the true natural Philosophy should be principally intended, were so far from being assisted by those abstruse Doctrines; that perhaps scarce any one of those Professions, and Trades, has well understood Aristotle's Principles of Bodies, from his own Time down to ours. Hence then we may conclude, that those first Times, wherein these Arts were made, had been nothing damag'd; if, instead of raising so many speculative Opinions, they had only minded the laying of a solid Ground-work, for a vast Pile of Experiments, to be continually augmenting through all Ages.
And I will also add; that, if such a Course had been at first set on Foot, Philosophy would by this means have been kept closer to material Things; and so, in Probability, would not have undergone so many Eclipses, as it has done ever since. If we reckon from its first setting forth in the East; we shall find, that in so long a Tract of Time, there have not been above four or five hundred Years, at several Intervals, wherein it has been in any Request in the World. And if we look back on all the Alterations and Subversions of States, that have hapned in civil Nations, these three thousand Years; we may still behold, that the Sciences of Men's Brains, have been always subject to be far more injur'd by such Vicissitudes, than the Arts of their Hands. What Cause can be assign'd for this? Why was Learning the first thing, that was constantly swept away, in all Destructions of Empire, and foreign Inundations? Why could not that have weather'd out the Storm, as well as most Sorts of Manufactures; which, though they began as soon, or before the other, yet they have remain'd, through all such Changes, unalter'd; except for the better? The Reason of this is evident. It is, because Philosophy had been spun
