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ducing it, when you reflect that it was productive of very beneficial confequences, and that many great effects have arifen from as trivial caufes. We are even told that Sir Ifaac Newton would probably never have ftudied the system of gravitation had he not been under an apple tree, when fome of the fruit loofened from the branches and fell to the earth, and it was the question of a simple gardener that led Galileo to study and discover the weight of the air.

I am,

Dear Friend,

Yours,

LETTER

LETTER XXXVIII.

-Honeft Englishmen, who never were abroad,

"Like England only, and its taste applaud.

"Strife ftill fubfifts, which yields the better gout;
Books or the world, the many or the few.
"True taite to me is by this touchstone known,
"That's always best that's nearest to my own."

Man of Tafte,

DEAR FRIEND,

IT has been long fince re

marked, that a perfon may be well acquainted with books, or in other words, may be a very learned man, and yet remain almost totally ignorant of men and manners, as Mallet remarks of a famous divine;

"While Bentley, long to wrangling schools confin'd,
"And but by books acquainted with mankind,
"Dares, in the fulness of the pedant's pride,

-Tho' no judge decide."

Verbal Criticifm.

Hence many fine chimerical fystems of law, government, &c. have been spun out

of

of the prolific brains of the learned, which have only ferved to amufe others as learned and as unacquainted with mankind as the authors, and have frequently produced a number of remarks, replies, obfervations, fevere (not to fay fcurrilous) criticisms, and new fyftems and hypothefes; these again birth to fresh remarks, rejoinders, &c. -(infinitum, I was going to fay-but I beg pardon, having promised to give you no more Latin.) Thefe learned men, after tiring themselves and the public, have generally left them just as wife on the fubject as when they began, nay often

gave ad

"From the fame hand how various is the page?
"What civil war their brother pamphlets rage?
Tracts battle tracts, felf-contradictions glare."

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YOUNG.

The reading and ftudying of History, Voyages, Travels, &c. will no doubt contribute much to that kind of knowledge, but will not alone be fufficient. In order to become a proficient in that useful branch of knowledge,

knowledge, 66 MAN KNOW THYSELF!" was a precept of the antient philofophers. But I can scarce think it poffible for any man to be well acquainted with himself, without his poffeffing a tolerable degree of knowledge of the reft of mankind. In the former part of my life I faw a deal of what is called low life, and became acquainted with the customs, manners, difpofitions, prejudices, &c. of the labouring part of the community, in various cities, towns, and villages; for years past, I have spent some of my leifure hours among that clafs of people who are called opulent or genteel tradesmen; nor have I been totally excluded from higher circles; but among all the schools where the knowledge of mankind is to be acquired, I know of none equal to that of a bookseller's shop, especially if the master is of an inquifitive and communicative turn, and is in a confiderable line of business; His fhop will then be a place of refort for men, women, and children, of various nations, and more of various capacities, difpofitions, &c.

To

To adduce a few inftances by way of illuftration: Here you may find an old bawd inquiring for "The Countess of Huntingdon's Hymn-book; an old worn-out rake, for "Harris's Lift of Covent-garden Ladies;" fimple Simon, for "the Art of writing Loveletters;" and my lady's maid, for "Ovid's Art of Love;" a doubting Chriftian, for "The Crumbs of Comfort;" and a practical Antinomian, for " Eton's Honeycomb of Free Juftification;" the pious Church-woman, for "the Week's Preparation ;" and the Atheist, for "Hammond's Letter to Dr. Priestley;" the Mathematician, for " Sanderson's Fluxions ;" and the Beau, for "The Toilet of Flora;" the Courtier, for "Machiavel's Prince," or "Burke on the Revolution in France;" and a Republican, for " "Paine's Rights of Man;" the tap-room Politician, wants "The Hiftory of Wat Tyler," or of "The Fisherman of Naples ;" and an old Chelsea Penfioner, calls for "The History of the Wars of glorious Queen Anne;" the Critic calls for "Bayle's Historical Dictionary -Blair's

.

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