Posthumous tracts

11쪽

to the Latin Edition of them, just published by the

15쪽

SEVERAL years have nOW elapsed since I first conceived tho design os Working out the problems of rational psycholυν, orWhat amounts to the fame thing, Os investigating the essen ce and faculties of the human solii and internat senses; but hitherio the extremo dissiculty of the subjeci, coupled With the vast amount of preliminary knowledge Which is requisite, have Warned me against treading prematurely in this direction; for much must preriously be reducen to a clear statement und a distinet order. Certain it is, that thoso Who are but superficialty informed in

the elements of the sciences, or even Weli acquainted Mith oneor tWo Separate branches Os knowledge, and Who notWith standiligare rasti enough to enter tapon this selii, in consequence of their ignoranee Os many and in some cases of the leading means, Willhut exert an unprofit te subflety for the most part on emptyquestions, and Only discuss ingeniolis tristes; and according totheir natural endoWmenis, and the maniter in Whicli these ure culti valed and enlightened, or as it osten happens, obscured by the se in sciences Whicli sueti persons possess, they Will involve grave trullis in thorny discussions, Whicli can have no effectupon the bratus, but to occasion disserenoes and quarreis, Whichno judge is competent to setite, Dom the triviai nature of the matter Upon Whicli the acumen und subflety are expended. The present Subjeci, hoWever, is loci important to be so treated: itis Πο arena for solis, but for naked Weapons. Το complete the Single science of the foui, ali the sciences are required that the Worid has ever eliminated or developed. Is any shali underialie

16쪽

covoring in tho Ond that he is destitute of the instruments, and unoqunt to the totis, of so vast a Work. The potnis Whicli herequires, but of Whicli utiliappily he is ignorant, he must per-force obtain Dom himself or coin Dom his own mind, that isto say. he must use the imagination to supply the place of real knowledge; and hoW prone to error the imagination is istest to iis oWn guidance, Without the continuat advice of experienee, and the precepis os a true philosophy, is persectly Wellknown to even the least instructed. Let the reader Only mahethe attempt sor a stiori distance, and ho will soon sinit himselfretrenting With his standariis, and obliged to bring up frusti forces, besore he can prositably return to the sold Whoro thopeculiar batile must be Won. Is We Wish to deserve success in the studu, it Will in thesrst place be necessary to spare no patiis, but to exert the minitto the ulmost, in clearing and Mnning those particulars Whicholosely surround and a re subordinate to the subject in hanii. The anatomy of the body, the anatomy of animal hodies in generat, and eSpecintly of the cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata und spinal marrOW, and M8o of the nerves, must openthe avenues Whicli lead to it. Without a thorough command of these portuis, it is in Vain to hope to penetrate the recesses Osnature's temple. It is impossibie to divine udiat naturo is in the invisibie sphere, excepting Dom What sho is in the visibio; Or What she is in causes, excepting 1 rom What she is in thoso effecis Whicli ultimately strille sonte One of the senses. Just soli is impossibie to know the nature of the in Dor action os themiiid, Without exremining the face of the iniud, that is to say, Without investigating the brians and marrows of the mind. Andovoti thon it Will stili bo impossibie to guess hoW the foui un- foliis her poWers, Without liming studieii the relations and connexions os nil the viscera os the body,' as Weli as the organs of the externat senses, whicli contribute in their degreo toonubio thoge of the internat senses to undergo that development whieli Will open them to the SOul. Nature exisis in totality in the smallest objecis, ' as Mal-

17쪽

pigiti Woli observes in his Treati se on the Sillimorm.' Whut-ever is presented to the eyes aud to the organs of the Other SonSOS , consists of Series of things beginning With the smallest,aud multiplied through many degrees or Stages, and Whicli attength, after they attain to a certain considerable magnitude, appear to us as the least of things; in consequetice of Whicli itis usual ut sirst to regard them us boundaries und causes, thoughsar Dom being this, they but hide or masti resti causes. Forthis reason, no further assistance is to be expected Doui them,

idea os causes in conformity With these alone; though ΠΟ-thing is gained or proved, utiless ali the facts Whicli surround the subject both Dearly und remotely, are also in uecordanee, and give their consent to the fame effeci. And when the truthis found, consent is never absent, for truth Wins the suffrage of ali phenomena. All things in the World are connected, be- cause nil things spring Dom a single most universat principio. Henco the truth on no subjeci can be suid tO be declared, utilessali things eagerly confirm it. And thus Whatever resulis Weare ΠOW to arrive at in trenting of the brain, must be confirmodby ali that depends upon the brain, that is to say, by the Wholebody, including est the viscera, organs, paris, solitis and fluids; ulso by the recordes of disestse, Whether of the body or the miud; aud furthermore by the delatis of experimental chemistry and

physius, and the entire cohort Of the Other aris; inasmuch asanimal nature in her domuin passes in the most perseet mannorthrough ali the aris to obtain the essecis that she destres. Suchis the connexion Os est the sciences requisite to explore theΡOWers of the animal machine alone, that the absence of butone os them is susticient to deprive the chain of the link whieli suspends it, or to leave it toO Deble to bear any Weight. Nor is it enough to acquire a linoWledge of nil the sciences,

Cum enim tota in minimis existat natura, si alicubi, magis equidem in insectorum moleculis id deprehendi par fuerit. V De L0mbyce, P. I, DL, Londin. ,1687.

18쪽

or even os rational philosophy in iis various depavimenis, unieSSWe can reduce ali things to higher and higher generaligations; or of ali the sciences form one science, Suffciently comprehensive to embrace all. The One science to Whicli me allude,

and which we denominato tho Mathematical Ρhilosophy of Universals, although hitherio unknown to the worid, is stillos posssible attestiment: and it is our Wish, is ense and tranquillity of miud be granted, ourselves to Jay iis laundations. Without iis assistance, it is id te to hope to arrive ut a linoWIedge of the foui; for this science is the philosophy, not of themiud, but of the foui the minu is to bo devoloped up to the