CHAPTER XV. 142 perhaps he might never attain to write better after he has placed all bis fingers perfectly right with this new accuracy. CHAP. XV. Of fixing the Attention. A STUDENT should labour by all proper methods to ac- quire a steady fixation of thought. Attention is a verynecessary thing in order to ,improve our minds. The evidence of truth does not always appear immediately, nor strike the soul at first sight. It is by long attention and inspection that we arrive at evidence, and it is for want of it we judge falsely of many things. We make haste to determine upon a slight and a sudden view ; we confirm our guesses which arise from a glance; we pass a judgment while we have but a confused or obscure perception, and thus plunge ourselves into mistakes. This is like a man, who walking in a mist, or being at a great distance from any visible object, (suppose a tree, a man, a horse, or a church) judges much amiss of the figure and the situation and colours of it, and sometimes takes one for the other ; whereas if he would but withhold his judgment till he come nearer to it, or stay till clearer light comes, and then would fix his eyes longer upon it, he would secure himself from those mistakes. Now in order to gain a greater facility of attention we may observe these rules. I. "Get a good liking to the study or knowledge youwould pursue." We may observe that there is not much difficulty in confining the mind to contemplate what we have a great desire to know ; and especially if they are matters of sense, or ideas which paint themselves upon the fancy. It isbut " acquiring an hearty good-will and resolution to search out and survey the various properties and parts of such objects," and our attention will be engaged if there be any delight or diversion in the study or contemplation of them. Therefore mathematical studies have a strange influence towards fixing the attention of the mind, and giving a steadiness to a wandering disposition, because they deal much in lines, figures and numbers, which affect and please the sense and imagination. Histories have a strong tendency the same way, for they engage the soul by a variety of sensible oc- currences ; when it bath begun, it knows not how to leave off; it longs to know the final event through a natural curiosity that belongs to mankind. Voyages and travels, and accounts of strange countries, and strange appearances will assist in this work. This sort of study detains the mind by the perpetual oc- currence and expectation of something new, and that which may gratefully strike the imagination. IL " Sometimes we may make use of sensible things and corporeal images for the illustration of those notions which are 3
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