU have not done well to publish your Acroamatick Books for now I would feign know in what we shall excell the rest of Men if that Learning iâ—… which you have educated us be made common to all And indeed I profess I had rather excell in Knowledge than Power To this Letter of Alexander Aristotle returns this Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle to Alexander Health YOU writ to me about my Acroamatick Books which you judge should be kept as a Secret and not divulged For your satisfaction therefore know that they are published and yet they are not for they can be understood only by such who have heard me deliver them From hence we may suppose what Exactness and Reason there was in Systems composed after this Model and I assure the Reader the Author of the fore-nam'd Book falls yet lower and dwindles into Old-wives Tales and common Sayings In short if any man of Sence shall happen to see that Book they will find that it bears no likeness to the Athenian Mercury but the form of Question and Answer the Authors of which Method the Gentlemen of this Society are far from pretending to be and it was made choice of as the only way of satisfying every ones Curiosity and Doubts when each propos'd his own I never yet upon enquiry could understand that any thing like this was ever advanc'd either before this time or in any other Nation England has the Glory of giving Rise to two of the noblest Designs that the Wit of Man is capable of inventing and they are the Royal Society for the experimental improvement of Natural Knowledge and the Athenian Society for communicating not only that but all other Sciences to all men as well as to both Sexes and the last will I question not be imitated as well as the first by other Nations This leads me into a consideration of the Advantages this Undertaking has afforded the World which are so many and so evident that I may seem to the Judicious to lose time in endeavouring to demonstrate what every man of Sence must acknowledge Yet to silence the Enemies of Reason as well as of the Athenian Society I shall instance in some few particulars as first the promotion of Printing for as that Art contributed extreamly to the spreading and progress of Learning so has this Project made grateful Returns already to the encouragement at least of the Masters of that Art witness the Controversie with the Anabaptists the Quakers and with Mr. Iones on the Subject of Usury which though it be stretched into too great a Latitude by the Practices of some yet is with no Reason in the World absolutely condemn'd by him as this Learned Society have already made evident to any discerning Judgment Nor has the little Endeavours at an Answer by some nameless Scribler mov'd me at all to think otherwise he having not answered any Proof the Society brought nor indeed do I believe he understood great part of them but with a canting inconsistent Ramble hastens to the end of his mighty Vindication I shall say no more of this Controversie now because it is not yet finished and the other I shall have occasion of speaking of in the Second Part of this Discourse But the Booksellers and Printers are not the only Gainers in this Affair that Branch of the Royal Revenue the Post I mean both the General and Penny-Post being not inconsiderably improved by it they having in the first year received some Thousands of Letters So that it seems to me the Interest of the Government to espouse the Quarrel of this Society so far as to suppress any Interloper the Result of whose unjust Endeavours must be the Ruin of such an encreasing Advantage to Their Majesties Interest But I shall say more of this in my last Part and here shall leave the Benefit that arises from the Athenian Mercury to the Purses of both the Publick and Private to consider a little of that which the Mind the nobler part of Mankind will reap from it that being its chief aim and design the others but accidental What an improvement this will be to Learning I presume none that will give themselves leisure to reflect can be insensible of for a diffusing Knowledge among all that Heaven has made capable must certainly be the occasion of more Discoveries in Truth and Nature because the number of the Learned will be encreased of the Learned I say for I cannot see any reason why Languages should be thought so necessary an Ingredient for the composing a Scholar if it were not for the opening the Secrets that are locked up in them which Prison this Noble Societies Undertaking will in time free 'em from for indeed 't is very hard that those whose Pockets could not arrive to better Education and yet are blest with abler Brains than many who spend their time in Books should be hindered from thoseadvantages they could so well make use of The French have remov'd in some measure this Obstacle and made all Authors familiar to every one that can but read and understand their own Mother-tongue by translating all Books of any value into their own Language 'T is true we have imitated them a little in that way but under a different Capacity for here there are a sort of little Ignorant Foreigners who understand neither our
