A journey to the world under-ground
State to allow the Subjects their insignificant Diversions, than to
indulge them in a Laziness, which would be a Source of Conspiracies.
12. Let the Prince preserve Peace among his Subjects; however, it would
not be amiss to encourage an Emulation among his Counsellors, as it
leads to the Discovery of Truth. A skilful Judge will often extract the
Truth from the Passions of the Advocates.
13. He would act wisely, if in Affairs of the last Moment he heard the
Sentiments of every Member of the Senate, and that, rather apart than
when conven’d. For in a full Senate, where Opinions are openly given,
it often falls out that the most fluent Speaker bears all before him
with a Torrent of Eloquence, and so the Sovereign hears but one Opinion.
14. Punishments are not less necessary than Rewards: The first puts
a Stop to Evil, as the latter encourages Good. Hence it may not be
wrong even to reward a bad Subject for a good Action, if it were only,
that others may thereby be whetted up and incited to do their Duty
vigorously.
15. In Promotions to Honours and publick Posts, let Regard be had
principally to the Person’s Dexterity and Adroitness for that
particular Employment. Though Piety and Integrity are of themselves
most commendable Virtues, yet ’tis possible we may be deceiv’d by
their Appearance. Every one would affect a Sanctity of Behaviour, if
he knew that this Shew of Virtue was the Road to Honours; and would
in Words profess the utmost Probity and Uprightness, with the same
View. Besides, it is no easy Matter to form a Judgment of a Person’s
Virtues, till he is admitted to Employment, in which, as upon a Stage,
he is to exhibit Specimens of his Virtues. But nothing is easier than
to make Experiment of any one’s Aptness for Business before-hand. It
is infinitely harder for the Stupid and the Ignorant to conceal their
Stupidity and Ignorance, than for a Hypocrite to cover his Impiety,
or a Knave his Roguery. Besides, great Abilities and much Virtue are
not so very opposite but they may be often found united in the same
Character. And if a Person of large Abilities be at the same Time
honest and virtuous, nothing more can be wanting. An Ignorant is either
good or bad; if bad, who knows what Monsters Ignorance and Wickedness
in Conjunction produce? If good, his very Dulness must indubitably
hinder the Exercise of his Virtues. And if he of himself neither can
nor dare attempt the Commission of some atrocious Crime, yet the
Servant, whose Assistance he must make use of, in all Likelihood may.
A foolish Landlord has commonly a roguish Bailiff, and a dull Justice
a knavish Clerk, who fearlesly commits Frauds and Errors under the
Protection of his Master. In Promotions therefore, let Dexterity be the
principal Thing regarded.
16. Let none be hastily censur’d as ambitious, for aiming at an
Employment he is in Reality unfit for, or for that Reason excluded
from all Hopes of Preferment. For if, in the Distribution of publick
Honours, the Prince should happen to adhere to this Rule too closely,
the most Ambitious will soon put on the Mask of Humility, as a safer
Road and a shorter Cut to Preferment. And thus the Sovereign would,
contrary to his Inclination, prefer the most forward Worshippers of
Fortune, as being to all Appearance the most humble; that is, he would
prefer those, who about the Time of any Vacancy pretend to fly from
Court and retire into the Shade, giving out by their Friends that
they are averse to Grandeur. To illustrate this Point, he inserted an
Example of one who, during the Vacancy of a considerable Employment he
was all on Fire to obtain, wrote to the Prince to this Effect, _viz._
“That it was reported, that his Serene Highness design’d the vacant
Dignity for him, tho’ sollicited for it by Numbers; that he for his
Part must beg Leave to decline an Office to which he profess’d himself
unequal; that he intreated his Majesty to confer it upon some more
proper Person, and that being perfectly contented with his present
Station, he aspir’d to nothing greater.” The Monarch mov’d with so
strong an Attestation of Humility, preferr’d this humble Hypocrite
to the said Dignity. But he soon learnt that he was abus’d; for no
Minister ever behav’d with such Pride, or acted with such Weakness.
17. To set a poor Insolvent at the Head of the Treasury, is the same
Thing as to put a hungry Man in your Pantry. Nor is a covetous rich Man
a better Choice. The former has nothing, and the other thinks nothing
enough.
18. Let there be no Foundations or Establishments for the Maintenance
of slothful Trees. Accordingly, throughout this Empire, the Monasteries
and Colleges admit only the Industrious and the Diligent; those who
either by some useful Manufacture help to advance the Interest of the
Republick, or who by their Studies and Learning can be an Ornament
to the Society they are Members of. A few Monasteries indeed are to
be excepted, which maintain the Aged and the Helpless; such by the
Privilege of Age being exempted from all Labour.
19. When the Disorders of the State call loud for Reformation, it
will be right to proceed slowly in it. For to endeavour to extirpate
inveterate Evils at a Blow is as absurd as to prescribe Purging,
Bleeding, and Vomiting all at once to a Patient.
20. Those who boldly attempt every Thing, and undertake a Multitude of
Affairs together, are either Fools who have not duly compar’d their own
Strength with the Weight of the Things, or else they are wicked and
unnatural Members of their Society, who consult their own Interest
alone, instead of that of the Commonwealth. A prudent Man will try his
Arms before he takes his Burden up; and an honest Subject, who loves
his Country, will not transact the Affairs of it superficially.
CHAP. VIII.
