_Speaking in a magisterial tone._
LXXVII. Among the professors of literature, there are not a few, who
make themselves unpleasant companions, by assuming an overbearing and
dictatorial manner. With them every place is a school, every chair a
professional one, and all their auditors their pupils. Conceited, and
full of themselves and their science, and big also with the dignity
of their office and degrees, they look upon those who have not gone
through the schools, as people of an inferior species, whom they scarce
ever deign to speak to, but with a frowning brow, and a contemptuous
look. They always talk in a dictatorial tone of voice, and express
themselves with the majestic authority of an oracle, and in their
conversation with other men, seem to exercise the power of a chapel
master, who regulates the tone the whole band are to sing and play in.
LXXVIII. I have known many, indeed very many, who were prepossessed
with the error, that study augments the understanding. And is this an
error? without doubt it is, for whether we suppose, that inequality
of understanding or reason in mankind, proceeds from an entitive
inequality of souls, as some have imagined; or whether we suppose it
proceeds from a different temperament or formation of men’s organs,
which is the most generally received opinion; it will necessarily
follow from these premises, that with the assistance of study, or
without it’s aid, the intellectual faculty, must ever remain equally
and identically the same; it being certain, that study can never alter
the organization or native temperament of man; and much less can it
change the substantial entity of the soul. Thus after many years study,
the reasoning faculty can never be increased in natural strength, so
much as half a degree. The before-named argument demonstrates it; but
besides this, my own experience has shewn me the thing palpably and
clearly. I have seen people of great application to letters, who after
consuming a large portion of their lives in that pursuit, reasoned
miserably on whatever subject they attempted to talk upon; and I have
observed others, whom I have had frequent opportunities of seeing for
a great number of years, and who were scarce ever without a book in
their hands, who laboured under the same inability of reasoning, and
whose ideas were equally confused, and their comprehension just as
obscure at the end of that period, as at the beginning. Study assists
people with certain informations, and furnishes them with a variety
of species or matter, by the help of which, they are enabled to make
many deductions, which they could not have made without that aid; but
the power or activity of the understanding, cannot be increased or
enlarged by any such means. A workman, who should be furnished with
many instruments of his art, which he was not possessed of before,
would with this assistance, be enabled to do many things, which without
their help he could not have executed; but this would not prove that
the strength of his arm was increased.
LXXIX. Even with respect to the particular faculty or science men
study, they never can get over, or pass beyond the fence rail which
nature has placed before them; they read much, converse much, and
treasure up a great many species in their memories, but never collect
them with any order, or separate and apply them with any judgment or
discretion, and never clearly penetrate or comprehend their uses. Thus
one of these comes out from his studies, like a learned man that is
only skilled in perspective, and capable of fascinating the ignorant
vulgar with false lights and shadowings; or such a one as the common
people call wells of science, but they are only wells of muddy water,
that is of no use or benefit to mankind.
LXXX. This being the case, which it most undoubtedly is, it is very
clear and evident, that the faculties they have studied, give them no
right or pretensions to the magisterial air they assume on account of
the degrees they have taken, and that the insignia or outside marks of
those honours and dignities, give them no just reason for affecting,
or claiming any authority or superiority, over the rest of mankind.
The most provoking part of this matter, and that which heightens the
ridiculousness of it to an extreme degree, is, that those who for
the most part are under the dominion of this vain presumption, are
professors of inferior note; for those who are really ingenious, and
men of clear understandings, let themselves be influenced by reason.
I repeat again, that the professors of little note, are those who are
ostentatiously fond of enlarging the size of their little letters,
and of making them all appear like capitals. They are those, who from
study extract a great deal of smoke, but little clear or luminous
fire. Thus when they mix with the rest of the world, they assume an air
of superiority over other men, and say a thousand silly things, with
as solemn and grave a face, as if all they articulated were profound
apophthegms.
LXXXI. It may be thought that I exaggerate, but I do not; for the
reader may believe me when I assure him, that I have known many, nay
very many, who without any more merit, than that of having kept their
terms at a university for a certain number of years, and of having
taken a degree, and being authorized to wear the insignia of academic
dignity, treat with contempt every thing that is advanced by a lay man,
and behave to him, as if he was a rational animal of an inferior order
to himself. In whatever company such a man finds himself, whether the
conversation turns upon war, politics, or civil government, he with
a ridiculous self-sufficiency, takes upon him to give his opinion,
although it is in opposition to that of a man, who may be reasonably
supposed to understand these things much better than him. And what does
he get by all this? He causes himself to be despised and derided, and
to be pointed and laughed at for a blockhead.
LXXXII. I can’t omit mentioning another gross fault, which these men
of slender talents are apt to fall into; although it may with truth be
said, that it is frequently incurred by people of all classes; which
is, being much addicted to criticise and censure the productions or
abilities of others, who are better informed than themselves. It is
to be sure very laughable, to think of a silly fellow, who runs about
calling the rest of the world fools; and to reflect, that he who does
not know a word of science, should busy himself with measuring by
inches, the scientific talents of other men, which he hardly ever will
vouchsafe to estimate by feet or yards, because there are very few
instances, in which he will admit their talents to arrive at those
dimensions. Thus a bad preacher, will never acknowledge that he has
heard a good sermon; a bad taylor, that he has seen a suit of cloaths
which were well made; or a bad smith, that he has seen a piece of work
that was well executed, &c.