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Limitations To Man's Knowledge

Limitations To Man's Knowledge image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
November
Year
1862
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

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, '

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus