PART XII

the foot -, others, other parts. None eat OfS- ons^ who are initialed in the Rites ot Cacian Jvt^ piter.^ at Pelluftum. The Prieft of Lybian P's- nus.^ never eats Garlick In fome Temples, they abftain from Mint -, in others, from Marjoram; in others, from Smalladge. Some affirm it better CO eat the heads of our own Parents , than Beans ; others hold the eating of thefe indif¬ ferent, We think it abominable to eat the fleffi of Dogs , but fome among the Thracians ate reported to feed thereon ; perhaps alfo it was in ufe ainongif the Grecians , whence Diodes^ fol¬ lowing the z.'Efculiipians.^ perferibed to fome fict perfons the Peili of Puppies. There are, who, as I fiiid, C it Man’s flelh indifferently, which wc think unlawful. Now if thefe Rules of worfltip and things unlawful were by nature, all Men w'ould have the like opinion of them.
The fame may be faid concerning Piety to¬ wards the Dead : Some cover the Bodies of the Dead with earth, thinking it impious to Ihew them to the Sun; The Egyptians., drawing out the Entrals, embalm them, and keep them a- mongll them above ground. Amongft the AE- thiopians the Ichthyofhagi throw them into ' Ponds, to be eaten by the Fi files the Hirca- nians give them to be devoured by Dogs; fome of the Indians to Vultures. It is re¬ ported, that the Troglodytes bring the dead Body to a hillock, tye it head and heels together, and throw flones at it, laughing, with whicli when they have covered it, they depart. There are tome Barbarians, who facrifice and' eat thofe who out- live tin eetlore years ; butfucb as dye young, they bury in the Ground, There are who burn their Dead, of whom, fome gather¬ ing their Bones, prelerve them , others caR them away. The Per fans- it reported, hang
up their Dead, and Embalm' them with Nicrd, and then wrap Cloaths about them. We fee with what Mourning fome follow the Dead - h fome efteera Death horriMe,and to be Ihunned ; others, nothing fuch . Euripides^
If Life he Death who Jinorv ,
And Death a Life below ?
And Epicurus faith. Death concerns us not. Ftr what is dijfolved is infenfihle , hut what wants Senfe , concerns us not. They fay moreover. If we conjijl of Soul and Body , and Death be a Diffolution of the Soul and Body, then when we are. Death is not , for we are not dijfolved ; and when Death is, we are not ; for this Compofthn.'of Soul and Body confijling no longer, neither arc wc. Heraclitus faith. That to Live is to Vyb , and that whiljb we Live we are Dead-, for whiljl we Live, o'M Souls arc Dea'd -, Buryed in us but when we dye, our Souls revive and live. There are who conceive, that to dye is better thtja to live-, whcuce Euripides, '' ■ t '
We New born Infants rather fhould lament.
Pitying the miferies to which thefr fent :
But hips who Dies,' fet from all Labours free.
Bear to tlx Cr.ave rvith Joy trinmphantly. ^
To the fame effeft, is alfo this ?
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xn. ^ c £ p r
Of xoretchcd Mankindj the. moji happy fate iVcre never to be Born, f^or feg the , I^ext wbicb^ 06 foon as. Born to pafs the Gate Of Pluto , and their Bones in duji to lay. \ ‘-r. ; J ; ' . ■
We know the Story cieobis and B.iton , related by Herodotus^ concerning y^rgive Prieftefs. It is faid , amongft the Thracians there are fome that mourn over a Child as fo as it isborn. Therefdre ought not Death t© be reckoned amongft things horrible in their! own. nature, nor Life amQngft things good in their owii nature? Nor is;there any of the fore- mentioned things, fuch or fuch . in their own na¬ ture, bnt all are fuch by Opinion and Refe¬ renced The fame kind df'Argument we inight deduce from many other things, which, for bre¬ vity we omit. And if we cannot immediately inftance a contrariety to fomthing, we may fay. It is poffible , that in fome Nations which we know not, there may be a different Opinion! For if we did not ( for example ) know^ that the cuftom of the zAsgyptians is to marry their Sifters, we might falQy affirm, that it is a thing acknowledged by all,that we ought not to mar¬ ry our Sifters. In like manner, in fuch things as have not a difference known to us, it is not fit to affirm, that there is 'no Controverfie con¬ cerning them, it being , as I faid , poflible, that fome .other Nations which we know not, may hold the contrary.
