i 8 o Mr. Bew on Blindttefs. 
mentioned, was aftonifhed to find, on examining* 
J O 
the pictures, prefented to him, with his finger, 
that they had not the fame projection, with 
the objeCts they reprefented. This, as well 
as the art of diminifhing a figure, and (till pre- 
ferving the refemblance, would evidently be as 
much an enigma, to a perfon juft poffefled of 
vifion, as the circumftance of che Mirror, men¬ 
tioned by M Biderot. * 
It is more than probable, therefore, that the 
blind man, has no ideas of colour, except, as has 
been already remarked, what are derived from 
a kind of diftant analogy, regulated by the afioci- 
ating powers of the mind, and preferved by the 
memory ; and, indeed, moft of the perfons of this 
clafs I have converfcd with, have frankly confeffed 
themfelves wholly ignorant of its qualities. Nor 
is this deficiency in the forming of ideas peculiar 
to the fenfe of fight. A deaf man would be juft 
as much embarraflfed, with refpeCt to the qualities 
of found; and the fame may be obferved with 
refpeCt to the other fenfes. 
In the courfe of my inquiries, however, on 
this fubjeCt, it occurred to me,- that I might 
pofii'oly derive fome new matter for obfervation, 
from the recollection of the blind man’s percep¬ 
tions whilft under the influence of his dreams. 
In the ufual filent hours of repofe, when the 
* Vid les CEuvres de M. Diderot, tom. II. Art-. Lettres 
fur les Aveugles, See. 
exercife 
