[L] _Dum vitat humum, nubes et inania captet_. Horat.
[M] _Ingenio, sicut in Agro, quanquam alia diu Serantur
atque elaborentur, gratiora tamen quae sua sponte nascuntur_.
Tacit. de Orator, c. 6.
It is of fatal Consequence to a good _Genius_ to grasp at too
much. "A certain Magistrate (says _Bruyere_) arriving, by his
Merit, to the first Dignities of the Gown, thought himself
qualified for every Thing. He printed a Treatise of Morality, and
published himself a Coxcomb." Universal _Genij_ and universal
Scholars are generally excellent at nothing. He is certainly the
wisest Man, who endeavours to be perfectly furnished for some
Business, and regards other Matters as no more than his
Amusement.
A _Genius_ being thus observed, humoured and cultivated, is to be
kept in Heart, and upon proper Occasions to be exerted. Without
this, it may sink and be lost. All Habits are weakened by Disuse.
And Men who are furnished with a _Genius_, for publick
Usefulness, should put themselves forward; I mean, with due
Modesty and Prudence, and not suffer their Talents to be hid,
when a fair Opportunity offers to do Service with them. Indeed it
is too common an Unhappiness for Men to be so placed, as to have
no Opportunity and Advantage for shewing their _Genius_. As
Matters are generally managed in the World, Men are for the most
part staked down to such Business, in such Alliances, or in such
Circumstances, that they have no proper Occasions of exerting
themselves; but instead of that, are continually tugging and
striving with things that are cross and ungrateful to them.
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