# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0232
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0232?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 216, page id 778263916:0232
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=232
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000232.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 57 lines, status machine
# Lines: 57 recognised, mean confidence 0.92
# 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.

Names of Substances.
TheT NOL. But iP the Enquiry be made concernins the suppoled real Fs.
sence; and rhether the internal Constitution and Frame of thele several
Creatures be speciticall different, it is Wholl impossible FOr US EO anLIVET,
no pare ot that goins into our specitick Idea: Only e have RcaIOn tO
thinlc, chat wrhere the Faculties, or outward Frame (0 much ditters, the in
ternal Constitution is not exactly the lame: Buc whar difterence in the in-
terrial real Constiturion, mates a specitick difterence, is in vain eo enquire;
Wrhilt our measures of Species, BC, a5 they are, ontr our abstract Ideas,
erhrich welenor; and not that internal Consticurion, nhich mates no
part ot them. Strall the difterence of FTair only on the Skin, De a marte
OFa different internal specitick Constitution between a Chanselino and a
Drill, Whenthes agrec in Shape, and want of Reason, and Spcech: And
Ball not the rant of Reason and Speech, De a sign to us os difterent reat
Constitutions and Species, beeen a Chanselins, and a realonable
Nlan: And (0 OF the rest, if e pretend, that the dictinction of Species
is Axedly establistied by tho real Frame, and secret Consiturions ot
ThinsS.
6. 23. Norletany one Pa, that the real Species of animals, are distin-
suishe d by a Pover ol Propacation, by the mixture of Male and Female,
and Plantsbr Sceds, For this vould helpus no Farcher, than in the dictin-
Etion oEthe Species ot Animals, and Vegetables: Wrhac must ve do tor
the rest. Nor is it sufficient in them: For il Eliltory lic not, Women
have conceired by Drills,; and what real Species, by that meature, luch
a Production will be in Nature, will be a nem Oueltion; and e have
Realon co think chis not impossible, Cince Mules, and Cimars, the one
Fromthe mixture ot an Hlorse, and an AIS, the other trom the mixture of
a Bull, and a Mlare, are (0 Frequent in the Worla. Lonce laW a Creature,
that avas the IITue oF a Cat, and a Rat, and had the plain martes ot
both about it; Wrherein Nature appear d to have sollorred the pattern oF
neither Tort alone, but to hare jumbledthem bochtogether.
6. 24. Opon therhole marter, tis cvident, that tis theiromn Collecti.
Ons ot lensible Oualities, thar Men mabe the EMences of their several lorts
OF Substances; and that their real internal Structures, are not consideret
by the ereatelt part ofMen, in the Cortins them; much lels any substan-
tial Forms erere ever thousht on branz, bue thole vrhohave in thisone
part oftheW orid, lcarned the Languase ot the Schools: and yet thole
ionorant Men, Who pretend nor ans inlixhit into chereal Fences, nor
trouble themselres about subltantial forms, Luc are concent ich bno.
ins Thinss one Trom another, by their senlible dualicies, are olten better
acquainted ith their Ditterences; can more nicely diltinguistr themtor
their uses; and berrer Hnow what they may expect trom cach, than
those learned quicts-sishced Men, Who looi so decp intothem, and calle
lo contidently ot Lomethins more hidden and eslential.
5. 25. But suppolins char the real Fsences oF Substances rvere dilcovera.
ble, by chose, that vould leverely apply chemselves to that Enquiry; ret
re could not reasonablss think, that the rantine of Thines under generat
Names, vas reculated by thole internal real Constitutions, or aur chins
elle but their obvious appearances: Since Languages, in all Countries,
have been establithed lons belore Sciences; lo that ther hare not been
Philosophers, or Logicians, or tuch wtro have troubled themlelves about
Forms and Fssences, that hare made the general Names, that are in ule
amonst the severel Nations oFMen: Bui thole, more or lels comprehen-
sive rerms, have, For the mostpart, in all Languases, received their Birch
and sienitication, trom isnorant and illiterare Pcople; who sorted and
denominatec
B.