No 60. Saturday, May 21, 1726.

To the AUTHOR of the Dublin Journal. -Hem, vir viro quid praftat? Ter.

SIR,

T

HE Philofophers in all Ages have recommended to us the Knowledge of ourselves as the best and most ufeful Study, and the Acquifition of it as the highest and clearest Evidence of Wisdom. Philofophers however have not been always able to make good their own Claim to it. They as well as other Men have fuffered themfelves to be too much guided by Appearances in this Science, no lefs than in others; and have frequently had fo little Wisdom, as to imagine themselves the fole Proprietors of it, and to exclude all others from having any fhare in it. This Error could only have proceeded from overrating themselves, or undervaluing the rest of Mankind and either of these demonstrates the want of Self-knowledge, fince the Worth of a Man is always to be estimated by comparing it with that of others; and it will be found, upon making the Comparison, that

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there is not fuch a prodigious Difference in this matter among Men as we commonly are too apt to imagine.

IT happens a little unluckily too, that Philofophical Minds are more apt to fall into this Mistake than others. For employing all their Time and Studies in general Speculations and abstract Inquiries, they are fhut out from a particular acquaintance with Men and Things. So that knowing little befides themfelves, and their own Ideas, they are ignorant of all that Worth and Wildom which may be abroad in the World; and by that means beget in themselves a fond Belief of their being among the referved few who have monopolized all useful Knowledge, and rational Notions. And this Circumftance, at the same time that it is the occasion of many Learned Men being proud and pofitive, is one of the best Arguments why they should be just the contrary.

NOTHING is more likely to betray Men into a criminal Conduct towards their FellowCreatures than an imagined Superiority over them, either in natural or acquired Accomplishments. It fills them with unbecoming Notions, and unfociable Difpofitions towards them. When we look on our Neighbours with Contempt, we fhall hardly forbear to treat them with Unkindness; if it be not indeed Unkindness and Injuftice too, to contemn Men at all, unlefs upon clear Evidences of their Dishonesty and Wickedness. For the

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Opinion

Opinion of Worth being what all Men feek, and the Defire of it injurious to none, the Poffeffion of it is a real Good, which ought not to be taken from any Man, without the ftrongest Conviction of his having forfeited it. Acting any otherwife is making ourfelves the only Standard of Wisdom and Merit; and we may with as good a grace claim the Government of the Universe as our own undoubted Right and Privilege. This at leaft is certain, that immoderate SelfEfteem, and Contempt of others as a more bafe and unworthy kind of People, have been the true fource of Tyranny in all Ages and Nations of the World. And for this very reason those wife and brave Northern People, to whom we owe the Origin of all the free Conftitutions now in Europe, made it the first part of their Polity, that the common Confent fhould be the Rule of Government. But in regard that could not be always obtained, and the Capacities of the whole Community were fuppofed to be equal, to prevent the ill Confequences of different Opinions, they all agreed, that the Mind of the Majority should stand for the Confent of the Whole; every Man wifely prefuming that the Wisdom of the greater Number would be more than that of the Lefs, and confequently that there would be greater Safety in following it. And hence perhaps it is, that our Parliaments have been usually styled the Wisdom of the Nation. However that be,

this is fure, that this Conftitution never was violated, or given up, without introducing Tyranny, and all the Calamities attending it.

IF we look into the World, we fhall find but little reafon for Men to be much exalted on any Account whatsoever. Providence has been exceeding careful in this refpect, that all valuable Bleffings fhould be pretty equally distributed among Men, in order to keep them in a mutual dependence one upon the other, and to fortify the Duties of Humanity by Confiderations of Intereft. Thus no Man is rich enough to be above the Favour, nor great enough never to stand in need of the Affiftance of others. And in point of Wisdom, the Difference among Men is ftill lefs. Every Man feems to be fatisfied, that he has enough and nothing can be a greater argument of the equal Distribution of any thing, than that all Men are content with their fhare of it.

It is a common faying among Men of Letters, who have not been born to fome confiderable fhare of the Goods of Fortune, that the World is unequally divided. They imagine they are the only People of Merit in it, and confequently think themselves ill used that any others fhould be richer in its external Enjoyments. This is the Effect both of great Prefumption and great Ignorance; Prefumption, in thinking fo highly of themfelves, and Ignorance, in reckoning fo contemptibly of others. If Abilities are to be

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eftimated

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estimated according to their Efficacy in promoting either our own Happiness, or the publick Welfare, which feems to be the most reafonable way of proceeding, it will not be found, that the odds lie on the fide of the greatest Wits, or the finest Understandings. There is a certain plain and beaten Road of thinking, which we call Experience, that directs Men much better in the Affairs of Life, than the fine and airy Schemes of curious and fpeculative Heads: and this fort of Knowledge is much oftner to be met with among the Mercantile or Mechanick World, than in the Closets of Philofophers. He is a wife Man, who chufes the best Ends, and discovers the fittest Means for the accomplishment of them. Now, I think, it needs not much labour to prove, that as the best End Men can purfue is their own Happiness in conjunction with the Good of others, fo this End has at all times been much more effectually pursued by Men of moderate Talents and good common Senfe, than by those of greater Genius and clofer Reflection, who have usually too many things in view, and start too much Game, to go fuccefsfully upon any one Scent.

BESIDES, fince we know not how great Mens Abilities may be till they are tried, how can we know that thofe who have never had leisure to apply themselves to scientific Difcoveries, might not have made as great Advances in them as any others, had they