Whence it is manifest, that they are not
barely the sport and play of my own imagination, when I find that
the characters that were made at the pleasure of my own thoughts, do
not obey them; nor yet cease to be, whenever I shall fancy it, but
continue to affect my senses constantly and regularly, according to
the figures I made them. To which if we will add, that the sight of
those shall, from another man, draw such sounds as I beforehand design
they shall stand for, there will be little reason left to doubt that
those words I write do really exist without me, when they cause a long
series of regular sounds to affect my ears, which could not be the
effect of my imagination, nor could my memory retain them in that
order.
8. This certainty is as great as our condition needs. But yet, if
after all this any one will be so sceptical as to distrust his senses,
and to affirm that all we see and hear, feel and taste, think and
do, during our whole being, is but the series and deluding appearances
of a long dream, whereof there is no reality; and therefore will
question the existence of all things, or our knowledge of anything:
I must desire him to consider, that, if all be a dream, then he doth
but dream that he makes the question, and so it is not much matter
that a waking man should answer him. But yet, if he pleases, he may
dream that I make him this answer, That the certainty of things
existing in rerum natura when we have the testimony of our senses
for it is not only as great as our frame can attain to, but as our
condition needs.
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