cial ones, come from the Neglect of this Practice. Languages are no more than the Keys of Sciences; yet he who defpifes one flights the other : And there is a fort of Courage needful to support fome Tempers again't the Scandal of Learning: They have entertain'd an established Opinion against Learned Men; they won't allow them to know the World, how to live, nor to have any Genius for Society; and fo fend them back ftripp'd to their Closet and their Books. As Ignorance is an eafy State, which costs but little Pains, most of the World follow it, and form fuch a numerous Party in Court, City, and Country, that the Learned cannot bear up against them. With many People Learned and Pedantry are fynonymous: Nay, often when the rich Man speaks, and fpeaks of Learning, the Learned Man must be filent, liften and applaud, at least, if he would not pafs only for Learned. I grant that to take Meafures wholly from Books, without looking into. Men and Business, is like travelling in a Map, where, though Countries and Cities are well enough diftinguish'd, yet Villages and private Seats are either overlook'd, or too generally marked for a Stranger to find. To be conftantly in the Wheel, has neither Plea fure fure nor Improvement in it. A Man may as well expect to grow ftronger by always Eating, as wifer by always Reading. Too much overcharges Nature, and turns more into Difeafe than Nourishment. But Books well managed, afford Direction and Discovery: They ftrengthen the Organs, enlarge the Profpect, and give a more univerfal Infight into Things, than can be learned from unlettered Obfervation. If they are well chofen, they neither dull the Appetite, nor ftrain the Capacity, but refresh the Inclinations, ftrengthen the Power, and improve under Experiment: They entertain and perfect at the fame Time, and convey Wisdom and Knowledge through Pleasure. I am not to learn, That the polishing of our Understandings, whilft we neglect our Manners, is of all things the most inexcufable: It may be too frequently feen, perhaps, that a wife Man is not always a good one, and that the most polite Ages are the leaft virtuous. But this may be attributed to the Folly of admitting Wit and Learning as Merit in themfelves, without confidering the Application of them. The Defign of Learning, fays an applauded Author, is either to render a Man an agreeable Companion to himself, and teach him to fupport Solitude with Pleafure; or, if he is not born to an Eftate Eftate, to fupply that Defect, and furnish him with the Means of getting one. For Learning, whether fpeculative or practical, is, in popular or mix'd Governments, the natural Source of Wealth and Honour. There are a fet of Men in the World who make it their Bufinefs to undervalue and depreciate every Thing: These will not want Sentences to the Prejudice of Learning: They cry, with a contemptuous and magifterial Air, That it ufually does but improve what Nature endowed us with: That be who wants good Senfe, is unhappy in baving it; for he has thereby only more Ways of expofing himself: And that he who has Senfe, knows that Learning is not Knowledge; but rather the Art of using it. I have one Thing to obferve before I close this Head; which is, That however great and ferviceable a Qualification Learning is, it is not of equal Service or Importance to every diftinct Degree of Men. 'Tis fcandalous for a Gentleman of Birth or Fortune to know no more than he owes to the mere Light of Nature, the Information of Company, or Family Converfation. But the Want of Letters and politer Knowledge is a very excufable Defect in him, who, after he is once gone from School, is never to have more to do with it as long as he lives. Can there be any thing more ridi culous, culous, than that a Father fhould wafte his Money and Son's Time, in fetting him to learn the Roman Language, when at the fame Time he defigns him for a Trade, wherein he, having no Ufe of Latin, fails not to forget that little which he brought from School, and which, 'tis ten to one, he abhors, for the ill Ufage it procured him ? Could it be believed, unless we had every where amongst us Examples of it, that a Child fhould be forced to learn the Rudiments of a Language, which he is never to use in the Courfe of his Life he is defigned to; and neglect all the while the Writing a good Hand, and Cafting Accompts, which are of great Advantage in all Conditions of Life, and to moft Trades indifpenfably neceffary; If I can give my Son a Fortune fufficient to keep him above the Affiftance of a Trade and Employment to help out his Subfiftence; if he have enough to make a Figure, and be independent on the World; let his Learning and Accomplishments be as univerfal as Schools and Academies can furnish him withal; but if Providence have placed him in a lower Sphere, if he muft toil and struggle through the World for a Livelihood, the Claffic Learning will not be the best Step to his Advancement: There are Attainments of a meaner meaner Nature will ferve him most, such as will turn him beft for Business, and are requifite for a Man of Trade or Com merce. I cannot shut up this Article, without a gentle Reproof to thofe who have been fuch fhallow Proficients from a Liberal Education, that they have only a fickly Af fectation of being thought learned: Thefe unedefied Students will tell you, That Books are more inftructive than travelling; and give you to understand, that they are Masters of a tolerable Library. If you are at the Trouble of infpecting it, perhaps, you may find the Collection large, not of choice and felect Authors: Number and Quality is their Recommendation; and if they are gilt and lettered, well bound, and of the beft Editions, no matter what the Oglio confifts of; for the Poffeffors feldom put them out of their Ranks, or care to enter their boasted Library, but out of a Vanity and Ambition of fhewing it. Others there are, who, by an intemperate Defire of Knowledge, and Unwillingnefs to be ignorant of any Thing, are gree dy of all Sorts of Learning, and Mafters of none; fonder of knowing much, than knowing well; and had rather be fuperficial Smatterers in feveral Sciences, than to dive profoundly into any fingle one: They every where |