ould not have bounded my desires, nor have been
content, had I not followed a way, whereby thinking my self assured to
acquire all the knowledge I could be capable of: I thought I might by
the same means attain to all that was truly good, which should ever be
within my power; forasmuch as our Will inclining it self to follow, or
fly nothing but what our Understanding proposeth good or ill, to judge
well is sufficient to do well, and to judge the best we can, to do also
what's best; to wit, to acquire all vertues, and with them all
acquirable goods: and whosoever is sure of that, he can never fail of
being content.

After I had thus confirmed my self with these Maximes, and laid them up
with the Articles of Faith, which always had the first place in my
Belief, I judg'd that I might freely undertake to expell all the rest of
my opinions. And forasmuch as I did hope to bring it the better to passe
by conversing with men, then by staying any longer in my stove, where I
had had all these thoughts: before the Winter was fully ended, I
returned to my travels; and in all the nine following yeers I did
nothing but rowl here and there about the world, endeavouring rather to
be a spectator, then an actor in all those Comedies which were acted
therein: and reflecting particularly on every subject which might render
it suspected, or afford any occasion mistake. In the mean time I rooted
out of my minde all those errours which formerly had crept in. Not that
I therein imitated the Scepticks, who doubt onely to the end they may
doubt, and affect to be always unresolved: For on the contrary, all my
designe tended onely to fix my self, and to avoid quick-mires and sands,
that I might finde rock and clay: which (me thought) succeeded well
enough; forasmuch as, seeking to discover the falshood or uncertainty of
those propositions I examined, (not by weak conjectures, but by clear
and certain ratiocinations) I met with none so doubtfull, but I thence
drew some conclusion certain enough, were it but onely this, That it
contained nothing that was certain. And as in pulling down an old house,
commonly those materials are reserved which may serve to build a new
one; so in destroying all those my opinions which I judg'd ill grounded,
I made divers observations, and got severall experiences which served me
since to establish more certain ones. And besides I continued to
exercise my self in the Method I had prescribed.

For I was not only carefu