Ancient learning and history seem to have been in
great danger of entirely perishing after the inundation of the
barbarous nations; and had these convulsions continued a little
longer, or been a little more violent, we should not probably
have now known what passed in the world a few centuries before
us. Nay, were it not for the superstition of the Popes, who
preserved a little jargon of Latin, in order to support the
appearance of an ancient and universal church, that tongue must
have been utterly lost; in which case, the Western world, being
totally barbarous, would not have been in a fit disposition for
receiving the G/REEK\ language and learning, which was conveyed
to them after the sacking of C/ONSTANTINOPLE\. When learning and
books had been extinguished, even the mechanical arts would have
fallen considerably to decay; and it is easily imagined, that
fable or tradition might ascribe to them a much later origin than
the true one. This vulgar argument, therefore, against the
eternity of the world, seems a little precarious.
But here appears to be the foundation of a better argument.
L/UCULLUS\ was the first that brought cherry-trees from A/SIA\ to
E/UROPE\; though that tree thrives so well in many E/UROPEAN\
climates, that it grows in the woods without any culture. Is it
possible, that throughout a whole eternity, no E/UROPEAN\ had
ever passed into A/SIA\, and thought of transplanting so
delicious a fruit into his own country? Or if the tree was once
transplanted and propagated, how could it ever afterwards perish?
Empires may rise and fall, liberty and slavery succeed
alternately, ignorance and knowledge give place to each other;
but the cherry-tree will still remain in the woods of G/REECE\,
S/PAIN\, and I/TALY\, and will never be affected by the
revolutions of human society.
Pages:
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98