30 DESCARTES. 



good which I could ever hope to secure. Inasmuch 

 as we neither seek nor shun any object except in so 

 far as our understanding represents it as good or 

 bad, all that is necessary to right action is right 

 judgment, and to the best action the most correct 

 judgment, that is, to the acquisition of all the 

 virtues with all else that is truly valuable and within 

 our reach ; and the assurance of such an acquisition 

 cannot fail to render us contented. 



Having thus provided myself with these maxims, 

 and having placed them in reserve along with the 

 truths of Faith, which have ever occupied the first 

 place in my belief, I came to the conclusion that I 

 might with freedom set about ridding myself of 

 what remained of my opinions. And, inasmuch as I 

 hoped to be better able successfully to accomplish 

 this work by holding intercourse with mankind, 

 than by remaining longer shut \\p in the retirement 

 where these thoughts had occurred to me, I betook 

 me again to travelling before the winter was well 

 ended. And, during the nine subsequent years, % 

 did nothing but roam from one place to another, 

 desirous of being a spectator rather than an actor in 

 the plays exhibited on the theatre of the world ; 

 and, as I made it my business in each matter to 

 reflect particularly upon what might fairly be 

 doubted and prove a source of error, I gradually 

 rooted out from my mind all the errors which had 

 hitherto crept into it. Not that in this I imitated 

 the Sceptics who doubt only that they may doubt, 

 and seek nothing beyond uncertainty itself ; for, on 

 the contrary, my design was singly to find ground 



