Crooke, Helkiah (1576-1648)

ΜΙΚΡΟΚΟΣΜΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ: A Description of the Body of Man [Mikrokosmographia, Microcosmographia]

London

Printed by William Iaggard

1615

"Afterwards, as a Merchant that had lost all his inheritance in one bottom, he was to begin the world anew, and to gather an estate or stock of knowledge, by the travel and industry of his soul and body; yet was not his soul Abrasa Tabula, a playned Table, there remained some Lineaments which the Scripture calleth The Law of Nature; not such as could exhibit any sufficient original knowledge, but such as whereby, having gotten knowledge from without himself, might make him again acknowledge the dark and defaced foot-steps that remained in himself, and to polish and refresh them somewhat, though it was impossible to reduce them to the former perfection."

As in the knowledge of Diuine Mysteries, Implicit Fayth is the highway to perdition, so in humane learning, nothing giues a greater checke to the progresse of an Art, then to beleeue it is already perfected and consummated by those which went before vs; and therfore to rest our selues in their determinations. For if the ancient Philosophers and Artists had contented themselues to walke onely in the Tracke of their predecessours, and had limited their Noble wits within other mens bounds, the Father had neuer brought foorth the Daughter, neuer had Time broght Truth to light, which vpon the fall of Adam was chained in the deepe Abysse. There is, as of the World and gouernement thereof, so of arts a frame, the matter whereof comes downe from heauen, but is gathered heere by discourse of reason and experience. The beauty and glory of whose Columns wer not perfected in one age, but the ground worke was first laid in the times which were neerest to the Originall of Nature; afterward addition was continually made by the vigour of the soule of Man, and shall be vnto the end of the world. It were not hard to giue instances heereof in all arts, nor happely would it be very tedious; but it shal bee sufficient (to auoyd prolixity) to insist a little vpon generals, and so descend vnto our owne art we haue in hand. The first man (saith the Diuine story) saw all the Creatures, and gaue them names according to their Natures, but that Sun-shine was soone clouded, that Image defaced, that stampe battered by his fall. Afterwards, as a Marchant that had lost all his inheritance in one bottome, he was to begin the world anew, and to gather an estate or stocke of knowledge, by the trauell and industry of his soule and body; yet was not his soule Abrasa Tabula, a playned Table, there remained some Lineaments which the Scripture calleth The Lawe of Nature; not such as could exhibite any sufficient originall knowledge, but such as whereby, hauing gotten knowledge from without himselfe, might make him again acknowledge the darke and defaced foot-steppes that remained in himselfe, and to polish and refresh them somewhat, though it was impossible to reduce them to the former perfection. Thus the soule by discourse of reason, that is, by her owne acte, knewe her naturall immortality, and by induction of particulars, came to informe her selfe of the Natures of other things: not as she knew before, from the vniuersall to particulars, but by gathering particulars together to frame generall and vniuersall notions.
(I, 36)

Uncategorized::Stock Writing::Tabula Rasa Writing::Table Uncategorized::Footsteps

Reading in EEBO

Helkiah Crooke, ΜΙΚΡΟΚΟΣΜΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ: A Description of the Body of Man (London: Printed by William Iaggard, 1615). <Link to EEBO>

09/28/2011