KNOW THYSELF." 2,55 



and deters us from undertaking many things that we 

 could only blunder through did we attempt. 



The very slight knowledge that the bustle of civilized 

 society permits us to gain of ourselves, causes us some- 

 times to commit grievous errors, that may render us 

 ridiculous to the reasoning bystander. "We may pride 

 and plume ourselves on merits and qualities that we do 

 not really possess, but that only exist in idea, caused by 

 the flattering of our friends, or some chance of fortune. 

 We then have a way of reposing, with a self-satisfied 

 and complacent air, on imaginary laurels that we never 

 have culled, and, did we but really know ourselves, might 

 be perfectly certain we never should. 



An Englishman has such a just appreciation of what is 

 true and genuine, that I am sure he would be delighted 

 at having his perfections thus correctly made known to 

 him. Even supposing he has for tens of years previously 

 hugged himself with too favourable an idea of them, 

 there may still be a sufficient time left for him to cram 

 this real knowledge of himself. Even if he get but a 

 smattering, still it will prepare him in a measure, and 

 therefore make the shock less at that great trial at which 

 we must all, sooner or later, have our merits weighed, 

 and in which good fortune and riches will be considered 

 as only additional trusts for which we shall have to 

 account satisfactorily. 



So frequently have some of my most certain axioms 

 turned out myths, that I have long since come to the 

 conclusion that I know absolutely nothing at all. 



I have been put down so completely by naked Kaffirs 



