I cannot but confider myfelf, amidst this tumult of criticism, as a fhip in a poetical tempeft, impelled. at the fame time by oppofite winds, and dashed by the waves from every quarter, but held upright by the contrariety of the affailants, and fecured in fome meafure, by multiplicity of diftrefs. Had the opinion of my cenfurers been unanimous, it might perhaps have overfet my refolution; but fince I find them at variance with each other, I can, without fcruple, neglect them, and endeavour to gain the favour of the publick by following the direction of my own reason, and indulging the fallies of my own imagination.

AMONG the precepts, or aphorifms, admitted

by general confent, and inculcated by frequent repetition, there is none more famous among the mafters of ancient wifdom, than that compendious leffon, Fri σsaulov, Be acquainted with thyself; afcribed by fome to an oracle, and by others to Chilo of Lacedemon.

This is, indeed, a dictate, which, in the whole extent of its meaning, may be faid to comprife all the fpeculation requifite to a moral agent. For what more can be neceffary to the regulation of life, than the knowledge of our original, our end, our duties, and our relation to other beings?

It is however very improbable that the first author, whoever he was, intended to be understood in this unlimited and complicated fenfe; for of the inquiries, which in folarge an acceptation it would feem to recommend, fome are too extenfive for the powers of man, and fome require light from above, which was not yet indulged to the heathen world.

We might have had more fatisfaction concerning the original import of this celebrated fentence, if hiftory had informed us, whether it was uttered as a general inftruction to mankind, or as a particular caution to fome

private

private inquirer ? whether it was applied to fome fingle occafion, or laid down as the univerfal rule of life?

There will occur, upon the flighteft confideration, many poffible circumftances, in which this monition might very properly be inforced: for every errour in human conduct muft arife from ignorance in ourselves, either perpetual or temporary; and happen either because we do not know what is beft and fitteft, or because our knowledge is at the time of action not prefent to the mind.

When a man employs himself upon remote and unneceffary fubjects, and waftes his life upon queftions which cannot be refolved, and of which the folution would conduce very little to the advancement of happinefs; when he lavishes his hours in calculating the weight of the terraqueous globe, or in adjusting fucceffive fyftems of worlds beyond the reach of the telescope; he may be very properly recalled from his excurfions by this precept, and reminded, that there is a nearer being with which it is his duty to be more acquainted; and from which his attention has hitherto been withheld by ftudies to which he has no other motive than vanity or curiofity.

The great praife of Socrates is, that he drew the wits of Greece, by his inftruction and example, from the vain purfuit of natural philofophy to moral inquires, and turned their thoughts from ftars and tides, and matter and motion, upon the various modes of virtue, and relations of life. All his lectures were but commentaries upon this faying; if we fuppofe the knowledge of our felves recommended by Chilo, in oppofition to other inquiries lefs fuitable to the ftate of man.

The

The great fault of men of learning is ftill, that they offend against this rule, and appear willing to ftudy any thing rather than themselves; for which reason they are often despised by thofe, with whom they imagine themselves above comparifon; defpifed, as useless to common purposes, as unable to conduct the most trivial affairs, and unqualified to perform thofe offices by which the concatenation of fociety is preferved, and mutual tenderness excited and maintained.

Gelidus is a man of great penetration and deep refearches. Having a mind naturally formed for the abftrufer sciences, he can comprehend intricate combinations without confufion, and being of a temper naturally cool and equal, he is feldom interrupted by his paffions in the purfuit of the longest chain of unexpected confequences. He has, therefore, a long time indulged hopes, that the folution of fome problems, by which the profeffors of fcience have been hitherto baffled, is referved for his genius and induftry. He spends his time in the highest room of his house, into which none of his family are fuffered to enter; and when he comes down to his dinner, or his reft, he walks about like a stranger that is there only for a day, without any tokens of regard or tenderness. He has totally divefted himself of all human fenfations; he has neither eye for beauty, nor ear for complaint; he neither rejoices at the good fortune of his nearest friend, nor mourns for any publick or private calamity. Having once received a letter, and given it his fervant to read, he was informed, that it was written by his brother, who, being fhipwrecked, had fwam naked to, land, and was deftitute of neceffaries in a foreign country.

Naked

Naked and deftitute! fays Gelidus, reach down the laft volume of meteorological obfervations, extract an exact account of the wind, and note it carefully in the diary of the weather.

The family of Gelidus once broke into his study, to fhew him that a town at a small distance was on fire, and in a few moments a fervant came to tell him, that the flame had caught fo many houses on both fides, that the inhabitants were confounded, and began to think of rather efcaping with their lives, than faving their dwellings. What you tell me, says Gelidus, is very probable, for fire naturally acts in a circle.

Thus lives this great philofopher, infenfible to every fpectacle of diftrefs, and unmoved by the loudest call of focial nature, for want of confidering that men are defigned for the fuccour and comfort of each other; that though there are hours which may be laudably spent upon knowledge not immediately useful, yet the first attention is due to practical virtue; and that he may be justly driven out from the commerce of mankind, who has fo far abftracted himself from the species, as to partake neither of the joys nor griefs of others, but neglects the endearments of his wife, and the careffes of his children, to count the drops of rain, note the changes of the wind, and calculate the eclipfes of the moons of Jupiter.

I fhall referve to fome future paper the religious and important meaning of this epitome of wisdom, and only remark, that it may be applied to the gay and light, as well as to the grave and folemn parts of life; and that

not