a discourse on method-第14节

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f　the　highest　kind；　and　of　the　greatest　possible　utility　to　the　public；　and　if　all　other　men　were　therefore　eager　by　all　means　to　assist　him　in　successfully　prosecuting　his　designs；　I　do　not　see　that　they　could　do　aught　else　for　him　beyond　contributing　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the　experiments　that　might　be　necessary；　and　for　the　rest；　prevent　his　being　deprived　of　his　leisure　by　the　unseasonable　interruptions　of　any　one。　　But　besides　that　I　neither　have　so　high　an　opinion　of　myself　as　to　be　willing　to　make　promise　of　anything　extraordinary；　nor　feed　on　imaginations　so　vain　as　to　fancy　that　the　public　must　be　much　interested　in　my　designs；　I　do　not；　on　the　other　hand；　own　a　soul　so　mean　as　to　be　capable　of　accepting　from　any　one　a　favor　of　which　it　could　be　supposed　that　I　was　unworthy。

These　considerations　taken　together　were　the　reason　why；　for　the　last　three　years；　I　have　been　unwilling　to　publish　the　treatise　I　had　on　hand；　and　why　I　even　resolved　to　give　publicity　during　my　life　to　no　other　that　was　so　general；　or　by　which　the　principles　of　my　physics　might　be　understood。　　But　since　then；　two　other　reasons　have　come　into　operation　that　have　determined　me　here　to　subjoin　some　particular　specimens；　and　give　the　public　some　account　of　my　doings　and　designs。　　Of　these　considerations；　the　first　is；　that　if　I　failed　to　do　so；　many　who　were　cognizant　of　my　previous　intention　to　publish　some　writings；　might　have　imagined　that　the　reasons　which　induced　me　to　refrain　from　so　doing；　were　less　to　my　credit　than　they　really　are；　for　although　I　am　not　immoderately　desirous　of　glory；　or　even；　if　I　may　venture　so　to　say；　although　I　am　averse　from　it　in　so　far　as　I　deem　it　hostile　to　repose　which　I　hold　in　greater　account　than　aught　else；　yet；　at　the　same　time；　I　have　never　sought　to　conceal　my　actions　as　if　they　were　crimes；　nor　made　use　of　many　precautions　that　I　might　remain　unknown；　and　this　partly　because　I　should　have　thought　such　a　course　of　conduct　a　wrong　against　myself；　and　partly　because　it　would　have　occasioned　me　some　sort　of　uneasiness　which　would　again　have　been　contrary　to　the　perfect　mental　tranquillity　which　I　court。　And　forasmuch　as；　while　thus　indifferent　to　the　thought　alike　of　fame　or　of　forgetfulness；　I　have　yet　been　unable　to　prevent　myself　from　acquiring　some　sort　of　reputation；　I　have　thought　it　incumbent　on　me　to　do　my　best　to　save　myself　at　least　from　being　ill…spoken　of。　　The　other　reason　that　has　determined　me　to　commit　to　writing　these　specimens　of　philosophy　is；　that　I　am　becoming　daily　more　and　more　alive　to　the　delay　which　my　design　of　self…instruction　suffers；　for　want　of　the　infinity　of　experiments　I　require；　and　which　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　make　without　the　assistance　of　others：　　and；　without　flattering　myself　so　much　as　to　expect　the　public　to　take　a　large　share　in　my　interests；　I　am　yet　unwilling　to　be　found　so　far　wanting　in　the　duty　I　owe　to　myself；　as　to　give　occasion　to　those　who　shall　survive　me　to　make　it　matter　of　reproach　against　me　some　day；　that　I　might　have　left　them　many　things　in　a　much　more　perfect　state　than　I　have　done；　had　I　not　too　much　neglected　to　make　them　aware　of　the　ways　in　which　they　could　have　promoted　the　accomplishment　of　my　designs。

And　I　thought　that　it　was　easy　for　me　to　select　some　matters　which　should　neither　be　obnoxious　to　much　controversy；　nor　should　compel　me　to　expound　more　of　my　principles　than　I　desired；　and　which　should　yet　be　sufficient　clearly　to　exhibit　what　I　can　or　cannot　accomplish　in　the　sciences。　Whether　or　not　I　have　succeeded　in　this　it　is　not　for　me　to　say；　and　I　do　not　wish　to　forestall　the　judgments　of　others　by　speaking　myself　of　my　writings；　but　it　will　gratify　me　if　they　be　examined；　and；　to　afford　the　greater　inducement　to　this　I　request　all　who　may　have　any　objections　to　make　to　them；　to　take　the　trouble　of　forwarding　these　to　my　publisher；　who　will　give　me　notice　of　them；　that　I　may　endeavor　to　subjoin　at　the　same　time　my　reply；　and　in　this　way　readers　seeing　both　at　once　will　more　easily　determine　where　the　truth　lies；　for　I　do　not　engage　in　any　case　to　make　prolix　replies；　but　only　with　perfect　frankness　to　avow　my　errors　if　I　am　convinced　of　them；　or　if　I　cannot　perceive　them；　simply　to　state　what　I　think　is　required　for　defense　of　the　matters　I　have　written；　adding　thereto　no　explication　of　any　new　matte　that　it　may　not　be　necessary　to　pass　without　end　from　one　thing　to　another。

