at the rays are supposed to form according to their various
inclinations on his eye. But he cannot choose seeing whether the OBJECT
appear more or less confused. It is therefore a manifest consequence from
what bath been demonstrated, that instead of the greater or lesser
divergency of the rays, the mind makes use of the greater or lesser
confusedness of the appearance, thereby to determine the apparent place
of an OBJECT.

23 Nor doth it avail to say there is not any necessary connection between
confused VISION and distance, great or small. For I ask any man what
necessary connection he sees between the redness of a blush and shame? And
yet no sooner shall he behold that colour to arise in the face of
another, but it brings into his and the IDEA of that passion which hath
been observed to accompany it.

24. What seems to have misled the writers of optics in this matter is
that they imagine men judge of distance as they do of a conclusion in
mathematics, betwixt which and the premises it is indeed absolutely
requisite there be an apparent, necessary connection: but it is far
otherwise in the sudden judgments men make of distance. We are not to
think that brutes and children, or even grown reasonable men, whenever
they perceive an OBJECT to approach, or depart from them, do it by virtue
of GEOMETRY and DEMONSTRATION.

25. That one IDEA may suggest another to the mind it will suffice that
they have been observed to go together, without any demonstration of the
necessity of their coexistence, or without so much as knowing what it is
that makes them so to coexist. Of this there are innumerable instances of
which no one can be ignorant.

26. Thus, greater confusion having been constantly attended with nearer
distance, no sooner is the former IDEA perceived, but it suggests the
latter to our thoughts. And if it had been the ordinary course of Nature
that the farther off an OBJECT were placed, the more confused it should
appear, it is certain the very same perception that now makes us think an
OBJECT approaches would then have made us to imagine it went farther off.
That perception, abstracting from CUSTOM and EXPERIENCE, being equally
fitted to produce the IDEA of great distance, or small distance, or no
distance at all.

27. Thirdly, an OBJECT being placed at the distance above specified, and
brought nearer to the eye, we may nevertheless prevent, at least for some
time, the appearances growing more confused, by straini