E3P18S1
Scholium — Part III
Latin
Rem eatenus præteritam aut futuram hic voco quatenus ab eadem affecti fuimus aut afficiemur exempli gratia quatenus ipsam vidimus aut videbimus, nos refecit aut reficiet, nos læsit aut lædet etc. Quatenus enim eandem sic imaginamur eatenus ejus existentiam affirmamus hoc est corpus nullo affectu afficitur qui rei existentiam secludat atque adeo (per propositionem 17 partis II) corpus ejusdem rei imagine eodem modo afficitur ac si res ipsa præsens adesset. Verumenimvero quia plerumque fit ut ii qui plura sunt experti, fluctuent quamdiu rem ut futuram vel præteritam contemplantur deque rei eventu ut plurimum dubitent (vide scholium propositionis 44 partis II) hinc fit ut affectus qui ex similibus rerum imaginibus oriuntur, non sint adeo constantes sed ut plerumque aliarum rerum imaginibus perturbentur donec homines de rei eventu certiores fiant.
English (Elwes 1883)
I call a thing past or future, according as we either have been or shall be affected thereby. For instance, according as we have seen it, or are about to see it, according as it has recreated us, or will recreate us, according as it has harmed us, or will harm us. For, as we thus conceive it, we affirm its existence; that is, the body is affected by no emotion which excludes the existence of the thing, and therefore (II. xvii.) the body is affected by the image of the thing, in the same way as if the thing were actually present. However, as it generally happens that those, who have had many experiences, vacillate, so long as they regard a thing as future or past, and are usually in doubt about its issue (II. xliv. note); it follows that the emotions which arise from similar images of things are not so constant, but are generally disturbed by the images of other things, until men become assured of the issue.
Modern English
I call a thing past or future here insofar as we were or will be affected by it, for instance, insofar as we have seen it or will see it, insofar as it has refreshed us or will refresh us, insofar as it has harmed us or will harm us, and so on. For insofar as we imagine it in this way, we affirm its existence, that is, the body is affected by no affect that excludes the existence of the thing, and so (E2P17) the body is affected by the image of the thing in the same way as if the thing itself were present.
However, because it generally happens that those with wider experience vacillate as long as they regard a thing as future or past, and are mostly in doubt about its outcome (E2P44S), the affects arising from such images of things are not so stable; they are generally disturbed by images of other things until people become more certain of the outcome.