DISCOURSE ON METHOD. 65 



resolution were very strong, yet my inclination, 

 which has always been hostile to writing books, 

 enabled me immediately to discover other considera- 

 tions sufficient to excuse me for not undertaking the 

 task. And these reasons, on one side and the 

 other, are such, that not only is it in some measure 

 my interest here to state them, but that of the pub- 

 lic, perhaps, to know them. 



I have never made much account of what has pro- 

 ceeded from my own mind ; and so long as I gath- 

 ered no other advantage from the Method I employ 

 beyond satisfying myself on some difficulties 

 belonging to the speculative sciences, or endeavour- 

 ing to regulate my actions according to the principles 

 it taught me, I never thought myself bound to 

 publish anything respecting it. For in what regards 

 manners, every one is so full of his own wisdom, 

 that there might be found as many reformers as 

 heads, if any were allowed to take upon themselves 

 the task of mending them, except those whom God 

 has constituted the supreme rulers of his people, or 

 to whom he has given sufficient grace and zeal to be 

 prophets; and although my speculations greatly 

 pleased myself, I believed that others had theirs, 

 which perhaps pleased them still more. But as soon 

 as I had acquired some general notions respecting 

 Physics, and beginning to make trial of them in 

 various particular difficulties, had observed how far 

 they can carry us, and how much they differ from 

 the principles that have been employed up to the 

 present time, I believed that I could not keep them 

 concealed without sinning grievously against the. 



