Chap. XI. ANTIENT M;E T A P H Y S I C S. 149 



G H A P. XL 



Plato* s Notion of our Knoivkdge in this State exprejfed by an Allegory 

 — All derived from Senfition — Such Knoivledge jnoft imperfect — 



This ilb.if rated by the Knoivledge tue get from the Senfe of Sv^ht 



What Intellect can do to fupply the DefeSfs ^/Seni'e — The Knoivledge 

 offuperior Minds very diffet ent from ours — What ours ivill be ivhen ive 

 are difencumbercdoj the Body — // ivill befiich as is incredible to the 

 Material Philofophers — That the Mind has Perceptions in this StatCy 

 even of Jenfble ohje&s^ proved — from our Phantafia — fro7n our 

 Dreams— ^r'c>w Appearances to us ivhen aivake — from the Cafe of 

 thofe that ivalk in their Sleep — Inflances of theje Kinds — The Senfes 

 7iot the Caufe of the Perception of Senftble Objects — This illuf rated 

 by a Comparifon, 



WHAT I hinted in the end of the laft Chapter, about the (late 

 of the human mind in this body, will, if duly conlidered, 

 lead us to further difcoveries of the nature of our mind, and enable us 

 to make fome conjectures concerning its poivers when feparated from, 

 the body. 



Plato has laid, in more than one place, that, in this flate of our ex- 

 iftence, wc perceive only the images of things, but are not convcri'ant 

 with the things themfelves ; and he has compared us to prifoners 

 chained down in a cave, in fuch a manner, that they caniK)t turn their 

 heads, but can only look forward towards the end or bott^^m of the 

 cave. Me further fuppofes, a great fire or light at tlie mouth of the 

 cave, and betwixt them and that light, figures of men, and other ani- 

 mals, and of many different natural or artificial fubflanccs, io placed, 



that 



