ASSOCIATION. 695 



" By consequence, or train of thoughts, I understand that succession 

 of one thought to another which is called, to distinguish it from dis- 

 course in words, mental discourse. When a man thinketh on anything 

 whatsoever, his next thought after is not altogether so casual as it 

 seems to be. Not every thought to every thought succeeds indiffer- 

 •ently. But as we have no imagination, whereof we have not formerly 

 had sense, in whole or in parts ; so we have no transition from one 

 imagination to another, whereof we never had the like before in our 

 senses. The reason whereof is this. All fancies are motions within us, 

 relics of those made in the sense : and those motions that immediately 

 succeeded one another in the sense continue also together after sense : 

 insomuch as the former coming again to take place, and be predomi- 

 nant, the latter followeth, by coherence of the matter moved, in such 

 manner, as water upon a plane table is drawn which way any one part 

 of it is guided by the finger. But because in sense, to one and the same 

 thing perceived, sometimes one thing, sometimes another succeedeth, it 

 comes to pass in time that, in the imagining of anything, there is no 

 certainty what we shall imagine next; only this is certain, it shall be 

 something that succeeded the same before, at one time or another. 

 This train of thoughts, or mental discourse, is of two sorts. The first is 

 unguided, wWiout design, and inconstant ; wherein there is no pas- 

 sionate thought, to govern and direct those that follow, to itself, as 

 the end and scope of some desire, or other passion. . . . The second 

 is more constant; as being regulated by some desire and design. For 

 the impression made by such things as we desire, or fear, is strong and 

 permanent, or, if it cease for a time, of quick return : so strong is it, 

 sometimes, as to hinder and break our sleep. From desire ariseth the 

 thought of some means we have seen produce the like of that which we 

 aim at; and from the thought of that, the thought of means to that 

 mean; and so continually, till we come to some beginning within our 

 own power. And because the end, by the greatness of the impression, 

 comes often to mind, in case our thoughts begin to wander, they are 

 quickly again reduced into the way : which observed by one of the 

 seven wise men, made him give men this precept, which is now worn 

 out, Respice finein ; that is to say, in all your actions, look often upon 

 what you would have, as the thing that directs all your thoughts in the 

 way to attain it. 



"The train of regulated thoughts is ol two kinds; one, when of 

 an effect imagined we seek the causes, or means that produce it : and 

 this is common to man and beast. The other is, when imagining any- 

 thing whatsoever, we seek all the possible effects that can by it be pro- 

 duced ; that is to say, we imagine what we can do with it, when we 

 have it. Of which I have not at any time seen any sign, but in man 

 only ; for this is a curiosity hardly incident to the nature of any living 

 creature that has no other passion but sensual, such as are hunger, 

 thirst, lust, and anger. In sum, the discourse of the mind, when it is 

 governed by design, is nothing but seeking, or the faculty of Invention, 



