56 An Essay on the

action, and a thousand other forms of speechmight have been imagined, all as appositeto the purpose, as those he used. And mustthere not be a determining cause assigned,which out of such a variety pitched on whatwas so odd ? I would have this determiningcause a little more thought of, and not passedover so lightly. Indeed chance is the deter-mining cause in the greatest part of our phi-losophy ; and with the assistance of that wemake any thing do any thing. But what ifBe had not thought on Marias at all, andyet had dreamed of him ? for this is a verycommon circumstance in our dreams. Whatthen would have become of his hanc credofid fe cau[am ? I cannot help making a reflec-tion here, that the Academick, (either ancientor modern ) is often to be pitied , who by hisprinciples , and to maintam the credit of neverbeing convinced , is obliged to dispute againstevery thing, even the plainest truths. 'This isa drudgery one would not be bound to undergo ,and must of course make the Academick oft-en absurd , and sometimes perfeblly ridiculous.

XVI. As to the prophetical or monitorynature of this particular dream, I have no-thing

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