26 KNOWLEDGE OF REALITIES. 



dangerous for hoaxers to tell ignorant people the 

 truth, or to tell the truth hoaxingly ; for in both 

 cases error is fortified against it. 



If however any one were to instruct the credu- 

 lous man in the anatomy of quadrupeds and birds, 

 or if he were to learn it from actual observation 

 of the parts, or from representations which, in 

 his belief, carried the same weight as observation, 

 so as to enable him to see that legs and wings so 

 jumbled together could not act; and if he were 

 further convinced that no animals, in their natural 

 and perfect state, had either legs or wings that 

 they could not use ; then he would not only dis- 

 believe your story of the winged antelopes, but 

 his faith in all that you said would be shaken. 



We can, therefore, have no certain knowledge 

 of realities, that is of beings or things, but what 

 we obtain from actual observation, or from that 

 which we believe to be true, and capable of abid- 

 ing the test of observation, if it were brought to it ; 

 and in both cases, our judgments are either mere 

 prejudices, or " judgments without or against 

 evidence," or they are open to be changed by new 

 observation or new testimony. View the matter 

 as we may, therefore, we find that, if we be not 

 diligent in observing, we never can avoid error. 



There yet remains one other use of a habit of 

 close and constant observation, which is, perhaps, 

 more conducive to the dignity of our character, 

 and our success in the world, than any of those 

 more general ones that have been hinted at ; and 

 that is, the readiness and rapidity with which we 

 can, not only judge, but judge rightly. That is 

 what is called " decision of character :" and when 

 genuine, and exercised within the proper bounds, 



