MENTAL. 71 



states at the same moment, how short soever that 

 moment may be. Hence it follows that if we are 

 to apply our minds to observation by means of any 

 sense, the other senses must be kept still, so as to 

 leave that one to work to the utmost bent of its 

 power ; for if that is not the case, as they all have 

 a resemblance to each other, and perhaps are all 

 only the general muscular sense of resistance mo- 

 dified by organizations, one will be constantly 

 breaking in upon another, and we shall start from 

 sight to hearing, and from hearing to touch, until 

 we become perfectly incapable of knowing what 

 sense is affected, or indeed whether the sense is 

 affected at all. That is the state of momentary 

 or periodical non-existence, with which the lives 

 of the heedless is so much spotted, and by which 

 even the most careful of us sometimes waste our 

 time and mar our plans. It is what Milton calls 

 the " brute unconscious gaze ;" and the Scottish 

 peasantry very appropriately call "looking from 

 them ;" and it is literally from us in these cases, 

 for the senses are flood-gates in which there are 

 always currents when they are open, and if new 

 knowledge does not flow in, time will flow out, 

 and bear off our old knowledge on its tide. There 

 is no means of avoiding the last of these but by 

 pursuing the first ; and thus observation is really 

 our guardian, as well as our guide. In our busi- 

 ness or profession, how much soever we are occu- 

 pied with it, it is impossible to get as much 

 observation as will keep all the senses up to their 

 proper tone; and therefore the observation of 

 nature comes in, not to draw us away from our 

 callings, but really to work along with us and 

 encourage us, as a most ready-handed and gay- 



