MOODS of FERBS. ij^i 



perfon who can fhake off the long eftablifhed philofophical hy- 

 pothefis of ideas, or images of things in the mind, as fubfer- 

 vient to thought ; or even who will take the trouble to diftin- 

 guilh between fuch fuppofed images, which, like thofe of a 

 magic lanthorn, may be conceived to be arranged in place, and 

 the thoughts correfponding to them. And I believe it is equally 

 certain, though not equally evident, that many of our thoughts 

 are not even arranged in the order of time, but are related to 

 one another in a very different manner, which is well under- 

 ftood, as being perfedlly familiar to us, but which cannot be 

 reprefented merely by the arrangement of words. 



That many of our thoughts are arranged in the order of 

 time, or, in other words, that there is a train or fucceflion of 

 thought, is, I think, too evident and generally acknowledged to 

 require either proof or illuftration ; and this relation among our 

 thoughts may be fairly and completely reprefented by the fuc- 

 ceflion of audible words, and of courfe with fufficient pro- 

 priety by the arrangement of vifible words. 



But this is perhaps the leaft important of all the various re- 

 lations of thought. Befides the train or fucceffion of thoughts 

 in time, there is often at once a great combination or mafs of 

 thoughts varioufly related to one another. Such a mafs of 

 'thought we fometimes wifh to impart entire and all at once ; 

 fometimes we wifh to analyfe it, to break it down, as it were, 

 and either to attend to it ourfelves, or to impart it to others, 

 that they may attend to it, piece-meal. 



For the latter purpofe, the arrangement of words in gram- 

 matical language is admirably well adapted ; for the former, 

 it is in a great meafure unfuitable. It gives disjointed, and in 

 fucceffion, thofe thoughts which we have united and fimulta- 

 neous, and wilh to communicate in the fame way. 



Hence the importance of the great principle of infleiSlion in 

 grammatical language, and its fuperiority to mere arrangement 

 of words : Hence too the fuperiority of thofe, languages which, 

 having many and diftind inflexions, admit of great variety 



Vol. II. H h of 



