Some affociated motions are governed by the will, as in playing the violin or flute, and the arts of turning, spinning, and of weaving.

Motions are easily affociated, if they ferve the purposes of life; but not if they go counter to natural combinations, as when the filver-fmith, for the first time, attempts to inspire by his noftrils whilst he is blowing through his lips. Yet by frequent repetition the habit is obtained, and the confent of parts is effectually established. One combination, however, is fo perfectly unnatural, that no one has yet been able to defcribe at the fame time two circles in oppofite directions, one with his foot, the other with his hand.

Some affociated motions, although at first either voluntary or accidental, become at last wholly independent of volition. Thus it is, that by habit we acquire tricks.

Other affociated motions are from the beginning in→ dependent of the will, fuch as the vital motions, and those which are established by disease.

The generous steed, once fet in motion, no longer needs the whip and spur, nor yet the curb, unless it be to make a change, and either to quicken or retard his motions. And the rider himself, if he has been accuftomed to travel on one road, may wholly occupy his

mind about a thousand fpeculations, or with intenfity of thought, pursue one continued feries of ideas; and yet, although he may often change his direction, never wander from his way.

All animals have their haunts and home-bush. Their first object of pursuit is food, and with regard to this they have all their haunts.

The sportsman knows where to look for the Covey of partridges to-day, which yesterday he moved, whilst they were feeding in the ftubble; and we have every reason to believe, that even birds of paffage return an nually to their accustomed spot.

The next object of pursuit to animals is fome fafe res treat, in which they may quietly repose, some hidingplace, in which to fleep. In the choice of a fequeftered spot, it is probably accident which firft determines them; but the choice once made, they habitually return to it, unless fear, or fome motive more powerful than habit, determines them to change it.

When they are to pafs from their place of reft in search of food, the choice of a path is not a matter of indifference, but it is influenced by habit. If one of the fame fpecies has paffed before them, they follow in his

fteps,

fteps, and having once paffed unmolested in this path, they tenaciously adhere to it.

Hares have their track, with which the poacher is well acquainted, for it is here he fixes up his fnare. Sheep and horfes have each their peculiar track; and it is well known that men will tread where men have trod before, infomuch that if a drunken clown makes a crooked path over a new ploughed field, the next who follows will inadvertently trace his footfteps; and, having once paffed by a given track, men habitually refort to it again.

I have frequently remarked the force of habit in large companies, who dine together at a public table, for every Iman, even without intending it, returns to the fame feat he occupied the day before.

And in a farmer's ftable, or in his fhed, his horfes and his cows pertinaciously retain each one its peculiar place; and should it be occupied by fome impertinent intruder, this will be a fufficient fubject of contention.

In their friendships animals are governed by the force of habit, for any two which meet accidentally, at a time and place distant from each other, and fuppofing them not to be restrained by fome more powerful influence, will immediately become affociates.

If two horses, strangers to each other, travel together to a fair, although they fhould have formed an acquaintance only for ten minutes, they will find each other out among a thousand others, and will quickly come together.

Hence it is, that nature learns in a measure to provide for habitual drains, and ufually feels burthened if these are intermitted. This obfervation extends to hæmorrhages, whether artificial, natural, or morbid; to perspiration; to ulcers; to iffues; and in fhort to every other drain, as the expectoration of mucus, &c.

The habits acquired by the constitution depend on such nice circumstances, that when one kind of stimulus ceafes to roufe the excitability into the neceffary quantity of exertion, it is often fufficient to produce the defired effect, to change the stimulus for another apparently fimilar in quantity and quality.

An agreeable illustration of this is given us by the learned and elegant Dr. DARWIN. A little boy, who was tired with walking, begged of his papa to carry him. "Here," fays the reverend divine, “ride on my gold-beaded cane;" and the pleased child, putting it be

tween

tween his legs, galloped away with delight, and complained no more of his fatigue.

Here the aid of another excitement, that of pleasureable fenfation, fuperadded vigour to the exertion of ex-. haufted volition; which could otherwise only have been excited by additional pain, as by the lafh of flavery. Thus a person, who has dined fully, or is either fatigued în body, or tired with intellectual exertion, and therefore under a great difpofition to fleep, will be recruited by coffee; and when the last fails, the more diffusive ftimulus of opium will aroufe him. Even after opium fails, and he is left heavy and oppreffed by the fame propenfity to fleep, the tiding of fome unforeseen accident, demanding his inftant attention, will remove this inelination for a time.

A gentleman engaged in a literary compofition, which required uninterrupted exertion of his mental faculties for more than 40 hours, was enabled to go through it by supporting himself in this manner. After dinner, commencing his business, he took a glass of wine every hour. Ten hours after he ate fomething nourishing, but. fparing in quantity, and for fome time kept his attention alive by means of punch not made too strong. When, however, he found himself at last nigh to be overcome

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