ng people, even of superior knowledge, into
concessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee,
entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not
extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither
myself nor my cause always deserved. I continued this method
some few years, but gradually left it, retaining only the
habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence;
never using, when I advanced anything that may possibly be
disputed, the words _Certainly, Undoubtedly_, or any others
that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather
say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it
appears to me, or _I should think it so or so_, for such and
such reasons; or _I imagine it to be so_; or _it is so if I
am not mistaken_. This habit, I believe, has been of great
advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my
opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been
from time to time engaged in promoting; and as the chief ends
of conversation are to _inform_ or to be _informed_, to
_please_ or to _persuade_, I wish well-meaning, sensible men
would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive,
assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to
create opposition, and to defeat everyone of those purposes
for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving
information or pleasure. For if you would inform, a positive
and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may
provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention. If you
wish information and improvement from the knowledge of
others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly
fixed in your present opinions, modest, sensible men who do
not love disputation will probably leave you undisturbed in
the possession of your error. And by such a manner you can
seldom hope to recommend yourself in _pleasing_ your hearers,
or to persuade those whose concurrence you desire. Pope says,
judiciously:

"Men should be taught as if you taught them not,
And things unknown propos'd as things forgot;"

farther recommending to us

"To speak, tho' sure, with seeming diffidence."

Of course an audience must be induced to listen. The obligation is
always with the speaker. He is appealing for consideration, he wants
to affect the hearers, the