Hereupon the Sceptkk obferving fo great diffe¬ rence of things, fufpends as to . what is Good or Bad in it’s own Nature, or what is abfolucely. to be done or hot to be done ^ herein decli¬ ning the temerity of the Vo^matifls ; . .but.hC) follows the common courfe of Life without be¬ ing politive; whence it cOmes, that in things O pinion ative , he remaines void of Paffidn ; in things Cdmpulfive, he is rhoderately affedted: As being a Man, fenfible , he fuffers ; but not taking the Opinion, that what he fuffers is ill in it’s owrii Nature^ he is moderately affefted ; for to, have fuch an Opinion is worfe than the fuffering itfelf, infomuch as they who fuffer the amputation of fome Limb or the like , many times bear it well, whil’ft the fl;ander§ by, out of an opinion that is ill, faint.. Fbrdoubtlefs, he who propofeth to himfelf that fomthing is good or ill in its own nature, and to be done or not to be done , is troubled many ways. When the things are prefent , which he con¬ ceives ill by nature, he feems to be tormented , and when he pofleffeth thofe which feem to him good, through his bdng exalted in mind for it, and his fear of lofing it, and care left he ftiould foil again into thofe things which he conceives ill by nature, he is involv’d in no fmall trouble. For thofe who fay, that Goods cannot be loft, are to be fileneed by the Infolubility of the Que- ftion. Hence we argue.. If what caufeth ill be ill, and to be’ avoided ; but the Perfuafion, that Ibme things are ill, fome good, in their own na¬ ture, caufeth troubles ; then that Perfuafion is ill, and to be avoided. Thus much of Goods, Ills, and Indifferents.
f S' ''
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I C I S M. 529
, CHAP. XXV.
Whether there be an Art about Life. ■
FRom what hath been faid it ismanifeft. That there is not an Art about Life •,.for it there be fuch an Art, it is converfant in the Com- templation of Goods, Ills, and Indifferents, but thefe being inexiftent, the Art about Life will be inexiftent alfo, Befides, the .Dogmatifis not agreeing concerning this Art about Life, fcveral of them being of feveral Opinions, they are^fubr jeft to the Controverfie and Argument from Difagreenjent., which we alledged in the Diftourfe concerning Good.
But though we ftiould fuppofe all to agree in one Art about Life -, as for example. That celebrated Prudence which the Stoichs dream of and. feem to prefs more than the reft, many Ab- ' furdities will neverthelefs follow. For feeing that Prudence is a Virtue, and a wife Man on¬ ly hath Virtue.^ x.\\t Stoicks not being wife, will not have the Art about Life. And feeing, ac¬ cording to them, the Art cannot fubfift, there will be no Art about Life, if we follow what they fay. For -they affirm, /^rt to be a Sy fern of Comprehenfms , Comprehenfion to be an ajjent to comprehenjive Phantafie-.^ but comprhenfive Phan- tafie cannot be found, for neither is all Phanta- fie comprchenfive , nor can it be known, what Phantafies .are compiehenfive , and, wfiat not; but needing comprchenfive Phantafie to differ n what Phantafie is comprchenfive, we run into infinite^ another comprchenfive Phantafie being required , for the difeerning of the compre- benfivc Phantafie which weaffumed. The Stoicks give fuyh a notion of comprchenfive Phantafie, as is not right; for, faying, comprchenfive Phantafie is that which arifeth from a Being and a Being is that which is able to move comprhenfive Phantafie., they run into the Alternate Common¬ place. If therefore, that there be an Art about Life, it is firft: requifite, that there be an Art ; and that there be an Art, it is firft requifite , that there be Comprehenfion ; and that there be Comprehenfion, it is firft repuifite , that there be an Affent to eomprehenfive Phantafie ; but eomprehenfive Phantafie cannot be found ; therefoVe the Art about Life cannot be found.
