27 Aug. 1815

Jug. True

I. Prolego

Ch. Imperfections

5

Marks of Verity

Suppose now the designation of the portion of time in question pushed to a correspondent and equal degree of particularity: to the designation of the year will be added that of the month the day of the month the hour of that day, the minute of that hour the instant of that minute.

Now at any given instant of time, no two portions of matter can occupy any given portion of space exactly coincident with the largest of them, or with either of them if exactly equal to each other—of exactly the same dimension. If then by the body A (say a certain pistol made by a certain maker) at the instant specified the portion of space in question (say a box exactly fitting that same pistol) was occupied it is impossible that at that same instant of time any other body of equal dimensions (say a similar pistol of equal size and similar shape made by a different maker) could have been lodged in that same box. Supposing it therefore true and known to be true that at that time the pistol A was in the box, any story in the course of which it were asserted that at that same time the pistol B was in that same box will thus have been ascertained to have been so far false.

11 or 4

So as to know a Scale of particularity—1. Year. 2. Month. 3. Day of the Month. 4. Hour of the day. 5. Minute of the Hour. 6. Second of the Minute.

12 or 5

At the same atom of time in no portion of space can two portions of matter each of the same dimensions with it be lodged. Therefore suppose in the drawer a pistol one exactly fitting a pistol. If at the atom of time in question, in this box was pistol A (as distinguished for example by its makers name) any report stating that at that time in that case there was no pistol, or pistol B, must be false.