Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/295

Rh that as an answer, but such a one as will need no answer from me. For if I may guess at what's to come, by the present performance; a Latin book from any hand, that has been yet concerned in the defence of Phalaris, will carry its own answer in itself.

5. But if he chooses to reply in English, and meddle once more with the matter of learning; if he do not mend his hand a little, and bring a piece with fewer faults in't than the last, I shall not take that for an answer. For my whole life might be spent at that rate in refuting the merest trash. And he has clearly the advantage of me in this point; for he may commit more mistakes in five weeks time, and in five sheets of paper, than can be throughly refuted in fifty sheets, and in a whole year.

Besides this, I may justly expect that if he proceeds further upon the subject of Phalaris, he should freely acknowledge those faults, that I have refuted in his last work. I have done the like myself; and I here sincerely declare, that I am not conscious of one error, that he observed in my Dissertation, which I do not own in my answer. I design nothing but a search after truth, and will never be guilty of that mean dis-