ever made the Experiment? A Proficiency in Science or Literature, is not the only true Touchstone of a Man's Capacity. Domestick Affairs, Trade and Commerce, require as much Prudence and Sagacity, in order to their right Management, as it does Thought or Invention, to trace the Nature of Things, or compose some elaborate Differtation on a Point of abftract Knowledge, or critical Learning. And if the Ufe to which Talents of any kind are applied, be of any moment in the Value of him to whom they belong, they who employ them in fuch useful and honest Occupations, feem to have a much fairer Title to our Efteem, than fuch as are wholly taken up in contemplative Exercises, where all that is gained ferves only to gratify a vain Curiosity, or a luxurious Imagination.

IT is true, there are feveral Parts of Learning which render Men exceeding useful and profitable Members of Society, and which it is neceffary for the publick Good, that fome Men fhould be eminently skilled in. But what then? Is that an Argument, that they who excel in fuch Arts thould look down with disdain upon other Members of the Sociery, equally useful and neceffary as themfelves; and this only because they want fome of those Qualifications which it neither is poffible, nor would be convenient, that all hould be equal Sharers in? This is fomething like the Contest between the Belly and the other Members of the Human Body, in

the

the famous Apologue, by the dextrous Application of which Menenius Agrippa allayed that terrible Sedition in the Roman State, when the People retired to the Mons Sacer. Far lefs reafonable then is it, or becoming in those who have only acquired the Knowledge of Arts which ferve for nothing but Curiofity and Amusement, to affume to themselves a fuperior Air, and cry out Apage Vulgus! to the rest of Mankind.

SINCE the Temper and Difpofitions of Men are fo extremely various; fince these are fo apt to biafs and prejudice us in our Inquiries after Truth; fince Objects appear fo differently to different Minds; fince it is owned almost impoffible that the fame Reafon fhould make the fame Impreffion on every Understanding; and fince the Adepts in all kinds of Science are every day making new Discoveries, and rejecting Opinions they formerly held for certain and demonstrative: In a word, fince fome or every one of these Difficulties occur, more or lefs, in the way to true and real Knowledge, it seems our wisest and safest course to be less positive and dogmatical in our Decifions, and to put an end to thofe empty Wranglings and Disputes which have fo long plagued Mankind, made Bigotry a Science, and Perfecution a Demonstration. Even fome who difclaim all Bigotry, and cry out most against Restraints on the Reason and Judgment of Mankind, can upon occafion fhew themselves as opi

nionative

nionative and obftinate in the defense of their Tenets as the most Orthodox of their Neighbours. And tho we have new Systems of Infidelity almost every Year, yet the prefent Scheme is always ftrict Demonftration; and all Gainfayers are a Set of defigning Hypocrites, or hot-brain'd Enthusiasts, who have not the least Claim either to common Honefty, or common Senfe. You are defired indeed to think with all Freedom; but pray, let not this be understood to extend towards what thofe Gentlemen call Free-thinking ; that is a hitherto halt thou come, and no farther. Every one who fhall dare to attack that fhall find, that Zeal and Reproach, Wrath and Perfecution, are not confined to one fide of the Question, but may indifferently ferve to promote the Cause of either Tyranny or Liberty, of Ignorance or Knowledge.

AND after all, what should we gain on a fuppofition of the Truth of any of those Schemes which have been propagated with fo much Industry, and with fo much Profusion of false Learning, and unfeigned Zeal? Why truly the valuable Privilege of knowing ourfelves to be very unhappy; and we might fay, as Mr. Prior does, in his Ode to the late Earl of Halifax,

If we fee right, we see our Woes:
Then what avails it to have Eyes?
From Ignorance our Comfort flows;
And Sorrow from our being wife.

THESE

THESE have been, and ever will be the Effects of Mens over-valuing themselves on account of their great Knowledge, and being pertinacious in defenfe of their Opinions. Authority flows from Efteem, as Power from Dominion; fo that when once a Man comes to get an immoderate conceit of himself, he will as naturally expect, that others thould submit to his Judgment, as one who has a confiderable Stake in his Country does to have a Seat in Parliament, and fome Influence on the Administration of the publick Affairs. And how much this tends to weaken our good Difpofitions; and make us breathe a contentious and tyrannical Spirit in all our Dealings with one another, I think has been fufficiently fhewn already, and will be very obvious to Men of Senfe and Reflection.

I WILL close with this fingle Observation: Where Learning meets with a benevolent Difpofition, which has been early under the culture of Humanity and good Breeding, it fets off every other Accomplishment with double advantage. But if on the other hand it happens to fall upon ftony Ground, it only renders the Soil harder and coarfer, and produces Thorns, where Nature only intended inoffenfive Weeds. In the one Case it makes quiet honest Men, or elfe generous and undaunted Patriots; and in the other, either a Generation of ftupid Pedants, or noify and impertinent

Sciolifts.

Sciolifts. It has improved many good Tempers, but feldom, if ever, mended a bad one.

I am, SIR, Yours, &c.

HIBERNICUS:

N° 61.

Saturday, May 28, 1726.

To the AUTHOR of the Dublin Journal.

Ha tibi erunt artes, pacifque imponere morem,
Parcere fubjectis, & debellare fuperbos.

SIR,

T

VIR.

HE Defire of Conqueft, and Enlargement of Territory, feems to have been the governing Paf

fion of the great Men of Antiquity in all Ages, of which we have any Accounts that can be depended upon. A Golden Age, an Arcadian State of pure Love, and perfect Innocence, is a thing which never exifted but in the Imaginations of Poets. And all the Reasonings of Philofophers against immoderate Paffions, and irregular Pursuits of Objects foreign to our true Happiness, have not been able to extinguish this powerful Inclination in the Hearts of those, who having been born to Greatness Vol. II.

E

and