3. Relations of time.
Time and place are also the foundations of very large relations; and all finite beings at least
are concerned in them. But having already shown in another place how we get those ideas, it may suffice here to
intimate, that most of the denominations of things received from time are only relations. Thus, when any one says
that Queen Elizabeth lived sixty-nine, and reigned forty-five years, these words import only the relation of that
duration to some other, and mean no more but this, That the duration of her existence was equal to sixty-nine, and
the duration of her government to forty-five annual revolutions of the sun; and so are all words, answering, How
long? Again, William the Conqueror invaded England about the year 1066; which means this, That, taking the
duration from our Saviour's time till now for one entire great length of time, it shows at what distance this
invasion was from the two extremes; and so do all words of time answering to the question, When, which show
only the distance of any point of time from the period of a longer duration, from which we measure, and to which
we thereby consider it as related.
