buttoolongspeechestotheEphori，whenhesaid:\"Ostranger！thouspeakestthethingsthoushouldstspeak，butnotasthoushouldstspeakthem。\"——[Plutarch，ApothegmsoftheLacedamonians。]——Suchashaveleanandsparebodiesstuffthemselvesoutwithclothes;sotheywhoaredefectiveinmatterendeavourtomakeamendswithwords。
Humanunderstandingismarvellouslyenlightenedbydailyconversationwithmen，forweare，otherwise，compressedandheapedupinourselves，andhaveoursightlimitedtothelengthofourownnoses。OneaskingSocratesofwhatcountryhewas，hedidnotmakeanswer，ofAthens，butoftheworld;——[Cicero，Tusc。Quaes。，v。37;Plutarch，OnExile，c。4。]——
hewhoseimaginationwasfullerandwider，embracedthewholeworldforhiscountry，andextendedhissocietyandfriendshiptoallmankind;
notaswedo，wholooknofurtherthanourfeet。Whenthevinesofmyvillagearenippedwiththefrost，myparishpriestpresentlyconcludes，thattheindignationofGodhasgoneoutagainstallthehumanrace，andthatthecannibalshavealreadygotthepip。Whoisitthat，seeingthehavocofthesecivilwarsofours，doesnotcryout，thatthemachineoftheworldisneardissolution，andthatthedayofjudgmentisathand;
withoutconsidering，thatmanyworsethingshavebeenseen，andthatinthemeantime，peopleareverymerryinathousandotherpartsoftheearthforallthis？Formypart，consideringthelicenceandimpunitythatalwaysattendsuchcommotions，Iwondertheyaresomoderate，andthatthereisnomoremischiefdone。Tohimwhofeelsthehailstonespatterabouthisears，thewholehemisphereappearstobeinstormandtempest;liketheridiculousSavoyard，whosaidverygravely，thatifthatsimplekingofFrancecouldhavemanagedhisfortuneasheshouldhavedone，hemightintimehavecometohavebeenstewardofthehouseholdtothedukehismaster:thefellowcouldnot，inhisshallowimagination，conceivethattherecouldbeanythinggreaterthanaDukeofSavoy。And，intruth，weareallofus，insensibly，inthiserror，anerrorofaverygreatweightandveryperniciousconsequence。Butwhoevershallrepresenttohisfancy，asinapicture，thatgreatimageofourmothernature，inherfullmajestyandlustre，whoeverinherfaceshallreadsogeneralandsoconstantavariety，whoevershallobservehimselfinthatfigure，andnothimselfbutawholekingdom，nobiggerthantheleasttouchorprickofapencilincomparisonofthewhole，thatmanaloneisabletovaluethingsaccordingtotheirtrueestimateandgrandeur。