[Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes]@TWC D-Link bookLeviathan CHAPTER II 4/8
Againe, Imagination being only of those things which have been formerly perceived by Sense, either all at once, or by parts at severall times; The former, (which is the imagining the whole object, as it was presented to the sense) is Simple Imagination; as when one imagineth a man, or horse, which he hath seen before.
The other is Compounded; as when from the sight of a man at one time, and of a horse at another, we conceive in our mind a Centaure.
So when a man compoundeth the image of his own person, with the image of the actions of an other man; as when a man imagins himselfe a Hercules, or an Alexander, (which happeneth often to them that are much taken with reading of Romants) it is a compound imagination, and properly but a Fiction of the mind.
There be also other Imaginations that rise in men, (though waking) from the great impression made in sense; As from gazing upon the Sun, the impression leaves an image of the Sun before our eyes a long time after; and from being long and vehemently attent upon Geometricall Figures, a man shall in the dark, (though awake) have the Images of Lines, and Angles before his eyes: which kind of Fancy hath no particular name; as being a thing that doth not commonly fall into mens discourse. Dreams The imaginations of them that sleep, are those we call Dreams.
And these also (as all other Imaginations) have been before, either totally, or by parcells in the Sense.
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