a discourse on method-第2章

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ers；　and　commands　the　admiration　of　the　more　simple；　that　jurisprudence；　medicine；　and　the　other　sciences；　secure　for　their　cultivators　honors　and　riches；　and；　in　fine；　that　it　is　useful　to　bestow　some　attention　upon　all；　even　upon　those　abounding　the　most　in　superstition　and　error；　that　we　may　be　in　a　position　to　determine　their　real　value；　and　guard　against　being　deceived。

But　I　believed　that　I　had　already　given　sufficient　time　to　languages；　and　likewise　to　the　reading　of　the　writings　of　the　ancients；　to　their　histories　and　fables。　　　For　to　hold　converse　with　those　of　other　ages　and　to　travel；　are　almost　the　same　thing。　　It　is　useful　to　know　something　of　the　manners　of　different　nations；　that　we　may　be　enabled　　to　form　a　more　correct　judgment　regarding　our　own；　and　be　prevented　from　thinking　that　everything　contrary　to　our　customs　is　ridiculous　and　irrational；　a　conclusion　usually　come　to　by　those　whose　experience　has　been　limited　to　their　own　country。　　On　the　other　hand；　when　too　much　time　is　occupied　in　traveling；　we　become　strangers　to　our　native　country；　and　the　over　curious　in　the　customs　of　the　past　are　generally　ignorant　of　those　of　the　present。　　Besides；　fictitious　narratives　lead　us　to　imagine　the　possibility　of　many　events　that　are　impossible；　and　even　the　most　faithful　histories；　if　they　do　not　wholly　misrepresent　matters；　or　exaggerate　their　importance　to　render　the　account　of　them　more　worthy　of　perusal；　omit；　at　least；　almost　always　the　meanest　and　least　striking　of　the　attendant　circumstances；　hence　it　happens　that　the　remainder　does　not　represent　the　truth；　and　that　such　as　regulate　their　conduct　by　examples　drawn　from　this　source；　are　apt　to　fall　into　the　extravagances　of　the　knight…errants　of　romance；　and　to　entertain　projects　that　exceed　their　powers。

I　esteemed　eloquence　highly；　and　was　in　raptures　with　poesy；　but　I　thought　that　both　were　gifts　of　nature　rather　than　fruits　of　study。　　Those　in　whom　the　faculty　of　reason　is　predominant；　and　who　most　skillfully　dispose　their　thoughts　with　a　view　to　render　them　clear　and　intelligible；　are　always　the　best　able　to　persuade　others　of　the　truth　of　what　they　lay　down；　though　they　should　speak　only　in　the　language　of　Lower　Brittany；　and　be　wholly　ignorant　of　the　rules　of　rhetoric；　and　those　whose　minds　are　stored　with　the　most　agreeable　fancies；　and　who　can　give　expression　to　them　with　the　greatest　embellishment　and　harmony；　are　still　the　best　poets；　though　unacquainted　with　the　art　of　poetry。

I　was　especially　delighted　with　the　mathematics；　on　account　of　the　certitude　and　evidence　of　their　reasonings；　　but　I　had　not　as　yet　a　precise　knowledge　of　their　true　use；　and　thinking　that　they　but　contributed　to　the　advancement　of　the　mechanical　arts；　I　was　astonished　that　foundations；　so　strong　and　solid；　should　have　had　no　loftier　superstructure　reared　on　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　I　compared　the　disquisitions　of　the　ancient　moralists　to　very　towering　and　magnificent　palaces　with　no　better　foundation　than　sand　and　mud：　　they　laud　the　virtues　very　highly；　and　exhibit　them　as　estimable　far　above　anything　on　earth；　but　they　give　us　no　adequate　criterion　of　virtue；　and　frequently　that　which　they　designate　with　so　fine　a　name　is　but　apathy；　or　pride；　or　despair；　or　parricide。

I　revered　our　theology；　and　aspired　as　much　as　any　one　to　reach　heaven：　but　being　given　assuredly　to　understand　that　the　way　is　not　less　open　to　the　most　ignorant　than　to　the　most　learned；　and　that　the　revealed　truths　which　lead　to　heaven　are　above　our　comprehension；　I　did　not　presume　to　subject　them　to　the　impotency　of　my　reason；　and　I　thought　that　in　order　competently　to　undertake　their　examination；　there　was　need　of　some　special　help　from　heaven；　and　of　being　more　than　man。

Of　philosophy　I　will　say　nothing；　except　that　when　I　saw　that　it　had　been　cultivated　for　many　ages　by　the　most　distinguished　men；　and　that　yet　there　is　not　a　single　matter　within　its　sphere　which　is　not　still　in　dispute；　and　nothing；　therefore；　which　is　above　doubt；　I　did　not　presume　to　anticipate　that　my　success　would　be　greater　in　it　than　that　of　others；　and　further；　when　I　considered　the　number　of　conflicting　opinions　touching　a　single　matter　that　may　be　upheld　by　learned　men；　while　there　can　be　but　one　true；　I　reckoned　as　well…nigh　false　all　that　was　only　probable。