If　some　of　the　matters　of　which　I　have　spoken　in　the　beginning　of　the　〃Dioptrics〃　and　〃Meteorics〃　should　offend　at　first　sight；　because　I　call　them　hypotheses　and　seem　indifferent　about　giving　proof　of　them；　I　request　a　patient　and　attentive　reading　of　the　whole；　from　which　I　hope　those　hesitating　will　derive　satisfaction；　for　it　appears　to　me　that　the　reasonings　are　so　mutually　connected　in　these　treatises；　that；　as　the　last　are　demonstrated　by　the　first　which　are　their　causes；　the　first　are　in　their　turn　demonstrated　by　the　last　which　are　their　effects。　　Nor　must　it　be　imagined　that　I　here　commit　the　fallacy　which　the　logicians　call　a　circle；　for　since　experience　renders　the　majority　of　these　effects　most　certain；　the　causes　from　which　I　deduce　them　do　not　serve　so　much　to　establish　their　reality　as　to　explain　their　existence；　but　on　the　contrary；　the　reality　of　the　causes　is　established　by　the　reality　of　the　effects。　　Nor　have　I　called　them　hypotheses　with　any　other　end　in　view　except　that　it　may　be　known　that　I　think　I　am　able　to　deduce　them　from　those　first　truths　which　I　have　already　expounded；　and　yet　that　I　have　expressly　determined　not　to　do　so；　to　prevent　a　certain　class　of　minds　from　thence　taking　occasion　to　build　some　extravagant　philosophy　upon　what　they　may　take　to　be　my　principles；　and　my　being　blamed　for　it。　　I　refer　to　those　who　imagine　that　they　can　master　in　a　day　all　that　another　has　taken　twenty　years　to　think　out；　as　soon　as　he　has　spoken　two　or　three　words　to　them　on　the　subject；　or　who　are　the　more　liable　to　error　and　the　less　capable　of　perceiving　truth　in　very　proportion　as　they　are　more　subtle　and　lively。　　As　to　the　opinions　which　are　truly　and　wholly　mine；　I　offer　no　apology　for　them　as　new；　　persuaded　as　I　am　that　if　their　reasons　be　well　considered　they　will　be　found　to　be　so　simple　and　so　conformed；　to　common　sense　as　to　appear　less　extraordinary　and　less　paradoxical　than　any　others　which　can　be　held　on　the　same　subjects；　nor　do　I　even　boast　of　being　the　earliest　discoverer　of　any　of　them；　but　only　of　having　adopted　them；　neither　because　they　had　nor　because　they　had　not　been　held　by　others；　but　solely　because　reason　has　convinced　me　of　their　truth。

Though　artisans　may　not　be　able　at　once　to　execute　the　invention　which　is　explained　in　the　〃Dioptrics；〃　I　do　not　think　that　any　one　on　that　account　is　entitled　to　condemn　it；　for　since　address　and　practice　are　required　in　order　so　to　make　and　adjust　the　machines　described　by　me　as　not　to　overlook　the　smallest　particular；　I　should　not　be　less　astonished　if　they　succeeded　on　the　first　attempt　than　if　a　person　were　in　one　day　to　become　an　accomplished　performer　on　the　guitar；　by　merely　having　excellent　sheets　of　music　set　up　before　him。　　And　if　I　write　in　French；　which　is　the　language　of　my　country；　in　preference　to　Latin；　which　is　that　of　my　preceptors；　it　is　because　I　expect　that　those　who　make　use　of　their　unprejudiced　natural　reason　will　be　better　judges　of　my　opinions　than　those　who　give　heed　to　the　writings　of　the　ancients　only；　and　as　for　those　who　unite　good　sense　with　habits　of　study；　whom　alone　I　desire　for　judges；　they　will　not；　I　feel　assured；　be　so　partial　to　Latin　as　to　refuse　to　listen　to　my　reasonings　merely　because　I　expound　them　in　the　vulgar　tongue。

In　conclusion；　I　am　unwilling　here　to　say　anything　very　specific　of　the　progress　which　I　expect　to　make　for　the　future　in　the　sciences；　or　to　bind　myself　to　the　public　by　any　promise　which　I　am　not　certain　of　being　able　to　fulfill；　but　this　only　will　I　say；　that　I　have　resolved　to　devote　what　time　I　may　still　have　to　live　to　no　other　occupation　than　that　of　endeavoring　to　acquire　some　knowledge　of　Nature；　which　shall　be　of　such　a　kind　as　to　enable　us　therefrom　to　deduce　rules　in　medicine　of　greater　certainty　than　those　at　present　in　use；　and　that　my　inclination　is　so　much　opposed　to　all　other　pursuits；　especially　to　such　as　cannot　be　useful　to　some　without　being　hurtful　to　others；　that　if；　by　any　circumstances；　I　had　been　constrained　to　engage　in　such；　I　do　not　believe　that　I　should　have　been　able　to　succeed。　　Of　this　I　here　make　a　public　declaration；　though　well　aware　that　it　cannot　serve　to　procure　for　me　any　consideration　in　the　world；　which；　however；　I　do　not　in　the　least　affect；　and　I　shall　always　hold　myself　more　obliged　to　those　through　whose　favor　I　am　permitted　to　enjoy　my　retirement　without　interruption　than　to　any　who　might　offer　me　the　highest　earthly　preferments。



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