The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. IV.

His Philosophy.

a 1.1 ANd concerning Opinions, he said, there is a twofold Exerci∣tation, one spirituall, the other corporeall; If in the first of these we employ our selves constantly, frequent phantasies wil occurre, which facilitate the performance of Vertue; the one can∣not be without the other, a good habit and strengh being necessa∣ry both in respect of the soul and the body.

That Vertue is easily acquired by exercitation he argued, in as much as in the Mechanick Arts and others, that Artists by pra∣ctise quickly arrive at an extraordinary readinesse therein, and Wrastlers and Musicians excell one another according to the con∣tinuall pames they take therein one more then another, and if they should have taken the same pains about their souls, it would not have been unprofitably and imperfectly employ'd.

He said nothing in life can be rightly done without exercitati∣on, and that exercitation could master any thing, for whereas men should choose Naturall Labours, whereby they might live happily; they on the contrary make choice of the unprofitable, and through their own folly, are in continuall misery. For even the contempt of Pleasure, if we accustome our selves thereto will be most pleasant; and as they, who inure themselves to a volup∣tuous

life cannot be taken off it without much trouble and grief; so they who exercise themselves in a contrary manner with as great ease contemn even the pleasures themselves.

He ascribed not so much to Law as to Nature; Hee affirmed that he followed the same course of life with Hercules, preferring nothing before Liberty.

He asserted that all things belong to the wise, arguing thus; all things belong to the Gods, the Gods are friends to wise persons; all things are common amongst friends; therefore all things belong to the wise.

As concerning Law, he held that without it a Commonwealth could not be ordered, for, saith he, without a City there cannot be a∣ny profit of Civill things; a City is a Civill thing; of Law without a City there is no profit, therefore Law is Civil.

He derided Nobility, glory, and the like, saying, they were the Ornaments, or veiles of wickednesse, and that only a right Com∣monwealth ought to be honour'd.

He held that there ought to be a Community of women, con∣ceiving marriage to be nothing, and that every man and woman might enjoy one another as they pleased themselves, and conse∣quently that all Children should be in common.

Hee held that it was not unlawfull to take any thing out of a Temple, or to feed upon living Creatures, neither was it impious to eat mans flesh, as appeared by the practise of other Nations, adding that all things are in all and by all; in bread there is flesh, in flesh bread; the remainders of flesh and bread being insinuated by occult passages into other bodies, and evaporating in like man∣ner. This Laertius cites out of a Tragedy of his named Thyestes, if saith he, that Tragedy belong to him, and not rather to Philiscus, or Pasiphon.

Musick, Geometry, Astronomy and the like he rejected as unpro∣fitable and unnecessary.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Laert.