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Article CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF A DUMB PHILOSOPHER. ← Page 4 of 7 →
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Curious Account Of A Dumb Philosopher.
' I thank God , I was born of ^ -and brought up by , parents , who enjoyed all the ' natural and acquired advantages , both of body and mind , wliich can make mankind happy in themselves and valuable to others , in this world : and that the . same Supreme Being has given me a soul , which , with the assistance of his divine grace , is prone to good , rather by a natural inclination , than by any outward force oi' law , custom , or example . I have , from my very youth , employed my
time in a diligent reading of the Bible , and the most celebrated philosophers and historians ; and likewise in ;' a narrow scrutiny into my own qualities , both of body and mind , in order to fortify myself against all habits , prejudices , and passions . 1 soon found in myself au innate conviction of a Supreme Eternal Being , by whom I was placed in this world to promote , to the utmost of my power , and according to rules prescribed me by that same Being , not only my own happiness , - but that of all mankind . In order to perform this great and important duty , I have made it my constant business to
gain a knowledge , not only of myself , but of other men , and remake diligent search into every part of the creation , and particularly into every species of vegetable , animal , and rational life : and 1 found myself the better qualified for making these enquiries , as , in my early years , I obtained , in an easy and uncommon manner , a knowledge of nine or ten of the most necessary languages now in use . M y father ,
who , besides a large hereditary fortune , ' had acquired a very considerable one by his profession of physic , spared no cost to give me , his only child , a suitable education : and as he was a professed enemy to the pedantry of the schools , he was at the expence of keeping a young divine . in the family , fo instruct me in the principles of reliion and moralityand to teach me ( he learned tongues ; which
g , having by this means attained to while I wasverv young , 1 found it , I say , veryeasy to learn the modern languages , which , in effect , are no other than dialects of the Latin or Teutonic , or a mixture of both . 1 was instructed in every olher branch , as well of polite as useful literature , and at the age of sixteen was thought fit to be sent to the
University . My father was prejudiced in favour of that in which he himself had absolved his studies , or perhaps as it was in his native country , I mean Leipzic , an University famed beyond any in Germany , for forming the gentleman , together with the scholar . Here I spent five years , and afterwards two more in visiting other Universities of Germany . It was my father ' s desire that I . should apply myself to the study of hysicwhich I so far complied withas to
p , , he inscribed into that faculty : but as I was not unacquainted that 1 should one day be master of a fortune , which would , place me above the necessity of following any profession , I gave a larger scope to roy studies ; and though I resolved to lava good foundation in the science I seemingly profess _ ed to follow , in order to build upon it hereafteras mind was whollbent travellingI spent a
; my y uppon , great part of my time in attaining to a knowledge of those things , which might probably most indulge my natural inclination , and in particular , in the study of natural philosophy . ' After seven years thus spent , I returned to Hamburg , not as my
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Account Of A Dumb Philosopher.
' I thank God , I was born of ^ -and brought up by , parents , who enjoyed all the ' natural and acquired advantages , both of body and mind , wliich can make mankind happy in themselves and valuable to others , in this world : and that the . same Supreme Being has given me a soul , which , with the assistance of his divine grace , is prone to good , rather by a natural inclination , than by any outward force oi' law , custom , or example . I have , from my very youth , employed my
time in a diligent reading of the Bible , and the most celebrated philosophers and historians ; and likewise in ;' a narrow scrutiny into my own qualities , both of body and mind , in order to fortify myself against all habits , prejudices , and passions . 1 soon found in myself au innate conviction of a Supreme Eternal Being , by whom I was placed in this world to promote , to the utmost of my power , and according to rules prescribed me by that same Being , not only my own happiness , - but that of all mankind . In order to perform this great and important duty , I have made it my constant business to
gain a knowledge , not only of myself , but of other men , and remake diligent search into every part of the creation , and particularly into every species of vegetable , animal , and rational life : and 1 found myself the better qualified for making these enquiries , as , in my early years , I obtained , in an easy and uncommon manner , a knowledge of nine or ten of the most necessary languages now in use . M y father ,
who , besides a large hereditary fortune , ' had acquired a very considerable one by his profession of physic , spared no cost to give me , his only child , a suitable education : and as he was a professed enemy to the pedantry of the schools , he was at the expence of keeping a young divine . in the family , fo instruct me in the principles of reliion and moralityand to teach me ( he learned tongues ; which
g , having by this means attained to while I wasverv young , 1 found it , I say , veryeasy to learn the modern languages , which , in effect , are no other than dialects of the Latin or Teutonic , or a mixture of both . 1 was instructed in every olher branch , as well of polite as useful literature , and at the age of sixteen was thought fit to be sent to the
University . My father was prejudiced in favour of that in which he himself had absolved his studies , or perhaps as it was in his native country , I mean Leipzic , an University famed beyond any in Germany , for forming the gentleman , together with the scholar . Here I spent five years , and afterwards two more in visiting other Universities of Germany . It was my father ' s desire that I . should apply myself to the study of hysicwhich I so far complied withas to
p , , he inscribed into that faculty : but as I was not unacquainted that 1 should one day be master of a fortune , which would , place me above the necessity of following any profession , I gave a larger scope to roy studies ; and though I resolved to lava good foundation in the science I seemingly profess _ ed to follow , in order to build upon it hereafteras mind was whollbent travellingI spent a
; my y uppon , great part of my time in attaining to a knowledge of those things , which might probably most indulge my natural inclination , and in particular , in the study of natural philosophy . ' After seven years thus spent , I returned to Hamburg , not as my