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litenefs can ever be. The original purpose of fincerity, without which it is no more than idle rant and mysticism, is to provide for the cardinal interefts of a human being, the great ftamina of his happiness. The purpose of politeness is of a humbler nature. It follows in the fame direction, like a gleaner in a corn-field, and picks up and hufbands thofe fmaller and scattered ears of happiness, which the pride of Stoicism, like the pride of wealth, condescended not to observe.

ESSAY

ESSAY XI.

OF LEARNING.

F

If we examine with a curious and attentive eye thofe individuals who may be faid to have in any degree exerted themfelves for the improvement of their intellectual faculties, we shall find ourfelves easily able to diftinguish those who are usually denominated the self-educated, from every other description of mentally industrious perfons.

By the felf-educated in this place I would understand, not merely those who have not paffed through the regular forms of a liberal education; I include, in addition to this, the notion of their not having engaged in any methodical and perfevering courfe of reading, but devoted themfelves rather to the labour of investigating their own thoughts, than the thoughts of others.

Thefe perfons are well worthy of the intercourfe and careful obfervation of men who are defirous of embracing every means of adding to their own ftock of knowledge. There is a ftriking independence of mind about them. There

is a fort of audacioufnefs of thinking, that has a moft happy tendency to counteract that stationarinefs and facredness of opinion which is too apt to infinuate itself among mankind. New thoughts, daring opinions, intrepid enquiries, are thus fet afloat, upon which more difciplined minds would perhaps fcarcely have ventured. There is frequently a happiness in their reflections, that flashes light and conviction upon us

at once.

Yet fuch perfons are often wholly, perhaps always very confiderably, deficient in the art of rcafoning. There is no fufficient arrangement. in their arguments, or lucidnefs in their order. Often they affig. reafons wholly foreign to the queflion; often they omit in filence, steps the moft material to their demonftration, and which none but the acuteft auditor can fupply; and this, not because they forgot them, but because they never at any time occurred to their minds. They ftrain words and phrafes in fo novel a manner as altogether to calumniate their meaning, and their difcourfe must be tranflated into the vernacular tongue, before we can fairly make trial of its merits. Their ideas, if I may be allowed the expreffion, are so Pindarical and unmethodifed, that our chief wonder is at the felicity and wifdom which mixes itfelf

among

among them. They furnith however rather materials of thinking, than proofs of the truth or falfhood of any propofition; and, if we adopt any of their affertions, we are often obliged to reject their imaginary demonftrations, and invent demonstrations of our own altogether different.

In the mean time this is the favourable fide of the picture. Many of the felf-educated study themselves into a fort of infanity. They are not only incoherent in their thoughts, and wild in their language often they adopt opinions the moft unequivocally vifionary, and talk a language, not merely unintelligible to others, but which is put together in fo fantastic and myftical a way, that it is impoffible it fhould be the reprefentative of wisdom in themselves.

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There is another feature peculiarly characteriftical of the felf-educated. Reflecting men of a different description, are frequently sceptical in their opinions. They have fo carefully entered into the very fouls of the authors they read, and fo minutely followed out the whole train of their reafonings, as to enable them to do full justice to an antagonist's argument. But this to a felfeducated man is impoffible.

He has therefore

no doubts. If he is tolerant, it is lefs in confequence of feeling the weakness of human understanding

A a

Part II. derstanding and the inevitable varieties of human opinion, than through the medium of an abstract speculation, or a generous consciousness, leaning to the fide of toleration. It will be ftrange if, fo far as relates to conversation and the ordi-nary intercourse of human life, he be not frequently betrayed into intolerance. It will be ftrange, if he do not prove in many inftances, impatient of contradiction, and inurbane and ungenerous in his cenfures of those by whom he is oppofed.

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It is too common a feature with all difputants, that they think only of their own arguments, and liften, in the ftricteft fenfe of the word, only to themselves. It is not their purpose to try whether they may not themfelves be convicted of error; they are merely intent upon convincing and changing the mind of the person who differs from them. This, which is too frequent a fault with all men, is peculiarly incident to the felf-educated. The generality of men of talent and reflection, were taught firft by listening to other men's ideas, and ftudying other men's writings. The wildnefs of their nature, and the -ftubbornness of their minds, have by long practice been broken into a capacity of candid attention. If I talk to fuch men, I do not talk in vain. But, if I talk to a felf-educated man, it

too

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