The science of mind possesses eminent advantages over every other with regard to the certainty of the conclusions which it affords. It requires indeed for its entire developement no more than a minute and accurate attention to facts. Every student may refer to the testimonials[1] which he bears within himself to ascertain the authorities upon which any assertion rests. It requires no more than attention to perceive perfect sincerity in the relation of what is perceived, and care to distinguish the arbitrary marks by which are designated from the themselves.[* 1]
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We are ourselves the depositaries of the evidence of the subject which we consider.[2]
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- ↑ Fabulosissima quæque portenta cujusvis religionis alius crediderim quam hæc omnia sine Numine tieri. [Shelley's Note.]
- ↑ In the MS. authorities was originally written here.
- ↑ The continuous fragment here breaks off at the beginning of a page. On the next page some headings of the subject are indicated by the inscription of the words
Infancy
Childhood
Youth
Manhood
Old AgeThe first of these sections appears to have been begun; but all we have of it, or all Mrs. Shelley gave us of it, is the fragment headed "catalogue of the phenomena of dreams," p. 295. That, as well as those headed "difficulty of analysing the human mind" and "how the analysis should be carried on" are from Mrs. Shelley's edition.
