place afterwards to fanguine hopes and expectations. Accurate and just reasoning is the only catholic remedy, fitted for all perfons and au difpofitions, and is alone able to fubvert that abftrufe philofophy and metaphyfical jargon, which, being mixed up with popular fuperftition, renders it in a manner impenetrable to careless reafoners, and gives it the air of science and wisdom.

Besides this advantage of rejecting, after deliberate inquiry, the most uncertain and disagreeable part of learning, there are many positive advantages, which result from an accurate fcrutiny into the powers and faculties of human nature. 'Tis remarkable concerning the operations of the mind, that tho' moft intimately present to us, yet whenever they become the object of reflection, they feem involved in obfcurity, nor can the eye readily find those lines and boundaries, which difcriminate and diftinguish them. The objects are too fine to remain long in the fame afpect or fituation; and must be apprehended in an inftant, by a fuperior penetration, derived from nature, and improved by habit and reflection. It becomes, therefore, no inconfiderable part of science barely to know the different operations of the mind, to feparate them from each other, to clafs them under their proper divifions, and to correct all that feeming diforder, in which they lie involved, when made the object of reflection and inquiry. This tafk of ordering and diftinguishing, which has no merit, when performed with regard to external bodies, the objects of our fenfes, rifes in its value, when directed towards the operations of the mind, in proportion to the difficulty and labour which we meet with in performing it. And if we can go no, farther than this mental geography, or delineation of the diftinct parts and powers of the mind, 'tis at least a fatisfaction to go fo far; and the more obvious this science may appear (and it is by no means obvious) the more contemptible

contemptible still must the ignorance of it be efteemed in all pretenders to learning and philosophy.

Nor can there remain any fufpicion, that this science is uncertain and chimerical; unless we fhould entertain fuch a scepticism as is entirely fubverfive of all speculation, and even action. It cannot be doubted, that the mind is endowed with several powers and faculties, that thefe powers are totally diftinct from each other, that what is really diftinct to the immediate perception may be diftinguished by reflection; and confequently, that there is a truth and falfhood in all propofitions on this fubject, and a truth and falfhood, which lie not beyond the compafs of human understanding. There are many obvious distinctions of this kind, fuch as thofe between the will and understanding, the imagination and paffions,, which fall within the comprehension of every human creature; and the finer and more philofophical diftinctions are no less real and certain, tho' more difficult to be comprehended. Some inftances, especially late onés, of fuccefs in these enquiries, may give us a jufter notion of the certainty and folidity of this branch of learning. And shall we esteem it worthy the labour of a philofopher to give us a true fyftem of the planets, and adjust the pofition and order of those remote bodies; while we affect to overlook thofe, who, with so much fuccefs, delineate the parts of the mind, in which we are so intimately concerned?

But may we not hope, that philofophy, if cultivated with care, and encouraged by the attention of the public, may carry its researches ftill farther, and discover, at leaft in fome degree, the fecret fprings and principles, by which the human mind is actuated in its operations? Aftronomers had long contented themselves with proving, from the phænomena, the true motions, order, and magnitude of the heavenly bodies: Till a philosopher, at last,

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arofe, who feems, from the happiest reasoning, to have alfo determined the laws and forces by which the revolutions of the planets are governed and directed. The like has been performed with regard to other parts of nature. And there is no reason to despair of equal fuccefs in our inquiries concerning the mental powers and œconomy, profecuted with equal capacity and caution. 'Tis probable, that one operation and principle of the mind depends on another; which, again, may be refolved into one more general and univerfal: And how far these refearches may poffibly be carried, it will be difficult for us, before, or even after, a careful trial, exactly to determine. This is certain, that attempts of this kind are every day made even by those who philosophize the most negligently: And nothing can be more requifite than to enter upon the enterprize with thorough care and attention; that, if it lie within the compafs of human understanding, it may at laft be happily atchieved; if not, it may, however, be rejected with fome confidence and fecurity. This last conclufion, furely, is not defirable, nor ought it to be embraced too rafhly. For how much muft we diminish from the beauty and value of this fpecies of philofophy, upon fuch a fuppofition? Moralifts have hitherto been accustomed, when they confidered the vaft multitude and diversity of actions that excite our approbation or diflike, to fearch for fome common principle, on which this variety of fentiments might depend. And tho' they have fometimes carried the matter too far, by their paffion for fome one general principle; it muft, however, be confefied, that they are excufable, in expecting to find fome general principles, into which all the vices and virtues were justly to be refolved. The like has been the endeavour of critics, logicians, and even politicians: Nor have their attempts been wholly unfuccefsful; tho' perhaps longer time, greater accuracy, and more ardent application may bring these sciences ftill nearer their perfection. To throw

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up at once all pretenfions of this kind may juftly be deemed more rash, precipitate, and dogmatical, than even the boldest and most affirmative philosophy, which has ever attempted to impose its crude dictates and principles on mankind.

What tho' these reasonings concerning human nature feem abstract, and of difficult comprehenfion? This affords no prefumption of their falfhood. On the contrary, it seems impoffible, that what has hitherto escaped fo many wife and profound philofophers can be very obvious and easy. And whatever pains these researches may coft us, we may think ourselves fufficiently rewarded, not only in point of profit but of pleasure, if by that means, we can make any addition to our stock of knowledge, in subjects of such unspeakable importance.

But as, after all, the abftractedness of thefe fpeculations is no recommendation, but rather a disadvantage to them, and as this difficulty may perhaps be furmounted by care and art, and the avoiding all unneceffary detail, we have, in the following inquiry, attempted to throw fome light upon subjects, from which uncertainty has hitherto deterred the wife, and obfcurity the ignorant. Happy, if we can unite the boundaries of the different fpecies of philofophy, by reconciling profound inquiry with clearness, and truth with novelty! And still more happy, if, reasoning in this easy manner, we can undermine the foundations of an abftrufe philofophy, which feems to have ferved hitherto only as a fhelter to superftition, and a cover to abfurdity and error!

SECTION II.

Of the ORIGIN of IDEAS.

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VERY one will readily allow, that there is a confiderable difference between the perceptions of the mind, when a man feels the pain of exceffive heat, or the pleasure of moderate warmth, and when he afterwards recalls to his memory this fenfation, or anticipates it by his imagination. These faculties may mimic or copy the perceptions of the fenfes; but they never can reach entirely the force and vivacity of the original fentiment. The utmost we fay of them, even when they operate with greatest vigour, is, that they represent their object in fo lively a manner, that we could almost say we feel or fee it: But except the mind be difordered by disease or madness, they never can arrive at such a pitch of vivacity, as to render these perceptions altogether undiftinguishable. All the colours of poetry, however fplendid, can never paint natural objects in fuch a manner as to make the description be taken for a real landskip. The must lively thought is still inferior to the dulleft fenfation.

We may obferve a like distinction to run thro' all the other perceptions of the mind. A man, in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion. If you tell me, that any

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