7997-1 
ters we can eafily turn, by different ca- 
nals, in quite oppofite courfes, fo that 
from the infenfible direction the ftream 
receives at its fource, it forms different 
channels, and at laft arrives at places far 
diftant from each other: with the fame 
facility, I think, we may turn the minds 
of children to what direction we pleafe.” 
‘The frequent vacations from fchool, and 
intervals of bufinefs, might likewife be 
infifted upon, during which the mind ts 
left to chance, or expofed to oppofite im- 
preffions. But fuppofing an education 
more ftriétthan has yet been found prac- 
ticable, or even that chance fhould gene- 
rally (invariably is impoffible) prefent to 
two or more perfons the fame objects ; 
the flighteft variation of circumftance or 
pofition, prefenting the objeét in a fome- 
what different point of view, or in vari- 
ous lights and fhadings (as with the tra- 
vellers and the camelion) would necef- 
farily, by varying the impreffion, affect 
the conclufion : the confequence of this 
flight difference in the fenfation commu- 
nicated, and the ideas produced, combin- 
ing itfelf with previous impreflions, is 
altogether incalculable. Rouffeau, Vol- 
tare, and Johnfon, it is prefumed by 
your correfpondent, muft have had fome- 
thing in them originally differing from 
other men, and this difference could not 
have been the refult of education, fitu- 
ation, or accident. ‘This is a bold and 
hazardous affertion—waving the queftion 
whether all phy/ca/ differences might not 
ultimately be deduced from mora/ caufes 
-—What was there peculiar, or in common, 
in the organization of thefe celebrated 
men? ‘* Dogs and horfes, they fay, are 
efteemed more or lefs, according as they 
fprung from this or that race. ‘There- 
fore, before employing a man, we fhouid 
afk, if he fprang from an ingenious, or 
ftupid, father? Now thefe queftions are’ 
never afked. Why? becaufe the moft 
ingenious fathers frequently have foolith 
children ; becaufe men the beft organized. 
have often but little underftanding ; and, 
in fhort, becaufe experience proves the 
inutility of {uch queftions: all it teaches 
us is, that there are men of genius of 
every make and every temperament; that 
neither the fanguine, the bilious, nor 
phlegmatic ; the great, the little, the fat, 
the lean, the robuft, the tender, the me- 
lancholy, or the moft ftrong and vigour- 
ous, are always the moft ingenious.” 
Helvetius. 
Neither are there any truths con- 
tained in the writings of the great- 
eft men, or the fublimeft genius, which 
Defence of Heivetius. 
27 
may not be received and comprehended by 
all men of common organization. ‘* The 
underftanding is merely the ability to dif- 
cern the refemblances and differences 
which objects have to each other, the pro- 
duétive principle of which is the zziereff 
we have in comparing them: our judg- 
ment is the refult of the compariton of 
our fenfations. Every man perceives 
the fame relations between the fame ob- 
jects, if all of them agree in the truths 
of geometry.” 
‘The powers of memory, are faid, by 
J. T. to differ in different men, and 
that memory cannot be explained by the 
faculty of fenfation. We know little of 
caufes; but the office of the faculty which 
we term memory, confifts in recalling 
paft impreffions, by means of relative 
objeéts, which excite in us aétual fenfa- 
tions ; it appears to follow from the fre= 
quent repetition of fenfible impreffions, 
the combining of every idea with thofe 
which precede it, and which at length 
introduce themfelves in conneétion and 
trains, forming what has been denominat~ 
ed the laws of affociation and habit, 
But though memory is requifite to the 
comparifon of our fenfations and opinions, 
it by no means follows, nor has it ap- 
peared, that men of the moft retentive 
or extenfive memories, have been. thole.. 
of the greateft talents. 
The influence of education and cir- 
cumftances upon the virtue, as well as the 
underftanding, of man, is alfo difputed 
by J. T. The mof enlightened moral- 
ifts and legiflators are, I believe, agreed, 
that the wifeft, the moft humane, and 
the moft effe@ual preventive of vices 
would be>the removal of temptation : 
human laws have hitherto, in a great 
meafure, made the crimes they have pu- 
nifhed. The man who purfues happi- 
nefs by miftaken means, is, emphati- 
cally, the fner. ‘Virtue may be 
fined, the conduét mofk conducive to uti- 
lity, or calculated to produce the greateft 
thare of HAPPINESS; the evd, of which 
morality or relizion are valuable only as 
the means. The moft virtuous man, then, 
is he, who, capable of taking the wideft 
and moft comprehenfive views of the 
duties which he owes to himfelf and 
others, a€ts baditually upon his convic- 
tions. . Virtue, if this definition be ad- 
mitted, cannot be the difpofition born 
with us, but muft depend on the oppor- 
tunities we have had of acquiring jut 
principles, and the inducements, from a 
ftrong perfuafion of their beneficial ten- 
dency, to put them in practice. Incen- 
% furing 
C= 

