Now if you will venture to go along with me, and look down into the bottom of this matter, it will be found that the cause of obscurity and confusion, in the mind of a man, is threefold.
Dull organs, dear Sir, in the first place. Secondly, slight and transient impressions made by the objects, when the said organs are not dull. And thirdly, a memory like unto a sieve, not able to retain what it has received. --Call down _Dolly_ your chambermaid, and I will give you my cap and bell along with it, if I make not this matter so plain that _Dolly_ herself should understand it as well as _Malbranch_. ----When _Dolly_ has indited her epistle to _Robin_, and has thrust her arm into the bottom of her pocket hanging by her right side; --take that opportunity to recollect that the organs and faculties of perception can, by nothing in this world, be so aptly typified and explained as by that one thing which _Dolly's_ hand is in search of. --Your organs are not so dull that I should inform you--'tis an inch, Sir, of red seal-wax.
When this is melted, and dropped upon the letter, if _Dolly_ fumbles too long for her thimble, till the wax is over hardened, it will not receive the mark of her thimble from the usual impulse which was wont to imprint it. Very well. If _Dolly's_ wax, for want of better, is bees-wax, or of a temper too soft, --tho' it may receive, --it will not hold the impression, how hard soever _Dolly_ thrusts against it; and last of all, supposing the wax good, and eke the thimble, but applied thereto in careless haste, as her Mistress rings the bell; ----in any one of these three cases the print left by the thimble will be as unlike the prototype as a brass-jack.

Now if you will venture to go along with me, and look into the bottom of this matter, it will be found that the cause of confusion in a man's mind is threefold.
Dull organs, dear Sir, in the first place. Secondly, slight impressions made by the objects. And thirdly, a memory like unto a sieve, not able to retain what it has received.
Call down Dolly your chambermaid, and I will make this matter so plain that Dolly herself should understand it. When Dolly has written her letter to Robin, and has thrust her arm into her pocket;- recollect that the organs of perception can by nothing in this world, be so aptly explained as by that thing which Dolly's hand is in search of: - an inch, Sir, of red sealing-wax.
When this is melted, and dropped upon the letter, if Dolly fumbles too long for her thimble, the wax will be too hard, and it will not receive the thimble's mark. Very well. If Dolly's wax is too soft, - though it may take the impression, it will not hold it; and last of all, supposing the wax good, and also the thimble, but applied too hastily - in any of these three cases, the print left by the thimble will not be true.
