Chap. XT. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 



479 



genus virtually contains the whole fpecies, not only what actually cxifts 

 of it, but what may exill of it in any future time. In the fane manner, 

 the lowefl: fpecies, below which there is nothing but individuals, con- 

 tains virtually all thofe individuals, prefent and future. Thus, the 

 fpecies man^ comprehends all the individuals now exifting, or that 

 ihall hereafter exift; w^hich, therefore, are faid to be parts of the fpecies 

 man. On the other hand;, the genus is a^ually contained in the fpe- 

 cies ; and the fpecies, likewife, in each of the individuals under it. 

 Thus, the genus animal is aBually contained in the fpecies man, vv-ith- 

 out which it could not be conceived to exift. And, for tl.c fame rea- 

 fon, the fpecies man is a6liiall) contained in each individual *. 



I will endeavour to illuftrate this dodrine of mine by fome exam- 

 ples : And 1 will begin with one that is much uied by the philofo- 

 |)h€r« of the Alexandrian School, but for another purpole that 1 iLall 

 mention atterwards. The example is that of a hgure upon a leal, 

 which virtually contains all the impreffions of that figure that are 

 made, have been made, or fliall be made ; whereas each imprcffion 

 aSlually contains the figure of the feal but once. In like manner, the 

 famous ftatue of the Vmus of Medicis contains virtually in it all the 

 many copies that have been made of it, or that (hall hereafter be made 

 t)f it in Paris plaller, or metal ; whereas each of the copies contains 

 only one Venus : And thus it is that the idea of man contauis virtu- 

 ally Peter, James, and John ; whereas, each of thefe contains adually 

 but one man. 



But 



* It 18 a piece of juftlce which I think I owe to an author, hardly known at all in 

 the weftern parts of Europe, to acknowledge that I got the hint of the folution of this 

 difficulty from him. The author I mean is a living Greek author, Eugenius Djaco- 

 iius, at prefent Profeflbr, as I am informed, in the Patriarch's Univerfity at Conftan- 

 tinople, who has written an excellent lyft..-m of logic, in very good Attic Greek. See 

 what I have turther faid of him in the Origin and Progrefs of Language, vol. i- p. 45 

 2d edition. 



