Permalink
Cannot retrieve contributors at this time
To all the UNIVERSITIES IN EUROPE. | |
Most Learned Societies, | |
ALL Books, without exception, being undoubtedly under your Jurisdiction, it is | |
very strange that some Authors of good note, are not ashamed to repine at it; | |
and the more forward they are in judging others, the less liberty they will | |
allow to be judged themselves. But, if there was not a necessity, yet I would | |
make it my choice, To submit, willingly, to your Censures, these Grounds of | |
Natural Philosophy, in hopes that you will not condemn them, because they want | |
Art, if they be found fraught with Sense and Reason. You are the Stars of the | |
First Magnitude, whose Influence governs the World of Learning; and it is my | |
confidence, That you will be propitious to the Birth of this beloved Child of | |
my Brain, whom I take the boldness to recommend to your Patronage; and as, if | |
you vouchsafe to look on it favourably, I shall be extremely obliged to your | |
Goodness, for its everlasting Life: So, if you resolve to Frown upon it, I beg | |
the favour, That it be not buried in the hard and Rocky Grave of your | |
Displeasure; but be suffered, by your gentle silence, to lye still in the soft | |
and easy Bed of Oblivion, which is incomparably the less Punishment of the | |
Two. It is so commonly the error of indulgent Parents, to spoil their Children | |
out of Fondness, that I may be forgiven for spoiling This, in never putting it | |
to suck at the Breast of some Learned Nurse, whom I might have got from among | |
your Students, to have assisted me; but would, obstinately, suckle it my self, | |
and bring it up alone, without the help of any Scholar: Which having caused in | |
the First Edition, (which was published under the name of Philosophical and | |
Physical Opinions) many Imperfections; I have endeavoured in this Second, by | |
many Alterations and Additions, (which have forced me to give it another Name) | |
to correct them; whereby, I fear, my Faults are rather changed and increased, | |
than amended. If you expect fair Proportions in the Parts, and a Beautiful | |
Symmetry in the Whole, having never been taught at all, and having read but | |
little; I acknowledge my self too illiterate to afford it, and too impatient to | |
labour much for Method. But, if you will be contented with pure Wit, and the | |
Effects of mere Contemplation; I hope, that somewhat of that kind may be found | |
in this Book, and in my other Philosophical, Poetical, and Oratorical Works: | |
All which I leave, and this especially, to your kind Protection, and am, | |
Your most humble Servant, and Admirer, MARGARET NEWCASTLE. | |
A TABLE of the CONTENTS. | |
The First Part. | |
Chap. Page. I. OF Matter, 1 II. Of Motion, 2 III. Of the Degrees of Matter, 3 | |
IV. Of Vacuum, 4 V. The difference of the two Self-moving Parts of Matter, 4 | |
VI. Of dividing and uniting of Parts, 6 VII. Of Life and Knowledge, 6 VIII. Of | |
Nature's Knowledge, and Perception, 7 IX. Of Perception in general, 8 X. Of | |
double Perception, 9 XI. Whether the Triumphant Parts can be perceived | |
distinctly from each other, 9 XII. Whether Nature can know her self, or have an | |
absolute Power of her self, or have an exact Figure, 10 XIII. Nature cannot | |
judge herself, 12 XIV. Nature poyses or balances her Actions, 12 XV. Whether | |
there be degrees of Corporal Strength, 13 XVI. Of Effects and Cause, 15 XVII. | |
Of Influence, 15 XVIII. Of Fortune and Chance, 16 XIX. Of Time and Eternity, 16 | |
The Second Part. | |
I. Of Creatures, 17 II. Of Knowledge and Perception of different kinds and | |
sorts of Creatures, 18 III. Of Perception of Parts, and united Perception, 19 | |
IV. Whether the Rational and Sensitive Parts, have a Perception of each other, | |
20 V. Of Thoughts, and the whole Mind of a Creature, 21 VI. Whether the Mind of | |
one Creature, can perceive the Mind of another Creature, 22 VII. Of Perception, | |
and Conception, 23 VIII. Of Human Supposition, 24 IX. Of Information between | |
several Creatures, 24 X. The reason of several kinds and sorts of Creatures, 25 | |
XI. Of the several Properties of several kinds and sorts of Creatures, 26 | |
The Third Part. | |
Chap. 1. to 7. Of Productions in general, page. 27, to 35 VIII. Productions | |
must partake of some parts of their Producers, 36 IX. Of Resemblances of | |
several Off-springs, or Producers, 37 X. Of the several appearances of the | |
Exterior parts of one Creature, 38 | |
The Fourth Part. | |
I. Of Animal Productions, and of the difference between Productions and | |
Transformations, 39 II. Of different Figurative Motions in Man's production, 40 | |
III. Of the Quickening of a Child, or any other sort of Animal Creatures, 41 IV. | |
Of the Birth of a Child, 41 V. Of Mischances, or Miscarriages of | |
Breeding-Creatures, 42 VI. Of the increase of Growth and Strength of Mankind, | |
or such like Creatures, 43 VII. Of the several properties of the several | |
exterior shapes of several sorts of Animals, 44 VIII. Of the Dividing and | |
Uniting parts of a particular Creature, 44 | |
The Fifth Part. | |
I. Of Man, 47 II. Of the variety of Man's Natural Motions, 48 III. Of Man's | |
Shape and Speech, 49 IV. Of the several Figurative Parts of human Creatures, 50 | |
V. Of the several perceptions aamongst the several parts of Man, 51 VI. Of | |
divided and composed Perceptions, 52 VII. Of the ignorances of the several | |
perceptive Organs, 53 VIII. Of the particular and general perceptions of the | |
exterior parts of human Creatures, 54 IX. Of the exterior Sensitive Organs of | |
human Creatures, 55 X. Of the Rational parts of the human Organs, 57 XI. Of the | |
difference between the human Conception, and Perception, 57 XII. Of the several | |
varieties of Actions of human Creatures, 58 XIII. Of the manner of information | |
between the Rational and Sensitive parts, 59 XIV. Of irregularities and | |
regularities of the Restoring-parts of human Creatures, 60 XV. Of the agreeing | |
and disagreeing of the Sensitive and Rational parts of human Creatures, 61 XVI. | |
Of the power of the Rational; or rather, of the indulgency of the Sensitive, 62 | |
XVII. Of human Appetites and Passions, 63 XVIII. Of the Rational actions of the | |
Head and Heart of human Creatures, 65 XIX. Of Passions and Imaginations, 65 XX. | |
That Associations, Divisions, and Alterations, cause several Effects, 66 XXI. | |
Of the differences between Self-love, and Passionate love, 68 | |
The Sixth Part. | |
I. Of the Motions of some parts of the Mind, and of Foreign Objects, 69 II. Of | |
the Motions of some parts of the Mind, 70 III. Of the Motions of human Passions | |
and Appetites; as also, of the Motions of the Rational and Sensitive parts, | |
towards Foreign Objects, 71 IV. Of the Repetitions of the Sensitive and | |
Rational actions, 73 V. Of the passionate Love, and sympathetical Endeavours, | |
amongst the Associate parts of a human Creature, 75 VI. Of Acquaintance, 77 | |
VII. Of the Effects of Foreign Objects of the Sensitive Body; and of the | |
Rational Mind of a human Creature, 78 VIII. Of the advantage and disadvantage | |
of the Encounters of several Creatures, 80 IX. That all human Creatures have | |
the like kind and sorts of properties, 81 X. Of the singularity of the | |
Sensitive, and of the Rational Corporeal Motions, 82 XI. Of the Knowledge | |
between the Sensitive Organs of a human Creature, 83 XII. Of human perception, | |
or defects of a human Creature, 84 XIII. Of Natural Fools. 85 | |
The Seventh Part. | |
I. Of the Sensitive actions of Sleeping and Waking, 89 II. Of Sleeping, 91 | |
III. Of human Dreams, 92 IV. Of the actions of Dreams, 93 V. Whether the | |
interior parts of a human Creature, do sleep, 94 VI. Whether all the Creatures | |
in Nature, have sleeping and waking-actions, 95 VII. Of human Death, 97 VIII. | |
Of the Heat of human Life, and the Cold of human Death, 98 IX. Of the last act | |
of human Life, ibid. X. Whether a human Creature hath knowledge in death, or | |
not, 99 XI. Whether a Creature may be new formed after a general dissolution, | |
100 XII. Of Foreknowledg, 102 | |
The Eighth Part. | |
I. Of the irregularity of Nature's parts, 105 II. Of the human parts of a | |
human Creature, 106 III. Of human Humours, 107 IV. Of Blood, ibid. V. Of the | |
Radical humours, or parts, 109 VI. Of expelling malignant disorders in a human | |
Creature, 110 VII. Of human Digestions and Evacuations, 111 VIII. Of Diseases | |
in general, 112 IX. Of the Fundamental Diseases, 113 | |
The Ninth Part. | |
I. Of Sickness, 115 II. Of Pain, 117 III. Of Dizziness, 118 IV. Of the Brain | |
seeming to turn round in the head, 119 V. Of Weakness, 120 VI. Of Swooning, | |
ibid. VII. Of Numb and Dead Palsies, or Gangren's, 122 VIII. Of Madness, 124 | |
IX. The Sensitive and Rational parts may be distinctly mad, 125 X. The parts of | |
the head are not only subject to madness; but also, the other parts of the | |
body, 126 XI. The Rational and Sensitive parts of a human Creature, are apt to | |
disturb each other, 127 XII. Of Diseases produced by conceit, 130 | |
The Tenth Part. | |
I. Of Fevers, 131 II. Of the Plague, 132 III. Of the Small-Pox and Measles, | |
134 IV. Of the intermission of Fevers, or Agues, 143 V. Of Consumptions, 137 | |
VI. of Dropsies, ibid. VII. Of Sweating, 138 VIII. Of Coughs, 139 IX. Of | |
Gangren's, 143 X. Of Cancers and Fistula's, 144 XI. Of the Gout, ib. XII. Of | |
the Stone, 145 XII. Of Apoplexies and Lethargies, 146 XIII. Of Epilepsies, 147 | |
XIV. Of Convulsions and Cramps, 148 XV. Of Cholicks, ibid. XVI. Of | |
Shaking-Palsies, 150 XVII. Of the Muther, Spleen, and Scurvy, 151 XVIII. Of | |
Food or Digestions, ibid. XIX. Of Surfeits, 153 XX. Of natural Evacuations and | |
Purgings, 154 XXI. Of Purging-Drugs, 155 XXII. Of the various humours of Drugs, | |
156 XXIII. Of Cordials, 157 XXIV. Of the different actions of the several | |
Sensitive Parts of a human Creature. 158 XXV. Of the Antipathy of some human | |
Creatures, to some Foreign Objects, 159 XXVI. Of the Effects of Foreign | |
Objects, on the human Mind, ib. XXVII. Of Contemplation, 160 XXVIII. Of | |
injecting the Blood of one Animal, into the Veins of ather Animal, 161 | |
The Eleventh Part. | |
I. Of the different Knowledges in different kinds and sorts of Creatures, 163 | |
II. Of the variety of self-actions in particular Creatures, 165 III. Of the | |
variety of Corporeal Motions of one and the same sort and kind of Motion, 166 | |
IV. Of the variety of particular Creatures, ibid. V. Of dividing, and | |
rejoyning, or altering exterior figurative Motions, 167 VI. Of different | |
figurative Motions in particular Creatures, 168 VII. Of the alterations of | |
exterior and innate figurative Motions of several sorts of Creatures, 169 VIII. | |
Of Local Motion, 171 IX. Of several manners or ways of Advantages or | |
Disadvantages, 172 X. Of the actions of some sorts of Creatures, over others, | |
173 XI. Of Glassie-Bodies, 174 XII. Of Metamorphoses, or Transformations of | |
Animals and Vegetables, 175 XIII. Of the Life and Death of several Creatures, | |
176 XIV. Of Circles, 178 XV. Human Creatures cannot so probably treat of other | |
sorts of Creatures, as of their own, 179 | |
The Twelfth Part. | |
I. Of the equality of Elements, 181 II. Of several Tempers, 182 III. Of the | |
change and rechange; and of dividing of the parts of the Elements, 185 IV. Of | |
the innate figurative Motions of Earth, 186 V. Of the figurative Motions of | |
Air, ibid. VI. Of the innate figurative Motions of Fire, 188 VII. Of the | |
productions of Elemental Fire, 189 VIII. Of Flame, 190 IX. Of the two sorts of | |
Fire most different, ibid. X. Of Dead or Dull Fires, 191 XI. Of the occasional | |
Actions of Fire, 192 XII. Fire hath not the property to change and rechange, | |
193 XIII. Of the innate figurative Motions of Water, 194 XIV. The nature or | |
property of Water, 195 XV. Of the alteration of the exterior figurative motion | |
of Water, 197 XVI. Of Oil of Vitriol, ibid. XVII. Of Mineral and Sulphurous | |
Waters, 198 XVIII. The cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea, 199 XIX. Of | |
Overflows, 201 XX. Of the Figure of Ice and Snow, 203 XXI. Of the change and | |
rechange of Water, 205 XXII. Of Water quenching Fire, and Fire evaporating | |
Water, 206 XXIII. Of inflammable Liquors, 207 XXIV. Of Thunder, 208 XXV. Of | |
Vapour, Smoke, Wind and Clouds, 209 XXVI. Of Wind, 211 XXVII. Of Light, 212 | |
XXVIII. Of Darkness, 213 XXIX. Of Colours, 214 XXX. Of the Exterior Motions of | |
the Planets, 216 XXXI. Of the Sun, and Planets, and Seasons, 217 XXXII. Of Air | |
corrupting dead Bodies. 218 | |
The Thirteenth Part. | |
I. Of the innate figurative Motions of Metal, 221 II. Of the melting of | |
Metals, 222 III. Of Burning, Melting, Boiling, and Evaporating, 223 IV. Of | |
Stone, 224 V. Of the Loadstone, 225 VI. Of Bodies apt to ascend, or descend, | |
226 VII. Why heavy Bodies descend more forcibly than leight Bodies ascend, 227 | |
VIII. Of several sorts of Densities and Rarities, Gravities, and Levities, 228 | |
IX. Of Vegetables, 229 X. Of the production of Vegetables, 230 XI. Of | |
replanting Vegetables, 232 | |
APPENDIX. | |
The First Part. | |
I. Whether there can be a Substance that is not a Body, 237 II. Of an | |
Immaterial, 239 III. Whether an Immaterial be perceivable, 240 IV. Of the | |
Difference between GOD and Nature, 241 V. All the Parts of Nature, worship GOD, | |
ibid. VI. Whether GOD's Decrees are limited, 242 VII. Of GOD's Decrees | |
concerning the particular Parts of Nature, 243 VIII. Of the Ten Commandments, | |
244 IX. Of several Religions, 245 X. Of Rules and Prescriptions, 246 XI. Sins | |
and Punishments are material, 247 XII. Of human Conscience, 248 | |
The Second Part. | |
I. Whether it is possible there could be Worlds consisting only of the | |
Rational parts, and others only of the Sensitive parts, 251 II. Of Irregular | |
and Regular Worlds, 254 III. Whether there be Egress and Regress between the | |
Parts of several Worlds, 255 IV. Whether the Parts of one and the same Society, | |
could (after their dissolution, meet and unite, 256 V. Whether, if a Creature | |
being dissolved, if it could unite again, would be the same, 257 VI. Of the | |
Resurrection of Human-kind, 259 VII. Of the dissolution of a World, 260 VIII. | |
Of a new Heaven, and a new Earth, 261 IX. Whether there shall be a Material | |
Heaven and Hell, ibid. X. Concerning the Joys or Torments of the Blessed and | |
Cursed, after they are in Heaven or Hell, 263 | |
The Third Part. | |
The Preamble. 265 I. Of the Happy and Miserable Worlds, 266 II. Whether there | |
be such kinds and sorts of Creatures in the Happy and Blessed World, as in this | |
World, 267 III. Of the Births and Deaths of the Heavenly World, ibid. IV. | |
Whether those Creatures could be named Blessed, that are subject to dye, 269 V. | |
Of the Productions of the Creatures of the Regular World, 270 VI. Whether the | |
Creatures in the Blessed World, do feed and evacuate, 271 VII. Of the Animals, | |
and of the food of the Humans of the Happy World, 272 VIII. Whether it is not | |
irregular for one Creature to feed on another, 273 IX. Of the continuance of | |
life in the Regular World, 275 X. Of the Excellency and Happiness of the | |
Creatures of the Regular World, 276 XI. Of Human Creatures in the Regular | |
World, 278 XII. Of the happiness of human Creatures in the Material World, | |
ibid. | |
The Fourth Part. | |
I. Of the Irregular World, 281 II. Of the Productions and Dissolutions of the | |
Creatures of the irregular World, 282 III. Of Animals, and of Humans in the | |
irregular World, 283 IV. Of Objects and Perceptions, 284 V. The Description of | |
the Globe of the irregular World, ibid. VI. Of the Elemental Air, and Light of | |
the irregular World, 286 VII. Of Storms and Tempests in the irregular World, | |
287 VIII. Of the several Seasons; or rather, of the several Tempers in the | |
irregular World, ibid. IX. The Conclusion of the irregular and unhappy, or | |
cursed World, 288 | |
The Fifth Part. | |
Fifteen Sections concerning Restoring-Beds, or Wombs, p. 291, to 308 The | |
Conclusion, 309 | |
GROUNDS OF Natural Philosophy. | |
The First Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of MATTER. | |
MATTER is that we name Body; which Matter cannot be less, or more, than Body: | |
Yet some Learned Persons are of opinion, That there are Substances that are not | |
Material Bodies. But how they can prove any sort of Substance to be no Body, I | |
cannot tell: neither can any of Nature's Parts express it, because a Corporeal | |
Part cannot have an Incorporeal Perception. But as for Matter, there may be | |
degrees, as, more pure, or less pure; but there cannot be any Substances in | |
Nature, that are between Body, and no Body: Also, Matter cannot be figureless, | |
neither can Matter be without Parts. Likewise, there cannot be Matter without | |
Place, nor Place without Matter; so that Matter, Figure, or Place, is but one | |
thing: for, it is as impossible for One Body to have Two Places, as for One | |
Place to have Two Bodies; neither can there be Place, without Body. | |
CHAP. II. Of MOTION. | |
THough Matter might be without Motion, yet Motion cannot be without Matter; | |
for it is impossible (in my opinion) that there should be an Immaterial Motion | |
in Nature: and if Motion is corporeal, then Matter, Figure, Place, and Motion, | |
is but one thing, viz. a corporeal figurative Motion. As for a First Motion, I | |
cannot conceive how it can be, or what that First Motion should be: for, an | |
Immaterial cannot have a Material Motion; or, so strong a Motion, as to set all | |
the Material Parts in Nature, or this World, a-moving; but (in my opinion) | |
every particular part moves by its own Motion: If so, then all the Actions in | |
Nature are self-corporeal, figurative Motions. But this is to be noted, That as | |
there is but one Matter, so there is but one Motion; and as there are several | |
Parts of Matter, so there are several Changes of Motion: for, as Matter, of | |
what degree soever it is, or can be, is but Matter; so Motion, although it make | |
Infinite Changes, can be but Motion. | |
CHAP. III. Of the degrees of MATTER. | |
THough Matter can be neither more nor less than Matter; yet there may be | |
degrees of Matter, as more pure, or less pure; and yet the purest Parts are as | |
much material, in relation to the nature of Matter, as the grossest: Neither | |
can there be more than two sorts of Matter, namely, that sort which is | |
Self-moving, and that which is not Self-moving. Also, there can be but two | |
sorts of the Self-moving Parts; as, that sort that moves entirely without | |
Burdens, and that sort that moves with the Burdens of those Parts that are not | |
Self-moving: So that there can be but these three sorts; Those parts that are | |
not moving, those that move free, and those that move with those parts that are | |
not moving of themselves: Which degrees are (in my opinion) the Rational Parts, | |
the Sensitive Parts, and the Inanimate Parts; which three sorts of Parts are so | |
joined, that they are but as one Body; for, it is impossible that those three | |
sorts of Parts should subsist single, by reason Nature is but one united | |
material Body. | |
CHAP. IV. Of VACVVM. | |
IN my opinion, there cannot possibly be any Vacuum: for, though Nature, as | |
being material, is divisible and compoundable; and, having Self-motion, is in | |
perpetual action: yet Nature cannot divide or compose from her self, although | |
she may move, divide, and compose in her self: But, were it possible Nature's | |
Parts could wander and stray in, and out of Vacuum, there would be a Confusion; | |
for, where Unity is not, Order cannot be: Wherefore, by the Order and Method of | |
Nature's corporeal Actions, we may perceive, there is no Vacuum: For, what | |
needs a Vacuum, when as Body and Place is but one thing; and as the Body | |
alters, so doth the Place? | |
CHAP. V. The difference of the Two Self-moving Parts of Matter. | |
THE Self-moving Parts of Nature seem to be of two sorts, or degrees; one being | |
purer, and so more agil and free than the other; which (in my opinion) are the | |
Rational Parts of Nature. The other sort is not so pure; and are the | |
Architectonical Parts, which are the Labouring Parts, bearing the grosser | |
Materials about them, which are the Inanimate Parts; and this sort (in my | |
opinion) are the Sensitive Parts of Nature; which form, build, or compose | |
themselves with the Inanimate Parts, into all kinds and sorts of Creatures, as | |
Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, Elements, or what Creatures soever there are in | |
Nature: Whereas the Rational are so pure, that they cannot be so strong | |
Labourers, as to move with Burdens of Inanimate Parts, but move freely without | |
Burdens: for, though the Rational and Sensitive, with the Inanimate, move | |
together as one Body; yet the Rational and Sensitive, do not move as one | |
(...)Part, as the sensitive doth with the Inanimate. But, pray mistake me not, | |
when I say, the Inanimate Parts are grosser; as if I meant, they were like some | |
densed Creature; for, those are but Effects, and not Causes: but, I mean gross, | |
dull, heavy Parts, as, that they are not Self-moving; nor do I mean by Purity, | |
Rarity; but Agility: for, Rare or Dense Parts, are Effects, and not Causes: And | |
therefore, if any should ask, Whether the Rational and Sensitive Parts were | |
Rare, or Dense; I answer, They may be Rare or Dense, according as they | |
contract, or dilate their Parts; for there is no such thing as a Single Part in | |
Nature: for Matter, or Body, cannot be so divided, but that it will remain | |
Matter, which is divisible. | |
CHAP. VI. Of Dividing and Uniting of Parts. | |
THough every Self-moving Part, or Corporeal Motion, have free-will to move | |
after what manner they please; yet, by reason there can be no Single Parts, | |
several Parts unite in one Action, and so there must be united Actions: for, | |
though every particular Part may divide from particular Parts; yet those that | |
divide from some, are necessitated to join with other Parts, at the same point | |
of time of division; and at that very same time, is their uniting or joining: | |
so that Division, and Composition or Joining, is as one and the same act. Also, | |
every altered Action, is an altered figurative Place, by reason Matter, Figure, | |
Motion, and Place, is but one thing; and, by reason Nature is a perpetual | |
motion, she must of necessity cause infinite Varieties. | |
CHAP. VII. Of Life and Knowledge. | |
ALL the Parts of Nature have Life and Knowledge; but, all the Parts have not | |
Active Life, and a perceptive Knowledge, but only the Rational and Sensitive: | |
And this is to be noted, That the variousness, or variety of Actions, causes | |
varieties of Lives and Knowledges: For, as the Self-moving parts alter, or vary | |
their Actions; so they alter and vary their Lives and Knowledges; but there | |
cannot be an Infinite particular Knowledge, nor an Infinite particular Life; | |
because Matter is divisible and compoundable. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of Nature's Knowledge and Perception. | |
IF Nature were not Self-knowing, Self-living, and also Perceptive, she would | |
run into Confusion: for, there could be neither Order, nor Method, in Ignorant | |
motion; neither would there be distinct kinds or sorts of Creatures, nor such | |
exact and methodical Varieties as there are: for, it is impossible to make | |
orderly and methodical Distinctions, or distinct Orders, by Chances: Wherefore, | |
Nature being so exact (as she is) must needs be Self-knowing and Perceptive: | |
And though all her Parts, even the Inanimate Parts, are Self-knowing, and | |
Self-living; yet, only her Self-moving Parts have an active Life, and a | |
perceptive Knowledge. | |
CHAP. IX. Of PERCEPTION in general. | |
PErception is a sort of Knowledge, that hath reference to Objects; that is, | |
Some Parts to know other Parts: But yet Objects are not the cause of | |
Perception; for the cause of Perception is Self-motion. But some would say, If | |
there were no Object, there could be no Perception. I answer: It is true; for, | |
that cannot be perceived, that is not: but yet, corporeal motions cannot be | |
without Parts, and so not without Perception. But, put an impossible case, as, | |
That there could be a single Corporeal Motion, and no more in Nature; that | |
Corporeal Motion may make several Changes, somewhat like Conceptions, although | |
not Perceptions: but, Nature being Corporeal, is composed of Parts, and | |
therefore there cannot be a want of Objects. But there are Infinite several | |
manners and ways of Perception; which proves, That the Objects are not the | |
Cause: for, every several kind and sort of Creatures, have several kinds and | |
sorts of Perception, according to the nature and property of such a kind or | |
sort of Composition, as makes such a kind or sort of Creature; as I shall treat | |
of, more fully, in the following Parts of this Book. | |
CHAP. X. Of Double PERCEPTION. | |
THere is a Double Perception in Nature, the Rational Perception, and the | |
Sensitive: The Rational Perception is more subtle and penetrating than the | |
Sensitive; also, it is more generally perceptive than the Sensitive; also, it | |
is a more agil Perception than the Sensitive: All which is occasioned not only | |
through the purity of the Rational parts, but through the liberty of the | |
Rational parts; whereas the Sensitive being encumbered with the Inanimate parts, | |
is obstructed and retarded. Yet all Perceptions, both Sensitive and Rational, | |
are in parts; but, by reason the Rational is freer, (being not a painful | |
Labourer) can more easily make an united Perception, than the Sensitive; which | |
is the reason the Rational parts can make a Whole Perception of a Whole Object: | |
Whereas the Sensitive makes but Perceptions in part, of one and the same | |
Object. | |
CHAP. XI. Whether the Triumphant Parts can be perceived distinctly from each | |
other. | |
SOme may make this Question, Whether the Three sorts of Parts, the Rational, | |
Sensitive, and Inanimate, may be singly perceived? I answer, Not unless there | |
were single Parts in Nature; but, though they cannot be singly perceived, yet | |
they singly perceive; because, every Part hath its own motion, and so its own | |
perception. And though those Parts, that have not self-motion, have not | |
perception; yet, being joined, as one Body, to the Sensitive, they may by the | |
Sensitive Motion, have some different sorts of Self-knowledg, caused by the | |
different actions of the Sensitive parts; but that is not Perception. But, as I | |
said, the Triumphant Parts cannot be perceived distinctly asunder, though their | |
Actions may be different: for, the joining, or intermixing of Parts, hinders | |
not the several Actions; as for example, A Man is composed of several Parts, | |
or, (as the Learned term them) Corporeal Motions; yet, not any of those | |
different Parts, or Corporeal Motions, are a hindrance to each other: The same | |
between the Sensitive and Rational Parts. | |
CHAP. XII. Whether Nature can know her self, or have an Absolute Power of her | |
self, or have an exact Figure. | |
I Was of an opinion, That Nature, because Infinite, could not know her Self; | |
because Infinite hath no limit. Also, That Nature could not have an Absolute | |
Power over her own Parts, because she had Infinite Parts; and, that the | |
Infiniteness did hinder the Absoluteness: But since I have considered, That the | |
Infinite Parts must of necessity be Self-knowing; and that those Infinite | |
Self-knowing Parts are united in one Infinite Body, by which Nature must have | |
both an United Knowledge, and an United Power. Also, I questioned, Whether | |
Nature could have an Exact Figure, (but, mistake me not; for I do not mean the | |
Figure of Matter, but a composed Figure of Parts) because Nature was composed | |
of Infinite Variety of Figurative Parts: But considering, that those Infinite | |
Varieties of Infinite Figurative Parts, were united into one Body; I did | |
conclude, That she must needs have an Exact Figure, though she be Infinite: As | |
for example, This World is composed of numerous and several Figurative parts, | |
and yet the World hath an exact Form and Frame, the same which it would have if | |
it were Infinite. But, as for Self-knowledg, and Power, certainly God hath | |
given them to Nature, though her Power be limited: for, she cannot move beyond | |
her Nature; nor hath she power to make her self any otherwise than what she is, | |
since she cannot create, or annihilate any part, or particle: nor can she make | |
any of her Parts, Immaterial; or any Immaterial, Corporeal: Nor can she give to | |
one part, the Nature ( viz. the Knowledge, Life, Motion, or Perception) of | |
another part; which is the reason one Creature cannot have the properties, or | |
faculties of another; they may have the like, but not the same. | |
CHAP. XIII. Nature cannot judge her self. | |
ALthough Nature knows her self, and hath a free power of her self; (I mean, a | |
natural Knowledge and Power) yet, Nature cannot be an upright, and just Judge of | |
her self, and so not of any of her Parts; because every particular part is a | |
part of her self. Besides, as she is Self-moving, she is Self-changeing, and so | |
she is alterable: Wherefore, nothing can be a perfect, and a just Judge, but | |
something that is Individable, and Unalterable, which is the Infinite GOD, who | |
is Unmoving, Immutable, and so Unalterable; who is the Judge of the Infinite | |
Corporeal Actions of his Servant Nature. And this is the reason that all | |
Nature's Parts appeal to God, as being the only Judge. | |
CHAP. XIV. Nature Poyses, or Balances her Actions. | |
ALthough Nature be Infinite, yet all her Actions seem to be poised, or | |
balanced, by Opposition; as for example, As Nature hath dividing, so composing | |
actions: Also, as Nature hath regular, so irregular actions; as Nature hath | |
dilating, so contracting actions: In short, we may perceive amongst the | |
Creatures, or Parts of this World, slow, swift, thick, thin, heavy, leight, | |
rare, dense, little, big, low, high, broad, narrow, light, dark, hot, cold, | |
productions, dissolutions, peace, war, mirth, sadness, and that we name Life, | |
and Death; and infinite the like; as also, infinite varieties in every several | |
kind and sort of actions: but, the infinite varieties are made by the | |
Self-moving parts of Nature, which are the Corporeal Figurative Motions of | |
Nature. | |
CHAP. XV. Whether there be Degrees of Corporeal Strength. | |
AS I have declared, there are (in my Opinion) Two sorts of Self-moving Parts; | |
the one Sensitive, the other Rational. The Rational parts of my Mind, moving in | |
the manner of Conception, or Inspection, did occasion some Disputes, or | |
Arguments, amongst those parts of my Mind. The Arguments were these: Whether | |
there were degrees of Strength, as there was of Purity, between their own sort, | |
as, the Rational and the Sensitive? The Major part of the Argument was, That | |
Self-motion could be but Self-motion: for, not any part of Nature could move | |
beyond its power of Self-motion. But the Minor part argued, That the | |
Self-motion of the Rational, might be stronger than the Self-motion of the | |
Sensitive. But the Major part was of the opinion, That there could be no | |
degrees of the Power of Nature, or the Nature of Nature: for Matter, which was | |
Nature, could be but Self-moving, or not Self-moving; or partly Self-moving, or | |
not Self-moving. But the Minor argued, That it was not against the nature of | |
Matter to have degrees of Corporeal Strength, as well as degrees of Purity: | |
for, though there could not be degrees of Purity amongst the Parts of the same | |
sort, as amongst the Parts of the Rational, or amongst the Parts of the | |
Sensitive; yet, if there were degrees of the Rational and Sensitive Parts, | |
there might be degrees of Strength. The Major part said, That if there were | |
degrees of Strength, it would make a Confusion, by reason there would be no | |
Agreement; for, the Strongest would be Tyrants to the Weakest, in so much as | |
they would never suffer those Parts to act methodically or regularly. But the | |
Minor part said, that they had observed, That there was degrees of Strength | |
amongst the Sensitive Parts. The Major part argued, That they had not degrees | |
of Strength by Nature; but, that the greater Number of Parts were stronger than | |
a less Number of Parts. Also, there were some sorts of Actions, that had | |
advantage of other sorts. Also, some sorts of Compositions are stronger than | |
other; not through the degrees of innate Strength, nor through the number of | |
Parts; but, through the manner and form of their Compositions, or Productions. | |
