they are conveyed, it would not have been an effential lofs to pofterity, if the metaphyfical works of these philofophers had been permitted to fink into oblivion. From Greece, philofophy migrated to Rome; for credulity itself must now ceafe to trace the continuation of the Italic fchool from the days of Pythagoras, to the flourishing epoch of the republic.

After the deftruction of the western empire, Europe feemed to revert to that state of rudeness and ignorance from which the labours of fo many great men had contributed to raise it. The Chrif tian fathers, strongly attached to Platonism, which was the prevalent fyftem during the exiftence of the lower empire, confined their researches to the idle chimeras of myfticifm. But the purer systems of former times found refuge among a people, whofe warlike habits and intolerant religion might juftly have been confidered, at a distance, as threatening their inevitable deftruction. Prior to the establishment of Islamism by Mahomet, and for fome time after it, philofophy was unknown to his followers. With the commencement of the Abaffidean dynasty in the eighth century, the light of science began to dawn on the Moflem nations. Under Al-Mamon in the following age, learning of every kind was cultivated with avidity. Schools were instituted, and long continued to flourish at Bagdat, Bafforah, and other places. The benign influence of knowledge was extended, with the Saracen empire, to the western realms; and Rafi, Averröes, and Avicenna,

are

are names which merit the respect and gratitude of later ages.

On the extinction of Alexandrian Platonism among the Pagans, about the feventh century, we can trace its remains among the oriental Chriftians only, and chiefly among the monks, in whofe communities the doctrines of Ariftotle were ftill preferved. The Peripatetic philofophy now began to revive, and from the recefs of the cloister to spread through the east. This was principally effected by the labours of John Damafcenus, who employed the Ariftotelian dogmas in aid of theology, and who may not improperly be confidered as the harbinger of the scholastic philosophy. But the task of diffufing it fo extenfively as to enfure its permanence, was too great to be accomplished by an individual; and after his time, barbarifm prevailed till the eighth century, when learning, encouraged by the attention it received under the Emperor Michael, irradiated for a time the fetting glories of the fucceffors of Conftantine.

In the meanwhile, and during the eighth and ninth centuries, Bede, Rabanus, Eginhard, Erigena, Abelard, and others, flourished in the west. The memorable controverfy between the Nominalists and Realists, which engroffed the difcuffions of the literary world in the following ages, fprung from the lectures and writings of Anfelm, Berenger, Lanfranc, Rofcelin, and their contemporaries, whose lives and labours were unprofitably wasted in dia

lectic fubtleties. Their fyftems, if an affemblage of incoherent notions can deferve that appellation, were compounded of opinions derived from polemic theology and the Ariftotelian philosophy as taught by the Arabians. Yet, with all their abfurdities, fome of their leading tenets ftill demand our affent; and the very names of Nominalifts and Realifts were epithets, which did not owe their origin to the farcaftic fancy of opponents, but actually characterised the dogmas they inculcated.

From the time of Rofcelinus and Peter Abelard to the revival of letters, we find the fcholaftics divided into various other fects, befides the more celebrated branches of Nominalifts and Realifts, fuch as the Albertifts, Thomifts, Scotifts, Accamists, &c. fo termed from their refpective leaders.

We now enter on a more aufpicious period. To the fall of the Conftantinopolitan empire in the middle of the fifteenth century, may be afcribed the diffemination of the Greek language in the weft, and, confequently, the introduction of a taste for the writings of the ancients. Attempts were made to restore and correct the fectarian metaphyfics of the Grecian schools. Poets fatirized, and learned men refuted, the dogmas of the fcholaftics, and thus paved the way for the reformation of philofophy. Under the patronage of Cofmo di Medici, John Argyropulus tranflated Ariftotle's Phyfics and Ethics, and added com. mentaries. On these he read lectures at Rome

with the fanction of the pope, who granted him a regular falary. Plato, Epictetus, and other moralists, were illuftrated by the talents of Politian. Ariftotle, however, appears to have still been the favourite of the fcholar. His Rhetoric and several other pieces were tranflated by Hermolaus Barbarus, and his Categories, with Porphyry's Introduction, by Manettus, a Florentine, who wrote many original treatises on mind, the univerfe, truth, and other abftrufe fubjects. His Ethics and Politics were commented on by Donatus Acciailus, a pupil of Argyropulus; and his tract De Anima et Analytica Pofteriore was explained by Apollinaris Offred. Pletho of Conftantinople, whose protracted life extended beyond a century, was a keen and induftrious Platonist. The doctrines of the Academic were defended by Beffario, bishop of Nice, and afterwards patriarch of Conftantinople, but latterly a member of the conclave under Eugenius IV. Beffario is known as the obfcure translator of Xenophon's Memorabilia, the Metaphyfic of Ariftotle, and that erroneously ascribed to Theophraftus. His antagonist was George Trapezuntius, or George of Trebizond, who tranflated part of the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and taught rhetoric and philosophy at Venice and at Rome. Paleologus, Francifcus Philelphus, Georgius Scholarius, Theodore Gaza, Marfilius Ficinus, Laurentius Valla, and other eminent literati, adorned the court and times of the Medici, who could also boast of a Dante, a Petrarch, a Boccace, and an Aretin. The literature of these times has been lately de

veloped

veloped and illuftrated by Mr. Rofcoe and other writers, with much perfeverance of research, elegance of style, and claffic erudition.

The reformation of religion, by ftimulating the zeal, and calling into action the talents of the learned, formed a memorable epoch in the hiftory of literature and philofophy. Erafmus, Vives, Nizolius, and other fatirifts, exposed to ridicule. the dogmatifm of the fcholaftics. Luther, Melancthon, Faber, Agricola, the indefatigable Camerarius, and their contemporaries, laboured with affiduity to correct metaphyfical errors. It is strange, that the chimeras and confused jargon of both the Stoic and Peripatetic philofophy fhould have still maintained a strong footing in the schools. In fact, the literati of that age were fo wedded to antiquity, that they revived the different Grecian fects, and ranged themfelves under the standards of the ancient mafters. Picus, who had formed an uncouth mixture of the Cabbaliftic doctrines and the tenets of Plato and Pythagoras, was followed by Reuchlin, Venetus, Agrippa, and Henry More. On the contrary, Patricius, Gale, Cudworth, and others, rejecting the notions of the myftics, endeavoured to reftore Alexandrian Platonifm. Honoratus Faber, who has been already mentioned, Lobkowitz of Madrid, and Ricciolus the Athenian Jefuit, taught a compound fyftem of Ariftotelian and fcholaftic philofophy; while the purer doctrines of the Peripatetic were prelected on by Gaza, George Trapezuntius, Scholarius, Melancthon,

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