# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0083 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0083?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 67, page id 778263916:0083 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=83 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000083.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 47 lines, status machine # Lines: 47 recognised, mean confidence 0.89 # Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German. # Licence: CC BY 4.0, Leibniz Legible. Machine output: do not ingest it as verified text; keep this provenance with the text. # Wording rule: say "the machine reads it as …", never "Leibniz wrote". # After the first blank line: the recognised lines in reading order, one per line. 181 duE e Er Lccdetaton. First, That it loses the Iea quite, and (0 tar it procluces persect Teno- ranCC. For lince We can Rhor nochine Farther, than we have thie Ideas Olit, Wvhen they are sonc, re are in pertect ignorance. Secondly, That iE moves PoWIy, and retrieves not the Ideas, that it has and are laid ux in Pore, quick enouch eo serve the Mind upon occalions. This, it it be t0a oreat degree, is Scupidity; and ho, Wrho throuoh this de- Fault in his Memory, has not the Ideas, that are realls preserred there, readr at hand, wtien need and occotion calls for them, irere almost as Bood De Wrichour chem quite, since cher serve him to lictle purpose. The dull NTan, irhro loses thie opportunier, whilst he is secking in his Mind for those Ideas, thar Bould serve his turn, is noc much more hapor in his Rnomledoe, chan one chat is pertectly ignOranE. Fis the busness there Pore of the Memorr, eo Furnistr to the Mind thole dormant Ldeas, WticH it has present occasion Por, and in the havins them readr at trand on aII OccasionS Consicts, that Whieh re call Invention; Fancy; and quicleness Ot PartS. 6. 9. This Faculty oF layins up, atid retaimins che Edeas thât are broustie into the Mind, several orher Animals seem tohare, to a great degrec, a5 vellas Man. For to pals by ocher instances, Birds learmine of Tuncs, and the endeavours one mas observe in them tohirthe Notes rislu, put it past doube wich me, chat chier have Perception, and retain Ideas in their Memories, and use chCI FOr PaLtCRNS. For it Scems to me impossible, that ther ould endearour ro contorm cheir Voicesto Notes (as tis plain ther do) oF whichther had no Ideas. Fortho I Thouldorant Scund may mecha nicallr cause a cerrain morion of the animal Spirits, in the Brains oFtliole Birds, Whilst cho Tune is actually plavine; and that motion may becon: tinued on cothe Muscles ofthe Wines; and so the Bird mechanicallY DC driven airay by certain noiles, because this may tend to tho Birds preser vation: yet thiat can nerer be supposed a Reason, irhy it Mould cause me- Chanically, cither erhil( the Tune iras plavine, much less aster it has cca- Sed, Sucli a motion in the Organs of the Birds voice, as Pould contorm it eo the Noces oF a oreion Sound, Which imitation can be of no use to the Birds preservation. Buc, Wrhich is more, it cannot with anv appea rance oF ReaCon, be suppos d (much lels proved) chat Birds rithout sense and Memorr, can approachtheir Notes nearer and nearer, Dy degrces, t0 aFuvep lay dyesterdas; Wrhich il ther have no Fdea ol in chcir Memory. is nor no-rhere, nor ean be a Patrern For them to imitate, or Wrhieh any repeated Esars ean brine FhCM RCarer +O. Snce there is no reason utir the Cound of a Pipe Bould leave traces in their Brains, wrhich noc at tirst; buc by chcir alterendeavours Mould produce the lite Sounas; and wrhy che Sounds they make chemselves, Pould not make traces whieh theis Brouid lollo, as wellas those olche Pipe, is impoltible to conceive.