Thus my Thoughts argued; but, after many Debates and Disputes, at last my | |
Rational Parts agreed, That, If there were degrees of Strength, it could not be | |
between the Parts of the same degree, or sort; but, between the Rational and | |
Sensitive; and if so, the Sensitive was Stronger, being less pure; and the | |
Rational was more Agil, being more pure. | |
CHAP. XVI. Of Effects, and Cause. | |
TO treat of Infinite Effects, produced from an an Infinite Cause, is an | |
endless Work, and impossible to be performed, or effected; only this may be | |
said, That the Effects, though Infinite, are so united to the material Cause, | |
as that not any single effect can be, nor no Effect can be annihilated; by | |
reason all Effects are in the power of the Cause. But this is to be noted, That | |
some Effects producing other Effects, are, in some sort or manner, a Cause. | |
CHAP. XVII. Of INFLVENCE. | |
AN Influence is this; When as the Corporeal Figurative Motions, in different | |
kinds, and sorts of Creatures, or in one and the same sorts, or kinds, move | |
sympathetically: And though there be antipathetical Motions, as well as | |
sympathetical; yet, all the Infinite parts of Matter, are agreeable in their | |
nature, as being all Material, and Self-moving; and by reason there is no | |
Vacuum, there must of necessity be an Influence amongst all the Parts of | |
Nature. | |
CHAP. XVIII. Of FORTUNE and CHANCE. | |
FOrtune, is only various Corporeal Motions of several Creatures, designed to | |
one Creature, or more Creatures; either to that Creature, or those Creatures | |
Advantage, or Disadvantage: If Advantage, Man names it Good Fortune; if | |
Disadvantage, Man names it Ill Fortune. As for Chance, it is the visible | |
Effects of some hidden Cause; and Fortune, a sufficient Cause to produce such | |
Effects: for, the conjunction of sufficient Causes, doth produce such or such | |
Effects; which Effects could not be produced, if any of those Causes were | |
wanting: So that, Chances are but the Effects of Fortune. | |
CHAP. XIX. Of TIME and ETERNITY. | |
TIME is not a Thing by it self; nor is Time Immaterial: for, Time is only the | |
variations of Corporeal Motions; but Eternity depends not on Motion, but of a | |
Being without Beginning, or Ending. | |
The Second Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of CREATVRES. | |
ALL Creatures are Composed-Figures, by the consent of Associating Parts; by | |
which Association, they join into such, or such a figured Creature: And though | |
every Corporeal Motion, or Self-moving Part, hath its own motion; yet, by their | |
Association, they all agree in proper actions, as actions proper to their | |
Compositions: and, if every particular Part, hath not a perception of all the | |
Parts of their Association; yet, every Part knows its own Work. | |
CHAP. II. Of Knowledge and Perception of different kinds and sorts of | |
Creatures. | |
THere is not any Creature in Nature, that is not composed of Self-moving | |
Parts, ( viz. both of Rational and Sensitive) as also of the Inanimate Parts, | |
which are Self-knowing: so that all Creatures, being composed of these sorts of | |
Parts, must have a Sensitive, and Rational Knowledge and Perception, as Animals, | |
Vegetables, Minerals, Elements, or what else there is in Nature: But several | |
kinds, and several sorts in these kinds of Creatures, being composed after | |
different manners, and ways, must needs have different Lives, Knowledges, and | |
Perceptions: and not only every several kind, and sort, have such differences; | |
but, every particular Creature, through the variations of their Self-moving | |
Parts, have varieties of Lives, Knowledges, Perceptions, Conceptions, and the | |
like; and not only so, but every particular part of one and the same Creature, | |
have varieties of Knowledges, and Perceptions, because they have varieties of | |
Actions. But, (as I have declared) there is not any different kind of Creature, | |
that can have the like Life, Knowledge, and Perception; not only because they | |
have different Productions, and different Forms; but, different Natures, as | |
being of different kinds. | |
CHAP. III. Of Perception of Parts, and United Perception. | |
ALL the Self-moving Parts are perceptive; and, all Perception is in Parts, and | |
is dividable, and compoundable, as being Material; also, Alterable, as being | |
Self-moving: Wherefore, no Creature that is composed, or consists of many | |
several sorts of Corporeal Figurative Motions, but must have many sorts of | |
Perception; which is the reason that one Creature, as Man, cannot perceive | |
another Man any otherwise but in Parts: for, the Rational, and Sensitive; nay, | |
all the Parts of one and the same Creature, perceive their Adjoining Parts, as | |
they perceive Foreign Parts; only, by their close conjunction and near | |
relation, they unite in one and the same actions. I do not say, they always | |
agree: for, when they move irregularly, they disagree: And some of those United | |
Parts, will move after one manner, and some after another; but, when they move | |
regularly, then they move to one and the same Design, or one and the same | |
United Action. So, although a Creature is composed of several sorts of | |
Corporeal Motions; yet, these several sorts, being properly united in one | |
Creature, move all agreeably to the Property and Nature of the whole Creature; | |
that is, the particular Parts move according to the property of the whole | |
Creature; because the particular Parts, by conjunction, make the Whole: So | |
that, the several Parts make one Whole; by which, a Whole Creature hath both a | |
general Knowledge, and a Knowledge of Parts; whereas, the Perceptions of Foreign | |
Objects, are but in the Parts: and this is the reason why one Creature | |
perceives not the Whole of another Creature, but only some Parts. Yet this is | |
to be noted, That not any Part hath another Part's Nature, or Motion, nor | |
therefore, their Knowledge, or Perception; but, by agreement, and unity of | |
Parts, there is composed Perceptions. | |
CHAP. IV. Whether the Rational and Sensitive Parts have a Perception of each | |
other. | |
SOme may ask the Question, Whether the Rational and Sensitive, have Perception | |
of each other? I answer: In my Opinion, they have. For, though the Rational and | |
Sensitive Parts, be of two sorts; yet, both sorts have Self-motion; so that | |
they are but as one, as, that they are both Corporeal Motions; and, had not the | |
Sensitive Parts encumbrances, they would be, in a degree, as agil, and as free | |
as the Rational. But, though each sort hath perception of each other, and some | |
may have the like; yet they have not the same: for, not any Part can have | |
another Perception, or Knowledge; but, by reason the Rational and Sensitive, | |
are both Corporeal Motions, there is a strong sympathy between those sorts, in | |
one Conjunction, or Creature. Indeed, the Rational Parts are the Designing | |
Parts; and the Sensitive, the Labouring Parts; and the Inanimate are as the | |
Material Parts: not but all the three sorts are Material Parts; but the | |
Inanimate, being not Self-moving, are the Burdensome Parts. | |
CHAP. V. Of Thoughts, and the whole Mind of a Creature. | |
AS for Thoughts, though they are several Corporeal Motions, or Self-moving | |
Parts; yet, being united, by Conjunction in one Creature, into one whole Mind, | |
cannot be perceived by some Parts of another Creature, nor by the same sort of | |
Creature, as by another Man. But some may ask, Whether the whole Mind of one | |
Creature, as the whole Mind of one Man, may not perceive the whole Mind of | |
another Man? I answer, That if the Mind was not joined and mixed with the | |
Sensitive and Inanimate Parts, and had not interior, as well as exterior Parts, | |
the whole Mind of one Man, might perceive the whole Mind of another Man; but, | |
that being not possible, one whole Mind cannot perceive another whole Mind: By | |
which Observation we may perceive, there are no Platonic Lovers in Nature. But | |
some may ask, Whether the Sensitive Parts can perceive the Rational, in one and | |
the same Creature? I answer, They do; for if they did not, it were impossible | |
for the Sensitive Parts to execute the Rational Designs; so that, what the Mind | |
designs, the Sensitive Body doth put in execution, as far as they have Power: | |
But if, through Irregularities, the Body be sick, and weak, or hath some | |
Infirmities, they cannot execute the Designs of the Mind. | |
CHAP. VI. Whether the Mind of one Creature, can perceive the Mind of another | |
Creature. | |
SOme may ask the reason, Why one Creature, as Man, cannot perceive the | |
Thoughts of another Man, as well as he perceives his exterior Sensitive Parts? | |
I answer, That the Rational Parts of one Man, perceive as much of the Rational | |
Parts of another Man, as the Sensitive Parts of that Man doth of the Sensitive | |
Parts of the other Man; that is, as much as is presented to his Perception: | |
for, all Creatures, and every part and particle, have those three sorts of | |
Matter; and therefore, every part of a Creature is perceiving, and perceived. | |
But, by reason all Creatures are composed of Parts, ( viz. both of the Rational | |
and Sensitive) all Perceptions are in parts, as well the Rational, as the | |
Sensitive Perception: yet, neither the Rational, nor the Sensitive, can | |
perceive all the Interior Parts or Corporeal Motions, unless they were | |
presented to their perception: Neither can one Part know the Knowledge and | |
Perception of another Part: but, what Parts of one Creature are subject to the | |
perception of another Creature, those are perceived. | |
CHAP. VII. Of Perception, and Conception. | |
ALthough the Exterior Parts of one Creature, can but perceive the Exterior | |
Parts of another Creature; yet, the Rational can make Conceptions of the | |
Interior Parts, but not Perception: for, neither the Sense, nor Reason, can | |
perceive what is not present, but by rote, as after the manner of Conceptions, | |
or Remembrances, as I shall in my following Chapters declare: So that, the | |
Exterior Rational Parts, that are with the Exterior Sensitive Parts of an | |
Object, are as much perceived, the one, as the other: but, those Exterior Parts | |
of an Object, not moving in particular Parties, as in the whole Creature, is | |
the cause that some Parts of one Creature, cannot perceive the whole | |
Composition or Frame of another Creature: that is, some of the Rational Parts | |
of one Creature, cannot perceive the whole Mind of another Creature. The like | |
of the Sensitive Parts. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of Human Suppositions. | |
ALthough Nature hath an Infinite Knowledge and Perception; yet, being a Body, | |
and therefore divisible and compoundable; and having, also, Self-motion, to | |
divide and compound her Infinite Parts, after infinite several manners; is the | |
reason that her finite Parts, or particular Creatures, cannot have a geral or | |
infinite Knowledge, being limited, by being finite, to finite Perceptions, or | |
perceptive Knowledge; which is the cause of Suppositions, or Imaginations, | |
concerning Foreign Objects: As for example, A Man can but perceive the Exterior | |
Parts of another Man, or any other Creature, that is subject to Human | |
Perception; yet, his Rational Parts may suppose, or presuppose, what another | |
Man thinks, or what he will act: and for other Creatures, a Man may suppose or | |
imagine what the innate nature of such a Vegetable, or Mineral, or Element is; | |
and may imagine or suppose the Moon to be another World, and that all the fixed | |
Stars are Sunns; which Suppositions, Man names Conjectures. | |
CHAP. IX. Of Information between several Creatures. | |
NO question but there is Information between all Creatures: but, several sorts | |
of Creatures, having several sorts of Informations, it is impossible for any | |
particular sort to know, or have perceptions of the Infinite, or Numberless | |
Informations, between the Infinite and Numberless Parts, or Creatures of | |
Nature: Nay, there are so many several Informations amongst one sort (as of | |
Mankind) that it is impossible for one Man to perceive (...) them all; no, nor | |
can one Man generally perceive the particular Informations that are between the | |
particular Parts of his Sensitive Body; or between the particular Informations | |
of his Rational Body; or between the particular Rational and Sensitive Parts: | |
much less can Man perceive, or know the several Informations of other | |
Creatures. | |
CHAP. X. The Reason of several kinds and sorts of Creatures. | |
SOme may ask, Why there are such sorts of Creatures, as we perceive there are, | |
and not other sorts? I answer, That, 'tis probable, we do not perceive all the | |
several kinds and sorts of Creatures in Nature: In truth, it is impossible (if | |
Nature be Infinite) for a Finite to perceive the Infinite varieties of Nature. | |
Also they may ask, Why the Planets are of a Spherical Shape, and Human | |
Creatures are of an Upright shape, and Beasts of a Bending and stooping shape? | |
Also, Why Birds are made to fly, and not Beasts? And for what Cause, or | |
Design, have Animals such and such sorts of shapes and properties? And | |
Vegetables such and such sorts of shapes and properties? And so of Minerals and | |
Elements? I answer; That several sorts, kinds, and differences of Particulars, | |
causes Order, by reason it causes Distinctions: for, if all Creatures were | |
alike, it would cause a Confusion. | |
CHAP. XI. Of the several Properties of several Kinds and sorts of Creatures. | |
AS I have said, There are several kinds, and several sorts, and several | |
particular Creatures of several kinds and sorts; whereof there are some | |
Creatures of a mixed kind, and some of a mixed sort, and some of a mixture of | |
some particulars. Also, there are some kind of Creatures, and sorts of | |
Creatures; as also Particulars of a Dense Nature, others of a Rate Nature; some | |
of a Leight Nature, some of a Heavy Nature; some of a Bright Nature, some of a | |
Dark Nature; some of an Ascending Nature, some of a Descending Nature; some of | |
a Hard Nature, some of a Soft Nature; some of a Loose Nature, and some of a | |
Fixed Nature; some of an Agil Nature, and some of a Slow Nature; some of a | |
Consistent Nature, and some of a Dissolving Nature: All which is according to | |
the Frame and Form of their Society, or Composition. | |
The Third Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of Productions in general. | |
THE Self-moving Parts, or Corporeal Motions, are the Producers of all Composed | |
Figures, such as we name Creatures: for, though all Matter hath Figure, by | |
being Matter; for it were non-sense to say, Figureless Matter; since the most | |
pure Parts of Matter, have Figure, as well as the grossest; the rarest, as well | |
as the densed: But, such Composed Figures which we name Creatures, are produced | |
by particular Associations of Self-moving Parts, into particular kinds, and | |
sorts; and particular Creatures in every kind, or sort. The particular kinds, | |
that are subject to Human Perceptions, are those we name Animals, Vegetables, | |
Minerals, and Elements; of which kinds, there are numerous sorts; and of every | |
sort, infinite particulars: And though there be Infinite Varieties in Nature, | |
made by the Corporeal Motions, or Self-moving Parts, which might cause a | |
Confusion: Yet, considering Nature is entire in her self, as being only | |
Material, and as being but one United Body; also, poysing all her Actions by | |
Opposites; 'tis impossible to be any ways in Extremes, or to have a Confusion. | |
CHAP. II. Of Productions in general. | |
THE Sensitive Self-moving Parts, or Corporeal Motions, are the Labouring Parts | |
of all Productions, or Fabrics of all Creatures; but yet, those Corporeal | |
Motions, are parts of the Creature they produce: for, Production is only a | |
Society of particular Parts, that join into particular Figures, or Creatures: | |
but, as Parts produce Figures, by Association; so they dissolve those Figures | |
by Division: for, Matter is a perpetual Motion, that is always dividing and | |
composing; so that not any Creature can be eternally one and the same: for, if | |
there were no Dissolvings, and Alterings, there would be no varieties of | |
Particulars; for, though the kinds and sorts may last, yet not the Particulars. | |
But, mistake me not, I do not say those Figures are lost, or annihilated in | |
Nature; but only, their Society is dissolved, or divided in Nature. But this is | |
to be noted, That some Creatures are sooner produced and perfected, than | |
others; and again, some Creatures are sooner decayed, or dissolved. | |
CHAP. III. Of Productions in general. | |
THere are so many different composed Parts, and so much of variety of Action | |
in every several Part of one Creature, as 'tis impossible for Human Perception | |
to perceive them; nay, not every Corporeal Motion of one Creature, doth | |
perceive all the varieties of the same Society; and, by the several actions, | |
not only of several Parts, but of one and the same Parts, cause such obscurity, | |
as not any Creature can tell, not only how they were produced, but, not how | |
they consist: But, by reason every Part knows his own Work, there is Order and | |
Method: For example, In a Human Creature, those Parts that produce, or nourish | |
the Bones, those of the Sinews, those of the Veins, those of the Flesh, those | |
of the Brains, and the like, know all their several Works, and consider not | |
each several composed Part, but what belongs to themselves; the like, I | |
believe, in Vegetables, Minerals, or Elements. But mistake me not; for, I do | |
not say, those Corporeal Motions in those particulars, are bound to those | |
particular Works, as, that they cannot change, or alter their actions if they | |
will, and many times do: as some Creatures dissolve before they are perfect, or | |
quite finished; and some as soon as finished; and some after some short time | |
after they are finished; and some continue long, as we may perceive by many | |
Creatures that dye, which I name Dissolving in several Ages; but, untimely | |
Dissolutions, proceed rather from some particular Irregularities of some | |
particular Parts, than by a general Agreement. | |
CHAP. IV. Of Productions in general. | |
THE Reason that all Creatures are produced by the ways of Production, as one | |
Creature to be composed out of other Creatures, is, That Nature is but one | |
Matter, and that all her Parts are united as one Material Body, having no | |
Additions, or Diminutions; no new Creations, or Annihilations: But, were not | |
Nature one and the same, but that her Parts were of different natures; yet, | |
Creatures must be produced by Creatures, that is, Composed Figures, as a Beast, | |
a Tree, a Stone, Water, c. must be composed of Parts, not a single Part: for, a | |
single Part cannot produce composed Figures; nor can a single Part produce | |
another single Part; for, Matter cannot create Matter; nor can one Part produce | |
another Part out of it self: Wherefore, all Natural Creatures are produced by | |
the consent and agreement of many Self-moving Parts, or Corporeal Motions, | |
which work to a particular Design, as to associate into particular kinds and | |
sorts of Creatures. | |
CHAP. V. Of Productions in general. | |
AS I said in my former Chapter, That all Creatures are produced, or composed | |
by the agreement and consent of particular Parts; yet some Creatures are | |
composed of more, and some of fewer Parts: neither are all Creatures produced, | |
or composed after one and the same manner; but some after one manner, and some | |
after another manner: Indeed, there are divers manners of Productions, both of | |
those we name Natural, and those we name Artificial; but I only treat of | |
Natural Productions, which are so various, that it is a wonder if any two | |
Creatures are just alike; by which we may perceive, that not only in several | |
kinds and sorts, but in Particulars of every kind, or sort, there is some | |
difference, so as to be distinguished from each other, and yet the species of | |
some Creatures are like to their kind, and sort, but not all; and the reason | |
that most Creatures are in Species, according to their sort, and kind, is not | |
only, that Nature's Wisdom orders and regulates her Corporeal Figurative | |
Motions, into kinds and sorts of Societies and Conjunctions; but, those | |
Societies cause a perceptive Acquaintance, and an united Love, and good liking | |
of the Compositions, or Productions: and not only a love to their Figurative | |
Compositions, but to all that are of the same sort, or kind; and especially, | |
their being accustomed to actions proper to their Figurative Compositions, is | |
the cause that those Parts, that divide from the Producers, begin a new | |
Society, and, by degrees, produce the like Creature; which is the cause that | |
Animals and Vegetables produce according to their likeness. The same may be | |
amongst Minerals and Elements, for all we can know. But yet, some Creatures of | |
one and the same sort, are not produced after one and the same manner: As for | |
example, One and the same sort of Vegetables, may be produced after several | |
manners, and yet, in the effect, be the same, as when Vegetables are sowed, | |
planted, engrafted; as also, Seeds, Roots, and the like, they are several | |
manners, or ways of Productions, and yet will produce the same sort of | |
Vegetable: but, there will be much alterations in replanting, which is | |
occasioned by the change of associating Parts, and Parties; but as for the | |
several Productions of several kinds and sorts, they are very different; as for | |
example, Animals are not produced as Vegetables, or Vegetables as Minerals, nor | |
Minerals as any of the rest: Nor are all Animals produced alike, nor Minerals, | |
or Vegetables; but after many different manners, or ways. Neither are all | |
Productions like their Producers; for, some are so far from resembling their | |
Figurative Society, that they produce another kind, or sort of Composed | |
Figures; as for example, Maggots out of Cheese, other Worms out of Roots, | |
Fruits, and the like: but these sorts of Creatures, Man names Insects; but yet | |
they are Animal Creatures, as well as others. | |
CHAP. VI. Of Productions in general. | |
ALL Creatures are Produced, and Producers; and all these Productions partake | |
more or less of the Producers; and are necessitated so to do, because there | |
cannot be any thing New in Nature: for, whatsoever is produced, is of the same | |
Matter; nay, every particular Creature hath its particular Parts: for, not any | |
one Creature can be produced of any other Parts than what produced it; neither | |
can the same Producer produce one and the same double, (as I may say to express | |
my self:) for, though the same Producers may produce the like, yet not the | |
same: for, every thing produced, hath its own Corporeal Figurative Motions; but | |
this might be, if Nature was not so full of variety: for, if all those | |
Corporeal Motions, or Self-moving Parts, did associate in the like manner, and | |
were the very same Parts, and move in the very same manner; the same | |
Production, or Creature, might be produced after it was dissolved; but, by | |
reason the Self-moving Parts of Nature are always dividing and composing from, | |
and to Parts, it would be very difficult, if not impossible. | |
CHAP. VII. Of Productions in general. | |
AS there are Productions, or Compositions, made by the Sensitive Corporeal | |
Motions, so there are of the Rational Corporeal Motions, which are Composed | |
Figures of the Mind: And the reason the Rational Productions are more various, | |
as also more numerous, is, That the Rational is more loose, free, and so more | |
agil than the Sensitive; which is also the reason that the Rational Productions | |
require not such degrees of Time, as the Sensitive. But I shall treat more upon | |
this Subject, when I treat of that Animal we name MAN. | |
CHAP. VII. Lastly, Of Productions in general. | |
THough all Creatures are made by the several Associations of Self-moving | |
Parts, or (as the Learned name them) Corporeal Motions; yet, there are infinite | |
varieties of Corporeal Figurative Motions, and so infinite several manners and | |
ways of Productions; as also, infinite varieties of Figurative Motions in every | |
produced Creature: Also, there is variety in the difference of Time, of several | |
Productions, and of their Consistency and Dissolution: for, some Creatures are | |
produced in few Hours, others not in many Years. Again, some continue not a | |
Day; others, numbers of Years. But this is to be noted, That according to the | |
Regularity, or Irregularity of the Associating Motions, their Productions are | |
more or less perfect. Also, this is to be noted, That there are Rational | |
Productions, as well as Sensitive: for, though all Creatures are composed both | |
of Sensitive and Rational Parts, yet the Rational Parts move after another | |
manner. | |
CHAP. VIII. Productions must partake of some Parts of their Producers. | |
NO Animal, or Vegetable, could be produced, but by such, or such particular | |
Producers; neither could an Animal, or Vegetable, be produced without some | |
Corporeal Motions of their Producers; that is, some of the Producers | |
Self-moving Parts; otherwise the like Actions might produce, not only the like | |
Creatures, but the same Creatures, which is impossible: Wherefore, the things | |
produced, are part of the Producers; for, no particular Creature could be | |
produced, but by such particular Producers. But this is to be noted, That all | |
sorts of Creatures are produced by more, or fewer, Producers. Also, the first | |
Producers are but the first Founders of the things produced, but not the only | |
Builders: for, there are many several sorts of Corporeal Motions, that are the | |
Builders; for, no Creature can subsist, or consist, by it self, but must | |
assist, and be assisted: Yet, there are some differences in all Productions, | |
although of the same Producers; otherwise all the Off-springs of one and the | |
same Producer, would be alike: And though, sometimes, their several Off-springs | |
may be so alike, as hardly to be distinguished; yet, that is so seldom, as it | |
appears as a wonder; but there is a property in all Productions, as, for the | |
Produced to belong as a Right and Property to the Producer. | |
CHAP. IX. Of Resemblances of several Off-springs, or Producers. | |
THere are numerous kinds and sorts of Productions, and infinite manners and | |
ways, in the actions of Productions; which is the cause that the Off-springs of | |
the same Producers, are not so just alike, but that they are distinguishable; | |
but yet there may not only be resemblances between particular Off-springs of | |
the same Producers, as also of the same sort; but, of different sorts of | |
Creatures: but the Actions of all Productions that are according to their own | |
Species, are Imitating Actions, but not Bare Imitations, as by an Incorporeal | |
Motion; for if so, then a covetous Woman, that loves Gold, might produce a Wedg | |
of Gold instead of a Child; also, Virgins might be as Fruitful as Married | |
Wives. | |
CHAP. X. Of the Several Appearances of the Exterior Parts of One Creature. | |
EVery altered Action of the Exterior Parts, causes an altered Appearance: As | |
for example, A Man, or the like Creature, doth not appear when he is old, as | |
when he was young; nor when he is sick, as when he is well in health; no, nor | |
when he is cold, as when he is hot. Nor do they appear in several Passions | |
alike: for, though Man can best perceive the Alteration of his own Kind, or | |
Sort; yet, other Creatures have several Appearances, as well as Man; some of | |
which, Man may perceive, though not all, being of a different sort. And not | |
only Animals, but Vegetables, and Elements, have altered Appearances, and many | |
that are subject to Man's perception. | |
The Fourth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of Animal Productions; and of the Differences between Productions, | |
and Transformations. | |
I Understand Productions to be between Particulars; as, some particular | |
Creatures to produce other particular Creatures; but not to transform from one | |
sort of Creature, into another sort of Creature, as Cheese into Maggots, and | |
Fruit into Worms, c. which, in some manner, is like Metamorphosing. So by | |
Transformation, the Intellectual Nature, as well as the Exterior Form, is | |
transformed: Whereas Production transforms only the Exterior Form, but not the | |
Intellectual Nature; which is the cause that such Transformations cannot return | |
into their former state; as a Worm to be a Fruit, or a Maggot a Cheese again, | |
as formerly. Hence I perceive, that all sorts of Fowls are partly Produced, and | |
partly Transformed: for, though an Egg be produced, yet a Chicken is but a | |
Transformed Egg. | |
CHAP. II. Of different Figurative Motions in MAN's Production. | |
ALL Creatures are produced by Degrees; which proves, That not any Creature is | |
produced, in perfection, by one Act, or Figurative Motion: for, though the | |
Producers are the first Founders, yet not the Builders. But, as for Animal | |
Creatures, there be some sorts that are composed of many different Figurative | |
Motions; amongst which sorts, is Mankind, who has very different Figurative | |
Parts, as Bones, Sinews, Nerves, Muscles, Veins, Flesh, Skin, and Marrow, | |
Blood, Choler, Phlegm, Melancholy, and the like; also, Head, Breast, Neck, Arms, | |
Hands, Body, Belly, Thighs, Legs, Feet, c. also, Brains, Lungs, Stomach, | |
Heart, Liver, Midriff, Kidneys, Bladder, Guts, and the like; and all these have | |
several actions, yet all agree as one, according to the property of that sort | |
of Creature named MAN. | |
CHAP. III. Of the Quickening of a Child, or any other sort of Animal Creatures. | |
THE Reason that a Woman, or such like Animal, doth not feel her Child so soon | |
as it is produced, is, That the Child cannot have an Animal Motion, until it | |
hath an Animal Nature, that is, until it be perfectly an Animal Creature; and | |
as soon as it is a perfect Child, she feels it to move, according to its | |
nature: but it is only the Sensitive Parts of the Child that are felt by the | |
Mother, not the Rational; because those Parts are as the Designers, not the | |
Builders; and therefore, being not the Labouring Parts, are not the Sensible | |
Parts. But it is to be noted, That, according to the Regularity, or | |
Irregularity of the Figurative Motions, the Child is well shaped, or mishapped. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Birth of a Child. | |
THE reason why a Child, or such like Animal Creature, stays no longer in the | |
Mother's Body, than to such a certain Time, is, That a Child is not Perfect | |
before that time, and would be too big after that time; and so big, that it | |
would not have room enough; and therefore it strives and labours for liberty. | |
CHAP. V. Of Mischances, or Miscarriages of Breeding Creatures. | |
WHen a Mare, Do, Hind, or the like Animal, cast their Young, or a Woman | |
miscarries of her Child, the Mischance proceeds either through the | |
Irregularities of the Corporeal Motions, or Parts of the Child; or through some | |
Irregularity of the Parts of the Mother; or else of both Mother and Child. If | |
the Irregularities be of the Parts of the Child, those Parts divide from the | |
Mother, through their Irregularity: but, if the Irregularity be in the Parts of | |
the Mother, then the Mother divides in some manner from the Child; and if there | |
be a distemper in both of them, the Child and Mother divide from each other: | |
but, such Mischances are at different times, some sooner, and some later. As | |
for false Conceptions, they are occasioned through the Irregularities of | |
Conception. | |
CHAP. VI. Of the Increase of Growth, and Strength of Mankind, or such like | |
Creatures. | |
THE reason most Animals, especially Human Creatures, are weak whilst they are | |
Infants, and that their Strength and Growth increases by degrees, is, That a | |
Child hath not so many Parts, as when he is a Youth; nor so many Parts when he | |
is a Youth, as when he is a Man: for, after the Child is parted from the | |
Mother, it is nourished by other Creatures, as the Mother was, and the Child by | |
the Mother; and according as the nourishing Parts be Regular, or Irregular, so | |
is the Child, Youth, or Man, weaker, or stronger; healthful, or diseased; and | |
when the Figurative Motions move (as I may say for expression sake) curiously, | |
the Body is neatly shaped, and is, as we say, beautiful. But this is to be | |
noted, That 'tis not Greatness, or Bulk of Body, makes a Body perfect; for, | |
