ERRORS OF INFERENCE 145 



the forces of Nature to divine personalities, the 

 worship of the sun, of fire, and the upgrowth of 

 myths that appealed very strongly to the aesthetic 

 instinct : sacrifice as a means of propitiating evil 

 even human sacrifices to safeguard great under- 

 takings such as the opening of a campaign or the 

 building of a bridge : customs which plumb the 

 depth of absurdity, such as the couvade, which 

 obliges a father to take to his bed on the birth 

 of a child and eschew all food which would be 

 harmful to the infant. 



Such are the errors which have sprung from the 

 first imperfect effects of consciousness. As this 

 faculty has gained strength it has gradually 

 dispelled them by the assistance of accumulated 

 knowledge, which sifts out, and rejects as causes, 

 such happenings, or properties, whether visioned 

 or imaginary, as are only accidentally connected 

 with the occurrence for which an origin is being 

 sought. Blanks in the chain of inference con- 

 fessions of ignorance are preferred to links which 

 will not bear examination, and we are content to 

 ascribe to chance or accident events that cannot 

 be explained by experience. These blanks have 

 opened a field for the entry of science : there was 

 no room for scientific inquiry when the inferring 

 impulse insisted upon being satisfied by the vision 

 of a cause for every occurrence. 



In these modern days science is supported 

 by the close deduction of effects from causes, 

 and we are gratified to observe that its flights 

 are ever attaining higher altitudes. But there 

 are countless relics to remind us of our descent 

 from our ancestors. In Mediterranean countries 

 people commonly believe in the evil eye : nearer 

 home there are those who would not sit down 

 thirteen to table, who think it lucky to touch 

 wood, unlucky to spill salt, and put their trust 



