204 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



and let him take out any book at a venture, the 

 jhrfl: page of that book on which he may chance to 

 lay his hand, fliall contain an error. How many 

 probabilities Hiould 1 have in my favour, among 

 romance-writers, poets, mythologifts, hiftorians, 

 panegyrifls, moralifts, naturaliils of ages paft, and 

 metaphyficians of all ages and of all countries ? 

 There is, in truth, a very fimple method to check 

 the mifchief which their opinions might produce; 

 it is to arrange all the books which contradiâ: 

 themfelves, by the fide of each other ; as thefe 

 are, in every walk of literature, almoR infinite in 

 number, the refult of human knowledge, as far 

 as they convey it, will be reduced almoft to no- 

 thing. 



By our very methods of acquiring knowledge, 

 we are deluded into error. Firft, to fucceed in the 

 fearch of Truth, we ought to be entirely exempted 

 from the influence of paflionj and yet, from our 

 earlieft infancy, the paffions are wilfully fet afloat, 

 and thus reafon receives an improper bias from the 

 very firft. This maxim is laid down as the funda- 

 mental bafis of all conduél, and of all opinion, 



and for a confidcrable part of the day, for the infpee^ion and 

 life of ftrangers as well as natives. And, even in Paris, I faw 

 no petty officer, on duty at the Library, hold out his hand for 

 a fee. ' H. H. 



Make 



