98 THE P.UP.AL SOCRATES. 



the acquaintance of thofe who have been mod cenfiir- 

 cd there, it v/ill be fingular, if he docs i>ot find among 

 ///^fWperfons the mofl remarkable for their merit and 

 talents. 



The neighbors of our philofupher feek to ridi<:ule 

 hina as a lingular man, who always endeavors to be wi- 

 fer than other perfons. — One exclaims, that iie deflroys 

 his woods, in order to augment his manure with the 

 ipoils of his firs and pines. Another pretends, that he 

 luins Ills poflerity, by ufing a mixture of different foils ; 

 or by exhauflinghis arable lands and depriving them of 

 their juices. Others wi(h to make him pafs for a vain 

 and Vvorldly man, little occupied with his Creator, and 

 trufling only to his own efforts : though in fa61 he only 

 regards labor as the furefl means of obtaining the divine 

 blefirng. Others again make liim a flatterer, who infi- 

 nuates himfelf into the favor of men in place, in order 

 to dcprefs his neighbors ; though the only ufe which he 

 has made of the accefs which the fublime fimplicity of 

 his cha'rai^ler procures him among the moll refpci^ted 

 and beft intentioned membersof our government,, lies 

 been, to acquaint thciji with the true flate of what hap- 

 pens in the country, and to lead them to favor the in- 

 duflrious cultivator. Others, in fhort^ laugh at all of 

 his enlerprizes v/hich vary from the common courfe ; 

 and leave nothing undone which envy and malice can 

 fuggeO:, in oider to diftrafl or injure him.^ — He, on the 

 other hand, always tranquil in the midCt of their in- 

 trigues, proceeds in his courfe ; and oppofcs nothing to 

 his enemies but the fruits of his labors ; rich harvclls ; , 

 children, who are well brought up, and on whofc coun- 

 tenances are to be obferved .the figns of an interiial 

 tranquillity and content, and whofe obedience and alert- 

 nefij in their labors every day increafcs his happinefs 5 

 and laftly, the diflingniflied favor of our governmen':. 



I have never properly difcovercd him in anger : mi>ch 

 Icfs have I remarked in him the fhiallcfl difpcfition t6 

 rrientmcnt, I have fcen him' i':; the difputc^ between 



ore' . 



