to fill up ye blanks so far as you can; but I am afraid that will be a
work of time, and retard the edition. Whatever you conceive may give
offence may by ye wording of it be so softned and sweetned as to take
off ye edge of it, as pills are gilded to make them lesse ungratefull.
As for the soil or air altering the nature, and influencing the wits
of men, if it be modestly delivered, no man will be offended at it,
because it accrues not to them by their own fault: and yet in such
places as dull men's wits there are some exceptions to be made. You
know the poet observes that Democritus was an example -

Summos posse viros, et magna exempla daturos
Vervecû in patria, crassoque sub aere nasci.

Neither is yr observation universally true that the sons of labourers
and rusticks are more dull and indocile than those of gentlemen and
tradesmen; for though I doe not pretend to have become of the first
magnitude for wit or docility, yet I think I may without arrogance say
that in our paltry country school here at Braintry - "Ego meis me
minoribus condiscipulis ingenio prælu[si]": but perchance the
advantage I had of my contemporaries may rather be owing to my
industry than natural parts; so that I should rather say "studio" or
"industria excellui".

I think (if you can give me leave to be free with you) that you are a
little too inclinable to credit strange relations. I have found men
that are not skilfull in ye history of nature, very credulous, and apt
to impose upon themselves and others, and therefore dare not give a
firm assent to anything they report upon their own autority; but are
ever suspicious that they may either be deceived themselves, or
delight to teratologize (pardon ye word) and to make a shew of knowing