would penetrate into subjects utterly inacceffible to the understanding, or from the craft of popular fuperfhition, which, being unable to defend themselves on fair ground, raise these intangling brambles to cover and protect their weaknefs. Chaced from the open country, these robbers fly into the foreft, and lie in wait to break in upon every unguarded avenue of the mind, and overwhelm it with religious fears and prejudices. The ftouteft antagonist, if he remits his watch a moment, is oppreffed. And many, thro' cowardice and folly, open the gates to the enemies, and willingly receive them with reverence and fubmiffion, as their legal fovereigns.

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BUT is this a juft cause why philofophers fhould de fift from fuch researches, and leave fuperftition still in poffeffion of her retreat? Is it not reasonable to draw a direct contrary conclufion, and perceive the neceffity of carrying the war into the most secret receffes of the enemy? In vain do we hope, that men, from fre quent difappointments, will at last abandon fuch airy fciences, and discover the proper province of human reafon. For, befides that many perfons find too fenfible an intereft in perpetually recalling fuch topics, befides this, I fay, the motive of blind despair can never reasonably have place in the fciences; fince, however unfuccefsful former attempts may have proved, there is ftill room to hope, that the industry, good fortune, or improved fagacity of fucceeding genera

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tions

tions may reach difcoveries unknown to former ages. Each adventurous genius will still leap at the arduous prize, and find himself stimulated, rather than discou raged, by the failures of his predeceffors; while her hopes, that the glory of atchieving fo hard an adventure is referved for him alone. The only method of freeing learning, at once, from thefe abftruse questions, is to inquire ferioufly into the nature of human underftanding, and fiew, from an exact analysis of its powers and capacity, that it is by no means fitted for fuch remote and abstruse subjects. We must fubmit to this fatigue, in order to live at ease for ever after: And must cultivate true metaphyfics with some care, in order to deftroy the falfe and adulterate. Indolence, which to fome perfons, affords a fafeguard against this deceitful philofophy, is, with others, overbalanced by curiofity; and defpair, which, at fome moments, prevails, may give place afterwards to fanguine, hopes, and expectations. Accurate and just reasoning is the only catholic rémedy, fitted for all perfons and all difpofitions, and is alone able to subvert that abstruse philofophy and metaphysical jargon, which, being mixed up with popular fuperftition, renders it in a manner impenetrable to careless reafoners, and gives it the air of science and wisdom.

BESIDES this advantage of rejecting, after deliberate inquiry, the most uncertain and difagreeable part of learning, there are many pofitive advantages,

which refult from an accurate fcrutiny into the powers and faculties of human nature. 'Tis remarkable concerning the operations of the mind, that tho' most intimately prefent to us, yet whenever they become the object of reflection, they feem involved in obfcurity, nor can the eye readily find those lines and bounda ries, which difcriminate and diftinguish them. The objects are too fine to remain long in the fame afpect or fituation; and must be apprehended, in an in] ftant, by a fuperior penetration, derived from nature, and improved by habit and reflection. It becomes, therefore, no inconfiderable part of fcience barely to know the different operations of the mind, to feparate them from each other, to clafs them, under their proper divifions, and to correct all that seeming disorder, in which they lie involved, when made the object of reflection and inquiry. This talk of ordering and distinguishing, which has no merit, when performed with regard to external bodies, the objects of our fenfes, rifes in its value, when directed towards the ope rations of the mind, in proportion to the difficulty and labour which we meet with in performing it. And if we can go no farther than this mental geography, or delineation of the diftinct parts and powers of the mind, 'tis at least a fatisfaction to go fo far; and the more obvious this science may appear (and it is by no means obvious) the more contemptible ftill must the ignorance of it be efteemed in all pretenders to learning and philofophy.

NOR

NOR can there remain any fufpicion, that this fci→ ence is uncertain and chimerical; unless we should entertain such a scepticism as is intirely subverfive of all fpeculation, and even action. It cannot be doubted, that the mind is endowed with several powers and faculties, that these powers are totally distinct from each other, that what is really distinct to the immediate perception may be diftinguished by reflection; and confequently, that there is a truth and falfhood in all propofitions on this fubject, and a truth and falfhood, which lie not beyond the compafs of human under ftanding. There are many obvious distinctions of this kind, such as those between the will and understanding, the imagination and paffions, which fall within the comprehenfion of every human creature", and the finer and more philofophical diftinctions are no lefs real and certain, tho' more difficult to be comprehended. Some inftances, especially late ones, of fuccess in these inquiries, may give us a juster notion of the certainty and folidity of this branch of learning. And fhall we efteem it worthy the labour of a philofopher to give us a true fyftem of the planets, and adjust the position and order of those remote bodies while we affect to overlook thofe, who, with fo much fuccefs, delineate the parts of the mind, in which we are fo intimately concerned compou

But may we not hope, that philosophy, if culti vated with care, and encouraged by the attention of

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the public, may carry its researches ftill farther, and discover, at leaft in fome degree, the fecret fprings and

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principles, by which the human mind is actuated in its operations? Aftronomers. had long contented themfelves with proving, from the phænomena, the true motions, order, and magnitude of the heavenly bodies? Till a philofopher, at last, arofe, who seems from the bappiest reafoning, to have alfo determined the laws and forces by which the revolutions of the planets are governed and directed. The like has been performed with regard to other parts of nature. And there is no reason to despair of equal fuccefs in our inquiries con cerning the mental powers and economy, if profecu ted with equal capacity and caution. 'Tis probable, that one operation and principle of the mind depends on another; which, again, may be refolved into one more general and univerfal: And how far thefe refearches may poffibly be carried, it will be difficult for us, before, or even after, a careful trial, exactly to de termine. This is certain, that attempts of this kind are every day made even by those who philofophize the most negligently, and nothing can be more re quifite than to enter upon the enterprize with thorough care and attention; that, if it lie within the compafs of human understanding, it may at last be happily at chieved; if not, it may, however, be rejected with fome confidence and fecurity. This last conclufion furely, is not defireable, nor ought it to be embraced too rafhly. For how much muft we diminish from

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