248 An Essay on the Signs of Ideas. 
times in a peculiar thrilling sensation, per- 
vading the whole system, or some part of the 
system, and sometimes in a feeling of pain, 
anxiety, or oppression about the heart, sto- 
mach, orliver. They are, I believe, never 
succeeded by ideas having any resemblance 
to them, as is the case with simple sensa- 
tions. 
The Feeling of volition is that uneasiness 
by which we are excited to action at the 
prospect, either of any good which we wish to 
obtain, or any evil which we wish to avoid. 
This feeling of uneasiness is always irresisti- 
ble, except by a feeling of greater uneasiness, 
produced by some prospect of greater good 
or greater evil. When the volition is re- 
markably violent, or unusually frequent, on 
any subject, it is called passion ; when it is 
quite uncontrolable, and regardless of conse- 
quences, it is called mania, or raging mad- 
ness; and when it is too weak to lead to the 
performance of the necessary actions of life, 
it is called melancholy. 
Such are the feelings of which every hu- 
man individual is, on the appropriate occa- 
sions, conscious: and I trust that I have 
given such explanations of each, as com- 
pletely to distinguish them one from ano- 
ther. - 
