Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision f...or well-educated young women of small for tune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
There is a species of scepticism antecedent to all study and philosophy, which is much inculcated by Descartes and others, as a so...vereign preservative against error and precipitate judgment. It recommends an universal doubt, not only of all our former opinions and principles, but also of our very faculties; of whose veracity, say they, we must assure ourselves, by a chain of reasoning, deduced from some original principle, which cannot be fallacious or deceitful.... The Cartesian doubt, therefore, were it ever possible to be attained by any human creature (as it plainly is not) would be entirely incurable; and no reasoning could ever bring us to a state of assurance and conviction upon any subject.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »