Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman.

Section 7.

To search out the secrets of Nature allowable; if men be not too curious in them; Eudoxus wish; Plinius killed on the Mountaine of Vesuvius: Aristotle drowned in Euri∣pus; Too much curiosity is a plague sent downe from Heaven on men; The Poet Simonides acknowledged his ignorance of GOD; How the Heathenish gods were pourtrayed.

IF any curiosity may be allowed,* 1.1 I thinke the inquiry of the hidden and abstruse secrets of nature are agree∣able and pleasing for a curious spirit; provided that their curiosity carry them no further then to a re∣verent and respectfull admiration of the power of God, working in Nature by them.

But if once such curious and inquisitive braines doe transgresse these limits, and after the meditation of these things, doe begin to drawe out of the secrets of Nature that which is unprofitable, being knowne, and so doe become transgressors of the old Law, Non altum sapere, not to be too inquisitive;* 1.2 then I say their curiosities be∣come vitious: such as this, was the curiosity of Eudoxus, who desired at the hands of the gods to be so neere the Sun as to discerne the matter of it, (which was in que∣stion amongst his fellow Philosophers for the time) although it should bee to the hazard of his life; Such

curiosity as this: cost Plinius his life, while too curious∣ly he approached to the top of the Mount Vesuvius, by Naples (which I did with the hazard of mine also) from thence to look down to the body of the hollow∣ed hill to see if he might discerne the cause and matter of that fyre, which bursting up in flames now and then, had made it hollow within, for then being choakt with a flash of a suddayne flame, hee dyed; So the river Euripus did requite Aristotle his curiosity with the like punishment, although not drowning or over∣whelming him with waves, yet causing in him such melancholy for not comprehending its nature, as pro∣cured his death!

We have warrant from holy Scripture, that too much curiosity to knowe things, is sent downe upon men as a plague, in so farre, that Herod esteemed Saint Paul distracted through his too much learning; and they are scarce otherwise, who thinke by their shallow ca∣pacity, to comprehend the height, length, and depth of GODS workes, which are so much the rather His, by how much the lesse we understand them.

And it is observable that our beliefe is setled upon things incredible to humane reason;* 1.3 to which a hum∣ble submission of spirit attayneth sooner, then a curious inquiry.

Thus Saint Augustine esteemed, GOD better to be adored, bene sentiendo, quàm multum loquendo; In such sort, that Simonides the Poet, who was desired to de∣scribe God, required first one day to thinke upon the subject; and then another, lastly a third; and in the end confessed ingeniously, that the more he studied it, the

further he was from comprehending it, and the more he searched into that Theame, the lesse he understood it; which gave us well to understand how wisely the Aegyptian Priests, Indian Brachmians, the Persian Magi, the French Druides, and all the old Philosophers and wise men did, who caused to mould and pourtrayte their gods with their fingers upon their lippes,* 1.4 to teach men (their Adorers) not to bee too curious inquirers after their Nature, or rashly blabbe forth what ever they imagine of them, least that being discovered, they should have beene found in the end to have beene but men, either worthy in their time for warre or peace, and after their death, deified.

Micat inter omnes Iulium fidus, velut inter ignes Luna minores.

Whereas the Nature of our great God-head is so pro∣found a gulfe, and hid mystery, that as the Sun beames dazeleth our mortall eyes, being too stedfastly fixed upon them; even so doth over-curious inquiry after God, and such other abstruse mysteries, obfuscate the dim eyes of our understandings: And as the Sun can∣not bee seene but by his owne light; So no more can God be knowne but by himselfe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The enquiry of the secrets of nature, con∣venient food for a curious Spirit.
• * 1.2

  Eudoxus cra∣ved to be neere the Sunne al∣though it should be with the hazard of his life, as that hee might knowe it.
• * 1.3

  Because curio∣sity to know, is a plague, therefore our faith is settled upon things incredible to human reason.
• * 1.4

  The Gods of the Ancients were pourtrai∣ted with their fingers upon their mouthes, and why.