CLASS III. 2. 2. 3. OF VOLITION. 349 



paring the present ideas with those previously acquired, which 

 distinguishes mankind; and is termed analogical reasoning, 

 when deliberatively exerted; and intuitive analogy, when used 

 without our attention to it, and which always preserves our 

 hourly trains of ideas consistent with truth and nature. Sec 

 Sect. XVII. 3. 7. 



3. Ratiodnatio verbosa. Verbal reasoning. This arises from 

 the feeble or inaccurate exertions of the faculty of volition in the 

 act of recalling the ideas of things, and thus mistaking the ideas 

 of words for them. One great imperfection of language con- 

 sists in the use of what Mr. Home Tooke calls general terms, as 

 mentioned in Sect. XV. 1. 5. and Sect. XVI. 17. of this work, 

 and which Mr. Locke supposed to express abstracted or general 

 ideas, such as the word castle or army, which in common con- 

 versation includes any part of property of those complex things, 

 and is thus liable to mislead inaccurate thinkers. Thus it was 

 said last night, " That horse strikes fire as he passes along the 

 pavement." And it was added jocularly, " that his feet must 

 be as hard as iron," which mistake might arise from the general 

 term, horse, including in common conversation both every part 

 of the animal and his accoutrements. 



A second source of false reasoning may arise from the same 

 word having two significations totally different irom each other: 

 which may mislead those who reason from ideas of words in- 

 stead of ideas of things. These are generally esteemed witti- 

 cisms, and are called puns or quibbles; as the jocular syllogism 

 on the word spirit. " Brandy is a spirit; the Devil is a spirit; 

 therefore brandy is the devil." 



A third source of false reasoning is derived from the two-fold 

 meaning of some sentences, or phrases in all languages; this is 

 also used designedly in jocular compositions, and constitutes the 

 wit of some comedies. An old miller riding on his sack of 

 flour was accosted Ly two young Cantabs, who rode on each side 

 of him, with u Gentlemen of your profession have sometimes a 

 doubtful character pray, miller, do you think yourself more 

 knave or fool?" the witty miller answered, looking first at one 

 of them and then at the other, " I think myself at present be- 

 tween both." This double entendre of a sentence was used by 

 the priests of the ancient oracles to deceive the inquirer into fu- 

 ture events. As that of 



Aio te, jacide, Romanes vincere posse. 



I say, that you, JSacides, the Romans shall conquer. 



There is a fourth mode of verbose ratiocination, which con- 

 sists in the conclusion of the syllogism containing an imaginary. 



