&6 



novelty. His mind is as yet occupied only by individual and 

 unconnected ideas, and the world presents to him an uneven 

 appearance, composed of innumerable detached and irregu- 

 lar surfaces, which perplex him by the confused and scattered 

 manner, in which they reflect their light to his intellectual 

 eye. Even for a considerable time after the reasoning power 

 has begun to unfold itself, his apprehension continues waver- 

 ing and his judgment feeble, he examines with the uneasiness 

 natural to incapacity, and pronounces with hesitation and 

 reluctance. Nor is it to be imagined that time alone would 

 be a sufficient remedy for this imperfection, in an undirected 

 mind this distraction of thought usually subsides into listless- 

 ness and indifference ; the wonder caused by the novelty is 

 gone, but it is not succeeded by cool deliberation, they are 

 satisfied with the confused notions casually caught up while 

 the objects attracted their attention, and at the same time 

 derive no profit from their experience, for along with this 

 cold disregard for every thing that is familiar, they still re 

 tain a restless and insatiate curiosity. Of the truth of this 

 we may have abundant proof in the illiterate of every coun- 

 try, who evince complete insensibility and disregard to fami- 

 liar objects, even though they have the strongest claims to 

 their attention, and at the same time are anxiously inquisitive 

 with regard to every thing that has the recommendation of 

 novelty. And * there are iDAny even among those, who may 



* Reid App. to Home's Sketcbes, Vol. III. 



