1000000031

!\lOIlA L

H 1 L O S O P Il

beginaings,

by no\V

Jegrees, and wid, much

Jahour

;¡nd

d fficulty, to knowlcdge anJ expcrience

¡-:lS

his opinions

fway his

pai"OOS;-OlS

his pallioos ¡aOuence h,is

con~uttl

and as his conduel draws confcquences after

H , WhlCh

ex–

rend not ooly

lhe

pre(ent, bu t to the (mure time, and

therefore ís lhe

principal

(ouree of his happinef, ór

mi~

fery;- it is cvideot, rhar he is formed for

intelle,étual

im·

proveAlcnts\ and thar ir mua be of rhe utmon confequence

for him to

Improvc

;¡,nd cultivate his

intdle{tual

powers.)

on whicr. thofe apioions,

rhoC, pamons,

and that conduét

dependo

Bu, befide. the future eonfequeoee. and momeot ·of

improving

OU T

intelleélual powers, their immediate exer–

eife

0 0

,heir proper objet!s yicld, the mqfl ratiooal aod

re~ned

pleafures. lCnowledge and a righ' ufle in ,he

3rtS

of imitarlo" and defign, as poe:try, painting. fculplure,

muGe, architefture, atrord not only an innocent,

b UI

a moH

fenfible 'and fublimc eotenainment. By thefe .he under·

ftahding is infiroéted in ancient aod modero Jire, lhe hi–

fiory of men and things, ,he energie! and dreéts of the

paffions, the confequences

virtue and vice; by theCe

tJ1!ll!itnaginalion

al ance entertained i\Dd DouríOled with

the beauties of nalure and an, Jighted

11p

and fprcad out

wilh

che

novelty, grandeur, ahd harmony of the uni–

Ter~;

and

fi ne, the paffions are agreeably rouzed,

aod fuitably eng'ged by ,he .greate/! an d mofl ioterefling

objet!s ,hal can 611 ,he humao mind . He who ha. a

taa e formed

,hefe ingenious delights, añd plenty of

material! to gratiry it, cao ne'fer waot the man agreeabJe

cxerciCe and entc:rtainment, nor once have reafon to

make ,hat fafhioo.b le eomplai n' of the tedioufoef, of

,ime. Nor tan he \Vanl a

prop~r

fubjet! for ,he difci·

pline and improvemenl of, hi, hean. For being daily

converCaot with beauty, order and

de~gn,

in inferior

fubjet\s, .

bids

fai~

for growiog .io due time

010

admirer

of whlt is fair and well·proponioned in the eondut!' of

life,

an~

the order of focielY, which is bnly order and

defi2n exened in ,heir bighefl (u. jet!. He \ViII learn 'o

trans(u the oumbers

poctry

the h.umony of the

mind, and of \VeJl·governeJ p,¡ffions; and from admiring

the

~ri~ue$

of olher.s in moral paintings, come

approYe

and lmltate

thC'm

hlmft:lf. Therefore to cuhivate

true

and corrcét. talle,

mull .b~

both our ¡nterefl and our dury,

when the clrcumthnces of OU r flation give Jeifure and

opponunity forir, 2nd when the doing it Ís GOl inconfifient

with ou r higher obligations

engílgemenu to fociety and

mankiod.

i, bcfl aitained by re.ding .he

'bea

books, where

gOf).d

fc nfe. has more (he . arccndant than learning. and

w~lch

retaln more to pralhce than to

rp~cur;'Uion

; by (fu–

dyln~

the befl models,

thofe which profers to imi–

tate n.Hure

~oH.

and approach Ihe nei\refl

it, aod by

'Con\crlíng wuh meo of 1he mon refined tafie, and

dle

gre¡l(fl experience in life.

