my　manners　had　no　other　vice　but　sloth　and　want　of　metal。　　The　fear　was
  not　that　I　should　do　ill；　but　that　I　should　do　nothing；　nobody
  prognosticated　that　I　should　be　wicked；　but　only　useless；　they　foresaw
  idleness；　but　no　malice；　and　I　find　it　falls　out　accordingly：
  The　complaints　I　hear　of　myself　are　these：　〃He　is　idle；　cold　in　the
  offices　of　friendship　and　relation；　and　in　those　of　the　public；　too
  particular；　too　disdainful。〃　　But　the　most　injurious　do　not　say；　〃Why　has
  he　taken　such　a　thing？　　Why　has　he　not　paid　such　an　one？〃　　but；　〃Why　does
  he　part　with　nothing？　　Why　does　he　not　give？〃　　And　I　should　take　it　for　a
  favour　that　men　would　expect　from　me　no　greater　effects　of　supererogation
  than　these。　　But　they　are　unjust　to　exact　from　me　what　I　do　not　owe；　far
  more　rigorously　than　they　require　from　others　that　which　they　do　owe。
  In　condemning　me　to　it；　they　efface　the　gratification　of　the　action；　and
  deprive　me　of　the　gratitude　that　would　be　my　due　for　it；　whereas　the
  active　well…doing　ought　to　be　of　so　much　the　greater　value　from　my　hands；
  by　how　much　I　have　never　been　passive　that　way　at　all。　　I　can　the　more
  freely　dispose　of　my　fortune　the　more　it　is　mine；　and　of　myself　the　more
  I　am　my　own。　　Nevertheless；　if　I　were　good　at　setting　out　my　own　actions；
  I　could；　peradventure；　very　well　repel　these　reproaches；　and　could　give
  some　to　understand；　that　they　are　not　so　much　offended；　that　I　do　not
  enough；　as　that　I　am　able　to　do　a　great　deal　more　than　I　do。
  Yet　for　all　this　heavy　disposition　of　mine；　my　mind；　when　retired　into
  itself；　was　not　altogether　without　strong　movements；　solid　and　clear
  judgments　about　those　objects　it　could　comprehend；　and　could　also；
  without　any　helps；　digest　them；　but；　amongst　other　things；　I　do　really
  believe；　it　had　been　totally　impossible　to　have　made　it　to　submit　by
  violence　and　force。　　Shall　I　here　acquaint　you　with　one　faculty　of　my
  youth？　　I　had　great　assurance　of　countenance；　and　flexibility　of　voice
  and　gesture；　in　applying　myself　to　any　part　I　undertook　to　act：　for
  before
  〃Alter　ab　undecimo　tum　me　vix　ceperat　annus；〃
  ＇〃I　had　just　entered　my　twelfth　year。〃Virgil；　Bucol。；　39。＇
  I　played　the　chief　parts　in　the　Latin　tragedies　of　Buchanan；　Guerente；
  and　Muret；　that　were　presented　in　our　College　of　Guienne　with　great
  dignity：　now　Andreas　Goveanus；　our　principal；　as　in　all　other　parts　of
  his　charge；　was；　without　comparison；　the　best　of　that　employment　in
  France；　and　I　was　looked　upon　as　one　of　the　best　actors。　　'Tis　an
  exercise　that　I　do　not　disapprove　in　young　people　of　condition；　and　I
  have　since　seen　our　princes；　after　the　example　of　some　of　the　ancients；
  in　person　handsomely　and　commendably　perform　these　exercises；　it　was　even
  allowed　to　persons　of　quality　to　make　a　profession　of　it　in　Greece。
  〃Aristoni　tragico　actori　rem　aperit：　huic　et　genus　et
  fortuna　honesta　erant：　nec　ars；　quia　nihil　tale　apud
  Graecos　pudori　est；　ea　deformabat。〃