Again, every Art feems to be comprehended from thofe things which it properly delivers ; but there is no yvork proper to that Art which is about Life ; for whatfoever work (hall be in- ftanced, it will be found common with the Vul¬ gar, as, to honour Parents, to reftore a Depofi- tum., and the like ; therefore there is no Art a- bout Life. Neither , as fome maintain, from that which feemeth to be faid or done through a prudent habit of mind, can we know what is the work of Wifdom ; for a prudent habit of mind itfelf is incomprehenfiblc, it neither being ' manifeft in and by itfelf fimply,nor by its words, for thofe afe*coiBmon with the Vulgar. And to fay, that we comprehend him who hath the Art about Life, by the equability of his aftions, is to fpeak above human nature, rather to be wiftied than alTerted t
Y y I Fer
SCEPTICISM. PART
Toy evtYy man's endued with fuch a j^s fever al daycs are by the Gods a ffign'd.
It remaineth to fay. That this Art about Life is comp-rehCrkled from their Writings ^ which being many , and all of one kind, we (ball in- ftancU o'fltry iome few. The Prince of their Scft, ZeHO^ in his Exercitations comerning the Inftitution of Children other things, faith thus, ’To
‘ diftinguiili nothing more or lefs , Childifh or ‘ not Childilh, Mafculine or Feminine ^ for there ‘ is no difference between ( manners ) Childifh ‘ and not Childifh, Mafculine and Feminine, the ‘ fariie become both. y///o , of Piety towards ‘ Parents, he faith ^ fpeaking of Jocafta and Oedi- ‘ pus,' That it • was not abominable, &c. IVith ‘ Chryfippus, m his Treatifeof?o\[-
cy ^ faying ^ Thefc things in my Judgment
* ought fo to be ordered as they are ufed not ‘ aniifs with forae, that the Mother fhould have
* Children by the Son, and the Father by the ‘ Daughter, and the Brother by the Sifter. In ‘ the fame Book be alloweth to eat Man’s Flefh ^ ‘ for he fatih^ If any part be cut off from a Bo- ‘ dy Living, which is fit for Food, we Ihould ‘ not bury it, nor carelefly throw it away , but ‘ fo confume it, that it may become another ‘part of us* In his Books of treating of ‘ the Burial of Parents^ he exprefiy faith , When ‘ our Parents are dead , we muft provide for ‘ them the moft fimple Tombs ; for the Body ‘ ( no more than Nails, or Teeth, or Hair ) ‘ pertaining nothing to us, we need not to have ‘ any refped or care of it. If the Flefh be / found, it may be converted into Aliment, ( in ‘ like manner, as if fome Limb of our own Bo- ‘ dy, wear cut off, as the Foot ) but if unfound,
‘ it is to be buried, or burnt, or thrown away ‘ without any regard, as our Nails and Hair. Much more of this kind is faid by Philofophers, which they could not have the heart to do, un- ’lefs they had been brought up among the Cy¬ clopes^ and the Leftrigones. Now if they do none of thefe, but their Adions are common" with the vulgar, there is no particular work proper to them, who are thought to have the Art about Life. If therefore it be abfolutely neceffary, that Arts be comprehended from their proper works *, but there is no work proper to the Art about Life , it is not comprehended. Wherefore none can fay, that it is exiftenc.
CHAP. XXVI.
Whether there vs in Men an Jrt about Life.
NOW if there be in Men an Art about Life, either it is ingenerate in them by Nature, or acquired by Difeipline and Dodrine. If by Nature, either it is ingenerate in them as they are Men, or as they are not Men. Not as they are not Men, for they are Men *, If, as they are Men, this wifdom would be in all Mgn, infomuch that all Men would be prudent, virtuous, and wife : but the greater part of Men, they fay, are evil ; therefore the Art which is according to Life is not in them, as they are Men, and there, fore not by Nature. Befides, forafmuch as they hold an Art to be a Syftcm of unexercifed Com- pfehenfions, they feem fatifer to conceive both
this 'and other Arts, to l?e comprehended by Ex¬ perience and Difeipline.
CHAP- xxvir.
Whether the .Art about Life can be taught.
N 'Either is it underftood by Dodrine and Difeipline, for before thefe are, there muft be^ three things acknowledged^ the Thing taught, the Teacher, and He who learneth the manner of Difeipline; but none of thefe are, therefore not the Dodrine.
CHAP. XXVIll.
Whether there be any thing taUght.