but the Names of all those that have flourished in every Science and Art in this famous City From what I have here produc'd will sufficiently appear that since all the Arts and Learning of the old World owed their Beginning nay and perhaps Perfection too though afterward lost in the Inundation of Barbarity which from the North over-run all Europe to Athens with just Reason did this Learned Society make choice of that Appellation whose Aim it is to advance all Knowledge and diffuse a general Learning through the many and by that civilize more now in a few years than Athens it self did of old during the Ages it flourished THE SECOND PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE Athenian Society IN the First part of this History I have given you an account of the Novelty Advantage Inventor and occasion of this Noble Undertaking I have touched upon the Difficulties that attend it the Noble Daring of the first Author and lastly I have advanc'd some Reasons why this Society assumed the Title of Athenian In That I brought you to its beginning in This I shall with all the Brevity the Copiousness of the Subject will allow proceed to its Infancy and Growth and from thence pass to the Manly Performances of the Society when established Though the whole design of this Institution may be gathered from what has been said in the First Part yet I think it necessary to premise an entire Prospect of it here since that will not a little contribute to the satisfaction of the Reader by avoiding Obscurity and Confusion setting things in as clear a Light as possible and in that form which the decency of Order requires That which they first proposed to themselves was not only to answer all manner of nice and curious Questions in Divinity Physick Law Philosophy History Poetry Mathematics Trade and all other Questions proposed by either Sex or in any Language but also to give an account of the most considerable Books printed in England or transmitted to them from foreign parts and to accomplish this effectually the Undertaker resolving to spare no Charges to gratifie the Ingenious setled a Correspondence beyond Sea And tho' all this were enough to expect from the extraordinary Parts and Industry of any Society of no greater extent yet they resolving to spare no Labour proceeded farther by inserting the Conferences and Transactions of several English Virtuoso's and whatever the Genius of our Nation would relish in the Acta Eruditorum Lipsiae the Paris Iournal des Scavans the Giornali de Litterali printed at Rome the Universal Historical Bibliotheque and other learned and ingenious Essays of other Nations That so as our Merchants supplied us with the Manufactures and Commodities of all Countries we should not want that Production so much more valuable in its self and in the esteem of every wise man their Wit and Learning whatever the curious and brisk Genius of the French the Floridness of the Italian and the Industry of the German the Gravity of the Spaniard should from time to time gratifie their several Countries with this Great SOCIETY have generously and successfully imported into England and by that means made all Nations contribute to the Power and Glory of our Empire of Wit as the conquered World did of old to the Grandeur and Wealth of Rome this a far more noble Tribute and a far more exalted Glory every man in Justice therefore ought to honour them with the august Name of Patriots above most that stand blustering Candidates for it Yet farther to make their Endeavours the more satisfactory to all men this Society have all along invited every one that has any Experiment or curious Instance which they know to be Truth and Matter of Fact circumstantiated with time and place to send them to them These Experiments and Instances they not only promis'd to insert in their Mercuries but also endeavour to find out a Demonstration for those which the Senders could not So great is their admirable Zeal for the Good of the Public and the Satisfaction of all curious Enquirers into natural Speculations All these great Parts of this Mighty Design could not possibly be brought into the weekly Mercuries which had not room to contain the hundredth part of the Answers to those Quaeries which they soon receiv'd therefore for the speedier satisfaction of Quaerists and the publication of all these Curiosities I have spoke of they judged it absolutely necessary at the compleating every eighteen Numbers to print twelve more of Answers to Quaeries by that means if possible to obviate the Impatience of some of those who sent their Doubts and Curiosities to be resolv'd These made up one Volume to which as a Supplement that is to perfect their Design is added I mean to the four first the Abstracts of all Books of value both domestic and foreign with curious and diverting