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17
Preface
to free us from error, and to purify To the Second Edition and exalt our zetetic philosophy. In
To the various critics who revi. a word, let us make friends, or at ewed unfavourably the first edition least, friendly and useful instruments of this work, and to those also who of our enemies, and if we cannot wrote and published replies to it, my convert them to the better cause, let thanks are due and now respectfully us carefully examine their objections, tendered. They pointed out several fairly meet them if possible, and matters which, on proper examination, always make use of them as beacons were not, as evidence, entirely satis- for our future guidance. In all direcfactory, and as my object is to dis- tions there is so much truth in our cover and to hold to that only which favour that we can well affort to be is true beyond doubt, I have omitted dainty in our selection and magnani. them in the present edition. The true mous, charitable, and condescending business of a critic is to compare towards those who simply believe, but what he reads with known and pro- cannot prove that we are wrong. We vable data, to treat impartially the need not seize upon very crude and evidence he observes, and point out ill-developed result which offers, or logical deficiencies and inconsistencies only seems to offer, the slightest with first principles, but never to chance of becoming evidence in our obtrude his own opinions. He should favour, as every theorist is obliged in fact, at all times take the place of to do if he would have his theory Astrea, the Goddess of justice and clothed and fit to be seen. We can firmly hold the scales in which the afford to patiently wait, carefully evidence is fairly weighed.
weigh, and well consider every point I advise all my readers who have
advanced, in the full assurance that becomezetetic not to be content
simple truth, and not the mere opiwith anything less than this, and also
nions of men, is destined, sooner or not to look with disfavour upon the
later, to have ascendancy. objections of their opponents. Should
"In Veritate Victoria” such objections be well or even pla
"Parallax" usibly founded, they will only tend London September 24, 1872
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