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Show 26 The Art of 'I'm-ve/lihg. more importunate a Man of under-Itanding perceives a Stranger to be to get information, the lefs willing he is to fatisfy him, and keeps the greater guard on himfelf not to gratify his del'ire till he is as it were neceflitated to do it, and has learn'd fornethin or this Traveller that may oblige him to it. This Obitacle is f0 great that one mutt not think either of {lighting It, or of overcoming it without a confide- rable fpace of time, and a great deal of manaeement. It a Man prefumes to do the former, hill find every body preiudic'd againit him, when the Perfon he has {lighted comes to explain him {elf after a manner that is difadvantageous to him: and if he depends on the latter courfe, he engages himfelf in a great Charge with more than a mbral uncertainty of fucceeding in his Defign. Would it not therefore be much better for our The Art of Travelling. 27 deal of time, and a ripenefs of Age to fucceed in a bufinefs of this nature. To which this Stranger made this foolifh return, fl/Iy Curiofity (fays he) and impatience after Knonrledg may ahridg both the one and the other. At this Anfwer the Statefman rofe up and left him, with thefe words, For my part, Sir, I perceive I [hall contribute nothing to either. And the Dutch-man was driven to defpair to find himfelf fufpeéted by a Minil'cer of State, who had receiv'd him with atta- pilifiy, and now look'd upon him as a Man of no cure. Needs any more to be faid to Ihew that Curiofity, which is fuppos'd necellhry to a Traveller, ought not to be impatient? But for this end there's need of a great deal of judgment, and a good faculty of difcerning the Humor of Nations, and the Tem- Traveller to appear free and eafy in the prefence of per of particular Mens Minds, which is a Talent fuch Perfons, that they may not become f0 cautious but may attribute that only to his Curiofity which by his Impatience he'll give 'em occalion to impute After all it is not impofhble not to be impatient to a defireof knowing the prefent ftate of the G0vernment 111 which they are concernkl? And on this head‘it will not be improper to alledg an Example ot which I have been a witnefs my felf. I happen'd to be in a certain foreign Court where there was a Dutch-man who had a great deal of "fit, and made too great an appearance not to be fufpec‘ted, this Perfon delir'd Audience of one of the principal Minii‘rers of State, who in converfa- tron making ufe of that right which his Rank and Authority gave him, ask'd him, What was the Monroe of his Travels? The Dutch-man thinking to make his Court to him, anfwer'd, that it was to learit of him as well as by the Example of other Pei-fem of his figare, t0 under/land the Goverment of a State. 1 he Minifter coldly replied, TOM had need of a great deal that one can't communicate to any Man. to learn what one goes f0 far to feek: for as our Traveller has not ailign‘d his Voyages a precife {pace of time, much lefs does he pretend to pre- icribe Laws to foreign Nations, 'tis his bulinefs to accommodate the extent of his Curiolity to the meafure of. his Capacity, and to proportion the efie&s of it to the good fuccefs he has had in foreign Difcoveries: All Occafions, Seafons and Conjunétures are not equally proper for this purpofe. There are fome States in which nothing at all is to be learn'd during the time of War, and others wherein one can get no information but in fuch atime. In one place Peace is an ObItacle to politick Difcoveries, in another War Ihuts up all the Avenues to the confidence of particular Perfons. There are fome Minifters under whofe Conduét Men dare not fpeak, and others under whofe Governit is that fome ment 6016133 an thin . Hence Travel_ P P y y ng, |