rally known, or which it would be difagreeable to confult, I thought it would be of advantage to collect them together. But when every thing neceflary for the proof or illufuation of my narrative or reasonings may be found in any one book which is generally known, or deferves to be fo, I fhall fatisfy myself with referring to it. This is the cafe with refpect to Chivalry. Almost every fact which I have mentioned in the text, togcther with many other curious and inftructive particulars, concerning this fingular inflitution, may be found in Memoires fur l'ancienne Chevalerie confiderée comme un eftabliffement politi que & militaire, par M. de la Curne de St. Palaye.

NOTE XXVIII. SECT. III. p. 76. [EE].

THE fubject of my enquiries does not call me to write a hiftory of the progress of fcience. The facts and observations which I have produced are fufficient to illuftrate the effects of its progress upon manners and the state of fociety. While science was altogether extinct in the western parts of Europe, it was cultivated in Conftantinople and other parts of the Grecian Empire. But the fubtile genius of the Greeks turned almost entirely to theological disputation. The Latins borrowed that spirit from them, and many of the controverfies which fill occupy, and divide theologians, took their rife among the Greeks, from whom the other Europeans derived a confiderable part of their knowledge. See the teftimony of Eneas Sylvius ap Conringium de antiq. academicis, p. 43. Hifloire literaire de France, tom. vii. p. 113, &c. tom. ix. p. 151, &c. Soon after the Empire of the Caliphs was established in the Eaft, fome illuftrious princes arofe among them, who encouraged fcience. But when the Arabians turned their attention to the literature cultivated by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the chafte and correct taste of their works of genius appeared frigid and unanimated to a VOL. I. people

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people of a more warm imagination. It was impoffible for them to admire the poets and hiftorians of Athens, or of Rome. But they were fenfible of the merit of their philofophers. The operations of the intellect are more fixed and uniform than thofe of the fancy or tafte. Truth makes an impression nearly the fame in every place; the ideas of what is beautiful, elegant, or fublime, vary in different climates. The Arabians, though they neglected Homer, tranflated the most eminent of the Greek philofophers into their own language; and, guided by their precepts and discoveries, applied themselves with great ardour to the fudy of geometry, astronomy, medicine, dialectics and metaphyfics. In the three former they made confiderable and ufeful improvements, which have contributed not a little to advance those sciences to that high degree of perfection which they have attained. In the two latter, they chose Aristotle for their guide, and refining on the subtle and distinguishing spirit which characterizes his philofophy, they rendered it altogether frivolous or unintelligible. The schools established in the Eaft for teaching and cultivating these sciences, were in high reputation. They communicated their love of fcience to their countrymen, who conquered Afia and Spain; and the schools inftituted there were little inferior in fame to thofe in the East. Many of the perfons who diftinguished themselves by their proficiency in fcience in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, were educated among the Arabians. Bruckerus collects many inftances of this, Hiftor. Philof. v. iii. p. 681, &c. Almost all the men eminent for science during several centuries, were inftructed in the fciences by the Arabians. The firft knowledge of the Ariftotelian philofophy in the middle ages, was acquired by tranflations of his works out of the Arabick. The Arabian commentators were deemed the most skilful and authentic guides in the ftudy of his fyftem. Conring. antiq. acad. Diff. iii.

p. 95, &c. Supplem. p. 241, &c. Murat. antiquit. Ital. vol. iii. p. 932, &c. From them the Schoolmen derived the genius and principles of their philofophy, which contributed fo much to retard the progrefs of true science.

