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108 of leisure is no excuse for the oscitancy and ignorance of those who have time to spare; and everyone has enough to get as much knowledge as is required and expected of him, and he that does not that is in love with ignorance, and is accountable for it.

38. Presumption― The variety of distempers in men’s minds is as great as of those in their bodies; some are epidemic, few escape them; and everyone too, if he would look into himself, would find some defect of his particular genius. There is scarce anyone without some idiosyncrasy that he suffers by. This man presumes upon his parts, that they will not fail him at time of need; and so thinks it superfluous labor to make any provision beforehand. His understanding is to him like Fortunatus’s purse, which is always to furnish him, without ever putting anything into it beforehand; and so he sits still satisfied, without endeavoring to store his understanding with knowledge. It is the spontaneous product of the country, and what need of labor in tillage? Such men may spread their native riches before the ignorant; but they were best not to come to stress and trial with the skillful. We are born ignorant of everything. The superficies of things that surround them make impressions on the negligent, but nobody penetrates into the inside without labor, attention, and industry. Stones and timber