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THE UNIVERSAL REFORMATION. 59
stationers, printers, such as sell paper, pens, and ink, or
other such things appertaining to learning, we may very
well correct their errors, but if we offer to rectify the faults
6f other trades, we shall commit worse errors, and become
more ridiculous then the shoemaker who would judge of
colours, and durst censure Apelles his pictures. This, I
must say, is a defect frequent in us Litterati, who, for four
cujus that we have in our heads, pretend to know all things,
and are not aware that when we first swerve from our books
we run riot, and say a thousand things from the purpose.
I say this, gentlemen, because nothing more obviates refor-
mations then to walk therein in the dark, which happens
when reformers are not well acquainted with the vices
of those with whom they have to deal. The reason is
apparent, for nothing
makes men more obstinate in their
errors then when they find their reformers ill-informed of
their defects. Now, which of us is acquainted with the
falsehood of notaries, the prevarications of advocates, the
simony of judges, the tricks of attorneys,
the cheats of
apothecaries, the filching of tailors, the roguery of butchers,
and the cheating tricks of a thousand other artificers 1 And
yet all these excesses must be by us corrected, which are so
far from our profession that we shall appear like so many
blind fellows fumbling to stop a leaky cask which spills the
wine on every side. This, gentlemen, is enough
to con-
vince you that reformation is only likely to proceed well
when mariners discourse of navigation, souldiers of war,
shepherds of sheep,
and herdsmen of bullocks. It is mani-
fest presumption in us to pretend to know all things,
and meer malice to believe that in every occupation there
are not three or four honest men. My opinion, therefore,
is, that we ought to send for a few of each profession of