The truth of this is sufficiently manifest from the single circumstance, that the philosophers of the schools accept as a maxim that there is nothing in the understanding which was not previously in the senses, in which however it is certain that the ideas of God and of the soul have never been; and it appears to me that they who make use of their imagination to comprehend these ideas do exactly the some thing as if, in order to hear sounds or smell odors, they strove to avail themselves of their eyes; unless indeed that there is this difference, that the sense of sight does not afford us an inferior
assurance to those of smell or hearing; in place of which, neither our imagination nor our senses can give us
assurance of anything unless our understanding intervene.
Winthrop, though possessed with a dim fear of dangers attendant on so long a journey, and requiring many
assurances that it would not take them out of the region of carriers' carts and slow waggons, was nevertheless well pleased that Silas should revisit his own country, and find out if he had been cleared from that false accusation.
Wickham in and near Brighton, with
assurances of speedy payment, for which I have pledged myself.
"You have no
assurance that we will live up to our agreement other than my word, but you have before you the
assurance that we can make short work of you if you do not write out the cheque we demand.
She was the first to speak; and, smiling with the coolest assurance, she began, -
'At any rate,' resumed she, pursuing her advantage, 'you can console yourself with the assurance that you are worthy of all the love he gives to you.'
"You shall not be troubled with them, Sir Ethelred," the Assistant Commissioner began, with a calm and untroubled
assurance. While he was speaking the hands on the face of the clock behind the great man's back - a heavy, glistening affair of massive scrolls in the same dark marble as the mantelpiece, and with a ghostly, evanescent tick - had moved through the space of seven minutes.
The more he thought upon it the more positive he became that not only was there no
assurance in her words that she loved him, but none either in any act of hers.
To her he looked for comfort; and her
assurances of safety, her representation of the excellence of the horses, and of James, and of their having so many friends about them, revived him a little.
I wish it was more satisfactory; but it seems written with such a determination to think well of Lady Susan, that his
assurances as to marriage, &c., do not set my heart at ease.
Jennings received the information with a great deal of joy, and many
assurances of kindness and care; nor was it a matter of pleasure merely to her.
As to these points, Jenny satisfied him by the most solemn
assurances, that the man was entirely out of his reach; and was neither subject to his power, nor in any probability of becoming an object of his goodness.