128 
TRAVELS 
the fecond part of this definition, by Rochefaucault, throw light 
upon, and remove as it were the veil from this fentence of Reig- 
nard, which is fo much at hoftility with itfelf ? He would not, for 
all the gold in the world have forgone the vain fatisfa&ion of 
having been the only Frenchman who had ever been in Lapland, 
but at the fame time, by exaggerating the toils of his journey, he 
feems to be defirous of deterring every other perfon who might 
wifii to perform it after him. The love of fame is juftly denomi¬ 
nated the lafi: infirmity of noble minds ; but when it degenerates 
into the frivolous vanity of difcouraging others from an enterprife 
which we ourfelves have accomplifhed, though conceived before 
to have been very difficult, it becomes very blameable. This fail¬ 
ing is too common among men of every clafs, and particularly 
among men of letters. It is a fentiment wholly unworthy of a 
philofopher, and even degrading to his character. It implies a 
defire of retarding the progrefs of knowledge, under the oftenta- 
tious pretext of a zeal for diffiufing it; and fuch difcouragement 
is perhaps the moll fatal, when it comes from a quarter refpe&ed 
and looked up to by the public. 
Travels in Lapland, inftead of leaving nothing in the mind of 
the traveller but an unproductive vanity, furniffi every one who is 
defirous of extending the fphere of his knowledge, and who is 
captivated by the ftudy of nature, with a thoufand fubjedts worthy 
of his remark and inveftigation, and, probably, have even a ten¬ 
dency greatly to advance fcience, and to improve the happinefs of 
human life. How vafi: a field is opened for refearch to the natu- 
ralifi:,. 
