THE MISCELLANEOUS WORKS OF OLIVER GOLDSMITH, M. B. A NEW EDITION, IN FOUR VOLUMES. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS. VOLUME III. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, G. AND J. ROBINSON, W. J. By Nichols and Son, Red Lion Paffage, Fleet-ftreet. (v.) THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. THE schoolmen had formerly a very exact way of computing the abilities of their Saints or authors. Efcobar, for inftance, was faid to have learning as five, genius as four, and gravity as feven. Caramuel was greater than he. His learning was as eight, his genius as fix, and his gravity as thirteen. Were I to eftimate the merits of our Chinese Philofopher by the same scale, I would not hesitate to ftate his genius ftill higher; but as to his learning and gravity, these I think might fafely be marked as nine hundred and ninety nine, within one degree of abfolute frigidity. Yet upon his first appearance here, many were angry not to find him as ignorant as a Tripoline ambaffador, or an Envoy from Mujac. They were furprised to find a man born fo far from London, that school of prudence and wisdom, endued even with a moderate capacity. They expreffed the fame furprize at his knowledge that the Chinese do at ours. How comes it, faid they, that the Europeans Jo remote from China, think with so much justice and precifion? They have never read our books, they scarcely know even our letters, and yet they talk and reafon just as we do. The truth is, the Chinese and we are pretty much alike. Different degrees of refinement, and not of distance, mark the distinctions among mankind. Savages of the most oppofite climates have VOL. III, * Le Comte, Vol. I. p. 210. b all 638049 |