there are several sizes of every sort, or kind of Creatures; as also, in every | |
particular kind, or sort; and every several size may be as perfect, one, as the | |
other: But, I mean the Number of Parts, according to the proper size. | |
CHAP. VII. Of the several Properties of the several Exterior Shapes of several | |
sorts of Animals. | |
THE several Exterior Shapes of Creatures, cause several Properties, as | |
Running, Jumping, Hopping, Leaping, Climbing, Galloping, Trotting, Ambling, | |
Turning, Winding, and Rolling; also Creeping, Crawling, Flying, Soaring or | |
Towering; Swimming, Diving, Digging, Stinging or Piercing; Pressing, Spinning, | |
Weaving, Twisting, Printing, Carving, Breaking, Drawing, Driving, Bearing, | |
Carrying, Holding, Griping or Grasping, Enfolding, and Millions of the like. | |
Also, the Exterior Shapes cause Defences, as Horns, Claws, Teeth, Bills, | |
Talons, Finns, c. Likewise, the Exterior Shapes cause Offences, and give | |
Offences: As also, the different sorts of Exterior Shapes, cause different | |
Exterior Perceptions. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of the Dividing and Uniting Parts of a particular Creature. | |
THose Parts (as I have said) that were the First Founders of an Animal, or | |
other sort of Creature, may not be constant Inhabitants: for, though the | |
Society may remain, the particular Parts may remove: Also, all particular | |
Societies of one kind, or sort, may not continue the like time; but some may | |
dissolve sooner than others. Also, some alter by degrees, others of a sudden; | |
but, of those Societies that continue, the particular Parts remove, and other | |
particular Parts unite; so, as some Parts were of the Society, so some other | |
Parts are of the Society, and will be of the Society: But, when the Form, | |
Frame, and Order of the Society begins to alter, then that particular Creature | |
begins to decay. But this is to be noted, That those particular Creatures that | |
dye in their Childhood, or Youth, were never a full and regular Society; and | |
the dissolving of a Society, whether it be a Full, or but a Forming Society, | |
Man names DEATH. Also, this is to be noted, That the Nourishing Motion of Food, | |
is the Uniting Motion; and the Cleansing, or Evacuating Motions, are the | |
Dividing Corporeal Motions. Likewise it is to be noted, That a Society requires | |
a longer time of uniting than of dividing; by reason uniting requires | |
assistance of Foreign Parts, whereas dividings are only a dividing of | |
home-Parts. Also, a particular Creature, or Society, is longer in dividing its | |
Parts, than in altering its Actions; because a Dispersing Action is required in | |
Division, but not in Alteration of Actions. | |
The Fifth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of MAN. | |
NOW I have discoursed, in the former Parts, after a general manner, of | |
Animals: I will, in the following Chapters, speak more particularly of that | |
sort we name Mankind; who believe (being ignorant of the Nature of other | |
Creatures) that they are the most knowing of all Creatures; and yet a whole Man | |
(as I may say for expression-sake) doth not know all the Figurative Motions | |
belonging either to his Mind, or Body: for, he doth not generally know every | |
particular Action of his Corporeal Motions, as, How he was framed, or formed, | |
or perfected. Nor doth he know every particular Motion that occasions his | |
present Consistence, or Being: Nor every particular Digestive, or Nourishing | |
Motion: Nor, when he is sick, the particular Irregular Motion that causes his | |
Sickness. Nor do the Rational Motions in the Head, know always the Figurative | |
Actions of those of the Heel. In short, (as I said) Man doth not generally know | |
every particular Part, or Corporeal Motion, either of Mind, or Body: Which | |
proves, Man's Natural Soul is not inalterable, or individable, and | |
uncompoundable. | |
CHAP. II. Of the variety of Man's Natural Motions. | |
THere is abundance of varieties of Figurative Motions in Man: As, first, There | |
are several Figurative Motions of the Form and Frame of Man, as of his Innate, | |
Interior, and Exterior Figurative Parts. Also, there are several Figures of his | |
several Perceptions, Conceptions, Appetite, Digestions, Reparations, and the | |
like. There are also several Figures of several Postures of his several Parts; | |
and a difference of his Figurative Motions, or Parts, from other Creatures; all | |
which are Numberless: And yet all these different Actions are proper to the | |
Nature of MAN. | |
CHAP. III. Of Man's Shape and Speech. | |
THE Shape of Man's Sensitive Body, is, in some manner, of a mixed Form: but, he | |
is singular in this, That he is of an upright and straight Shape; of which, no | |
other Animal but Man is: which Shape makes him not only fit, proper, easy and | |
free, for all exterior actions; but also for Speech: for being straight, as in | |
a straight and direct Line from the Head to the Feet, so as his Nose, Mouth, | |
Throat, Neck, Chest, Stomach, Belly, Thighs, and Legs, are from a straight | |
Line: also, his Organ-Pipes, Nerves, Sinews, and Joints, are in a straight and | |
equal posture to each other; which is the cause, Man's Tongue, and Organs, are | |
more apt for Speech than those of any other Creature; which makes him more apt | |
to imitate any other Creature's Voices, or Sounds: Whereas other Animal | |
Creatures, by reason of their bending Shapes, and crooked Organs, are not apt | |
for Speech; neither (in my Opinion) have other Animals so melodious a Sound, or | |
Voice, as Man: for, though some sorts of Birds Voices are sweet, yet they are | |
weak, and faint; and Beasts Voices are harsh, and rude: but of all other | |
Animals, besides Man, Birds are the most apt for Speech; by reason they are | |
more of an upright shape, than Beasts, or any other sorts of Animal Creatures, | |
as Fish, and the like; for, Birds are of a straight and upright shape, as from | |
their Breasts, to their Heads; but, being not so straight as Man; causes Birds | |
to speak uneasily, and constrainedly: Man's shape is so ingeniously contrived, | |
that he is fit and proper for more several sorts of exterior actions, than any | |
other Animal Creature; which is the cause he seems as Lord and Sovereign of | |
other Animal Creatures. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the several Figurative Parts of Human Creatures. | |
THE manner of Man's Composition, or Form, is of different Figurative Parts; | |
whereof some of those Parts seem the Supreme, or (as I may say) Fundamental | |
Parts; as the Head, Chest, Lungs, Stomach, Heart, Liver, Spleen, Bowels, Reins, | |
Kidneys, Gaul, and many more: also, those Parts have other Figurative Parts | |
belonging or adjoining to them, as the Head, Scull, Brains, Pia-mater, | |
Dura-mater, Forehead, Nose, Eyes, Cheeks, Ears, Mouth, Tongue, and several | |
Figurative Parts belonging to those; so of the rest of the Parts, as the Arms, | |
Hands, Fingers, Legs, Feet, Toes, and the like: all which different Parts, | |
have different sorts of Perceptions; and yet (as I formerly said) their | |
Perceptions are united: for, though all the Parts of the Human Body have | |
different Perceptions; yet those different perceptions unite in a general | |
Perception, both for the Subsistence, Consistence, and use of the Whole Man: | |
but, concerning Particulars, not only the several composed Figurative Parts, | |
have several sorts of Perceptions; but every Part hath variety of Perceptions, | |
occasioned by variety of Objects. | |
CHAP. V. Of the several Perceptions amongst the several Parts of MAN. | |
THere being infinite several Corporeal Figurative Motions, or Actions of | |
Nature, there must of necessity be infinite several Self-knowledges and | |
Perceptions: but I shall only, in this Part of my Book, treat of the Perception | |
proper to Mankind: And first, of the several and different Perceptions, proper | |
for the several and different Parts: for, though every Part and Particle of a | |
Man's Body, is perceptive; yet, every particular Part of a Man, is not | |
generally perceived; for, the Interior Parts do not generally perceive the | |
Exterior; nor the Exterior, generally or perfectly, the Interior; and yet, both | |
Interior and Exterior Corporeal Motions, agree as one Society; for, every Part, | |
or Corporeal Motion, knows its own Office; like as Officers in a Common-wealth, | |
although they may not be acquainted with each other, yet they know their | |
Employments: So every particular Man in a Common-wealth, knows his own | |
Employment, although he knows not every Man in the Common-wealth. The same do | |
the Parts of a Man's Body, and Mind. But, if there be any Irregularity, or | |
Disorder in a Common-wealth, every Particular is disturbed, perceiving a | |
Disorder in the Common-wealth. The same amongst the Parts of a Man's Body; and | |
yet many of those Parts do not know the particular Cause of that general | |
Disturbance. As for the Disorders, they may proceed from some Irregularities; | |
but for Peace, there must be a general Agreement, that is, every Part must be | |
Regular. | |
CHAP. VI. Of Divided and Composed Perceptions. | |
AS I have formerly said, There is in Nature both Divided and Composed | |
Perceptions; and for proof, I will mention Man's Exterior Perceptions; As for | |
example, Man hath a Composed Perception of Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Tasting, | |
and Touching; whereof every several sort is composed, though after different | |
manners, or ways; and yet are divided, being several sorts of Perceptions, and | |
not all one Perception. Yet again, they are all Composed, being united as | |
proper Perceptions of one Man; and not only so, but united to perceive the | |
different Parts of one Object: for, as Perceptions are composed of Parts, so | |
are Objects; and as there are different Objects, so there are different | |
Perceptions; but it is not possible for a Man to know all the several sorts of | |
Perceptions proper to every Composed Part of his Body or Mind, much less of | |
others. | |
CHAP. VII. Of the Ignorances of the several Perceptive Organs. | |
AS I said, That every several composed Perception, was united to the proper | |
use of their whole Society, as one Man; yet, every several Perceptive Organ of | |
Man is ignorant of each other; as the Perception of Sight is ignorant of that | |
of Hearing; the Perception of Hearing, is ignorant of the Perception of Seeing; | |
and the Perception of Smelling is ignorant of the Perceptions of the other two, | |
and those of Scent, and the same of Tasting, and Touching: Also, every | |
Perception of every particular Organ, is different; but some sorts of Human | |
Perceptions require some distance between them and the Object: As for example, | |
The Perception of Sight requires certain Distances, as also Magnitudes; whereas | |
the Perception of Touch requires a Joyning-Object, or Part. But this is to be | |
noted, That although these several Organs are not perfectly, or thoroughly | |
acquianted; yet in the Perception of the several parts of one Object, they do | |
all agree to make their several Perceptions, as it were by one Act, at one | |
point of time. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of the particular and general Perceptions of the Exterior Parts of | |
Human Creatures. | |
THere is amongst the Exterior Perceptions of Human Creatures, both particular | |
sorts of Perceptions, and general Perceptions: For, though none of the Exterior | |
Parts, or Organs, have the sense of Seeing, but the Eyes; of Hearing, but the | |
Ears; of Smelling, but the Nose; of Tasting, but the Mouth: yet all the | |
Exterior Parts have the Perception of Touching; and the reason is, That all the | |
Exterior Parts are full of pores, or at least, of such composed Parts, that are | |
the sensible Organs of Touching: yet, those several Parts have several Touches; | |
not only because they have several Parts, but because those Organs of Touching, | |
are differently composed. But this is to be noted, That every several part hath | |
perception of the other parts of their Society, as they have of Foreign parts; | |
and, as the Sensitive, so the Rational parts have such particular and general | |
perceptions. But it is to be noted, That the Rational parts, are parts of the | |
same Organs. | |
CHAP. IX. Of the Exterior Sensitive Organs of Human Creatures. | |
AS for the manner, or ways, of all the several sorts, and particular | |
perceptions, made by the different composed parts of Human Creatures; it is | |
impossible, for a Human Creature, to know any otherwise, but in part: for, | |
being composed of parts, into Parties, he can have but a parted knowledge, and a | |
parted perception of himself: for, every different composed part of his Body, | |
have different sorts of Self-knowledg, as also, different sorts of Perceptions; | |
but yet, the manner and way of some Human Perceptions, may probably be | |
imagined, especially those of the exterior parts, Man names the Sensitive | |
Organs; which Parts (in my opinion) have their perceptive actions, after the | |
manner of patterning, or picturing the exterior Form, or Frame, of Foreign | |
Objects: As for example, The present Object is a Candle; the Human Organ of | |
Sight pictures the Flame, Light, Week, or Snuff, the Tallow, the Colour, and | |
the dimension of the Candle; the Ear patterns out the sparkling noise; the Nose | |
patterns out the scent of the Candle; and the Tongue may pattern out the taste | |
of the Candle: but, so soon as the Object is removed, the figure of the Candle | |
is altered into the present Object, or as much of one present Object, as is | |
subject to Human Perception. Thus the several parts or properties, may be | |
patterned out by the several Organs. Also, every altered action, of one and the | |
same Organ, are altered Perceptions; so as there may be numbers of several | |
pictures or Patterns made by the Sensitive Actions of one Organ; I will not | |
say, by one act; yet there may be much variety in one action. But this is to be | |
noted, That the Object is not the cause of Perception, but is only the | |
occasion: for, the Sensitive Organs can make such like figurative actions, were | |
there no Object present; which proves, that the Object is not the Cause of the | |
Perception. Also, when as the Sensitive parts of the Sensitive Organs, are | |
Irregular, they will make false perceptions of present Objects; wherefore the | |
Object is not the Cause. But one thing I desire, not to be mistaken in; for I | |
do not say, that all the parts belonging to any of the particular Organs, move | |
only in one sort or kind of perception; but I say, Some of the parts of the | |
Organ, move to such, or such perception: for, all the actions of the Ears, are | |
not only hearing; and all the actions of the Eye, seeing; and all the actions | |
of the Nose, smelling; and all the actions of the Mouth, tasting; but, they | |
have other sorts of actions: yet, all the sorts of every Organ, are according | |
to the property of their figurative Composition. | |
CHAP. X. Of the Rational Parts of the Human Organs. | |
AS for the Rational parts of the Human Organs, they move according to the | |
Sensitive parts, which is, to move according to the Figures of Foreign Objects; | |
and their actions are (if Regular) at the same point of time, with the | |
Sensitive: but, though their Actions are alike, yet there is a difference in | |
their Degree; for, the figure of an Object in the Mind, is far more pure than | |
the figure in the Sense. But, to prove that the Rational (if Regular) moves | |
with the Sense, is, That all the several Sensitive perceptions of the Sensitive | |
Organs, (as all the several Sights, Sounds, Scents, Tastes, and Touches) are | |
thoughts of the same. | |
CHAP. XI. Of the difference between the Human Conception, and Perception. | |
THere are some differences between Perception, and Conception: for, Perception | |
doth properly belong to present Objects; whereas Conceptions have no such | |
strict dependency: But, Conceptions are not proper to the Sensitive Organs, or | |
parts of a Human Creature; wherefore, the Sensitive never move in the manner of | |
Conception, but after an irregular manner; as when a Human Creature is in some | |
violent Passion, Mad, Weak, or the like Distempers. But this is to be noted, | |
That all sorts of Fancies, Imaginations, c. whether Sensitive, or Rational, are | |
after the manner of Conceptions, that is, do move by Rote, and not by Example. | |
Also, it is to be noted, That the Rational parts can move in more various | |
Figurative Actions than the Sensitive; which is the cause that a Human Creature | |
hath more Conceptions than Perceptions; so that the Mind can please it self | |
with more variety of Thoughts than the Sensitive with variety of Objects: for | |
variety of Objects consists of Foreign Parts; whereas variety of Conceptions | |
consists only of their own Parts: Also, the Sensitive Parts are sooner | |
satisfied with the perception of particular Objects, than the Mind with | |
particular Remembrances. | |
CHAP. XII. Of the Several Varieties of Actions of Human Creatures. | |
TO speak of all the Several Actions of the Sensitive and Rational parts of one | |
Creature, is not possible, being numberless: but, some of those that are most | |
notable, I will mention, as, Respirations, Digestions, Nourishments, Appetites, | |
Satiety, Aversions, Conceptions, Opinions, Fancies, Passions, Memory, | |
Remembrance, Reasoning, Examining, Considering, Observing, Distinguishing, | |
Contriving, Arguing, Approving, Disapproving, Discoveries, Arts, Sciences. The | |
Exterior Actions are, Walking, Running, Dancing, Turning, Tumbling, Bearing, | |
Carrying, Holding, Striking, Trembling, Sighing, Groaning, Weeping, Frowning, | |
Laughing, Speaking, Singing and Whistling: As for Postures, they cannot be well | |
described; only, Standing, Sitting, and Lying. | |
CHAP. XIII. Of the manner of Information between the Rational and Sensitive | |
Parts. | |
THE manner of Information amongst the Self-moving Parts of a Human Creature, | |
is after divers and several manners, or ways, amongst the several parts: but, | |
the manner of Information between the Sensitive and Rational parts, is, for the | |
most part, by Imitation; as, imitating each other's actions: As for example, | |
The Rational parts invent some Sciences; the Sensitive endeavour to put those | |
Sciences into an Art. If the Rational perceive the Sensitive actions are not | |
just, according to that Science, they inform the Sensitive; then the Sensitive | |
Parts endeavour to work, according to the directions of the Rational: but, if | |
there be some obstruction or hindrance, then the Rational and Sensitive agree | |
to declare their Design, and to require assistance of other Associates, which | |
are other Men; as also, other Creatures. As for the several Manners and | |
Informations between Man and Man, they are so ordinary, I shall not need to | |
mention them. | |
CHAP. XIV. Of Irregularities and Regularities of the Self-moving Parts of | |
Human Creatures. | |
NAture being poised, there must of necessity be Irregularities, as well as | |
Regularities, both of the Rational and Sensitive parts; but when the Rational | |
are Irregular, and the Sensitive Regular, the Sensitive endeavour to rectify | |
the Errors of the Rational. And if the Sensitive be Irregular, and the Rational | |
Regular, the Rational do endeavour to rectify the Errors of the Sensitive: | |
for, the particular parts of a Society, are very much assistant to each other; | |
as we may observe by the Exterior parts of Human Bodies; the Hands endeavour to | |
assist any part in distress; the Legs will run, the Eyes will watch, the Ears | |
will listen, for any advantage to the Society; but when there is a general | |
Irregularity, then the Society falls to ruin. | |
CHAP. XV. Of the Agreeing, or Disagreeing, of the Sensitive and Rational Parts | |
of Human Creatures. | |
THere is, for the most part, a general agreement between the Rational and | |
Sensitive Parts of Human Creatures; not only in their particular, but general | |
actions; only the Rational are the Designing-parts; and the Sensitive, the | |
Labouring parts: As for proof, The Mind designs to go to such, or such Foreign | |
Parts, or Places; upon which design the Sensitive Parts will labour to execute | |
the Mind's intention, so as the whole Sensitive Body labours to go to the | |
designed place, without the Mind's further Concern: for, the Mind takes no | |
notice of every action of the Sensitive parts; neither of those of the Eyes, | |
Ears; or of the Legs, or feet; nor of their perceptions: for, many times, the | |
Mind is busied in some Conception, Imagination, Fancy, or the like; and yet the | |
Sensitive Parts execute the Mind's Design exactly. But, for better proof, When | |
as the Sensitive parts are sick, weak, or defective, through some | |
irregularities, the Sensitive parts cannot execute the Mind's Design: also, | |
when the Sensitive parts are careless, they oft mistake their way; or when they | |
are irregularly opposed, or busied about some Appetite, they will not obey the | |
Mind's desire; all which are different degrees of Parts. But, as it is amongst | |
the particular parts of a Society; so, many times, between several Societies; | |
for, sometimes, the Sensitive parts of two Men will take no notice of each | |
other: As for example, When two men speak together, one man regards not what | |
the other says; so many times, the Sensitive parts regard not the Propositions | |
of the Rational; but then the Sensitive is not perfectly Regular. | |
CHAP. XVI. Of the Power of the Rational; or rather, of the Indulgency of the | |
Sensitive. | |
THE Rational Corporeal Motions, being the purest, most free, and so most | |
active, have great power over the Sensitive; as to persuade, or command them to | |
obedience: As for example, When a man is studying about some Inventions of | |
Poetical Fancies, or the like; though the Sensitive Corporeal Motions, in the | |
Sensitive Organs, desire to desist from patterning of Objects, and would move | |
towards sleep; yet the Rational will not suffer them, but causes them to work, | |
viz. to write, or to read, or do some other Labour: Also, when the Rational | |
Mind is merry, it will cause the Legs to dance, the Organs of the Voice to | |
sing, the Mouth to speak, to eat, to drink, and the like: If the Mind moves to | |
sadness, it causes the Eyes to weep, the Lungs to sigh, the Mouth to speak | |
words of Complaint. Thus the Rational Corporeal Motions of the Mind, will | |
occasion the Senses to watch, to work, or to sport and play. But mistake me | |
not; for I do not mean, the Senses are bound to obey the Rational Designs; for, | |
the Sensitive Corporeal Motions, have as much freedom of Self-moving, as the | |
Rational: for, the Command of the Rational, and the Obedience of the Sensitive, | |
is rather an Agreement, than a Constraint: for, in many cases, the Sensitive | |
will not agree, and so not obey: also, in many cases, the Rational submits to | |
the Sensitive: also, the Rational sometimes will be irregular; and, on the | |
other side, sometimes the Sensitive will be irregular, and the Rational | |
regular; and sometimes both irregular. | |
CHAP. XVII. Of Human Appetites and Passions. | |
THE Sensitive Appetites, and the Rational Passions do so resemble each other, | |
as they would puzzle the most wise Philosopher to distinguish them; and there | |
is not only a Resemblance, but, for the most part, a sympathetical Agreement | |
between the Appetites, and the Passions; which strong conjunction, doth often | |
occasion disturbances to the whole life of Man; with endless Desires, | |
unsatiable Appetites, violent Passions, unquiet Humours, Grief, Pain, Sadness, | |
Sickness, and the like; through which, Man seems to be more restless, than any | |
other Creature: but, whether the cause be in the Manner, or Form of Man's | |
Composition, or occasioned by some Irregularities; I will leave to those who | |
are wiser than I, to judge. But this is to be noted, That the more Changes and | |
Alterations the Rational and Sensitive Motions make, the more variety of | |
Passions and Appetites the Man hath: also, the quicker the Motions are, the | |
sharper Appetite, and the quicker Wit, Man hath. But, as all the Human Senses | |
are not bound to one Organ; so all Knowledges are not bound to one Sense, no | |
more than all the Parts of Matter to the composition of one particular | |
Creature: but, by some of the Rational and Sensitive actions, we may perceive | |
the difference of some of the Sensitive and Rational actions; as, Sensitive | |
Pain, Rational Grief; Sensitive Pleasure, Rational delight; Sensitive Appetite, | |
Rational Desire; which are sympathetical actions of the Rational and Sensitive | |
Parts: Also, through sympathy, Rational Passions will occasion Sensitive | |
Appetites; and Appetites, the like Passions. | |
CHAP. XVIII. Of the Rational Actions of the Head and Heart of Human Creatures. | |
AS I formerly said, In every Figurative Part of a Human Creature, the Actions | |
are different, according to the Property of their different Composers; so that | |
the Motions of the Heart are different to the Motions of the Head, and of the | |
other several Parts: but, as for the Motions of the Head, they are (in my | |
Opinion) more after the manner of Embossed Figures; and those of the Heart, | |
more after the manner of Flat Figures; like Painting, Printing, Engraving, c. | |
For, if we observe, the Thoughts in our Heads are different from the Thoughts | |
in our Hearts. I only name these two Parts, by reason they seem to sympathize, | |
or to agree, more particularly to each other's actions, than some of the other | |
Parts of Human Creatures. | |
CHAP. XIX. Of Passions and Imaginations. | |
SOme sorts of Passions seem to be in the Heart; as, Love, Hate, Grief, Joy, | |
Fear, and the like; and all Imaginations, Fancies, Opinions, Inventions, c. in | |
the Head. But, mistake me not, I do not say, that none of the other Parts of a | |
Man have not Passions and Conceptions: but, I say, they are not after the same | |
manner, or way, as in the Heart, or Head: as for example, Every Part of a Man's | |
Body is sensible, yet not after one and the same manner: for, every Part of a | |
Man's Body hath different perceptions, as I have formerly declared, and yet may | |
agree in general actions: but, unless the several composed Parts of a Human | |
Creature, had not several perceptive actions, it were impossible to make a | |
general perception, either amongst the several Parts of their own Society, or | |
of Foreign Objects. But, it is impossible for me to describe the different | |
manners and ways of the particular Parts, or the different actions of any one | |
Part: for, what Man can describe the different perceptive actions of that | |
composed Part, the Eye, and so of the rest of the Parts. | |
CHAP. XX. That Associations, Divisions, and Alterations, cause several | |
Effects. | |
THE Rational and Sensitive Corporeal Motions, are the perceptive Parts of | |
Nature; and that which causes acquaintance amongst some parts, is their Uniting | |
and Association: That which loses acquaintance of other Parts, is their | |
Divisions and Alterations: for, as Self-compositions cause particular | |
Knowledges, or Acquaintances: So Self-divisions cause particular Ignorances, or | |
Forgetfulnesses: for, as all kinds and sorts of Creatures are produced, | |
nourished, and increased by the Association of Parts; so are all kinds and | |
sorts of Perceptions; and according as their Associations, or their | |
Compositions do last, so doth their Acquaintance; which is the cause, that the | |
Observations and Experiences of several and particular Creatures, such as Men, | |
in several and particular Ages, joined as into one Man or Age, causes strong | |
and long-liv'd Opinions, subtle and ingenious Inventions, happy and profitable | |
Advantages; as also, probable Conjectures, and many Truths, of many Causes and | |
Effects: Whereas, the Divisions of particular Societies, causes what we name | |
Death, Ignorance, Forgetfulness, Obscurity of particular Creatures, and of | |
perceptive Knowledges; so that as particular perceptive Knowledges do alter and | |
change, so do particular Creatures: for, though the Kinds and Sorts last, yet | |
the Particulars do not. | |
CHAP. XXI. Of the Differences between Self-Love, and Passionate Love. | |
SElf-love, is like Self-knowledg, which is an innate Nature; and therefore is | |
not that Love Man names Passionate Love: for, Passionate Love belongs to | |
several Parts; so that the several parts of one Society, as one Creature, have | |
both Passionate Love, and Self-love, as being sympathetically united in one | |
Society: Also, not only the Parts of one and the same Society, may have | |
Passionate Love to each other; but, between several Societies; and not only | |
several Societies of one Sort, but of different Sorts. | |
The Sixth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of the Motions of some parts of the Mind; and of Foreign Objects. | |
NOtions, Imaginations, Conceptions, and the like, are such Actions of the | |
Mind, as concern not Foreign Objects: and some Notions, Imaginations, or | |
Conceptions of one man, may be like to another man, or many men. Also, the Mind | |
of one man may move in the like Figurative Actions, as the Sensitive Actions of | |
other sorts of Creatures; and that, Man names Understanding: and if those | |
Conceptions be afterwards produced, Man names them Prudence, or Fore-sight; but | |
if those Parts move in such Inventions as are capable to be put into Arts, Man | |
names that, Ingenuity: but, if not capable to be put into the practice of Arts, | |
Man names it, Sciences: if those Motions be so subtle, that the Sensitive | |
cannot imitate them, Man names them, Fancies: but, when those Rational Parts | |
move promiscuously, as partly after their own inventions, and partly after the | |
manner of Foreign or outward Objects; Man names them, Conjectures, or | |
Probabilities: and when there are very many several Figurative, Rational | |
Motions, then Man says, The Mind is full of Thoughts: when those Rational | |
Figurative Motions, are of many and different Objects, Man names them, | |
Experiences, or Learning: but, when there are but few different sorts of such | |
Figurative Motions, Man names them Ignorances. | |
CHAP. II. Of the Motions of some Parts of the Mind. | |
WHen the Rational Figurative Corporeal Motions of an Human Creature, take no | |
notice of Foreign Objects, Man names that, Musing, or Contemplating. And, when | |
the Rational Parts repeat some former Actions, Man names that, Remembrances. | |
But, when those Parts alter those Repetitions, Man names that, Forgetfulness. | |
And, when those Rational Parts move, according to a present Object, Man names | |
it, Memory. And when those Parts divide in divers sorts of Actions, Man names | |
it, Arguing, or Disputing in the Mind. And when those divers sorts of Actions | |
are at some strife, Man names it, A contradicting of himself. And if there be a | |
weak strife, Man names it, Consideration. But, when those different Figurative | |
Motions move of one accord, and sympathetically, this Man names, Discretion. | |
But, when those different sorts of Actions move sympathetically, and continue | |
in that manner of action, without any alteration, Man names it, Belief, Faith, | |
or Obstinacy. And when those Parts make often changes, as altering their | |
Motions, Man names it Inconstancy. When their Rational Parts move slowly, | |
orderly, equally, and sympathetically, Man names it Sobriety. When all the | |
Parts of the Mind move regularly, and sympathetically, Man names it, Wisdom. | |
When some Parts move partly regularly, and partly irregularly, Man names that, | |
Foolishness, and Simplicity. When they move generally irregularly, Man names it | |
Madness. | |
CHAP. III. Of the Motions of Human Passions, and Appetites; as also, of the | |
Motions of the Rational and Sensitive Parts, towards Foreign Objects. | |
when some of the Rational Parts move sympathetically, to some of the | |
Sensitive Perceptions; and those Sensitive Parts sympathize to the Object, it | |
is Love. If they move antipathetically to the Object, it is Hate. When those | |
Rational and Sensitive Motions, make many and quick repetitions of those | |
sympathetical actions, it is Desire and Appetite. When those Parts move | |
variously, (as concerning the Object) but yet sympathetically (concerning their | |
own Parts) it is Inconstancy. When those Motions move cross towards the Object, | |
and are perturbed, it is Anger. But when those perturbed Motions are in | |
confusion, it is Fear. When the Rational Motions are partly sympathetical, and | |
partly antipathetical, it is Hope, and Doubt. And if there be more | |
