11. Past existence of other things is known by memory. As when our
senses are actually employed about any object, we do know that it does
exist; so by our memory we may be assured, that heretofore things that
affected our senses have existed. And thus we have knowledge of the
past existence of several things, whereof our senses having informed
us, our memories still retain the ideas; and of this we are past all
doubt, so long as we remember well. But this knowledge also reaches no
further than our senses have formerly assured us. Thus, seeing water
at this instant, it is an unquestionable truth to me that water doth
exist: and remembering that I saw it yesterday, it will also be always
true, and as long as my memory retains it always an undoubted
proposition to me, that water did exist the 10th of July, 1688; as
it will also be equally true that a certain number of very fine
colours did exist, which at the same time I saw upon a bubble of
that water: but, being now quite out of sight both of the water and
bubbles too, it is no more certainly known to me that the water doth
now exist, than that the bubbles or colours therein do so: it being no
more necessary that water should exist to-day, because it existed
yesterday, than that the colours or bubbles exist to-day, because they
existed yesterday, though it be exceedingly much more probable;
because water hath been observed to continue long in existence, but
bubbles, and the colours on them, quickly cease to be.
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