every day in different
occupations, as in making a voyage, we should suffer almost as much as if it
were real, and should fear to sleep, as we fear to wake when we dread in
fact to enter on such mishaps. And, indeed, it would cause pretty nearly the
same discomforts as the reality.
But since dreams are all different, and each single one is diversified, what
is seen in them affects us much less than what we see when awake, because of
its continuity, which is not, however, so continuous and level as not to
change too; but it changes less abruptly, except rarely, as when we travel,
and then we say, "It seems to me I am dreaming." For life is a dream a
little less inconstant.
387. It may be that there are true demonstrations; but this is not certain.
Thus, this proves nothing else but that it is not certain that all is
uncertain, to the glory of scepticism.
388. Good sense.--They are compelled to say, "You are not acting in good
faith; we are not asleep," etc. How I love to see this proud reason
humiliated and suppliant! For this is not the language of a man whose right
is disputed, and who defends it with the power of armed hands. He is not
foolish enough to declare that men are not acting in good faith, but he
punishes this bad faith with force.
389. Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total ignorance and
inevitable misery. For it is wretched to have the wish, but not the power.
Now he would be happy and assured of some truth, and yet he can neither
know, nor desire not to know. He cannot even doubt.
390. My God! How foolish this talk is! "Would God have made the world to
damn it? Would He ask so much from persons so weak"? etc. Scepticism is the
cure for this evil, and will take down this vanity.
391. Conversation.--Great words: Religion, I deny it.
Conversation.--Scepticism helps religion.
392. Against Sceptici
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