Dissertations upon several nice Subjects The fifth Supplement to comply further with their Quaerists Importunities for speedier Answers is composed of the Resolution of Doubts as the single Mercuries are What shall be the Subject of their future Supplements I shall have occasion to speak of in the third and last part of this History Though what I have mentioned already may seem the Labour of Ages yet they still went farther and we find very early their Resolution of gratifying the World with a new System of Philosophy a thing as much desir'd as wanted that of Aristotle being so false and that of Descartes so imperfect I shall say no more of this Work here because I shall have occasion to speak of it again in the third part But that the World might be fully acquainted with this whole Design they have frequently published it both in the Mercury Volumes and Supplements and any one that desires may read it summ'd up all together in their Fifth Supplement So that none can plead Ignorance that shall intrench upon their Design and Method and none can be dissatisfied that they have not a full account of so many Advantages they may reap from the several Endeavours of this SOCIETY Here it will not be improper for me to give some account of the Method they propos'd to themselves for the prosecution of their Design for that is indeed a necessary part of it That Order which Justice required they made choice of that is that those Quaeries that came first should be first answered unless a greater Good interposed as the answering any Popular Quaery that might be of service to the Government for the Public Good is granted by all men I think to be preferred to the Private Or some curious Accident or remarkable Providence that 's Matter of Fact and wants a demonstration Here too the general Advantage comes in and then 't is but fit that Particulars of less consequence should expect a little and give way Next some extraordinary Scruple of Conscience which wants a speedy Answer And for the satisfaction of such I think no reasonable
is done to our Neighbour is the same which certainly must constitute the guilt of the Crime The Gentleman that sent this Letter was I find afterward in a very impertinent and foolish Pamplet redicul'd for it where the Authors for one wou'd scarce imagine a leash of Blockheads shou'd club for such a trifâ—…e says against what is advanc'd in this Letter that London is as capable of maintaining two Papers of this nature as two Windmills supply them both with Queries it will I grant but I am sure those that did attempt it found by experience it never paid for the Work it set 'em about tho' they were careful of being at as little charge of Print as they cou'd Title Margent Advertisements and Algebraical Cannons transcrib'd verbatim from Authors I cou'd produce and not understood by one in ten thousand and perhaps not by the Transcriber himself leaving very little room for any matter of Ingenuity or Diversion and ev'n that was taken up with solitary Queries Prophaneness and Blasphemy But I will not anticipate what I suppose the Athenian Society themselves will expose to the World in its proper Colours Indeed their whole design seem'd to be to laugh and ridicule Solidity and Seriousness out of the World that so they might make an opener and more easie inlet to Atheism and that this was their Aim is more than probable from that blasphemous expression of Serenading their Maker at the expence of Sternhold and Hopkins and affirming that there were many feign'd Relations in Iob and their turning God's Iudgment on Sodom into ridicule and a Iest all which wou'd I confess almost prevail with a Man to believe that those reports were true which were then given of them viz. That some among them did not believe in JESUS CHRIST and that the same Lacedemonian should say he wou'd undertake to shew as many absurdities number for number in the N. Testament as in Mahomet's Aicoran But whether these were Calumnies or no I am sure if I may judge of their design by what they did publish they seem'd bent to confound the Minds of the Vulgar and encline them to Debauchery and Atheism rather than to fix them in any thing solid and vertuous In short as the Athenians said of their design That the World was already very Learned yet they desired to make it more so So those Interlopers might have said of their performances That the World was very wicked already but their desire and endeavours shou'd contribute to render it entirely so What cou'd their dispute about the testimony of Iosephus mean but to bring the very being of Christ into doubt or at least that the Primitive Christians promoted the Kingdom of Heaven by that same way the Devil does his viz. by Lyes But what mighty Arguments did these Anti-Christians bring for a Proof of their Assertion nothing but bare Conjecture to perswade that at least it was not likely that Iosephus a Jew shou'd speak so favourably of Christ. Why not 't is true he says almost as much