# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com # Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0355 # Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0355?run=74 # Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38) # Folio 339, page id 778263916:0355 # Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=355 # Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000355.jpg # Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 55 lines, status machine # Lines: 55 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. Force in the mouth, or erritins ofhim that last made use ot it, chan in hi trom uhom he received il. 5. F2. The Probabilities e have hitherto mentioned, are only such as concern matrer ol faet, and such Thinss as are capable of Observation and Testimons: chereremains chat other fore, concernine Which, Meni en- tertain Opinions with variety of Altene, choush the Thines be such, thar falline not under the reachof our Senses, are not capable of Testimony; and such aro, r. The Fxictence, Nature, and Operations oF finite immaterial BC. inss withoutus; 2s Spiries, Angels, DerilS, (50. Or the Exiltence otmate- rial Beinss; Wrhich cither For their smalness in themselres, Or remoteness tromus, our Senses cannot rakie notice ot, as Whether there be any Planes Animals, and intellisent Inhabitanes of the Planers, and ocher Nansions Ot the vast Vniverse. 2. Concernins che manner oF Operation in most Parts oFche WorlEs OF Nature; Wherein chough re sce the sensible cects, vet their caulesare untenown, and re percere nor the ars and manner ho ther are produced. We sce Animals are generated, nourithed, and more; the LOad. Rone draws Iron; and che parts of a Cancle successively meltine, turn into Aame, and sire us both lighe; and heat. These and thelike Pfects e sce and hno: but the calses that operate, and the manner thes are producedin, e can only suels, and probably conjecture. For these and ehie like comins nor ithin the scruciny ot humane. Senles, cannot be examined by them, or be actested by any body, and theretore can appear more or less. probable, only as thes more or lels apreeto Truths thac are cstablistred in our Minds, and as ther hold proporrion to other Parts oF our tnom lecse and Observation. Analoey in thele mattersis the ouly help ve have, and eis trom thac alone re draw all our proundsot Pro- babilits. Phus obserrins that the bare rubbins ot ro Bodies violently one uxon another, produces heat, and very olten sire it selE, re have reaion to chint, chat irhat we call HTeat and Fire, consilts in a certain violene agitation OEthe imperceptible minute parts ofthe burning matrer: observins likevile, thac the different retractions oF Dellucid Bodies produce in our Fyes the ditterent appearances oF several Colours; and also that the difterent ran- sins and lazins che superticial parts of several Bodies, as OF Velvet, mate red Silli, (5c. does the libe, re thinte it probable chat the Colour and Minino oF Bodies, is in them nothine bue the difterent Arangement and Retraction oltheir minute and insensible parts. Thus findins in all the parrs of ehe Creation, that fall under humane Observation, that there is a gracual connexion of one with anochier, without any great or discer- nable saps betreen, in all that great variery ol Things ve sec in the Worla, irhichiare (0 closely linked togecher, that, in tlic several rankis ot Beinss, it is not ealie to dilcorer the bounds berixt them, wre have Rea- Son tobe perluaded, that in such senele steps Phines in Pertection alcend uxvards. Tis an hard Macter to say irhere Serilible and Rational Begin, and where Insensible and Trrational end; and who is there quick. sighted cnoush to determine precisely whichisthe loelt Species o livins Thines, and irtrich che tirst oFchole wrhich hare no Lise: ThingS, as tar aS We Can oblerre lessen and augment, as the quantity does in a regular Cone, Where thouoh chere beamanilest odds betrixt the bienels of the Diametre at re- ore distances: yet thedifterence betreen the upper and under, where cher touch onc another, is hardly discernable. Fhe difterence is excee dins creat betreen lome Nen, and Tome Animals: BuL il e will compare the Onderstandins and Abilities ol lome Men, and some Brutes, we aiI find so litele difterence, that trill be hard to lar, chat chat ofthe Nan is ci- cher ClCarer OT larGET: OblervinS, Llar, luel Gradual andsenrle delcenes donnrards