THE DECLINE AND FALL

130

CHAP.

LXVI.

The Pla-tonic phi-losophy.

lessons; and their treatises of syntax aiul etymo-logy, though devoid of philosophic spirit, arestill useful to the Greek student. In this ship-wreck of the Byzantine libraries, each fugitiveseized a fragment of treasure, a copy of some au-thor, who, without his industry, might haveperished: the transcripts were multiplied by anassiduous, and sometimes an elegant pen; andthe text was corrected and explained by theirown comments, or those of the elder scholiasts.The sense, though not the spirit, of the Greekclassics, was interpreted to the Latin world : thebeauties of style evaporate in a version ; but thejudgment of Theodore Gaza selected the moresolid works of Aristotle and Theophrastus , andtheir natural histories of animals and plantsopened a rich fund of genuine and experimentalscience.

Yet the fleeting shadows of metaphysics werepursued with more curiosity and ardour. Aftera long oblivion, Plato was revived in Italy by avenerable Greek, 11 who taught in the house ofCosmo of Medicis. While the synod of Flo-rence was iuvolved in theological debate, somebeneficial consequences might flow from thestudy of his elegant philosophy: his style is thepurest standard of the Attic dialect; and his su-blime thoughts are sometimes adapted to fami-liar conversation, and sometimes adorned withthe richest colours of poetry and eloquence. The

* George Gemistus Pletho , a various and voluminous writer, themaster of Bessai ion, and ail the Platonists of the times. He visitedItaly in his old age, aud soon returned to end his days in Pelopon-nesus . See the curious diatribe of Leo Allatius de Georgiis, in Fabri-cius (Bibliot. Grec. tom. x, p. 739-76G}.