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第7章

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      much taken with Lucian's wit and with his pleasant way of writing。 


      As for the poets; they have Aristophanes; Homer; Euripides; and 


      Sophocles of Aldus's edition; and for historians Thucydides; 


      Herodotus; and Herodian。 One of my companions; Thricius Apinatus; 


      happened to carry with him some of Hippocrates's works; and 


      Galen's 〃Microtechne;〃 which they hold in great estimation; for 


      though there is no nation in the world that needs physic so little 


      as they do; yet there is not any that honors it so much: they 


      reckon the knowledge of it one of the pleasantest and most 


      profitable parts of philosophy; by which; as they search into the 


      secrets of nature; so they not only find this study highly 


      agreeable; but think that such inquiries are very acceptable to 


      the Author of nature; and imagine that as He; like the inventors 


      of curious engines among mankind; has exposed this great machine 


      of the universe to the view of the only creatures capable of 


      contemplating it; so an exact and curious observer; who admires 


      His workmanship; is much more acceptable to Him than one of the 


      herd; who; like a beast incapable of reason; looks on this 


      glorious scene with the eyes of a dull and unconcerned spectator。





      The minds of the Utopians; when fenced with a love for learning; 


      are very ingenious in discovering all such arts as are necessary 


      to carry it to perfection。 Two things they owe to us; the 


      manufacture of paper and the art of printing: yet they are not so 


      entirely indebted to us for these discoveries but that a great 


      part of the invention was their own。 We showed them some books 


      printed by Aldus; we explained to them the way of making paper; 


      and the mystery of printing; but as we had never practised these 


      arts; we described them in a crude and superficial manner。 They 


      seized the hints we gave them; and though at first they could not 


      arrive at perfection; yet by making many essays they at last found 


      out and corrected all their errors; and conquered every 


      difficulty。 Before this they only wrote on parchment; on reeds; or 


      on the bark of trees; but now they have established the 


      manufacture of paper; and set up printing…presses; so that if they 


      had but a good number of Greek authors they would be quickly 


      supplied with many copies of them: at present; though they have no 


      more than those I have mentioned; yet by several impressions they 


      have multiplied them into many thousands 。





      If any man was to go among them that had some extraordinary 


      talent; or that by much travelling had observed the customs of 


      many nations (which made us to be so well received); he would 


      receive a hearty welcome; for they are very desirous to know the 


      state of the whole world。 Very few go among them on the account of 


      traffic; for what can a man carry to them but iron or gold or 


      silver; which merchants desire rather to export than import to a 


      strange country: and as for their exportation; they think it 


      better to manage that themselves than to leave it to foreigners; 


      for by this means; as they understand the state of the neighboring 


      countries better; so they keep up the art of navigation; which 


      cannot be maintained but by much practice。








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