Traveller

Is a Native of all Countries, and an Alien at Home. He flies from the Place where he was hatched, like a Wildgoose, and prefers all others before it. He has no Quarrel to it, but because he was born in it, and like a Bastard, he is ashamed of his Mother, because she is of him. He is a Merchant, that makes Voyages into foreign Nations, to drive a Trade in Wisdom and Politics, and is is not for his Credit to have it thoughts, he has made an ill Return, which must be, if he should allow of any of the Growth of his own Country. This makes him quick and blow up himself with Admiration of foreign Parts, and a generous Contempt of Home, that all Men may admire, at least, the means he has had of Improvement, and deplore their own Defects. His Observations are like a Sieve, that lets the finer Flour pass, and retains only the Bran of Things; for his whole Return of Wisdom proves to be but Affectation, a perishable Commodity, which he will never be able to put off. He velieve all Men’s Wits are at a stand, that stay at Home, and only those advanced, that travel; as if Change of Pasture did make great Politicians, as well as fat Calves. He pities the little knowledge of Truth which those have, that have not seen the World abroad, forgetting, that at the same time he tells us, how little Credit is to be given to his own Relations and those of others, that speak and write of their Travels. He has worn his own Language to Rags, and patched it up with Scraps and Ends of foreign–This serves him for Wit, and they applaud one another accordingly. He believes this Raggedness of his Discourse a great Demonstration of the Improvement of his Knowledge ; as Inns-of-Court Men intimate their Proficiency in the Law by the Tatters of their Gowns All the Wit he brought Home with him is like foreign Coin, of a baser Alloy than our own, and so will not pass here without great Loss. All noble Creatures, that are famous in any one Country, degenerate by being transplanted; and those of mean Value only improve–If it hold with Men, he falls among the Number of the latter, and his Improvements are little to his Credit. All he can say for himself is, his Mind was sick of a Consumption, and change of Air has cured him : For all his other Improvements have only been to eat in . . . . and talk with those he did not understand; to hold Intelligence with all Gazettes, and from the Sight of Statesmen in the Street unriddle the Intrigues of all their Councils, to make a wondrous Progress into Knowledge by riding with a Messenger, and advance In Politics by mounting of a Mule, run through all Sorts of Learning in a Waggon, and found all Depths of Arts in Felucca, ride post into the Secrets of all States, and grow acquainted with their close Designs in Inns and Hostleries; for certainly there is great Virtue in Highways and Hedges to make an able Man, and a good Prospect cannot but let him see far into Things.