To the Nostrill, in an Odour; To the Tongue and Palat, in a
Savour; And to the rest of the body, in Heat, Cold, Hardnesse,
Softnesse, and such other qualities, as we discern by Feeling.
All which qualities called Sensible, are in the object that
causeth them, but so many several motions of the matter,
by which it presseth our organs diversly. Neither in us that
are pressed, are they any thing else, but divers motions; (for
motion, produceth nothing but motion.) But their apparence
to us is Fancy, the same waking, that dreaming. And as
pressing, rubbing, or striking the Eye, makes us fancy a light;
and pressing the Eare, produceth a dinne; so do the bodies also
we see, or hear, produce the same by their strong, though
unobserved action. For if those Colours, and Sounds, were in
the Bodies, or Objects that cause them, they could not bee [4]
severed from them, as by glasses, and in Ecchoes by reflection,
wee see they are; where we know the thing we see, is in one
place; the apparence, in another. And though at some
certain distance, the reall, and very object seem invested with
the fancy it begets in us; Yet still the object is one thing,
the image or fancy is another. So that Sense in all cases, is
nothing els but originall fancy, caused (as I have said) by the
pressure, that is, by the motion, of externall things upon our
Eyes, Eares, and other organs thereunto ordained.

But the Philosophy-schooles, through all the Universities of
Christendome, grounded upon certain Texts of Aristotle, teach
another doctrine; and say, For the cause of Vision, that the
thing seen, sendeth forth on every side a visible species (in
English) a visible shew, apparition, or aspect, or a being seen;
the receiving whereof into the Eye, is Seeing. And for the
cause of Hearing, that the thing heard, sendeth forth an
Audible species, that is, an Audible aspect, or Audible being seen;
which entring at the Eare, maketh Hearing. Nay for the
cause of Understanding also, they say the thing Understood
sendeth forth [an] intelligible species, that is, an intelligible being
seen; which comming into the Understanding, makes us
Understand. I say not this, as disapproving the use of
Universities: but because I am to speak hereafter of their
office in a Common-wealth, I must let you see on all occasions
by the way, what things would be amended in them; amongst
which the frequency of insignificant Speech is one.

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