This is the Case of the first Writers of our Profession; though they started a few good Things, and had some Knowledge in Plants and Minerals, yet their Understandings were still clouded, their Sentiments embarrassed, and their Ignorance very great; and what Advantage can accrue from a laborious Study of such Authors? If a Man had perused often, and common-placed all Aristotle, and gone thro’ the immense Volumes of the grave Triflers his Commentators, would he by that become a Philosopher of any Value? In like Manner had a Student read all the Works of Hippocrates, and with indefatigable Toil ransacked and rifled the crude and undigested Heaps of Authors, who by undertaking to set him in a clear Light, have added their own Darkness to that of the Text, what could they gain worthy of their Labour? What Knowledge could they acquire to reimburse them for their Expence of Time? Are not these innumerable Volumes, these Productions of fruitless Industry, become Piles of waste Paper and the Refuse of the Shops? Are they not the heavy Lumber of Garrets, and the Trumpery and Riffraff of old Libraries?
And supposing any Man should happily translate the Text of Hippocrates himself, and
