CHAPTER III. of the world for the same end, that they may bring home trea. sures of useful knowledge. . III. Among all these observations, write down what is more remarkable and uncommon: reserve these remarks in store for properoccasions, and at proper seasons takea review of them. Such a practice will give you a habit of useful thinking : this will secure the workings of your soul from running to waste, and by this means even your looser moments will turn to happy ac- count both here and hereafter. And whatever useful observa- tions have been made, let them be at least some part of the sub- ject of your conversation among your friendsat next meeting. Let the circumstances or situations of life be what or where they will, a man should never neglect this improvement which may be derived from observation. Let him travel into the East or West-Indies, and fulfil the duties of the military or the mer- cantile life there : let him rove through the earth or the seas for his own humour as a traveller, or pursue his diversions in what part of the world he please as a gentleman ; let prosperous or adverse fortune call him to the most distant parts of the globe ; still let him carry on his knowledge and the improvement of his soul by wise observations. In due time, by this means he may render himself some way useful to the societies of mankind. Theobaldino in his younger years, visited the forests of Norway on the account of trade and timber, andbesides his pro- per observations of the growth of trees on those Northern moun- tains, he learnt there was a sort of people called Finns in those confines which border upon Sweden, whose habitation is in the woods : and he lived afterwards to give a good account of them, and some of their customs, to the Royal Society for the improve- ment of natural knowledge. Puteoli was taken captive into Turkey in his youth, and travelled with his master in their holy pilgrimage to Mecca, whereby he became more intelligent in the forms, ceremonies, and fooleries of the Mahometan worship, than perhaps ever any Briton knew before : and by his manu- scripts, we are more acquainted in this last century with the Turkish sacreds than any one had ever informed us. IV. Let us keep our minds as free as possible from passi- ons and prejudices, for these will give a wrong turn to our obser- vations both on persons and things. The eyes of a man in the jaundice, make yellow observations on ever thing ; and the soul tinctured with any passion or prejudice, diffuses a false co- lour over the real appearances of things, and disguises many of the common occurrences of life: it never beholds things in a true light, nor sutlers them to appear as they are. Whensoever therefore, you would make proper observations, let self with all its influences stand aside as far as possible ; abstract your own interest and your own concern from them, and bid all friend-
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