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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 237, page id 778263916:0253
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Imperfeun oior
Ono: Since FIerE Was RO OnC There, ThaE choushe noc himselE to under.
stand very perlectir, What the Word Liquor Hood for; Wrhich, I thinte
t00, none ot the inost perplexed names oE Substances. Flovever, thev
ivere pleased to comply rith my Mocion, and upon Fxamination found
that che lisnitication ot that Word, ras not (o settled and certain, asthey
hadallimacined; bur that cach ot ehem made it a lion ot a ditterent cor
plex Idea. This made them perceire, thatthe Main of their Dispute Was
aboue che sienification of that Ferm; and that thei differed verr lirele
in cheir Opinions, concernins fome Ruidand subtile Macter, Passinss chrouol
the Conduits oF thoVerres; thouoh it Was not so casie to agree, Whecher
it as to be called Liquor, or no; a chiine wtrich wrhen cach considered,
Hethouoht ic noc rorth the contendino about.
G. 27. FTor much chis is the Case ol che greatest pare ot Disputes, thai
Men are engasec (o hotlr in, ITall, perhaxs, have an occasion in ano-
cher place to talsenotice. Let us only here consider a lietle more exactly
ehe Forementioned instance oF che WV ord Gold, and We MalI sce ho
hard it is precisely eo determine ies Signification. AImost all agreo, thae
it Mould signisie a BodY oF a certain rellor Mining Colour; irtich beine
ehe Idea eo rhich Children have annexed that name, the Minine velloui
part of a Peacocks Tail, is properly tothem Gold. Ocherstindins Fus
Dility join d rith thac vellon Colour in Gold, thinkc the octer Wrtict
contain d nothins but the Idea of Body ith that Colour not truly to
reprelent GFold, buE to be an impertect Ldea OF FHat COrE OF Substance:
And theretore etie Word Crold, as reterr d to chat sort ot subltances, docs
oFriohe Sioniho a Body oF that vellon Colour, rtich by che Fire will B0
reduced tO FusiOn, and not to ABes. Anocher by the lame Realon adds,
the Weioh, Which beino a Dualier, as Sraicly join d with chat Colour, as
iesFusibilier, he chinks has the lame Reason eo be join d in its Idea, and
tobe lienitied by its namme: And cherelore the other made up ot Body, of
Tuch a Colour and Fusibilier, to be impertect; and (0 on of aIl the rest:
Wherein no one can seu a Reason, wliy lome of the inseparable Oualities,
that are alars united in Nature, Pould be put into the nominal F. ence.
and orbers lete out: Or Why the Word Cold, signitzine that sort of Body
the Ring on his Finger is made ot, hould determine that sort, rather bV
its Colour, Weioht, and Fulibilier; than by its Colour, Weiche, and Son
lubilier in ag. regia: Since the distolvins it by that Liquor, is as insepa-
rable trom it, a5 the Fusion by Fire; and ther are borh ot them nochine.
but ehe relation char Substance has toewo orher Bodies, Which have a
Porver eo operate differently upon ic. For by What Rioht is it, chat FusI
bilier comes tobe a part of the Fssence, Cionised by the Word Crold, and
Solubility buF a propereY OFiF: Or Why is its Colour part of the Fsence
and its Malleableness but a property: Thar Wrhieh Pmean, is this, That
these beins all but Properries, dependins on its real Constitution; and
nochins buc Povers, cicheractire or pastire, in reserence to other Bodies,
no onc has Authoritr to determine the signification ol che Word Ciold
(asreterr d to such a Body exilting in Nature,) more to onc Collection ol
Ideas eobe Found in chat Body, than coanother: Whereby che fionitica-
tion ot that name mustunavoidabls De verr uncertain. Since, ashasbeen
Faid, sereral People observe Properties in thelame Substarice; and, Pthinle
I may Pay no Body all. And therelore me have but verr impertect
descriptions of Fhings, and Words have verr uncertain Signitications.
6. 18. By Ertrat has been belore laid, it is casie to oblerve, that the
Names of simple Ideas are, OF all ochers tne least liable to Mistakes.
First, Because tho Ldeas chey Aand for, are much easier sOt, and more
clearly