78 DESCARTES. 



ill described, or even so false, (because those who 

 made them have wished to see in them only such 

 facts as they deemed comformable to their prin- 

 ciples,) that, if in the entire number there should be 

 some of a nature suited to his purpose, still their 

 value could not compensate for the time that would 

 be necessary to make the selection. So that if 

 there existed any one whom we assuredly knew to 

 be capable of making discoveries of the highest kind, 

 and of the greatest possible utility to the public ; and 

 if all other men were therefore eager by all means 

 to assist him in successfully prosecuting his designs, 

 I do not see that they could do aught else for him 

 beyond contributing to defray the expenses of the 

 experiments that might be necessary; and for the 

 rest, prevent his being deprived of his leisure by 

 the unseasonable interruptions of any one. But 

 besides that I neither have so high an opinion of 

 myself as to be willing to make promise of anything 

 extraordinary, nor feed on imaginations so vain as 

 to fancy that the public must be much interested in 

 my designs; I do not, on the other hand, own a soul 

 so mean as to be capable of accepting from any one 

 a favour of which it could be supposed that I was 

 unworthy. 



These considerations taken together were the 

 reason why, for the last three years, I have been 

 unwilling to publish the Treatise I had on hand, and 

 why I even resolved to give publicity during my life 

 to no other that was so general, or by which the 

 principles of my Physics might be understood. But 

 since then, two other reasons have come into opera- 



