BOOK II PART II
and passions, their ideas must strike upon us
with greater vivacity than the ideas of the sen-
timents and passions of any other person. But
every thing, that strikes upon us with vivacity,
and appears in a full and strong light, forces it-
self, in a manner, into our consideration, and
becomes present to the mind on the smallest
hint and most trivial relation. For the same rea-
son, when it is once present, it engages the at-
tention, and keeps it from wandering to other
objects, however strong may be their relation to
our first object. The imagination passes easily
from obscure to lively ideas, but with difficulty
from lively to obscure. In the one case the rela-
tion is aided by another principle: In the other
case, it is opposed by it.
Now I have observed, that those two facul-
ties of the mind, the imagination and passions,