Examen de ingenios, or, The tryal of wits discovering the great difference of wits among men, and what sort of learning suits best with each genius / published originally in Spanish by Doctor Juan Huartes ; and made English from the most correct edition by Mr. Bellamy.

THE PROEM.

PLATO pickt out the nimblest Witted Scholars he had, whenever he pro∣posed to advance any grave, subtil, and uncommon Doctrin, and to such only he imparted his Sentiments; being taught by Ex∣perience, that it would be but Time thrown away, piercing empty Nodels in vain, and Learn∣ing fruitlesly squandred, in communicating ele∣vated Matters to incapable Blockheads. The next thing he did (after such a Choice) was to prepare them by certain Suppositions in themselves clear, true, and not wide of the Conclusion: Because Sayings and Sentences started on a sudden, con∣trary to the receiv'd Opinion, at first, serve to no other purpose (such precaution not being used) but to confound and perplex the Auditors, to lose their Favour, and make them distaste the Doctrin. The same Method (Curious Reader) would I take with you, if you could by any manner of means before-hand penetrate into and discover to me alone, what kind of Genius Your's is: For if it be suited to this Doctrin, I would distinguish you from Common Wits, and privately communi∣cate to you, such new and singular Opinions, as were never once thought of, nor ever entered

Man's Imagination. However this not being to be done (our Work appearing in Public to all the World) it is impossible but I must needs leave you somewhat Surprized; for if your's is a common and Vulgar Wit, I doubt not but you are perswa∣ded that the Number and Perfection of the Sciences has been by the Antients long since determined, guided by a vain Reason, that since they could find out nothing more to say, 'tis a sign that there is nothing new; and if you happen to have such Sentiments, go no further, nor read any longer, for it will but vex you to know what a wretched kind of Wit you are Master of; but if you are de∣liberate and discreet, I have three very true Con∣clusions to propose to you, which for their No∣velty, are not a little to be admired. The first is, That of all the different Wits of Men, there is but one (as predominant) can fall to thy share,* 1.1 unless Nature straining hard as it were to form two or three Excellencies more in thee, and be∣ing unable to effect what she designed, has left thee off unwrought in haste, as a rude Essay of an unfinish'd Piece. The Second, that to each diffe∣rent kind of Wit corresponds one Science only transcendently, and no more; for which reason, if thou art not well assured in the Choice of what suits thy Talent, thou wilt find thy self very short in the rest, with the most assiduous Application. The Third, that after thou hast found out what Science corresponds best with thy Wit, there re∣mains, if thou wouldst not err, another greater difficulty, which is, whether the Practic, or Theory suits best with thy Genius; for these two Parts (in all Sciences whatever) are so opposite to each other, and require Wits so diverse, that they may be set one against the other in the place

of Contraries. A hard saying this I own, and yet hard as it is, what is yet the hardest of all, is, there is no Writ of Error, or Appeal; for who can say that he has received any Wrong? for God is the Author of Nature, who dispenses to each Man but one kind of Genius (as I said but now); notwith∣standing the Opposition and Difficulty, that lies in the uniting them, he accommodates himself to her, and of the Sciences he distributes Gratis a∣mongst Men, in a Miraculous way he gives no more than one in an Eminent Degree. * 1.2 There are diversities of Gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of Administrations, but the same Lord: And there are diversities of Operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all; but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to pro∣fit withal; for to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom; to another the Word of Knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another Faith, by the same Spirit; to another the Gift of Healing, by the same Spirit; to an∣other the Working of Miracles; to another Prophecy; to another the discerning of Spirits; to another divers kinds of Tongues; to another the Interpretation of Tongues; But all these worketh one and the same Spirit; dividing to every Man severally as he will. Upon the whole Matter, you see that even the Graces Men possess in the Church are very different, yet are they all distributed by one and the same Spi∣rit, who is the source of all. The Ministerial Employments are divers, and yet 'tis one and the same Lord who calls both the one and the other to his respective Function. Neither is the Power of working Miracles equal and alike in all, though it is the same God who produceth those Miraculous Acts, which are performed by those to whom he has given that Power. Nor are you to think,

that the Distribution of these Gifts, which pro∣claim the Holy Spirit's dwelling in him, who pos∣sesses the same, is without reason unequal. Since in their distribution, God has regard to what is of more Use and Advantage, either for the farther Confirmation of those who already are Believers, or for the Conversion of such as are yet Idola∣ters. Whence it comes, that one receives from the Holy Ghost the Gift of Wisdom to uncypher Divine Mysteries, and another the Gift of Know∣ledge from the same Spirit; and that also one has Faith, by virtue of which, he works a vast number of Miracles, and heals all incurable Diseases; an∣other is armed with a power of Miracles of another kind, as of foretelling many things to Come, of Penetrating into the Breasts of Men, and discern∣ing the several secret Springs of all their outward Motions. Hence is it one speaks many Languages (unlearned) and another is the Interpreter to un∣derstand them all, because, as I told you before, it is one and the same Spirit who is Author of all these Gifts, and who distributes them according to his good Pleasure.

