an Air of Sobriety? That I do: To inform you then, the Generality are so ignorant as to mistake this Gentlewoman for Learning; whereas she is really but a Counterfeit of that Quality. Now those who are upon the Road to Recovery and True Knowledge, commonly bait with her first. And is there no other way to True Knowledge but this? Yes, there is. Here I put in again, and ask’d him, who are those Men that walk within the Court there? These, says he, are the Admirers of pretended Learning, only they mistake the Person of their Mistress, and fancy themselves in the Conversation of True Knowledge. Pray who are they? Here’s a great many sorts of them, says he, here are Poets, Orators, and Logicians, Musick-Masters, Accomptants, Mathematicians, and Astrologers, Epicureans, Peripateticks, Philologers, &c. But under favour, methinks I see some Women like Debauchery, and the rest of her Companions which you shew’d me before, pray who are they? The very same: what? Do they walk in this Inner Court? As sure as you live sometimes, tho’ not so often as in the first. And does Fancy, and uncertain Opinion take a Turn here too? Most undoubtedly, says he: And which is more, these Sparks being not recover’d
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of Cebes the Theban.
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