OF NATURAL HISTORY. 19^ 



fenfatlons would remain in his memory, and produce defire 

 imd averfion. He can now compare the fmell of a rofe with 

 that of an hemlock. As foon as he compares, he judges of 

 the relation between two ideas. In proportion as thefe 

 comparifons or judgments are repeated, he acquires, by habit, 

 a greater facility in making them. He can judge of differ- 

 ent degrees of pleafure and pain. Hence, when he feels un- 

 eafy, he recals pleafant fenfations which are paft, and wifhes 

 for their return. This is the origin of defire and want. 

 Memory is the recolle<5lion only of what is paft ; but, when 

 the ideas of Objedts prefent themfelves in fo lively a manner, 

 that he believes they are adlually prefent, this operation of 

 the mind is called imagination. Being limited to the u{e of 

 one fenfe, he would learn to diftinguifh fmells with greater 

 accuracy than beings endowed with more fources of informa- 

 tion. Abftradlion is the feparation of two ideas which have 

 a natural connection. By reflecting that the ideas of pain 

 and pleafure refult from different modifications of his exift- 

 cnce, he contra(5ls the habit of feparating them, and thus ac- 

 quires abftraft notions. To our ftatue, a violet is a parti- 

 cular idea only ; confequently, all his abftractions are limited 

 to different degrees of pleafure and pain. The fucceffion of 

 fenfations will give him fome faint ideas of number, of paft, 

 and of future time. Duration is an idea purely relative, and 

 changes according to the rapidity or flownefs of our percep- 

 tions. Our ftatue is incapable of diftinguilhing dreams, or 

 a lively imagination, from real fenfations. By the aid of 

 memory he recognifes his identity, and knows his prefent 

 from his paft condition. From thefe remarks it appears, 

 that a man limited to one fenfe is capable of acquiring the 

 rudiments of every human faculty, and that thefe faculties 

 are only extended by the addition of other fenfes. Nearly 

 the fame acquiiitions would be made, if a man were limited 

 to any of the other fenfes. 



