Chap. II. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 201 



lytics, of a more complex operation Rill, — that of Reafoning : Rut it 

 would be as ridiculous to fay, that Men could not have Ideas with- 

 out analyfing them according to the Rules of Art, as to pretend that 

 we could not reafon without Ariftotle's Art of Reafoning ; though, 

 no doubt, we do both the better for being taught by Art. 



To be convinced of this, let us confider the cafe of Savages. 

 They have no Logic or Science of any kind, know nothing of Genus, 

 Species, or Difference, nor have any Arts, except a few of the necefla- 

 ry Arts of Life ; yet they have Ideas, though not fo perfect, to be fure, 

 as thofe of the men of fcience among us, and likewife a language 

 to exprefs them, by which they not only converfe in private, but 

 deliberate in public, upon the affairs of their tribe and nation, with 

 as much or more wifdom than moft civilized nations. But, as they 

 cannot anlyfe and abftradt according to the Rules of Art, they have 

 not Sciences, nor even Arts reduced to a Syftem. Thus, not being 

 able to analyfe the dimenfions of Body, as Euclid has done, into 

 Points, Lines, Surfaces, and Solids, and to feparate and diftinguifh 

 them accurately from Body and from one another, they have no 

 Science of Geometry ; though, undoubtedly, they have the Ideas of 

 different Figures. And not being able to abftradl Number accurately 

 from the Things Numbered, and to inveftigate its properties by it- 

 felf, they have no Science of Arithmetic ; though they have the Prac- 

 tice of it to a certain degree. And, in fhort, becaufe they are not 

 able to analyfe accurately compounds of any kind, and to divide 

 things into their genufes and fpeciefes, they have no fcience of any 

 kind ; though, in matters of common prudence, and fuch arts of life 

 as they practice, in which the Form is never confidered feparated 

 from the Matter, and the knowledge of Individuals is more neceflary 

 than of Generals, they excel very much. 



Thus, it appears that we have our Ideas from within, and not 



from ivithoiit, as is commonly believed. But, if our Minds furnifhed 



Vol. n. C c us 



