CENTER [ 150 ] DOUBLE RULE CENTER A CENTER CURIOUS MAN [V]ALUES things not by their Us_e or [V]Worth, but Scarcity. He is very tender and s_crupulous of his Humour, as [i] Fantatics [i] are of their Cons_ciences, and both for the mos_t part in Trifles. He cares not how unus_eful any Thing be, s_o it be but unus_ual and rare. He collects all the Curious_ities he can light upon in Art or Nature, not to inform his own Judgement, but to catch the Admiration of o- thers, which he believes he has a Right to, be- caus_e the Rarities are his own. That which other Men neglect he believes they overs_ee, and s_tores up Trifles as rare Dis_coveries, at leas_t of his own Wit and Sagacity. He admires subtleties above all Things, becaus_e the more s_ubtle they are, the nearer they are to nothing; and values no Art but that which is s_pun s*o ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CENTER A CURIOUS MAN. 151 THIN, THAT IT IS OF NO US_E AT ALL. HE HAD RATHER HAVE AN IRON CHAIN HUNG ABOUT THE NECK OF A FLEA, THAN AN ALDERMAN'S OF GOLD, AND [I] HO- MER'S [I] ILIADS IN A NUTS_HEL THAN [I] ALEXANDER'S [I] CA- BINET. HE HAD RATHER HAVE THE TWELVE APOS_TLES ON A CHERRY-STONE, THAN THOS_E ON ST. [I] PETER'S [I] PORTICO, AND WOULD WILLINGLY S_ELL [I] CHRIST [I] AGAIN FOR THE NUMERICAL PIECE OF COIN, THAT [I] JUDAS [I] TOOK FOR HIM. HIS PERPETUAL DOTAGE UPON CURIOUS_ITIES AT LENGTH RENDERS HIM ONE OF THEM, AND HE S_HEWS HIMS_ELF AS NONE FO THE MEANES_T OF HIS RARITIES. HE S_O MUCH AFFECTS SINGULA- RITY, THAT RATHER THAN FOLLOW THE FAS_HION, THAT IS US_ED BY THE RES_T OF THE WORLD, HE WILL WEAR DIS_S_ENTING CLOATHS WITH ODD FANTAS_TIC DEVICES TO DIS_TINGUISH HIMS_ELF FROM OTHERS, LIKE MARKS S_ET UPON CATTLE. HE CARES NOT WHAT PAINS HE THROWS AWAY UPON THE MEANES_T TRIFLE, S_O IT BE BUT S_TRANGE, WHILE S_OME PITY, AND OTHERS LAUGH AT HIS ILL-EMPLOYED INDUS_TRY. HE IS ONE OF THOS_E, THAT VALUED [I] EPICTETUS'S [I] LAMP ABOVE THE EXCELLENT BOOK HE WRIT BY IT. IF HE BE A BOOK- MAN HE S_PENDS ALL HIS TIME AND STUDY UPON THINGS THAT ARE NEVER TO BE KNOWN. THE [I] PHILOS_OPHER'S STONE [I] AND [I] UNIVERS_AL MEDICINE CANNOT #CENTER L 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 152 A CURIOUS MAN. pos_s_ibly mis_s him, though he is s_ure to do them. He is wonderfully taken with abs_trus_e Know- ledge, and had rather hand to Truth with a Pair of Tongs wrapt up in Mys_teries and Hiero- glyphics, than touch it with his Hands, or s_ee it plainly demons_trated to his Sens_es. ------------------------------------------------------------------------