2804. But as regards the human character, as long as one is in the body everything is of course retained that has been brought in since infancy, and so it develops. But in the course of life it changes, even up to the last hour of life. It changes because many elements are added, separating general ideas, bending them in a different direction, thus toward goodness and truth. For as long as a person lives, mental images are constantly being expanded, either by evils or by goods, and are thereby either condensed, so to speak, like stagnant water, or diluted. 1748, 13 Aug.
2804. But as concerns the nature of man, so long as he is in the body, everything indeed is retained which is ever brought from infancy, and thus it is formed, but in time of his life it is varied [changed] till the last hour of life, as well by this that many things are added [adjecta] which separate general ideas, [as by those] that bend these from elsewhere, thus towards the good and true: for continually while man lives [his] ideas are enriched either with evils or goods, and thus are either condensed like stagnant water or are diluted. - 1748, August 13.
2804. Sed quod naturam hominis concernit, quamdiu est in corpooe, retinetur quidem omne, quod usquam illatum est ab infantia, et sic formatur, sed tempore vitae ejus variatur 1
usque ad ultimam vitae horam, per ea, quod plura adjecta sint, quae separent ideas communes, quae aliunde {a} eas flectant 2
, ita versus bonum et verum, nam ideae continue, dum vivit homo, locupletantur vel malis, vel bonis, et sic quasi vel condensantur sicut aqua stagnans, vel diluuntur. 1748, 13 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has est variatur
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has flectat