of Christ as we Christians perhaps more than they do believe but what if I should say it is likely Iosephus did believe all that he writ I am sure I have his words on my side his words I say for all these SPARKS have said cannot convince me of the contrary but is it so strange a thing in our days that a Man shou'd for interest act contrary to that his opinion is there were no Preferments among the Christians but racks tortures c. they cou'd set up no Statue's to the Honour of his Memory which the Romans did He was a Jewish Priest and one that came over to Titus unable to bear the Extremeties of the Siege of Ierusalem But suppose none of these Considerations 〈◊〉 any weight may we not as well suppose Iosephus to have said those things of our Blessed Saviour tho' he continu'd in a contrary opinion as to other things how hard it was for the Converted Iews to quit their Mosâ—…ical Institutions is evident from the Scripture ev'n after they had receiv'd Christ as very God and very Man and the true Missias as well as many other moderate Men who have justify'd those of an other perswasion in some Particulars Thus tho' it was the opinion of a great many fiery Zealots that the Heathens ador'd the Devil yet Dr. Stillingfleet the present Bishop of Worcester from their own Authors concludes with a great deal of reason as you will grant if you peruse a Book entitul'd The History of the Oracles that they directed their devotion to the great God of Heaven and Earth as the ultimate end of their Worship and who that has read Cicero Seneca c. but must believe the same yet I hope these Gentlemen will not conclude from thence that these Words were forg'd into the Doctor 's Book by some friends of the Heathens So the ATHENIAN SOCIETY tho' they are no Papists are such friends to truth as to deny there was ever such a Person as Pope Ioan and indeed Bellarmine is not to be answered on that point Thus much for the Equity of such an undertaking and the Persons concern'd in it as well as their prophane and trifling performances for they not only left Divinity to the Athenians as they first profess'd but Philosophy and indeed ev'ry thing that was solid or ingenious now let us see what encouragement they met with Just as much as the above quoted Letter prophesied not enough to pay for Paper much less for Print and Copy This I am positive in because I made an enquiry of the MERCURY WOMEN about it nor cou'd it be other ways expected since the Athenians took the ready way to suppress it by giving their Readers all the little Mettal that was to be gain'd out of their Oar purg'd of its more bulky dross with remarks on their Errors and their own improvements on their Thoughts For a farther satisfaction to the Reader I shall insert their Promise which they all along perform'd to a tittle made to all their Querists in the 14th Number of the 6th Volume tho' they often repeated it before and after in other Mercuries Finding that publishing our Mercuries four times a Week wou'd quite clog our Undertaking and render it useless we shall for the future only publish them on Tuesdays and Saturdays as formerly and that we may render our undertaking perfect we promise our Querists that in case any Person shou'd interfere with us in our design of answering Questions they shall constantly find in our Saturdays Mercury Answers to all his Questions whatever that so our Querists may not be put to double Charges by buying the same Questions twice answer'd nor the Coffee-houses burthen'd with too many Papers In another Advertisement they tell the World that it shall find in their Papers all the Antagonist's best Thoughts remarks on his Errors and their own Improvements upon all he advances Performing these things with all the Justice and
Impartiality in the World and constantly without omitting any thing worth taking notice of 't is no wonder that so few were found void so much of Sense as to buy their trifles the more pardonable indeed for being so very short when they might have a view of all that was valuable in them in the Athenian Mercury and that too with great Additions So may they thrive who interfere with an others design I must not here among the other Oppositions they have met with forget the Endeavours of their Enemies to cast an Imputation of Fanaticism on the Members of this SOCIETY But it is so evident from what they have writ that they are of the Church of England that blind Malice it self cannot deny it I shall trespass so much on â—…he patience of the Reader for once to prove that the Sun shines at noon day or that there is such a thing as Motion or at least that this Religion of this Society is of the Church of England as by Law establishd tho' out of many I will choose but two places the first ' Volume 3d. Number 28. and Quest. 