Bythisimpositionofnames，someoflarger，someofstrictersignification，weturnthereckoningoftheconsequencesofthingsimaginedinthemindintoareckoningoftheconsequencesofappellations。Forexample，amanthathathnouseofspeechatall，suchasisbornandremainsperfectlydeafanddumb，ifhesetbeforehiseyesatriangle，andbyittworightanglessuchasarethecornersofasquarefigure，hemaybymeditationcompareandfindthatthethreeanglesofthattriangleareequaltothosetworightanglesthatstandbyit。Butifanothertrianglebeshownhimdifferentinshapefromtheformer，hecannotknowwithoutanewlabourwhetherthethreeanglesofthatalsobeequaltothesame。Buthethathaththeuseofwords，whenheobservesthatsuchequalitywasconsequent，nottothelengthofthesides，nortoanyotherparticularthinginhistriangle；butonlytothis，thatthesideswerestraight，andtheanglesthree，andthatthatwasall，forwhichhenameditatriangle；willboldlyconcludeuniversallythatsuchequalityofanglesisinalltriangleswhatsoever，andregisterhisinventioninthesegeneralterms：Everytrianglehathitsthreeanglesequaltotworightangles。Andthustheconsequencefoundinoneparticularcomestoberegisteredandrememberedasauniversalrule；anddischargesourmentalreckoningoftimeandplace，anddeliversusfromalllabourofthemind，savingthefirst；andmakesthatwhichwasfoundtruehere，andnow，tobetrueinalltimesandplaces。
Buttheuseofwordsinregisteringourthoughtsisinnothingsoevidentasinnumbering。Anaturalfoolthatcouldneverlearnbyhearttheorderofnumeralwords，asone，two，andthree，mayobserveeverystrokeoftheclock，andnodtoit，orsayone，one，one，butcanneverknowwhathouritstrikes。Anditseemstherewasatimewhenthosenamesofnumberwerenotinuse；andmenwerefaintoapplytheirfingersofoneorbothhandstothosethingstheydesiredtokeepaccountof；andthatthenceitproceededthatnowournumeralwordsarebutten，inanynation，andinsomebutfive，andthentheybeginagain。Andhethatcantellten，ifherecitethemoutoforder，willlosehimself，andnotknowwhenhehasdone：muchlesswillhebeabletoadd，andsubtract，andperformallotheroperationsofarithmetic。Sothatwithoutwordsthereisnopossibilityofreckoningofnumbers；muchlessofmagnitudes，ofswiftness，offorce，andotherthings，thereckoningswhereofarenecessarytothebeingorwell-beingofmankind。
Whentwonamesarejoinedtogetherintoaconsequence，oraffirmation，asthus，Amanisalivingcreature；orthus，Ifhebeaman，heisalivingcreature；ifthelatternamelivingcreaturesignifyallthattheformernamemansignifieth，thentheaffirmation，orconsequence，istrue；otherwisefalse。Fortrueandfalseareattributesofspeech，notofthings。Andwherespeechisnot，thereisneithertruthnorfalsehood。Errortheremaybe，aswhenweexpectthatwhichshallnotbe，orsuspectwhathasnotbeen；butinneithercasecanamanbechargedwithuntruth。
Seeingthenthattruthconsistethintherightorderingofnamesinouraffirmations，amanthatseekethprecisetruthhadneedtorememberwhateverynameheusesstandsfor，andtoplaceitaccordingly；orelsehewillfindhimselfentangledinwords，asabirdinlimetwigs；themorehestruggles，themorebelimed。AndthereforeingeometrywhichistheonlysciencethatithathpleasedGodhithertotobestowonmankind，menbeginatsettlingthesignificationsoftheirwords；whichsettlingofsignifications，theycalldefinitions，andplacetheminthebeginningoftheirreckoning。
Bythisitappearshownecessaryitisforanymanthataspirestotrueknowledgetoexaminethedefinitionsofformerauthors；andeithertocorrectthem，wheretheyarenegligentlysetdown，ortomakethemhimself。Fortheerrorsofdefinitionsmultiplythemselves，accordingasthereckoningproceeds，andleadmenintoabsurdities，whichatlasttheysee，butcannotavoid，withoutreckoninganewfromthebeginning；inwhichliesthefoundationoftheirerrors。Fromwhenceithappensthattheywhichtrusttobooksdoastheythatcastupmanylittlesumsintoagreater，withoutconsideringwhetherthoselittlesumswererightlycastupornot；andatlastfindingtheerrorvisible，andnotmistrustingtheirfirstgrounds，knownotwhichwaytoclearthemselves，spendtimeinflutteringovertheirbooks；asbirdsthatenteringbythechimney，andfindingthemselvesenclosedinachamber，flutteratthefalselightofaglasswindow，forwantofwittoconsiderwhichwaytheycamein。Sothatintherightdefinitionofnamesliesthefirstuseofspeech；whichistheacquisitionofscience：andinwrong，ornodefinitions，liesthefirstabuse；fromwhichproceedallfalseandsenselesstenets；whichmakethosementhattaketheirinstructionfromtheauthorityofbooks，andnotfromtheirownmeditation，tobeasmuchbelowtheconditionofignorantmenasmenenduedwithtruescienceareaboveit。Forbetweentruescienceanderroneousdoctrines，ignoranceisinthemiddle。Naturalsenseandimaginationarenotsubjecttoabsurdity。Natureitselfcannoterr：andasmenaboundincopiousnessoflanguage；sotheybecomemorewise，ormoremad，thanordinary。Norisitpossiblewithoutlettersforanymantobecomeeitherexcellentlywiseorunlesshismemorybehurtbydisease，orillconstitutionoforgansexcellentlyfoolish。Forwordsarewisemen’scounters；theydobutreckonbythem：buttheyarethemoneyoffools，thatvaluethembytheauthorityofanAristotle，aCicero，oraThomas，oranyotherdoctorwhatsoever，ifbutaman。