I question not in the least but God made that distribution of Sciences with regard to each Man's Wit and Natural Genius, seeing the Talents he bestow'd in * 1.3 St. Matthew (says the same Evangelist) that he di∣stributed them to each according to his own Virtue.* 1.4 For 'tis a very gross Mistake to fancy that these Supernatural Sciences require not certain previous Dispositions in the Subject, before they can be infused For when God Form'd Adam and Eve, 'tis certain that he first filled

them with Wisdom in Organizing their Brain af∣ter such a manner as was every way becoming an Instrument appropriated to Reason and Discourse. To this purpose speaks Sacred Writ, * 1.5 He has filled them with the Spirit of God in Wisdom in Know∣ledge, in Ʋnderstanding, and in all manner of Work∣manship. And according to the difference of each Man's Wit, one Science was rather infused than another, and more or less of each of them, which may be understood by the same Instance of our first Parents; for when God fill'd 'em both with Wisdom, 'tis agreed on by all hands, that he gave less to Eve, which was the Cause (say the Di∣vines) that the Devil undertook to seduce her, not daring to tempt Man, as being in awe of a Superior Wisdom. The reason of this (as we shall prove by and by) is, that the Natural Com∣position of Woman's Brains is not susceptible ei∣ther of much Wit or great Wisdom. We shall find the same thing in Angelic Substances, that God to raise one Angel to greater Degrees of Glo∣ry and more elevated Gifts, gave him first a more delicate Nature. And if one should ask the Di∣vines, of what use is that Delicate Nature, they answer, That an Angel who is of a more Eleva∣ted Understanding, and refined Nature, more readily inclines to the Will of God, and more efficaciously employs those Gifts, the self same Thing happening even among Men.

Whence may manifestly be inferred, that see∣ing there is a difference of Wits for Supernatural Sciences, and that all kind of Capacities are not fit Instruments alike for them, by far greater reason Humane Learning requires it, because what Men learn is purely by force of their Wit.

The Design of this Work is to know and di∣stinguish the Natural Differences of Human Under∣standing, and how with Skill to apply to each the Science he may most Excel in. If I gain my Point, I shall give God the Glory, from whom proceeds all that is Good and Profitable. And if not (know Wise Reader) that to Invent and Perfect an Art at one and the same time is impossible, because Humane Sciences are so large, and of so wide an Extent, that no Man's Life is sufficient to discover them all, and to bring them to their due Perfecti∣on. The first Inventor does enough to point out some considerable Principles, from which, like Seeds, others may take occasion to raise the Art to its Height. Aristotle, in allusion to this, said, That we ought highly to esteem the very Errors of those that first began to Philosophize, because 'tis so very difficult to invent new things, and so easy to add to what has been Invented and Disco∣vered, for this very reason the Errors of the first Inventor ought not much to be blamed, no more than the Improvements of him that adds, to be extravagantly Praised. I readily confess this Work may not be absolutely free from Errors, the Matter being so nice and delicate, and beside I had no Guide to lend me a hand in this difficult and untrodden Way. But if they happen to be in the Matter, wherein the Understanding has room to expatiate, in that Case (Ingenious Rea∣der) I intreat you, before you play the Critic, to read the following Preface, where you will see the Reason why Men are of different Sen∣timents, and then to go thorow with the Book, to discover what kind of Wit your's is, and if you find any thing not well said according to your Sense, carefully consider the contrary Reasons

that seem to have more weight with you, and if you know not how to resolve them, return to read the Thirteenth Chapter, where perhaps you may meet a satisfactory Answer. Farewell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In Spain Nature can join but two different kinds of Wit, and in Greece three.
• * 1.2

  Paul I. to the Corin. chap. XII.
• * 1.3

  Chap. XXV,
• * 1.4

  The reason of this is, that the Supernatural Sciences have their Seat in the Soul, and the Soul is, according to Aristotle, subject to the Tem∣perament and Constitution of the Body. Arist. lib. 2. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.5

  Eccles. chap. xvii▪