[Footnote 201: He used similar expressions in conversation. George Ent, who edited his _Generation of Animals_, visited him, "at that time residing not far from the city; and found him very intent upon the perscrutation of nature's works, and with a countenance as cheerful, as mind unperturbed; Democritus-like, chiefly searching into the cause of natural things." In the course of conversation the writer said, "It hath always been your choice about the secrets of Nature, to consult Nature herself." "'Tis true," replied he; "and I have constantly been of opinion that from thence we might acquire not only the knowledge of those less considerable secrets of Nature, but even a certain admiration of that Supreme Essence, the Creator. And though I have ever been ready to acknowledge, that many things have been discovered by learned men of former times; yet do I still believe that the number of those which remain yet concealed in the darkness of impervestigable Nature is much greater. Nay, I cannot forbear to wonder, and sometimes smile at those, who persuade themselves, that all things were so consummately and absolutely delivered by Aristotle, Galen, or some other great name, as that nothing was left to the superaddition of any that succeeded."] [Footnote 202: Lib. i. c. 2, 3.] [Footnote 203: _Anal. Post._ ii.] [Footnote 204: Pars iii. p. 45.] [Footnote 205: See _Hist. Ind. Sc._ b. vi. c. ii.] [Footnote 206: Cap. i. ii.] [Footnote 207: _Hist. Ind. Sc._ b. ix. c. ii.] [Footnote 208: _Meteorum_, c. viii. p. 187.] [Footnote 209: Mackintosh, _Dissertation on Ethical Science_.] [Footnote 210: _Hist. Ind. Sc._ b. vii. c. i.] [Footnote 211: Castelli, Torricelli, Viviani, Baliani, Gassendi, Mersenne, Borelli, Cavalleri.] [Footnote 212: _De Plenitudine Mundi, in qua defenditur Cartesiana Philosophia contra sententias Francisci Baconi, Th. Hobbii et Sethi Wardi._] [Footnote 213: Bacon's _Works_, vol. ii. 111.] [Footnote 214: _Hist. Ind. Sc._ b. vii. c. i.] [Footnote 215: _Nov. Org._ lib. ii. Aph. 2.] [Footnote 216: _Ib._ lib. ii. Aph. 45.] CHAPTER XVIII. NEWTON.