"Foresight will exert an influence on future events by establishing an analogy between them and the actual incidents which, of necessity, will lead to the adoption or rejection of present projects. "It is to be observed that all these faculties are subordinate, one to the other, and, in proportion to the unfolding of the fan, we can prove that all the blades previously mentioned have concurred in the formation of the blade of which we are now speaking. "In order to foresee disasters it is necessary that the perception--visual or auditory--of said disasters should already have imprest us. "We have kept intact the memory of them, since it is reconstructed emotion which guides our thoughts. "These same thoughts, in extending themselves, form groups of thoughts harmonious in character, all relative to the one, which is the object of the debate. "Our mind becomes more active in recalling the incidents, the remembrance of which marks the time which has elapsed between the old perception and the present state of mental absorption. "The faculty of deduction, which is born of these different mental conflicts, permits me to foresee that circumstances of the same nature will lead to others similar to those we have already mentioned. "We have merely sketched rapidly the scale of sensations which follow each other, in order to reach the explanation of how foresight is formed, this faculty of which we are now speaking. "By assimilating these present facts with those of the past, we are permitted to draw a conclusion, relating to the same group of results, because of the conformity of those past facts to the present questions. "Foresight is passive; between it and precaution there is the same difference as between theory and practise. "Precaution is preeminently active, and it marks its first appearance by means of foresight, but does not stop in this effort until it has rendered foresight productive. "It is well to foresee, but it is precious to preclude. "The second part of the act of precaution can, however, only be accomplished after having permitted the brain to register the thoughts which determine the first part of this act." In order to understand this very subtle difference, but very important one, which classifies these two sentiments, the old sage gives us the following example: "Let us suppose," he says, "that, on a beautiful day in spring, a man starts out for an excursion which will last until the dawn of the following day. "If he has common sense, he will say to himself that the sun will not be shining at the time of his return, that the nights of spring are cold, and that this one will be no exception to the rule. "This is foresight. "If common sense, with all its consequences, takes possession of him, it will increase his power of reasoning. He will think that, in order to avoid suffering from the change of temperature, it would be well to cover himself with a cloak.