Thetrainofregulatedthoughtsisoftwokinds：one，whenofaneffectimaginedweseekthecausesormeansthatproduceit；andthisiscommontomanandbeast。Theotheris，whenimagininganythingwhatsoever，weseekallthepossibleeffectsthatcanbyitbeproduced；thatistosay，weimaginewhatwecandowithitwhenwehaveit。OfwhichIhavenotatanytimeseenanysign，butinmanonly；forthisisacuriosityhardlyincidenttothenatureofanylivingcreaturethathasnootherpassionbutsensual，suchasarehunger，thirst，lust，andanger。Insum，thediscourseofthemind，whenitisgovernedbydesign，isnothingbutseeking，orthefacultyofinvention，whichtheLatinscallsagacitas，andsolertia；ahuntingoutofthecausesofsomeeffect，presentorpast；oroftheeffectsofsomepresentorpastcause。Sometimesamanseekswhathehathlost；andfromthatplace，andtime，whereinhemissesit，hismindrunsback，fromplacetoplace，andtimetotime，tofindwhereandwhenhehadit；thatistosay，tofindsomecertainandlimitedtimeandplaceinwhichtobeginamethodofseeking。Again，fromthence，histhoughtsrunoverthesameplacesandtimestofindwhatactionorotheroccasionmightmakehimloseit。Thiswecallremembrance，orcallingtomind：theLatinscallitreminiscentia，asitwereare-conningofourformeractions。
Sometimesamanknowsaplacedeterminate，withinthecompasswhereofheistoseek；andthenhisthoughtsrunoverallthepartsthereofinthesamemannerasonewouldsweeparoomtofindajewel；orasaspanielrangesthefieldtillhefindascent；orasamanshouldrunoverthealphabettostartarhyme。
Sometimesamandesirestoknowtheeventofanaction；andthenhethinkethofsomelikeactionpast，andtheeventsthereofoneafteranother，supposinglikeeventswillfollowlikeactions。Ashethatforeseeswhatwillbecomeofacriminalre-conswhathehasseenfollowonthelikecrimebefore，havingthisorderofthoughts；thecrime，theofficer，theprison，thejudge，andthegallows。Whichkindofthoughtsiscalledforesight，andprudence，orprovidence，andsometimeswisdom；thoughsuchconjecture，throughthedifficultyofobservingallcircumstances，beveryfallacious。Butthisiscertain：byhowmuchonemanhasmoreexperienceofthingspastthananother；bysomuchalsoheismoreprudent，andhisexpectationstheseldomerfailhim。Thepresentonlyhasabeinginnature；
thingspasthaveabeinginthememoryonly；butthingstocomehavenobeingatall，thefuturebeingbutafictionofthemind，applyingthesequelsofactionspasttotheactionsthatarepresent；whichwithmostcertaintyisdonebyhimthathasmostexperience，butnotwithcertaintyenough。Andthoughitbecalledprudencewhentheeventanswerethourexpectation；yetinitsownnatureitisbutpresumption。Fortheforesightofthingstocome，whichisprovidence，belongsonlytohimbywhosewilltheyaretocome。Fromhimonly，andsupernaturally，proceedsprophecy。Thebestprophetnaturallyisthebestguesser；andthebestguesser，hethatismostversedandstudiedinthemattersheguessesat，forhehathmostsignstoguessby。
Asignistheeventantecedentoftheconsequent；andcontrarily，theconsequentoftheantecedent，whenthelikeconsequenceshavebeenobservedbefore：andtheoftenertheyhavebeenobserved，thelessuncertainisthesign。Andthereforehethathasmostexperienceinanykindofbusinesshasmostsignswherebytoguessatthefuturetime，andconsequentlyisthemostprudent：andsomuchmoreprudentthanhethatisnewinthatkindofbusiness，asnottobeequalledbyanyadvantageofnaturalandextemporarywit，thoughperhapsmanyyoungmenthinkthecontrary。