88 THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND. indirect answer after he has answered directly: and he may also shew how the opponent's argument may be retorted against. himself. XIV. The laws that oblige both disputants are these : 1. Sometimes it is necessary there should be a,mention of certain general principles in which they both agree, relating to the question, that so they may not dispute on those things which either are or ought to have been first granted on both sides. 2. When the stateof the controversy is well known, andplainly'de- termined and agreed, it must not, be altered by either disputant in the course of the disputation ; and the respondent especially should keep a watchful eye on the opponent in this matter. 3. Let neither party invade the province of the other ; especially let the respondent take heed that he does not turn opponent ; except in retorting the argument upon his adversary, after a direct re- sponse ; and even this is allowed only as an illustration or confir- mation of his own response. 4. Let each wait with patience till the other has done speaking. It is a piece of rudeness to.iuter' rupt another in his speech. Yet though the disputants have not this liberty, the moder- ator may do it, when either of the disputants break the rules, and he may interpose so far as to keep them to order. XV. It must be confessed there are some advantages to be attained by academical disputation. It gives vigour and brisk- ness to the mind thus exercised, and relieves the langour of pri- vate study and meditation. It sharpens the wit and all the in- ventive powers. It makes the thoughts active, and sends them on all sides to find arguments and answers both for opposition and defence. It gives opportunity of' viewing the subject of discourse on all sides, and of learning what inconveniences, difficulties and objections attend particular opinions. It furnishes the soul with various occasions of starting such thoughts as otherwise would never have come into the mind. It makes a student more expert in attacking and refuting an error, as well as in vindicat- ing a truth. lt instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections, and of discovering and re- pelling the subtle tricksof sophisters. It procures also a freedom and readiness ofspeech, and raises the modestand diffident genius to a due degree of courage. XVI. But there are some very grievous inconveniences that may sometimes overbalance all these advantages. For many young students by a constant habit of disputing, grow impudent and audacious, proud and disdainful, talkative and impertinent; and render themselves intolerable by an obstinate humour of maintaining whatever they have asserted, as well as by a spirit of contradiction, opposing almost every thing that they bear. The disputation itself often awakens the passions of ambition,
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