BesidesthatIamveryignorantinmyownaffairs，Iamstruckbytheassurancethateveryonehasofhimself:whereasthereisscarcelyanythingthatIamsureIknow，orthatIdareberesponsibletomyselfthatIcando:Ihavenotmymeansofdoinganythinginconditionandready，andamonlyinstructedthereinaftertheeffect;asdoubtfulofmyownforceasIamofanother’s。WhenceitcomestopassthatifIhappentodoanythingcommendable，Iattributeitmoretomyfortunethanindustry，forasmuchasIdesigneverythingbychanceandinfear。Ihavethis，also，ingeneral，thatofalltheopinionsantiquityhasheldofmeningross，Imostwillinglyembraceandadheretothosethatmostcontemnandundervalueus，andmostpushustonaught;methinks，philosophyhasneversofairagametoplayaswhenitfallsuponourvanityandpresumption;whenitmostlaysopenourirresolution，weakness，andignorance。Ilookuponthetoogoodopinionthatmanhasofhimselftobethenursingmotherofallthemostfalseopinions，bothpublicandprivate。ThosepeoplewhorideastrideupontheepicycleofMercury，whoseesofarintotheheavens，areworsetomethanatooth—

　　drawerthatcomestodrawmyteeth;forinmystudy，thesubjectofwhichisman，findingsogreatavarietyofjudgments，soprofoundalabyrinthofdifficulties，oneuponanother，sogreatdiversityanduncertainty，evenintheschoolofwisdomitself，youmayjudge，seeingthesepeoplecouldnotresolveupontheknowledgeofthemselvesandtheirowncondition，whichiscontinuallybeforetheireyes，andwithinthem，seeingtheydonotknowhowthatmoveswhichtheythemselvesmove，norhowtogiveusadescriptionofthespringstheythemselvesgovernandmakeuseof，howcanIbelievethemabouttheebbingandflowingoftheNile？Thecuriosityofknowingthingshasbeengiventomanforascourge，saystheHolyScripture。

　　Buttoreturntowhatconcernsmyself;Ithinkitwouldbeverydifficultforanyothermantohaveameaneropinionofhimself;nay，foranyothertohaveameaneropinionofmethanofmyself:Ilookuponmyselfasoneofthecommonsort，savinginthis，thatIhavenobetteranopinionofmyself;guiltyofthemeanestandmostpopulardefects，butnotdisowningorexcusingthem;andIdonotvaluemyselfuponanyotheraccountthanbecauseIknowmyownvalue。Iftherebeanyvanityinthecase，’tissuperficiallyinfusedintomebythetreacheryofmycomplexion，andhasnobodythatmyjudgmentcandiscern:Iamsprinkled，butnotdyed。Forintruth，astotheeffectsofthemind，thereisnopartofme，beitwhatitwill，withwhichIamsatisfied;andtheapprobationofothersmakesmenotthinkthebetterofmyself。Myjudgmentistenderandnice，especiallyinthingsthatconcernmyself。

　　Ieverrepudiatemyself，andfeelmyselffloatandwaverbyreasonofmyweakness。Ihavenothingofmyownthatsatisfiesmyjudgment。Mysightisclearandregularenough，but，atworking，itisapttodazzle;asI

　　mostmanifestlyfindinpoetry:Iloveitinfinitely，andamabletogiveatolerablejudgmentofothermen’sworks;but，ingoodearnest，whenI

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