"The ample Mind takes a Survey of several objects with one Glance, keeps them all within Sight and present to the Soul, that they may be compared together in their mutual Respects; it forms just Judgments, and it draws proper Inferences from this Comparison even to a great Length of Argument and a Chain of Demonstrations."

— Watts, Isaac (1674-1748)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for James Brackstone
Date
1741
Metaphor
"The ample Mind takes a Survey of several objects with one Glance, keeps them all within Sight and present to the Soul, that they may be compared together in their mutual Respects; it forms just Judgments, and it draws proper Inferences from this Comparison even to a great Length of Argument and a Chain of Demonstrations."
Metaphor in Context
III. The Capacity of the Understanding includes yet another Qualification in it, and that is an Ability to receive many Ideas at once without Confusion. The ample Mind takes a Survey of several objects with one Glance, keeps them all within Sight and present to the Soul, that they may be compared together in their mutual Respects; it forms just Judgments, and it draws proper Inferences from this Comparison even to a great Length of Argument and a Chain of Demonstrations.
(p. 232)
Provenance
Searching and Reading in Google Books
Citation
32 entries in ESTC (1741, 1743, 1753, 1754, 1761, 1768, 1773, 1782, 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1798, 1799, 1800).

Most text drawn from Google Books. See The Improvement of the Mind: or, a Supplement to the Art of Logick: Containing a Variety of Remarks and Rules for the Attainment and Communication of Useful Knowledge, in Religion, in the Sciences, and in Common Life. By I. Watts, D.D. (London: Printed for James Brackstone, at the Globe in Cornhill, 1741). <Link to ESTC><Link to 2nd edition in Google Books>

Date of Entry
02/05/2014

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.