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286 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
of the off-spring of histories, that after the manner of
cards or maps, the utmost limits of known countries
are set downe to be full of thicke marrish grounds,
shady forrests, desart and uncouth places. See here
wherefore the grosest and most childish dotings are
more commonly found in these which treat of highest
and furthest matters; even confounding and overwhelming
themselves in their own curiositie and presumption.
The end and beginning of learning are
Sually accompted foolish. Marke but how Plato
iketh and raiseth his flight aloft in his Poeticall
clouds, or cloudy Poesies. Behold and read in him the
gibbrish of the Gods. But what dreamed or doted he
on when he defined man to be a creature with two feet,
and without feathers ; giving them that were disposed
to mocke at him a pleasant and scopefull occasion to
doe it ? For, having plucked-off the feathers of a live
capon, they named him the man of Plato. And by
what simplicitie did the Epicureans first imagine that
the Atomes or Motes, which they termed to be bodies,
having some weight and a naturall moving downeward,
had framed the world; untill such time as they were
advised by their adversaries that by this description
it was not possible they should joyne and take hold one
of another; their fall being so downe-right and perpendicular,
and every way engendring parallel linos ? And
therefore was it necessarie they should afterward adde
a causall moving sideling unto them : And moreover to
give their Atonies crooked and forked tailcs, that so
they might take hold of any thing and claspe themselves.
Ana even then those that pursue them with this other
consideration, doe they not much trouble them? If
Atomes have by chance formed so many sorts of figures,
why did they never meet together to frame a house or
make a shooe ? Why should we not likewise beleeve
that an infinit number of Greek letters, confusedly
scattered in some open place, might one day meet and
joyne together to the contexture of the Iliads ? That
which is capable of reason (saith Zeno) is better than
that which is not. There is nothing better than the