" Men of the greatest learning have spent their time in 

 contriving instruments to measure the immense distance 

 of the stars and in finding out the dimensions, and even 

 weight, of the planets. They think it more eligible to study 

 the art of ploughing the sea with ships, than of tilling the 

 land with ploughs ; they bestow the utmost of their skill, 

 learnedly, to pervert the natural use of all the elements for 

 destruction of their own species, by the bloody art of war. 

 Some waste their whole lives in studying how to arm death 

 with new engines of horror, and inventing an infinite vari- 

 ety of slaughter ; but think it beneath men of learning 

 (who only are capable of doing it) to employ their learned 

 labours in the invention of new (or even improving the old) 

 instruments for increasing of bread." 



Jethro Tull, 1674-1740. 



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