NUMB. 24. SATURDAY, June 9, 1750.

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Nemo in fefe tentat defcendere.

None, none defcends into himself.

PERSIUS.

DRYDEN.

MONG the precepts, or aphorifms, admitted by general confent, and inculcated by frequent repetition, there is none more famous among the masters of ancient wifdom, than that compendious lesson, Tv σavlov, Be acquainted with thyself; afcribed by fome to an oracle, and by others to Chilo of Lacedemon.

This is, indeed, a dictate, which, in the whole extent of its meaning, may be faid to comprise all the fpeculation requifite to a moral agent. For what more can be neceffary to the regulation of life, than the knowledge of our original, our end, our duties, and our relation to other beings?

It is however very improbable that the first author, whoever he was, intended to be understood in this unlimited and complicated fenfe; for of the inquiries, which in fo large an acceptation it would seem to recommend, fome are too extenfive for the powers of man, and fome require light from above, which was not yet indulged to the heathen world.

We might have had more fatisfaction concerning the original import of this celebrated fentence, if history had informed us, whether it was uttered as a general inftruction to mankind, or as a particular caution to fome private inquirer; whether it was

applied

applied to fome fingle occafion, or laid down as the univerfal rule of life.

There will occur, upon the flighteft confideration, many poffible circumftances, in which this monition might very properly be inforced; for every error in human conduct muft arife from ignorance in ourfelves, either perpetual or temporary; and happen either because we do not know what is best and fitteft, or because our knowledge is at the time of action not present to the mind.

When a man employs himself upon remote and unneceffary fubjects, and waftes his life upon queftions which cannot be refolved, and of which the folution would conduce very little to the advancement of happiness; when he lavishes his hours in calculating the weight of the terraqueous globe, or in adjusting fucceffive fyftems of worlds beyond the reach of the telescope; he may be very properly recalled from his excurfions by this precept, and reminded, that there is a nearer being with which it is his duty to be more acquainted; and from which his attention has hitherto been withheld by ftudies, to which he has no other motive than vanity or curiofity.

The great praife of Socrates is, that he drew the wits of Greece, by his inftruction and example, from the vain pursuit of natural philofophy to moral inquiries, and turned their thoughts from ftars and tides, and matter and motion, upon the various modes of virtue, and relations of life. All his lectures were but commentaries upon this faying; if we fuppose the knowledge of ourselves recommended by Chilo, in oppofition to other inquiries lefs fuitable to the state of man.

The

The great fault of men of learning is ftill, that they offend against this rule, and appear willing to ftudy any thing rather than themselves; for which reason they are often despised by thofe, with whom they imagine themselves above comparison; defpifed, as ufelefs to common purposes, as unable to conduct the most trivial affairs, and unqualified to perform thofe offices by which the concatenation of fociety is preferved, and mutual tendernefs excited and maintained.

Gelidus is a man of great penetration, and deep researches. Having a mind naturally formed for the abftruser sciences, he can comprehend intricate combinations without confufion, and being of a temper naturally cool and equal, he is feldom interrupted by his passions in the pursuit of the longest chain of unexpected confequences. He has, therefore, a long time indulged hopes, that the folution of fome problems, by which the profeffors of science have been hitherto baffled, is referved for his genius and industry. He fpends his time in the highest room of his house, into which none of his family are fuffered to enter; and when he comes down to his dinner, or his reft, he walks about like a stranger that is there only for a day, without any tokens of regard or tenderness. He has totally divefted himself of all human fenfations; he has neither eye for beauty, nor ear for complaint; he neither rejoices at the good fortune of his nearest friend, nor mourns for any publick or private calamity. Having once received a letter, and given it his fervant to read, he was informed, that it was written by his brother, who, being shipwrecked, had fwam naked to land,

and

and was deftitute of neceffaries in a foreign country. Naked and deftitute! fays Gelidus, reach down the laft volume of meteorological obfervations, extract an exact account of the wind, and note it carefully in the diary of the weather.

The family of Gelidus once broke into his study, to fhew him that a town at a fmall distance was on fire, and in a few moments a fervant came to tell him, that the flame had caught fo many houses on both fides, that the inhabitants were confounded, and began to think of rather escaping with their lives, than faving their dwellings. What you tell me, says Gelidus, is very probable, for fire naturally acts in a circle.

Thus lives this great philofopher, infenfible to every spectacle of diftrefs, and unmoved by the loudeft call of focial nature, for want of confidering that men are defigned for the fuccour and comfort of each other; that though there are hours which may be laudably spent upon knowledge not immediately useful, yet the first attention is due to practical virtue; and that he may be justly driven out from the commerce of mankind, who has fo far abftracted himself from the fpecies, as to partake neither of the joys nor griefs of others, but neglects the endearments of his wife, and the careffes of his children, to count the drops of rain, note the changes. of the wind, and calculate the eclipfes of the moons of Jupiter.

I fhall referve to fome future paper the religious and important meaning of this epitome of wifdom, and only remark, that it may be applied to the gay and light, as well as to the grave and folemn parts

of life; and that not only the philofopher may forfeit his pretences to real learning, but the wit and the beauty may mifcarry in their fchemes, by the want of this univerfal requifite, the knowledge of themselves.

It is furely for no other reafon, that we fee fuch numbers refolutely ftruggling against nature, and contending for that which they never can attain, endeavouring to unite contradictions, and determined to excel in characters inconfiftent with each other; that stock-jobbers affect dress, gaiety, and elegance, and mathematicians labour to be wits; that the foldier teazes his acquaintance with questions in theology, and the academick hopes to divert the ladies by a recital of his gallantries. That abfurdity of pride could proceed only from ignorance of themselves, by which Garth attempted criticism, and Congreve waved his title to dramatick reputation, and defired to be confidered only as a gentle

man.

Euphues, with great parts, and extenfive knowledge, has a clouded aspect, and ungracious form; yet it has been his ambition, from his first entrance into life, to diftinguish himself by particularities in his dress, to outvie beaus in embroidery, to import new trimmings, and to be foremost in the fashion. Euphues has turned on his exterior appearance, that attention, which would always have produced efteem had it been fixed upon his mind; and though his virtues and abilities have preferved him from the contempt which he has fo diligently folicited, he has, at least, raifed one impediment to his reputation; fince all can judge of his drefs, but few of