y, who know not how to make a syllogism. He
that will look into many parts of Asia and America, will find men reason
there perhaps as acutely as himself, who yet never heard of a syllogism,
nor can reduce any one argument to those forms: [and I believe scarce
any one makes syllogisms in reasoning within himself.] Indeed syllogism
is made use of, on occasion, to discover a fallacy hid in a rhetorical
flourish, or cunningly wrapt up in a smooth period; and, stripping an
absurdity of the cover of wit and good language, show it in its naked
deformity. But the mind is not taught to reason by these rules; it has a
native faculty to perceive the coherence or incoherence of its ideas,
and can range them right without any such perplexing repetitions. Tell
a country gentlewoman that the wind is south-west, and the weather
lowering, and like to rain, and she will easily understand it is not
safe for her to go abroad thin clad in such a day, after a fever: she
clearly sees the probable connexion of all these, viz. south-west wind,
and clouds, rain, wetting, taking cold, relapse, and danger of death,
without tying them together in those artificial and cumbersome fetters
of several syllogisms, that clog and hinder the mind, which proceeds
from one part to another quicker and clearer without them: and the
probability which she easily perceives in things thus in their native
state would be quite lost, if this argument were managed learnedly, and
proposed in MODE and FIGURE. For it very often confounds the connexion;
and, I think, every one will perceive in mathematical demonstrations,
that the knowledge gained thereby comes shortest and clearest without
syllogism.

Secondly, Because though syllogism serves to show the force or fallacy
of an argument, made use of in the usual way of discoursing, BY
SUPPLYING THE ABSENT PROPOSITION, and so, setting it before the view
in a clear light; yet it no less engages the mind in the perplexity of
obscure, equivocal, and fallacious terms, wherewith this artificial way
of reasoning always abounds: it being adapted more to the attaining of
victory in dispute than the discovery and confirmation of truth in fair
enquiries.

5. Syllogism helps little in Demonstration, less in Probability.

But however it be in knowledge, I think I may truly say, it is OF FAR
LESS, OR NO USE AT ALL IN PROBABILITIES. For the assent there being
to be determined by the preponderancy, after due weighing of all the
pro