Limitations To Man's Knowledge
rhe lüirrow liinils wittliin which hunan knowledgeis confinad are well Het :rth in thee MUtwing narrativo, told jy an allegorical personage n an pJd Arabiiin Work. It conmina a slinrp rebuke to thut Belf-siiiïiuieney which thinkg its own range of knowledge coinjlete and absolute . I passed one day by a very ancient and wonderl'ully populous ei'y, and I asked one of its inhabitantu how long il lad been founded. "It is indeed a mighty city," replied ie; "we know not how long it has existed, and our ancestors vrera on this subject as ignorant as auríílves," Five uenturie.s aflerward, iis I passed by ihnsame place. loould not perceive the sliühttst ve.s'.ige of the oity. I deinanded of a farmer, tvho was gathering herbs upon lts iontier eitef how long il hiid been dctroyjd. ■ " In sooth a strange question !" ra plied he, "The ground here has never been different from what vou now behold it." " Was there not of old," said I, " a splendid city here?" "Never," answered he, "so far as we have seen, and nevqr djc} our falliera 8peak to us of any Kuch." On my return there five hundred ye;irs utterwards, I f rund the sea in the same p?acc, and on its shores wtire i party of fisherrnen. of whom I inquired how long the land had been covered by the waters. " Is this a qijegtjon," said they, " for a man like you ? This spot has "always been what it iei now " I again -eturned, five hundred yenrs afterwatd, and the sea had disappeared ; I inquired of a tnan who stood alone upon the spot. now long ago this chunge had taken place, and he gave inothüaaino anawer I had rep.eivud before. liastly, on coming back again after an equal lupae of time, I found ti'ere a g city, rrore populous and more rich 'm beaut.ifnl buildings ihan the city I had seon the first time, and v hen I would fiiin have infonned invsrlt concerning ;ts origin, the inhabitants alk-wen d me, l' )t!H rise is lost in remóle antiquity we are iguorant how long it luis exi-ted, nnd our falhars wi.'re on this subject as iguorant as ourselves." I H J5S" ïf the poor hon.se has any terrors fíi' yon never buy hat yon do not nei'il. Buíore yon pny thi'eo eant-e fot' :i juwshiirp, sue if yon oíin't m:iko jogt a pleasiinf a noiso by whistling, fe ir nnture h;is prnvidorl tha inf.Bhinerv. Before yon pur pevc-n dallara for a fig urefl vest, young man find wt yhelher your I iid y ]ove would not bo jnat B well pleased wilh one w.irth bu! half the money. If sY.o wouldn't, let her crack her ovvn wglouti ünd buy her owd elethes, '
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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus