ThesearethecommonandmostgeneralmiscarriageswhichIthinkmenshouldavoidorrectifyinarightconductoftheirunderstandings，andshouldbeparticularlytakencareofineducation。Thebusinesswhereofinrespectofknowledgeisnot，asIthink，toperfectalearnerinalloranyoneofthesciences，buttogivehismindthatfreedom，thatdispositionandthosehabitsthatmayenablehimtoattainanypartofknowledgeheshallapplyhimselftoorstandinneedofinthefuturecourseofhislife。[040]Thisandthisonlyiswellprincipling，andnottheinstillingareverenceandvenerationforcertaindogmasunderthespecioustitleofprinciples，whichareoftensoremotefromthattruthandevidencewhichbelongstoprinciples，thattheyoughttoberejectedasfalseanderroneous；andisoftenthecausetomensoeducated，whentheycomeabroadintotheworldandfindtheycannotmaintaintheprinciplessotakenupandrestedin，tocastoffallprinciplesandturnperfectskeptics，regardlessofknowledgeandvirtue。
Thereareseveralweaknessesanddefectsintheunderstanding，eitherfromthenaturaltemperofthemindorillhabitstakenup，whichhinderitinitsprogresstoknowledge。Ofthesethereareasmanypossiblytobefound，ifthemindwerethoroughlystudied，astherearediseasesofthebody，eachwhereofclogsanddisablestheunderstandingtosomedegreeandthereforedeservestobelookedafterandcured。Ishallsetdownsomefewtoexcitemen，especiallythosewhomakeknowledgetheirbusiness，tolookintothemselvesandobservewhethertheydonotindulgesomeweakness，allowsomemiscarriagesinthemanagementoftheirintellectualfaculty，whichisprejudicialtotheminthesearchfortruth。
Section13。Observation。Particularmattersoffactaretheundoubtedfoundationsonwhichourcivilandnaturalknowledgeisbuilt；
thebenefittheunderstandingmakesofthemistodrawfromthemconclusionswhichmaybeasstandingrulesofknowledgeandconsequentlyofpractice。Themindoftenmakesnotthatbenefititshouldoftheinformationitreceivesfromtheaccountsofcivilornaturalhistorians，inbeingtooforwardortooslowinmakingobservationsontheparticularfactsrecordedinthem。Therearethosewhoareveryassiduousinreadingandyetdonotmuchadvancetheirknowledgebyit。Theyaredelightedwiththestoriesthataretoldandperhapscantellthemagain，fortheymakealltheyreadnothingbuthistory[04l]tothemselves；butnotreflectingonit，notmakingtothemselvesobservationsfromwhattheyread，theyareverylittleimprovedbyallthatcrowdofparticularsthateitherpassthroughorlodgethemselvesintheirunderstandings。Theydreamoninaconstantcourseofreadingandcrammingthemselves；but，notdigestinganything，itproducesnothingbutaheapofcrudities。
Iftheirmemoriesretainwell，onemaysaytheyhavethematerialsofknowledge，but，likethoseforbuilding，theyareofnoadvantageiftherebenootherusemadeofthembuttoletthemlieheapeduptogether。Oppositetothesethereareotherswholosetheimprovementtheyshouldmakeofmattersoffactbyaquitecontraryconduct。Theyareapttodrawgeneralconclusionsandraiseaxiomsfromeveryparticulartheymeetwith。Thesemakeaslittletruebenefitofhistoryastheother，nay，beingofforwardandactivespiritsreceivemoreharmbyit；itbeingofworseconsequencetosteerone’sthoughtsbyawrongrulethantohavenoneatall，errordoingtobusymenmuchmoreharmthanignorancetotheslowandsluggish。Betweenthese，thoseseemtodobestwho，takingmaterialandusefulhints，sometimesfromsinglemattersoffact，carrythemintheirmindstobejudgedofbywhattheyshallfindinhistorytoconfirmorreversetheseimperfectobservations；whichmaybeestablishedintorulesfittobereliedonwhentheyarejustifiedbyasufficientandwaryinductionofparticulars。[042]Hethatmakesnosuchreflectionsonwhathereadsonlyloadshismindwitharhapsodyoftalesfitinwinternightsfortheentertainmentofothers；andhethatwillimproveeverymatteroffactintoamaximwillaboundincontraryobservationsthatcanbeofnootherusebuttoperplexandpudder[043]himifhecomparesthem；orelsetomisguidehim，ifhegiveshimselfuptotheauthorityofthatwhich，foritsnoveltyorforsomeotherfancy，bestpleaseshim。