290 BATN" ON THE EMOTIONS AXD THE WILL 



who collects and dissects and describes species, oear tLe 

 same relation to the researches of the comparative anato- 

 mist tracing out the laws of organization, which Mr. Bain's 

 labours bear to the labours of the abstract psychologist, 

 we should be going somewhat too far; for Mr. Bain's work 

 is not wholly descriptive. Still, however, such an analogy 

 conveys the best general conception of what he has done ; 

 and serves most clearly to indicate its needfulness. For 

 as, before there can be made anything like true generaliza- 

 tions respecting the classification of organisms and the laws 

 of organization, there must be an extensive accumulation 

 of the facts presented in numerous organic bodies ; so, 

 without a tolerably-complete delineation of mental phenom- 

 ena of all orders, there can scarcely arise any adequate the- 

 ory of the mind. Until recently, mental science has been 

 pursued much as physical science was pursued by the an- 

 cients : not by drawing conclusions from observations and 

 experiments, but by drawing them from arbitrary a 2Jriori 

 assumptions. This course, long since abandoned in the one 

 case with immense advantage, is gradually being abandoned 

 in the other ; and tlie treatment of Psychology as a division 

 of natural history, shows that the abandonment will soon be 

 complete. 



Estimated as a means to higher results, Mr. Bain's work 

 is of great value. Of its kind it is the most scientific in 

 conception, the most catholic in spirit, and the most com- 

 plete in execution. Besides delineating the various classes 

 of mental phenomena as seen under that stronger light 

 thrown on them by modern science, it includes in the pic- 

 ture much which previous writers had omitted — partly 

 from prejudice, partly from ignorance. We refer more 

 especially to the participation of bodily organs in mental 

 changes ; and the addition to the primary mental changes, 

 of those many secondary ones which the actions of the 

 bodily organs generate. Mr. Bain has, w^e believe, been 