FO R what is taught^ is either true or falfe.
Ifit bcfalfe, it cannot be taught, for that which is falfe, is not ; that which is not, cannot be taught. But neither^-if it be laid to be true ; for, that true is itiexiftent, we proved in our Dilcourfe concerning the Criterie. If therefore neither falfe nor true is taught, and befides thefc there is nothing dociblc, ( for thefe not being docible, no man will fay that things indetermi¬ nable are docible ) nothing is taught.
Again, that which is taught is either manifclt, or unmanifeft ; if manifeft,it needs not be taught, for things manifeft arc alike manifeft to all. If unmanifeft, forafmuch as things unmanifeft , by Realon of the indijudicable Controverfiel concerning them, are incomprehenfible , they cannot be taught ; for how can any man learn^ or teach, that which be comprehends not; Now if neither that which is manifeft, nor that which is unmanifeft is taught, nothing at all is taught.
Befides, that which is taught, is either a Bo¬ dy or Incorporeal ; but neither of thefe, whe¬ ther manifeft or unmanifeft, can be taught, for the forefaid Reafon ; therefore nothing can be taught.
Moreover, either that which is, is taught ; or that which is not. If that which is not, be taught, forafmuch as Dodrines are conceived to be of things true, that which is not, will be true, and if true, it will be exiftent, for Truth, they fay, is that which exifts, and is oppofed to fomo thing. But it is abfurd to fay , that which is not, exifts, therefore that which exifts not, cannot be taught. Neither can a Being be taught. For if a Being be taught, it muft either be taught as a Being, or according to fome other thing; If, as it is a Being, it is do¬ cible, it is a Being and confequently not do¬ cible ; for Dodrines muft be made of things indubitate and indocible, therefore a Being, as a Being,' is not docible. But neither according to fome other thing, for a Being liath nothing accident to it, which is not a Being. There¬ fore if a Being be not taught, as it is a Being, neither can it be taught according to any other thing, for whatfoever is accident to it,is a Being. Befides, whether the Being which they fay is taught, be manifeft, or unmanifeft, it appears by the forefaid difficulties to be indocible. Now if neither that which is, nor that which is not, be taught, nothing is taught. CHAP.
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R ^ ■ Xlt. SClE^T I C I S M.
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CHAP. XXIX.'
Hvhtther there be a Teacher, and it Learner.
By the forefaid difficulties are alfo fubverted the Teacher and ifhe Learner ; ncverthclefs, we will queftion them more particularly. Ei- their the Artift teacheth the Attift ; or the Ignorant, the Ignorant ^ or the Ignorant, the Artift ; or the Artift, the Ignorant. The Ar¬ tift teacheth not. the Artift , for, both being Artifts, neither needs Teaching. The Ignorant 'cannot teach the Ignorfnt no more than the filitid can lead the Blind. The Ignorant cannot teach the Artift, that were ridiculous. It re¬ mains to fay, that the Artift teaches the Igno¬ rant, which likewife is impoffible. for there can be no fuch thing as an Artift^ feeing that no Ma neither is an Artift made of one that'is not an Artift; For eitherone Theorem, abd oneCom- prehenfion is fufficient to make an Artift of him that was not an Artift, 6r not ^ biit ft one Com- prehenfion can make an Artift of hipi that was 'not an Artift, Firft, we may fay, that Art is not a Syftem of Comprehenllons -, for Fie that before knew nothing at all, if he have learnt one Theorem of Art, may thus be faid to be an Artift. Next,irany fhallTay,that he who hath at-: tained fome Theorems of Arc, but as yet want- eth one, and therefore being not an Artift, fhall, as foon as he hath attained that one, be made an Artift of a Not-Artift, he holds that it is com pleated by one Comprehenfion. But if he come to particulars, he cannot (hew a Man that is yet no Artift, but fhall be an Artift as foon as he hath attained one Theorem more *, for no Man can number the Theorems of every Art, fo as having numbred the Theorems known, he fhall be able to fay, how many there are behind to compleat the number of the Theorems of the Art : Therefore the knowledge of theTheorem maketh not a Man an Artift, who was not an Artift before. But if this be true , Forafmuch ,ts a Man comprehends not all the Theorems of Arts together, but one by one, (as muft be grant¬ ed ) he who attaineth every Theorem of Art dIftinSly % itfelf, cannot become an Artift , for we have Ihewed, that the knowledge of one Theorem cannot make him an Artift, who was not an Artift y therefore he, who is not an Ar¬ tift, cannot be made an Artift. So as from hence it appeareth, that there is no Artift at all, and confequently no Teacher.
