第44章 Presumption

The variety of distempers in men's minds is as great as of those in their bodies;some are epidemic,few escape them,and everyone too,if he would look into himself,would find some defect of his particular genius.There is scarce anyone without some idiosyncrasy that he suffers by.This man presumes upon his parts that they will not fail him at time of need,and so thinks it superfluous labour to make any provision beforehand.His understanding is to him like Fortunatus's purse,which is always to furnish him without ever putting anything into it beforehand;and so he sits still satisfied without endeavoring to store his understanding with knowledge.It is the spontaneous product of the country,and what need of labour in tillage?

Such men may spread their native riches before the ignorant;but they were best not come to stress and trial with the skillful.We are born ignorant of everything.The superficies of things that surround them make impressions on the negligent,but nobody penetrates into the inside without labour,attention and industry.Stones and timber grow of themselves,but yet there is no uniform pile with symmetry and convenience to lodge in without toil and pains.God has made the intellectual world harmonious and beautiful without us;but it will never come into our heads all at once;we must bring it home piecemeal and there set it up by our own industry,or else we shall have nothing but darkness and a chaos within,whatever order and light there be in things without us.