rious Senfes, which might arife at first from honest Mistake may be culpably fupported and propagated by Intereft, Ambition, Prejudice, and a Party-Spirit on any Side

3. Time and Custom alters the Meaning of Words. Knave heretofore fignified a diligent Servant (Gnavus ;) and a Villian was a meaner Tenant to the Lord of the Manor (Villicus ;) but now both thefe Words carry an Idea of Wickedness and Reproach to them. A Ballad once fignified a folemn and facred Song, as well as one that is trivial, when Solomon's Song was called the Ballad of Ballads; but now it is applied to nothing but trifling Verfe, or comical Subjects.

4. Words change their Senfe by Figures and Metaphors, which are deriv'd from fome real Analogy or Refemblance between several things; as when Wings and Flight are applied to Riches, it fignifies only, that the Owner may as easily lose them, as he would lose a Bird who flew away with Wings.

And I think, under this Head, we may rank thofe Words, which fignify different Ideas, by a fort of an unaccountable far-fetcht Analogy, or diftant Refemblance, that Fancy has introduced between one thing and another; as when we say, the Meat is green when it is half-roafted: We speak of airing Linen by the Fire, when we mean drying or warming it: We call for round Coals for the Chimney, when we mean large Square ones: And we talk of the Wing of a Rabbit, when we mean the Fore-Leg: The true Reason of these Appellations we leave to the Criticks.

5. Words alfo change their Sense by the Special Occafion of using them, the peculiar manner of Pronunciation, the Sound of the Voice, the Motion of the Face, or Gestures of the Body; fo when an

angry

angry Mafter fays to his Servant, it is bravely done or you are a fine Gentleman, he means juft the contrary; namely, it is very ill done; you are a forry Fellow: It is one way of giving a fevere Reproach, for the Words are spoken by way of Sarcasm or Irony.

6. Words are applied to various Senfes, by new Ideas appearing or arifing fafter than new Words are framed. So when Gun-Powder was found out, the Word Powder, which before fignified only Duft, was made then to fignify that Mixture or Compofition of Nitre, Charcoal, &c. and the Name Canon, which before fignified a Law or a Rule, is now alfo given to a great Gun, which gives Laws to Nations. So Footboys, who had freequently the common Name of Jack given them, were kept to turn the Spit, or to pull off their Mafter's Boots; but when Inftruments were invented for both thofe Services, they were both call'd Jacks, tho' one was of Iron, the other of Wood, and very different in their Form.

7. Words alter their Significations according to the Ideas of the various Perfons, Selts, or Parties who use them, as we have hinted before; fo when a Papist uses the Word Hereticks he generally means the Proteftants; when a Proteftant uses the Word he means any Perfons who were wilfully (and perhaps contentiously) obftinate in fundamental Errors. When a Jew fpeaks of the true Religion, he means the Inftitutions of Mofes, when a Turk mentions it he intends the Doctrine of Mahomet; but when a Christian makes ufe of it, he designs to fignify Christianity, or the Truths and Precepts of the Gospel.

8. Words have different Significations according to the Book, Writing, or Difcourfe in which they stand. So in a Treatife of Anatomy, a Foot

fignifies

Part I. fignifies that Member in the Body of Man: But in a Book of Geometry or Menfuration it fignifies twelve Inches.

If I had Room to exemplify most of these Particulars in one fingle Word, I know not where to chufe a fitter than the Word Sound, which feems (as it were) by Chance, to fignify three diftinct Ideas, (viz.) Healthy, (from Sanus) as a found Body; Noife (from Sonus) as a fhrill Sound; and to found the Sea (perhaps from the French Sonde, a Probe, or an Inftrument to find the Depth of Water.) From these three, which I may call original Senfes, various derivative Senfes arife; as found Sleep, found Lungs, found Wind and Limb, a found Heart, a found Mind, found Doctrine, a found Divine, found Reason, a found Cask, Sound Timber, a found Reproof, to beat one foundly, to found one's Meaning or Inclination, and a sound or narrow Sea, turn these all into Latin, and the Variety will appear plain.

I confefs, fome few of these which I have mention'd as the different Springs of equivocal Words, may be reduced in fome Cafes to the fame Origi nal: But it must also be granted, that there may be other Ways befides thefe whereby a Word comes to extend its Signification, to include various Ideas, and become equivocal. And tho' it is the Business of a Grammarian to purfue these Remarks with more Variety and Particularity, yet it is also the Work of a Logician to give Notice of thefe Things, left Darkness, Confufion, and Perplexity be brought into our Conceptions by the Means of Words, and thence our Judgments and Reasonings become erroneous.

С НА Р.

CH A P. V.

General Directions relating to our Ideas.

DireEtion I. Urnish yourselves with a rich Variety

of our Ideas; acquaint yourselves with things ancient and modern ; things natural, civil and religious ; things domestick and national ;

; things of your native Land, and of foreign Countries ; things present, past and future ; and above all, be well acquainted with God and yourselves ; learn animal Nature, and the Workings of your own Spirits.

Such a general Acquaintance with things will be of very great Advantage.

The first Benefit of it is this ; it will assist the Use of Reason in all its following Operations ; it will teach you to judge of things aright , to argue justly, and to methodise your Thoughts with Accuracy. When you shall find several things a-kin to

. each other, and several different from each other, agreeing in some Part of their Idea, and disagreeing in other Parts, you will range your Ideas in better order, you will be more easily led into a distinct Knowledge of things, and will obtain a rich Store of proper Thoughts and Arguments upon all Occasions.

You will tell me perhaps that you design the Study of the Law or Divnity; and what Good can natural Philosophy or Mathematicks do you, or any other Science, not directly subordinate to your chief Design? But let it be consider'd, that all Sciences have a sort of mutual Connection ; and Knowledge of all kinds fits the Mind to reason and judge better concerning any particular Sub

ject.

1

ject. I have known a Judge upon the Bench betray his Ignorance, and appear a little confused in his Sentiments about a Cafe of fufpected Murder brought before him for want of fome Acquaintance with animal Nature and Philofophy.

Another Benefit of it is this; fuch a large and general Acquaintance with things will fecure you from perpetual Admirations and Surprises, and guard you against that Weakness of ignorant Perfons, who have never feen any thing beyond the Confines of their own Dwelling, and therefore they wonder at almost every thing they fee; every thing beyond the fmoke of their own Chimney, and the Reach of their own Windows, is new and ftrange to them.

A third Benefit of fuch an univerfal Acquaintance with things, is this; it will keep you from being too pofitive and dogmatical, from an Excess of Credulity and Unbelief, i. e. a Readiness to believe, or to deny every thing at first hearing; when you shall have often seen, that strange and uncommon things, which often feemed incredible, are found to be true; and things very commonly receiv'd have been found falfe.

The Way of attaining fuch an extensive Treasure of Ideas, is, with Diligence to apply yourself to read the best Books; converfe with the most knowing and the wifeft of Men, and endeavour to improve by every Perfon in whose Company you are; fuffer no Hour to pass away in a lazy Idleness, an impertinent Chattering or useless Trifles: Vifit other Cities and Countries when you have seen your own, under the Care of one who can teach you to profit by .Travelling, and to make wife Obfervations; indulge a juft Curiofity in feeing the Wonders of Art and Nature; fearch into things yourfelves, as well as learn