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Show 38 T116 Art of Travel/Mg. ther it be Prejudice or Time that has given Authority to this fort of Proverbs, 'tis certain whoever Ihocks 'em, goes for an extravagant Man, The Art of Travelling teaches a Man to keep his eqUal dil'cance from the Extremities of wholly denying, or wholly confelling fuch National Faults. For 'tis equally dangerous to err on either hand, which very few Perfons conlider: He that denies a Fault that is imputed to his Country, pulls an old Houfe upon his head in irritating the People among whom he relides at prefent; which mull: needs be a great piece of Imprudence. Nor is that Traveller much wifer who falls into the other Extreme, that is, coldly and tamely to grant every Story that is impos‘d on his Country; for the he fliould captivate fome vulgar Minds by this Air of Sincerity, he'll be fure to get the Reputation of a Pop among Perfons of Note. 'Tis {till worfe when a Traveller grants that with which his Country is reproach'd, only to take his turn immediately to twit that Nation where he is thus attack'd with that Fault which is imputed to it in our Traveller's Country, for this is to infult over People at their own home, and therefore can't choofe but irritate 'em. And the wifci't Men will difapprove of any man's coming into a Country to reproach it with a Fault, which 'tis always afham'd to be thought to have, and perfectly hates to hear laid to its charge. What then mull: a Man do in this cafe? Why that which no body will ever teach you, if you neglect to learn it before you leave your own Country; And that is, to Ptudy well the Defet‘ts and: Virtues of your Country by fetting iem in Oppofition one to the other, that fo you may 'oppofe 'em when occafion requires to what is imputed to you, and may fpeak of the one, without fignifying. any thing- for or againll: the others, by entering into a parlticu ar The Art of Travelling. cular Examination and Confutati on. of. 'em. this Condufi you'l pafs in Foreign Nat 39 By ions for a Wife Man, by this means your Capaci ty will be known and you'l be confider'd and elt eem'd in'proportiod to the Knowledg you appear to hav Advantage others; may have of e, and to the learning by you to become acquainted with a Na tion 1VV‘hjCh perhaps they never defign to fee. An d [nice one Story draws out another, that which you your Country will infallibly procur give concerning e you the know- ledg or. the Nation where you are, and by this Addrefs you‘ll eafily get-a folid, underliandin g‘of what you came to feek, namely, the difcovery of the Genius, Policy, and Manners of a whole Nation. This is the Product of Skill in the Art of I'll give one Infiance which formerly Travelling. very fenfibly. A certain Italian being intouch'd me Lithuania, one of the principal Lords of the Cou ntr him in Converfation: I'Vhencc is it, Sir y {aid to , that the Italians never forgive an Injury? 21!} Lor d, reply'd the Italian, 'tis bc'caufc they are nor/or err/ 1'1} off Now this being the great fault of the IJoli/b ended. and. Lithuanian Nobility, the Repartee was very wit ty, as it feem'd to me, the molt fubtil and ing and enious Cenfure that a Man could pats on 'em. The Lithuanian Nobleman receiv'd the lmpreffion of it foprudently, that he even afFeEtetl to expofe the fau of his Country yet farther, in making this returnlt : Sir, (faid he) we flmzld be as Luz/El} offl'ndcd no you have been made to believe of :15 in your Countr y, if we could be capableof firing (ii/plca sjd to hear the Truth told us with 1;; good (1 Grace. l-le afterwards pre~ Tented him with a Horfe, and ordei'd tha t he fhould be conducted at his Charge from his lill 'ate, which lies within two days journy of Gr odmw, as far as sztzirk, whither this Italian had a mind to go, And |