532 PROFESSOR ALISON ON THE BELIEF 
retarding the progress of knowledge on the subject, to represent these authors 
as at variance with one another. In fact, it appears to me, that his doctrine 
on this subject, referring to the general Law of Belief in the permanence of the 
order of Nature, is substantially the same as that of Stewart and Turcot, and 
that the only real addition which he made to our knowledge on the subject, con- 
sists in explaining the province of the muscular sensations, as distinguished from 
those sensations that result merely from impressions on the cutaneous nerves, with 
which they had generally been confounded under the name of Sensations of Touch ; 
and in connection with them, the importance of the idea of Time, in communicating 
the information on which our notions of the Primary qualities of Matter are founded. 
This is the same distinction as is expressed by several French physiologists by the 
terms Tact and Toucher ; and it appears from the learned researches of Sir WILLIAM 
Hami.ton, that it had been clearly pointed out by various other authors, ancient 
and modern; but I have no doubt that it was original on the part of Dr Brown. 
In concluding these remarks on this part of the Philosophy of Dr Brown, | 
see no objection to my stating, what I am very certain was the case, that the re- 
pugnance which he felt towards the peculiar doctrines of Dr Rein, was in reality 
not so much on the score of judgment as of ¢aste. His own taste in literature was 
peculiar,— it was founded in a great measure on the classical models,—and he 
was even more ambitious than Mr Stewart, of combining the reputation of a 
scholar and elegant writer with that of an acute metaphysician. The perfect 
simplicity of the language, the total absence of fancy, and the homeliness of 
many of the illustrations, in the writings of Dr Rem, were distasteful to him ; and 
I cannot but consider, therefore, his objections to the doctrines there laid down, as 
an illustration of the truth of the observation on his own scientific character, 
which I have often heard from my Father; who had the highest admiration, both 
of the acuteness of his intellect, and of the purity and elevation of his moral prin- 
ciples, but used to speak of him as the man of the most fastidious taste that 
he had ever known. 
It has been often observed, that the intellectual opinions, even of the men 
who take most pride in the exercise of their understandings, are very often more 
or less guided by their tastes and feelings; and in regarding the prejudice which 
may be detected in the writings of Dr Brown, against the phraseology and the 
doctrines of Rem, as an instance of the reaction of independent thought against 
mere authority, and of cultivated taste against the imputation of vulgarity, I do 
not think I do injustice to the memory of either of these illustrious men. 
Sir WituiAm Haminton, as I already mentioned, expresses himself strongly as 
to the doctrine of Rem regarding the formation of the notion of the primary qua- 
lities of matter, as so far from “ being a confutation of Idealism, affording it the 
best of all possible foundations;” but then he explains this by saying that he 
