Leviathan | Page 8

is certain, it shall be something that succeeded
the same before, at one time or another.
Trayne Of Thoughts Unguided This Trayne of Thoughts, or Mentall
Discourse, is of two sorts. The first is Unguided, Without Designee,
and inconstant; Wherein there is no Passionate Thought, to govern and
direct those that follow, to it self, as the end and scope of some desire,
or other passion: In which case the thoughts are said to wander, and
seem impertinent one to another, as in a Dream. Such are Commonly
the thoughts of men, that are not onely without company, but also
without care of any thing; though even then their Thoughts are as busie
as at other times, but without harmony; as the sound which a Lute out
of tune would yeeld to any man; or in tune, to one that could not play.
And yet in this wild ranging of the mind, a man may oft-times perceive
the way of it, and the dependance of one thought upon another. For in a
Discourse of our present civill warre, what could seem more
impertinent, than to ask (as one did) what was the value of a Roman
Penny? Yet the Cohaerence to me was manifest enough. For the
Thought of the warre, introduced the Thought of the delivering up the
King to his Enemies; The Thought of that, brought in the Thought of
the delivering up of Christ; and that again the Thought of the 30 pence,
which was the price of that treason: and thence easily followed that
malicious question; and all this in a moment of time; for Thought is
quick.
Trayne Of Thoughts Regulated The second is more constant; as being
Regulated by some desire, and designee. For the impression made by
such things as wee desire, or feare, is strong, and permanent, or, (if it
cease for a time,) of quick return: so strong it is sometimes, as to hinder
and break our sleep. From Desire, ariseth the Thought of some means
we have seen produce the like of that which we ayme at; and from the
thought of that, the thought of means to that mean; and so continually,

till we come to some beginning within our own power. And because
the End, by the greatnesse of the impression, comes often to mind, in
case our thoughts begin to wander, they are quickly again reduced into
the way: which observed by one of the seven wise men, made him give
men this praecept, which is now worne out, Respice Finem; that is to
say, in all your actions, look often upon what you would have, as the
thing that directs all your thoughts in the way to attain it.
Remembrance The Trayn of regulated Thoughts is of two kinds; One,
when of an effect imagined, wee seek the causes, or means that produce
it: and this is common to Man and Beast. The other is, when imagining
any thing whatsoever, wee seek all the possible effects, that can by it be
produced; that is to say, we imagine what we can do with it, when wee
have it. Of which I have not at any time seen any signe, but in man
onely; for this is a curiosity hardly incident to the nature of any living
creature that has no other Passion but sensuall, such as are hunger,
thirst, lust, and anger. In summe, the Discourse of the Mind, when it is
governed by designee, is nothing but Seeking, or the faculty of
Invention, which the Latines call Sagacitas, and Solertia; a hunting out
of the causes, of some effect, present or past; or of the effects, of some
present or past cause. sometimes a man seeks what he hath lost; and
from that place, and time, wherein hee misses it, his mind runs back,
from place to place, and time to time, to find where, and when he had it;
that is to say, to find some certain, and limited time and place, in which
to begin a method of seeking. Again, from thence, his thoughts run
over the same places and times, to find what action, or other occasion
might make him lose it. This we call Remembrance, or Calling to mind:
the Latines call it Reminiscentia, as it were a Re-Conning of our former
actions.
Sometimes a man knows a place determinate, within the compasse
whereof his is to seek; and then his thoughts run over all the parts
thereof, in the same manner, as one would sweep a room, to find a
jewell; or as a Spaniel ranges the field, till he find a sent; or as a man
should run over the alphabet, to start a rime.
Prudence Sometime a man desires to know the event of an action; and

then he thinketh