Page:Shaftesbury - Principes de la philosophie morale, tad Diderot, 1745.djvu/15

La bibliothèque libre.
Le texte de cette page a été corrigé et est conforme au fac-similé.

dont nous la traitons, ou qu’il est moins essentiel maintenant de connoître ses devoirs, ou qu’il est plus aisé de s’en acquitter. Un jeune homme au sortir de son cours de Philosophie, est jetté dans un monde d’Athées, de Déistes, de Sociniens, de Spi-

    runs so low. She is no longer active in the World ; nor can hardly, wich any advantage, be brought upon the publick Stage. We have immur’d her (poor Lady !) in Colleges and Cells ; and have set her servilely to fuch Works as those in the Mines. Empirics, and pedantick Sophists are her chief Pupils. The schoolsyllogism, and the Elixir, are the choicest of her Products. So far is she from producing Statesmen, as of old, that hardly any Man of Note in the publick cares to own the leaft Obligation to her. If some few maintain their Acquaintance, & come now and then to her Recesses,’tis as the Disciple of Quality came to his Lord and Master ; « secretly, and by night. » Peinture admirable du triste état de la Philosophie parmi nous ; mais qu’on ne peut rendre dans notre Langue avec toute sa force.