and mechanical positions in Diderot's great work, the _Systeme de
la Nature_, (Barruel affirms, that he was the author, and got 100
pistoles for the copy, from the person who related the story to
him,) that long ago found that Diderot had assisted Robinet to make
a book out of his Masonic Oration, which I mentioned in page 41.
Robinet trusted to Diderot's knowledge in natural philosophy. But
the Junto were ashamed of the book _De la Nature_. Diderot seems to
have, after this, read Dr. Hartley's book, and has greatly refined
on the crude system of Robinet. But after all, the _Systeme de la
Nature_ is contemptible, if it be considered as pretending to what
is received as science by a mechanical philosopher.
It is not by the wisdom nor by the profound knowledge which these
writers display, that they have acquired celebrity, a fame which
has been so pernicious. It is by fine writing, by works addressed
to the imagination and to the affections, by excellent dramas, by
affecting moral essays, full of expressions of the greatest respect
for virtue, the most tender benevolence, and the highest sentiments
of honour and dignity.--By these means they fascinate all readers;
they gain the esteem of the worthy, who imagine them sincere, and
their pernicious doctrines are thus spread abroad, and steal into
the minds of the dissolute, the licentious, and the unwary.
But I am writing to Britons, who are considered by our neighbours
on the Continent as a nation of philosophers--to the countrymen
of Bacon, of Locke, of Newton--who are not to be wheedled like
children, but must be reasoned with as men.--Voltaire, who decides
without hesitation on the character of the most distant nations in
the most remote antiquity, did not know us: he came among us, in
the beginning of his career, with the highest expectations of our
support, and hoped to make his fortune by his Pucelle d'Orleans. It
was rejected with disdain--but we published his Henriade for him:
and, notwithstanding his repeated disappointments of the same kind,
he durst not offend his countrymen by slandering us, but joined in
the profound respect paid by all to British science.--Our writers,
whether on natural or moral science, are still regarded as standard
classics, and are studied with care. Lord Verulam is acknowledged
by every man of science to have given the first just description
of true philosophy, pointed out its objects, and ascertained its
mode of procedure--And Newton is equally allowed to have evinced
the propriety of the Baconian precepts by his unequalled success,
_suâ Mathesi facem preferente_.--The most celebrated philosophers
on the Continent are those who have completed by demonstration the
wonderful guesses of his penetrating genius. Bailli, or Condorcet,
(I forget which,) struck with the inconceivable reaches of Newton's
thoughts, breaks out, in the words of Lucretius,
_Te sequor, O magnæ gentis decus, inque tuis nunc
Fixa pedum pono pressis vestigia signis.
Tu pater et rerum inventor, tu patria nobis
Suppeditas precepta, tuisque ex inclute chartis,
Floriferis ut apes in saltibus omnia libant,
Omnia nos itidem depascimur aurea dicta;
Aurea, perpetuâ semper dignissima vitâ._
After such avowals of our capacity to instruct ourselves, shall we
still fly to those disturbers of the world for our lessons? No--Let
us rally round our own standards--let us take the path pointed out
by Bacon--let us follow the steps of Newton--and, to conclude,
let us seriously consider a most excellent advice by the highest
authority:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's cloathing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves--BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW
THEM--Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
THE END.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Minor typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected
without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have
been retained as printed.
Mismatched quotes are not fixed if it's not sufficiently clear where
the missing quote should be placed.
The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the
transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
Page 243: "(why does not his fathers temperament excuse something?
_Vibratiunculæ_ will explain every thing or nothing.)"--The closing
bracket was supplied by the transcriber.
Page 250: "On the ** of February 1780, the infants (three years
old) were taken away in the night"--Asterisks were inserted by the
transcriber where the date was missing.
Page 308: "with immediate effect in carrying on their great and
darling work?"--The transcriber has changed "darling" to "daring".
This note is printed after "The End", explaining repeated page
numbers 197 to 204:
_To the Binder_
* 2 B, and * 2 C, are to be placed before 2 B,
These pages being repeated.