The Works of Sir Thomas Browne Volume I Part 1

The Works of Sir Thomas Browne.

Volume 1.

by Thomas Browne.

PREFATORY NOTE

This edition is an endeavour to arrive at a more satisfactory text of the work of Sir Thomas Browne, and to reproduce the princ.i.p.al part of it, as faithfully as seems advisable, in the form in which it was presented to the public at the time of his death. For this purpose, in the first volume, the text of the _Religio Medici_ follows more particularly the issue of 1682. The _Pseudodoxia Epidemica_ here given is based upon the sixth edition of ten years earlier, with careful revision. In every case in which a spelling or punctuation was dubious, a comparison was made of nearly all the issues printed during the lifetime of the writer, and their merits weighed. By this means it is hoped that the true flavour of the period has been preserved.

The Annotations upon the _Religio Medici_, which were always reprinted with the text during the seventeenth century, are here restored. They will appeal to a certain cla.s.s of readers which has a right to be considered. It is to be regretted that every quotation given in these pages has not been verified. Several have been corrected; but to have worked through them all, in these busy days, would have been a labour of some years, which it is not possible to devote to the purpose. It has been thought best to leave these pa.s.sages therefore, in the main, as they stand.[1]

The portrait of Sir Thomas Browne here prefixed is reproduced from the engraving published in 1672 with the edition of the _Religio Medici_ and _Pseudodoxia Epidemica_.

C.S.

_August, 1903._

[1] The quotation, now corrected, from Montaigne, on p. xxii, is a typical example of the pitfall into which one is liable to stumble.

The pa.s.sage there cited is in chapter xl. of the French author's later arrangement: a clear indication of the edition of the _Essais_ used by the author of the Annotations. What is one to make of the readings in Lucretius on p. xxv? No light is thrown upon these difficulties by the edition of Browne's works published in 1686.

Wilkin did not reprint the Annotations, except in selection.

ANNOTATIONS UPON

RELIGIO MEDICI

_Nec satis est vulga.s.se fidem._-- Pet. Arbit. fragment.

THE ANNOTATOR TO THE READER

A. Gellius (noct. Attic. l. 20. cap. _ult._) _notes some Books that had strange t.i.tles_; Pliny (Prefat. Nat. Hist.) _speaking of some such, could not pa.s.s them over without a jeer: So strange (saith he) are the t.i.tles of some Books_, Ut multos ad vadimonium deferendum compellant.

_And_ Seneca _saith, some such there are_, Qui patri obstetricem parturienti filiae accersenti moram injicere possint. _Of the same fate this present Tract_ Religio Medici _hath partaken: Exception by some hath been taken to it in respect of its Inscription, which say they, seems to imply that_ Physicians _have a Religion by themselves, which is more than Theologie doth warrant: but it is their Inference, and not the t.i.tle that is to blame; for no more is meant by that, or endeavoured to be prov'd in the_ Book _then that (contrary to the opinion of the unlearned_) Physitians _have Religion as well as other men_.

_For the Work it self, the present Age hath produced none that has had better Reception amongst the learned; it has been received and fostered by almost all, there having been but one that I knew of_ (_to verifie_ that Books have their Fate from the Capacity of the Reader) _that has had the face to appear against it; that is_ Mr. Alexander[2] Rosse; _but he is dead, and it is uncomely to skirmish with his shadow. It shall be sufficient to remember to the_ Reader, _that the n.o.ble and most learned_ Knight, _Sir_ Kenelm Digby, _has delivered his opinion of it in another sort, who though in some things he differ from the_ Authors _sense, yet hath he most candidly and ingeniously allow'd it to be a_ very learned and excellent Piece; _and I think no Scholar will say there can be an approbation more authentique. Since the time he Published his Observations upon it, one_ Mr. Jo. Merryweather, _a_ Master _of_ Arts _of the_ University _of_ Cambridge, _hath deem'd it worthy to be put into the universal Language, which about the year_ 1644 _he performed; and that hath carried the Authors name not only into the_ Low-Countries _and_ France (_in both which places the Book in_ Latin _hath since been printed_) _but into_ Italy _and_ Germany; _and in_ Germany _it hath since fallen into the hands of a Gentleman of that Nation[3] (of his name he hath given us no more than_ L.N.M.E.N.) _who hath written learned_ Annotations _upon it in_ Latin, which were _Printed together with the Book at_ Strasbourg 1652. _And for the general good opinion the World had entertained both of the_ Work and Author, _this Stranger tells you_[4]: Inter alios Auctores incidi in libruni cui t.i.tulus _Religio Medici_, jam ante mihi innotuerat lectionem istius libri multos praeclaros viros delecta.s.se, imo occupa.s.se. Non ignorabam librum in _Anglia_, _Gallia_, _Italia_, _Belgio_, _Germania_, cupidissime legi; coustabat mihi eum non solum in _Anglia ac Batavia_, sed et _Purisiis_ c.u.m praefatione, in qua Auctor magnis laudibus fertur, esse typis mandatum. Compertum mihi erat multos magnos atq; eruditos viros sensere Auctorem (quantum ex hoc scripto perspici potest) sanct.i.tate vitae ac pietare elucere, etc. _But for the worth of the_ Book _it is so well known to every_ English-man _that is fit to read it, that this attestation of a_ Forrainer _may seem superfluous_.

