their particular individuals.
It suffices me only to have remarked here,--that perception is the
first operation of all our intellectual faculties, and the inlet of
all knowledge in our minds. And I am apt too to imagine, that it is
perception, in the lowest degree of it, which puts the boundaries
between animals and the inferior ranks of creatures. But this I mention
only as my conjecture by the by; it being indifferent to the matter in
hand which way the learned shall determine of it.

CHAPTER X.

OF RETENTION.

1. Contemplation

The next faculty of the mind, whereby it makes a further progress
towards knowledge, is that which I call RETENTION; or the keeping of
those simple ideas which from sensation or reflection it hath received.
This is done two ways.

First, by keeping the idea which is brought into it, for some time
actually in view, which is called CONTEMPLATION.

2. Memory.

The other way of retention is, the power to revive again in our minds
those ideas which, after imprinting, have disappeared, or have been as
it were laid aside out of sight. And thus we do, when we conceive heat
or light, yellow or sweet,--the object being removed. This is MEMORY,
which is as it were the storehouse of our ideas. For, the narrow mind of
man not being capable of having many ideas under view and consideration
at once, it was necessary to have a repository, to lay up those ideas
which, at another time, it might have use of. But, our IDEAS being
nothing but actual perceptions in the mind, which cease to be anything;
when there is no perception of them; this laying up of our ideas in the
repository of the memory signifies no more but this,--that the mind has
a power in many cases to revive perceptions which it has once had, with
this additional perception annexed to them, that IT HAS HAD THEM BEFORE.
And in this sense it is that our ideas are said to be in our memories,
when indeed they are actually nowhere;--but only there is an ability in
the mind when it will to revive them again, and as it were paint them
anew on itself, though some with more, some with less difficulty;
some more lively, and others more obscurely. And thus it is, by the
assistance of this faculty, that we are said to have all those ideas in
our understandings which, though we do not actually contemplate yet we
CAN bring in sight, and make appear again, and be the objects of our
thoughts, without the help of those sensible qualities which