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Article ON THE INFELICITIES OF THE LEARNED. Page 1 of 3 →
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On The Infelicities Of The Learned.
ON THE INFELICITIES OF THE LEARNED .
TX was the irritated exclamation ofthe Arabian patriarch , suffering - " - under'the pressure of calamities to which history cannot furnish a parallel , 'O that mine adversary had written a book ! ' * and the monarch who , on account ofthe variety and extent of his acquirements , has been dignified with the appellation of the wisest of men , in the melancholypicture he has given of human life , asserts that , 'in muchwisdom is much grief : and he that increaseth knowledgeincreaseth sorrow !' f
, If such were the sentiments of the ancients , and they will be found to correspond with the opinions of the most eminent sages among the heathens , upon the troublewhich attends literary pursuits , certainly the case has notbeen altered for the better in more polished and scientific periods of tlie world . In proportion as literature hath been diffused and cultivatedhave the murmurings of its peculiar votaries
multi-, plied . The impediments to free enquiry are complained of by men who pursue metaphysical and theological researches to blasphemy , and by politicians who openly vindicate republicanism and rebellion . Literary envy and jealousy are frequently deplored by men who deal out liberally every month , in the critical journals , a copious stream of abuse upon those whose uncharitableness they condemn .
A want of encouragement and the depression of genius , by the paucity of patrons and the mercenary spirit of booksellers , is a fruitful subject of lamentation to authors , whose works have received the most liberal approbation , and who dictate the most extravagant
terms to their publishers . These are only fanciful evils ; but it will be found , I believe , that they are either more painfully felt , or more generally the topic of complaint than others . It is , perhaps , the greatest of all misfortunes , to have a disposition more apt to create ideal evils , than-to surmount real ones . This misfortune seems peculiarly fated to attend those who
venturously select for their course of life the arduous and intricate paths of literature . In their progress they are harassed by the mortifying idea that their brethren regard thein with suspicion , and the world with indifference . The pride of a man of literature is more easily hurt than that of other men . What others regard as circumstantial injuries , or such as
have only an influence on the moment , he treats as connected with the immortality to which he lays claim as his undoubted right . Opposition of sentiment gives pain to the learned man ; ' but this again , it must be allowed , is counterbalanced by the sensation of superiority , and the stimulus which it gives to further enquiry and more animated exertions .
As connected with the world at large , perhaps few characters are so much the victims of self-torment as authors . The silence ofthe public respecting their merits is miserable ingratitude , painful -to be borne ; just animadversion is an illiberal spirit joined with a want o »
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Infelicities Of The Learned.
ON THE INFELICITIES OF THE LEARNED .
TX was the irritated exclamation ofthe Arabian patriarch , suffering - " - under'the pressure of calamities to which history cannot furnish a parallel , 'O that mine adversary had written a book ! ' * and the monarch who , on account ofthe variety and extent of his acquirements , has been dignified with the appellation of the wisest of men , in the melancholypicture he has given of human life , asserts that , 'in muchwisdom is much grief : and he that increaseth knowledgeincreaseth sorrow !' f
, If such were the sentiments of the ancients , and they will be found to correspond with the opinions of the most eminent sages among the heathens , upon the troublewhich attends literary pursuits , certainly the case has notbeen altered for the better in more polished and scientific periods of tlie world . In proportion as literature hath been diffused and cultivatedhave the murmurings of its peculiar votaries
multi-, plied . The impediments to free enquiry are complained of by men who pursue metaphysical and theological researches to blasphemy , and by politicians who openly vindicate republicanism and rebellion . Literary envy and jealousy are frequently deplored by men who deal out liberally every month , in the critical journals , a copious stream of abuse upon those whose uncharitableness they condemn .
A want of encouragement and the depression of genius , by the paucity of patrons and the mercenary spirit of booksellers , is a fruitful subject of lamentation to authors , whose works have received the most liberal approbation , and who dictate the most extravagant
terms to their publishers . These are only fanciful evils ; but it will be found , I believe , that they are either more painfully felt , or more generally the topic of complaint than others . It is , perhaps , the greatest of all misfortunes , to have a disposition more apt to create ideal evils , than-to surmount real ones . This misfortune seems peculiarly fated to attend those who
venturously select for their course of life the arduous and intricate paths of literature . In their progress they are harassed by the mortifying idea that their brethren regard thein with suspicion , and the world with indifference . The pride of a man of literature is more easily hurt than that of other men . What others regard as circumstantial injuries , or such as
have only an influence on the moment , he treats as connected with the immortality to which he lays claim as his undoubted right . Opposition of sentiment gives pain to the learned man ; ' but this again , it must be allowed , is counterbalanced by the sensation of superiority , and the stimulus which it gives to further enquiry and more animated exertions .
As connected with the world at large , perhaps few characters are so much the victims of self-torment as authors . The silence ofthe public respecting their merits is miserable ingratitude , painful -to be borne ; just animadversion is an illiberal spirit joined with a want o »