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Show 01 the acltf4iiCtment .of lea~n~ng~. bettet(han beautie 0fwords: fo contrart.w~fe yatne matter is worfe dian vaine words where1n tt fee .. meth the reprebenfion of Saint P tu(eo was not o.ne!y proper for thofe times, but ~rop~eucal fi?r .t~e.umes following, and not only refpectn1e to Dtutntue,but extenfiue to all knowledge. Deu~t~ pr~pha~as -uocum nottitatcs & oppofitic»es fa!fi nomtnts {c_tentt£. For he afsigneth two Markes and B~dges of_ft~fpeeted and faHified Science; The one,the nouelue and firang eneffe of tearmes; the other, the ~ianeife of pofi .. tions, which of necefsitie doth induce oppofitions; and foqueftionsandaltercations. Surely,Iike ~s rna .. ny fubftances in nature which a_rc. folide,do pttt~ifie anti corrupt into wormes :"So tt Is the properue of · good and found knowledge) to putrifie and diffolue mto a number of fubtile,idle, vnhole(oine, and (as I may tearme them) vermiculate queJlions; which .haue indeede a kinde of quickneife, and life off pirite, b~t no foundne[e of matter, or goodneffe of qualitie. This kinde ef degenerate learning diet t;hiefely raigne amongft the Schoole -men, who ha .. uing fuarpe and ftronge wits, ana aboundance of leafure,andfmal varietie of reading; but their wits being iliut vp in the.Cels of a few Authors (chiefely ' .Arijtotle their DiG\ator) as their perfons were nnu · Vf? ip; the Cells. of Monafteries and Colledges,and · · knowing little Hiftorie, e\ther of Nature or titne, · did out ,of no great quantitie of matter, and infi .. · nite .~gitation of wit, fpin out vnto vs· thofe I abo .. ~iOl\~ebbes ofLearning which are extant in their --· - . ·---.- -~"- - - - .- • • ·--•,. •• oi • .•• • B k ~ oo es. fThe jirfl hoofi! ~ Bookes. For the \\·it and mincde of J.lnan, ·ifitvvorlte ~pan matter, which is the conr.epiation~fi he crea·· rtures ~f God worketh according to the lluffe;and i-s limit~d:thereh>y; bur if it worke vpon it felfe,.as the Spider. work.eth his web be·, then it is .endleffe and . and brings forth indetd. Copwebs oflear.ning: a(J. ·mirable for ttl e. fine(fe .of thr~e.ad .and ·\VOr.ke but of . ·no fubflance or profite. · · · . ~ , . . frhis [arne vnprofitable fubtilitie ror.cu iofitie ~ · ftwo fort.s: either in the fi1bieCl it felfe that they .:handle, wlicn it;js afruitle[e fpeculatio11 or.contro. t rfie; (whereof there are no [mall ntimber-bod1 in .Dilliniry & Philofoph~e) or in iHe maiiet or .flTethoil ·of handJing·of a kn·owledge ; whi hinnongllth m was d1is; vpon en erie particularpofition .or affurtl- . ·on_to fratn·e.obieB:ions, and-to thofe obieetious .f~' luuons: ~hich folt~ti?ns ~eve for. the mofipar:;-not ·<onfurauons, . but dlfhntltons : ·\vhere s ind&fed.rhe ·firength of all Sciences, is as the Hrendt:Hof tHe o1d 1n.ans faggot in. the "bond. For the ~<~rffionie of a .fctenc·c fupporung e~c~ part th~·~ther, is and ought .to be the true and br!efe confittatton . and fuppre(s-i ·on of all. the ~maHer to t of obie&ions : but :on ·the :o~he~ fi.de, tf yoH take out eue~ie Axiotne, ·as the fir~kes of die ~aggot 011e by·one, you may .quarreH . _-wtth them, and bend d1en1-and breake rhe·n at your · pi. ~fbr.e-: fo mat as Was fa yd. .of Sene<·tfi ,: V...tt71Jor.rttn ;mtnt~~~js re~uP! fr~ngit pont!ura: ~So a t? a!:J tn~y tr;ue;Iy, · f~yofthe Scnoo~e - tnen "~.~-~fltonttnrt 1Jttrutt fjs Scien · ·r.~aruJnfrttngttn~Jo.ailttate?lJ. For were ii·not. [ienet :f fQr |