222 ANTIENT rsIETAPHYSICS. Book IV. 



we fliould have no knowledge at all in this ftate of our exiftence, 

 but all the impreffions upon our Minds would be immediately 

 effaced, like traces in water. But we have a faculty, by which our 

 perceptions, after they are part, are revived and prefented anew 

 to the Mind. This faculty is called Memory *y without which we 

 could acquire no knowledge in this life ; and the exercife of it is 

 what we call Reminifcence or Recollefiion^ which cannot be, unlefs 

 we have the confcioufnefs that we formerly knew the thing. The 

 lofing of that confcioufnefs is what is called Oblivion : And then there 

 can be no Reminifcence or Recolleftion ; but we muft learn it again, 

 that is, know the thing anew, or be forever ignorant of it. 



And here we may obferve a wonderful analogy between Plato's 

 fyftem of Reminifcence of what we knew in a former life, and our 

 Recolledion of things in this life. For this Recolle£tion is never 

 without either the thing itfelf being prefented again to the Mind, or 

 fomething that has a connedion with it. In like manner, fays Plato, 

 we have no Reminifcence of any thing in a former life, without that 

 thing being again perceived by the Mind, or fomething that has rela- 

 tion to it ; yet the notions of both are in the Mind, but latent, and 

 not perceived, till they be excited in the manner I have mentioned. 

 And I lay fo much weight upon arguments from analogy, in que- 

 ftions concerning Nature, that, if there were no other reafon to 

 convince me of the truth of Plato's philofophy upon this point, it 

 would be to me fufEcient. But I hope I have given other reafons 

 for this opinion, that will convince the reader, as they have convin- 

 ced myfelf f* 



I 



* I have, in the Firft Volume, page 96. made a diftin£tion betwixt Memory 

 and Phantafia, the one teing, according to my apprehenfion, the receptacle of 

 Ideas, the other of perceptions of Senfe ; but it is unneceffary to embarrafs this ar- 

 gument with that diftinftion. 



t See Chap. 2. of this book. 



