2i6 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IL 



but ads readily and eafily ; how much more fhould Divine Wifdora, 

 that directs nature, adt without conluhing or hefitating ? 



If any one is difficulted to conceive how any thing fhould be done 

 regularly and artificially, without counfel or defign in that which 

 does it, let him ftudy himfelf diligently, and he will find examples 

 fufficient of that in his own little ivorld. What a deal of wonderful 

 work is going on within us, by which the blood circulates, concoc- 

 tion, digeftion, fecretion, and many other chemical procefles are per- 

 formed, without our knowing any thing of the matter, all carried on 

 by a principle not intelligent, nor confcious of what it does, yet work- 

 ing moft artificially to a certain end. Even the works of human art 

 we very frequently perform w^ithout art, that is, without attending to 

 the rules of the art, which many of us have never learned. Thus to 

 read, to fpeak, to fing, or to play upon any mufical inftrument, are 

 certainly works of art, which we learn with great trouble and pains ;. 

 yet the energies of thefe arts we perform without attending to the art,, 

 and often without any confcioufnefs, or knowing what we are doing. 

 This is the effeiSt of cuftom or habit, which is faid to be a fecond na- 

 ture in man*: and, indeed, it may be faid to be his firft and original 

 nature ; for, as I have elfewhere obferved, the nature of man is fuch, 

 that he, by ufe and cuftom, acquires many faculties that other ani- 

 mals have from nature. Hahit^ therefore, in man is what nature is 

 in other things ; and if we fee men, from mere habit, performing 

 moft artificial things, we ought not to wonder that nature does the 

 fame. And, in human fociety, we may obferve fomething like this- 

 of nature ; for there it is abfolutcly neceflary, that, by far the greater 

 part of mankind fhould a£t in that way; very few of the fpecies 

 having that architedonical knowledge mentioned above, or being quali- 

 fied to ad with intelligence, and the certain knowledge of ends : And 



yet 



• Origin and Progrefs of Language, vol. i. p. 24. 2d edit. 



