Page:The Analyst; or, a Discourse Addressed to an Infidel Mathematician.djvu/41

Rh What Principles you proceed upon; how ound they may be; and how you apply them? It mut be remembred that I am not concerned about the truth of your Theorems, but only about the way of coming at them; whether it be legitimate or illegitimate, clear or obcure, cientific or tentative. To prevent all poibility of your mitaking me, I beg leave to repeat and init, that I conider the Geometrical Analyt as a Logician, i. e. o far forth as he reaons and argues; and his Mathematical Concluions, not in themelves, but in their Premifes; not as true or fale, ueful or inignificant, but as derived from uch Principles, and by uch Inferences. And foramuch as it may perhaps eem an unaccountable Paradox, that Mathematicians hould deduce true Propoitions from fale Principles, be right in the Concluion, and yet err in the Premies; I hall endeavour particularly to explain why this may come to pas, and hew how Error may bring forth Truth, though it cannot bring forth Science. XXI. In