which they are actuated. But time accomplishes
two great things for those who are capable of improvement;
it demonstrates the erroneousness of many of the judgments
they had formed of the human character and conduct,
and it discloses within their own breasts, several
very disquieting principles and mortifying drawbacks,
which necessitate them to lower the estimate they
had made of their own excellence. Where, from
uncommon circumstances, this tuition has never
been applied, we shall find at forty, the same
petulance and conceit which characterised the clever,
it may be, but certainly foolish youth of eighteen;
and some persons there are, who, not quite ignorant
of the process, are so much enraged at it, that
they continue through life to display the same offensive
appearances, out of mere spite, and because they have
not the honesty to acknowledge that they ever
stood in need of instruction. G.F. appears
to have been in the first-mentioned predicament;
and probably his early death occurred in the midst
of a salutary though severe correction.—E.
[7] “This group of islands, which
we had now cursorily examined in the space of
forty-six days, seems to be well worth the attention
of future navigators, especially if they should
ever be sent out upon the liberal plan of making
discoveries in all the various branches of science.
I will not pretend to say that they would find great
riches of silver and pearls, which Quiros was
forced to speak of, in order to engage an interested,
avaricious court, to support his great and spirited
undertakings. These incitements are not necessary
now-a-days, when several monarchs in Europe have
convinced the world that they can institute voyages
of discovery, with no other view than the increase
of human knowledge, and the improvement of man-kind.
The sums which some of their predecessors have
lavished on parasites, have been found sufficient
to make an immense progress, nay to produce a new and
important revolution in the state of the sciences,
which have ever required a trifling expence to
triumph over the numberless obstacles that ignorance,
envy, or superstition opposed against them.”—G.F.
This gentleman we see, is capable of
courtesy. The terms in which it is expressed,
however, are sufficiently guarded against admitting
too great a latitude of application, and consequently,
are not particularly liable to abuse—the
less so indeed, as it is likely, that those who
might most covet his commendation, would be found best
entitled to it. The recent distractions of
Europe, however, have not enhanced the claims
of its monarchs to the honour of patronising such
important undertakings. Some of them, it is
probable, are content with the common but assuredly
not less expensive ambition of having shared, though
but by proxy, in a more splendid speculation for fame:
And the glory so acquired, they may chance to
think, is ample enough, without farther concern,
to gild their names throughout all succeeding generations.
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