214044_The_Essa ... rd_Of_Montaigne_Vol_II.pdf - OUDL Home

THE SECOND BOOKE 345
he argued that honny was neither sweet nor bitter.
The Pyrrhonians would say, they know not whether it
be sweet or bitter, or both, or neither: for, they ever
gain the highest point of doubting. The Cyrenaicks
held that nothing was perceptible outwardly, and only
that was perceivable which by the inward touch or
feeling touched or concerned us, as griefe and sensuality,
distinguishing neither tune nor collours, but onely
certaine affections that came to us of them ; and that
man had no other seate of his judgment. Protagoras
deemed that to be true to all men, which to all men
seemeth so. The Epicuriaiis place all judgment in the
senses, and in the notice of things, and in voluptuousnesse.
Platoes mind was, that the judgment of truth,
and truth it selfe drawne from opinions and senses,
belonged to the spirit and to cogitation. This discourse
hath drawne me to the consideration of the senses,
wherein consisteth the greatest foundation and triall of
our ignorance. Whatsoever is knowne, is without peradventure
knowne by the faculty of the knower: for,
since the judgment commeth from the operation of him
that judgeth, reason requireth that he performe and
act this operation by his meanes and will, and not by
others compulsion: as it would follow if wee knew
things by the force, and according to the law of their
essence. Now all knowledge is addressed unto us by
the senses : they are our maisters:
via qua munita fidei ,
Proxima fert humanum in pectus, templaque mentis:¹
Whereby a way for credit leads well-linde
Into man's breast and temple of his minde.
Science begins by them and in them is resolved. After
all, we should know no more then a stone, unlesse we
know that here is sound, smell, light, savor, measure,
weight, softnesse, hardnesse, sharpnesse, colour, smoothnesse,
breadth and depth. Behold here the platforme
of all the frame and principles of the building of all our
knowledge. And according to some, science is nothing
1 LUCR. 1. v. 102.