DISCOURSE ON METHOD. 73 



the first thoughts which occur to me, yet the experi 

 ence I have had of possible objections to my views 

 prevents me from anticipating- any profit from 

 them. For I have already had frequent proof of the 

 judgments, as well of those I esteemed friends, as 

 of some others to whom I thought I was an object 

 of indifference, and even of some whose malignity 

 and envy would, I knew, determine them to 

 endeavour to discover what partiality concealed 

 from the eyes of my friends. But it has rarely hap 

 pened that anything has been objected to me which 

 I had myself altogether overlooked, unless it were 

 something far removed from the subject: so that I 

 have never met with a single critic of my opinions 

 who did not appear to me either less rigorous or less 

 equitable than myself. And further, I have never 

 observed that any truth before unknown has been 

 brought to light by the disputations that are prac 

 tised in the Schools ; for while each strives for the 

 victory, each is much more occupied in making the 

 best of mere verisimilitude, than in weighing the 

 reasons on both sides of the question; and those 

 who have been long good advocates are not after 

 wards on that account the better judges. 



As for the advantage that others would derive 

 from the communication of my thoughts, it could 

 not be very great; because I have not yet so far 

 prosecuted them as that much does not remain to be 

 added before they can be applied to practice. And 

 I think I may say without vanity, that if there is 

 any one who can carry them out that length, it must 

 be myself rather than another: not that there may 



