BOOK I PART III
bodies, or motions, or qualities in certain rela-
tions of success and contiguity; so our memory
presents us only with a multitude of instances,
wherein we always find like bodies, motions,
or qualities in like relations. From the mere
repetition of any past impression, even to infin-
ity, there never will arise any new original idea,
such as that of a necessary connexion; and the
number of impressions has in this case no more
effect than if we confined ourselves to one only.
But though this reasoning seems just and obvi-
ous; yet as it would be folly to despair too soon,
we shall continue the thread of our discourse;
and having found, that after the discovery of
the constant conjunction of any objects, we al-
ways draw an inference from one object to an-
other, we shall now examine the nature of that
inference, and of the transition from the im-
pression to the idea. Perhaps it will appear in