ACULTIES or THE MIND. 



queiitly, than the inferior animals. His knowledge of truth 

 from experience must, consequently, be more extensive. 



The belief which arises in the mind from the testimony 

 of experience, is the most secure and permanent, and upon 

 which all act with unreserved confidence. So rapidly does 

 the mind judge in such cases, that the evidence is said to* 

 be intuitive. Here the memory renders powerful assist- 

 ance. 



The indications of experience, however, may deceive, 

 since, as I have already pointed out, the senses frequently 

 communicate impressions which do not correspond with the 

 actual state of things, and the mind, by employing these 

 materials, may arrive at very erroneous conclusions. In 

 these cases, when there is no chance of deception, the confi- 

 dence in experience is unlimited, and to these the phrase- 

 intuitive evidence ought to be restricted. In other cases, 

 we do not entertain such firm belief, until by repeated trials 

 we have satisfied ourselves that all sources of error have 

 been avoided. 



The inferior animals possess a knowledge of truth, but 

 in a more limited degree than man. They do not direct 

 their organs of perception to so many objects, or examine 

 the same object under such a variety of aspects. But that 

 they possess much knowledge derived from experience, all 

 will be ready to admit, who have traced the operations of 

 memory which they exhibit. Besides, we witness its dis- 

 play in the caution of an old horse, in comparison of a 

 young one, and of the older animals which we wish to en- 

 snare, compared with the more ignorant ones which more 

 easily fall into our hands. The absence of experience en- 

 ables us to deceive the latter ; its presence in the former, 

 teaches them to avoid the error. 



From the knowledge which the mind possesses of time 

 and power, aided by experience, we confidently expect that 



