natural caufes that accelerate or retard it confiderably. The first I fhall mention depends on a peculiar conftitution of mind. One man is diftinguished from another, by no circumstance more remarkably than the movement of his train of perceptions. A cold languid temper is accompanied with a flow courfe of perceptions, which occafions dulnefs of apprehenfion and fluggishness in action. To a warm temper, on the contrary, belongs a quick course of perceptions, which occafions quickness of apprehenfion and activity in bufinefs. The Afiatic nations, the Chinese especially, are observed to be more cool and deliberate than the Europeans: may not the reason be, that heat enervates by exhaufting the fpirits? A certain degree of cold, fuch as is felt in the middle regions of Europe, by bracing the fibres, roufes the mind, and produces a brifk circulation of thought, accompanied with vigour in action. In youth there is obfervable a quicker fucceffion of perceptions, than in old age. Hence in youth a remarkable avidity for variety of amusements, which in riper years give place to more uniform and more fedate occupation. This qualifies men of middle age for bufinefs, where activity is required, but with a greater proportion of uniformity than variety. In old age, a flow and languid fucceffion makes variety unnecellary; and for that reafon, the aged, in all their motions, are generally governed by an habitual uniformity. Whatever be the caufe, we may venture to pronounce, that heat in the imagination and temper, is always connected with a brifk flow of perceptions.

The natural rate of fucceffion, depends alfo in fome degree upon the particular perceptions that compose the train. An agreeable object, taking a strong hold of the mind, occafions a flower fucceffion than when the objects are indifferent. Grandeur and novelty fix the attention for a confi

derable

derable time, excluding all other ideas; and the mind thus occupied feels no vacuity. Some emotions, by hurrying the mind from object to object, accelerate the fucceffion. Where the train is compofed of connected objects, the fucceffion is quick. For it is fo ordered by nature, that the mind goes eafily and fweetly along connected objects *. On the other hand, the fucceffion must be flow where the train is compofed of unconnected objects. An unconnected object finding no ready access to the mind, requires time to make an impreffion. And that it is not admitted without a struggle, appears from the unfettled ftate of the mind for fome moments after it is prefented, wavering betwix: it and the former train. During this fhort period, one or other of the former objects will intrude, perhaps oftener than once, till the attention be fixt entirely upon the new object. The fame obfervations are applicable to ideas fuggefted by language. The mind can bear a quick fucceffion of related ideas. But an unrelated idea, for which the mind is not prepared, takes time to make a diftin&t impreffion; and therefore a train compofed of fuch ideas, ought to proceed with a flow pace.

Hence

an epic poem, a play, or any ftory connected in all its parts, may be perufed in a fhorter time, than a book of maxims or apophthegms, of which a quick fucceffion creates both confufion and fatigue.

Such latitude hath nature indulged in the rate of fucceffion. What latitude it indulges with refpect to uniformity we proceed to examine. The uniformity or variety of a train, fo far as compofed of external objects, depends on the particular objects that furround the percipient at the time. The present occupation must also have an influence; one is fometimes engaged in a multiplicity of affairs, fometimes

+ See chap. I.

Ch. IX. fometimes altogether vacant. A natural train of ideas of memory is more circumfcribed, each ob- . ject being linked, by fome connection, to what precedes and to what follows it. Thefe connections, which are many and of different kinds, afford scope for a fufficient degree of variety; and at the fame time prevent any excefs that is unpleasant. Temper and conftitution also have an influence here, as well as upon the rate of fucceffion. A man of a calm and fedate temper, admits not willingly any idea but what is regularly introduced by a proper connection. One of a roving difpofition embraces with avidity every new idea, however flender its relation be to those that go before it. Neither must we overlook the nature of the perceptions that compofe the train; for their influence is not lefs with refpect to uniformity and variety, than with refpect to the rate of fucceffion. The mind ingroffed by any paffion, love or hatred, hope or fear, broods over its object, and can bear no interruption. In fuch a ftate, the train of perceptions must not only be flow, but extremely uniform. Anger newly inflamed eagerly grafps its object, and leaves not a cranny in the mind for another thought than of revenge. In the character of Hotfpur, this state of mind is represented to the life; a picture remarkable for high colouring as well as for strictness of imitation:

Worcester. Peace, coufin, fay no more.
And now I will unclasp a secret book,
And to your quick-conceiving discontents
I'll read you matter, deep and dangerous;
As full of peril and advent'rous spirit
As to o'erwalk a current, roaring loud,
On the unsteadfast footing of a spear.

Hotspur. If he fall in, good-night. Or fink or fwim,

Send

Send danger from the east into the west,

So honour cross it from the north to south;
And let them grapple. O! the blood more stirs
To rouse a lion than to start a hare.

Worcester. Thofe fame Noble Scots,
That are your prifoners-

Hotfpur. I'll keep them all.

By Heaven, he shall not have a Scot of them:
No, if a Scot would fave his foul, he shall not;
I'll keep them, by this hand.

Worcester. You start away,
And lend no ear unto my purposes;
Thofe pris'ners you shall keep.
Hotfpur. I will; that's flat:

He faid, he would not ransom Mortimer:
Forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer:
But I will find him when he lies asleep,
And in his ear I'll holla Mortimer!
Nay, I will have a starling taught to speak
Nothing but Mortimer, and give it him,
To keep his anger still in motion.

Worcester. Hear you, coufin, a word. Hotspur. All ftudies here I folemnly defy, Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke: And that fame fword and buckler Prince of Wales, (But that I think his father loves him not,

And would be glad he met with some mifchance), I'd have him poifon'd with a pot of ale.

Worcester. Farewell, my kinfman, I will talk

to you,

When you are better temper'd to attend.

Firft Part, Henry IV. act 1. fc. 4.

Having viewed a train of perceptions as directed by nature, and the variations it is fufceptible of from different neceffary caufes, we proceed to examine how far it is fubjected to will; for that will hath fome influence, more or lefs, is obferved

re

above. And first, the rate of fucceffion may be tarded by infifting upon one object, and propelled by difmiffing another before its time. But fuch voluntary mutations in the natural courfe of fucceffion, have limits that cannot be extended by the most painful efforts. The mind circumfcribed in its capacity, cannot at the fame inftant, admit many perceptions; and when replete, it has no place for new perceptions till others be removed. For this reafon, a voluntary change of perceptions cannot be instantaneous; and the time it requires fets bounds to the velocity of fucceffion. On the 'other hand, the power we have to arreft a flying perception, is equally limited. The longer we detain any perception, the more difficulty we find in the operation; till, the difficulty becoming unfurmountable, we are forced to quit our hold, and to permit the train to take its usual course.

The power we have over this train as to uniformity and variety, is in fome cafes very great, in others very little. A train fo far as compofed of external objects, depends entirely on the place we occupy, and admits not more or lefs variety but by change of place. A train compofed of ideas of memory, is ftill lefs under our power. Objects which are connected, afford the mind an eafy paffage from one to another. They fuggeft each other in idea by the same means; and we cannot at will call up any idea that is not connected with the train *. But a train of ideas fuggefted by reading, may be varied at will, provided we have books in ftore.

This power which nature hath given us over our train of perceptions, may be greatly strengthened by proper difcipline, and by an early application to bufinefs. Its improved ftrength is remarkable in those who have a ftrong genius for the mathematics:

See Chap. I.

nor