nor lefs remarkable in perfons devoted to religious exercifes, who pafs whole days in contemplation, and impofe upon themselves long and severe penances. It is not to be conceived, what length a habit of activity in affairs will carry fome men. Let a ftranger, or let any person to whom the fight is not familiar, attend the Chancellor of Great Britain through the labours but of one day, during a feffion of parliament: how great will be his astonishment! what multiplicity of law-bufinefs, what deep thinking, and what elaborate application to matters of government! The train of perceptions must in this great man be accelerated far beyond the common course of nature. Yet no confufion or hurry; but in every article the greatest order and accuracy. Such is the force of habit! How happy is man, to have the command of a principle of action, that can elevate him fo far above the ordinary condition of humanity *! We are now ripe for confidering a train of perceptions with refpect to pleasure and pain: and to this fpeculation we must give peculiar attention, because it ferves to explain the effects that uniformity and variety have upon the mind. A man is always in a pleasant state of mind, when his perceptions flow in their natural course. He feels himfelf free, light, and eafy, especially after any forcible acceleration or retardation. On the other hand, the refiftance felt in retarding or accelerating the natural courfe, excites a pain, which, though fcarcely felt in fmall removes, becomes confiderable toward the extremes. An averfion to fix on any fingle object for a long time, or to take in a multiplicity of objects in a fhort time, is remarkable in children; and equally fo in men unaccuftomed to bufinefs. A man languishes when the fucceffion is very flow; and, if he grow not impati *This chapter was compofed in the year 1753. ent, ent, is apt to fall asleep. During a rapid fucceffion, he hath a feeling as if his head were turning round. He is fatigued, and his pain resembles that of weariness after bodily labour. External objects, when they occafion a very flow or a very quick fucceffion, produce a pain of the fame fort with what is felt in a voluntary retardation or acceleration which shows that the pain proceeds not from the violence of the action, but from the retardations or acceleration itself, difturbing that free and eafy courfe of fucceffion which is naturally pleafant. : But the mind is not fatisfied with a moderate courfe alone: its perceptions must also be fufficiently diverfified. Number without variety constitutes not an agreeable train. In comparing a few objects, uniformity is agreeable: but the frequent reiteration of uniform objects becomes unpleafant. One tires of a feene that is not diversified; and foon feels a fort of unnatural restraint when confined within a narrow range, whether occafioned by a retarded fucceffion or by too great uniformity. An excefs in variety is, on the other hand, fatiguing. This is even perceptible in a train compofed of related objects: much more where the objects are unrelated ; for. an object, unconnected with the former train, gains not admittance without effort; and this effort, though fcarce perceptible in a fingle inftance, becomes by frequent reiteration exceeding painful. Whatever be the cause, the fact is certain, that a man never finds himself more at eafe, than when his perceptions fucceed each other with a certain degree, not only of velocity, but also of variety. Hence it proceeds, that a train confifting entirely of ideas of memory, is never painful by too great variety; becaufe fuch ideas are not introduced otherwife than according to their natural * connections *. The pleasure of a train of ideas, is the * Chap. I. the most remarkable in a reverie; efpecially where the imagination interposes, and is active in coining new ideas, which is done with wonderful facility. One must be fenfible, that the ferenity and ease of the mind in this ftate, make a great part of the enjoyment. The cafe is different where external objects enter into the train; for these, making their appearance without any order, and without any connection fave that of contiguity, form a train of perceptions that may be extremely uniform or extremely diverfified; which, for oppofite reafons, are both of them painful. Any acceleration or retardation of the natural run of perceptions, is painful even where it is voluntary. And it is equally painful to alter that degree of variety which nature requires. Contemplation, when the mind is long attached to one thing, foon becomes painful by reftraining the free range of perception. Curiofity and the prospect of advantage from ufeful difcoveries, may engage a man to profecute his ftudies, notwithstanding the pain they give him, and a habit of close attention, formed by frequent exercife, may foften the pain. But it is deeply felt by the bulk of mankind, and produceth in them an averfion to all abftract fciences. In any profeffion or calling, a train of operation that is fimple and reiterated without intermiffion, makes the operator languish, and lofe his vigor. He complains neither of too great labour nor of too little action; but regrets the want of variety, and his being obliged to do the fame thing over and over. Where the operation is fufficiently varied, the mind retains its vigor, and is pleased with its condition. Actions again create an uneafinefs when exceffive in number or variety, though in every other respect agreeable. This uneafinefs is extremely remarkable, where strict attention must be given, at the fame time, to a number Ch. IX. number of different things. Thus a throng of bu finefs in law, in phyfick, or in traffick, diftreffeth and distracts the mind, unlefs where a habit of application is acquired by long and constant exercife. The exceffive variety is the diftreffing circumstance; and the mind fuffers grievously by being kept conftantly upon the stretch. With relation to involuntary caufes disturbing that degree of variety which nature requires, a flight pain affecting one part of the body without variation, becomes, by its conftancy and long duration, almost insupportable. The patient, fenfible that the pain is not increafed in degree, complains of its conftancy more than of its feverity, that it ingroffes his whole thoughts, and gives admiffion to no other object. Pain, of all feelings, feizes the attention with the greatest force; and the mind, after fruitless efforts to turn its view to objects more agreeable, must abandon itself to its tormentor. A fhifting pain gives lefs uneafinefs, because change of place contributes to variety. An intermitting pain, fuffering other objects to intervene, is not increafed by reiteration. Again, any fingle colour or found often returning, becomes difagreeable; as may be observed in viewing a train of fimilar apartments painted with the fame colour, and in hearing the prolonged tollingsof a bell. Colour and found varied within certain limits, though without any order, are agreeable; witness a field variegated with many colours of plants and flowers, and the various notes of birds in a thicket. Increase the number or variety, and the feeling becomes unpleafant. Thus a great variety of colours, crowded upon a small canvas or in quick fucceffion, create an uneasy feeling, which is prevented by putting the colours at a greater diftance either of place or time. A number of voices in a crowded aflembly, a number of ani mals mals collected in a market, produce an unpleasant emotion; though a few of them together, or all of them in a moderate fucceffion, would be agreeable. And because of the fame excefs in variety, a number of pains felt in different parts of the body, at the fame inftant or in a rapid fucceffion, make an exquifite torture. The foregoing do&rine concerning the train of perceptions, and the pleasure or pain refulting from that train in different circumftances, will be confirmed by attending to the final cause of these effects. And as I am fenfible that the mind, inflamed with fpeculations of this kind fo highly interesting, is beyond measure difpofed to conviction, I fhall be watchful to admit no argument nor remark but what appears folidly founded. With this caution I proceed to the inquiry. It is occafionally obferved above, that perfons of a phlegmatic temperament, having a fluggish train of perceptions, are indifpofed to action; and that activity conftantly accompanies a brifk motion of perceptions. To afcertain this fact, a man need not go abroad for experiments. Reflecting upon things paffing in his own mind, he will find, that a brifk circulation of thought conftantly prompts him to action; and that he is averfe to action when his perceptions languish in their courfe. But man by nature is formed for action, and he must be active in order to be happy. Nature therefore hath kindly provided against indolence, by annexing pleafure to a moderate courfe of perceptions, and by making every remarkable retardation painful. A flow courfe of perceptions is attended with another bad effect. Man in a few capital cafes is governed by propenfity or inftinct; but in matters that admit deliberation and choice, reafon is affigned him for a guide. Now, as reafoning requires often a great compafs of ideas, their fucceffion ought to be fo |