But I did in the beginning distinguish, not to report
those things deficient, which are but only ill managed.
XVI. (1) There remaineth the fourth kind of rational knowledge,
which is transitive, concerning the expressing or transferring our
knowledge to others, which I will term by the general name of
tradition or delivery. Tradition hath three parts: the first
concerning the organ of tradition; the second concerning the method
of tradition; and the third concerning the illustration of
tradition.
(2) For the organ of tradition, it is either speech or writing; for
Aristotle saith well, "Words are the images of cogitations, and
letters are the images of words." But yet it is not of necessity
that cogitations be expressed by the medium of words. For
whatsoever is capable of sufficient differences, and those
perceptible by the sense, is in nature competent to express
cogitations. And, therefore, we see in the commerce of barbarous
people that understand not one another's language, and in the
practice of divers that are dumb and deaf, that men's minds are
expressed in gestures, though not exactly, yet to serve the turn.
Pages:
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258