barely passive; the appearance of those dormant pictures depending
sometimes on the WILL. The mind very often sets itself on work in search
of some hidden idea, and turns as it were the eye of the soul upon it;
though sometimes too they start up in our minds of their own accord, and
offer themselves to the understanding; and very often are roused and
tumbled out of their dark cells into open daylight, by turbulent and
tempestuous passions; our affections bringing ideas to our memory, which
had otherwise lain quiet and unregarded. This further is to be observed,
concerning ideas lodged in the memory, and upon occasion revived by the
mind, that they are not only (as the word REVIVE imports) none of them
new ones, but also that the mind takes notice of them as of a former
impression, and renews its acquaintance with them, as with ideas it
had known before. So that though ideas formerly imprinted are not all
constantly in view, yet in remembrance they are constantly known to be
such as have been formerly imprinted; i.e. in view, and taken notice of
before, by the understanding.

8. Two defects in the Memory, Oblivion and Slowness.

Memory, in an intellectual creature, is necessary in the next degree to
perception. It is of so great moment, that, where it is wanting, all
the rest of our faculties are in a great measure useless. And we in our
thoughts, reasonings, and knowledge, could not proceed beyond present
objects, were it not for the assistance of our memories; wherein there
may be two defects:--

First, That it loses the idea quite, and so far it produces perfect
ignorance. For, since we can know nothing further than we have the idea
of it, when that is gone, we are in perfect ignorance.

Secondly, That it moves slowly, and retrieves not the ideas that it has,
and are laid up in store, quick enough to serve the mind upon occasion.
This, if it be to a great degree, is stupidity; and he who, through
this default in his memory, has not the ideas that are really preserved
there, ready at hand when need and occasion calls for them, were almost
as good be without them quite, since they serve him to little purpose.
The dull man, who loses the opportunity, whilst he is seeking in his
mind for those ideas that should serve his turn, is not much more happy
in his knowledge than one that is perfectly ignorant. It is the business
therefore of the memory to furnish to the mind those dormant ideas which
it has present occasion