  ＇〃He　imparted　this　matter　to　Aristo　the　tragedian；　a　man　of　good
  family　and　fortune；　which　neither　of　them　receive　any　blemish　by
  that　profession；　nothing　of　this　kind　being　reputed　a　disparagement
  in　Greece。〃Livy；　xxiv。　24。＇
  Nay；　I　have　always　taxed　those　with　impertinence　who　condemn　these
  entertainments；　and　with　injustice　those　who　refuse　to　admit　such
  comedians　as　are　worth　seeing　into　our　good　towns；　and　grudge　the　people
  that　public　diversion。　　Well…governed　corporations　take　care　to　assemble
  their　citizens；　not　only　to　the　solemn　duties　of　devotion；　but　also　to
  sports　and　spectacles。　　They　find　society　and　friendship　augmented　by　it；
  and　besides；　can　there　possibly　be　allowed　a　more　orderly　and　regular
  diversion　than　what　is　performed　m　the　sight　of　every　one；　and　very　often
  in　the　presence　of　the　supreme　magistrate　himself？　　And　I；　for　my　part；
  should　think　it　reasonable；　that　the　prince　should　sometimes　gratify　his
  people　at　his　own　expense；　out　of　paternal　goodness　and　affection；　and
  that　in　populous　cities　there　should　be　theatres　erected　for　such
  entertainments；　if　but　to　divert　them　from　worse　and　private　actions。
  To　return　to　my　subject；　there　is　nothing　like　alluring　the　appetite　and
  affections；　otherwise　you　make　nothing　but　so　many　asses　laden　with
  books；　by　dint　of　the　lash；　you　give　them　their　pocketful　of　learning　to
  keep；　whereas；　to　do　well　you　should　not　only　lodge　it　with　them；　but
  make　them　espouse　it。
  CHAPTER　XXVI
  THAT　IT　IS　FOLLY　TO　MEASURE　TRUTH　AND　ERROR　BY　OUR　OWN　CAPACITY
  'Tis　not；　perhaps；　without　reason；　that　we　attribute　facility　of　belief
  and　easiness　of　persuasion　to　simplicity　and　ignorance：　for　I　fancy　I
  have　heard　belief　compared　to　the　impression　of　a　seal　upon　the　soul；
  which　by　how　much　softer　and　of　less　resistance　it　is；　is　the　more　easy
  to　be　impressed　upon。
  〃Ut　necesse　est；　lancem　in　Libra；　ponderibus　impositis；
  deprimi；　sic　animum　perspicuis　cedere。〃
  ＇〃As　the　scale　of　the　balance　must　give　way　to　the　weight　that
  presses　it　down；　so　the　mind　yields　to　demonstration。〃
  Cicero；　Acad。；　ii。　12。＇
  By　how　much　the　soul　is　more　empty　and　without　counterpoise；　with　so　much
  greater　facility　it　yields　under　the　weight　of　the　first　persuasion。　　And
  this　is　the　reason　that　children；　the　common　people；　women；　and　sick
  folks；　are　most　apt　to　be　led　by　the　ears。　　But　then；　on　the　other　hand；
  'tis　a　foolish　presumption　to　slight　and　condemn　all　things　for　false
  that　do　not　appear　to　us　probable；　which　is　the　ordinary　vice　of　such　as
  fancy　themselves　wiser　than　their　neighbours。　　I　was　myself　once　one　of
  those；　and　if　I　heard　talk　of　dead　folks　walking；　of　prophecies；
  enchantments；　witchcrafts；　or　any　other　story　I　had　no　mind　to　believe：
  〃Somnia；　terrores　magicos；　miracula；　sagas；
  Nocturnos　lemures；　portentaque　Thessala；〃
  ＇〃Dreams；　magic　terrors；　marvels；　sorceries；　Thessalian　prodigies。〃
  Horace。　　Ep。　ii。　3；　208。＇
  I　presently　pitied　the　poor　people　that　were　abused　by　these　follies。
