Chap. XX. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 291 



ed. Each, therefore, of the fevcral intentions of man, in theinftances 

 above given, may be faid, in fome fenfe, to be neceflary ; and mod 

 certainly they are not fortuitous ; but it is the concourfe of the two 

 intentions to produce an event, intended, perhaps, by neither of the 

 men, and certainly not by one, which makes that event fortuitous. 



By thefe diftindions, it might be thought that this fubjed was ex- 

 haufted; but the variety of Nature is not fo foon exhaufied ; and there 

 ftill remains one diftindlion more to be made ; for, let us fuppole that 

 the concourfe of the two caufes, which produce the event, is necefTary, 

 and in the ordinary courfe of things ; 1 fay the event, in that cafe, is 

 not fortuitous. My meaning will be beft explained by an example 

 or two. Suppofe I take a long and a quick journey, for fome pur- 

 pofe or another; the neceflary confequence of fuch a journey is fatigue. 

 Here, therefore, are two caufes ; the one the intention of man, which 

 produces the journey, the other, the operation of Nature upon my 

 body, in confequence of the exercife. In this manner, two cau- 

 fes concurring, the one intentional, and the other natural, pro- 

 duce the fatigue. But, though this production be befides my inten- 

 tion, yet, as it is the neceflary confequence of my intention that it 

 fhould be produced, it is not a fortuitous event. 



This example is mixed of the intention of man, and the deftination 

 of Nature ; but I will give another, which is entirely from Nature, and 

 which isfurniflied me by Ariftotle. The decline and old age of man is 

 an event propofed by Nature ; but, that he fliould become gray when 

 he grows old, is not propofed by Nature: Yet, as it always happens, and 

 is the neceflary confequence of his growing old by the decay of moi- 

 fture at that time of life, it is not a fortuitous event, though it be be- 

 fides the intention of Nature, as the fatigue of the journey was be- 

 fides the intention of the perfon who made it. I am perfuaded many 

 other examples of the fame kind might be collected by a diligent ob- 



ferver 



