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