242 ANTIKNT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



tleman, who has not a genius for learning or philofophy, or who 

 has not an education proper to qualify him for that ftudy, to apply 

 to agriculture. He need not work with his ov>?n hands, as the great 

 men of antient Rotrre did, fuch as the Didator Cincinatus, (though 

 his time would not be ill employed in that way, as nothing would con- 

 tribute more to his health ; and even Horace tells us, that when he 

 retired to his Sabine farm, he wrought, as I have elfewhere obferved, 

 with his own hands*, though his neighbours laughed at h'lm^^kbas 

 ct faxa movcntem)^ but he may content himfelf with giving direc- 

 tions, and fuperintcnding the practice of it. I have elfewhere given 

 an example of a gentleman, who employed Ids leifure in that way, 

 and thereby not only very much improved his own fortune, but fet 

 an example to the wliole country where he lived, which has been 

 followed with great fuccefs|. 



An idle life is, therefore, a moft unnatural life, being diredly con- 

 trary to the purpofe for which God has placed us in this world. It 

 is therefore, no wonder that it fhould be productive of fo much evil. 

 But, if we employ pur leifure in the ftudy of thofe arts and fciences, 

 which have come down to us from antient times, and of thofe which 

 have been difcovered by the moderns, (of both which I have given 

 fome account), we fliall improve our minds, and prepare ourfelves 



for 



into Rome, they would ruin every thing. But in his old age he was quite re- 

 conciled to it, and quoted Homer, upon fome occafions, in his fpeeches to the 

 fenate or people ; and particularly he became an admirer of their philofophy. He 

 was always a great firmer, and praftifed it very much, both when he was young and 

 i.ld : And there is a faying of his recorded, upon the fubjeiH: of farming, that the firfl: 

 precept of it was bene arare ,- the fecond, bene Jlercorare. But after he became a phi- 



lofopher, he ufed the expre0ion above quoted, that agriculture luas only next to phile- 

 fophii ; and which I hold to be a very true faying, for (as I have faid, p. 240.) if a man 



cannot philofopliife, either through want of genius or of education, the next bed: 



thing he can do is, to apply himfelf to that moft ufeful art, agriculture, and of all 



arts the moft beneficial to health. 



• Vol. V. p. 94. t I'oid. p. 3oq. 