4. The Query is this What Community in your opinion comes nearest to the Doctrine of our Blessed Saviour the Apostles and Primitive Fathers The Answer is Undoubtedly it is our Opinion that the Communion we our selves are of and hope to live and die in namely that of the Church of England is the best in the World and nearest to the Doctrine of our Saviour his Apostles and Primitive Fathers and unless we thought so we shou'd be very ill Men to continue in it I desire the Reader wou'd consult this place I have quoted where he will find evident beyond evasion the distinctive Medium betwixt Popery and other Protestant opinions particularly as to the Liturgy and Episcopacy c. at large set down which were too long for me to transcribe here Number 25. of the same Volume Quest. 4. is a farther Confirmation of this The Query is I desire your Opinion what Book you wou'd advise me to for my private Devotions as being a single Person Pray Reader mind well the Answer Answ. What so many great and good Men have been concern'd in the Composing of viz. The LITURGY of the Church of ENGLAND if the Labours of one Man then Dr. Taylor 's Composures The Whole Duty of Man This I am sure is enough to convince any reasonable Man of what Church the Members of this Society are 'T was no impollitic part how dishonest soever it were of their opposers to cast an Odium upon them in the Affairs of Religion since too many are carry'd away with a VIOLENT PREIUDICE against any thing that shall be offer'd by one of an other perswasion thinking to supply all their other defects by a blind and unreasonable Zeal But as the Oppositions this Noble design met with were many as appears from what I have said so were the Encouragements too from all parts of England Some parts beyond Sea and from great and learned Men as is evident from the Gentleman I lately mention'd who has join'd himself to them on the account of the Natural Rarities and that worthy Divine mention'd in the beginning of this last part so skilful in Rabinical Learning nor is that less which the Approbation of the ingenious Gentlemen of Received Wit and Reputation have given them in the Verses prefixt to this History nor must I omit the Judgment of a very ingenious Gentleman which he sent in a Letter to the ATHENIAN SOCIETY which being now in the Press I got a sight of It begins thus Gentlemen I happâ—…n'd to read that sheet of your ATHENIAN MERCURY in which you resolv'd a Query concerning some Actions of â—…RUT ES that resemble Reason your Discourse there was so very acute and solid that it envited me to peruse divers others which without flattery gave me that esteem for you that I resolv'd to lend my best assistance to render your Endeavours beneficial to the World which I ought to suppose is the Mark you Aim at I look on your Undertaking as one of the most laudable Projects our Age has invented and if prudently manag'd the most conducing to improve Knowledge in the generality of Mankind according to their several Capacities after this he proceeds to some very good advice for which I refer you to the 12. Numbers which compleat the 6th Volume besides 〈◊〉 general and encreasing Applause of all the Nation all 〈◊〉 together has made them surmount all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impotent Endeavours of their past and present 〈◊〉 and fixt them beyond the power of those 〈◊〉 â—…OODING ENVT shall produce hereafter Having thus run through all the points I propos'd to my self upon my resolution of Writing of this History with a much greater brevity I confess than what the well handling a Subject of this extent 〈◊〉 I shall here conclude with a short View of what I have done In the first part I have represented the NOVELTY occasion and manner of its Invention the Advantages it afforded the World as the making that familiar to many which was before confin'd within too narrow a compass and recommending the beauty of Knowledge to them who were frightned from it by the Mercenary Schools whereas its easie Charms in the Athenian Dress will excite many to the study of Wisdom they at least whose necessary Business will not permit a more tedious Disquisition may gather good notions of things by a meer cursory reading of the weekly Mercuries which will be no small improvement of Civility and Conversation Farther I shew'd that it was unreasonable that they to whom Nature had given a noble Genius should be denied when grown up the improvement of it without the tedious Discipline of the School because their Parents had neglected or their Circumstances hinder'd it when young that they who naturally slight Learning will do so still since this Design is to improve not alter Nature that it were an Injustice that they who value it should be deprived of it because confin'd to Languages Nor is it reasonable that a Pedant should esteem himself above others for one without the other I shall only add here to these Considerations that whereas this was begun in War tho' Peace is generally the Mother of new Arts and Sciences so it has several Advantages proper to the Temper and Exigencies of such a hurrying and martial time when Arms and Stratagems take up too much of our hours to permit us to spend many in the Enquiries into Truth and all sorts of Learning by the perusal of voluminous Tracts Nor did I forget the Difficulties which presented themselves to the Members of the Society to hinder their engaging in this Affair first as to answering all Quaeries well and to the satisfaction of those that pretend to follow Reason for their Rule all Sciences being so very dâ—…iputable as also from the Envy and Malice of others and lastly from the different Humors of the Quaerists Nor
