excited in this manner, muft fuggeft fome vague notion of fome external thing or fubftance which excites them. A new-born animal, which nad the power of felf-motion, and which felt its body, either agreeably or disagreeably, more heated or more cooled on the one fide than on the other, would, I imagine, inftinctively and antecedently to all obfervation and experience, endeavour to move towards the fide in which it felt the agreeable, and to withdraw from that in which it felt the dif agreeable fenfation. But the very defire of motion supposes fome notion or preconception of externality; and the defire to move towards the fide of the agreeable, or from that of the difagreeable fenfation, fuppofes at least fome vague notion of fome external thing or place which is the caufe of thofe refpective fen. fations. The degrees of Heat and Cold which are agreeable, it has been found from experience, are likewife healthful; and thofe which are difagreeable, unwholefome. The degree of their unwholesomeness, too, feems to be pretty much in proportion to that of their disagreeableness. If either of them is fo difagreeable as to be painful, it is generally deftructive; and that, too, in a very fhort period of time. Thofe fenfations appear to have been given us for the prefervation of our own bodies. They neceffarily excite the defire of changing our fituation fituation when it is unwholesome or deftructive; and when it is healthy, they allow us, or rather they entice us, to remain in it. But the defire of changing our fituation neceffarily supposes some idea of externality; or of motion into a place different from that in which we actually are; and even the defire of remaining in the fame place supposes fome idea of at leaft the poffibility of changing. Thofe fenfations could not well have answered the intention of Nature, had they not thus inftinctively fuggefted fome vague notion of external existence. That Sound, the object of the fenfe of Hearing, though perceived itself as in the ear, and nowhere but in the ear, may likewife, inftinctively, and antecedently to all obfervation and experience, obfcurely fuggeft fome vague notion of fome external fubftance or thing which excites it, I am much difpofed to believe. I acknowledge, however, that I have not been able to recollect any one inftance in which this fenfe feems fo diftinctly to produce this effect, as that of Seeing, that of Smelling, and even that of Heat and Cold, appear to do in fome particular cafes. Unufual and unexpected Sound alarms always, and difpofes us to look about for fome external fubftance or thing as the cause which excites it, or from which it proceeds. Sound, however, confidered merely as a fenfation, or as as an affection of the organ of Hearing, can in moft cafes neither benefit nor hurt us. It may be agreeable or difagreeable, but in its own nature it does not feem to announce any thing beyond the immediate feeling. It should not therefore excite any alarm. Alarm is always the fear of fome uncertain evil beyond what is immediately felt, and from fome unknown and external caufe. But all animals, and men among the reft, feel fome degree of this alarm, ftart, are roused and rendered circumfpect and attentive by unusual and unexpected Sound. This effect, too, is produced fo readily and fo inftantaneously that it bears every mark of an inftinctive fuggeftion of an impreffion immediately ftruck by the hand of Nature, which does not wait for any recollection of past observation and experience. The hare, and all thofe other timid animals to whom flight is the only defence, are fuppofed to poffefs the sense of Hearing in the highest degree of activenefs. It feems to be the fenfe in which cowards are very likely to excel. The three fenfes of Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling, feem to be given to us by Nature, not fo much in order to inform us concerning the actual fituation of our bodies, as concerning that of those other external bodies, which, though at some distance from us, may fooner or later affect that actual fituation, and eventually either benefit or hurt us. |