sympathetical Motions than antipathetical, there is more Hope than Doubt. If | |
more antipathetical than sympathetical, then more Doubt than Hope. If those | |
Rational Motions move after a dilating manner, it is Joy. If after a | |
contracting manner, it is Grief. When those Parts move partly after a | |
contracting, and partly after an attracting manner, as attracting from the | |
Object, it is Covetousness. But, if those Motions are sympathetical to the | |
Object, and move after a dilating manner towards the Object, it is Generosity. | |
If those Motions are sympathetical to the Object, and move after the manner of | |
a Contraction, it is Pity or Compassion. If those Motions move antipathetically | |
towards the Object, yet after a dilating manner, it is Pride. When those | |
Motions move sympathetically towards the Object, after a dilating manner, it is | |
Admiration. If the dilating Action is not extreme, it is only Approving. If | |
those Motions are antipathetical towards the Object, and are after the manner | |
of an extreme contraction, it is Horror. But, if those Actions are not so | |
extraordinary as to be extreme, it is only Disapproving, Despising, Rejecting, | |
or Scorning. If the Rational Parts move carelessly towards Foreign Objects, as | |
also partly antipathetically, Man names it, Ill-nature. But, if | |
sympathetically and industriously, Man names it, Good-nature. But this is to | |
be noted, That there are many sorts of Motions of one and the same kind; and | |
many several particular Motions, of one sort of Motion; which causes some | |
difference in the Effects: but, they are so nearly related, that it requires a | |
more subtle Observation than I have, to distinguish them. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Repetitions of the Sensitive and Rational Actions. | |
BOth the Rational and Sensitive Corporeal Motions, make often Repetitions of | |
one and the same Actions: The Sensitive Repetitions, Man names, Custom. The | |
Rational Repetitions, Man names, Remembrances: for, Repetitions cause a | |
facility amongst the Sensitive Parts; but yet, in some Repeating Actions, the | |
Senses seem to be tired, being naturally delighted in variety. Also, by the | |
Rational Repetitions, the Mind is either delighted, or displeased; and | |
sometimes, partly pleased, and partly displeased: for, the Mind is as much | |
pleased, or displeased in the absence of an Object, as in the presence; only | |
the Pleasure, and Displeasure of the Senses, is not joined with the Rational: | |
for, the Sense, if Regular, makes the most perfect Copies when the Object is | |
present: but, the Rational can make as perfect Copies in the absence, as in the | |
presence of the Object; which is the cause that the Mind is as much delighted, | |
or grieved, in the absence of an Object, as with the presence: As for example, | |
A Man is as much grieved when he knows his Friend is wounded, or dead, as if he | |
had seen his Wounds, or had seen him dead: for, the Picture of the dead Friend, | |
is in the mind of the living Friend; and if the dead Friend was before his | |
Eyes, he could but have his Picture in his mind; which is the same for an | |
absent Friend alive; only, as I said, there is wanting the Sensitive Perception | |
of the absent Object: And certainly, the Parts of the Mind have greater | |
advantage than the Sensitive Parts; for, the Mind can enjoy that which is not | |
subject to the Sense; as those things Man names, Castles in the Air, or | |
Poetical Fancies; which is the reason Man can enjoy Worlds of its own making, | |
without the assistance of the Sensitive Parts; and can govern and command those | |
Worlds; as also, dissolve and compose several Worlds, as he pleases: but | |
certainly, as the pleasures of the Rational Parts are beyond those of the | |
Sensitive, so are their Troubles. | |
CHAP. V. Of the Passionate Love, and Sympathetical Endeavours, amongst the | |
Associate Parts of a Human Creature. | |
IN every Regular Human Society, there is a Passionate Love amongst the | |
Associated Parts, like fellow-Students of one College, or fellow-Servants in | |
one House, or Brethren in one Family, or Subjects in one Nation, or | |
Communicants in one Church: So the Self-moving Parts of a Human Creature, being | |
associated, love one another, and therefore do endeavour to keep their Society | |
from dissolving. But perceiving, by the example of the lives of the same sort | |
of Creatures, that the property of their Nature is such, that they must | |
dissolve in a short time, this causes these Human sorts of Creatures, (being | |
very ingenuous) to endeavour an after-life: but, perceiving again, that their | |
after-life cannot be the same as the present life is, they endeavour (since | |
they cannot keep their own Society from dissolving) that their Society may | |
remain in remembrance amongst the particular and general Societies of the same | |
sort of Creatures, which we name Mankind: And this Design causes all the | |
Sensitive and Rational Parts, in one Society, to be industrious, to leave some | |
Mark for a lasting Remembrance, amongst their fellow-Creatures: which general | |
remembrance, Man calls Fame; for which Fame, the Rational Parts are industrious | |
to design the manner and way, and the Sensitive Parts are industrious to put | |
those Designs in execution; as, their Inventions, into Arts or Sciences; or to | |
cause their Heroic or Prudent, Generous or Pious Actions; their Learning, or | |
witty Fancies, or subtle Conceptions, or their industrious Observations, or | |
their ingenious Inventions, to be set in Print; or their Exterior Effigies to | |
be cast, cut, or engraven in Brass, or Stone, or to be painted; or they | |
endeavour to build Houses, or cut Rivers, to bear their Names; and millions of | |
other Marks, for remembrance, they are industrious to leave to the perception | |
of after-Ages: And many men are so desirous of this after-life, that they would | |
willingly quit their present life, by reason of its shortness, to gain this | |
after-life, because of the probability of a long continuance; and not only to | |
live so in many several Ages, but in many several Nations. And amongst the | |
number of those that prefer a long after-life, before a short present life, I | |
am one. But, some men dispute against these Desires, saying, That it doth a man | |
no good to be remembered when he is dead. I answer: It is very pleasing, whilst | |
as man lives, to have in his Mind, or in his Sense, the Effigies of the Person, | |
and of the good Actions of his Friend, although he cannot have his present | |
company. Also, it is very pleasant to any body to believe, that the Effigies | |
either of his own Person, or Actions, or both, are in the Mind of his Friend, | |
when he is absent from him; and, in this case, Absence and Death are much | |
alike. But, in short, God lives no other ways amongst his Creatures, but in | |
their Rational Thoughts, and Sensitive Worship. | |
CHAP. VI. Of ACQVAINTANCE. | |
AS there are Perceptive Acquaintances amongst the Parts of a Human Creature; | |
so there is a Perceptive Acquaintance between, or amongst the Human sorts of | |
Creatures. But, mistake me not; for I do not say, Men only are acquainted with | |
each other; for, there is not only an Acquaintance amongst every particular | |
sort, as between one and the same sort of Creatures, but there are some | |
Acquaintances between some sorts of different kinds: as for example, Between | |
some sorts of Beasts, and Men; as also, some sorts of Birds, and Men, which | |
understand each other, I will not say, so well as Man and Man; but so well, as | |
to understand each other's Passions: but certainly, every particular sort of | |
Creatures, of one and the same kind, understand each other, as well as Men | |
understand one another; and yet, for all that, they may be unacquainted: for, | |
Acquaintance proceeds from Association; so that, some Men, and some Beasts, by | |
Association, may be acquainted with each other; when as some Men, not | |
associating, are mere strangers. The truth is, Acquaintance belongs rather to | |
Particularities, than Generalities. | |
CHAP. VII. Of the Effects of Foreign Objects of the Sensitive Body; and of the | |
Rational Mind of a Human Creature. | |
ACCording as the Rational Parts are affected, or disaffected with Foreign | |
Objects, the Sensitive is apt to express the like affections, or disaffections: | |
for, most Foreign Objects occasion either pleasure and delight, or displeasure | |
and dislike: but, the effects of Foreign Objects are very many, and, many times | |
very different; as, some Objects of Devotion, occasion a Fear, or Superstition, | |
and Repentance in the Mind; and the Mind occasions the Sensitive Parts to | |
several actions, as, Praying, Acknowledging Faults, Begging pardon, making | |
Vows, imploring Mercy, and the like, in words: also, the Body bows, the Knees | |
bend, the Eyes weep, the hands hold up, and many the like devout actions. Other | |
sorts of Objects occasion pity and compassion in the Mind, which occasions the | |
Sensitive Parts to attend the sick, relieve the poor, help the distressed, and | |
many more actions of Compassion. Other sorts of Foreign Objects, occasion the | |
Rational Mind to be dull and melancholy; and then the Sensitive Parts are dull, | |
making no variety of Appetites, or regard Foreign Objects. Other sorts of | |
Objects occasion the Mind to be vain and ambitious, and often to be proud; and | |
those occasion the Sensitive Actions to be adventurous and bold; the | |
Countenance of the face, scornful; the Garb of the Body, stately; the Words, | |
vaunting, boasting, or bragging. Other Objects occasion the Mind to be furious; | |
and then the Sensitive Actions are, Cursing Words, Frowning Countenances, the | |
Legs stamping, the Hands and Arms fighting, and the whole Body in a furious | |
posture. Other sorts of Objects occasion the Mind to a passionate Love; and | |
then the Sensitive Actions are, Flattering, Professing, Protesting in words, | |
the Countenance smiling, the Eyes glancing; also, the Body bows, the Legs | |
scrape, the Mouth kisses: also, the Hands mend their Garments, and do many of | |
the like amorous actions. Other Objects occasion the Mind to Valour; and then | |
the Sensitive Actions are, Daring, Encouraging, or Animating. Other Objects | |
occasion the Mind to Mirth, or Cheerfulness; and they occasion the Sensitive | |
Actions of the Voice, to Sing, or Laugh; the Words to be jesting, the Hands to | |
be toying, the Legs to be dancing. Other sorts of Objects occasion the Mind to | |
be Prudent; and then the Sensitive Actions, are Sparing or Frugal. Other sorts | |
of Objects occasion the Mind to be Envious, or Malicious; and then the | |
Sensitive Actions are Mischievous. There are great numbers of Occasional | |
Actions, but these are sufficient to prove, That Sense and Reason understand | |
each other's Actions or Designs. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of the Advantage and Disadvantage of the Encounters of several | |
Creatures. | |
THere is a strong Sympathy between the Rational and Sensitive Parts, in one | |
and the same Society, or Creature: not only for their Consistency, Subsistency, | |
Use, Ease, Pleasure, and Delight; but, for their Safety, Guard, and Defence: as | |
for example, When one Creature assaults another, then all the Powers, | |
Faculties, Properties, Ingenuities, Agilities, Proportions, and Shape, of the | |
Parts of the Assaulted, unite against the Assaulter, in the defence of every | |
particular Part of their whole Society; in which Encounter, the Rational | |
advises, and the Sensitive labours. But this is to be noted concerning | |
advantage and disadvantage in such Encounters, That some sorts of Creatures | |
have their advantage in the Exterior Shape, others merely in the Number of | |
Parts; others in the agility of their Parts, and some by the ingenuity of their | |
parts: but, for the most part, the greater Number have advantage over the less, | |
if the greater number of Parts be as regular, and as ingenious as the less | |
number: but, if the less number be more regular, and more ingenious than the | |
greater, then 'tis a hundred to one but the less number of Parts have the | |
advantage. | |
CHAP. IX. That All Human Creatures have the like Kinds and Sorts of | |
Properties. | |
ALL Human Creatures have the like Kinds and Sorts of Properties, Faculties, | |
Respirations, and Perceptions; unless some Irregularities in the Production, | |
occasion some Imperfections, or some Misfortunes, in some time of his Age: yet, | |
no Man knows what another Man perceives, but by guess, or information of the | |
Party: but, as I said, if they have have no Imperfections, all Human Creatures | |
have like Properties, Faculties, and Perceptions: As for example, All Human | |
Eyes may see one and the same Object alike; or hear the same Tune, or Sound; | |
and so of the rest of the Senses. They have also the like Respirations, | |
Digestions, Appetites; and the like may be said of all the Properties belonging | |
to a Human Creature. But, as one Human Creature doth not know what another | |
Human Creature knows, but by Confederacy; so, no Part of the Body, or Mind of a | |
Man, knows each Part's perceptive knowledge, but by Confederacy: so that, there | |
is as much Ignorance amongst the Parts of Nature, as Knowledge. But this is to | |
be noted, That there are several manners and ways of Intelligences, not only | |
between several sorts of Creatures, or amongst particulars of one sort of | |
Creatures; but, amongst the several Parts of one and the same Creature. | |
CHAP. X. Of the Irregularity of the Sensitive, and of the Rational Corporeal | |
Motions. | |
AS I have often mentioned, and do here again repeat, That the Rational and | |
Sensitive Parts of one Society, or Creature, do understand, as perceiving each | |
other's Self-moving Parts; and the proof is, That, sometimes, the Human Sense | |
is regular, and the Human Reason irregular; and sometimes the Reason regular, | |
and the Sense irregular: but, in these differences, the Regular Parts endeavour | |
to reform the Irregular; which causes, many times, repetitions of one and the | |
same Actions, and Examinations; as, sometimes the Reason examines the Sense; | |
and sometimes the Sense, the Reason: and sometimes the Sense and Reason do | |
examine the Object; for, sometimes an Object will delude both the Sense and | |
Reason; and sometimes the Sense and Reason are but partly mistaken: As for | |
example, A fired end of a Stick, by a swift exterior Circular Motion, appears a | |
Circle of fire, in which they are not deceived: for, by the Exterior Motion, | |
the fired end is a Circle; but they are mistaken, to conceive the Exterior | |
Figurative Action to be the proper natural Figure: but when one man mistakes | |
another, that is some small Error, both of the Sense and Reason. Also, when one | |
man cannot readily remember another man, with whom he had formerly been | |
acquainted, it is an Error; and such small Errors, the Sense and Reason do soon | |
rectify: but in causes of high Irregularities, as in Madness, Sickness, and | |
the like, there is a great Bustle amongst the Parts of a Human Creature; so as | |
those Disturbances cause unnecessary Fears, Grief, Anger, and strange | |
Imaginations. | |
CHAP. XI. Of the Knowledge between the Sensitive Organs of a Human Creature. | |
THE Sensitive Organs are only ignorant of each other, as they are of Foreign | |
Objects: for, as all the Parts of Foreign Objects, are not subject to one | |
Sensitive Organ; so all the Sensitive Organs are not subject to each Sensitive | |
Organ of a Human Creature: yet, in the perceptive Actions of Foreign Objects, | |
they do so agree, that they make an united Knowledge: Thus we may be | |
particularly ignorant one way, and yet have a general Knowledge another way. | |
CHAP. XII. Of Human Perception, or Defects of a Human Creature. | |
IT is not the great quantity of Brain, that makes a Man wise; nor a little | |
quantity, that makes a Man foolish: but, the irregular, or regular Rational | |
Corporeal Motions of the Head, Heart, and the rest of the Parts, that causes | |
dull Understandings, short Memories, weak Judgments, violent Passions, | |
extravagant Imaginations, wild Fancies, and the like. The same must be said of | |
the Sensitive Irregular Corporeal Motions, which make Weakness, Pain, Sickness, | |
disordered Appetites, and perturbed Perceptions, and the like: for, Nature | |
poysing her Actions by Opposites, there must needs be Irregularities, as well | |
as Regularities; which is the cause that seldom any Creature is so exact, but | |
there is some Exception. But, when the Sensitive and Rational Corporeal Motions | |
are regular, and move sympathetically, then the Body is healthful and strong, | |
the Mind in peace and quiet, understands well, and is judicious: and, in short, | |
there are perfect Perceptions, proper Digestions, easy Respirations, regular | |
Passions, temperate Appetites. But when the Rational Corporeal Motions are | |
curious in their change of Actions, there are subtle Conceptions, and elevated | |
Fancies: and when the Sensitive Corporeal Motions move with curiosity, (as I | |
may say) then there are perfect Senses, exact Proportions, equal Temperaments; | |
and that, Man calls Beauty. | |
CHAP. XIII. Of Natural FOOLS. | |
THere is great difference between a Natural Fool, and a Mad Man: for, Madness | |
is a Disease, but a Natural Fool is a Defect; which Defect was some Error in | |
his Production, that is, in the form and frame either of the Mind, or Sense, or | |
both; for, the Sense may be a Natural Fool as well as the Reason; as we may | |
observe in those sorts of Fools whom we name Changelings, whose Body is not | |
only deformed, but all the Postures of the Body are defective, and appear as so | |
many fools: but sometimes, only some Parts are fools; as for example; If a Man | |
be born Blind, then only his Eyes are Fools; if Deaf, then only his Ears are | |
Fools, which occasions his dumbness; Ears being the informing Parts, to speak; | |
and wanting those informations, he cannot speak a Language. Also, if a Man is | |
born lame, his Legs are Fools; that is, those Parts have no knowledge of such | |
Properties that belong to such Parts; but the Sensitive Parts may be wise, as | |
being knowing; and the Rational Parts may be defective; which Defects, Man | |
names Irrational. But this is to be noted, That there may be Natural and | |
Accidental Fools, by some extraordinary Frights, or by extraordinary Sickness, | |
or through the defects of Old Age. As for the Errors of Production, they are | |
incurable; as also, those of Old Age; the First being an Error in the very | |
Foundation, and the other a Decay of the whole Frame of the Building: for, | |
after a Human Creature is brought to that perfection, as to be, as we may say, | |
at full growth and strength, at the prime of his age; the Human Motions, and | |
the very Nature of Man, after that time, begins to decay; for then the Human | |
Motions begin to move rather to the dissolution, than to the continuance; | |
although some Men last to very old Age, by reason the unity of their Society is | |
regular and orderly, and moves so Sympathetically. as to commit few or no | |
Disorders, or Irregularities; and such old Men are, for the most part, | |
Healthful, and very wise, through long Experience; and their Society having got | |
a habit of Regularity, is not apt to be disturbed by Foreign Parts. But this is | |
to be noted, That sometimes the Sensitive Body decays, before the Rational | |
Mind; and sometimes the Rational Mind, before the Sensitive Body. Also, this is | |
to be noted, That when the Body is defective, but not the Mind; then the Mind | |
is very industrious to find out Inventions of Art, to help the Defects that are | |
natural. But pray mistake me not; for I do not say, That all Deformities, or | |
Defects, but only some particular sorts of Deformity, or Defects, are Foolish. | |
The Seventh Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of the Sensitive Actions of Sleeping and Waking. | |
THE Sensitive and Rational Corporeal Figurative Motions, are the cause of | |
infinite varieties: for, though Repetitions make no varieties; yet, every | |
altered action is a variety: Also, different Actions, make different Effects; | |
opposite Actions, opposite Effects; not only of the actions of the several | |
Self-moving Parts, or Corporeal Motions, but of the same Parts: As for example, | |
The same Parts, or Corporeal Motions, may move from that, Man names Life, to | |
that which Man names Death; or, from Health to Sickness, from Ease to Pain, | |
from Memory to Forgetfulness, from Forgetfulness to Remembrance, from Love to | |
Hate, from Grief to Joy, from Irregularity to Regularity; or, from Regularity | |
to Irregularity, and the like; and from one Perception to another: for, though | |
all actions are perceptive, yet there are several kinds, several sorts, and | |
several particular perceptions: But, amongst the several Corporeal Motions of | |
Animal, or Human kind, there are the opposite Motions of what we name Waking, | |
and Sleeping; the difference is, That Waking-actions are, most commonly, | |
actions of Imitation, especially of the Sensitive Parts; and are more the | |
Exterior, than the Interior actions of a Human Creature. But, the actions of | |
Sleep, are the alterations of the Exterior Corporeal Motions, moving more | |
interiorly, as it were inwardly, and voluntarily: As for example, The Optic | |
Corporeal Motions, in Waking-actions, work, or move, according to the outward | |
Object: but, in Sleeping-actions, they move by rote, or without Examples; also, | |
as I said, they move, as it were, inwardly; like as a Man should turn himself | |
inward, or outward, of a door, without removing from the door, or out of the | |
place he stood in. | |
CHAP. II. Of SLEEPING. | |
ALthough the Rational and Sensitive Corporeal Motions, can never be tired, or | |
weary of moving or acting, by reason it is their nature to be a perpetual | |
Corporeal Motion; yet they may be weary, or tired with particular actions. | |
Also, it is easier and more delightful, to move by Rote, than to take Copies, | |
or Patterns; which is the reason that Sleep is easy and gentle, if the | |
Corporeal Motions be regular; but if they be irregular, Sleep is perturbed. But | |
this is to be noted, That the Corporeal Motions delight in varieties so well, | |
that, many times, many and various Objects will cause the Sensitive and | |
Rational Corporeal Motions in a Man, to retard their actions of Sleep; and, | |
oft-times, want of variety of Foreign or outward Objects, will occasion the | |
action of Sleep; or else Musing and Contemplating actions. Also, it is to be | |
noted, That if some Parts of the Body, or Mind, be distempered with | |
Irregularities, it occasions such disturbances to the Whole, as hinders that | |
repose; but if the Regular Parts endeavour not to be disturbed with the | |
Irregular; and the Irregulars do disturb the Regular; then it occasions that | |
which Man names, Half-sleeps, or Slumbers, or Drowsiness. And if the Regular | |
Corporeal Motions get the better, (as many times they do) then we say, Sleep | |
hath been the occasion of the Cure; and it oft proves so. And it is a common | |
saying, That a good Sleep will settle the Spirits, or ease the Pains; that is, | |
when the Regular Corporeal Motions have had the better of the Irregular. | |
CHAP. III. Of Human DREAMS. | |
THere are several kinds, sorts, and particulars of Corporeal Irregularities, | |
as well as of Regularities; and amongst the infinite kinds, sorts, and | |
particulars, there is that of Human Dreams; for, the Exterior Corporeal Motions | |
in Waking-actions, do copy or pattern outward Objects; whereas, in actions of | |
Sleep, they act by rote, which, for the most part, is erroneous, making mixed | |
Figures of several Objects; as, partly like a Beast; and partly, like a Bird, | |
or Fish; nay, sometimes, partly like an Animal, and partly like a Vegetable; | |
and millions of the like Extravagancies; yet, many times, Dreams will be as | |
exact as if a Man was awake, and the Objects before him; but, those actions by | |
rote, are more often false than true: but, if the Self-moving Parts move after | |
their own inventions, and not after the manner of Copying; or, if they move not | |
after the manner of Human Perception, then a Man is as ignorant of his Dreams, | |
or any Human Perception, as if he was in a Swooned; and then he says, he did not | |
dream; and, that such Sleeps are like Death. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Actions of DREAMS. | |
when the Figures of those Friends and Acquaintants that have been dead a long | |
time, are made in our Sleep, we never, or seldom question the truth of their | |
being alive, though we often question them how they came to be alive: And the | |
reason that we make no doubt of their being alive, is, That those Corporeal | |
Motions of Sleep, make the same pattern of that Object in Sleep, as when that | |
Object was present, and patterned awake; so as the Picture in Sleep seems to be | |
the Original awake: and until such times that the Corporeal Motions alter their | |
Sleeping-Actions to Waking-Actions, the truth is not known. Though Sleeping and | |
Dreaming, is somewhat after the manner of Forgetfulness and Remembrance; yet, | |
perfect Dreams are as perceptive as Waking-patterns of present Objects; which | |
proves, That both the Sensitive and Rational Motions, have Sleeping Actions; | |
but both the Sensitive and Rational Corporeal Actions in Sleep, moving partly | |
by rote, and partly voluntarily, or by invention, make Walking-Woods, or | |
Wooden Men; or make Wars and Battles, where some Figures of Men are killed, | |
or wounded, others have victory: They also make Thieves, Murderers, falling | |
Houses, great Fires, Floods, Tempests, high Mountains, great Precipices; and | |
sometimes pleasant Dreams of Lovers, Marriage, Dancing, Banqueting, and the | |
like: And the Passions in Dreams are as real, as in waking actions. | |
CHAP. V. Whether the Interior Parts of a Human Creature, do sleep. | |
THE Parts of my Mind were in dispute, Whether the Interior Parts of a Human | |
Creature, had sleeping and waking actions? The Major Part was of opinion, That | |
Sleep was not proper to those Human Parts, because the Interior Motions were | |
not like the Exterior. The Opinion of the Minor Part was, That change of | |
Action, is like Ease after Labour; and therefore it was probable, the Interior | |
Parts had sleeping and waking actions. The Opinion of the Major Parts, was, | |
That if those Parts, as also the Food received into the Body, had sleeping | |
actions, the Body could not be nourished; for, the Meat would not be digested | |
into the like Parts of the Body, by reason sleeping actions were not such sorts | |
of actions. The Opinion of the Minor Parts was, That the sleeping actions were | |
nourishing actions, and therefore were most proper for the Interior Parts; and, | |
for proof, the whole Human Body becomes faint and weak, when they are hindered, | |
either by some Interior Irregularity, or through some Exterior Occasion, from | |
their sleeping actions. The Opinion of the Major Part, was, That sleeping | |
actions are actions of rote, and not such altering actions as digesting | |
actions, and nourishing actions, which are uniting actions. Besides, that the | |
reason why the Interior actions are not sleeping actions, was, That when the | |
Exterior Parts move in the actions of Sleep, the Interior Parts move when the | |
Exterior are awake; as may be observed by the Human Pulse, and Human | |
Respiration; and by many other Observations which may be brought. | |
CHAP. VI. Whether all the Creatures in Nature, have Sleeping and Waking | |
Actions. | |
SOme may ask this Question, Whether all Creatures have sleeping Actions? I | |
answer, That though sleeping actions are proper to Human Creatures, as also, to | |
most Animal Creatures; yet, such actions may not any ways be proper to other | |
kinds and sorts of Creatures: and if (as in all probability it is) that the | |
Exterior Parts of a Human Creature have no such sleeping actions, it is | |
probable that other kinds and sorts of Creatures move not at any time, in such | |
sorts of actions. But some may say, That if Nature is poised, all Creatures | |
must have sleeping actions, as well as waking actions. I answer, That though | |
Nature's actions are poised, yet that doth not hinder the variety of Nature's | |
actions, so as to tie Nature to particular actions: As for example, The | |
Exterior Parts of Animals have both sleeping and waking actions; yet that doth | |
not prove, that therefore all the Parts or Creatures in Nature, must have | |
sleeping and waking actions. The same may be said of all the actions of an | |
Animal Creature, or of a Human Creature; nay, of all the Creatures of the | |
World: for, several kinds and sorts of Creatures, have several kinds and sorts | |
of Properties: Wherefore, if there be other kinds and sorts of Worlds besides | |
this, 'tis probable that those Worlds, and all the Parts, or several kinds and | |
sorts of Creatures there, have different properties and actions, from those of | |
this World; so that though Nature's actions are poised and balanced, yet they | |
are poised and balanced after different manners and ways. | |
CHAP. VII. Of Human Death. | |
DEATH is not only a general Alteration of the Sensitive and Rational Motions, | |
but a general Dissolution of their Society. And as there are degrees of Time in | |
Productions, so in Dissolutions. And as there are degrees to Perfection, as | |
from Infancy to Manhood; so there are degrees from Manhood to Old Age. But, as | |
I said, Death is a general Dissolution, which makes a Human Creature to be no | |
more: yet, some Parts do not dissolve so soon as others; as for example, Human | |
Bones; but, though the Form or Frame of Bones is not dissolved; yet the | |
Properties: of those Bones are altered. The same when a Human Creature is kept | |
by Art from dissolving, so as the Form, or Frame, or Shape may continue; but | |
all the Properties are quite altered; though the Exterior Shape of such Bodies | |
doth appear somewhat like a Man, yet that Shape is not a Man. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of the Heat of Human Life, and the Cold of Human Death. | |
THere are not only several sorts of Properties belonging to several sorts of | |
Creatures, but several sorts of Properties belonging to one and the same sort | |
of Creature; and amongst the several sorts of Human Properties, Human Heat is | |
one, which Man names Natural Heat: but, when there is a general alteration of | |
the Human Properties, there is that alteration of the Property as well of his | |
Natural, as Human Heat: but, Natural Heat is not the cause of Human Life, | |
though Human Life is the cause of that Natural Heat: so that, when Human Life | |
is altered or dissolved, Human Heat is altered or dissolved: And as Death is | |
opposite Actions to that Man names Life; so Cold is opposite Actions to that | |
Man names Heat. | |
CHAP. IX. Of the Last Act of Human Life. | |
THE reason some Human Creatures dye in more pain than others, is, That the | |
Motions of some Human Creatures are in strife, because some would continue | |
their accustomed Actions, others would alter their accustomed Actions; which | |
Strife causes Irregularities, and those Irregularities cause Differences, or | |
Difficulties, which causes Pain: but certainly, the last Act of Human Life is | |
easy; not only that the Expulsive Actions of Human Respirations, are more | |
easy than the Attracting Actions; but, that in the last act of Human Life, all | |
the Motions do generally agree in one Action. | |
CHAP. X. Whether a Human Creature hath Knowledge in Death, or not? | |
SOme may ask the Question, Whether a dead Man hath any Knowledge or Perception? | |
I answer, That a dead Man hath not a Human Knowledge or Perception; yet all, and | |
every Part, hath Knowledge and Perception: But, by reason there is a general | |
alteration of the actions of the Parts of a Human Creature, there cannot | |
possibly be a Human Knowledge or Perception. But some may say, That a Man in a | |
Swooned hath a general alteration of Human actions; and yet those Parts of a | |
Human Creature do often repeat those former actions, and then a Man is as he | |
was before he was in that Swooned. I answer, That the reason why a Man in a | |
Swooned hath not the same Knowledge as when he is not in a Swooned, is, That the | |
Human Motions are not generally altered, but only are generally irregular; | |
which makes such a disturbance, that no Part can move so regularly, as to make | |
proper Perceptions; as in some sorts of Distempers, a Man may be like a Natural | |
Fool; in others, he may be Mad; and is subject to many several Distempers, | |
