Series 1 > Journal of the Hon. John Erskine of Carnock, 1683-1687

XXXVI
ERSKINE’S JOURNAL
pleasures than by his own neglect of learning he can have of
spirituall. This I could make very clear, my dear Johnie,
even to your waik capacity, if too long a letter did not make
you forget what is materiall in it: but in hopes it will not, I’ll
let you see how freely God Almighty allows his servants the
use of all their facultys of soul and body, and lightens their
pleasurs in the person of each of them. The facultys of the
soul you cannot yet know the powers of, being but in the way
of learning, which only can discover them to you, and without
which they are never knowen : But those of the body, com¬
parison may give you a sense of. If ther be any pleasure in fine
clothes, the learned man may be as fine and nate as any Beau;
and he has this advantage over them in their best dress, that
the outside is just the same, and the inward man casts such
ane additional luster upon it as attracts the eyes of all
beholders, that the Beau is not so much as lookt at but with
derision. If there be pleasure in conversation, the learned man
both has that and can give it to others; whatever company he
is into, like a loadstone, with airn he draws all the valowable
pairt about him, some admiring him, others receiving benefite
by his wise discourses, others praising and almost adoring him.
Judge you what additional pleasure this must be to him, to be
lookt upon as a god wherever he goes, and indeed nothing
makes men so near to resemble God as knowledge. If there be
any pleasure in the company of Ladys, none can pretend so
much to that as the man of learning and vertuefor in his
friendship the Ladys can safly repose, their character runs no
haizard: they think themselves honoured when in the number
of his friends, and there is none will refuse him that name,
wheras the ignorant fope is shun’d by all women of reputation,
and if he intrude upon their civility, they are ashamed of it,
and deny being of his acquentance. If there be pleasure in
drinking, the wise man has all necessary freedom to eat and
drinke with his friends what runs not to exces, and to be
merry, and his conversation adds life and spirits to their liquer,