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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 66, page id 778263916:0082
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Retention
Sieht, Wrhen ther vere verr zouns; in irhom the ideas of Colours,
havino been but Righely tatcen notice oF, and ceasino to be repeated, d0
quite rear out; (o that lome rears alter, there is no more Notion, nor
Memory oF Colours lese in their Minds, chan in thole of Pcople born
blind. TheMemory in LomeMen, tis truc, is very tenacious cven, 102
Miracle: But vet there secms to be a constant decay oF aIl our Ideas, c-
ven those irhich are Sruck decpest, and in the Minds themost retentive;
S0 that il ther be not lometimes renemed by repeated Fixercile ot the Sen-
les, or Reflection about chose kind of Objects, Which at tirst occationed
them, the Print wears out, and at last there remains nothins eo De scen.
Thus the Ideas, as Well as Children oE our Vouth, osten die betore u5:
And our Minds reprelent tous thole Tombs, tonhich re are approach-
ins; Where thoush the Brass and Marble remain, vet the Inscriptions
are ettacedby time, and the lmasery moulders avray. The Pitures drain
in our Minds, are laid in fadine Colours; and il not lometimes retreMed,
ranimt and dilappear. No much the Consticution ol our Bodies are
concerned in this; and Whether the Temper of the Spirits and Brain
make this difference, that lome retain the Characters dramn on it litre
Marble, others like tree Scone, and others lictle better than Sand, I MalI
not here enguire, thoush it mas seem probable, chat the Constitution
ofthe Body, does lomerimes influence the Memory; lince re oltentimes
find a Disease quite Arip the Mind oFallits Ideas, and the Aames of a Fe-
ver in a seur daz s, caleines all thole Imases to dust and contusion, whietu
scem d. to b0as lastins, as il carved in Marble.
5. 6. Buc concernins the Ldeas themselves, it is casie to remarke, That
those that are ofrenest refrested Camonsst erhich are thole that are con-
veyed into theMindby more razs chan onc) by a trequent return ol che
Obieets or Actionschat producethem, fix themselves best in the Memory,
and remain clearest and lonsest there; and theretore thole which are ot
the orisinal Oualities of Bodies, viz. Solidity, Extension, Fieure, Motion,
and est, and those that almost constantlis affect our Bocies, aS Lleat
and. Cold; and chole wrhich are the Afections oFall kind oF Bcins5, 25
Fxistence, Duration, and Number, Which almost every Object thac
allects our Senses, evers Thousht which implors our Minds, brins alone
with chem: Thele, ICay, and the like Ideas, are seldom quite lost, Wrhilst
theMind retains any Ideas at aII.
5. 7. In thissecundars Perception, as Lmay so call ic, or vicwing again
the Ideas, chat are lode d in the Memory, the Mind is oftentimes more than
barely passive, the appearance oFthose dormant Pictures, dependins lome-
rimes on the WilI. The Mind very otten sets it self on orke in scarch ot
forme hidden Idea, and turns, as it vore, the Fise ot the soul upon it;
choush ometimes toothes Cart up in our Minds ot their oun accord,
and ofter themselvesto the Onderstandins; and very olten arcrouzed and
tumbled out ottheir darks Cells, into open Day. lictut, by some turbu-
lent and tempettuous Passion, our iAffections brinsins Ideas to our Me-
mory, erhich had otherrile lain quiet and unresarded.
6. 8. Memory, in an intellectual Creature, is necelsary in the next de-
sree to Perception. Itis oE (o great moment, chat ihero iE iS WanEIHE
aII the rest o our Faculties are in a great meature ulcless: And rre in our
Thoushs, Reasoninss, and Rnow ledse, could not proceed berond pre
seut Objects, vere it noc tor the assittance ot our Memories, Wherein
chere may be tuo defects:
B