5

faith. The exception may be given in his own words. "In philosophy, where truth seems double-faced, there is no man more paradoxical than myself; but in divinity, I love to keep the road: and, though not in an implicit, yet an humble faith, follow the great wheel of the church, by which I move, not reserving any proper poles, or motion from the epicycle of my own brain." Again:-"where the scripture is silent, the church is my text; where that speaks, 't is but my comment; where both are silent,"3 &c. If we add to these passages the following avowal,-" I am, I confess, naturally inclined to that which misguided zeal terms superstition," we are furnished with the true key to explain his belief in witchcraft, and Satanic influence, as well his partiality for the Ptolemaic system of the universe. He regarded these all as being, to a certain extent, subjects of revelation; and therefore to be received implicitly. But every thing not so supported, fell under the process of his excruciation. His very curious and extensive reading,-his daily and ardent pursuit of every branch of natural history,-the labour he was constantly willing (as Dr. Johnson observes) to pay for truth, in patient and reiterated experiments upon even the most trifling or absurd questions,-together with the ready access, which his great celebrity and extended acquaintance procured him, to the collections and observations of the literary and scientific men of his day; all these supplied him with copious materials for the exercise of his inquisitive propensities. Every doubt was brought to the test of experiment and examination. His Common-place Books' exhibit abundant evidence that he trusted nothing to memory, but noted down, at the moment they struck him, the experiments and inquiries he deemed necessary to be made, together with results as they arose. That this process of accumulation began early in life, is evident from the date of his first edition; while subsequent alterations, and the constant accessions of new matter, (some even now first printed) may serve to convince

2 Rel. Med. p. 9.

3 Rel. Med. p. 6.

4 Rel. Med. p. 4.

5 See this ground stated by his annotator Dean Wren, who with still greater vehemence advocated Browne's astronomical belief.-Vol. ii, 210, note 6.

In his Life of Browne, vol. i.

7 Vol. iv.

8 These alterations and additions are pointed out in the notes to the present

us, that throughout life he continued, as the constantly increasing "diversion" of his business or acquaintance allowed him opportunity, to enrich his treasury of doubts and speculations.

Let us now proceed to enumerate the editions and translations which have appeared.

The First Edition is in pot folio, with the following titlepage. Pseudodoxia Epidemica: or, Enquiries into very many received Tenets, and commonly presumed Truths. By Thomas Browne, Dr. of Physick. Jul. Scalig. Ex libris colligere quæ prodiderunt authores, longe est periculosissimum; rerum ipsarum cognitio vera e rebus ipsis est. London, Printed by T. H. for Edward Dod, and are to be sold in Ivie Lane. 1646. On the leaf opposite the title is Downame's Imprimatur. The title, preface, and table of contents, occupy 20 pages, and the rest of the work 386 pp. the last of which contains a table of errata.

The Second Edition is the handsomest, as to typography, which has hitherto appeared. It is in foolscap folio, with marginal notes; a single line runs close round each page, with a second above the running title and on the outside of the marginal notes. The title is, Pseudodoxia, &c. (as before); Second Edition, corrected and much enlarged by the author. Together with some Marginal Observations, and a Table alphabeticall at the end. London, Printed by A. Miller, for Edw. Dod and Nath. Ekins, at the Gunne in Ivie Lane. 1650. The title, prefaces, and table of contents, occupy 16 pp.: then follow 329 pp. of the work, 10 pp. of index, and a blank. The Epistle" to the Reader," is followed by "an Advertisement concerning the Marginall Annotations," which, as inapplicable to the present, I have not prefixed to it, but have subjoined it as a note.1 From this advertisement, it is obvi

edition. They occur chiefly in the 2nd and 3rd editions, and in the 6th, the last which the author revised. The 4th and 5th editions differ little from the 3rd.

9 Downame's Imprimatur.] "March the 14th, 1645. I have perused these learned Animadversions upon the Common Tenets and Opinions of Men in former and in these present times, entitled Pseudodoxia Epidemica; and finding them much transcending vulgar conceipt, and adorned with great variety of matter, and multiplicity of reading, I approve them as very worthy to be printed and published. JOHN DOWNAME."

1 An Advertisement, &c.] "Reader, be pleased to understand, that upon the

ous that the superintendence of the edition had fallen into the hands of an admirer of the author, who was anxious to do him all the credit he could.?

The Third Edition, with some additions, appeared in folio, in 1658. It is printed on the model of the second, but is very inferior. The only variation in the title is in the number of the edition, and in the imprint:-Printed by R. W. for Nath. Ekins, at the Gun in Paul's Church-yard. 1658.

The Fourth Edition was printed in the same year, in 4to. with the Hydriotaphia and Garden of Cyrus-two Discourses which had just appeared in 8vo. The title is Pseudodoxia, &c. The Fourth Edition, with Marginal Observations, and a Table Alphabetical. Whereunto are now added two Discourses :—the one of Urn Burial, or Sepulchrall Urns, lately found in Norfolk; the other, of the Garden of Cyrus, or Network Plantations of the Antients. Both newly written by the same Author. Ex libris, &c. London,, Printed for Edward Dod, and are to be sould by Andrew Crook, at the Green Dragon in Paul's Church-yard. 1658. No sooner had

second edition of this excellent piece (whereto the authour intendeth no further additions hereafter,) some strange hand hath attempted (yet sparingly, and but here and there,) to affix annotations on the margin, not imagining thereby to adde any lustre to the authour's text, but only to invite or fix the reader's eye upon some things (among as many other omitted) which he thought observable. They are distinguished from some other, which the authour himself hath been pleased to adde, by a smaller character, wherein they goe printed and (that we doe the authour no wrong, by imposing something upon him, which it were not fit he should own,) this also must be added concerning them, viz:-that the reader would never judge of the authour's sense solely by the note in the margin, but (and that principally) by reflexion, and consideration of the text itself; wherein, according to the variety of the matter handled, and the authour's acute and cautious manner of discourse, the attentive reader will easily observe, in some things that he delivers himself positively, or in the way of direct and resolute assertion; in others more reservedly and with respect unto different judgements; he will observe some things argued for and concluded, some only insinuated or hinted at, others barely related; all which, in the right interpretation of the authour, ought to be distinguished, but could not well be distinguisht, that is, represented with their peculiar and respective qualifications in the brevity of a note.

There is also an Alphabeticall Table at the end, added by the same hand, and capable (perhaps) in some passages of the like caution. This only is desired of the ingenuous reader, both that himself may receive better satisfaction by what is done, and the learned authour lesse disservice. Farewell.

Cal. Nov. 1649.

N. N."

2 Very possibly this might be his neighbour and friend, the Rev. Mr. Whitefoot, of Norwich. He was a very likely person to have undertaken with alacrity such a task; and it is remarkable, that the initials following the Advertisement, (N. N.) are the same which he has employed in his Arcanum Theologicum, a MS. Discourse before noticed, as preserved in the British Museum. See notice respecting him in the Life of Browne, vol. i.

Dod brought out this edition, so enriched, than Ekins, his former partner, printed, in double column, not only the Tracts appended by Dod, but also Religio Medici:-and thus, in 1659, produced, as altogether new, his unsold copies of the 3rd edition, with these enrichments, preceded by this titlepage:-Religio Medici: whereunto is added a Discourse of the Sepulchrall Urns, lately found in Norfolk. Together with the Garden of Cyrus; or the Quincunciall Lozenge, or Network Plantations of the Ancients, Artificially, Naturally, Mistically Considered. With sundry Observations. By Thomas Brown, Doctour of Physick. Printed for the good of the Commonwealth;-the whole set forth with a new title-page to the volume, calling it The last Edition, with the date 1659.

