in the
cube."--I agree with this thinking gentleman, whom I am proud to call my
friend, in his answer to this problem; and am of opinion that the blind
man, at first sight, would not be able with certainty to say which was
the globe, which the cube, whilst he only saw them; though he could
unerringly name them by his touch, and certainly distinguish them by the
difference of their figures felt. This I have set down, and leave
with my reader, as an occasion for him to consider how much he may be
beholden to experience, improvement, and acquired notions, where he
thinks he had not the least use of, or help from them. And the rather,
because this observing gentleman further adds, that "having, upon the
occasion of my book, proposed this to divers very ingenious men, he
hardly ever met with one that at first gave the answer to it which he
thinks true, till by hearing his reasons they were convinced."

9. This judgement apt to be mistaken for direct perception.

But this is not, I think, usual in any of our ideas, but those received
by sight. Because sight, the most comprehensive of all our senses,
conveying to our minds the ideas of light and colours, which are
peculiar only to that sense; and also the far different ideas of space,
figure, and motion, the several varieties whereof change the appearances
of its proper object, viz. light and colours; we bring ourselves by
use to judge of the one by the other. This, in many cases by a settled
habit,--in things whereof we have frequent experience is performed so
constantly and so quick, that we take that for the perception of our
sensation which is an idea formed by our judgment; so that one, viz.
that of sensation, serves only to excite the other, and is scarce taken
notice of itself;--as a man who reads or hears with attention and
understanding, takes little notice of the characters or sounds, but of
the ideas that are excited in him by them.

10. How, by Habit, ideas of Sensation are unconsciously changed into
ideas of Judgment.

Nor need we wonder that this is done with so little notice, if we
consider how quick the actions of the mind are performed. For, as itself
is thought to take up no space to have no extension; so its actions seem
to require no time but many of them seem to be crowded into an instant.
I speak this in comparison to the actions of the body. Any one may
easily observe this in his own thoughts, who will take the pains to
reflect on them. How, as