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CLITOMACHVS.
a 1.1 CLITOMACHUS was a Carthaginian, son ofb 1.2 Diognetus. He was first called Asdrubal, as Plutarch and Laertius af∣firm, c 1.3 and profess'd Philosophy in his own Country, and native Language. Being forty years old, he went to Athens, and heard Carneades, who being much taken with his industry, instructed and exercised him in Philosophy. With Carneades, Cicero saith, he lived untill he was old, and succeeded him in the School, and chiefly illustrated his Doctrines by his writings, the number of which bookes being above foure hundred, were a sufficient testi∣mony of hisd 1.4 industry, and that he had no lesse of wit, then Carneades of eloquence. He was well vers'd in three Sects, the Academick, Peripatetick, and Stoick.
Of his books are remembered by Cicero, onee 1.5 of Consolation to his captive Country-men, Carthage being then subdued by the Romans; another tof 1.6 Caius Lucilius the Poet, wherein he explained and defended the Academick suspension of Assent, having written before of the same things to L. Censorinus, who was Consul with M. Manilius, the summe of which discourse was this.
g 1.7 The Academicks hold there are such dissimilitudes of things, that some seem probable, others on the contrary. But this is not ground enough to say that some things may be perceived, others cannot, because there are many false that are probable, but no false can be perceived and known. Those therefore ex∣treamly erre, who affirme the Academicks to take away sense; for they say not, there is no colour, sapor, or sound; but dispute, that there is not any proper inherent note in these of true and certain: (which having expounded, he adds) A wise man sus∣pends assent two waies; one, when [as we know] he absolutely refuseth to assent to any thing; another, when he with∣holds from answering, either in approbation or improbation of somthing, so that he neither denyeth nor asserteth it. In the first way he assents to nothing, in the second he will follow probability, and according as he finds it or not, answers yes or no. He who withholdeth his assent from all things, is yet moved, and acteth somthing. He reserves therefore these phantasies by which we are excited to action, and those of which being que∣stion'd, we may answer on either part, only as of a thing that