fHE liuKkLr SOCRATES. 103 



tions wliich concern his flntion in life ; and liIs being 

 ^ccuilomed never to think of any thing of which lie 

 ought not to think, nor to do -any thing but that which 

 it was his duty to do, at the moment. 



The bible then is the only book which he reads, and 

 this always in the manner which I have formerly men- 

 tioned. — I have Tome reafon to doubt whether he ha?. 

 even read my publication rcfpcfling himfeif. He wai 

 more inclined to deride, than to applaud, the pains I 

 had taken ; of which he could not perceive the ufe.. 

 never liaving been in a fituation to condder the infiu- 

 ence of fcience upon the happinefs of men. — One of liis 

 brothers, who had for a number of yeais been a foldicr 

 in Holland, was very fond of reading ; and had fornied 

 a tolerable colledlion of books in geography ; as alfo 

 ofmyftical works, for which he was a very great cn- 

 thufiaft. Having pafTed the latter years of his life 

 with our philofepher, Kliyogg Vvithout the help of eru- 

 dition, had made him perceive the abiurdity of the doc- 

 trines of-thefe myflics. — But tlie children of Kliycgg 

 fometimes looked into the books of their uncle ; in which 

 they found accounts of the manners, aits, and way of 

 living of different nations, v/hich flattered their curioli- 

 ty. .Our philofopl)er found that they fometimes ifole 

 away from their work, or returned to it hter than ufu-. 

 rd ; in fliort, that they diretled their thoughts to diflant 

 objects, which injured their atteiitionto what Vv'as before 

 tiiem. This reading, therefore, apj)carcd to him as 

 weeds in the mind, which it was proper to root out : he 

 therefore .made liis children fenfable of it; begged cf 

 his brother to lock up his^pbifon ; and, as this worthv 

 veteran died foon afrer of a confumption, fold the whole 

 colled:ion Vv'ithout delay at a lov/ price. " 'i his ridicu- 

 *' Ions trafii (faid he) was near ipoiling all mv children : 

 ^' the pick axe, the plough, and the pitch fork, thei'e are 

 ^' the books wii^ch they ought to have in har.d." — Ws 

 may judge froxii this, hew dilUnt Kliyogg is from all fort 

 t^ f c r u d k i on . ^' "^ ' ^■' » 



^^ The 