which cause several Effects: but a Human Swooned is somewhat like Sleeping | |
without Dreaming; that is, the Exterior Senses do not move to Human Exterior | |
Perception. | |
CHAP. XI. Whether a Creature may be new Formed, after a general Dissolution. | |
SOme may ask the Question, Whether a Human Creature, or any other Creature, | |
after their Natural Properties are quite altered, can be repeated, and | |
rechanged, to those Properties that formerly were? | |
I answer, Yes, in case none of the Fundamental Figurative Parts be dissolved. | |
But some may ask, That if those dissolved Parts were so enclosed in other | |
Bodies, that none of them could easily disperse or wander; whether they might | |
not join into the same Form and Figure again, and have the same Properties? | |
I answer, I cannot tell well how to judge; but I am of the opinion, they | |
cannot: for, it is the property of all such Productions, to be performed by | |
degrees, and that there should be a dividing and uniting of Parts, as an | |
intercourse of Home and Foreign Parts; and so there is required all the same | |
Parts, and every Part of the same Society, or that had any adjoining actions | |
with that particular Creature; as all those Parts, or Corporeal Motions, that | |
had been from the first time of Production, to the last of the Dissolving; and | |
that could not be done without a Confusion in Nature. | |
But some may say, That although the same Creature could not be produced after | |
the same manner, nor return to the degree of his Infancy, and pass the degrees | |
from his Infancy, to some degree of Age; yet, those parts that are together, | |
might so join, and move, in the same manner, as to be the same Creature it was | |
before its dissolution? | |
I answer, It may not be impossible: but yet, It is very improbable, that such | |
numerous sorts of Motions, after so general an Alteration, should so generally | |
agree in an unnatural action. | |
CHAP. XII. Of FOREKNOWLEDG. | |
I Have had some Disputes amongst the Parts of my Mind, Whether Nature hath | |
Foreknowledg? The Opinion of the Minor Parts was, That Nature had Foreknowledg, | |
by reason all that was Material, was part of her self; and those Self-parts | |
having Self-motion, she might foreknow what she would act, and so what they | |
should know. The Opinion of the Major Parts was, That by reason every Part had | |
Self-motion, and natural Free-will, Nature could not foreknow how they would | |
move, although she might know how they have moved, or how they do move. | |
After this Dispute was ended, then there was a Dispute, Whether the particular | |
Parts had a Foreknowledg of Self-knowledg? The Opinion of the Minor Parts was, | |
That since every Part in Nature had Self-motion, and natural Free-will, every | |
Part could know how they should move, and so what they should know. The Opinion | |
of the Major Parts was, That first, the Self-knowledg did alter according to | |
Self-action, amongst the Self-moving Parts: but, the Self-knowledg of the | |
Inanimate Parts, did alter according to the actions of the Sensitive | |
Self-moving Parts; and the Perceptive actions of the Self-moving Parts, were | |
according to the form and actions of the Objects: so that Foreknowledg of | |
Foreign Parts, or Creatures, could not be: And for Foreknowledg of Self-knowledg | |
of the Self-moving Parts, there were so many occasional actions, that it was | |
impossible the Self-moving Parts could know how they should move, by reason | |
that no Part had an Absolute Power, although they were Self-moving, and had a | |
natural Free-will: which proves, That Prophesies are somewhat of the nature of | |
Dreams, whereof some may prove true by chance; but, for the most part, they are | |
false. | |
The Eighth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of the Irregularity of Nature's Parts. | |
SOME may make this Question, that, If Nature were Self-moving, and had | |
Free-will, it is probable that she would never move her Parts so irregularly, | |
as to put her self to pain. | |
I answer, first, That Nature's Parts move themselves, and are not moved by any | |
Agent. Secondly, Though Nature's Parts are Self-moving, and Self-knowing, yet | |
they have not an infinite or uncontrollable Power; for, several Parts, and | |
Parties, oppose, and oft-times obstruct each other; so that many times they are | |
forced to move, and they may not when they would. Thirdly, Some Parts may | |
occasion other Parts to be irregular, and keep themselves in a regular posture. | |
Lastly, Nature's Fundamental actions are so poised, that Irregular actions are | |
as natural as Regular. | |
CHAP. II. Of the Human Parts of a Human Creature. | |
THE Form of Man's Exterior and Interior Parts, are so different, and so | |
numerous; that I cannot describe them, by reason I am not so learned to know | |
them: But, some Parts of a Human Creature, Man names Vital; because, the least | |
disturbance of any of those Parts, endangers the Human Life: and if any of | |
those Vital Parts are diminished, I doubt whether they can be restored; but if | |
some of those Parts can be restored, I doubt all cannot. The Vital Parts are, | |
the Heart, Liver, Lungs, Stomach, Kidneys, Bladder, Gaul, Guts, Brains, Radical | |
Humours, or Vital Spirits; and others which I know not of. But this is to be | |
noted, That Man is composed of Rare and Solid Parts, of which there are more | |
and less Solid, more and less Rare; as also, different sorts of Solid, and | |
different sorts of Rare: also, different sorts of Soft and Hard Parts; | |
likewise, of Fixed and Loose Parts; also, of Swift and Slow Parts. I mean by | |
Fixed, those that are more firmly united. | |
CHAP. III. Of Human Humours. | |
HVmours are such Parts, that some of them may be divided from the whole Body, | |
without danger to the whole Body; so that they are somewhat like Excremental | |
parts, which Excremental parts, are the superfluous parts: for, though the | |
Humours be so necessary, that the Body could not well subsist without them; | |
yet, a Superfluity of them is as dangerous, (if not more) as a Scarcity. But | |
there are many sorts of Humours belonging to a Human Creature, although Man | |
names but Four, according to the Four Elements, viz. Phlegm, Choler, Melancholy, | |
and Blood: but, in my opinion, there are not only several sorts of Choler, | |
Phlegm, Melancholy, and Blood; but other sorts that are none of these Four. | |
CHAP. IV. Of BLOOD. | |
I Have heard, that the Opinions of the most Learned Men, are, That all Animal | |
Creatures have Blood, or at least, such Juyces that are in lieu of Blood; which | |
Blood, or Juyces, move circularly: for my part, I am too ignorant to dispute | |
with Learned Men; but yet I am confident, a Moth (which is a sort of Worm, or | |
Fly, that eats Cloth) hath no Blood, no, nor any Juice; for, so soon as it is | |
touched, it dissolves straight to a dry dust, or like ashes. And there are many | |
other Animals, or Insects, that have no appearance of Blood; therefore the life | |
of an Animal doth not consist of Blood: And as for the Circulation of Blood, | |
there are many Animal Creatures that have not proper Vessels, as Veins and | |
Arteries, or any such Gutters, for their Blood, or Juice, to circulate through. | |
But, say the Blood of Man, or of such like Animal, doth circulate; then it is | |
to be studied, Whether the several parts of the Blood do intermix with each | |
other, as it flows; or, whether it flows as Water seems to do; where the | |
following parts may be as great strangers to the Leading parts, as in a Crowd | |
of People, where some of those behind, do not know those that are before: but, | |
if the Blood doth not intermix as it flows, then it will be very difficult for | |
a Chyrurgion, or Physician, to find where the ill Blood runs: besides, if the | |
Blood be continually flowing, when a sick Man is to be let blood, before the | |
Vein is opened, the bad Blood may be past that Part, or Vein, and so only the | |
good Blood will be let out; and then the Man may become worse than if he had | |
not been let blood. | |
CHAP. V. Of the Radical Humours, or Parts. | |
THere are many Parts in a Human Body, that are as the Foundation of a House; | |
and being the Foundation, if any of those Parts be removed or decayed, the | |
House immediately falls to ruin. These Fundamental Parts, are those we name | |
the Vital Parts; amongst which are those Parts we name the Vital and Radical | |
Spirits, which are the Oil and Flame of a Human Creature, causing the Body to | |
have that we name a Natural Heat, and a Radical Moisture. But it is to be | |
noted, That these Parts, or Corporeal Motions, are not like gross Oil, or | |
Flame: for, I believe, there are more differences between those Flames, and | |
ordinary Flames, than between the Light of the Sun, and the Flame of a Tallow | |
Candle; and as much difference between this Oil, and the greasy Oil, as | |
between the purest Essence, and Lamp-Oyl. But, these Vital Parts are as | |
necessary to the Human Life, as the solid Vital Parts, viz. the Heart, Liver, | |
Lungs, Brains, and the like. | |
CHAP. VI. Of Expelling Malignant Disorders in a Human Creature. | |
EXpelling of Poison, or any Malignity in the Body, is, when that Malignity | |
hath not got, or is not settled into the Vital Parts; so that the Regular | |
Motions of the Vital Parts, and other Parts of the Body, endeavour to defend | |
themselves from the Foreign Malignancies; which if they do, then the Malignant | |
Motions do dilate to the Exterior Parts, and issue out of those Exterior | |
Passages, at least, through some; as, either by the way of Purging, Vomiting, | |
Sweating, or Transpiration, which is a breathing through the Pores, or other | |
passages. After the same manner is the expelling of Surfeits, or Superfluities | |
of Natural Humours: but, if the Malignity or Surfeit, Superfluity or | |
superfluous Humours, have the better, (as I may say) then those Irregular | |
Motions, by their Disturbances, cause the Regular Motions to be Irregular, and | |
to follow the Mode; which is, to imitate Strangers, or the most Powerful; the | |
most Fantastical, or the most debauched: for it is, many times, amongst the | |
Interior Motions of the Body, as with the Exterior Actions of Men. | |
CHAP. VII. Of Human Digestions and Evacuations. | |
TO treat of the several particular Digestive Actions of a Human Creature, is | |
impossible: for, not only every part of Food hath a several manner of Digestive | |
Action; but, every action in Transpiration, is a sort of Digestion and | |
Evacuation: so that, though every sort of Digestion and Evacuation, may be | |
guest at; yet, every Particular is not so known, that it can be described. But | |
this is to be noted, That there is no Creature that hath Digestive Motions, but | |
hath Evacuating Motions; which Actions, although they are but Dividing, and | |
Uniting; yet they are such different manners and ways of uniting and dividing, | |
that the most observing Man cannot particularly know them, and so not express | |
them: but, the Uniting actions, if regular, are the Nourishing actions; the | |
Dividing actions, if regular, are the Cleansing actions: but if irregular, the | |
Uniting actions are the Obstructive actions; and the Dividing actions, the | |
Destructive actions. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of DISEASES in general. | |
THere are many sorts of Human Diseases; yet, all sorts of Diseases are | |
Irregular Corporeal Motions; but, every sort of Motion is of a different | |
Figure: so that, several Diseases are different Irregular Figurative Motions; | |
and according as the Figurative Motions vary, so do the Diseases: but, as there | |
are Human Diseases, so there are Human Defects; which Defects (if they be those | |
which Man names Natural) cannot be rectified by any Human Means. Also, there | |
are Human Decays, and Old Age; which, although they cannot be prevented, or | |
avoided; yet, they may, by good Order, and wise Observations, be retarded: but | |
there are not only numerous sorts of Diseases, but every particular it self, | |
and every particular sort, are more or less different; insomuch, that seldom a | |
Disease of one and the same sort, is just alike, but there are some | |
differences; as in Men, who though they be all of one sort of Animal-kind, yet | |
seldom any two Men are just alike: and the same may be said of Diseases both of | |
Body and Mind; as for example, concerning Irregular Minds, as in Mad-Men; | |
Although all Mad-Men are mad, yet not mad alike; though they all have the | |
Disease either of Sensitive or Rational Madness, or are both Sensitively and | |
Rationally mad. Also, this is to be noted, That as several Diseases may be | |
produced from several Causes, so several Diseases from one: Cause, and one | |
Disease from several Causes; which is the cause that a Physician ought to be a | |
long and subtle Observer and Practiser, before he can arrive to that | |
Experience which belongs to a good Physician. | |
CHAP. IX. Of the Fundamental Diseases. | |
THere are numerous sorts of Diseases, to which Human Creatures are subject; | |
and yet there are but few Fundamental Maladies; which are these as follow; | |
Pain, Sickness, Weakness, Dizziness, Numbness, Deadness, Madness, Fainting and | |
Swooning; of which one is particular, the rest are general: The particular is | |
Sickness, to which no parts of the Body are subject, but the Stomach: for, | |
though any parts of the Body may have Pain, Numbness, Dizziness, Weakness, or | |
Madness; yet in no part can be that which we name Sickness, but the Stomach. As | |
for Dizziness, the Effects are general, as may be observed in some drunken Men: | |
for, many times, the Head will be in good temper, when the Legs (I cannot say, | |
are dizzy, yet) will be so drunk, as neither to go or stand; and many times | |
the Tongue will be so drunk, as not to speak plain, when all the rest of the | |
body is well tempered; at least so well, as not to be any ways perceived, but | |
by the tripping of their Speech: but, as I said, no Part is subject to be sick, | |
but the Stomach: And though there are numerous sorts of Pains to which every | |
Part is subject, and every several Part hath a several Pain; yet they are still | |
Pain. But some may say, That there are also several sorts of Sicknesses. I | |
grant it; but yet those several sorts of Sicknesses, belong only to the | |
Stomach, and to no other Part of the Body. | |
The Ninth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of SICKNESS. | |
TO go on as orderly as I can, I will treat of the Fundamental Diseases, and | |
first of Sickness, by reason it is the most particular Disease: for though, as | |
I have said, no part of a Human Creature is subject to that Disease, (namely, | |
Sickness) but the Stomach; yet, there are different sorts of Sicknesses of the | |
Stomach; as for example, Some sorts of Sickness is like the flowing and ebbing | |
of the Sea: for, the Humours of the Stomach agitate in that manner, as, if the | |
flowing motions flow upwards, it occasions Vomiting; if downwards, Purging: if | |
the Humours divide, as, partly to flow upwards, and partly downwards, it | |
occasions both Vomiting and Purging. | |
But the Question is, Whether it is the motion of the Humours, that occasions | |
the Stomach to be sick; or the sickness of the Stomach, that occasions the | |
Humours to flow? | |
I answer: That 'tis probable, that sometimes the flowing of the Humours causes | |
the Stomach to be sick; and sometimes the sickness of the Stomach occasions the | |
Humours to flow; and sometimes the Stomach will be sick without the flowing of | |
Humours, as when the Stomach is empty; and sometimes the Humours will flow, | |
without any disturbance to the Stomach; and sometimes both the Humours and the | |
Stomach do jointly agree in Irregularities: but, as I said, there are several | |
sorts of sicknesses of the Stomach, or at least, that sickness doth produce | |
several sorts of Effects; as, for example, some sorts of sickness will occasion | |
faint and cold Sweats; which sick Motion is not flowing up or down of the | |
Humours; but it is a cold dilatation, or rarefying, after a breathing manner; | |
also expelling of those rarefied parts through the pores: Other sorts of | |
Motions of the Humours, are like Boiling motions, viz. Bubbling motions; which | |
occasion steaming or watery vapours, to ascend to the Head; which vapours are | |
apt to cloud the perception of Sight. Other sorts of sick Motions, are | |
Circular, and those cause a swimming, or a dizzy motion in the Head, and | |
sometimes a staggering motion in the Legs. Other sorts of sick Motions are | |
occasioned through tough and clammy Humours, the motion of which Humours, is a | |
winding or turning in such a manner, that it removes not from its Center; and | |
until such time as that Turning or Winding Motions alter, or the Humour is cast | |
out of the Stomach, the Patient finds little or no ease. | |
CHAP. II. Of PAIN. | |
AS I said, No Part is subject to be sick, but the Stomach; but every several | |
Part of a Human Creature, is subject to Pain; and not only so, but every | |
particular Part is subject to several sorts of Pain; and every several sort of | |
Pain, hath a several Figurative Motion: but to know the different Figurative | |
Motions, will require a subtle Observation: for, though those painful Parts, | |
know their own Figurarative Motions; yet, the whole Creature (suppose Man) doth | |
not know them. But it may be observed, Whether they are caused by Irregular | |
Contractions or Attractions, Dilatations or Retentions, Expulsions or Irregular | |
Pressures and Re-actions, or Irregular Transformations, or the like; and by | |
those Observations, one may apply, or endeavour to apply proper Remedies: but | |
all Pain proceeds from Irregular and perturbed Motions. | |
CHAP. III. Of DIZZINESS. | |
I Cannot say, Dizziness belongs only to the Head of an Animal Creature, | |
because we may observe, by irregular Drinkers, that sometimes the Legs will | |
seem more drunk than their Heads; and sometimes all the Parts of their Body | |
will seem to be temperate, as being Regular, but only the Tongue seems to be | |
drunk: for, staggering of the Legs, and a staggering of the Tongue, or the | |
like, in a drunken Distemper, is a sort of Dizziness, although not such a sort | |
as that which belongs to the Head; so that, when a man is dead-drunk, we may | |
say, that every part of the Body is Dizzily drunk. But mistake me not; for I do | |
not mean, that all sorts of dizzinesses proceed from drinking; I only bring | |
Drunkenness for an Example: but, the Effects of dizziness of the Head, and | |
other parts of the Body, proceed from different Causes; for, some proceed from | |
Wind, not Wine; others from Vapour; some from the perception of some Foreign | |
Object; and numbers of the like Examples may be found. But this is to be noted, | |
That all such sorts of Swimming and Dizziness in the Head, are produced from | |
Circular Figurative Motions. Also it is to be noted, That many times the | |
Rational Corporeal Motions are Irregular with the Sensitive, but not always: | |
for, sometimes in these and the like Distempers, the Sensitive will be | |
Irregular, and the Rational Regular; but, for the most part, the Rational is so | |
compliant with the Sensitive, as to be Regular, or Irregular, as the Sensitive | |
is. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Brain seeming to turn round in the Head. | |
WHen the Human Brain seems to turn round, the cause is, that some Vapours do | |
move in a Circular Figure, which causes the Head to be dizzy; as when a man | |
turns round, not only his Head will be dizzy, but all the Exterior Parts of his | |
Body; insomuch that some, by often turning round, will fall down; but if, | |
before they fall, they turn the contrary way, they will be free from that | |
dizziness: The reason of which is, That, by turning the contrary way, the Body | |
is brought to the same posture it was before; as, when a man hath travelled | |
some way, and returns the same way back, he returns to the place where first he | |
began his Journey. | |
CHAP. V. Of WEAKNESS. | |
THere are many sorts of Weakness; some Weakness proceeds from Age; others, | |
through want of Food; others are occasioned by Oppression; others, by Disorders | |
and Irregularities; and so many other sorts, that it would be too tedious to | |
repeat them, could I know them: But, such sorts of Weakness, as Human Creatures | |
are subject to, after some Disease or Sickness, are somewhat like Weariness | |
after a Laborious or over-hard Action; as, when a Man hath run fast, or | |
laboured hard, he fetches his breath short and thick; and as most of the | |
Sensitive Actions are by degrees, so is a Returning to Health after Sickness: | |
but, all Irregularities are Laborious. | |
CHAP. VI. Of SWOVNDING. | |
THE cause why a Man in Swooned, is, for a time, as if he were dead; is, an | |
Irregularity amongst some of the Interior Corporeal Motions, which causes an | |
Irregularity of the Exterior Corporeal Motions, and so a general Irregularity; | |
which is the cause that a Man appears as if he were dead. | |
But some may say, A Man in a Swooned is void of all Motion. | |
I answer: That cannot be: for, if the Man was really dead, yet his Parts are | |
moving, though they move not according to the property or nature of a living | |
Man: but, if the Body had not consistent Motions, and the Parts did not hold | |
together, it would be dissolved in a moment; and when the Parts do divide, they | |
must divide by Self-motion: but, in a Man in a Swooned, some of his Corporeal | |
Motions are only altered from the property and nature of a living Man; I say, | |
some of his Corporeal Motions, not all: Neither do those Motions quite alter | |
from the nature of a living Man, so as the alterations of the Fundamental | |
Motions do: but they are so altered, as Language may be altered, viz. From | |
Hebrew to Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, English, and many others; and although | |
they are all but Languages, yet they are several Languages or Speeches; so the | |
alteration of the Corporeal Motions of a Man in a Swooned, is but as the | |
altering of one sort of Language to another; as put the case, English were the | |
Natural Language or Speech, then all other Languages were unknown to him that | |
knows no other than his Natural: So a Man in a Swooned is ignorant of those | |
Motions in the Swooned: but, when those Motions return to the Nature of a living | |
Man, he hath the same knowledge he had before. Thus Human Ignorance, and Human | |
Knowledge, may be occasioned by the alterations of the Corporeal Motions. The | |
truth is, that Swooning and Reviving, is like Forgetfulness and Remembrance, | |
that is, Alteration and Repetition, or Exchange of the same Actions. | |
CHAP. VII. Of Numb and Dead Palsies, or Gangren's. | |
AS for Numb and Dead Palsies, they proceed not only from disordered and | |
Irregular Motions, but from such Figurative Motions as are quite different from | |
the nature of the Creature: for, though it be natural for a Man to dye; yet the | |
Figurative Motions of Death are quite different from the Figurative Motions of | |
Life; so in respect to that which Man names Life, that which Man names Death, | |
is unnatural: but, as there are several sorts of that Man names Life, or Lives; | |
so there are several sorts of those Corporeal Motions, Man names Death: but, | |
Dead Palsies of some Parts of a Man's Body, are not like those of a Man when he | |
is, as we say, quite dead; for, those are not only such sorts of Motions that | |
are quite, or absolutely different from the life of the Man, or such like | |
Creature; but such as dissolve the whole Frame, or Figure of the Creature: But, | |
the Motions of a Dead Palsy, are not dissolving Motions, although they are | |
different from the natural living Motions of a Man. The same, in some manner, | |
are Numb Palsies; only the Motions of Numb Palsies are not so absolutely | |
different from the Natural living Motions; but have more Irregularities, than | |
perfect Alterations. As for that sort of Numbness we name Sleepy Numbness, it | |
is occasioned through some obstruction that hinders and stops the Exterior | |
Sensitive Perception. As, when the Eyes are shut, or blinded, or the Ears | |
stopped, or the Nostrils; the Sensitive Figurative Motions of those Sensitive | |
Organs, cannot make Perceptions of Foreign Objects: so, when the Pores of the | |
Flesh, which are the perceptive Organs of Foreign Touches, are stopped, either by | |
too heavy burdens or pressings, or tying some Parts so hard, as to close the | |
Exterior Organs, ( viz. the Pores) they cannot make such Perceptions as belong | |
to Touch: but, when those hindrances are removed, then the Sensitive | |
Perception of Touch, is, in a short time, as perfect as before. | |
As for Gangren's, although they are somewhat like Dead Palsies, yet they are | |
more like those sorts of dead Corporeal Motions, that dissolve the Frame and | |
Form of a Creature: for, Gangren's dissolve the Frame and Form of the Diseased | |
Part; and the like do all those Corporeal Motions that cause Rottenness, or | |
Parts to divide and separate after a rotten manner. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of MADNESS. | |
THere are several sorts of that Distemper named Madness; but they all proceed | |
through the Irregularities, either of the Rational, or the Sensitive Parts; and | |
sometimes from the Irregularities both of Sense and Reason: but these | |
Irregularities are not such as are quite different from the Nature or Property | |
of a Human Creature, but are only such Irregularities as make false Perceptions | |
of Foreign Objects, or else make strange Conceptions; or move after the manner | |
of Dreams in waking-actions; which is not according to the Perception of | |
present Objects: As for example, The Sensitive Motions of the Exterior Parts, | |
make several Pictures on the outside of the Organs; when as no such Object is | |
present; and that is the reason Mad-men see strange and unusual Sights, hear | |
strange and unusual Sounds, have strange and unusual Tastes and Touch: but, when | |
the Irregularities are only amongst the Rational Parts, then those that are so | |
diseased, have violent Passions, strange Conceptions, wild Fancies, various | |
Opinions, dangerous Designs, strong Resolutions, broken Memories, imperfect | |
Remembrances, and the like. But, when both the Sensitive and Rational are | |
sympathetically disorderly; then the Mad-men will talk extravagantly, or laugh, | |
sing, sigh, weep, tremble, complain, c. without cause. | |
CHAP. IX. The Sensitive and Rational Parts may be distinctly Mad. | |
THE Senses may be irregularly Mad, and not the Reason; and the Reason may be | |
irregularly mad, and not the Sense; and, both Sense and Reason may be both | |
sympathetically mad: And, an evident proof that there is a Rational and | |
Sensitive Madness, is, That those whose Rational Parts are Regular, and only | |
some of the Sensitive Irregular, will speak soberly, and declare to their | |
Friends, how some of their Senses are distempered, and how they see strange and | |
unusual Sights, hear unusual Sounds, smell unusual Scents, feel unusual Touches, | |
and desire some Remedy for their Distempers. Also, it may be observed, That | |
sometimes the Rational Parts are madly distempered, and not the Sensitive; as | |
when the Sensitive Parts make no false Perceptions, but only the Rational; and | |
then only the Mind is out of order, and is extravagant, and not the Senses: | |
but, when the Senses and Reason are madly Irregular, then the diseased Man is | |
that we name, Outrageously Mad. | |
CHAP. X. The Parts of the Head are not only subject to Madness, but also the | |
other Parts of the Body. | |
MAdness is not only in the Head, but in other Parts of the Body: As for | |
example, Some will feel unusual Touches in their Hands, and several other parts | |
of their Body. We may also observe by the several and strange Postures of | |
Mad-men, that the several Parts of the Body are madly distempered. And it is to | |
be noted, That sometimes some Parts of the Body are mad, and not the other; as, | |
sometimes only the Eyes, sometimes only the Ears; and so of the rest of the | |
Organs, and of the rest of the Parts of the Body; one Part only being mad, and | |
the rest in good order. Moreover, it is to be noted, That some are not | |
continually mad, but only mad by fits, or at certain times; and those fits, or | |
certain times of disorders, proceed from a custom or habit of the Rational or | |
Sensitive Motions, to move Irregularly at such times; and a proof that all the | |
Parts are subject to the Distemper of Madness, is, That every part of the Body | |
of those sorts of Mad-men that believe their Bodies to be Glass, moves in a | |
careful and wary motion, for fear of breaking in pieces: Neither are the | |
Exterior Parts only subject to the Distemper of Madness, but the Interior | |
Parts; as may be observed, when the whole Body will tremble through a mad fear, | |
and the Heart will beat disorderly, and the Stomach will many times be sick. | |
CHAP. XI. The Rational and Sensitive Parts of a Human Creature, are apt to | |
disturb each other. | |
ALthough the Rational and Sensitive Corporeal Motions, may, and do sometimes | |
disagree; yet, for the most part, there is such a sympathetical Agreement | |
between the Sensitive and Rational Corporeal Motions of one Society, ( viz. of | |
one Creature) as they often disturb each other: As for example, If the Rational | |
Motions are so irregular, as to make imaginary Fears, or fearful Imaginations, | |
these fearful Imaginations cause the Sensitive Corporeal motions, to move | |
according to the Irregularities of the Rational; which is the cause, in such | |
fears, that a man seems to see strange and unusual Objects, to hear strange and | |
unusual Sounds, to smell unusual Scents, to feel unusual Touches, and to be | |
carried to unusual Places; not that there are such Objects, but the Irregular | |
Senses make such Pictures in the Sensitive Organs; and the whole Body may, | |
through the strength of the Irregular motions, move strangely to unusual | |
places: As for example, A Mad-man, in a strong mad fit, will be as strong as | |
Ten men; whereas, when the mad Fit is over, he seems weaker than usually, or | |
regularly, he uses to be; not that the Self-moving Parts of Nature are capable | |
of being weaker, or stronger, than naturally they are: but having liberty to | |
move as they will, they may move stronger, or weaker, swifter or slower, | |
regularly or irregularly, as they please; nor doth Nature commonly use Force. | |
But this is to be noted, That there being a general Agreement amongst the | |
particular Parts, they are more forcible than when those Parts are divided into | |
Factions and Parties: so that in a general Irregular Commotion or Action, all | |
the Sensitive Parts of the Body of a man, agree to move with an extraordinary | |
force, after an unusual manner; provided it be not different from the property | |
and nature of their Compositions; that is, not different from the Property and | |
Nature of a Man. But this is likewise to be noted, That in a general Agreement, | |
man may have other Properties, than when the whole Body is governed by Parts, | |
as it is usual when the Body is Regular, and that every Part moves in his | |
proper Sphere, as I may say, (for example) the Head, Heart, Lungs, Stomach, | |
Liver, and so the rest, where each Part doth move in several sorts of Actions. | |
The like may also may be said of the Parts of the Legs and Hands, which are | |
different sorts of Actions; yet all move to the use and benefit of the whole | |
Body: but, if the Corporeal motions in the Hands, and so in the Legs, be | |
irregular, they will not help the rest of the Parts; and so, in short, the same | |
happens in all the Parts of the Body, whereof some Parts may be Regular, and | |
others Irregular; and sometimes all may be Irregular. But, to conclude this | |
Chapter, the Body may have unusual Force and Properties; as when a man says, He | |
was carried and flung into a Ditch, or some place distant; and that he was | |
pinch't, and did see strange sights, heard strange sounds, smelt strange | |
scents; all which may very well be caused by the Irregular motions, either by a | |
general Irregularity, or by some particular Irregularity; and the truth is, The | |
particular Corporeal motions, know not the power of the general, until they | |
unite by a general Agreement; and sometimes there may be such Commotions in the | |
Body of a Man, as in a Common-wealth, where many times there is a general | |
Uproar and Confusion, and none know the Cause, or who began it. But this is to | |
be noted, That if the Sensitive motions begin the Disorder, then they cause the | |
