Thomas Browne - The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 1

Sect. 15. Pag. 24.

There are no Grotesques in nature, etc. ] So Monsr. Montaign , Il n'ya rien d'inutil en nature, non pas l'inutilité mesmes, Rien ne s'est ingeré en cet Univers qui n'y tienne place opportun. Ess. l. 3. c. 1.

Who admires not Regio-montanus his Fly beyond his Eagle? ] Of these Du Bartas .

Or wonder not more at the operation of two souls in those little bodies, than but one in the Trunk of a Cedar? ] That is, the vegetative , which according to the common opinion, is supposed to be in Trees , though the Epicures and Stoiques would not allow any Soul in Plants; but Empedocles and Plato allowed them not only a vegetative Soul, but affirm'd them to be Animals . The Manichees went farther, and attributed so much of the rational Soul to them, that they accounted it Homicide to gather either the flowers or fruit, as St. Aug. reports.

We carry with us the wonders we seek without us. ] So St. Aug. l. 10. de civ. c. 3. Omni miraculo quod fit per hominem majus miraculum est homo.

Sect. 16. Pag. 25.

Another of his servant Nature, that publique and universal Manuscript that lies expansed, etc. ] So is the description of Du Bartas 7. jour de la sepm.

Oyes ce Docteur muet estudie en ce livreQui nuict et jour ouvert t'apprendra de bien vivre.

All things are artificial, for Nature is the Art of God. ] So Mr. Hobbes in his Leviathan ( in initio ) Nature is the Art whereby God governs the world.

Sect. 17. Pag. 27.

Directing the operations of single and individual Essences, etc. ] Things singular or individuals, are in the opinion of Philosophers not to be known, but by the way of sense, or by that which knows by its Essence, and that is onely God. The Devils have no such knowledge, because whatsoever knows so, is either the cause or effect of the thing known; whereupon Averroes concluded that God was the cause of all things, because he understands all things by his Essence; and Albertus Magnus concluded, That the inferiour intelligence understands the superiour, because it is an effect of the superiour: but neither of these can be said of the Devil ; for it appears he is not the effect of any of these inferiour things, much less is he the cause, for the power of Creation onely belongs to God.

All cannot be happy at once, because the Glory of one State depends upon the ruine of another. ] This Theme is ingeniously handled by Mr. Montaigne livr. 1. des Ess. cap. 22. the title whereof is, Le profit de l'un est dommage de l'autre .

Sect. 18. Pag. 29.

'Tis the common fate of men of singular gifts of mind, to be destitute of those of Fortune. ] So Petron. Arbiter. Amor ingenii neminem unquum divitem fecit , in Satyric . And Apuleius in Apolog. Idem mihi etiam (saith he) paupertatem opprobravit acceptum Philosopho crimen et ultro profitendum ; and then a little afterwards, he sheweth that it was the common fate of those that had singular gifts of mind: Eadem enim est paupertas apud Græcos in Aristide justa, in Phocyone benigna, in Epaminonde strenua, in Socrate sapiens, in Homero diserta.

We need not labour with so many arguments to confute judicial Astrology. ] There is nothing in judicial Astrology that may render it impious; but the exception against it is, that it is vain and fallible; of which any man will be convinced, that has read Tully de Divinat. and St. Aug. book 5. de Civ. dei .

Sect. 19. Pag. 31.

There is in our soul a kind of Triumvirate – that distracts the peace of our Commonwealth, not less than did that other the State of Rome. ] There were two Triumvirates , by which the peace of Rome was distracted; that of Crassus , Cæsar and Pompey , of which Lucan , l. 1.

And that other of Augustus , Antonius and Lepidus , by whom, saith Florus , Respublica convulsa est lacerataque , which comes somewhat near the Author's words, and therefore I take it that he means this last Triumvirate.

Sect. 19. Pag. 32.

Would disswade my belief from the miracle of the brazen Serpent. ] Vid. Coqueum in , l. 10. Aug. de Civ. Dei , c. 8.