states, proceeded to translate his _Essays_ into
that language, under the title _Sermones fideles_; at which work
Hobbes assisted him.[1]

[Footnote 1: Cf. Thomae Hobbes vita: _Carolopoli apud Eleutherium
Anglicum_, 1681, p. 22.]

Here let me observe, by way of parenthesis, that when patriotism tries
to urge its claims in the domain of knowledge, it commits an offence
which should not be tolerated. For in those purely human questions
which interest all men alike, where truth, insight, beauty, should be
of sole account, what can be more impertinent than to let preference
for the nation to which a man's precious self happens to belong,
affect the balance of judgment, and thus supply a reason for doing
violence to truth and being unjust to the great minds of a foreign
country in order to make much of the smaller minds of one's own!
Still, there are writers in every nation in Europe, who afford
examples of this vulgar feeling. It is this which led Yriarte to
caricature them in the thirty-third of his charming _Literary
Fables_.[1]

[Footnote 1: _Translator's Note._--Tomas de Yriarte (1750-91), a
Spanish poet, and keeper of archives in the War Office at Madrid. His
two best known works are a didactic poem, entitled _La Musica_, and
the _Fables_ here quoted, which satirize the peculiar foibles of
literary men. They have been translated into many languages; into
English by Rockliffe (3rd edition, 1866). The fable in question
describes how, at a picnic of the animals, a discussion arose as to
which of them carried off the palm for superiority of talent. The
praises of the ant, the dog, the bee, and the parrot were sung in
turn; but at last the ostrich stood up and declared for the dromedary.
Whereupon the dromedary stood up and declared for the ostrich. No one
could discover the reason for this mutual compliment. Was it because
both were such uncouth beasts, or had such long necks, or were neither
of them particularly clever or beautiful? or was it because each had a
hump? _No_! said the fox, _you are all wrong. Don't you see they are
both foreigners_? Cannot the same be said of many men of learning?]

In learning a language, the chief difficulty consists in making
acquaintance with every idea which it expresses, even though it should
use words for which there is no exact equivalent in the mother tongue;
and this often happens. In learning a new language a man has, as it
were, to mark out in his mind the boundaries of quit