385 



persons who had the kindness to examine 

 it with particular attention, and wiio sug- 

 gested many alterations : but though some 

 of them were men as high in reputation for 

 ability and acuteness as any in the king- 

 dom, yet this most palpable blunder es- 

 caped them all; probably from their hav- 

 ing so clearly perceived the general drift 

 and intention, that they did not attend to 

 the particular expression. On such occa- 

 sions the eye of an antagonist is sharper 

 than that of a friend; for however keen 

 in itself, it is rendered still keener by 

 controversy. Mr. Knight discovered the 

 blunder, and as such, might very fairly have 

 laughed at it: he has chosen, however, to 

 suppose, not only that it was my deliberate 

 opinion that ideas might become objects of 

 sight, but that I considered this visibility 

 of ideas, as a fundamental principle, and 

 that it furnished him with a key to all my 

 doctrines.* As my friend, from our long 

 intimacy, must be supposed to know the 



* Analytical Inquiry, p. 20?. part £. eh, S. sec. 80, 



