and Paffions , upon the Underjlanding. 391 
Imagination is neceffary to reprefent to the 
mind, all things dijlant, future, invifible , and even 
paft, when they are not exactly recalled by memory. 
How wide ! How important its province ! In 
religion, the happinefs of Heaven, the nature, 
character, and employment of fuperior beings, 
the folemn proceffes of Judgment—Eternity— 
and even the Deity himfelf, can only come before 
us, as drawn by the imagination. 
In Hijlory , you continually imagine charaders, 
events, times, places, circumftances, which you 
have never feen. Thefe are portrayed to your 
fancy, by the pen of the hiftorian ; and your 
pleafure and improvement will very much de¬ 
pend upon the clearnefs and celerity, with 
which you paint to yourfelf the different fcenes, 
which are paRIng before you. All the pleafures 
of Tajle depend abfolutely upon a vigorous and 
cultivated imagination. Even in the actual 
contemplation of the fcenes of nature , imagination is 
as neceffary, to refined pleafure, as the eye. 
Perhaps we might, without great impropriety, 
call it, the eye of the mind. If any perfon fhould 
think, this appellation would better belong to the 
underjlanding , let him recoiled, that the eye of 
the body can give no exaff information, till 
rectified by the judgment. It is fo with the 
imagination. The ideas it prefents muft be 
brought before the higher tribunal of the 
C c 4 under- 
