t 



AiMIMALCULA OF iNPUlSlONS* 2I5 



that his time would have been miflpent; and that 

 his Ejai would give no offence to thofe who 

 could penetrate into the abftra6i; points which 

 ferve as its bafis. What could he have replied 

 to a critic who forgot himfelf fo much, as in 

 fome meafure to become an accomplice of the 

 deteftable parricide Damiens ? Thofe acquainted 

 with the pfychologift, knew that he has fully- 

 forgiven the monftrous errors of his crific; I alfo 

 know it* How odious is it to attempt refuting 

 an author by attacking confequences which may 

 have any latitude according to the win of the 

 critic ! ( I )* 



O4 I 



(i) Oftener than once I have felt myfelf inclined to re- 

 proach M. de Bonnet with fome of his ablcft metaphyfical 

 Opinions being adopted from an £j/i!i de Pjychologh, by an 

 anonymous author. His keen defence of the work, his 

 Very partial exprefllons in that defence, the PfychologL' 

 itfetf, altogether induce me to fuppofe him the author: 

 Although I conceive the whole, I cannot explain myfelf 

 further. But my readers may be afiured, that the author 

 of the Pfychologie will not revenge the plagiaries witli 

 which fome perfons have reproached the Gencvefo natu- 

 mlill, becaufe, to my certain knowledge, he did not com- 

 mit any ; and if lie had, he would have tjpcnly acknovr- 

 ledged them. I alfo know, that he is Very far from adopt- 

 ing all the J i«as in tbe EjTai dc PJ}chelogie. He his even 



