105 



little and little, and insensibly disposes it to reflect 

 the green colour. 



Colours then in objects are only a certain disposition 

 of parts totally distinct from the perceptions which they 

 cause in the soul. It is the same with respect to all our 

 perceptions and sensations. The senses, by representing 

 to us bodies under different appearances, shew us the 

 various qualities ; and to these qualities different ideas 

 in the soul correspond. We conclude from hence, that 

 the same objects do not affect all sensible beings in an 

 equal manner. It i* even doubtful whether two indivi- 

 duals of the same species have precisely the same per- 

 ceptions in presence of the same- object. 



Were we to contemplate the world by the organs of 

 all those sensible beings which inhabit it, we should 

 perhaps see as many worlds as we should employ 

 glasses. What difference would there appear in the 

 nuil berry-tree, examined through the organs of a silk- 

 worm, from our conception of ,it ! What diversity be- 

 tween the stamina viewed through the eyes of bees, 

 and those which the botanist observes ! How extern 

 sive would be the knowledge of that being who could 

 be acquainted with all these different impressions ! 



6. Fire, which is dispersed through all nature, offers 

 to us an infinity of properties ; let us confine our- 

 selves to give an account of the most interesting. 

 Fire, being subtle, elastic, and continually agitated, 

 penetrates all bodies; it warms, dilates, burns, melts, 

 calcines, vitrifies, volatilizes, and dissipates them, ac- 

 cording to the nature of their composition or princi- 

 ples. This subtle element becomes visible only by 

 borrowing a body : it secretly unites itself to an in- 

 flammable and unknown substance, and provided with 

 this body, unites itself to other bodies, and enters into 

 their composition. It is by means of the same union 

 that it becomes sensible in electrical experiments, some- 

 times in the form of luminous tuO, sometimes in that of 

 F4 



