Theworldisfilledwiththeproverbs[663] andactsandwinkingsofabaseprudence, whichisadevotiontomatter, asifwepossessednootherfacultiesthanthepalate, thenose, thetouch, theeyeandear; aprudencewhichadorestheRuleofThree, whichneversubscribes, whichgivesnever, whichseldomlends, andasksbutonequestionofanyproject,—Willitbakebread? , revealingthehighoriginoftheapparentworldandaimingattheperfectionofthemanastheend, degradeseverythingelse, ashealthandbodilylife, , , theachievementofacivilorsocialmeasure, greatpersonalinfluence, agracefulandcommandingaddress, , hemaybeagoodwheelorpin,[664] butheisnotacultivatedman.
Thespuriousprudence, makingthesensesfinal, isthegodofsotsandcowards, 'sjoke, andthereforeliterature',—theorderoftheworldandthedistributionofaffairsandtimesbeingstudiedwiththeco-perceptionoftheirsubordinateplace, , ourexistence, thusapparentlyattachedinnaturetothesunandthereturningmoonandtheperiodswhichtheymark; sosusceptibletoclimateandtocountry, soalivetosocialgoodandevil, sofondofsplendorandsotendertohungerandcoldanddebt,—readsallitsprimarylessonsoutofthesebooks.
Prudencedoesnotgobehindnatureandaskwhenceitis? Ittakesthelawsoftheworldwherebyman'sbeingisconditioned, astheyare, , climate, want, sleep, thelawofpolarity,[665] , togiveboundandperiodtohisbeingonallsides, thesunandmoon, thegreatformalistsinthesky: hereliesstubbornmatter, , piercedandbeltedwithnaturallawsandfencedanddistributedexternallywithcivilpartitionsandpropertieswhichimposenewrestraintsontheyounginhabitant.