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THROUGH SWEDEN. 117
ifland, as a prefent to the cabinet of natural hiftory, were on that
account made academicians. Phyficians in the ifland of St. Bar-
thelemi have been rewarded for fimilar fervices in the fame man-
ner: even poft-mafters have been complimented with the title of
member, merely to enfure the fafe conveyance of letters and
parcels. Such are the fopperies and abfurdities that have been
committed in Sweden by a fociety of philofophers! The name
of academician, or fellow of a learned fociety, ought not to be
beftowed upon any other qualification or character than that
of a man of letters. But thefe qualities are not attached to rank
and fortune, or.other advantages; nor can they be created by the
diploma of an academy. It is therefore ridiculous and inconfiftent
with: good fenfe to place men in. fituations for which’ they are.
not fit. » Let the academies found orders, and grant to: their fa-
vourites, crofles.or any other particular marks of diftinétion; all
thefe may be innocent: but they fhould not pretend, by the magic
of their eleGion, to make philofophers of men who perhaps fearce
underftand the meaning of the expreffion. ) ;
_- Intrigue, cabal, and envy of real merit, the little vices of fome
academies and learned focieties, have an unavoidable tendency .to
expofe them to the attacks of wit and ridicule. The farcaftical
- epigrams to. which the ignorance and dulnefs of individual acade-
micians have: given ‘birth in different countries, would form an
excellent jeft-book, and be more generally and indeed more juftly
admired than a great part of their memoirs or tranfactions. All
the: world knows the epitaph on Pirron:
«Ci
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