Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Travels through Lapland - Chapter XI - Conclusion
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
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 fatisfaction 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
with to perform it after him. The love of fame is juftly denomi-
nated the laft 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 diffufing it; and fuch difcouragement
is perhaps the moft fatal, when it comes from a quarter refpected
and looked up to by the public.
Travels in Lapland, inftead of leaving nothing in the mind of
the traveller but an unproduttive vanity, furnifh every one who is
defirous of extending the {phere of his knowledge, and who is
captivated by the ftudy of nature, with a thoufand fubjeéts 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 vaft a field is opened for refearch to the natu-
ralift..
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
