Il natural desiderio di sapere - Pontifical Academy of Sciences

ON THE NATURAL DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE 127doned? Just barely in the public schools there remains a little corner, themost remote, the most solitary, the most easeful, 71 with no danger ofcrowding, on the contrary, that the lectors often bring their friends andservants foreign to similar studies in order to appear to merit their provisionwith doing something and not run the risk of being deprived of it asidlers. So that, there lacking an ordered institution, a philosophical militia72 for such an enterprise so worthy, so great, and so proper to man as theacquisition of wisdom, and particularly with the means of the principaldisciplines, 73 to this end and with this intention the Lyncean Academy orassembly has been erected, and with a proportionate union of subjectssuited and prepared for such work, it seeks, well regulated, to compensatefor all the above-mentioned defects and lackings, to remove all of theobstacles and impediments and to fulfill this good desire, proposing foritself the keen-eyed lynx as a continuous spur and reminder to procure forourselves that acuteness and penetration of the mind’s eye that is necessaryto the knowledge of things, and to regard minutely and diligently,both inside and outside, in so far as licit, all of the objects that presentthemselves in this great theatre of nature.This, 74 by cultivating particularly these two great fields of philosophicaland mathematical doctrine and adorning itself with the philologicaland poetical eruditions, it will indeed have embraced the most abandonedand most needy parts, which are most apt to satiate the natural appetiteand give us cognition of nature, and will profess those that are touchedby others either not at all or only in passing, while the other parts, forends much different than knowledge itself which in these is frankly pretended,have yet some following.Vigorously united in this resolution, it will strive with all of its energiesand means and with every good order and government, not omitting aid, norany diligence whatever that may be necessary or of benefit to such work.It will be primarily free from all the occupations and duties dependingon the body, whose needs shall be provided for with regard to ordinarynecessities and health and all the requirements of these, not by gain sought71 Because, there being little activity it is quite comfortable.72 This is the emblematic and celebrated expression around which Cesi’s entire discourseis centered; cf. the Lyncean Resolution above.73 Which are in fact philosophy (also natural philosophy) and mathematics.74 The Academy.