8. Calling it "subtlety.
This, though a very useless skin, and that which I think the direct opposite to the ways of
knowledge, hath yet passed hitherto under the laudable and esteemed names of subtlety and acuteness, and has
had the applause of the schools, and encouragement of one part of the learned men of the world. And no wonder,
since the philosophers of old, (the disputing and wrangling philosophers I mean, such as Lucian wittily and with
reason taxes), and the Schoolmen since, aiming at glory and esteem, for their great and universal knowledge,
easier a great deal to be pretended to than really acquired, found this a good expedient to cover their ignorance,
with a curious and inexplicable web of perplexed words, and procure to themselves the admiration of others, by
unintelligible terms, the apter to produce wonder because they could not be understood: whilst it appears in all
history, that these profound doctors were no wiser nor more useful than their neighbours, and brought but small
advantage to human life or the societies wherein they lived: unless the coining of new words, where they
produced no new things to apply them to, or the perplexing or obscuring the signification of old ones, and so
bringing all things into question and dispute, were a thing profitable to the life of man, or worthy commendation
and reward.