_Of the_ +Academy+.
In this Empire there are three great Schools or Universities, one
at _Potu_, another at _Keba_, and a third at _Nahami_. The Studies
pursued there are History, Œconomy, Mathematicks, and Law. As to
their Divinity, since it is so short and concise, as that the Whole
is contain’d in the Compass of a couple of Pages, importing, That we
ought to love and adore Almighty God, the Creator and Governor of
Things, who in some State of Existence hereafter will reward Virtue
and punish Vice; as this, I say, is the Main of their Divinity, so it
is no academical Study, nor indeed can it be, since it is prohibited
by Law to have any Controversy about the Essence or Attributes of
God. Physick, in like Manner, is not reckon’d among the Studies of
the University; for since these Trees live all sober Lives, internal
Diseases are almost wholly unknown. I say nothing of Metaphysicks, and
such transcendental Learning, since it has been observ’d above, that
to dispute about the Essence of the Divine Being, about the Qualities
of Angels, or the Nature of Spirits, incurr’d the Punishment of _the
Arm_, and Confinement in their _Bedlam_.
The academical Exercises are these: The young Students, during the Time
of their Probation, are oblig’d to give Solutions of certain difficult
and curious Questions, which are propos’d at stated Times, with a
Reward to those who give the most ingenious and elegant Expositions.
By these Means, the true Genius of the Students is discover’d, what
the utmost Reach of their Capacity is, and in what Branch of Knowledge
they are most likely to shine. Every one imploys himself in one only
Science. An universal Scholar is a Chimæra; and the Affectation of such
a Character is a Mark of a loose and unsettled Genius. Hence it is,
that the Sciences, confin’d within such narrow Bounds, are soon brought
to Perfection. The several Doctors likewise exhibit yearly Specimens of
their Learning. The moral Philosopher clears some abstruse speculative
Point. The Historian compiles a History, or some Part of History. The
Mathematician throws fresh Light upon his Science by some new and
ingenious Hypothesis. The Lawyers are oblig’d to make some eloquent
Harangues: And these alone study Rhetoric or Oratory, because it is to
these alone such a Study will be advantageous when they come to be
Advocates. When I told them, that all our academical Specimens of all
Sorts were in the labour’d and oratorical Style, they freely condemn’d
such an Institution, replying, that if every Artisan were oblig’d to
make a Shoe, and exhibit Specimens of such their Work, ’tis certain
that Shoemakers alone would bear away the Prize. I purposely omitted to
speak of our scholastic Disputations, because such Exercises were there
but in equal Estimation with dramatical Performances. Their Doctors
and publick Teachers never deliver their Instructions in a harsh,
pedantick, and imperious Manner, as the Philosophers of our World,
but forming some agreeable and delightful Fiction, they dress up and
inculcate a salutary Truth with all the Charms of Fancy and Imagination.
’Tis surprizing to behold with what Solemnity the academical Promotions
are made. For they take the extremest Care not to furnish the least
Matter for Ridicule, or to be guilty of any theatrical Levities,
rightly judging that a plain and grave Simplicity should distinguish
the Exercises of an University from the Diversions of a Stage, lest
otherwise the liberal Arts should run into Disesteem. Upon this, I
would not venture to mention the least Syllable of our academical
Degrees and Promotions, since what happen’d to me at _Keba_, when I
gave a Description of this Kind of Honours, was ample Reason for my
eternal Silence upon this Head.
Besides these Academies, the great Cities have their several Seminaries
or Colleges, where the nicest Examination is made into the Talents of
every Scholar, what his particular Capacity is, and in what Kind of
Learning he gives the most promising Hopes of excelling. During the
Time of my Probation in the Seminary at _Keba_, there were four Sons of
the High Priest who were all educated in the Art of War; four others
of Senatorian Quality were instructed in Trade; and two young Virgins
learnt Navigation. For here the Genius alone is regarded, without any
Respect to Sex or Condition. The Examination being made, the Governors
of the Seminaries give Testimonials to the Examinants with a Veracity
I have elsewhere spoke of. These Testimonials are perfectly just and
impartial; tho’ I myself thought otherwise, since that which I obtain’d
from them appear’d to me absurd, ridiculous and unjust.
None is here suffer’d to be an Author till after thirty Years of Age,
and till he shall be deem’d by his Judges ripe and fit for such an
Undertaking; consequently, few Books are here publish’d; but then they
are well digested, and full of Meaning. Hence, tho’ I had wrote five
or six Dissertations while under Age, I never discover’d it to any
Creature for fear of drawing down their Ridicule. Enough has now been
said of the Religion, Policy, and Literature of this People. But there
are, besides, several Things peculiar to them, which are worthy of our
Observation and Remembrance.
If one Tree challenges another, the Challenger is for ever forbid the
Use of Arms. He is condemn’d, like a Minor, to live under Guardianship,
as not knowing how to rule his Affections. With us the Case is
different, where Appeals to the Sword are Marks of an heroic Soul,
especially in the North, which must have given Birth to this abominable
Custom, since Challenges and Duels were entirely unknown among the
_Greeks_, _Romans_, and other ancienter Nations.
I observ’d one strange Custom in their Manner of administring Justice.
The Names of the contesting Parties are conceal’d from the Judges;
and the Differences are not decided in the Place where they arose,
but the Case is sent to the more remote Provinces to be determin’d.