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am of opinion that the blind man, at first sight, would not be able with certainty to say which was the Globe, which the Cube, whilst he only saw them; though he could unerringly name them by his touch, and certainly distinguish them by the difference of their figures felt. This I have set down, and leave with my reader, as an occasion for him to consider how much he may be beholden to Expeperience, Improvement, and acquired notions, where he thinks he has not the least use of, or help from them: and the rather, because this observing gentleman farther adds, that having, upon the occasion of my book, proposed this to divers very ingenious men, he hardly ever met with one, that at first gave the answer to it which he thinks true, till by hearing his reasons they were convinced."

This alteration is most common in the ideas received by sight, as being the most comprehensive sense, conveying to our minds the ideas of light and colours, peculiar to that sense, and the very different ideas of space, figure, and motion.-As the mind is thought to take up no space, so its actions' seem to require no time:-Habits produce actions in us which escape our observation:-how frequently do we cover our eyes with our eye-lids, without perceiving that we are in the dark: it is not then so strange that the mind should without notice change the idea of its sensation into that of its judgment.

Perception makes the difference between the animal kingdom and the inferior parts of nature: the motion in vegetables arising from contact with other bodies, I attribute purely to mechanism, not to sensation.Perception is in some degree in all sorts of animals; but I suppose from the make of an oyster, that it has not so many nor so quick senses as man or many other animals.-The fewer senses a man has, the duller the impressions made on them, and the faculties employed about them, the farther is he from knowledge.

CHAP. X.

OF RETENTION.

THE next faculty of the mind in its progress towards knowledge is retention, or the keeping of those simple ideas which it has received from sensation, or reflection which is done in two ways,-by contemplation, or the keeping of an idea for some time actually in view; and by memory, or the receiving of ideas it has once acquired. Attention and Repetition help much to the fixing of ideas; but those attended with pleasure or pain make the deepest and most lasting impression, the great business of the

senses being to take notice of what hurts or benefits

the body.

"The Ideas, as well as children of our youth, often die before us: and our minds represent to us those tombs, to which we are approaching; where, though the brass and marble remain, yet the inscriptions are effaced by time, and the imagery moulders away. The pictures drawn in our minds are laid in fading colours, and if not sometimes refreshed, vanish and disappear. How much the constitution of our bodies, and the make of our animal spirits are concerned in this, and whether the temper of the brain make this difference, that in some, it retains the characters drawn on it like marble, in others, like free-stone, and in others, little better than sand, I shall not here enquire: though it may seem probable, that the constitution of the body does sometimes influence the memory; since we sometimes find a disease quite strip the mind of all its Ideas; and the flames of a fever in a few days calcine all those images to dust and confusion, which seemed to be as lasting as if graved in marble."

It seems probable that the constitution of the body does sometimes influence the memory; since we often-times find a disease quite strip the mind of all its Ideas. In receiving ideas lodged in the memory, the mind is often active; it depending on the will to bring forward those dormant pictures. The under

standing knows when its ideas are new, and when only revived. Where memory is wanting, the rest of our faculties are of little use. There are two defects of memory; oblivion, or the total loss of our Ideas; and slowness, or not reviving them quickly; which, if in a great degree, is stupidity.-In having our Ideas ready at hand on all occasions consists what we call Invention and Fancy.

Superior intellectual Beings may perhaps have constantly in view the whole scene of all their former actions. The omniscience of God may satisfy us of the possibility of this.

It is reported of the extraordinary Mr. Pascal, that till decay of health impaired his memory, he forgot nothing of what he had done, read, or thought, in any part of his rational age.

Brutes appear to have perception and memory; as birds will imitate tunes, and remember them.

CHAP. XI.

OF DISCERNING.

THE evidence and certainty of several very general propositions, which have passed for innate truths, depends on the faculty of distinguishing one thing from

another. The discerning faculty then is that whereby the mind perceives two ideas to be the same or different.

"If in having our Ideas in the Memory ready at hand, consists Quickness of parts; in this of having them unconfused, and being able nicely to distinguish one thing from another, where there is but the least difference, consists, in a great measure, the Exactness of judgment and Clearness of reason, which is to be observed in one man above another. And hence, perhaps, may be given some reason of that common observation,--That men who have a great deal of Wit, and prompt Memories, have not always the clearest Judgment, or deepest Reason. For Wit lying most in the assemblage of Ideas, and putting those together with quickness and variety, wherein can be found any resemblance or congruity, thereby to make up pleasant pictures, and agreeable visions in the Fancy: Judgment, on the contrary, lies quite on the other side, in separating carefully one from another Ideas wherein can be found the least difference, thereby to avoid being misled by similitude, and by affinity to take one thing for another. This is a way of proceeding quite contrary to Metaphor and Allusion, wherein for the mos part lies that entertainment and pleasantry of Wit, which strikes so lively on the fancy, and therefore so acceptable to all people; because its beauty appears

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