7. Fourthly, because our senses assist one another's testimony of the existence of outward things, and enable
us to predict.
IV. Our senses in many cases bear witness to the truth of each other's report, concerning the existence of
sensible things without us. He that sees a fire, may, if he doubt whether it be anything more than a bare fancy, feel
it too; and be convinced, by putting his hand in it. Which certainly could never be put into such exquisite pain by
a bare idea or phantom, unless that the pain be a fancy too: which yet he cannot, when the burn is well, by raising
the idea of it, bring upon himself again.
Thus I see, whilst I write this, I can change the appearance of the paper; and by designing the letters, tell
beforehand what new idea it shall exhibit the very next moment, by barely drawing my pen over it: which will
neither appear (let me fancy as much as I will) if my hands stand still; or though I move my pen, if my eyes be
shut: nor, when those characters are once made on the paper, can I choose afterwards but see them as they are;
that is, have the ideas of such letters as I have made. 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.