Genre:

Miscellaneous

Subjects:

Geometry, Natural Philosophy

    States: 'All are vain of something, and think they possess some gift, some talent, some quality, which gives them a superiority over their neighbours [...]. Thus doth the man of science prefer the acquistion of solid knowledge to the superficial frothiness of a wit, the wit considers the man of science as little better than a drudge employed in the collection of materials for himself to play with; while the man of sober sense, considers the one as a pedant, and the other as a coxcomb, where they are not employed in the investigation of useful knowledge, or in putting vice and folly out of counternance. The historian, the geometrician, &c. value themselves for being in pursuit of facts solely: the speculative philosopher regards these facts merely as the footsteps of investigation, and finds his superiority in the use which he makes of them' (585).