8 1 KEF ACE. 



have usurped, as it were, a dictatorship in. learning, and 

 pronounce their opinion of things with so much confidence, 

 will yet, when they occasionally return to their senses, 

 begin to complain of the subtilty of nature, the remoteness 

 of truth, the obscurity of things, the complication of causes, 

 and the weakness of human wit. They are not, however, 

 more modest in this than in the former instances, since they 

 prefer framing an excuse of the common condition of men 

 and things, to confessing their own defects. Besides, it 

 is generally their practice, if some particular art fail to 

 accomplish any object, to conclude that it cannot be accom 

 plished by that art. But yet the art cannot be condemned, 

 for she herself deliberates and decides the question so that 

 their only aim is to deliver their ignorance from ignominy. 

 The following statement exhibits sufficiently well the state 

 of knowledge delivered down to and received by us. It is 

 barren in effects, fruitful in questions, slow and languid in 

 its improvement, exhibiting in its generality the counterfeit 

 of perfection, but ill filled up in its details, popular in its 

 choice, but suspected by its very promoters, and therefore 

 bolstered up and countenanced with artifices. Even those 

 who have been determined to try for themselves, to add 

 their support to learning, and to enlarge its limits, have 

 not dared entirely to desert received opinions, nor to seek 

 the springhead of things. But they think they have done 

 a great thing if they intersperse and contribute something 

 of their own, prudently considering that by their assent 

 they can save their modesty, and by their contributions 

 their liberty. Whilst consulting, however, the opinions of 

 others, and good manners, this admired moderation tends 

 to the great injury of learning: for it is seldom in our 

 power both to admire and surpass our author, but, like 

 water, we rise not higher than the springhead whence we 

 have descended. Such men, therefore, amend some things, 

 but cause little advancement, and improve more than they 

 enlarge knowledge. Yet there have not been wanting 

 some, who with greater daring, have considered every thing 

 open to them, and employing the force of their wit, have 

 opened a passage for themselves and their dogmas by pros 

 trating and destroying all before them; but this violence 

 of theirs has not availed much, since they have not laboured 

 to enlarge philosophy and the arts, both in their subject 

 matter and effect ; but only to substitute new dogmas, and 

 to transfer the empire of opinion to themselves, with but 

 small advantage ; for opposite errors proceed mostly from 



