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The Praise of Folly SI And first, if Prudence depends upon Experience, to whom is the honour of that name more proper? To the Wiseman, who partly out of modesty and partly distrust of himself, attempts nothing ; or the Fool, whom neither Modesty which he never had, nor Danger which he never considers, can discourage from any thing? The Wiseman has recourse to the Books of the Antients, and from thence picks nothing but subtilties of words. The Fool, in undertaking and venturing on the business of the world, gathers, if I mistake not, the true Prudence, such as Homer though blind may be said to have seen, when he said 1°The burnt child dreads the fire’. For there are two main obstacles to the knowledge of things, Modesty that casts a mist before the understanding, and Fear that, having fanci’d a danger, disswades us from the attempt. But from these Folly sufficiently frees us, and few there are that rightly understand of what great advantage it is to blush at nothing and attempt every thing. But if ye had rather take Prudence for that that consists in the judgment of things, hear 1 bexOev S€ Te vamos eyvw. E 2
