MAN 
MAN 
eyes, and obferved all it's motions; but of all 
thefe objefts my ideas were confufed and falla- 
cious. I imagined that the motion of my hand 
was a fpecies of fugitive exiflence, a mere fuccef- 
fion of fimilar caufes: I brought my hand near 
my eye; it then feemed to be larger than my whole 
body, for it concealed from my view almofb every 
odier objeft. From this I began to fufpecl that 
there was fome illufion in the fenfition conveyed 
by the eyes. I diiHn6lly perceived my hand was 
only a fmall part of my body, but I was unable to 
comprehend how it fliould appear fo enormoufly 
large : I therefore refolved to depend for informa- 
tion on the fenfe of feeling alone, which I expe- 
rienced had never deceived me ; and to be on my 
guard, for the future, againft all other modes of 
fenfition. 
' I found this precaution extremely beneficial. 
I renewed my motions, and walked with my face 
turned towards heaven ; I ftruck againft a palm- 
tree, and felt a flight degree of pain. Seized with 
terror, I ventured to lay my hand on the objeft, 
and difcovered it to be a body diftinft from my- 
felf, becaufe it gave me not a double fenfation, 
which I experienced on touching my ov/n body: 
i turned from it with horror; and perceived, for 
the firft time, that there was fomething external, 
fomething which did not conftitute a part of my 
own exiilence. I Vv-as reconciled to this difcovery 
with difficulty ; but after reflefting on the event 
which had happened, I concluded that I ought to 
judge concerning external objefls in the fame 
manner as I had judged concerning the parts of my 
body; and the fenfe of feeling alone could afcer- 
tain their exiftence. I refolved, therefore, to feel 
every objeft which fell under my infpeftion: I 
felt a deiire of touching the fun; I accordingly 
ilretched forth my hands to embrace the heavens, 
but they met without feeling any immediate refift- 
ance. 
' Every experiment I made ferved only to aug- 
ment my aftonifliment, for all objeds appeared to 
be equally near; and it was not till after an infi- 
nite number of trials, that 1 learned to ufe my eyes 
as a guide to my hand. As the hand gave me 
ideas totally different from the impreiTions I re- 
ceived by the eye, my fenfations were contradic- 
tory; the judgments I formed were imperfed; and 
my whole exiftciice was anarchy and diforder. 
' Deeply meditating on the nature of my be- 
ing, the contradicflions I had experienced filled me 
with humility: the m.ore I reflefted, my doubts 
and difficulties increafed. Fatigued with fo many 
uncertainties, and with anxious emotions which 
fucceffively arofe in my mind, my knees bended, 
and I foon found myfelf in a fituation of repofe. 
This ftate of tranquillity added frefh vigour to 
my fenfes : I was ilretched under the fliade of a de- 
lightful tree; fruit of the moft beautiful vermilion 
colour hung dov/n from it, within reach of my 
hand; this I gently touched, and it infcantly fe- 
parated from the branch. In laying hold of this 
ilibftance, I imagined I had made a great con- 
quell; and I rejoiced in the faculty of grafping in 
mv hand an entire being which made no part of 
myfelf. It's weight, though trifling, feemed to 
be an animated refiftance, which I felr a pleafure 
in being able to overcome. I lifted the fruit near 
my eye; I examined it's fi.gure and it's colours; 
a delicious odour allured me to bring it near my 
lips, and I inhaled long draughts of it's perfumes. 
When wholly pofrefled with the fweetnefs of it's 
fragrance, my mouth opened, and I difcovered 
that I enjoyed an internal fenfe of fmelling much 
more delicate and refined than that conveyed by 
the nofl:rils : in a word, I taflied the fruit. The 
novelty of the fenfation, and the delicioufnefs of 
the flavour, filled me with tranfport and afl:onifh- 
ment : till now I had only enjoyed fimple plea- 
fures ; but tafl:e gave me an idea of voluptuouf- 
nefs. The enjoyment was fo congenial and inti- 
mate, that it conveyed to me the notion of pro- 
perty or pofl!efllon : I imagined that the fubftance 
of the fruit had become part of my own, and that 
I was endowed with the power of transforming 
bodies. 
' Delighted with this idea of power, and with 
the pleafures I experienced, I continued to pull, 
and to eat: but an agreeable languor gradually 
weakened my fenfes ; my limbs grew heavy ; and m v 
mind feem.ed to lofe it's aftive powers of refle6l- 
ing. The dulnefs of miy fenfations rounded all 
external forms, and conveyed only weak and ill- 
defined ideas: at this inftant my eyes became 
fhut, the light was excluded, and I funk dovv'n 
with my head on the grals. 
' Every thing that had amufed my waking hours 
now difappeared, and darknefs and confufion 
ufurped dieir right of dominion ; the train of my 
ideas was interrupted, andlloft the confcioufnefsof 
my exifl:ence. My repofe was profound ; but hav- 
ing no mode of meafuring time, I was ignorant of 
it's duration : my awaking appeared to be a fecond 
birth, for I only perceived that I hadceafed to exift. 
This temporary annihilation excited the image of 
fear, and gave me an idea that my exiflrence was not 
permanent. Another difficulty flarted in my mind : 
I fufpeded that fleep had robbed me of fome por- 
tion of my faculties ; I tried my different fenfes, 
and endeavoured to recognize all my former 
powers. When furveying my body, in order to 
afcertain it's identity, I was afl:oniflied to find at 
my fide another form perfe6lly fimilar to my own : 
I conceived it to be another felf; and, inftead of 
lofing by fleep, I fuppofed that my being was 
doubled. I ventured to lay my hand on this new 
form: with rapture and afl:onilbment I perceived 
that it was not myfelf, but fomething more glo- 
rious and defireable; and I imagined that my ex- 
ifl:ence was about to diffolve, and to be wholly 
transfufed into this copy of my being. I per- 
ceived her to be animated by the touch of my 
hand : I faw her catch the expreffion in my eyes ; 
and the luflire and vivacity of her own made a 
new fource of life thrill in my veins. I ardently 
v/iflied to transfer my whole being to her; and 
this wifli compleated my exiflience, for now I dif- 
covered another fenfe. At this inflant the fun 
had finiflied his courle; I perceived with pain, 
that I lofl: the fenfe of feeing; my enjoyment was 
too exquifire to allow me to dread annihilation; 
and the prefent obfcurity recalled in vain the idea 
of my former fleep.' 
Having exhibited Man as poffeffcd of various 
fenfes, as a being enjoying powers which unfold 
by flow degrees; we fliall nowconfider him in his 
lafl: ftagc, and explain the caufe and nature of his 
decay. 
Every objeft in nature has it's improvement 
and decay. The human form no fooner arrives 
at maturity, than it inftantly begins to decline. 
The wafte is at firft infenfible, and frequently fe- 
veral years revolve before we perceive any confi- 
\ (krable alteration ; but we ought to feci the weight 
