Extract of Mr. Duten's Inquiry Into the Origin of the Discoveries Attributed to the Moderns

IN the comparison between the moderns and ancients, a distinction ought to be made between the arts and sciences, which require long experience and practice to bring them to perfection, and those which depend solely on talent and genius. Without doubt, the former in so long a series of ages, have been extended more and more, and brought to a very high degree of perfection by the moderns, who in this respect surpass the ancients, though the art of printing, and many other discoveries, have not a little contributed to it. We know the astronomers in our days understand much better the nature of the stars, and the whole planetary system, than Hipparchus, Ptolemy, or any other of the ancients. But it may be doubted whether they’ had gone so far unaided by telescopes. The modems have certainly perfected the art of navigation; nay, and discovered new worlds: but yet without the assistance of’ the compass, America, In all probability had still remained unknown. Likewise by long observation and experiments often repeated, we have brought the arts of botany, anatomy, and chirurgery, to the degree of perfection we know behold them in. Many secrets of nature, not to be penetrated in one age, have been laid open in a succession of many. Morality itself hath been perfected by the Christian religion; philosophy hath assumed a new air; and the trifling, childish, and vain cavils of the schools, have at length been put to flight by the reiterated efforts of Ramus, Bacon, Newton, and many others.

I willingly therefore give up to the partisans of the moderns, every advantage I have here enumerated ; but there is no need on that account, to rob the ancients of the share they have had in promoting all these parts of knowledge, by the pains they took to beat out for us the tracks we have pursued. Much less should we assume, as modern discoveries, what the ancients really invented, or illustrated. It also deserves notice, that the most part of the admirable and useful inventions, in which our age glories, such as printing, gunpowder, the compass, telescopes, &c. were not the acquisitions of genius and philosophy. but mere effects of chance. To place in its true light the share the ancients have in whatever we pretend to know, and even in what has been called modern discoveries, is the principal aim of my present undertaking.