The Open Court Series of Classics of Science and Philosophy, No. 4 DIDEROT’S EARLY PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY MARGARET JOURDAIN CHICAGO AND LONDON THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY 1916LETTER ON THE BLIND FOR THE USE OF THOSE WHO SEE’ Possunt nec posse videntur.—2ineid, lib, v, 23.7 IT was not more than I suspected, that the blind girl whom Monsieur de Réaumur had couched for cataract would not inform you of what you were anxious to know ; but I little thought it would be neither her fault nor yours. I have in person, and by means of his best friends and by paying him many compliments, applied to her benefactor, but all in vain ; the first dressing will be removed with out you. Some persons of the highest distinction ‘have had the honour of sharing this refusal with ise and, in a word, he does not wish to e cept in the presence of : some e eye- vwitnesses “of no_great- importance — If you would know why that wonderful operator makes a secret of experiments at which you think too great a number of intelligent witnesses cannot be present, my answer is, that the observations of such a cele- brated person do not so much stand in need of spectators, whilst making, as of hearers when made. 2 The Letter was addressed to Madame de Puisieuz.—(A) * [The original is: Possunt guia fossunt videntur— They succeed becaluse they think they will succeed.”] 68LETTER ON THE BLIND 69 Thus, ointed, madam, I have returned to my origina nition, and, since I was forced to go without an experiment in which I saw little profit would accrue to you or to me, but of which Monsieur de Réaumur will doubtless make a much better use, I set hilosophise with my friends upon the important matter which is the object of it. How happy should I_be, if the narrative of oneof our conversations might stand instead of the spectacle mised you! The day that the Prussian? operated “on Simoneau’s daughter for cataract, we went to have some talk with the Puisaux* man who was born blind. He is possessed of good solid sense, is known to great numbers of persons, understands a little chemistry, and has attended the botanical lectures at the Jardin du Roi with some profit to himself. His father was a u stinguished professor of philosophy at the Univer- sity of Paris, He had private means, sufficient to have satisfied his remaining senses, but a tasté for pleasure led him into some excesses in his youth ; people took advantage of his weaknesses, his affairs became embarrassed, and finally he withdrew to a little town in the provinces, from whence he pays a yearly visit to Paris, bringing with him liqueurs which jive great satisfaction. These, madam, are not very philosophic details, but for that very reason aré likely to convince you that the person I am speaking of is not imaginary. 1 Hilmer, a Prussian oculist.—(Br) * A small town in the Gatinais.—(D)