[2] In his _Medicus Medicatus_.

[3] That he was a _German_ appears by his notes _page_ 35, where he useth these words, _Dulcissima nostra Germania_, etc.

[4] In Praefat. Annotat.

_The_ German, _to do him right, hath in his_ Annotations _given a fair specimen of his learning, shewing his skill in the Languages, as well antient as modern; as also his acquaintance with all manner of Authors, both sacred and profane, out of which he has ammas'd a world of Quotations: but yet, not to mention that he hath not observed some Errors of the Press, and one or two main ones of the Latin Translation, whereby the Author is much injured; it cannot be denyed but he hath pa.s.s'd over many hard places untoucht, that might deserve a Note; that he hath made_ Annotations _on some, where no need was; in the explication of others hath gone besides the true sense._

_And were he free from all these, yet one great Fault there is he may be justly charg'd with, that is, that he cannot_ manum de Tabula _even in matters the most obvious: which is an affectation ill-becoming a_ Scholar; _witness the most learned Annotator_, Claud. Minos. Divion. in praefat. commentar. Alciat. Emblemat. praefix. Praestat (_saith he_) brevius omnia persequi, et leviter attingere quae nemini esse ignota suspicari possint, quam quasi ?a??de??, perq; locos communes identidem expatiari.

_I go not about by finding fault with his, obliquely to commend my own; I am as far from that, as 'tis possible others will be: All I seek, by this Preface, next to acquainting the_ Reader _with the various entertainment of the Book, is, that he would be advertized that these Notes were collected ten[5] years since, long before the_ German's _were written; so that I am no Plagiary (as who peruseth his Notes and mine, will easily perceive): And in the second place, that I made this Recueil meerly for mine own entertainment, and not with any intention to evulge it; Truth is my witness, the publication proceeds meerly from the importunity of the Book-seller (my special friend) who being acquainted with what I had done, and about to set out another Edition of the Book, would not be denied these notes to attex to it; 'tis he (not I) that divulgeth it, and whatever the success be, he alone is concern'd in it; I only say for my self what my Annotations bear in the Frontispiece_--

_Nec satis est vulga.s.se fidem----_

_That is, that it was not enough to all persons (though pretenders to Learning) that our_ Physitian _had publish'd his Creed, because it wanted an exposition. I say further, that the_ German's _is not full_; _and that_ (----Quicquid sum Ego quamvis infra Lucilli censum ingeniumq;----) _my explications do in many things ill.u.s.trate the Text of my Author_.

_24 Martii, 1654._

[5] Excepting two or three particulars in which reference is made to some Books that came over since that time.

ANNOTATIONS UPON RELIGIO MEDICI

The Epistle to the _READER_

_Certainly that man were greedy of life, who should desire to live when all the World were at an end_;] This Mr. _Merryweather_ hath rendred thus; _Cupidum esse vitae oportet, qui universo jam expirante mundo vivere cuperet_; and well enough: but it is not amiss to remember, that we have this saying in _Seneca_ the _Tragdian_, who gives it us thus, _Vitae est avidus quisquis non vult mundo sec.u.m pereunte mori_.

