The first steps in ascertaining the order of sue. cession among events are familiar and easy. One occurs, and then another, and after that a third, and so on; but at first it is uncertain whether this order is not merely accidental, and such as may never recur. After a time it is observed, that events, similar to those which have already occurred, are occurring again and again. It is next observed, that they are always &Howe& too, by the same sort of events by which those events were followed to which they are similar; that these second events are fol. lowed, in the third place, by events exactly similar to those which followed the events which they re semble; and that there is, thus, an endless round of the same sequences.
If the order in which one event follows another were always different, we would know events only one by one, and they would be infinitely too num°. roes to receive names. If we could observe none but very short sequences, if, for example, we could ascertain that one event was, indeed, always follow. ed by one other of the same description, but could not trace any constancy farther, we should thus know events by sequences of twos and twos. But those sequences would also be a great deal too nu merous to receive names.
The history of the human mind informs us, that the sequences which men first observe are but short ones. They are still, therefore, too numerous to receive names. But men compound the matter. They give names to those sequences which they are most interested in observing, and leave the rest un. named. They then, when they have occasion to of the unnamed successions, apply to them, speak way they can, the names which they have got; endeavouring to make a partial naming answer an universal purpose, and hence almost all the con fusion of language and of thought arises.
- The great object is, then, to ascertain sequences more and more extensive, till, at last, the succession of all events may be reduced to a number of sequen ces sufficiently small for each of them to receive a name; and then, and then only, shall we be able to speak wholly free from confusion.
Language affords an instructive example of this mode of ascertaining sequences. In language, the words are the events. When an ignorant man first hears another speak an unknown language,' e hears the sounds one by one, but observes no sequence. At last he gathers a knowledge of the use of a few wards, and that be has observed a few sequences ; be gon; on WI he understands whatever be Ttie sequences, however, which be has ob served, are of no greeter extent then is necessary to smdermand the meaning of the speaker ; they are, by COMegoence, very numerous and confusing.
Nest comes the granmiarisn ; and be, by dividing the words into different kinds, observes that these kinds follow one another in a certain order, and thus ascertains more enlarged sequences, which, by con their number. this all ; it is afterwards observed, that words comist, souse of one syllable, and some of moue drat one ; that all language may thus be re solved into syllables, and tint syllables are much less in somber than words ; that, therefore, the number of sequences m which they can be formed are less in number, and, by consequence, are more arnessave. This is another step ID tracing to the most comprehensive sequences the order of succes sion in that doss of events wherein language con sists.
It is afterwards observed, that these syllables themselves are compounded; and it is at last found, that they may all be resolved into a small number of sounds corresponding to the simple let is then found to consist of a li mited number of sequences, made up of the differ ent combinations of a few letters.
It is not pretended that the example of is exactly parallel to the case which it is to illustrate. It is sufficient if it aids the reader in seising the idea meant to be conveyed. It pre sents, at any rate, a striking analogy between the analysing of a complex sound, namely, a word, into the simple sounds of which it is composed, to wit, letters; and the analysing of a complex feeling, such as the idea of a rose, into the simple feelings of sight, of touch, of taste, of smell, of which the complex ideit or feeling is made up. It affords, also, a bril liant proof of the commanding knowledge which is attained of a train of events, by observing the se quences which are formed of the simplest elements into which they can be resolved; and it thus illus trates the two grand operations, by successfld per severance in which the knowledge of the human mind is to be perfected.
It is upon a knowledge of the sequences which take place in the human feelings or thoughts, that the structure of education must be reared. And, though much undoubtedly remains to be cleared up, enough is already known of those sequences to dis grace the education with which our supineness, and Love of things as they are, rest perfectly satisfied.