earth takes up, since it is only a satellite of one among them. Now
all these suns MAY be inhabited by none but happy creatures; and
nothing obliges us to believe that the number of damned persons is
very great; for a VERY FEW INSTANCES AND SAMPLES SUFFICE FOR THE
UTILITY WHICH GOOD DRAWS FROM EVIL. Moreover, since there is no
reason to suppose that there are stars everywhere, may there not be
a great space beyond the region of the stars? And this immense
space, surrounding all this region, ... may be replete with
happiness and glory. ... What now becomes of the consideration of
our Earth and of its denizens? Does it not dwindle to something
incomparably less than a physical point, since our Earth is but a
point compared with the distance of the fixed stars. Thus the part
of the Universe which we know, being almost lost in nothingness
compared with that which is unknown to us, but which we are yet
obliged to admit; and all the evils that we know lying in this
almost-nothing; it follows that the evils may be almost-nothing in
comparison with the goods that the Universe contains."

Leibnitz continues elsewhere: "There is a kind of justice which aims
neither at the amendment of the criminal, nor at furnishing an
example to others, nor at the reparation of the injury. This justice
is founded in pure fitness, which finds a certain satisfaction in
the expiation of a wicked deed. The Socinians and Hobbes objected to
this punitive justice, which is properly vindictive justice and
which God has reserved for himself at many junctures. ... It is
always founded in the fitness of things, and satisfies not only the
offended party, but all wise lookers-on, even as beautiful music or
a fine piece of architecture satisfies a well-constituted mind. It
is thus that the torments of the damned continue, even tho they
serve no longer to turn anyone away from sin, and that the rewards