DISORDERED RYES, 1 .89 



my remarks on one of the molt calamitous events that 

 can befall a man of letters/ from my own experience^ 

 yet in fuch a manner as that I lhall only fuccincllj 

 touch upon, or entirely pafs over, thofe particulars 

 which my diforder had in common with his. A feeond 

 example of what difmal effects are brought on boils, 

 body and mind by the immoderate ufe of the eyes will 

 at lean: renew the impreffion of the firlt, which, with, 

 thofe who are ufed to lit brooding over books, like 

 a hen over her eggs, may be but too eafily effaced. 



My eyes are by nature as good as a man can wifit 

 his eyes to be. In my younger years 1 have won many 

 a wager from my fc ho ol fellows with them ; for 011 

 being out in the fields, no fooner did one of theoi 

 fay: Yonder comes a. ho r fern an! than one or other 

 would think he Jaw a great deal, when hJ could tel 

 die colour of his coat ; but I could even declare the 

 quality of what he wore about his neck, whether craws& 

 or handkerchief or Itock. At the univerlity my fight 

 was ftill fo itrong, that a couple of friends with whom 

 I was accuftomed to walk for the purpofe -of collecting 

 herbs and plants, familiarly called me their telefbope. 

 Any thing near, 1 faw juft as well ; I read the fmalleft: 

 writing of every kind fo readily, that from habit I 

 preferred it to larger, and even chafe rather to wrix& 

 with a crow-quill than any other. Neither then., nor 

 in the two following years in which I was Referen- 

 darius in the office of war and domains at Halber£taut ? 

 did I feel any detriment from my eyes, except that I 

 now loll feveral wagers, whenever I pretended m 

 boldly to pronounce upon objects a couple of miles 

 ©IF, as I had ufed to do when I was but ten or twelve 



years 