THE establishment of Colleges or Universities is a remarkable æra in literary history. The schools in cathedrals and monafteries confined themselves chiefly to the teaching of grammar. There were only one or two masters employed in that office. But in colleges, profeffors were appointed to teach all the different parts of science. The time that ought to be allotted to the study of each was afcertained. A regular form of trying the proficiency of students was prescribed; and academical titles and honours were conferred on fuch as acquitted themselves with approbation. A good account of the origin and nature of these is given by Seb. Bacmeisterus Antiquitates Roftochienfes, five, Hiftoria Urbis & Academiæ Roftoch. ap. Monumenta inedita Rer. Germ. per E. J. de Weftphalen, vol. iii. p. 781. Lips. 1743. The firft obfcure mention of these academical degrees in the University of Paris, (from which the other universities in Europe have borrowed moft of their cuftoms and inftitutions) occurs, A. D. 1215. Crevier hift. de l'univ. de Paris, tom. i. p. 296, &c. They were. completely established, A. D. 1231. Ib. 248. It is unnecessary to enumerate the several privileges to which batchelors, masters, and doctors were entitled. One circumftance is fufficient to demonftrate the high degree of eftimation in which they were held. Doctors in the different faculties contended with knights for the precedence, and the dispute was terminated in many instances by advancing the former to the dignity of knighthood, the high prerogatives of which I have mentioned. It was even afferted, that a doctor had a right to that title without creation. Bartolus taught doctorem actualiter regentem in jure civili per decennium

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decennium effici militem ipfo facto. Honoré de St. Marie Disfert. p. 165. This was called Chevalerie de lectures, and the perfons advanced to that dignity, milites Clerici. These new establishments for education, together with the extraordinary honours conferred on learned men, greatly encreased the number of fcholars. In the year 1262, there were ten thousand ftudents in the univerfity of Bologna; and it appears from the hiftory of that univerfity, that law was the only science taught in it at that time. In the year 1340, there were thirty thoufand in the university of Oxford. Speed's Chron. ap. Anderfon's Chronol. Deduction of Commerce, vol. i. p. 172. In the fame century, ten thousand perfons voted in a queftion agitated in the university of Paris; and as graduates alone were admitted to that privilege, the number of ftudents must have been vaftly great.. Velly Hift. de France, tom. xi. p. 147. There were indeed few universities in Europe at that time; but fuch a number of ftudents may nevertheless be produced as a proof of the extraordinary ardour with which men turned to the study of science in those ages; it shows likewife that they already be❤ gan to confider other profeffions than that of a foldier as honourable and useful.

NOTE XXIX.

SECT. III. p. 82. [FF].

THE great variety of fubjects which. I have endeavoured to illuftrate, and the extent of this upon which I now enter, will juftify my adopting the words of M. de Montefquieu, when he begins to treat of commerce. "The fubject which follows "would require to be difcuffed more at large; but the nature "of this work does not permit it. I wish to glide on a tran"quil ftream; but I am hurried along by a torrent."

MANY

MANY proofs occur in history of the little intercourse between nations during the middle ages. Towards the close of the tenth century, Count Bouchard intending to found a monastery at St. Maur des Foffes, near Paris, applied to an abbot of Clugny in Burgundy, famous for his fanctity, intreating him to conduct the monks thither. The language in which he addressed that holy man is fingular: He tells him, that he had undertaken the labour of fuch a great journey; that he was fatigued with the length of it, therefore hoped to obtain his request, and that his journey into such a distant country fhould not be in vain. The anfwer of the abbot is ftill more extraordinary: He refused to comply with his defire, as it would be extremely fatiguing to go along with him into a strange and unknown region. Vita Burchardi venerabiles Comitis ap. Bouquet Rec. des Hift. vol. x. p. 351. Even fo late as the beginning of the twelfth century, the monks of Ferrieres in the diocese of Sens did not know that there was fuch a city as Tournay in Flanders; and the monks of St. Martin of Tournay were equally unacquainted with the fituation of Ferrieres. A tranfaction in which they were both concerned, made it neceffary for them to have fome intercourse. The mutual intereft of both monafteries prompted each to find out the fituation of the other. After a long fearch, which is particularly described, the discovery was made by accident. Herimannus Abbas de Reftauratione St. Martini Tornacenfis ap. Dacher. Spicel. vol. xii. p. 400. The ignorance of the middle ages with respect to the fituation and geography of remote countries was still more remarkable. The most ancient geographicalchart which now remains as a monument of the ftate of that science in Europe during the middle ages, is found in a manu-fcript of the Chronique de St. Denys. There the three parts of the earth then known are fo represented, that Jerufalem is placed in the middle of the globe, and Alexandria appears to

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be