だが，この九年が過ぎてしまっても，学者たちのあいだでつねに論争されている諸難問について，わたしはまだ何の決定にも到らず，通常の哲学よりも確実などんな哲学の基礎も求めるには到っていなかった。そして，以前にこうした計画を抱きながらも成功しなかったであろう多くのすぐれた人たちの実例は，この計画に多大な困難を予想させたので，わたしがすでにそれをやり遂げているという噂を一部の人たちがもう広めているのを知らなかったなら，こんなに早く思いきってそれに着手しようとはしなかったことだろう。かれらが何をもとにそういう評判を立てたのか，わたしにはわからない。わたしが述べたことが何か噂の拠り所になっているとしたら，それはわたしが，少しばかり学問した人が普通やるよりも率直に，自分の知らないことを知らないと告白したからにちがいない。またおそらく，わたしが何か学説を一つでも誇示するよりは，他の人たちが確実だとしているたくさんのことについて，わたしの疑う理由を示したからにちがいない。しかし，わたしは実際の自分とは違うように取られたくないという正直な気持ちが強かったので，与えられた評判に値するように，あらゆる手段をつくして努力すべきだと考えた。そしてちょうど８年前，こうした願望から，知人のいそうな場所からはいっさい遠ざかり，この地に隠れ住む決心をした。この国には，長く続いた戦争のおかげで，常備の軍隊は人びとが平和の果実をいっそう安心して享受できるためにだけ役立っている，と思えるような秩序ができている。ここでは，大勢の国民がひじょうに活動的で，他人の仕事に興味をもつより自分の仕事に気をくばっている。わたしはその群衆のなかで，きわめて繁華な都会にある便利さを何ひとつ欠くことなく，しかもできるかぎり人里離れた荒野にいるのと同じくらい，孤独で隠れた生活を送ることができたのだった。
These nine years passed away, however, before
I had come to any determinate judgment respecting
the difficulties which form matter of dispute
among the learned, or had commenced to seek
the principles of any Philosophy more certain
than the vulgar. And the examples of many
men of the highest genius, who had, in former
times, engaged in this inquiry, but, as appeared
to me, without success, led me to imagine
it to be a work of so much difficulty, that
I would not perhaps have ventured on it so
soon had I not heard it currently rumoured
that I had already completed the inquiry.
I know not what were the grounds of this
opinion; and, if my conversation contributed
in any measure to its rise, this must have
happened rather from my having confessed
my ignorance with greater freedom than those
are accustomed to do who have studied a little,
and expounded, perhaps, the reasons that
led me to doubt of many of those things that
by others are esteemed certain, than from
my having boasted of any system of Philosophy.
But, as I am of a disposition that makes
me unwilling to be esteemed different from
what I really am, I thought it necessary
to endeavour by all means to render myself
worthy of the reputation accorded to me;
and it is now exactly eight years since this
desire constrained me to remove from all
those places where interruption from any
of my acquaintances was possible, and betake
myself to this country, 2 in which the long
duration of the war has led to the establishment
of such discipline, that the armies maintained
seem to be of use only in enabling the inhabitants
to enjoy more securely the blessings of peace;
and where, in the midst of a great crowd
actively engaged in business, and more careful
of their own affairs than curious about those
of others, I have been enabled to live without
being deprived of any of the conveniences
to be had in the most populous cities, and
yet as solitary and as retired as in the
midst of the most remote deserts.