Authority of Past Men

``By this it appears how necessary it is for any man that aspires to true Knowledge, to examine the Definitions of former Authors; and either  to correct them, where they are negligently set down; or to make them  himselfe. For the errours of Definitions multiply themselves, according  as the reckoning proceeds; and lead men into absurdities, which at last  they see, but cannot avoyd, without reckoning anew from the beginning;  in which lyes the foundation of their errours. From whence it happens,  that they which trust to books, do as they that cast up many little  summs into a greater, without considering whether those little summes were rightly cast up or not; and at last finding the errour visible,  and not mistrusting their first grounds, know not which way to cleere  themselves; but spend time in fluttering over their bookes; as birds  that entring by the chimney, and finding themselves inclosed in a  chamber, flitter at the false light of a glasse window, for want of wit  to consider which way they came in. So that in the right Definition  of Names, lyes the first use of Speech; which is the Acquisition of  Science: And in wrong, or no Definitions' lyes the first abuse; from  which proceed all false and senslesse Tenets; which make those men that  take their instruction from the authority of books, and not from their  own meditation, to be as much below the condition of ignorant men, as  men endued with true Science are above it. For between true Science,  and erroneous Doctrines, Ignorance is in the middle. Naturall sense and imagination, are not subject to absurdity. Nature it selfe cannot erre:  and as men abound in copiousnesse of language; so they become more wise,  or more mad than ordinary. Nor is it possible without Letters for any  man to become either excellently wise, or (unless his memory be hurt by  disease, or ill constitution of organs) excellently foolish. For words  are wise mens counters, they do but reckon by them: but they are the  mony of fooles, that value them by the authority of an Aristotle, a  Cicero, or a Thomas, or any other Doctor whatsoever, if but a man. ''

Leviathan