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Show 32 The Art of Travelling. The Art qf Travelling; 33 the firfi: places in any Government, are ordinaril ‘ The third refpeét of this National Ignorance fhe wifel'c and ablelt Men. This popular Opinion 15 often heard without contradiction, and this lilence encreafes the number of the Suflrages that are given 'em, by which means People are conlirm'd proceeds from the lndifpofition Men are in to know and rivetted in their Ignorance. The Date}: with forne appearance of Reafon va- canons 'em to take the Faults of a Nation for the Genius of it, and the Art of augmenting thofe _ Faults (inltead of mending 'em) for Motives of lue theinfelves upon their fcrupulons care of avoid- others, by reafon of the little fincerity and appli- cation they ufe to get the knowledg of themfelves, which betrays 'em into frequent Miltakes, and oc- ing the firlt 0f thefe Inl‘tances of National igno- governing it. rance; becaufe they indeed apply themfelves more than any other Nation to dive into the Principles Nay more than this, Men are wil- and fpecial Ufes of univerfal Policy: And we de- ling to mifunderftand their own Properties which might be cultivated, and by that means neglect the fiem-edies by which they might continually rectify lign hereafter to (new whatis their Motive, and how tiem. it is fupported, in a Treatife Of the Politic Genius Perhaps thefe Metaphyfical Abftraétions will not fate every body's Palat; but I have already declar'd that I fpeak in general without making a particular application of things, and am unwilling to offend any one. However 'tis Certain that every Nation has its faults, its fmgular qualities, its bright of the United Provinces. But they have too little firmnefs to keep 'em frbm falling into the fecond Error, which will always mightily check the Projects they lay in particular Determinations. . On the contrary, the Spaniards very flupidly fall into all the faults of the firlt Miltake by their negligence and contempt of the Principles of Univerfal and dark fideS'7 and if an lnltance of this be de- fir'd, the love of Riches will one time or other {tinction of Actions, Ferfons, lnterefts and Obfta- ruin the Dutch, but the indefatigable lndultry they are capable of to acquire Wealth, will be their fupport a long time. Ambition is a fault in the cles, which foils 'em at every turn, and defeats 'em French, which may run to dangerous Extremes; but in all Treaties. their Valor and Afiivity will ferve a great while Policy, which they feem not to know, but only f0 as to appropriate them to themfelves without any di- But they preferve among 'em the liberty of {peaking with firmnel‘s of Mind about to fuftain 'em. public Affairs againlt the fecond lnftance of Natio- To avoid being ignorant of any thing that relates nal Ignorance: and therefore the Duke of Hal/loin to this, both thefe are tc be througnly conhder d, Pioen faid one day at Vienna with a great deal of folidity 3 B} the fit}? courfc the Dutch millfirpporr tbcmfelves a grrar while, but nwrr advance mryfar .- Whereas the and exactly balanc'd one againlt the other, and a Spaniards have enough to do to fuflain tbrmfclrves [y rmfon of the flfiual n‘eaiencfs of thrir prtfen! Situation ', Fart: if ("UCY tiny come to recover rbemfcl‘vrs, tin)! can't 'fi" 'fivrv {1.5; (J L'flv w ,, , Man ought to be convinc'ti. by himfelt Wthil Me has the greateft weight, either to do the molt Mifchief, or procure the ngolt Good. But in good earnefl: do Men ufually begin their Voyages With fuch a preliminary Knowledg as this? And yet lels than this will not fulfice to travel to any pur- «pun; ?n{"\l}‘é: r4 'Zl'tlj'gié'flt fldwmflc. pofe; and for want of this Difcuflion, Men carry The nothing u' whimruhumwwfiv ‘ |