Rational to be so disordered, as they can neither advise wisely, or direct | |
orderly, or persuade effectually. | |
CHAP. XII. Of Diseases produced by Conceit. | |
AS there are numerous sorts of Diseases, so there are numerous manners or ways | |
of the production of Diseases; and those Diseases that are produced by Conceit, | |
are first occasioned by the Rational Corporeal Figurative Motions: for, though | |
every several Conceit, or Imagination, is a several Rational Corporeal | |
Figurative Motion; yet, every Conceit or Imagination doth not produce a | |
Sensitive Effect: but in those that do produce a Sensitive Effect, it is the | |
Conceit or Imagination of some sorts of Diseases; but in most of those sorts | |
that are dangerous to Life, or causes Deformity: The reason is, That as all the | |
Parts of Nature are Self-knowing, so they are Self-loving: Also, Regular | |
Societies beget an united Love, by Regular Agreements, which cause a Rational | |
Fear of a disuniting, or dissolving; and that is the reason, that upon the | |
perception of such a Disease, the Rational, through some disorder, figures that | |
Disease; and the Sensitive Corporeal Motions, take a pattern from the Rational, | |
and so the Disease is produced. | |
The Tenth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of FEVERS. | |
SOME are of opinion, That all, or, at least, most Diseases, are accompanied, | |
more or less, with a Feverous Distemper: If so, then we may say, A Fever is the | |
Fundamental Disease: but, whether that Opinion is true, or no, I know not; but | |
I observe, there are many sorts of Fevers, and so there are of all other | |
Diseases or Distempers: for, every alteration, or difference, of one and the | |
same kind of Disease, is a several sort. As for Fevers, I have observed, there | |
are Fevers in the Blood, or Humours, and not in any of the Vital Parts; and | |
those are ordinary Burning-Fevers: and there are other sorts of Fevers that are | |
in the Vital Parts, and all other Parts of the Body, and those are Malignant | |
Fevers; and there are some sorts of Fevers which are in the Radical Humours, | |
and those are Hectic Fevers; and there are other sorts of Fevers that are in | |
those Parts, which we name the Spiritous Parts. Also, all Consumptions are | |
accompanied with a Feverish Distemper: but, what the several Figurative Motions | |
are of these several sorts of Fevers, I cannot tell. | |
CHAP. II. Of the PLAGVE. | |
THere are Two visible sorts of the Disease named the Plague: The weaker sort | |
is that which produces Swellings, or inflamed or corrupted Sores, which are | |
accompanied with a Fever. The other sort is that which is named the Spotted | |
Plague. The First sort is sometimes Curable; but the Second is Incurable; at | |
least, no Remedy as yet hath been found. The truth is, the Spotted Plague is a | |
Gangrene, but is somewhat different from other sorts of Gangren's; for this | |
begins amongst the Vital Parts, and, by an Infection, spreads to the Extreme | |
Parts; and not only so, but to Foreign Parts; which makes not only a general | |
Infection amongst all the several Parts of the Body, but the Infection spreads | |
it self to other Bodies. And whereas other sorts of Gangren's begin outwardly, | |
and pierce inwardly; the Plaguy Gangrene begins inwardly, and pierces | |
outwardly: so as the difference (as I said) is, That the ordinary sort of | |
Gangren's infect the next adjoining Parts of the Body, by moderate degrees; | |
whereas the Plaguy Gangrene infects not only the adjoining Parts of the same | |
Body, and that suddenly, but infects Foreign Bodies. Also, the ordinary | |
Gangren's may be stopped from their Infection, by taking off the Parts | |
infected, or diseased. But the Plaguy Gangrene can no ways be stopped, because | |
the Vital Parts cannot be separated from the rest of the Parts, without a total | |
ruin: besides, it pierces and spreads more suddenly, than Remedies can be | |
applied. But, whether there are Applications of Preventions, I know not; for, | |
those Studies belong more to the Physicians, than to a Natural Philosopher. As | |
for the Diseases we name the Purples, and the Spotted Fever, they are of the | |
same Kind, or Kindred, although not of the same sort, as Measles, and the | |
Small-Pox. But this is to be noted, That Infection is an act of Imitation: for, | |
one Part cannot give another Part a Disease, but only that some imitate the | |
same sorts of Irregular Actions of other Parts; of which some are near | |
adjoining Imitators, and some occasion a general Mode. | |
CHAP. III. Of the Small-Pox, and Measles. | |
THE Small-Pox is somewhat like the Sore-Plague, not only by being Infectious, | |
as both sorts of Plagues are; but, by being of a corrupt Nature, as the | |
Sore-Plague is; only the Small-Pox is innumerable, or very many small Sores; | |
whereas the Sore-Plague is but one or two great Sores. Also, the Small-Pox and | |
Sore-Plague, are alike in this, That if they rise and break, or if they fall | |
not flat, but remain until they be dry and scabbed, the Patient lives: but, if | |
they fall flat, and neither break, nor are scabbed, the Patient is in danger to | |
dye. Also, it is to be noted, That this Disease is sometimes accompanied with a | |
Feverish Distemper; I say, Sometimes, not Always; and that is the cause that | |
many dye, either with too hot, or too cooling Applications: for, in a Feverish | |
Distemper, hot Cordials are Poison; and when there is no Fever, Cooling | |
Remedies are Opium: The like for letting Blood; for if the Disease be | |
accompanied with a Fever, and the Fever be not abated by letting Blood, 'tis | |
probable the Fever, joined with the Pox, will destroy the Patient: and if no | |
Fever, and yet loose Blood, the Pox hath not sufficient Moisture to dilate, nor | |
a sufficient natural Vapour to breathe, or respirate; so as the Life of the | |
Patient is choked or stifled with the contracted Corruptions. As for Measles, | |
though they are of the same kind, yet not of the same sort; for they are rather | |
Small Risings, than Corrupted Sores, and so are less dangerous. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Intermission of Fevers or Agues. | |
AGVES have several sorts of Distempers, and those quite opposite to each | |
other, as Cold and Shaking, Hot and Burning, besides Sweating: Also, there are | |
several times of Intermissions; as some are Every-day Agues, some Third-day | |
Agues, and some Quart Agues; and some Patient may be thus distempered, many | |
times, in the compass of Four and twenty hours: but those are rather of the | |
Nature of Intermitting Fevers, than of perfect Agues. Also, in Agues, there is | |
many times a difference of the Hot and Cold fits: for sometimes the Cold Fits | |
will be long, and the Hot short; other times, the Hot Fits will be long, and | |
the Cold Fits short; other times, much of an equal degree: but, most | |
Intermitting Fevers and Agues, proceed either from ill-digestive Motions, or | |
from a superfluity of Cold and Hot Motions, or an Irregularity of the Cold, | |
Hot, Dry; or Moist Motions, where each sort strives and struggles with each | |
other. But, to make a comparison, Agues are somewhat like several sorts of | |
Weather, as Freezing and Thawing, Cloudy or Rainy, or Fair and Sun-shining | |
days: or like the Four Seasons of the Year, where the Cold Fits are like | |
Winter, cold and windy; the Hot Fits like Summer, hot and dry; the Sweating | |
Fits like Autumn, warm and moist; and, when the Fit is past, like the Spring. | |
But, to conclude, the chief Cause of Agues, is, Irregular Digestions, that make | |
half-concocted Humours; and according as these half-concocted Humours digest, | |
the Patient hath his Aguish Distempers, where some are every day, others every | |
second day, some every third day, and some Quartans: but, by reason those | |
half-concocted Humours, are of several sorts of Humours, some Cold, some Hot, | |
some Cold and Dry, some Hot and Dry, or Hot and Moist; and those different | |
sorts, raw, or but half-concocted Humours; they occasion such disorder, not | |
only by an unnatural manner of Digestion, as not to be either timely, or | |
regular, by degrees; but, those several sorts of Raw Humours, strive and | |
struggle with each other for Power or Supremacy: but, according as those | |
different Raw Humours concoct, the Fits are longer or shorter: also, according | |
to the quantity of those Raw Humours, and according as those Humours are a | |
gathering, or breeding, so are the times of those Fits and Intermissions. But | |
here is to be noted, That some Agues may be occasioned from some Particular | |
Irregular Digestions; others from a General Irregular Digestion, some from some | |
obscure Parts, others from ordinary Humours. | |
CHAP. V. Of CONSVMPTIONS. | |
THere are many sorts of Consumptions; as, some are Consumptions of the Vital | |
Parts, as the Liver, Lungs, Kidneys, or the like Parts: Others, a Consumption | |
of the Radical Parts: Others a Consumption of the Spiritous Parts: Other | |
Consumptions are only of the Flesh; which, in my opinion, is the only Curable | |
Consumption. But, all Consumptions, are not only an Alteration, but a Wasting | |
and Dis-uniting of the Fundamental Parts; only those Consuming Parts do, as it | |
were, steal away by degrees; and so, by degrees, the Society of a Human | |
Creature is dissolved. | |
CHAP. VI. Of DROPSIES. | |
DRopsies proceed from several Causes; as, some from a decay of some of the | |
Vital Parts; others through a superfluity of indigested Humours; some from a | |
supernatural Dryness of some Parts; others through a superfluity of Nourishing | |
Motions; some, through some Obstructions; others, through an excess of Moist | |
Diet: but, all Dropsies proceed not only from Irregular Motions, but from such | |
a particular Irregularity, as all the Motions endeavour to be of one Mode, (as | |
I may say) that is, To move after the manner of those sorts of Motions which | |
are the innate Nature of Water, and are some sorts of Circular Dilatations: | |
but, by these actions, the Human Society endeavours to make a Deluge, and to | |
turn from the Nature of Blood and Flesh, to the Nature of Water. | |
CHAP. VII. Of SWEATING. | |
ALL Sweating-Diseases are somewhat of the nature of Dropsies; but they are (at | |
least, seem to be) more Exterior, than Interior Dropsies: but, though there be | |
Sweating-Diseases which are Irregular; yet, Regular Sweating is as proper as | |
Regular Breathing; and so healthful, that Sweating extraordinary, in some | |
Diseases, occasions a Cure: for, Sweating is a sort of Purging; so that the | |
evacuation of Sweat, through the Pores, is as necessary as other sorts of | |
evacuation, as Breathing, Urine, Siege, Spitting, Purging through the Nose, and | |
the like. But, Excess of Sweating, is like other sorts of Fluxes, of which, | |
some will scour to death; others vomit to death; and others the like Fluxes | |
will occasion death; the like is of Sweating: so that the Sweating-Sickness is | |
but like a Fluxive-Sickness. But, as I said, Regular Sweating is as necessary | |
as other ordinary Evacuations: and as some are apt to be restringent, others | |
laxative; and sometimes one and the same Man will be laxative, other times, | |
costive; so are Men concerning Sweating: and as some Men take Medicines to | |
purge by Stool, or Vomits, or Urine; so they take Medicines to purge by | |
Sweating. And, as Man hath several sorts of Excremental Humours, so, several | |
sorts of Sweats; as, Clammy Sweats, Cold Sweats, Hot Sweats, and Faint Sweats: | |
and, as all Excess of other sorts of Purgings, causes a Man to be weak and | |
faint; so doth Sweating. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of COVGHS. | |
THere are many several sorts of Coughs, proceeding from several Causes; as, | |
some Coughs proceed from a Superfluity of Moisture; others from an Unnatural | |
Heat; others from a Corruption of Humours; others from a Decay of the Vital | |
Parts; others from sudden Colds upon Hot Distempers: Some are caused by an | |
Interior Wind; some Coughs proceed from Salt Humours, Bitter, Sharp, and Sweet: | |
some Coughs proceed from Phlegm, which Phlegm arises like a Scum in a Pot, when | |
Meat is boiling on a Fire: for when the Stomach is distemperedly hot, the | |
Humours in the Stomach boil as Liquid Substances on the Fire; those boiling | |
Motions bearing up the gross Humours beyond the Mouth of the Stomach, and, | |
causing a Dispute between the Breath and Humours, produce the Effect of | |
Straining, or Reaching upwards towards the Mouth, much like the Nature and | |
Motions of Vomiting: but, by reason those Motions are not so strong in | |
Coughing, as in Vomiting, the Coughing Motions bring up only pieces or parts of | |
superfluous Phlegm, or gross Spittle. The like for corrupt Humours. Other Coughs | |
proceed from Unnatural or Distempered Heats; which Heats cause Unnecessary | |
Vapours, and those Vapours ascending up from the Bowels, or Stomach, to the | |
Head, and finding a Depression, are converted or changed into a Watery | |
Substance; which Watery Substance falls down, like mizling or small Rain, or in | |
bigger drops, through the passage of the Throat and Wind-pipe: which being | |
oppressed, and the Breath hindered, causes a Strife; which Striving, is a | |
Straining; like as when Crumbs of Bread, or Drops of Drink, go not rightly | |
through the Throat, but trouble and obstruct the Wind-pipe, or when any such | |
Matter sticks in the passage of the Throat: for, when any Part of the Body is | |
obstructed, it endeavours to release it self from those Obstructions: Also, | |
when the Vapour that arises, arises in very Thin and Rarefied Vapour, that | |
Rarefied Vapour thickens or condenses not so suddenly, being farther from the | |
degree of Water; but when condensed into Water, it falls down by drops; which | |
drops trickling down the Throat, (like as Tears from the Eyes trickle down the | |
Cheeks of the Face) the Cough is not so violent, but more frequent: but if the | |
Rheum be salt or sharp, that trickles down the Throat, it causes a gentle or | |
soft smart, which is much like the touch of Tickling or Itching, which provokes | |
a faint or weak Strain or Cough. Also, Wind will provoke to Strain or Cough: | |
The Motion of Wind is like as if Hair should tickle the Nose. Or, Wind will | |
cause a tickling in the Nose, which causes the Effect of Sneezing: for, | |
Sneezing is nothing but a Cough through the Nose; I may say, It is a | |
Nose-Cough. And Hickops are but Stomach-Coughs, Wind causing the Stomach to | |
strain. Also, the Guts have Coughs, which are caused by the Wind, which makes a | |
strife in the Guts and Bowels. Other Coughs are produced from Decayed Parts: | |
for, when any Part is corrupted, it becomes less Solid than naturally it should | |
be: As for example, The Flesh of the Body, when corrupted, becomes from Dense | |
Flesh, to a Slimy Substance; thence, into a Watery Substance, which falls into | |
Parts, or changes from Flesh, into a Mixed Corrupted Matter, which falls into | |
Parts. The several Mixtures, or Distempered Substances, and Irregular Motions, | |
causes Division of the composed Parts; but in the time of dissolving, and | |
divisions of any Part, there is a strife which causes Pain: and if the strife | |
be in the Lungs, it causes Coughs, by obstructing the Breath: but, some Coughs | |
proceed from Vapours and Winds, arising from the decayed Interior Parts, | |
sending up Vapours from the Dissolving Substance, which causes Coughs; and | |
some Coughs cause Decays of the Prime Interior Parts: for, when there falls | |
from the Head a constant Distillation, this Distillation is like dropping | |
Water, which will penetrate or divide Stone; and more easily will dropping or | |
drilling Water do it, as Rheum, will corrupt Spongy Matter as Flesh is: but, | |
according as the Rheum is Fresh, Salt, or Sharp, the Parts are a longer or | |
shorter time decaying: for, Salt and Sharp is Corroding; and, by the Corroding | |
Motions, Ulcerates those Parts the Salt Rheums fall on, which destroys them | |
soon. As for Chin-Cough, 'tis a Wind or Vapour arising from the Lungs, through | |
the Wind-pipe; and as long as the Wind or Vapour ascends, the Patient cannot | |
draw in Reviving Air or Breath, but Coughs violently and incessantly, until it | |
faint away, or have no Strength left; and with straining, will be as if it were | |
choked or strangled, and become black in the face, and, after the Cough is | |
past, recover again; but some dye of these sorts of Coughs. | |
CHAP. IX. Of GANGREN'S. | |
GAngren's are of the Nature of the Plague; and they are of Two sorts, as the | |
Plague is; the one more sudden and deadly than the other: The only difference | |
of their Insecting Qualities, is, That Gangren's spread by insecting still the | |
next, or Neighbouring Parts; whereas Plagues infect Foreign, as much as | |
Home-Parts. Also, the deadly sort of Gangren's, infect (as I may say) from the | |
Circumference towards the Center: when as the deadly sorts of Plague, infect | |
from the Center, towards the Circumference. But, that sort of Gangrene that is | |
the weaker sort, infects only the next adjoining Parts, by degrees, and after a | |
spreading manner, rather than after a piercing manner. | |
But some may object, That Plagues and Gangren's are produced from different | |
Causes; as for example, Extreme Cold will cause Gangren's; and Extreme Heat | |
causes Plagues. | |
I answer, That Two opposite Causes may produce like Effects, for which may be | |
brought numerous Examples. | |
CHAP. X. Of Cancers and Fistula's. | |
CAncers and Fistula's are somewhat alike, in that they are both produced from | |
Salt, or sharp corroding Motions: but in this they differ, that Cancers keep | |
their Center, and spread in streams; whereas Fistula's will run from place to | |
place: for if it be stopped in one place, it is apt to remove and break out in | |
another. Yet Cancers are somewhat like Gangren's, in infecting adjoining Parts; | |
so that unless a Cancer be in such a place as can be divided from the Sound | |
Parts, it destroys the Human Life, by eating (as I may say) the Sound Parts of | |
the Body, as all Corroding, and Sharp or Salt Diseases do. | |
CHAP. XI. Of the GOVT. | |
AS for the Disease named the Gout, I never heard but of Two sorts; the Fixed, | |
and the Running Gout: but, mistake me not, I mean Fixed for Place, not Time. The | |
Fixed proceeds from Hot, Sharp, or Salt Motions: The Running Gout from Cold, | |
Sharp Motions; but, both sorts are Intermitting Diseases, and very painful; and | |
I have heard those that have had the Fixed Gout, say, That the pain of the Fixed | |
Gout, is somewhat like the Tooth-ach: but, all Gouts are occasioned by | |
Irregular Pressures and Re-actions. As for that sort that is named the Windy | |
Gout, it is rather a Sciatica, than a Gout. | |
CHAP. XII. Of the STONE. | |
OF the Disease of the Stone in Human Creatures, there are many sorts: for, | |
though the Stone of the Bladder, of the Kidneys, and in the Gaul, be all of one | |
kind of Disease called the Stone, yet they are of different sorts: but, whether | |
the Disease of the Stone be produced of Hot or Cold Motions, I cannot judge: but | |
'tis probable, some are produced of Hot Motions, others of Cold; and perchance, | |
others of such sorts of Motions as are neither perfectly Hot, nor Cold: for, | |
the Stone is produced, as all other Creatures, by such or such sorts of | |
Figurative Motions. Here is to be noted, That some of the Humours of the Body | |
may alter their Motion, and turn from being Phlegm, Choler, or the like, to be | |
Stone; and so from being a Rare, Moist, or Loose Body, to be a Dry, Densed, | |
Hard, or Fixed Body. But certainly, the Stone of the Bladder, Kidneys and Gaul, | |
are of several sorts, as being produced by several sorts of Figurative Motions; | |
as also, according to the Properties and Forms of those several Parts of the | |
Body they are produced in: for, as several sorts of Soils, or Parts of the | |
Earth, produce several sorts of Minerals; so several Parts of the Body, several | |
sorts of the Disease of the Stone: And, as there are several sorts of Stones in | |
the several Parts of the Earth; so, no doubt, there may not only be several | |
sorts of Stone in several Parts, but several sorts in one and the same Part; at | |
least, in the like Parts of several Men. | |
CHAP. XII. Of Apoplexies, and Lethargies. | |
APoplexies, Lethargies, and the like Diseases, are produced by some decay of | |
the Vital Spirits, or by Obstructions, as being obstructed by some | |
Superfluities, or through the Irregularities of some sorts of Motions, which | |
occasion some Passages to close, that should be open. But mistake me not, I do | |
not mean empty Passages; for there is no such thing (in my opinion) in Nature: | |
but, I mean an open passage for a frequent Course and Recourse of Parts. But an | |
Apoplexy is somewhat of the Nature of a Dead-Palsie; and a Lethargy, of a | |
Numb-Palsie; but I have heard, that the Opinion of Learned Men is, That some | |
sorts of Vaporous Pains are the Fore-runners of Apoplexies and Palsies: but, in | |
my opinion, though a Man may have two Diseases at once; yet surely, where | |
Vapour can pass, there cannot be an absolute Stoppage. | |
CHAP. XIII. Of EPILEPSIES. | |
EPilepsies, or that we name the Falling-Sickness, is of the nature of | |
Swooning or Fainting Fits: but there are two visible sorts; the one is, that | |
only the Head is affected, and not the other Parts of the Body; and for proof, | |
Those that are thus distempered only in the Head, all the other Parts will | |
struggle and strive to help or assist the affected or afflicted Parts, and | |
those Parts of the Head that are not Irregular, as may be observed by their | |
Motions; but, by the means of some other Parts, there will also be striving and | |
struggling, as may be observed by foaming through the Mouth. The other sort is | |
like ordinary Swounding-Fits, where all the Parts of the Body seem, for a time, | |
to be dead. But this is to be observed, That those that are thus diseased, have | |
certain times of Intermissions, as if the Corporeal Motions did keep a Decorum | |
in being Irregular. But some have had Epilepsies from their Birth; which | |
proves, That their Productive Motions was Irreguar. | |
CHAP. XIV. Of Convulsions, and Cramps. | |
COnvulsions and Cramps are somewhat alike; and both, in my Opinion, proceed | |
from Cold Contractions: but, Cramps are caused by the Contractions of the | |
Capillary Veins, or small Fibers, rather than of the Nerves and Sinews: for, | |
those Contractions, if violent, are Convulsions: so that Cramps are | |
Contractions of the small Fibers; and Convulsions are Contractions of the | |
Nerves and Sinews. But the reason (I believe) that these Diseases proceed from | |
Cold Contractions, is, That Hot Remedies produce, for the most part, perfect | |
Cures; but, they must be such sorts of Hot Remedies, that are of a dilating or | |
extenuating nature; and not such whose Properties are Hot and Dry, or | |
Contracting: also, the Applications must be according to the strength of the | |
Disease. | |
CHAP. XV. Of CHOLICKS. | |
CHolicks are like Cramps or Convulsions; or Convulsions and Cramps, like | |
Cholicks: for, as Convulsions are Contractions of the Nerves and Sinews; and | |
Cramps, Contractions of the small Fibers: so Cholicks are a Contracting of the | |
Guts: and, for proof, So soon as the Contracting Motions alter, and are turned | |
to Dilating or Expelling Actions, the Patient is at ease. But, there are | |
several Causes that produce the Cholick: for, some Cholicks are produced by Hot | |
and Sharp Motions, as Bilious Cholicks; others from Cold and Sharp Motions, as | |
Splenetic Cholicks; others from Crude and Raw Humours; some from Hot Winds; | |
some from Cold Winds. The same some sorts of Convulsions and Cramps may be: | |
but, though these several Cholicks may proceed from several Causes; yet, they | |
all agree in this, To be Contractions: for, as I said, when those Corporeal | |
Motions alter their Actions to Dilatation or Expulsion, the Patient is at ease. | |
But, those Cholicks that proceed from Hot and Sharp Motions, are the most | |
painful and dangerous, by reason they are, for the most part, more strong and | |
stubborn. As for Cholicks in the Stomach, they are caused by the same sorts of | |
Motions that cause some sorts of Contractions: but, those sorts of Cholick | |
Contractions, are after the manner of wreathing, or wringing Contractions. The | |
same in Convulsive-Contractions. | |
CHAP. XVI. Of Shaking Palsies. | |
SHaging Palsies proceed from a Slackness of the Nerves, or Sinew strings, as | |
may be observed by those that hold or lay any heavy weight upon the Arms, Hands | |
or Legs: for, when the Burdens are removed, those Limbs will be apt to tremble | |
and shake so much, for a short time, (until they have recovered their former | |
strength) that the Legs cannot go, or stand steadily; nor the Arms, or Hands, | |
do any thing without shaking. The reason of these sorts of Slackness, is, That | |
heavy Burdens occasion the Nerves and Sinews to extend beyond their Order; and | |
being stretched, they become more slack, and loose, by how much they were | |
stretched, or extended; until such time as they contract again into their | |
proper Posture: And the reason that Old Age is subject to Shaking-Palsies, is, | |
That the Frame of their whole Body is looser and slacker, than when it was | |
young: As in a decayed House, every Material is looser than when it was first | |
built; but yet, sometimes an old shaking House will continue a great while, | |
with some Repairs: so old shaking Men, with Care, and good Diet, will continue | |
a great time. But this is to be noted, That trembling is a kind of a | |
Shaking-Palsie, although of another sort; and so is Weakness after Sickness: | |
but, these sorts are occasioned, as when a House shakes in a great Wind, or | |
Storm; and not through any Fundamental Decay. | |
CHAP. XVII. Of the Muther, Spleen, and Scurvy. | |
AS for those Diseases that are named the Fits of the Muther, the Spleen, the | |
Scurvy, and the like; although they are the most general Diseases, especially | |
amongst the Females; yet, each particular sort is so various, and hath such | |
different Effects, that, I observe, they puzzle the most Learned Men to find | |
out their juggling, intricate, and uncertain Actions. But this is to be | |
observed, That the Richest sorts of Persons are most apt to these sorts of | |
Diseases; which proves, That Idleness and Luxury is the occasion. | |
CHAP. XVIII. Of Food, or Digestions. | |
AS I have said, Digestions are so numerous, and so obscure, that the most | |
Learned Men know not how Food is converted and distributed to all the Parts of | |
the Body: Which Obscurity occasions many Arguments, and much Dispute amongst | |
the Learned; but, in my opinion, it is not the Parts of the Human Body, that do | |
digest the Food, although they may be an occasion (through their own | |
Regularities, or Irregularities) to cause good or bad digestions: but, the | |
Parts of the Food, do digest themselves; that is, alter their actions to the | |
Property and Nature of a Human Body: so that Digestive Parts are only | |
Additional Parts; and, if those Nourishing Motions be Regular,they distribute | |
their several Parts, and join their several Parts, to those several Parts of | |
the Body that require Addition. Also, the Digestive Motions are according to | |
the Nature or Property of each several Part of the Human Body, As for example, | |
Those Digestive Parts alter into Blood, Flesh, Fat, Marrow, Brains, Humours, and | |
so into any other Figurative Parts of the Sensitive Body. The same may be said | |
of the Rational Parts of the Mind: but, if those Digestive Parts be Irregular, | |
they will cause a Disorder in a well-ordered Body: and, if the Parts of the | |
Body be Irregular, they will occasion a Disorder amongst the Digestive Parts: | |
but, according to the Regularities and Irregularities of the Digestive Parts, | |
is the Body more or less nourished. But this is to be noted, That according to | |
the Superfluity or Scarcity of those Digestive Parts, the Body is oppressed, or | |
starved. | |
CHAP. XIX. Of SVRFEITS. | |
SVrfeits are occasioned after different manners: for, though many Surfeits | |
proceed from those Parts that are received into the Body; yet, some are | |
occasioned through often repetitions of one and the same actions: As for | |
example, The Eyes may surfeit with too often viewing one Object; the Ears, with | |
often hearing one Sound; the Nose, with smelling one Sent; the Tongue, with one | |
Taste. The same is to be said of the Rational Actions; which Surfeits, occasion | |
an aversion to such or such Particulars: but, for those Surfeits that proceed | |
from the Parts that are received into the Body, they are either through the | |
quantity that oppresses the Nature of the Body; or, through the quality of | |
those Parts, being not agreeable to the Nature of the Body; or, through their | |
Irregularities, that occasion the like Irregularities in the Body: and | |
sometimes, the fault is through the Irregularities of the Body, that hinder | |
those received Parts, or obstruct their Regular Digestions; and sometimes, the | |
fault is both of the Parts of the Body, and those of the Food: but, the | |
Surfeits of those Parts that receive not Food, are caused through the often | |
repetition of one and the same Action. | |
CHAP. XX. Of Natural Evacuations, or Purgings. | |
THere are many sorts, and several ways or means of Purging actions; whereof | |
some we name Natural, which purge the Excremental Parts; and such Natural | |
Purgings, are only of such Parts as are no ways useful to the Body; or of those | |
that are not willing to convert themselves into the Nature and Property of the | |
Substantial Parts. There must of necessity be Purging actions, as well as | |
Digestive actions; because, no Creature can subsist singly of it self, but all | |
Creatures subsist each by other; so that, there must be Dividing actions, as | |
well as Uniting actions; only, several sorts of Creatures, have several sorts | |
of Nourishments and Evacuations. But this is to be noted, in the Human | |
Nourishments and Evacuations, that, through their Irregularities, some Men may | |
nourish too much, and others purge too much; and some may nourish too little, | |
and some may purge too little. The Irregularities concerning Nourishments, are | |
amongst the adjoining Parts; the Errors concerning Purging, are amongst the | |
Dividing Parts. | |
CHAP. XXI. Of PVRGING DRVGGS. | |
THere are many sorts of Druggs, whereof some are beneficial, by assisting | |
those particular Parts of the Body that are oppressed and offended, either by | |
Superfluous Humours, or Malignant Humours: but, there are some sorts of Druggs | |
that are as malicious to the Human Life, as the Assistant Druggs are friendly. | |
Several sorts of Druggs, have several sorts of Actions, which causes several | |
Effects; as, some Druggs work by Siege; others, by Urine; some, by Vomit; | |
others, by Spitting; others, by Sweating; some cause sleep; some are hot, | |
others are cold; some dry, others moist. But this is to be noted, That 'tis not | |
the Motions of the Druggs, but the Motion of the Humours, which the Druggs | |
occasion to flow; and not only to flow, but to flow after such or such a manner | |
and way. The Actions of Druggs, are like the Actions of Hounds, or Hawks, that | |
fly at a particular Bird, or run after a particular beast of their own kind, | |
although of a different sort: The only difference is, That Druggs are not only | |
of a different sort, but of a different Kind from Animal Kind; at least, from | |
Human Sort. | |
CHAP. XXII. Of the Various Humours of Druggs. | |
THE reason, one and the same Quantity or Dose of one and the same sort of | |
Purging-Druggs or Medicine, will often work differently in several Human | |
Bodies; as also, differently in one and the same Body, at several times of | |
taking the same sorts of Medicines; is, That several Parts of one and the same | |
sort, may be differently humoured: as, some to be duller and slower than | |
others; and some to be more active than others. Also, some Parts may be | |
ill-natured, and cause Factions amongst the Parts of the Body; whereas others | |
will endeavour to rectify Disorders, or Factions. And sometimes both the | |
Druggs, and the Body, falls out; and then there is a dangerous strife; the Body | |
striving to expel the Physic, and the Physic endeavouring to stay in the | |
Body, to do the Body some mischief. Also, some Parts of one and the same sort, | |
may be so Irregular, as to hunt not only the superfluous Humours, or the | |
Malignant Humours, but all sorts of flowing Parts; which may cause so great and | |
