STUDY IX. 231 



diet; and in all countries you meet with old 

 people. Vice alone, and mental uneafmefs, Ihorten 

 human life ; and I am perfuaded, that the moral 

 affeélions are of fuch extenfive influence, with re- 

 fped to Man, that there is not one in the whole 

 catalogue of difeafes but what owes it's origin to 

 them. 



Hear what Socrates thought of the fyftematic 

 Philofophy of his age ; for in all ages, flie has 

 abandoned herfelf to the fame extravagancies. 

 *' He did not amufe himfelf," fays Xenopbon *, 

 '^ with refearches into the myfteries of Nature ; 

 ** or with enquiring in whar manner, that which 

 *' the Sophifts call the World was created ; nor 

 *' what irrefiftible elaftic force governs all celeftial 

 '* things : on the contrary, he expofed the folly 

 " of thofe who addidl themfelves to fuch contem- 

 ** plations, and demanded, if it was after having 

 *' acquired a perfect knowledge of human things, 

 " that they undertook the inveftigation of thofe 

 *' which are divine ; or whether they confidered 

 *^ it as a charafter of true wifdom, to negledt 

 " what was within their reach, in order to grafp 

 ** at objeds far above them. He exprefled flill 

 ^' farther aftonifliment, that they did not difcern 

 ''^ the impoflibility of Man's comprehending all 



* Xenopbon s "M-CmovshXc T\nng% oi Socrates ^ book i. 



CL 4 " thofe 