their Quaerists When Authors are silent upon any point or come not up to the Question the Law is That no Member shall publish the Solution till he has imparted his Reasons to the Society for their Approbations I hear they are resolved to correct some Answers as soon as they have leisure and they have excluded one Member for making a frequent breach of this Rule because their design is to leave nothing imperfect as near as they can Yours to command C. B. Having received this Letter I thought necessary to insert it since the Contents of it were wanting to make this HISTORY compleat FINIS (a) So called because few only and those Select were admitted to hear that Philosophy From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auscultatio Hearing Many learned Authors agree that these Books were his Physicks and Metaphysicks (b) I am not ignorant that some conclude that these Letters are spurious yet others are of a contrary opinion and prove at large the several Absurdities in those Acroamatick Books which so great a man as Aristotle could not be supposed to be guilty of * Accidit in punâ—… quod non speraturin anno * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Valerius Flaccus in his Argonauts * The worst of Euripides was that he hated Womenkind so that he was commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * For such was Thucydides deriving himself from Meltiades and Cimon two of the Athenian Commanders and they from Aeacus and so from Iove * As Iuvenal has it Et genus humanum damnat cal go â—…uturi * Quicquid Dixerit Astrologus credunt à fortè relatum Ammonis Iuven. Sat. 6. * For that is the necessary coâ—…sequence of the 〈◊〉 precedent 〈◊〉 coâ—…salt Num. 16 to â—…4 of the Supplement 〈◊〉 the Fifth Volume and this will be very clear * Si non possum capere re tu capâ—…es me * Dans cuncta mâ—…veri * Actus primus corporis organici in potentia vitam habentis * E coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juven * For the Character of Rinaldo is Virtuous notwithstanding his Amour with Armida which was the effect of her Enchantments more than his Inclinations his Repentance of this failing his Prayer on Mount Olivet before his attaquing the Enchanted Forest and the rest of his Actions justifie my placing him in this Number * In his Third Book De optimo statu Civitatis * Ut in vita sic in oratione nihil est difficilius quam quid deceat videre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellant Graeci nos decorum Hujus ignoratione non modo in vita sed saepissime in Poemate Oratione peccatur * Brevis esse laborâ—… Obscurus fio sectantem levia nervi Deficiunt Animique professus grandia turget serpit hum i tutus nimium timidusque procellae Qui variare cupit rem prodigaliter unam Delphinum silvis appingit fluctibus aprum * In lib. 4. Poetices Maximus poeta Claudianus solo argumento Ignobiliore oppressâ—…s addidit de ingenio quantum Deest materiae Fâ—…lix in â—…o Calor cultus non invisus temperatum Iudicium dictio candida Numeri non affectati accute dicta multa sine ambitione Tho' I do not understand with what Justice Scaliger urges the Ignobleness of his Subjects or Argument when all he has writ is upon the noblest as Gods Princes and Consuls * 1. Aut prodesse volunt 2. Aut delectare Poetae 3. Aut Simul Idoneae jucunda dicere vitae * Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. * Me non admiratio tantum habet sed etiam stupor cum Platonem Socratem lego Homerum civitatibus suis arcere quod tam Levia lascivia scriberet c. Et paulo post Cum Plato Socrates Leviora longe ipsi scripsere c. (1.) To several Lady Querists (2.) To several Lady Querists (3.) Referring to the Astronomers and Astrolâ—…gers (4.) Referring to some Queries of that Nature sent by the Seameu (5.) Referring to the Mathematical Queries (6.) Referring to the Parâ—…on's Queries (7.) In reference to the crowd of impertinent Querists (8.) This Stanza has reference to those that go to hang or kill themselves who in the Emblem are directed by an Angel to apply themselves to the Society (9.) Refers to Mr. Smith the Coffee-man who so far contributes to this Affair as receiving all the Queries and conveighing them to the Society (10.) Referring to what I said before of the Monkeys making use of the Cats Foot to pull the Nuts out of the Fire (11.) Relating to Natural and Artificial Rarltles of England c. of which immediately (12.) This refers to the Raven on the top of all an account of which I have given above