most tenaciously. Holding to what one has seen is praiseworthy, but not always to what one has believed, because some consideration may have been left behind capable of overturning all. There is perhaps no one in the world who has the leisure, patience, and means of assembling all the proofs on both sides of the question upon which he has his opinions in order to compare these proofs and safely to conclude that nothing more remains for him to know for his more ample instruction. But the care of our life and of our more important interests cannot bear the delay, and it is absolutely necessary that our judgment be determined upon the points when we are incapable of attaining to a certain knowledge. Th. There is nothing but what is good and solid in what you, sir, have just said. It would be desirable, however, for men to have at certain junctures written abstracts (in form of memoranda) of the reasons which have led them to an important opinion, which they are obliged often to justify afterwards to themselves or others. Besides, although in a matter of justice it is not usually allowable to retract the judgments which have been passed, and to revise the verdict agreed upon (otherwise there would necessarily be perpetual unrest, which would be so much the more intolerable as the accounts of things past cannot always be preserved), yet one is sometimes allowed upon new light to sue for justice, and also to obtain what is called restitutio in integrum contrary to the decision that has been given. And likewise in our own affairs, especially in matters very important, where it is still allowable to embark or to put back, and where it is not prejudicial to suspend their execution and to proceed bridle in hand, the decisions of our minds based upon probabilities should never so pass in rem judicatam,a as the jurisconsults call it, i.e. to a settlement, that we may not be disposed to the revision of the reasoning when new counter reasons of weight present themselves. But when there is no more time for deliberation, we must follow the judgment we made with as much firmness as if it were infallible, but not always with so much strictness. . Ph. Since, then, men cannot avoid exposing themselves to error in judgment and having different opinions, since they cannot look at things from the same points of view, they must maintain peace between themselves and the duties of humanity amid this diversity of opinions without claiming that another should promptly change a rooted opinion upon our objections, especially if there is room for supposing that his adversary acts from interest or ambition or