90 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IIL 



But, for the ftudy of religion and philofophy, leifure, from the 

 common biifinefs of life, is abfolutely neceflary; for, without leisure, 

 no valuable knowledge can be acquired. " It is by opportunity of 

 leifure (fays Solomo:i) that the vvifdom of a learned man cometh; an4 

 he that hath little bufmefs (hall become wife*." And both Plato and 

 Ariflotle, in their books upon Polity, make it abfolutely neceffary, 

 for the education of theii governors, that they fhould have leifure. 

 And Arlftotle, in the beginning of his Metaphyfics, tells us, that 

 it was leifure wli'ch made the Egyptian Priefts fo learned : Nor, 

 indeed, is it pofTible, that men without leifure can cultivate any 

 art or fcience. And this is one great advantage of the civilifed life, 

 that men may have leiiure for the improvement of their minds by 

 arts and fciencest, and may have curiofity, and a deiu-e of learning', 

 which prompts them to do fo. This laft mentioned thing makes a 

 very great difference betwixt the natural life and the civilifed: For, 

 though the neceffities of life may allow the natural man, or favagc 

 as we call him, time enough to apply to tlie acquifition of knowledge, 

 yet he has no cnriofity, or defire to learn. In that ftate were the New 

 Hollanders when Captain Cook came among them; for though his 

 ihip muft have appeared to them a moving mountain, and was 

 certainly the moft extraordinary thing they had ever feen, yet they 

 expreffcd no curiofity or defire to be informed about itj whereas' 



the 



* Ecclefiaft. chap. 38. v 24. 



j Sse what Horace fays of leifure in Ode 16. Lib. 2. beginning 

 Otium Divos rogat in patenti ; 



AnJ in the 7th epifdc of the ift book, he tells us, that he would not exchange the 

 0/ium he enjoyed for the riches of Arabia. From that epiftle it appears, that he 

 Drudged the time he beftowed in attending even upon his friend Mxcenas, who was 

 fo mucii his friend, that, in the laft note he wrote to Auguftus, before his death, h£ 

 recommended Horace to him in thefe words, Horatii Flaciiy ut tnciy memor ejlo. And 

 he faysj in another place, 



Dulcis inexpertis cultura potentis amici : 



Expertus metuit. Epljl. 18. Lib..i. 