  Whereas　I　now　find；　that　I　myself　was　to　be　pitied　as　much；　at　least；
  as　they；　not　that　experience　has　taught　me　anything　to　alter　my　former
  opinions；　though　my　curiosity　has　endeavoured　that　way；　but　reason　has
  instructed　me；　that　thus　resolutely　to　condemn　anything　for　false　and
  impossible；　is　arrogantly　and　impiously　to　circumscribe　and　limit　the
  will　of　God；　and　the　power　of　our　mother　nature；　within　the　bounds　of　my
  own　capacity；　than　which　no　folly　can　be　greater。　　If　we　give　the　names
  of　monster　and　miracle　to　everything　our　reason　cannot　comprehend；　how
  many　are　continually　presented　before　our　eyes？　　Let　us　but　consider
  through　what　clouds；　and　as　it　were　groping　in　the　dark；　our　teachers
  lead　us　to　the　knowledge　of　most　of　the　things　about　us；　assuredly　we
  shall　find　that　it　is　rather　custom　than　knowledge　that　takes　away　their
  strangeness
  〃Jam　nemo；　fessus　saturusque　videndi；
  Suspicere　in　coeli　dignatur　lucida　templa；〃
  ＇〃Weary　of　the　sight；　now　no　one　deigns　to　look　up　to　heaven's　lucid
  temples。〃Lucretius；　ii。　　1037。　　The　text　has　'statiate　videnai'＇
  and　that　if　those　things　were　now　newly　presented　to　us；　we　should　think
  them　as　incredible；　if　not　more；　than　any　others。
  〃Si　nunc　primum　mortalibus　adsint
  Ex　improviso；　si　sint　objecta　repente；
  Nil　magis　his　rebus　poterat　mirabile　dici；
  Aute　minus　ante　quod　auderent　fore　credere　gentes。〃
  ＇Lucretius；　ii。　1032。　　The　sense　of　the　passage　is　in　the　preceding
  sentence。＇
  He　that　had　never　seen　a　river；　imagined　the　first　he　met　with　to　be　the
  sea；　and　the　greatest　things　that　have　fallen　within　our　knowledge；　we
  conclude　the　extremes　that　nature　makes　of　the　kind。
  〃Scilicet　et　fluvius　qui　non　est　maximus；　ei'st
  Qui　non　ante　aliquem　majorem　vidit；　et　ingens
  Arbor；　homoque　videtur；　et　omnia　de　genere　omni
  Maxima　quae　vidit　quisque；　haec　ingentia　fingit。〃
  ＇〃A　little　river　seems　to　him；　who　has　never　seen　a　larger　river；　a
  mighty　stream；　and　so　with　other　thingsa　tree；　a　mananything
  appears　greatest　to　him　that　never　knew　a　greater。〃Idem；　vi。　674。＇
  〃Consuetudine　oculorum　assuescunt　animi；　neque　admirantur；
  neque　requirunt　rationes　earum　rerum；　quas　semper　vident。〃
  ＇〃Things　grow　familiar　to　men's　minds　by　being　often　seen；　so　that
  they　neither　admire　nor　are　they　inquisitive　about　things　they　daily
  see。〃　Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　lib。　ii。　38。＇
  The　novelty；　rather　than　the　greatness　of　things；　tempts　us　to　inquire
  into　their　causes。　　We　are　to　judge　with　more　reverence；　and　with　greater
  acknowledgment　of　our　own　ignorance　and　infirmity；　of　the　infinite　power
  of　nature。　　How　many　unlikely　things　are　there　testified　by　people　worthy
  of　faith；　which；　if　we　cannot　persuade　ourselves　absolutely　to　believe；
  we　ought　at　least　to　leave　them　in　suspense；　for；　to　condemn　them　as
  impossible；　is　by　a　temerarious　presumption　to　pretend　to　know　the　utmost
  bounds　of　possibility。　　Did　we　r