Pseudodoxia epidemica, or, Enquiries into very many received tenents, and commonly presumed truths / By Thomas Brown Dr. of Physick.

  • Browne, Thomas, Sir, 1605-1682.
Date:
1658
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pseudodoxia epidemica, or, Enquiries into very many received tenents, and commonly presumed truths / By Thomas Brown Dr. of Physick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    45/572 (page 21)
    / Book. I. and Common Errors, 2 I t? 1 — ' ' ' T ■ • *U' . ;•</ n v'1 1 '• M / ' % ■ ■' '■ ——* l 5 S' Ci i ? f I kli :i-;U CHAP. VI. ...+I + IV rU.'i- * ■ ••'! I ? * V ■ » • . / ; IT | V -•<£ i lit* ' • l * Of adherence unto Antiquity, I'G-yjr < /c chi BUc the mortal left enemy unto knowledge, and that which Immoderate hatlrdone the greateft execution upon truth, hath been a per- r;fpe<ft to emptory adhefion unto Authority, and more efpecially the efta- blilhing of our belief upon the dictates of Antiquity. For (as ofn£rror. every capacity may oblerve) moft men of Ages prefent, fo fu~ perftitioully do look on Ages paft, that the Authorities of the one, exceed the reafons of the other Whofe perfons indeed be¬ ing far removed from our times, their works, which feldom with us pafs uncontrouled, either by contemporaries or immediate fucceftbrs, are now become out of the dillance of envies : And the farther removed from prefent times, are conceived to ap¬ proach the nearer unto truth it felf. Now hereby me thinks we manifeftly delude our felves, and widely walk out of the track ox 1 rutii* < For firft, Men hereby impofe a thraldom on their times, which the ingenuity of no age ftiould endure, or indeed the prefum- ptioft of !any did ever yet enjoin. Thus Hippocrates about 2000. year ago, conceived it, no injiutice, either to examine or refute the doftrines of his predeceffors : Galen the like, and Arijhtte moftoFany:' Yet did not any of thefe conceive themfelves inn ) fallible, or fet down their diftates as verities irrefragable ; but 1 . » . . •'% .3 ..1 • • • v,— • i ing their aflertion, not only with great folidity, but fubmitting them alfo unto the corre&ion of future difcovery. Secondly, Men that adore times paft, confider not that thofs times were once prefent: that is, as our own are at this inftant, and we our felves unto thofe to come, as they unto us at pre¬ fent ; as we relye on them, even fo will thofe on us, and raa- guide us hereafter, who at prefent condemn our felves. Which very alifurdky is daily committed amongft us even in the cfteem and cenfure of our own times. And to fpeak impartially, old men from whom we ftiould expert the greateft example of wif- dom, do moft exceed in this point of folly ; commending the daies of their youth, they fcarce remenbeiyac leaft well UnderftooJ nor-