As　to　the　other　sciences；　inasmuch　as　these　borrow　their　principles　from　philosophy；　I　judged　that　no　solid　superstructures　could　be　reared　on　foundations　so　infirm；　and　neither　the　honor　nor　the　gain　held　out　by　them　was　sufficient　to　determine　me　to　their　cultivation：　　for　I　was　not；　thank　Heaven；　in　a　condition　which　compelled　me　to　make　merchandise　of　science　for　the　bettering　of　my　fortune；　and　though　I　might　not　profess　to　scorn　glory　as　a　cynic；　I　yet　made　very　slight　account　of　that　honor　which　I　hoped　to　acquire　only　through　fictitious　titles。　　And；　in　fine；　of　false　sciences　I　thought　I　knew　the　worth　sufficiently　to　escape　being　deceived　by　the　professions　of　an　alchemist；　the　predictions　of　an　astrologer；　the　impostures　of　a　magician；　or　by　the　artifices　and　boasting　of　any　of　those　who　profess　to　know　things　of　which　they　are　ignorant。

For　these　reasons；　as　soon　as　my　age　permitted　me　to　pass　from　under　the　control　of　my　instructors；　I　entirely　abandoned　the　study　of　letters；　and　resolved　no　longer　to　seek　any　other　science　than　the　knowledge　of　myself；　or　of　the　great　book　of　the　world。　　I　spent　the　remainder　of　my　youth　in　traveling；　in　visiting　courts　and　armies；　in　holding　intercourse　with　men　of　different　dispositions　and　ranks；　in　collecting　varied　experience；　in　proving　myself　in　the　different　situations　into　which　fortune　threw　me；　and；　above　all；　in　making　such　reflection　on　the　matter　of　my　experience　as　to　secure　my　improvement。　　For　it　occurred　to　me　that　I　should　find　much　more　truth　in　the　reasonings　of　each　individual　with　reference　to　the　affairs　in　which　he　is　personally　interested；　and　the　issue　of　which　must　presently　punish　him　if　he　has　judged　amiss；　than　in　those　conducted　by　a　man　of　letters　in　his　study；　regarding　speculative　matters　that　are　of　no　practical　moment；　and　followed　by　no　consequences　to　himself；　farther；　perhaps；　than　that　they　foster　his　vanity　the　better　the　more　remote　they　are　from　common　sense；　requiring；　as　they　must　in　this　case；　the　exercise　of　greater　ingenuity　and　art　to　render　them　probable。　　In　addition；　I　had　always　a　most　earnest　desire　to　know　how　to　distinguish　the　true　from　the　false；　in　order　that　I　might　be　able　clearly　to　discriminate　the　right　path　in　life；　and　proceed　in　it　with　confidence。

It　is　true　that；　while　busied　only　in　considering　the　manners　of　other　men；　I　found　here；　too；　scarce　any　ground　for　settled　conviction；　and　remarked　hardly　less　contradiction　among　them　than　in　the　opinions　of　the　philosophers。　　So　that　the　greatest　advantage　I　derived　from　the　study　consisted　in　this；　that；　observing　many　things　which；　however　extravagant　and　ridiculous　to　our　apprehension；　are　yet　by　common　consent　received　and　approved　by　other　great　nations；　I　learned　to　entertain　too　decided　a　belief　in　regard　to　nothing　of　the　truth　of　which　I　had　been　persuaded　merely　by　example　and　custom；　and　thus　I　gradually　extricated　myself　from　many　errors　powerful　enough　to　darken　our　natural　intelligence；　and　incapacitate　us　in　great　measure　from　listening　to　reason。　　But　after　I　had　been　occupied　several　years　in　thus　studying　the　book　of　the　world；　and　in　essaying　to　gather　some　experience；　I　at　length　resolved　to　make　myself　an　object　of　study；　and　to　employ　all　the　powers　of　my　mind　in　choosing　the　paths　I　ought　to　follow；　an　undertaking　which　was　accompanied　with　greater　success　than　it　would　have　been　had　I　never　quitted　my　country　or　my　books。



PART　II

I　was　then　in　Germany；　attracted　thither　by　the　wars　in　that　country；　which　have　not　yet　been　brought　to　a　termination；　and　as　I　was　returning　to　the　army　from　the　coronation　of　the　emperor；　the　setting　in　of　winter　arrested　me　in　a　locality　where；　as　I　found　no　society　to　interest　me；　and　was　besides　fortunately　undisturbed　by　any　cares　or　passions；　I　remained　the　whole　day　in　seclusion；　with　full　opportunity　to　occupy　my　attention