_There are many things delivered Rhetorically_.] The Author herein imitates the ingenuity of St. _Austin_, who in his _Retract._ corrects himself for having delivered some things more like a young Rhetorician than a sound Divine; but though St. _Aug._ doth deservedly acknowledge it a fault in himself, in that he voluntarily published such things, yet cannot it be so in this Author, in that he intended no publication of it, as he professeth in this Epistle, and in that other to Sir _Kenelm Digby_.

THE FIRST PART

_Sect. 1. Pag. 1._

_The general scandal of my Profession_.] Physitians (of the number whereof it appears by several pa.s.sages in this Book the Author is one) do commonly hear ill in this behalf. It is a common speech (but only amongst the unlearn'd sort) _Ubi tres Medici, duo Athei_. The reasons why those of that Profession (I declare my self that I am none, but _Causarum Actor Mediocris_, to use _Horace_ his Phrase) may be thought to deserve that censure, the Author rendreth _Sect_. 19.

_The natural course of my studies._] The vulgar lay not the imputation of Atheism only upon Physitians, but upon Philosophers in general, who for that they give themselves to understand the operations of _Nature_, they calumniate them, as though they rested in the second causes without any respect to the first. Hereupon it was, that in the tenth Age Pope _Silvester_ the second pa.s.s'd for a Magician, because he understood Geometry and natural Philosophy. _Baron. Annal._ 990. And _Apuleius_ long before him laboured of the same suspicion, upon no better ground; he was accus'd, and made a learned Apology for himself, and in that hath laid down what the ground is of such accusations, in these words: _Haec ferme communi quodam errore imperitorum Philosophis objectantur, ut partem eorum qui corporum causas meras et simplices rimantur, irreligiosos putant, eosque aiunt Deos abnuere, ut Anaxagoram, et Lucippum, et Democritum, et Epicurum, cterosq; rerum naturae Patronos._ Apul. in Apolog. And it is possible that those that look upon the second Causes scattered, may rest in them and go no further, as my Lord _Bacon_ in one of his _Essayes_ observeth; but our Author tells us there is a true Philosophy, from which no man becomes an Atheist, _Sect._ 46.

_The indifferency of my behaviour and Discourse in matters of Religion._] Bigots are so oversway'd by a preposterous Zeal, that they hate all moderation in discourse of Religion; they are the men forsooth--_qui solos credant habendos esse Deos quos ipsi colunt_.

_Erasmus_ upon this accompt makes a great complaint to Sir _Tho. More_ in an Epistle of his, touching one _Dorpius_ a Divine of _Lovain_, who because, upon occasion of discourse betwixt them, _Erasmus_ would not promise him to write against _Luther_, told _Erasmus_ that he was a _Lutheran_, and afterwards published him for such; and yet as _Erasmus_ was reputed no very good Catholick, so for certain he was no Protestant.

_Not that I meerly owe this t.i.tle to the Font_] as most do, taking up their Religion according to the way of their Ancestors; this is to be blamed among all persons: It was practised as well amongst Heathens as Christians.

_Per caput hoc juro per quod Pater ante solebat_, saith _Ascanius_ in _Virgil_: and _Apuleius_ notes it for an absurdity. _Utrum Philosopho, putas turpe scire ista, an neseire? negligere, an curare? nosse quanta sit etiam in istis providentiae ratio, an de diis immortalibus Matri et Patri cedere_? saith he in _Apolog._ and so doth _Minutius_. _Unusquisq; vestrum non cogitat prius se debere deum nosse quam colere, dum inconsulte gestiuntur parentibus obedire, dum fieri malunt alieni erroris accessio, quam sibi credere_. Minut. _in_ Octav.

_But having in my ripers examined_, etc.] according to the Apostolical Precept, _Omnia probate, quod bonum est tenete_.

_Sect. 2. Pag. 8._

_There being a Geography of Religion_] _i.e._ of Christian Religion, which you may see described in Mr. _Brerewood's_ Enquiries: he means not of the Protestant Religion; for though there be a difference in Discipline, yet the _Anglican_, _Scotic_, _Belgic_, _Gallican_, and _Helvetic_ Churches differ not in any essential matter of the Doctrine, as by the _Harmony of Confessions_ appears. 5. Epist. _Theod. Bezae Edmundo Grindallo Ep. Londinens_.

_Wherein I dislike nothing but the Name_] that is _Lutheran_, _Calvinist_, _Zuinglian_, etc.