general Disorder, as may endanger Human Life. | |
CHAP. XXIII. Of CORDIALS. | |
THere are many sorts of Cordials: for, I take every Beneficial Remedy to be a | |
Cordial: but, many of the Vulgar believe, That there is no Cordial but Brandy, | |
or such like Strong-waters; at least, they believe all such Remedies that are | |
virtually Hot, to be Cordials: but, when they take too much of such Cordials, | |
either in Sickness, or Health, they will, in some time, find them as bad as | |
Poison. But, all such Applications as are named Cordials, are not hot: for, | |
some are cool, at least, of a temperate degree. And as there are Regular and | |
Irregular Corporeal Motions; so there are Sympathetical, and Antipathetical | |
Motions; and yet both sorts may be Regular. Also, there is a Neutral sort, that | |
has neither Sympathy nor Antipathy, but is Indifferent. But in Disputes between | |
Two different Parties, a Third may come in to the assistance of one Side, more | |
out of hate to the Opposite, than love to the Assisted. The same may Cordials, | |
or such like Applications, do, when the Corporeal Motions of Human Life are in | |
disorder, and at variance: for, oftentimes there is as great a Mutiny and | |
Disorder amongst the Corporeal Motions, both in the Mind and Body of a Man, as | |
in a Public State in time of Rebellion: but, all Assistant Cordials, endeavour | |
to assist the Regular Parts of the Body, and to persuade the Irregular Parts. | |
As for Poisons, they are like Foreign War, that endeavours to destroy a | |
Peaceable Government. | |
CHAP. XXIV. Of the different Actions of the several Sensitive Parts of a Human | |
Creature. | |
SOme Parts of a Human Creature will be Regular, and some Irregular: as, some | |
of the Sensitive Parts will be Regular, and some Irregular; that is, some Parts | |
will be Painful, or Sick, others well: some Parts will make false Perceptions; | |
others, true Perceptions: some Parts be Temperate; others, Intemperate: some | |
Parts be Mad, other Parts Sober: some Parts be Wise; others, Foolish: and the | |
same is to be said of the Rational Motions. But, in a Regular Society, every | |
Part and Particle of the Body, is Regularly agreeable, and Sympathetical. | |
CHAP. XXV. Of the Antipathy of some Human Creatures, to some Foreign Objects. | |
AS I have often said, There is often both Sympathy and Antipathy between the | |
Parts of some particular Human and Foreign Objects; in so much, that some will | |
occasion such a general Disturbance, as will cause a general Alteration, viz. | |
cause a Man to swooned, or at least, to be very faint, or sick: as for example, | |
Some will Swooned at some sorts of Sounds, some sorts of Scents, some sorts of | |
Taste, some sorts of Touches, and some sorts of Sights. Again, on the other | |
side, some Human Creatures will so sympathize with some sorts of Foreign | |
Objects, as some will Long for that, another will Swooned to have. | |
CHAP. XXVI. Of the Effects of Foreign Objects, on the Human Mind. | |
AS there is often Antipathy of the Parts of a Human Creature, to Foreign | |
Objects; so there are often Sympathetical Effects produced from Foreign | |
Objects, with the Parts of a Human Creature. As for example, A timely, kind, | |
and discreet Discourse from a Friend, will compose or quiet his troubled Mind: | |
Likewise, an untimely, unkind, hasty, malicious, false, or sudden Discourse, | |
will often disorder a well-temper'd, or Regular Mind, the Mind imitating the | |
smooth or harsh strains of the Object: and the same Effects hath Music, on the | |
Minds of many Human Creatures. | |
CHAP. XXVII. Of CONTEMPLATION. | |
HUman Contemplation, is a Conversation amongst some of the Rational Parts of | |
the Human Mind; which Parts, not regarding present Objects, move either in | |
devout Notions, or vain Fancies, Remembrances, Inventions, Contrivancies, | |
Designs, or the like. But the question is, Whether the Sensitive Parts of a | |
Human Society, do, at any time, Contemplate? I answer, That some of the | |
Sensitive Parts are so sociable, that they are, for the most part, agreeable to | |
the Rational: for, in deep Contemplations, some of the Sensitive Parts do not | |
take notice of Foreign Objects, but of the Rational Actions. Also, if the | |
Contemplations be in devout Notions, the Sensitive Parts express Devotion by | |
their Actions, as I have formerly mentioned. Also, when the Rational Parts move | |
in Actions of Desire, straight the Sensitive move in Sympathetical Appetites: | |
Wherefore, if the Society be Regular, the Sensitive and Rational Parts are | |
agreeable and sociable. | |
CHAP. XXVIII. Of Injecting of the Blood of one Animal, into the Veins of | |
another Animal. | |
TO put Blood of one Animal, into another Animal; as for example, Some Ounces | |
of Blood taken, by some Art, out of a Dogg's Veins, and, by some Art, put into | |
a Man's Veins, may very easily be done by Injection; and certainly, may as | |
readily convert it self to the Nature of Human Blood, as Roots, Herbs, Fruit, | |
and the like Food; and probably, will more aptly be transformed into Human | |
Flesh, than Hogg's Blood, mixed with many Ingredients, and then put into Guts, | |
and boiled, (an ordinary Food amongst Country People;) but Blood being a loose | |
Humourish Part, may increase or diminish, as the other Humours, viz. Phlegm, | |
Choler, and Melancholy, are apt to do. But this is to be observed, That by | |
reason Blood is the most flowing Humour, and of much more, or greater quantity | |
than all the rest of the Humours, it is apt (if Regular) to cause, not only | |
more frequent, but a more general Disturbance. | |
The Eleventh Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of the different Knowledges, in different Kinds and Sorts of | |
Creatures. | |
IF there be not Infinite Kinds, yet, it is probable, there are Infinite | |
several Sorts; at least, Infinite particular Creatures, in every particular | |
Kind and Sort; and the Corporeal Motions moving after a different manner, is | |
the cause there are different Knowledges, in different Creatures; yet, none can | |
be said to be least knowing, or most knowing: for, there is (in my opinion) no | |
such thing as least and most, in Nature: for, several kinds and sorts of | |
Knowledges, make not Knowledge to be more, or less; but only, they are different | |
Knowledges proper to their kind, (as, Animal-kind, Vegetable-kind, | |
Mineral-kind, Elemental-kind) and are also different Knowledges in several | |
sorts: As for example, Man may have a different Knowledge from Beasts, Birds, | |
Fish, Flies, Worms, or the like; and yet be no wiser than those sorts of | |
Animal-kinds. The same happens between the several Knowledges of Vegetables, | |
Minerals, and Elements: but, because one Creature doth not know what another | |
Creature knows, thence arises the Opinion of Insensibility, and | |
Irrationability, that some Creatures have of others. But there is to be noted, | |
That Nature is so Regular, or wise, in her Actions, that the Species and | |
Knowledge of every particular Kind, is kept in an Even, or Equal Balance: For | |
example, The Death or Birth of Animals, doth neither add or diminish from, or | |
to the Knowledge of the Kind, or rather the Sort. Also, an Animal can have no | |
Knowledge, but such as is proper to the species of his Figure: but, if there be | |
a Creature of a mixed Species, or Figure, then their Knowledge is according to | |
their mixed Form: for, the Corporeal Motions of every Creature, move according | |
to the Form, Frame, or Species of their Society: but, there is not only | |
different Knowledges, in different Kinds and Sorts of Creatures; but, there are | |
different Knowledges in the different Parts of one and the same; as, the | |
different Senses of Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Tasting, and Touching, have not | |
only different Knowledges in different Sensitive Organs, but in one Sense, they | |
have several Perceptive Knowledges: and though the different Sensitive Organs | |
of a Human Creature, are ignorant of each other; yet, each Sense is as knowing | |
as another. The same (no question) is amongst all the Creatures in Nature. | |
CHAP. II. Of the Variety of Self-actions in particular Creatures. | |
THere are numerous Varieties of Figurative Motions in some Creatures; and in | |
others, very few, in comparison: but, the occasion of that, is the manner of | |
the Frame and Form of a Creature: for, some Creatures that are but small, have | |
much more variety of Figurative Motions, than others that are very big and | |
large Creatures: so that, it is not only the Quantity of Matter, or Number of | |
Parts, but the several Changes of Motion, by the Variety of their Active Parts, | |
that is the cause of it: for, Nature is not only an Infinite Body, but, being | |
Self-moving, causes Infinite Variety, by the altered Actions of her Parts; | |
every altered Action, causing both an altered Self-knowledg, and an altered | |
Perceptive Knowledge. | |
CHAP. III. Of the Variety of Corporeal Motion, of one and the same sort or | |
kind of Motion. | |
THere is Infinite Variety of Motion of the same sorts and kinds of Motions; as | |
for example, Of Dilatations, or Extensions, Expulsions, Attractions, | |
Contractions, Retentions, Digestions, Respirations: There is also Varieties of | |
Densities, Rarities, Gravities, Levities, Measures, Sizes, Agilness, Slowness, | |
Strength, Weakness, Times, Seasons, Growths, Decays, Lives, Deaths, | |
Conceptions, Perceptions, Passions, Appetites, Sympathies, Antipathies, and | |
Millions the like kinds, or sorts. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Variety of particular Creatures. | |
NAture is so delighted with Variety, that seldom two Creatures (although of | |
the same sort, nay, from the same Producers) are just alike; and yet Human | |
Perception cannot perceive above four kinds of Creatures, viz. Animals, | |
Vegetables, Minerals, and Elements: but, the several sorts seem to be very | |
numerous; and the Varieties of the several Particulars, Infinite: but, Nature | |
is necessitated to divide her Creatures into Kinds and Sorts, to keep Order and | |
Method: for, there may be numerous Varieties of sorts; as for example, Many | |
several Worlds, and infinite Varieties of Particulars in those Worlds: for, | |
Worlds may differ from each other, as much as several sorts of Animals, | |
Vegetables, Minerals, or Elements; and yet be all of that sort we name Worlds: | |
but, as for the Infinite Varieties of Nature, we may say, That every Part of | |
Nature is Infinite, in some sort; because every Part of Nature is a perpetual | |
Motion, and makes Infinite Varieties, by change or alteration of Action: but, | |
there is so much Variety of the several Shapes, Figures, Forms, and Sizes, as, | |
Bigger, and Less; as also, several sorts of Heats, Colds, Droughts, Moistures, | |
Fires, Airs, Waters, Earths, Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals, as are not to | |
be expressed. | |
CHAP. V. Of Dividing, and Rejoyning, or Altering Exterior Figurative Motions. | |
THE Interior and Exterior Figurative Motions of some sorts of Creatures, are | |
so united by their Sympathetical Actions, as they cannot be separated without a | |
Total Dissolution; and some cannot be altered without a Dissolution; and other | |
Figurative Motions may separate, and unite again; and others, if separate, | |
cannot unite again, as they were before: As for example, The Exterior Parts of | |
a Human Creature, if once divided, cannot be rejoyned; when as some sorts of | |
Worms may be divided, and if those divided Parts meet, can rejoyn, as before. | |
Also, some Figurative Motions of different sorts, and so different, that they | |
are opposite, may unite in agreement, in one Composition, or Creature; yet, | |
when the very same sorts of Figurative Motions, are not so united, they are, as | |
it were, deadly Enemies. | |
CHAP. VI. Of Different Figurative Motions in particular Creatures. | |
THere are many Creatures that are composed of very opposite Figurative | |
Motions; as for example, Some Parts of Fire and Water; also, all Cordials, | |
Vitriols, and the like Waters; also, Iron and Stone, and Infinite the like: | |
But, that which is composed of the most different Figurative Motions, is | |
Quick-silver, which is exteriorly Cold, Soft, Fluid, Agil, and Heavy: also, | |
Divisible, and Rejoynable; and yet so Retentive of its Innate Nature, that | |
although it can be rarefied, yet not easily dissolved; at least, not that Human | |
Creatures can perceive; for, it hath puzzled the best Chemists. | |
CHAP. VII. Of the Alterations of Exterior and Innate Figurative Motions of | |
several sorts of Creatures. | |
THE Form of several Creatures, is after several manners and ways, which causes | |
several Natures or Properties: As for example, The Exterior and Innate | |
Corporeal Motions of some Creatures, depend so much on each other, That the | |
least Alteration of the one, causes a Dissolution of the whole Creature; | |
whereas the Exterior Corporeal Motions of other sorts of Creatures, can change | |
and rechange their actions, without the least disturbance to the Innate | |
Figurative Motions: In other sorts the Innate Motions shall be quite altered, | |
but their Exterior Motions be in some manner consistent: As for proof, Fire is | |
of that Nature, that both the Exterior and Innate Motions, are of one and the | |
same sort; so that the Alteration of the one, causes a Dissolution of the | |
other; that is, Fire loses the Property of Fire, and is altered from being | |
Fire. On the other side, the Exterior Figurative Motions of Water, can change | |
and rechange, without any disturbance to the Innate Nature: but, though the | |
Alteration of the Innate Figurative Motions of all Creatures, must of necessity | |
alter the Life and Knowledge of that Creature; yet there may be such consistent | |
Motions amongst the Exterior Parts of some sorts of Creatures, that they will | |
keep their Exterior Form: As for example, A Tree that is cut down, or into | |
pieces, when those pieces are withered, and, as we say, dead; yet, they remain | |
of the Figure of Wood. Also, a dead Beast doth not alter the Figure of Flesh or | |
Bones, presently. Also, a dead Man doth not presently dissolve from the Figure | |
of Man; and some, by the Art of embalming, will occasion the remaining | |
Figurative Motions of the dead Man to continue, so that those sorts of Motions, | |
that are the Frame and Form, are not quite altered: but yet, those Exterior | |
Forms are so altered, that they are not such as those by which we name a Living | |
Man. The same of Flies, or the like, entombed in Amber: but by this we may | |
perceive, That the Innate Figurative Motions may be quite altered, and yet the | |
Exterior Figurative consistent Motions, do, in some manner, keep in the Figure, | |
Form, or Frame of their Society. The truth is, (in my opinion) That all the | |
Parts that remain undissolved, have quite altered their Animal actions; but | |
only the Consistent actions, of the Form of their Society, remains, so as to | |
have a resemblance of their Frame or Form. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of LOCAL MOTION. | |
ALL Corporeal Motion is Local; but only they are different Local Motions: and | |
some sorts or kinds, have advantage of others, and some have power over others, | |
as, in a manner, to enforce them to alter their Figurative motions; as for | |
example, When one Creature doth destroy another, those that are the Destroyers, | |
occasion those that we name the Destroyed, to dissolve their Unity, and to | |
alter their actions: for, they cannot annihilate their actions; nor can they | |
give or take away the Power of Self-motions; but, as I said, some Corporeal | |
motions can occasion other Corporeal motions to move so, or so. But this is to | |
be noted, That several sorts of Creatures have a mixture of several sorts of | |
Figurative motions; as for example, There are Flying Fish, and Swimming Beasts; | |
also, there are some Creatures that are partly Beasts, and partly Fish, as | |
Otters, and many others; also, a Mule is partly a Horse, and an Ass; a Batt is | |
partly a Mouse, and a Bird; an Owl is partly a Cat and a Bird; and numerous | |
other Creatures there are, that are partly of one sort, and partly of another. | |
CHAP. IX. Of several manners, or ways of Advantages, or Disadvantages. | |
NOT only the Manner, Form, Frame, or Shape of particular Creatures; but also, | |
the Regularity or Irregularity of the Corporeal motions of particular | |
Creatures, doth cause that which Man names Strength or Weakness, Obedience or | |
Disobedience, Advantages or Disadvantages of Power and Authority, or the like: | |
As for example, A greater Number will overpower a less: for, though there be | |
no Differences (as being no Degrees) of Self-strength amongst the Self-moving | |
Parts, or Corporeal motions; yet, there may be stronger and weaker | |
Compositions, or Associations; and a greater Number of Corporeal motions, makes | |
a stronger Party: but, if the greater Party be Irregular, and the lesser Party | |
be Regular, a hundred to one, but the weaker Party is victorious. Also, the | |
manner of the Corporeal motions; as, a Diving-motion may get the better of a | |
Swimming-motion; and, in some cases, the Swimming, the better of the Diving. | |
Jumping may have the advantage over Running; and, in other cases, Running, over | |
Jumping. Also, Creeping may have the advantage over Flying; and, in other | |
cases, Flying, over Creeping. A Cross Motion may have the advantage over a | |
Straight; and, in other cases, a Straight, over a Cross. So it may be said, of | |
Turning and Lifting, of Contracting and Dilating Motions. And many the like | |
Examples may be had; but, as I have often said, There is much Advantage and | |
Disadvantage in the manner and way of the Composed Form and Figure of | |
Creatures. | |
CHAP. X. Of the Actions of some sorts of Creatures, over others. | |
SOME sorts of Creatures are more Exteriorly active, than other sorts; and some | |
more Interiorly active; some more rare, some more dense, and the like: also, | |
some dense Creatures are more active than the rare; and some rare, are more | |
active than other sorts that are dense. Also, some Creatures that are rare, | |
have advantage of some that are dense; and some that are dense, over some sorts | |
that are rare; some leight Bodies, over some heavy Bodies; and some heavy | |
Bodies, over some sorts of leight Bodies. Also, several sorts of Exterior | |
Motions, of several sorts of Creatures, have advantage and disadvantage of each | |
other; as for example, Springs of Water, and Air, will make Passages, and so | |
divide hard strong Rocks. And, on the other side, a Straw will divide Parts of | |
Water; and a small Fly, will divide Parts of the Air: but, mistake me not, I | |
mean, that they occasion the Airy or Watery Parts, to divide. | |
CHAP. XI. Of GLASSY BODIES. | |
TIS impossible, as I have said, to describe the Infinite Corporeal Figurative | |
Motions: but, amongst those Creatures that are subject to Human Perception, | |
there are some that resemble each other, and yet are of different Natures; as | |
for example, Black Ebony, and Black Marble, they are both Glassy, smooth, and | |
black; yet, one is Stone, the other Wood. Also, there be many light and shining | |
Bodies, that are of different Natures; as for example, Metal is a bright | |
shining Body; and divers sorts of Stones, are bright shining Bodies: also, | |
clear Water is a bright shining Body; yet, the Metal and Stones are Minerals, | |
and Water is an Element. Indeed, Most Bodies are of a Glassy Hue, or, as I may | |
say, Complexion; as may be observed in most Vegetables; as also, Skins, | |
Feathers, Scales, and the like. | |
But some may say, That Glassiness is made by the Brightness of the Light that | |
shines upon them. | |
I answer: If so, then the ordinary Earth would have the like Glassiness: but, | |
we perceive the Earth to appear dull in the clearest Sun-shining Day: | |
wherefore, it is not the Light, but the nature of their own Bodies. Besides, | |
every Body hath not one and the same sort of Glassiness, but some are very | |
different: 'Tis true, some sorts of Bodies do not appear Glassy, or shining, | |
until they be polished: but, as for such sorts of shining Bodies that appear in | |
the dark, there is not many of them perceived by us, besides the Moon and | |
Stars; but yet some there are, as Fire; but that is an Element. There are also | |
Glow-worms Tails, Cats Eyes, Rotten Wood, and such like shining-Bodies. | |
CHAP. XII. Of Metamorphoses, or Transformations of Animals and Vegetables. | |
THere are some Creatures that cannot be Metamorphosed: as for example, Animals | |
and Vegetables, at least, most of those sorts, by reason they are composed of | |
many several and different Figurative Motions; and I understand Metamorphose, | |
to be a change and alteration of the Exterior Form, but not any change or | |
alteration of the Interior or Intellectual Nature: and how can there be a | |
general change of the Exterior Form or Shape of a Human Creature, or such like | |
Animal, when the different Figurative Motions of his different Compositions, | |
are, for the most part, ignorant of each others particular Actions? Besides, as | |
Animals and Vegetables require degrees of time for their Productions, as also, | |
for their Perfections; so, some Time is required for their Alterations: but, a | |
sudden alteration amongst different Figurative Motions, would cause such a | |
Confusion, that it would cause a Dissolution of the whole Creature, especially | |
in actions that are not natural, as being improper to their kind, or sort: The | |
same of Vegetables, which have many different Figurative Motions. This | |
considered, I cannot choose but wonder, that wise men should believe (as some | |
do) the Change or Transformation of Witches, into many sorts of Creatures. | |
CHAP. XIII. Of the Life and Death of several Creatures. | |
THAT which Man names Life, and Death, (which are some sorts of Compositions | |
and Divisions of Parts of Creatures) is very different, in different kinds and | |
sorts of Creatures, as also, in one and the same sort: As for example, Some | |
Vegetables are old and decrepit in a Day; others are not in Perfection, or in | |
their Prime, in less than a hundred years. The same may be said of Animal | |
kinds. A Silk-worm is no sooner born, but dyes; when as other Animals may live | |
a hundred years. As for Minerals, Tinn and Lead seem but of a short Life, to | |
Gold; as a Worm to an Elephant, or a Tulip to an Oak for lasting; and 'tis | |
probable, the several Productions of the Planets and Fixed Stars, may be as | |
far more lasting, than the parts of Gold more lasting than a Fly: for, if a | |
Composed Creature were a Million of years producing, or Millions of years | |
dissolving, it were nothing to Eternity: but, those produced Motions that make | |
Vegetables, Minerals, Elements, and the like, the subtilest Philosopher, or | |
Chemist, in Nature, can never perceive, or find out; because, Human Perception | |
is not so subtle, as to perceive that which Man names Natural Productions: | |
for, though all the Corporeal Motions in Nature are perceptive; yet, every | |
Perceptive Part doth not perceive all the actions in Nature: for, though every | |
different Corporeal Motion, is a different Perception; yet, there are more | |
Objects than any one Creature can perceive: also, every particular kind or sort | |
of Creatures, have different Perceptions, occasioned by the Frame and Form of | |
their Compositions, or unities of their Parts: So as the Perceptions of | |
Animals, are not like the Perceptions of Vegetables; nor Vegetables, like the | |
Perceptions of Minerals; nor Minerals, like the Perceptions of Elements: For, | |
though all these several kinds and sorts, be perceptive; yet, not after one and | |
the same way, or manner of Perception: but, as there is infinite variety of | |
Corporeal Motions, so there are infinite varieties of Perceptions: for, | |
Infinite Self-moving Matter, hath infinite varieties of Actions. But, to return | |
to the Discourse of the Productions and Dissolutions of Creatures; The reason, | |
that some Creatures last longer than others, is, That some Forms or Frames of | |
their Composition, are of a more lasting Figure. But this is to be observed, | |
That the Figures that are most solid, are more lasting than those that are more | |
slack and loose: but mistake me not; I say, For the most part, they are more | |
lasting. Also, this is to be noted, That some Compositions require more labour; | |
some, more curiosity; and some are more full of variety, than others. | |
CHAP. XIV. Of CIRCLES. | |
A Circle is a Round Figure, without End; which Figure can more easily and | |
aptly alter the Exterior Form, than any other Figure. For example, A Circular | |
Line may be drawn many several ways, into different and several sorts of | |
Figures, without breaking the Circle: also, it may be contracted or extended | |
into a less or wider compass; and drawn or formed into many several sorts of | |
Figures, or Works; as, into a Square, or Triangle, or Oval, or Cylinder, or | |
like several sorts of Flowers, and never dissolve the Circular Line. But this | |
is to be noted, that there may be several sorts of Circular Lines; as, some | |
Broad, some Narrow, some Round, some Flat, some Ragged or Twisted, some Smooth, | |
some Pointed, some Edged, and numbers of the like; and yet the compass be | |
exactly round. | |
But some may say, that, When a Circle is drawn into several Works, it is not a | |
Circle: As for example, When a Circle is squared, it is not a Circle, but a | |
Square. | |
I answer: It is a Circle squared, but not a Circle broken, or divided: for, | |
the Interior Nature is not dissolved, although the Exterior Figure is altered: | |
it is a Natural Circle, although it should be put into a Mathematical Square. | |
But, to conclude this Chapter, I say, That all such sorts of Figures that are | |
(like Circular Lines) of one piece, may change and rechange their Exterior | |
Figures, or Shapes, without any alterations of their Interior Properties. | |
CHAP. XV. Human Creatures cannot so probably treat of other sorts of | |
Creatures, as of their own. | |
TO treat of the Productions of Vegetables, Minerals, and Elements, is not so | |
easy a Task, as to treat of Animals; and, amongst Animals, the most easy Task | |
is, to treat of Human Productions; by reason one Human Creature may more | |
probably guess at the Nature of all Human Creatures (being of the same Nature) | |
than he can of other kinds of other kinds of Creatures, that are of another | |
Nature. But, mistake me not, I mean not of another Nature, being not of the | |
same kind of Creature, but concerning Vegetables, Minerals, and Elements. The | |
Elements may more easily be treated of, than the other Two kinds: for, though | |
there be numerous sorts of them, at least, numerous several Particulars; yet, | |
not so many several Sorts, as of Vegetables: and though Minerals are not, as to | |
my knowledge, so numerous as Vegetables; yet, they are of more, or at least, of | |
as many Sorts as Elements are. But, by reason I am unlearned, I shall only give | |
my Opinion of the Productions of some sorts; in which, I fear, I shall rather | |
discover my Ignorance, than the Truth of their Productions. But, I hope my | |
Readers will not find fault with my Endeavour, though they may find fault with | |
my little Experience, and want of Learning. | |
The Twelfth Part. | |
CHAP. I. Of the Equality of ELEMENTS. | |
AS for the Four Elements, Fire, Air, Water, and Earth; they subsist, as all | |
other Creatures, which subsist by each other: but, in my opinion, there should | |
be an Equality of the Four Elements, to balance the World: for, if one sort | |
should superabound, it would occasion such an Irregularity, that would cause a | |
Dissolution of this World; as, when some particular Humour in Man's Body | |
superabounds, or there is a scarcity of some Humours, it causes such | |
Irregularities, that do, many times, occasion his Destruction. The same may be | |
said of the Four Elements of the World: as for example, If there were not a | |
sufficient quantity of Elemental Air, the Elemental Fire would go out; and if | |
not a sufficient quantity of Elemental Fire, the Air would corrupt: also, if | |
there were not a sufficient quantity of Elemental Water, the Elemental Fire | |
would burn the Earth; and if there were not a sufficient quantity of Earth, | |
there would not be a solid and firm Foundation for the Creatures of the Earth: | |
for, if there were not Density, as well as Rarity; and Levity, as well as | |
Gravity; Nature would run into Extremes. | |
CHAP. II. Of several TEMPERS. | |
HEAT doth not make Drought: for, there is a Temper of Hot and Moist. Nor Cold | |
doth not make Drought: for, there is a Temper of Cold and Moist. Neither doth | |
Heat make Moisture: for, there is a Temper of Hot and Dry. Nor doth Cold make | |
Moisture: for, there is a Temper of Cold and Dry. But, such or such sorts of | |
Corporeal Figurative Motions, make Hot, Cold, Moist, Dry; Hot and Dry, Hot and | |
Moist; Cold and Dry, Cold and Moist; and, as those Figurative Motions alter | |
their Actions, those Tempers are altered: the like happens in all Creatures. | |
But this is to be observed, That there is some opposite or contrary Tempers, | |
which have a likeness of Motion: as for example, A Moist Heat, and a Moist | |
Cold, have a likeness or resemblance of Moistness; and the same is in dry Heats | |
and Cold: but surely, most sorts of Moistures, are some sorts of dilative | |
Motions; and most Droughts, are some sorts of Contractive Motions: but, there | |
are several sorts of Dilatations, Contractions, Retentions, Expulsions, and the | |
like: for, there are Cold Contractions, Hot Contractions; Cold Dilatations, Hot | |
Dilatations; Hot Retentions, Cold Retentions; and so of Digestions, Expulsions, | |
and the like: But, as I said, Moist Heats, and Moist Colds, seem of a Dilative | |
Nature; as Dry, of a Contractive Nature. But, all Cold and Heat, or Dry and | |
Moist, may be made by one and the same Corporeal Motions: for, though the | |
Actions may vary, the Parts may be the same: yea, the like Actions may be in | |
different Parts. But, no Part is bound to any particular Action, having a free | |
Liberty of Self-motion. But, concerning Hot and Cold, and the like Actions, I | |
observe, That Extreme Heat, and Extreme Cold, is of a like Power, or Degree: | |
neither can I perceive the Hot Motions to be quicker than Cold: for Water, in | |
little quantity, shall as suddenly freeze, as any leight Fuel or Straw, burn: | |
and Animals will as soon freeze to death, as be burned to death: and Cold is as | |
powerful at the Poles, as Heat in the Torrid Zone. And 'tis to be observed, | |
That Freezing is as quick and sudden, as Thawing: but sometimes, nay very | |
often, Cold and Hot Motions will dispute for Power; and some sorts of Hot, with | |
other sorts. The like Disputes are amongst several sorts of Cold Motions; Dry | |
with Moist, Dry with Dry, Moist with Moist. And the like Disputes are also | |
often amongst all Creatures. As for Density, it doth not make Gravity: for, | |
there may be Dense Bodies, that are not Grave; as for example, Feathers, and | |
Snow. Neither doth Gravity make Density: for, a quantity of Air hath some | |
weight, and yet is not dense. But mistake me not; for, I mean by Grave, Heavy; | |
and not for the Effects of Ascending, and Descending: for Feathers, though | |
Dense, are more apt to ascend, than descend; and Snow, to descend. Also, all | |
sorts of Fluidity, do not cause Moist, Liquid, or Wet; nor all Extenuations, | |
cause Light: but, they are such and such sorts of Fluidities and Extenuations, | |
that cause such and such Effects. And so for Heats, Colds, Droughts, Moistures, | |
Rarities. The same for Gravities, Levities, and the like. So that, Creatures | |
are Rare, Fluid, Moist, Wet, Dry, Dense, Hard, Soft, Leight, Heavy, and the | |
like, according to their Figurative Motions. | |
CHAP. III. Of the Change and Rechange; and of Dividing and Joining of the | |
Parts of the Elements. | |
OF all Creatures subject to Human Perception, the Elements are most apt to | |
Transform, viz. to Change and Rechange; also, to Divide and Join their Parts, | |
without altering their Innate Nature and Property. The reason is, because the | |
Innate Figurative Motions of Elements, are not so different as those of Animals | |
and Vegetables, whose Compositions are of many different Figurative Motions; in | |
so much, that dis-joining any Part of Animals, or Vegetables, they cannot be | |
joined again, as they were before; at least, it is not commonly done: but, the | |
Nature and Property of the Elements, is, That every Part and Particle are of | |
