It was somewhat unfortunate that the infancy of English learning was supported by the dotage of the Roman, and that even the spring-head from whence they drew their instructions was itself corrupted.

However, the works of the great masters of the ancient science still remained; but in natural philosophy the worst was the most fashionable.

The Epicurean physics, the most approaching to rational, had long lost all credit by being made the support of an impious theology and a loose morality.

The fine visions of Plato fell into some discredit by the abuse which heretics had made of them; and the writings of Aristotle seem to have been then the only ones much regarded, even in natural philosophy, in which branch of science alone they are unworthy of him.

Beda entirely follows his system.