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228 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
They have instructed the same with arts and sciences,
as also by example of their wonderfull manners and
life. I will but make accompt of such people, of their
witnesse and of their experience. Let us see how far
they have gone, and what holdfast they have held by.
The maladies and defects which we shall finde in that
college, the world may boldly allow them to be his.
Whosoever seekes for any thing, commeth at last to
this conclusion and saith, that either he hath found it,
or that it cannot be found, or that he is still in pursuit
after it. All philosophy is divided into these three
kindes. Her purpose is to seeke out the truth, the
knowledge and the certainty. The Penpatetike, the
Epicureans, the Stoikes and others have thought they
had found it. These have established the sciences that
we have, and as of certaiiie knowledges have treated of
them ; Clitomachus, Carneades, and the Academikes
have despaired the finding of it, and judged that truth
could not be conceived by our meanes. The end of
these is weaknesse and ignorance. The former had
more followers and the worthiest sectaries. Pyrrho
and other sceptikes, or epechistes, whose doctrine or
manner of teaching many auncient learned men have
thought to have beene drawne from Homer, from the
seaven wise men, from Archilochus and Euripides, to
whom they joyne Zeno, Democritus, and Xenophanes,
say that they are still seeking after truth. These judge
that those are infinitely deceived who imagine they
have found it, and that the second degree is over
boldly vaine in affirming that mans power is altogether
unable to attaine unto it. For to stablish the measure
of our strength to know and distinguish of the difficulty
of things is a great, a notable and extreme science,
which they doubt whether man be capable thereof or no.
Nil sciri quisquis putat, id quoque nescit,
An sciri possit, quo se nil scirejatetur. 1
Who thinks nothing is knowne, knowes not that whereby hee
Grauntes he knowes nothing if it knowne may bee.
¹ LUCR. 1. iv. 471.