Pagina 597 di 1391

Only let him beware of being the slave of crotchets, or of

running after a Will o' the Wisp in his ignorance, or in his

vanity of attributing to himself the gifts of a poet or assuming

the air of a philosopher. He should know the limits of his own

powers. Better to build up the mind by slow additions, to creep

on quietly from one thing to another, to gain insensibly new

powers and new interests in knowledge, than to form vast schemes

which are never destined to be realized. But perhaps, as Plato

would say, 'This is part of another subject' (Tim.); though we

may also defend our digression by his example (Theaet.).