When you ask for a reason, he tells you plainly that such a thing cannot be established by reason; that he is sure of it; and that you must take his word.

This sort of intellectual despotism always moves me to mutiny, and generates a disposition to pull down the reputation of the dogmatist.

Niebuhr's learning was immeasurably superior to mine; but I think myself quite as good a judge of evidence as he was.

I might easily believe him if he told me that there were proofs which I had never seen; but, when he produces all his proofs, I conceive that I am perfectly competent to pronounce on their value.
As I turned over his leaves just now, I lighted on another instance of what I cannot but call ridiculous presumption.

He says that Martial committed a blunder in making the penultimate of Porsena short.