(he other ioreJlcl..'lui\1

~oods.

what

a fuod ofen.

tertainment mufi il be tO invdligate the

HU1h

íl.nd

val ious

relations of thin&s;

trace

lhe

operíltions of níltul c

general

I.tWS;

explain by lhefe

ilS

manifold phx nome–

na : to ur,dt"rfbno

thal

oreter

wh.icl.l"the

univ~rfe

¡,

tlp.

heJd, .anel

th~t

rer.onomy uy whleh It

govcrncd; lo be

;tcqUi\Jotcd

wnh lhe human

rgind

lhe

conoeétion, (ubor..

dinations, aod ures

its powers, 2nJ to m3rk t heir I!n.

ergy io life! H o\V agreeable to the iogeniou, inquirer,

to obfer'(c lhe manifold reJations

:lnd

comlJioatioos of io·

d ividll:J.1 minds

Cociety; tO difcern the canfes \!Ihythey

flourinl or decay ; lnd from thence to afcend, through

the vafl

fe.le

of beings, to tha, G eneral Mind whieh pre–

lides over

aH,

and operates unreeo in every fyftem, aod

in every age, ,hrough ,he whole eompaf. aod progreffion

of nature! Devoted tO fuch entertainmenu al thefe, the

contemplative have abandoned every other plcafur-e, and

fequeaered , hemfelves liom focial intereourfe ; for thefe

Ihe bufy ha.e of,en preferred, to .he hurry and din of

Jire, the calm retreaes of contemplation ; for thefe, when

once they carne to tacte chem,

eye~n

tbe gay and voluptuous

have thrown up ,he lawlefs purfuits of fenfe and appelile,

and acknowledged lhefe men,al enjoyments

be tbe

mofl refined, and indeed

,h~

only luxury. B efide., by"

jufl and large knowledge of nature, we reeognize Ihe

perfeétion. of it. AUlhor ; and thus piety, aod all ,hofe

pious affeétions whicn dcpend on jull fentimenes

hii

charaéler, are awakeDed aod coofirmed

i\nd a thourand

fuperfii tious fe ars, that arife from parlÍal views of bis

nature and work,; will of eourfe be excJuded. Ao ex–

lenfi.e profpet! of human life, and of ,he period, .nd

rc:volutions of human thioJZs,

will

conduce mu.:h to ,be

giving

cerrain greatneC, of mind, and

noble cotempt

óf

thoCe Hule competitioDS about power, hODour, . and

wealth, whieh diflurb and di. ide Ihe bulk. of lDankind ;

and promote

calrd indur.ance of chofe ioconveniencies

and

iII.

lha, are the common appendageo of humanity.

Add lo aU, thal a jufl knowledge of human nature; and

of thofe hinges "pon whieh the bufinef, ""d fortune, of

men turo,

wiJJ

prevenÍ: our thiokín¡: either too highly,

or toO meanly of our fellow.crcatures; gi't'e no fmall

fcope to Ihe exereife of friendfhip. eoofidenee, and ¡ ood–

will ; ando

the fame time, brace the mind wich a pro·

per ca. tion and difirufi, and give a g reater mallery in the

eondut! of private a, weU as publicJife. T herefore"by

cohivating our ¡nleUedual abiJities, we.fhall'bell promote..

and fecure our ¡nteren, and be q u, li"lied for- atling our

part

il!

fociety with more honour to ourfelves, as well

as advantage to mankind . ConCequeotly,

im·pr~.,.e

IheOl

to the utmoU of o\l.r power is our ducy; chey are t.lents

eommitted to us by the Almighty H ead of foeielY, and

we are accountable to him for che uCe of them.

Th~

intellcélual vi rtuel are beO: improved by accurate

and

impartial obfervation, exten(ive reading. and un–

conGned eonyerfe with meo of alL eharat!crs, efpeei.lly

with thore who, to prívate rludy, have joinc:d the widdt

acqulintance wilh lhe world and g reate.(l príltlice io its :tf·

fairs; but abo,'e all, by 'being much in the worlJ, anJ

hi\ving large clealings wíth man.kind. Suchopportunicic5

contribute much tO divdl one or prtjuJices and a

C~rvile

auachment to crude fyftcms.

open one's \"iews. anu

give

tholt

expenence on which lile mon uCeful kno-.vkdge

¡s

built , aorl fro01 which che

Cur~n

I11rlXi01S. for che con..

duét of life are deduecd.

Thc

high en goods whi, h enter into the compoficif)n

human happinds are 010ral goods

uf ,he

Olind.

cli r,"·~ly

and ultimi\H.:ly regarJiog ourfel\'cs;

comnloinll of lhe

appclitcs

aod pal1iuns,

pruJeoce aoJ caution, nl:tb,nanillliq',

fonituJc,