Democritus
and
his
Neighbours
.
Imitated
from
Fontaine
.
IN
Vulgar
Minds
what
Errors
do
arise
!
How
diff'ring
are
the
Notions
,
they
possess
,
From
theirs
,
whom
better
Sense
do's
bless
,
Who
justly
are
enroll'd
amongst
the
Learn'd
and
Wise
!
Democritus
,
whilst
he
all
Science
taught
,
Was
by
his
foolish
Neighbours
thought
Distracted
in
his
Wits
;
Who
call
his
speculative
Flights
,
His
solitary
Walks
in
starry
Nights
,
But
wild
and
frantick
Fits
.
Bless
me
,
each
cries
,
from
such
a
working
Brain
!
And
to
Hippocrates
they
send
The
Sage's
long-acquainted
Friend
,
To
put
in
Tune
his
jarring
Mind
again
,
And
Pericranium
mend
.
Away
the
Skilful
Doctor
comes
Of
Recipes
and
Med'cines
full
,
To
check
the
giddy
Whirl
of
Nature's
Fires
,
If
so
th'
unruly
Case
requires
;
Or
with
his
Cobweb-cleansing
Brooms
To
sweep
and
clear
the
over-crouded
Scull
,
If
settl'd
Spirits
flag
,
and
make
the
Patient
dull
.
But
asking
what
the
Symptoms
were
,
That
made
'em
think
he
was
so
bad
?
The
Man
indeed
,
they
cry'd
,
is
wond'rous
Mad
.
You
,
at
this
Distance
,
may
behold
him
there
Beneath
that
Tree
in
open
Air
,
Surrounded
with
the
Engines
of
his
Fate
,
The
Gimcracks
of
a
broken
Pate
.
Those
Hoops
a
Sphere
he
calls
,
That
Ball
the
Earth
;
And
when
into
his
raving
Fit
he
falls
,
'Twou'd
move
at
once
your
Pity
,
and
your
Mirth
,
To
hear
him
,
as
you
will
do
soon
,
Declaring
,
there's
a
Kingdom
in
the
Moon
;
And
that
each
Star
,
for
ought
he
knows
,
May
some
Inhabitants
enclose
:
Philosophers
,
he
says
,
may
there
abound
,
Such
Jugglers
as
himself
be
in
them
found
;
Which
if
there
be
,
the
World
may
well
turn
round
;
At
least
to
those
,
whose
Whimsies
are
so
strange
,
That
,
whilst
they're
fixt
to
one
peculiar
Place
,
Pretend
to
measure
far
extended
Space
,
And
'mongst
the
Planets
range
.
Behold
him
now
contemplating
that
Head
,
From
which
long-since
both
Flesh
,
and
Brains
are
fled
;
Questioning
,
if
that
empty
,
hollow
Bowl
Did
not
ere
while
contain
the
Human
Soul
:
Then
starts
a
Doubt
,
if
'twere
not
to
the
Heart
That
Nature
rather
did
that
Gift
impart
.
Good
Sir
,
employ
the
utmost
of
your
Skill
,
To
make
him
Wiser
,
tho'
against
his
Will
;
Who
thinks
,
that
he
already
All
exceeds
,
And
laughs
at
our
most
solemn
Words
and
Deeds
:
Tho'
once
amongst
us
he
wou'd
try
a
Cause
,
And
Bus'ness
of
the
Town
discuss
,
Knowing
,
as
well
as
one
of
us
,
The
Price
of
Corn
,
and
standing
Market-Laws
;
Wou'd
bear
an
Office
in
his
Turn
,
For
which
good
Purposes
all
Men
were
born
;
Not
to
be
making
Circles
in
the
Sand
,
And
scaling
Heav'n
,
till
they
have
sold
their
Land
.
Or
,
when
unstock'd
below
their
Pasture
lies
,
To
find
out
Bulls
and
Rams
,
amidst
the
Skies
.
From
these
Mistakes
his
Madness
we
conclude
;
And
hearing
,
you
was
with
much
Skill
endu'd
,
Your
Aid
we
sought
.
Hippocrates
amaz'd
,
Now
on
the
Sage
,
now
on
the
Rabble
gaz'd
;
And
whilst
he
needless
finds
his
artful
Rules
,
Pities
a
Man
of
Sense
,
judg'd
by
a
Croud
of
Fools
Then
how
can
we
with
their
Opinions
join
,
Who
,
to
promote
some
Int'rest
,
wou'd
define
The
Peoples
Voice
to
be
the
Voice
Divine
?