Records of Ancient Science, Exemplified and Authenticated in the Primitive Universal Standard of Weights and Measures, an Essay - Softcover

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1835 Excerpt: ... ESSAY ON THE ANCIENT UNIVERSAL STANDARD OF Nunquam ita quisquam bene subducta ratiane ad vitam fuit, Quin res, setas, usus semper aliquid apportet novi, Aliquid moneat; ut ilia qu« te scire credas, nescias, Et qua? tibi putaris prima, in experiundo ut repudies. Terent. Adelphi, Act. 5, Sc. 1-2, ad initium. The difficulty of dislodging prejudices, engendered by false or imperfect principles, has always been found the greatest obstacle to the communication of truth. Conclusions addressed to the mind or senses, although worthy of universal reception, are too frequently seized upon by the fancy, sometimes wrested, but much oftener abused, to the increase of pride, or the detriment of knowledge. And so it fares with that which is pre-eminently excellent, till perchance experience, or time, or conviction, disciplines the understanding to the perception of error, B and discovers the futility of reliance on its own unassisted resources. Historians and philosophers in general allege that science and art are the creation of the human intellect; that they came by inspiration appears indeed the more problematical, because the evidences to this effect are infinitely less obvious than the arguments for the contrary opinion are plausible. Whether this or that be a prejudice remains to be proved: it is plain, however, that no prejudice can consist with truth; wherefore one or other must be repugnant to sound reason: if then it can be demonstrated, that science subsisted when as yet that very history and philosophy which affirms it to be of human original was not created, we are free to believe that it came by inspiration, or, which amounts to the same thing, that the elements of science, the legitimate uses to which they were applicable, and the faculty to appreciate,...

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