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274 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
weakened his braines much, as all men doe, who over
nicely and greedily will search out those knowledges
which hang not for their mowing nor pertaine unto
them. When he would needs have the Sunne to be a
burning stone, he remembered not that a stone doth
not shine in the fire; and which is more, that it consumes
therein. And when he made the Sunne and fire
to be all one, he forgot that fire doth not tan and black
those he looketh upon; that wee fixly looke upon the
fire, and that fire consumeth and killeth all plants and
herbs. According to the advice of Socrates and mine,
' The wisest judging of heaven is not to judge of it at
all.' Plato in his Timeus, being to speake of Daemons
and spirits, saith it is an enterprise far exceeding my
skill and ability: we must belecve what those ancient
forefathers hath said of them, who have said to have
beerie engendred by them. It is against reason not to
give credit unto the children of the Gods, although
their sayings be neither grounded upon necessary nor
likely reasons, since they tell us that they speake of
familiar and household matters. Let us see whether
we have a little more insight in the knowledge of
humane and naturall things. Is it not a fond enterprise
to those unto which, by our owne confession, our
learning cannot possibly attaine, to devise and forge
them another body, and of our owne invention to
give them a false forme ? as is scene in the planetary
motions, unto which because our minde cannot reach,
nor imagine their naturall conduct, we lend them
something of ours, that is to say, materially grose, and
corporall springs and wards :
temo aureus, aurea summm
Curvatura rotes, radiorum argenteus ordo. 1
The Axe-tree gold, the wheeles whole circle gold,
The ranke of raies did all of silver hold.
You would say, we have the Coach-makers, Carpenters,
and Painters, who have gone up thither, and there have
placed engines with diverse motions, and ranged the
• OVID. Metam. 1. ii. 107.