things not lefs remarkable for their variety than for their number: thefe, unfolded by the wonderful mechanifm of external fenfe, furnish the mind with many perceptions; which, joined with ideas of memory, of imagination, and of reflection, form a complete train that has not a gap or interval. This tide of perceptions and ideas, in a continual flux, is in a good measure independent of will. The mind, as has been obferved, is fo conftituted, "That it can by "no effort break off the fucceffion of its ideas, "nor keep its attention long fixt upon the fame. "object:" we can arreft a perception in its courfe; we can fhorten its natural duration, to make room for another; we can vary the fucceffion by change of place or of amusement; and we can in fome measure prevent variety, by frequently recalling the fame object after fhort intervals but ftill there must be a fucceffion, and a change from one perception to another. By artificial means, the fucceffion may be retarded or accelerated, may be rendered more various or more uniform, but in one fhape or other is unavoidable.

This train, even when left to its dinary course, is not always uniform in its motion: there are natural caufes that accelerate or retard it confiderably. The firft I fhall mention is a peculiar conftitution of mind. One man is diftin

Locke, book 2. chap. 14.

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guished

guished from another, by no circumftance more remarkably than the movement of his train of perceptions: to a cold languid temper belongs a flow courfe of perceptions, which occafions dulnefs of apprehenfion and fluggishness in action : to a warm temper, on the contrary, belongs a quick courfe of perceptions, which occafions quickness of apprehenfion and activity in bufinefs. The Afiatic nations, the Chinese especially, are obferved to be more cool and deliberate than the Europeans may not the reafon be, that heat enervates by exhaufting the fpirits? a certain degree of cold, as in the middle regions of Europe, bracing the fibres, roufing the mind, and producing a brisk circulation of thought, accompanied with vigour in action. In youth there is obferveable a quicker fucceffion of perceptions, than in old age: and hence, in youth, a remarkable avidity for variety of amufements, 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 unneceffary; 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 compofe 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 confiderable time, excluding all other ideas; and the mind thus occupied is fenfible of no vacuity. Some emotions, by hurrying the mind from object to object, accelerate the fucceffion. Where the train is compofed of connected perceptions or ideas, 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 perceptions or ideas, which find not ready access to the mind; and that an unconnected object is not admitted without a struggle, appears from the unfettled ftate of the mind for fome moments after it is prefented, wavering between 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: mind can bear a quick fucceffion of related ideas; but an unrelated idea, for which the mind is not prepared, takes time to make an impression; and therefore a train compofed of fuch ideas,

* See chap. 1.

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ought

ought to proceed with a flow pace. Hence an epic poem, a play, or any story connected in all its parts, may be perused in a fhorter time, than a book of maxims or apothegms, 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 perceptions, depends on the particular objects that furround the percipient at the time. The prefent occupation muft alfo have an influence; for one is sometimes engaged in a · multiplicity of affairs, fometimes altogether vacant. A natural train of ideas of memory is more circumfcribed, each object being, by fome connection, linked to what precedes and to what follows it: thefe connections, which are many, and of different kinds, afford fcope for a fufficient degree of variety; and at the fame time prevent any excess 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 respect to uniformity and variety, than with respect

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; and in fuch a state, 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 but of revenge. In the character of Hotspur, this ftate of mind is reprefented to the life; a picture remarkable for high colouring as well as for ftrictness of imitation :

Worcester. Peace, coufin, fay no more.
And now I will unclafp a fecret book,
And to your quick conceiving difcontents
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 danger from the east into the west,

So honour cross it from the north to fouth;

And let them grapple. Oh! the blood more ftirs

To roufe a lion than to start a hare.

Worcester. Thofe fame Noble Scots, That are your prisoners

Hotspur. I'll keep them all ;

By Heav'n, he fhall 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 ftart away,

And lend no ear unto my purpofes;

Thofe pris'ners you fhall keep.