LET. V. OF THE SYSTEM OF Des CaRTES. 69

the world, when science was yet in its infancy,and the mind of man enslaved and debased byignorance and a barbarous superstition, a know-ledge so exalted and refined should be but im-perfectly understood, and but little cultivated.

The priests and magi of the east, who are sup-posed to have been the first masters of the sci-ences, involved all their notions in enigmaticaland allegorical representations ; so that what wasplain and simple, was rendered mysterious anddoubtful; and mankind, instead of being madeacquainted with nature, and the manner inwhich she conducts her operations, were amusedonly with absurd fables and chimerical conceits,which were so far from answering the purposesof instruction, that they served only to impedeand retard it. To some of their most favoureddisciples and followers they unveiled their mys-teries, but the people in general were kept indarkness and the grossest ignorance.

From Egypt and Phœnicia philosophy tra-velled into Greece, and was there more generallycultivated and diffused; but in a manner equallyunfavourable to instruction and improvement.The philosophers of those times, disputatiousand obstinate, were more fond of victory thantruth; and whilst they contended only to Ihewtheir abilities, and to display a vain ostentationof learning, men were diverted from pursuingafter real knowledge, and a talkative philosophyF 3 was