But neither can he who is faid to Learn, not being an Artift,Learn andComprehend the The¬ orems of Art, whereof he is ignorant : For as he who is blind from his Birth, as being blind, cannot comprehend Colours ; nor he who is Deaf from his Birth, Sounds • So neither can he who is not an Artift, comprehend the Theorems of Art, whereof he is ignorant. Otherwife, the lamePerfon might be both an Artift, and igno¬ rant of Art ; Ignorant of the Art, for he is fup- pofed to be fuch ^ An Artift, for he compre¬ hends the Theorems of the Art. Wherfore neither doth an Artift teach him, who is not an Artift : Now if neither the Artift teacheth the Artift j nor the Ignorant, the Ignorant ^ nor the
Ignorant, the Artift ; nor the Artift , the Igno¬ rant ; (and befides thefe there is nothing ) nei- . there is there a Teacher, nor a Learner ^ and there being neither a Teacher nor a Learner , the way of Learning likewife is fuperfluous.
CHAP. XXX.
Whether there is a Waj/ of Learning.
NEvefthelefs , againft this alfo are raifed Doubts ; For the way of Teaching is ei¬ ther by Evidence, or by Difeourfe- But nei¬ ther by Evidence, nor by Difeourfe, as we fhall prove ; therefore the way of Teaching is inex¬ tricable. Learning is not acquired by Evidence 5 for Evidence is of things fhewn, but that which is Ihewri is apparent to al), that which is appa- fenr, inafmueh as it is apparent, is perceptible by all^ that which is commonly perceptible by is not to be Learned^ therfore nothing is to be^Lcarn’d by Evidence.
Blit neither is flvere any th'ng learnt by Dif¬ eourfe • For Difeourfe either fignifies fomthing, or figuifics no hing , but, if it frgni^^ nothing, it teacheth' nothing. If it dignifies ioni.-chiiig, it (Ignifies it either by Nature, or ImpofitTOn ^ By Nature iTfignifies not , for all Men urtdnftand not all Men , as Greeh Barbarians, arid barba¬ rians Greeks If it fignifieth by Impofition, it is manifeft, that the riiakers of thefe Woirls, firft comprehending the things to which they accom- raedated them, underftand them, not, as being taught by thefe Words the things which they knew not, bur, as being put in mind of the things which they knew. Now they who have need to learn that which they know not, not know¬ ing to what things the Words are accoramoda- tedj'Wiu underftand nothing at all .-Wherefore, there can be no way of Learning. For the' Teacher ought to infinuatc into the Learner^ an underftanding of the Theorems of the Art, which is to be learnt, that fo he, comprehend¬ ing the Colleftion of them all, may be made an Artift, But Comprehenfion , as we fhewed already, is nothing, therefore there cannot be a way of Teaching. Now if there be nothing Taught, nor a Teacher, nor a Learner, nor a way of Teaching, there will neither be any Di- fcipline nor Dodrine. Thefe Arguments are in general alledged againft Difciplirie and Do- drine.
Another difficulty may be raifed againft that, which is called,The Art concerning Life. Thus. The thing Taught, that is, Wifdom, we have formerly proved infubfiftent •, TheTeacher like¬ wife , and Learner are infubfiftent : For ei¬ ther the Wife, teacheth the Wife, the Art con¬ cerning Life • or the Foolifh the Foolifh; or the Foolilhthe Wife or the Wife the Foolifh; but none of thefe teacheth another ; therefore the Art concerning Life is not taught. To fpeak of the reft were fuperfluous. But if the Wife teach the Foolifh Wifdom, arid Wifdom be the Science of Good,i and llL and Indifferent ; the Foolifh, not having \Vifdom, will be Ignorant of the things Good,and Ill,and Indifferent ; and, being Ignorant of them.whilft the Wife teacheth y y y a hiri
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5.32
S G E P T I C I S M.