The Fifth Edition, in 4to. by the Assigns of Dod, in 1669, is nearly a reprint of his Fourth, and contains the two Discourses. It is remarkable for having a portrait, (the first, I believe, which appeared,) of the author; but so different from all others I have seen, that it is not easy to suppose them to have had a common original. Mr. Ottley, of the British Museum, has had the kindness to give me his opinion as to the engraver, that it may probably have been executed by John Dunstall.

The Sixth Edition, published by Ekins, under the author's especial superintendence, and with his final revision and improvements, and the last which appeared during his life-time, came out in 1672, in 4to. with this title:-Pseudodoxia, &c. The Sixth and last Edition, corrected and enlarged by the Author, with many Explanations, Additions, and Alterations throughout. Together with many more Marginal Observations, and a Table Alphabetical at the end. Jul. Scalig. Ex libris, &c. London, Printed by J. R. for Nath. Ekins, 1672. A portrait by Van Hove accompanied it; which, in all probability, had a common original with all the subsequent portraits-viz. that of Van der Bane, published with the Miscellany Tracts, in 1683-that of White, with the Works, in 1686-that of Van der Gucht, with the Posthumous Works, in 1712-that of Trotter, in Malcolm's Lives of Topographers

3 As declared in the Postscript-see p. 182. Of this edition there were large

papers.

-together with a Mezzotinto, of which I have only seen one copy, in an illustrated "Blomfield's Norwich," in the Dean and Chapter's Library at Norwich-and a Dutch 4to. print, which probably accompanied a Dutch translation of the Works-and, lastly, our own, engraved by Mr. Edwards.

In 1686, Abp. Tenison published the folio volume, which contained the Seventh Edition of Pseudodoxia, Religio Medici, Hydriotaphia, and the Quincunx, together with the Miscellany Tracts, which he had himself first edited in 1683, (but of which many copies have a reprint title with the date 1684), with this title, in red and black ink :- The Works of the learned Sir Thomas Brown, Knt. Doctor of Physick, late of Norwich, containing I. Enquiries into Vulgar and Common Errors. II. Religio Medici; with Annotations and Observations upon it. III. Hydriotaphia; or Urn Burial: Together with the Garden of Cyrus. IV. Certain Miscel lany Tracts with Alphabetical Tables. London, Printed for Tho. Basset, Ric. Chiswell, Thos. Sawbridge, Charles Mearn, and Charles Brome. 1686. The volume consists of 652 pages, viz:-titles, preface, and contents, 18 pp.-Ps. Ep. and table, 344 pp.-Rel. Med. with title and prefaces, 116 pp. Hydriotaphia and Urn Burial, with ditto, 60 pp. Tracts, &c. 114 pp.

I know of but three translations of Pseudodoxia: two of which are those of Grundal and Knorr, in 1668 and 1680, noticed before; the third is a French translation, in 2 vol. 12mo. of the seventh edition. I cannot say by whom it was made, unless by Peter Briot, the translator of Ricault's Ottoman Empire, and several other works into French.7

Watt mentions an edition of the Works of Browne in Latin, in 1682; but I have never seen it, nor any other mention of it. Peti, a mathematician, who wrote on comets, is mentioned as having translated some part into Latin; and

8

4 First edited by the Abp. in 1683. Many (if not most) copies have a reprint title, 1684. 5 Preface to Rel. Med. p. xiii.

6 With this title :-. -Essai sur les Erreurs Populaires, ou Examen de plusieurs Opinions reçues comme vrayes, qui sont fausses ou douteuses. Traduit de l'Anglois

de Thom. Brown, Chevalier et Docteur en Medecine. Nouvelle edition revue et corrigée. Ex libris &c. Jul. Scalig. A Paris, Chez. Briasson, rue Saint Jacques, à la Science et à l'Ange Gardien. MDCCXXXVIII. Avec Approbation et privilège

du Roy. My copy of this work has also reprint titles, with the date 1753.

7 See vol. i, p. 110.

8 Vol. i, p. 113.