center [144]

double rule

center A
center TRAVELLER

[I]s a Native of all Countries, and an Alien at
[I]Home. He flies from the Place where he
was hatched, like a Wildgoose, and prefers all
others before it. He has no Quarrel to it, but
because he was born in it, and like a Bastard,
he is ashamed of his Mother, because she is of
him. He is a Merchant, that makes Voyages
into foreign Nations, to drive a Trade in Wis-
dom and Politics, and it is not for his Credit
to have it thought, he has made an ill Return,
which must be, if he should allow of any of
the Growth of his own Country. This makes
him quick and blow up himself with Admira-
tion of foreign Parts, and a generous Con-
tempt of Home, that all Men may admire, at
least, the means he has had of Improvement,
and deplore their own Defects. His Observa-
tions are like a Sieve, that lets the finer Flour
pass, and retains only the Bran of Things;

center A TRAVELLER. #justify left 145
for his whole Return of Wisdom proves to be
but Affectation, a perishable Commodity, which
he will never be able to put off. He believes
all Men's Wits are at a stand, that stay at
Home, and only those advanced, that travel ;
as if Change of Pasture did make great Politi-
cians, as well as fat Calves. He pities the little
knowledge of Truth which those have, that
have not seen the World abroad, forgetting,
that at the same time he tells us, how little
Credit is to be given to his own Relations and
those of others, that speak and write of their
Travels. He has worn his own Language to
Rags, and patched it up with Scraps and Ends
of foreign--This serves him for Wit, and they ap-
plaud one another accordingly. He believes
this Raggedness of his Discourse a great Demon-
stration of the Improvement of his Knowledge ;
as (i) Inns-of-Court (i) Men intimate their Proficiency
in the Law by the Tatters of their Gowns-
All the Wit he brought Home with him is like
foreign Coin, of a baser Alloy than our own,
and so will not pass here without great Loss.
All noble Creatures, that are famous in any
Vol. II #Center L

146 A TRAVELLER.
one Country, degenerate by being transplanted;
and those of mean Value only improve--If it
hold with Men, he falls among the Number
of the latter, and his Improvements are little
to his Credit. All he can say for himself is,
his Mind was sick of a Consumption, and
change of Air has cured him : For all his other
Improvements have only been to eat in . . . .
and talk with those he did not understand; to
hold Intelligence with all Gazettes, and from
the Sight of Statesmen in the Street unriddle
the Intrigues of all their Councils, to make a
wondrous Progress into Knowledge by riding
with a Messenger, and advance In Politics by
mounting of a Mule, run through all Sorts of
Learning in a Waggon, and found all Depths
of Arts in Felucca, ride post into the Secrets
of all States, and grow acquainted with their
close Designs in Inns and Hostleries; for cer-
tainly there is great Virtue in Highways and
Hedges to make an able Man, and a good
Prospect cannot but let him see far into Things.