one innate Figurative Motion; so that the least grain of Dust, or the least | |
drop of Water, or the least spark of Fire, is of the same Innate Nature, | |
Property, and Figurative Motions, as the whole Element; when as, of Animals, | |
and Vegetables, almost, every Part and Particle is of a different Figurative | |
Motion. | |
CHAP. IV. Of the Innate Figurative Motions of Earth. | |
THere are many sorts of Earth, yet all sorts are of the same kind; that is, | |
they are all Earth: but (in my opinion) the prime Figurative Motions of Earth, | |
are Circles; but not dilated Circles, but contracted Circles: neither are those | |
Circles smooth, but rugged; which is the cause that Earth is dull, or dim, and | |
is easily divided into dusty Parts: for all, or at least, most Bodies that are | |
smooth, are more apt to join, than divide; and have a Glassy Hew or | |
Complexion; which is occasioned by the smoothness, and the smoothness | |
occasioned by the evenness of Parts, being without Intervals: but, according as | |
these sorts of Circular Motions are more or less contracted, and more or less | |
rugged, they cause several sorts of Earth. | |
CHAP. V. Of the Figurative Motions of Air. | |
THere are many sorts of Airs, as there is of other Creatures, of one and the | |
same kind: but, for Elemental Air, is composed of very Rare, Figurative | |
Motions; and the Innate Motions, I conceive to be somewhat of the Nature of | |
Water, viz. Circular Figurative Motions, only of a more Dilating Property; | |
which causes Air, not to be Wet, but extraordinary Rare; which again causes it | |
to be somewhat of the nature of Light: for, the Rarity occasions Air to be very | |
searching and penetrating; also, dividable and compoundable: but, the Rarity of | |
Air, is the cause that it is not subject to some sorts of Human Perception; but | |
yet, not so Rare, as not to be subject to Human Respirations; which is one sort | |
of Human Perception: for, all Parts of all Creatures, are perceptive one way, | |
or another: but, as I said, there are many sorts of Air; as, some Cold, some | |
Hot; some Dry, some Moist; some Sharp; some Corrupt, some Pure, some Gross; and | |
numbers more: but, many of these sorts are rather Metamorphosed Vapours, and | |
Waters, than pure Elemental Air: for, the pure Elemental Air, is, in my | |
opinion, more searching and penetrating, than Light; by reason Light may be | |
more easily eclipsed, or stopped; when as Air will search every Pore, and every | |
Creature, to get entrance. | |
CHAP. VI. Of the Innate Figurative Motion of Fire. | |
THE Innate Figurative Motions of Elemental Fire, seem the most difficult to | |
Human Perception, and Conception: for, by the Agilness, it seems to be more | |
pure than the other sorts of Elements; yet, by the Light, or Visibleness, it | |
seems more gross than Air; but, by the dilating Property, it seems to be more | |
rare than air, at least, as rare as Air. By the Glassy or Shining Property, it | |
seems to be of Smooth and Even Parts: also, by the piercing and wounding | |
Property, Fire seems to be composed of sharp-pointed Figurative Motions: | |
Wherefore, the Innate Figurative Motions of Fire, are, Pure, Rare, Smooth, | |
Sharp Points, which can move in Circles, Squares, Triangles, Parallels, or any | |
other sorts of Exterior Figures, without an alteration of its Interior Nature; | |
as may be observed by many sorts of Fuels: as also, it can contract and dilate | |
its Parts, without any alteration of its Innate Property. | |
CHAP. VII. Of the Productions of Elemental Fire. | |
IT is to be observed, That Points of Fire are more numerous, and more suddenly | |
propagating, than any other Element, or any other Creature that is subject to | |
Human Perception. But, Sparks of Fire, resemble the Seeds of Vegetables, in | |
this, That as Vegetables will not increase in all sorts of Soils, alike; | |
neither will the Points of Fire, in all sorts of Fuel, alike. And, as | |
Vegetables produce different Effects in several Soils; so doth Fire on several | |
Fuels: As for example, The Seeds of Vegetables do not work the same Effect in a | |
Birds Crop, as in the Earth: for, there they increase the Bird by digestion; | |
but, in the ground, they increase their own Issue (as I may say): So Fire, in | |
some Fuels, doth destroy it self, and occasions the Fuel to be more consumed; | |
when as, in other sorts of Fuel, Fire increases extremely. But Fire, as all | |
other Creatures, cannot subsist single of it self, but must have Food and | |
Respiration; which proves, Fire is not an Immaterial Motion. Also, Fire hath | |
Enemies, as well as Friends; and some are deadly, namely, Water, or Watery | |
Liquors. Also, Fire is forced to comply with the Figurative Motions of those | |
Creatures it is joined to: for, all Fuels will not burn, or alter, alike. | |
CHAP. VIII. Of FLAME. | |
FLAME is the Rarest Part of Fire: and though the Fuel of Flame be of a | |
vaporous and smoky Substance; yet surely, there are pure Flames, which are | |
perfect Fires: and, for proof, we may observe, That Flame will dilate and run, | |
as it were, to catch Smoke: but, when the Smoke is above the Flame, if it be | |
higher than the Flame can extend, it contracts back to the Fiery Body. But, | |
Flame doth somewhat resemble that we name Natural Light: but yet, in my | |
opinion, Light is not Flame; nor hath it any Fiery Property, although it be | |
such a sort of Extenuating or Dilating Actions, as Flame hath. | |
CHAP. IX. Of the two sorts of Fire most different. | |
THere are many sorts of Fires: but two sorts are most opposite; that is, the | |
Hot, Glowing, Burning, Bright, Shining Fire; and that sort of Fire we name a | |
Dead, Dull Fire; as, Vitriol Fires, Cordial Fires, Corrosive Fires, Feverish | |
Fires, and numerous other sorts; and every several sort, hath some several | |
Property: as for example, There is greater difference between the Fiery | |
Property of Oil, and the Fiery Property of Vitriol: for, Oil is neither | |
Exteriorly Hot, nor Burning; whereas Vitriol is Exteriorly Burning, though not | |
Exteriorly Hot: but, the difference of these sorts of Fires, is, That the | |
Actions of Elemental Fire, are to ascend, rather than to descend: and the Dull, | |
Dead Fire, is rather apt to descend, than ascend; that is, to pierce, or | |
dilate, either upwards, or downwards: but, they are both of Dilating and | |
Dividing Natures. But this is to be noted, That all sorts of Heats, or Hotness, | |
are not Fire. Also it is to be noted, That all Fires are not Shining. | |
CHAP. X. Of Dead or Dull Fires. | |
OF Dull, Dead Fires, some sorts seem to be of a mixed sort: as for example, | |
Vitriol, and the like, seem to be Exteriorly, of the Figurative Motions of | |
Fire; and Interiorly, of the Figurative Motions of Water, or of Watery Liquors: | |
And Oil is of Fiery Figurative Motions, Interiorly; and of Liquid Figurative | |
Motions, Exteriorly; which is the cause that the Fiery Properties of Oil cannot | |
be altered, without a Total Dissolution of their Natures. But, such sorts whose | |
Fiery Figurative Motions are Exterior, as being not their Innate Nature, may be | |
divided from those other Natural Parts they were joined to, without altering | |
their Innate Nature. | |
CHAP. XI. Of the Occasional Actions of Fire. | |
ALL Creatures have not only Innate figurative Motions that cause them to be | |
such or such a sort of Creature; but, they have such and such actions, that | |
cause such and such Effects: also, every Creature is occasioned to particular | |
Actions, by foreign Objects; many times to improper actions, and sometimes to | |
ruinous actious, even to the dissolution of their Nature: And, of all | |
Creatures, Fire is the most ready to occasion the most Mischief; at least, | |
Disorders: for, where it can get entrance, it seldom fails of causing such a | |
Disturbance, as occasions a Ruin. The reason is, that most Creatures are | |
porous: for, all Creatures, subsisting by each other, must of necessity have | |
Egress and Regress, being composed of Interior and Exterior Corporeal Motions. | |
And Fire, being the sharpest figurative Motion, is apt to enter into the | |
smallest Pores. | |
But some may ask, Whether Fire is porous it self? | |
I answer: That having Respiration, it is a sufficient proof that it is Porous: | |
for, Fire dyes if it hath not Air. | |
But some may say, How can a Point be porous? | |
I answer, That a Point is composed of Parts, and therefore may very well be | |
porous: for, there is no such thing as a Single Part in Nature, and therefore, | |
not a Single Point. | |
Also, some may say, If there be Pores in Nature, there may be Vacuum. | |
I answer, That, in my opinion, there is not; because there is no empty Pores | |
in Nature: Pores signifying only an Egress and Regress of Parts. | |
CHAP. XII. Fire hath not the Property to Change and Rechange. | |
OF all the Elemental Creatures, Fire is the least subject to change: for, | |
though it be apt to occasion other Creatures to alter; yet it keeps close to | |
its own Properties, and proper Actions: for, it cannot change, and rechange, as | |
Water can. Also, Natural Air is not apt to change and rechange, as Water: for, | |
though it can (as all the Elements) divide and join its Parts, without altering | |
the Property of its Nature: yet, it cannot readily alter, and alter again, its | |
Natural Properties, as Water can. The truth is, Water and Fire, are opposite in | |
all their Properties: but, as Fire is, of all the Elements, the furthest from | |
altering: so Water is, of all the Elements, the most subject to alter: for, all | |
Circular Figures are apt to variety. | |
CHAP. XIII. Of the Innate Figurative Motions of Water. | |
THE Nature of Water is, Rare, Fluid, Moist, Liquid, Wet, Glutinous, and | |
Glassy. Likewise, Water is apt to divide and unite its Parts, most of which | |
Properties are caused by several sorts of Dilatations, or Extenuations: but, | |
the Interior, or Innate Figure of Water, is a Circular Line. But yet, it is to | |
be observed, That there are many several sorts of Waters, as there are many | |
several sorts of Airs, Fires, and Earths, and so of all Creatures: for, some | |
Waters are more rare than others, some more leight, and some more heavy; some | |
more clear, and some more dull; some salt, some sharp; some bitter, some more | |
fresh, or sweet; some have cold Effects, some hot Effects: all which is caused | |
by the several Figurative Motions of several sorts of Waters: but, the nature | |
of Water is such, as it can easily alter, or change, and rechange, and yet keep | |
its Interior, or Innate Nature or Figure. But this is also to be observed, That | |
the Dilating or Extenuating Circle of Water, is of a middle Degree, as between | |
Two Extremes. | |
CHAP. XIV. The Nature or Property of Water. | |
WEtness, which is the Interior or Innate Property, or Nature of Water, is, in | |
my opinion, caused by some sort of Dilatations or Extenuations. As, all | |
Droughts, or Dryness, are caused by some sorts of Contractions; so, all | |
Moistures, Liquors, and Wets, by Dilatations: yet, those Extenuations, or | |
Dilatations, that cause Wet, must be of such a sort of Dilatations, as are | |
proper to Wet; viz. Such a sort of Extenuations, as are Circular Extenuations; | |
which do dilate, or extenuate, in a smooth, equal dilatation, from the Center, | |
to the Circumference; which Extenuations, or Dilatations, are of a middle | |
Degree; for otherwise, the Figure of Water might be extended beyond the Degree | |
of Wet; or, not extended to the Degree of Wet. And it is to be observed, That | |
there is such a Degree as only causes moistness, and another to cause | |
liquidness, the third to cause wetness: for, though Moistness and Liquidness | |
are in the way of Wetness; yet, they are not that which we name Wet: also, all | |
that is Soft, or Smooth, is not Wet; nor is all that is Liquid, or Flowing, | |
Wet: for, some sorts of Air are liquid and flowing, but not wet: nay, Flame is | |
liquid and flowing, but yet quite opposite from wet. Dust is flowing, but | |
neither liquid or wet, in its Nature. And Hair and Feathers are soft and | |
smooth, but neither liquid, nor wet. But, as I said, Water is of such a Nature, | |
as to have the Properties of Soft, Smooth, Moist, Liquid, and VVet; and is also | |
of such flowing Properties, caused by such a sort of Extenuating Circles as are | |
of a Middle or Mean Degree: but yet, there are many several sorts of Liquors, | |
and VVets, as we may perceive in Fruit, Herbs, and the like: but, all sorts of | |
VVets, and Liquors, are of a watery kind, though of a different sort. But, as I | |
have said, all things that are Fluid, are not VVet; as, Melted Metal, Flame, | |
Light, and the like, are fluid, but not wet: and Smoke and Oil are of another | |
sort of Liquidness, than Water, or Juice; but yet they are not wet: and that | |
which causes the difference of different sorts of VVaters, and VVatry Liquors, | |
are the differences of the watery Circular Lines; as, some are edged, some are | |
pointed, some are twisted, some are braided, some are flat, some are round, | |
some ruff, some smooth; and so after divers several Forms or Figures: and yet | |
are perfect Circles, and of some such a Degree of Extenuations or Dilatations. | |
CHAP. XV. Of the Alteration of the Exterior Figurative Motion of Water. | |
AS I formerly said, The Figurative Motions of the Innate Nature of Water, is | |
a sort of Extenuating; as being an equal, smooth Circle: which is the cause | |
Water is rare, fluid, moist, liquid, and wet. But, the Exterior Figurative | |
Motions of the watery Circle, may be edged, pointed, sharp, blunt, flat, round, | |
smooth, ruff, or the like; which may be either divided, or altered, without any | |
alteration of the Innate Nature, or Property: As for example, Salt-water may be | |
made fresh, or the Salt Parts divided from the watery Circle: The like of other | |
sorts of VVaters; and yet the Nature of Water remains. | |
CHAP. XVI. Of OIL, and VITRIOL. | |
THE Exterior Figurative Motions of Oil, are so much like those of Water, as, | |
to be fluid, smooth, soft, moist, and liquid, although not perfectly wet: but, | |
the Interior Figurative Motions of Oil, are of that sort of Fire, that we name | |
a Dull, Dead Fire: and the difference between Salt Waters, Vitriol or the like, | |
and Oil, is, That the Exterior Figurative Motions of Vitriol and Salt Waters, | |
are of a sort of Fire; whereas it is the Interior Figurative Motions of Oil, or | |
the like, that are of those sorts of Fire; and that is the reason that the | |
fiery Motions of Oil cannot be altered, as the fiery Motions of Vitriol may. | |
But this is to be noted, That although the Interior Figurative Motions of Oil, | |
are of such a sort of fiery Motions; yet, not just like those of Vitriol; and | |
are not burning, corroding, or wounding, as Vitriols, Corrosives, and the like, | |
are: for, those are somewhat more of the Nature of bright shining Fires, than | |
Oils. | |
CHAP. XVII. Of Mineral and Sulphurous Waters. | |
IN Sulphurous and Mineral Waters, the Sulphurous and Mineral Corporeal | |
Motions, are Exterior, and not Interior, like Salt waters: but, there are | |
several sorts of such waters; also, some are occasionally, others naturally so | |
affected: for, some waters running through Sulphurous, or Mineral Mines, | |
gather, like a rolling Stone, some of the loose Parts of Gravel, or Sand; | |
which, as they stick or cleave to the rolling Stone; so they do to the running | |
Waters; as we may perceive by those waters that spring out of Chalk, Clay, or | |
Lime Grounds, which will have some Tinctures of the Lime, Chalk, or Clay; and | |
the same happens to Minerals. But, some are naturally Sulphurous; as for | |
example, Some sorts of hot Baths are as naturally Sulphurous, as the Sea-water | |
is Salt: but, all those Effects of Minerals, Sulphurs, and the like, are | |
dividable from, and also may be joined to, the Body of water, without any | |
disturbance to the nature of water; as may be proved by Salt-water, which will | |
cause fresh Meat to be salt; and salt Meat will cause Fresh-water to be salt. | |
As for hot Baths, those have hot figurative Motions, but not burning: and the | |
moist, liquid, and wet Nature of water, makes it apt to join, and divide, to, | |
and from other sorts of Motions; as also, to and from its own sort. | |
CHAP. XVIII. The Cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea. | |
THE Nature of water is to flow; so that all sorts of waters will flow, if they | |
be not obstructed: but it is not the Nature of Water, to ebb. Neither can water | |
flow beyond the Power of its Quantity: for, a little water will not flow so far | |
as a great one. But, I do not mean by flowing, the falling of water from some | |
Descent; but, to flow upon a Level: for, as I have said, all waters do | |
naturally flow, if they be not obstructed; but, few sorts of water, besides | |
Sea-water, ebbs. As for the Exterior Figurative Motions of water, in the action | |
of flowing, they are an Oval, or a half Circle, or a half Moon; where the | |
middle parts of the half Moon, or Circle, are fuller than the two Ends. Also, | |
the figure of a half Moon, or half Circle, is concave on the inside, and convex | |
on the outside of the Circle: but, these Figurative Motions, in a great | |
quantity of water, are big and full, which we name Waves of Water; which waves | |
flowing fast upon each other, presses each other forward, until such time as | |
the half Circle divides: for, when the Bow of the half Circle is over-bent, or | |
stretched, it divides into the middle, which is most extended: and when a half | |
Circle (which is a whole wave of water) is divided, the divided Parts fall | |
equally back on each side of the flowing waves: so, every wave dividing, after | |
that manner, in the full extension, it causes the motion of ebbing, that is, to | |
flow back, as it flowed forward: for, the divided Parts falling back, and | |
joining as they meet, makes the head of the half Circle, where the Ends of the | |
half Circle were; and the Convex, where the Concave was; by which action, the | |
ebbing Parts are become the flowing Parts. And the reason that it ebbs and | |
flows by degrees, is, That the flowing half Circles require so much time to be | |
at the utmost extension. Also, every wave, or half Circle, divides not all at | |
one time, but one after another: for, two Bodies cannot be in one place at one | |
point of time; and until the second, third, and so the rest, flow as far as the | |
first, they are not at their full extension. And thus the Sea, or such a great | |
Body of Water, must flow, and ebb, as being its nature to flow; and the flowing | |
Figure, being over-extended, by endeavouring to flow beyond its power, causes a | |
dividing of the Extended Parts, which is the Cause of the Ebbing. | |
But, whether this Opinion of mine, be as probable as any of the former | |
Opinions concerning the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea, I cannot judge: but I | |
would not be mistaken; for the flowing of the water, is according to its | |
Quantity; for, the further it flows, the fainter, or weaker it is. | |
CHAP. XIX. Of OVERFLOWS. | |
AS for Overflows, there be many; and many more would be, if the waters were | |
not hindered and obstructed by Man's Inventions. But, some Overflows are very | |
Uncertain and Irregular; others, Certain and Regular, as, the flowing of Nilus | |
in Egypt: but as for the distance of time of its flowing, it may proceed from | |
the far Journey of those flowing-waters: and, the time of its ebbing, may be | |
attributed to the great Quantity of Water; so that the great quantity of water, | |
will cause a longer or a shorter time in the flowing or ebbing; and certainly | |
the waters are as long a flowing back, as flowing forward. | |
As for Spring Tides, they are only in such a time when there is a Natural | |
Issue of a greater quantity of water: so that Spring-Tides are but once a | |
Month, and Single-Tides in so many hours: but, many several occasions, may make | |
the Tides to be more or less full. | |
As for Double-Tides, they are occasioned through the Irregular dividing of the | |
Half-Circle; as, when they divide not orderly, but faster than they orderly | |
should do; which, falling back in a Crowd, and being, by that means, | |
obstructed, so that they cannot get forward, they are necessitated to flow, | |
where they ebbed. | |
The reason the Tides flow through Streams of Running-waters, is, That the Tide | |
is stronger than the Stream: but, if the Stream and Tides pass through each | |
other, then the Tide and Stream are somewhat like Duellers together, which make | |
Passes and Passages for their convenience. | |
CHAP. XX. Of the Figure of Ice and Snow. | |
A Circle may not only extend and contract it self without dividing; but may | |
draw it self into many several Figures, as Squares, or Triangles: as also, into | |
many other Figures mixed of Squares, Triangles, Cubes, or the like; being | |
partly one, and partly, another; and into other several ways, and after several | |
manners; which is the reason, Water may appear in many several Postures of | |
Snow, Ice, Hail, Frost, and the like: and, in my Opinion, when the Water-Circle | |
is Triangular, it is Snow; when the Circle is Square, it is Ice: as for Hail, | |
they are but small pieces of Ice; that is, small Parts, or few Drops of Water, | |
changed into Ice; and those several Parts moving after several manners, make | |
the Exterior Figures, after several shapes; as, great Bodies of Ice will be of | |
many several shapes, occasioned by many or fewer Parts, and by the several | |
Postures of those Parts: but, such Figures, though they are of Ice, yet, are | |
not the Innate Figures of Ice. The same is to be said of Snow. But, the reason | |
of these my Opinions concerning the Figures of Ice and Snow, is, That Snow is | |
leighter than the Water it self; and Ice is heavier, at least, as heavy. And | |
the reason Snow is so leight, is, That a Triangular Figure hath no poise, being | |
an odd Figure; whereas a Square is poised by Even and Equal Lines, and just | |
Number of Points, as, Two to Two: but, a Triangle is Two to One. Also, a Circle | |
is a poised Figure, as being equal every way, from the Center to the | |
Circumference; and from the Circumference to the Center, all the Lines drawing | |
to one Point. But, mistake me not; for I treat (concerning the Figures of Snow | |
and Ice) only of those Figures that cause Water to be Snow or Ice; and not of | |
the Exterior Figures of Snow and Ice, which are occasioned by the Order or | |
Disorder of Adjoining Parts: for, several Parts of Water, may order themselves | |
into numerous several Figures, which concern not the nature of Water, as it is | |
Water, Snow, or Ice: As for example, Many Men in a Battle, or upon Ceremony, | |
join into many several Figures or Forms; which Figures or Forms, are of no | |
concern to their Innate Nature. Also, the several Figures or Forms of several | |
Houses, or several sorts of Building in one House, are of no concern to the | |
Innate Nature of the Materials. The like for the Exterior Figures of Ice and | |
Snow; and therefore Microscopes may deceive the Artist, who may take the | |
Exterior for the Interior Figure; but there may be great difference between | |
them. | |
CHAP. XXI. Of the Change and Rechange of Water. | |
WATER being of a Circular Figurative Motion, is, as it were, but one Part, | |
having no divisions; and therefore can more easily change and rechange it self | |
into several Postures, viz. into the Posture of a Triangle, or Square; or can | |
be dilated or extended into a larger compass, or contracted into a lesser | |
compass; which is the cause it can turn into Vapour and Vaporous Air; or into | |
Slime, or into some grosser Figure: For example, Water can extend it self | |
beyond the proper degrees of Water, into the degree of Vapour; and the Circle, | |
extending further than the degree of a Vaporous Circle, is extended into a | |
Vaporous Air; and if the Vaporous Airy Circle be extremely extended, it becomes | |
so small, as it becomes to be a sharp Edg, and so, in a degree, next to Fire; | |
at least, to have a hot Effect: but, if it extends further than an Edg, the | |
Circle breaks into Flashes of Fire, like Lightning, which is a flowing Flame: | |
for, being produced from Water, it hath the property of Flowing, or Streaming, | |
as Water hath, as we may perceive by the Effects of some few Parts of Water | |
flung on a bright Fire; for those few drops of Water being not enough to | |
quench the Fire, straight dilate so extremely, that they break into a Flame; or | |
else cause the Fire to be more brisk and bright: and as the Water-Circle can be | |
turned into Vapour, Air, and Flame, by Extension; so, it can be turned into | |
Snow, Hail, or Ice, by Contraction. | |
CHAP. XXII. Of Water Quenching Fire; and Fire Evaporating Water. | |
THERE is such an Antipathy betwixt Water and Fire, (I mean bright shining | |
Fire) that they never meet Body to Body, but Fire is in danger to be quenched | |
out, if there be a sufficient Quantity of Water. But it is to be observed, That | |
it is not the actual Coldness of Water, that quenches out Fire; for, | |
Scalding-water will quench out Fire: wherefore, it is the Wetness that quenches | |
out Fire; which Wetness chokes the Fire, as a Man that is drowned: for, Water | |
being not fit for Man's Respiration, because it is too thick, chokes and | |
smuthers him; and the same doth Water to Fire: for, though Air is of a proper | |
temper for Respiration, both to some sorts of Animals, such as Man; as also, to | |
Fire: yet, Water is not: which is most proper for other sorts of Animals, | |
namely, Fish; as also, for some sorts of Animals that are of a mixed kind or | |
sort, partly Fish, and partly Flesh: to which sort of Creatures, both Air and | |
Water are both equally proper for their Respiration; or, their Respiration | |
equal to either: for certainly, all sorts of Creatures have Respiration, by | |
reason all Creatures subsist by each other; I say, By each other, not Of each | |
other. But, there are many several sorts and kinds of Respirations; as | |
concerning Water and Fire, though a sufficient quantity of Water, to Fire, | |
doth always choke, smuther, or quench out the Fire's Life, if joined Body to | |
Body; yet, when there is another Body between those two Bodies, water is in | |
danger to be infected with the Fire's heat; the Fire first infecting the Body | |
next to it; and that Body infecting the Water: by which Infection, Water is | |
consumed, either by a languishing Hectic Fever; or, by a raging Boiling Fever; | |
and the Life of Water evaporates away. | |
CHAP. XXIII. Of Inflammable Liquors. | |
THERE are many Bodies of mixed Natures; as for example, Wine, and all Strong | |
Liquors, are partly of a watery Nature, and partly of a fiery Nature; but, 'tis | |
of that sort we name a Dead, or Dull Fire: but, being of such a mixed Nature, | |
they are both apt to quench Bright Fire, as also, apt to burn or flame; so that | |
such sorts are both Inflammable, and Quenchable. But, some have more of the | |
fiery Nature; and others more of the watery Nature; and, by those Effects, we | |
may perceive, that not only different, but opposite Figurative Motions, do well | |
agree in one Society. | |
CHAP. XXIV. Of THVNDER. | |
I Observe, that all Tempestuous Sounds have some resemblances to the flowing | |
of waters, either in great and ruffling waves; or, when the waters flow in such | |
sort, as to break in pieces against hard and rugged Rocks; or run down great | |
Precipices, or against some Obstruction. And the like Sound hath the Blowings | |
of Wind, or the Clappings of Thunder; which causes me to be of opinion, That | |
Thunder is occasioned by a Discord amongst some VVater-Circles in the Higher | |
Region; which, pressing and beating upon each other in a confused manner, cause | |
a confused Sound, by reason all Circles are Concave within the Bow, and Convex | |
without; which is a Hollow Figure, although no Vacuum: which Hollow Figure, | |
causes quick Repetitions and Replies; which Replies and Repetitions, we name | |
Rebounds but, Replies are not Rebounds; for, Rebounds are Pressures and | |
Re-actions; whereas Repetitions are without Pressure, but Re-action is not: | |
and, Replies are of several Parts; as, one Part to reply to another. But for | |
Thunder, it is occasioned both by Pressures and Re-actions; as also, Replies of | |
Extended Water-Circles, which make a kind or sort of Confusion, and so a | |
confused Sound, which we name Horrid; and, according to their Discord, the | |
Sound is more or less terrifying, or violent. But this is to be noted, That as | |
Thunder is caused by undivided or broken Circles; so Lightning is caused by | |
broken or divided Circles, that are extended beyond the Power of the Nature of | |
the Water-Circle; and when the Circle is extremely extended, it divides it self | |
into a straight Line, and becomes a flowing Flame. | |
CHAP. XXV. Of Vapour, Smoke, Wind, and Clouds. | |
VApour and Smoke are both fluid Bodies: but, Smoke is more of the Nature of | |
Oil, than Water; and Vapour more of the Nature of Water, than Oil; they are | |
dividable: and may be joined, as other Elements: also, they are of a | |
Metamorphosing Nature, as to change and rechange; but, when they are | |
Metamorphosed into the form of Air, that Air is a gross Air, and is, as we say, | |
a corruptible Air. As for Vapour, it is apt to turn into Wind: for, when it is | |
rarefied beyond the Nature of Vapour, and not so much as into the Nature of | |
Air, it turns into some sorts of Wind. I say, some sorts: and certainly, the | |
strongest Winds are made of the grossest Vapours. As for Smoke, it is apt to | |
turn into some sorts of Lightning; I say, apt: for, both Vapour and Smoke can | |
turn into many sorts of Metamorphosed Elements. As for Wind, it proceeds either | |
from Rarefied Vapour, or Contracted Air. And there are many sorts of Vapours, | |
Smokes, and Winds; all which sorts of Vapours and Smokes, are apt to ascend: | |
but, Wind is of a more level action. As for Clouds, they cannot be composed of | |
a Natural Air; because Natural Air is too rare a Body to make Clouds. | |
Wherefore, Clouds are composed of Vapour and Smoke: for, when Vapour and Smoke | |
ascends up high without transformation, they gather into Clouds, some higher, | |
some lower, according to their purity: for, the purer sort (as I may say for | |
expression-sake) ascends the highest, as being the most agil. But, concerning | |
the Figurative Motions of Vapour and Smoke, they are Circles; but of VVinds, | |
they are broken Parts of Circular Vapours: for, when the Vaporous Circle is | |
extended beyond its Nature of Vapour, the Circumference of the Circle breaks | |
into perturbed Parts; and if the Parts be small, the wind is, in our | |
perception, sharp, pricking, and piercing: but, if the Parts are not so small, | |
then the wind is strong and pressing: but wind, being rarefied Vapour, is so | |
like Air, as it is not perceived by human sight, though it be perceived by | |
human touch. But, as there are hot vapours, cold vapours, sharp vapours, moist | |
vapours, dry vapours, subtle vapours, and the like; so there is such sorts of | |
winds. But, pray do not mistake me, when I say, that some sorts of winds are | |
broken and perturbed Circles, as if I meant, such as those of Lightning: for, | |
those of Lightning, are extended beyond the degree of Air; and those of | |
Vapours, are not extended to the degree of Air: also, those of Lightning, are | |
not perturbed; and those of Wind, are perturbed. Again, those of Lightning, | |
flow in Streams of smooth, small, even Lines; those of Wind, in disordered | |
Parts and Fragments. | |
CHAP. XXVI. Of WIND. | |
WIND and Fire have some resemblance in some of their particular actions: as | |
for example, Wind and Fire endeavour the disturbance of other Creatures, | |
occasioning a separating and disjoining of Parts. Also, Wind is both an Enemy | |
and Friend to Fire: for Wind, in some sorts of its actions, will assist Fire; | |
and in other actions, dissipates Fire, nay, blows it out: but certainly, the | |
powerful Forces of Wind, proceed not so much from Solidity, as Agility: for, | |
soft, weak, (...) quick Motions, are far more powerful, than strong, slow | |
Motions; because, quick Replies are of great Force, as allowing no time of | |
respit. But this is to be observed, That Wind hath some watery Effects: for, the | |
further water flows, the weaker and fainter it is: so the Wind, the further it | |
blows, the weaker and fainter it is. But this is to be observed, That according | |
to the agilness or slowness of the Corporeal Motions; or, according to the | |
number; or, according to the manner of the compositions, or joynings, or | |
divisions; or, according to the regularity or irregularity of the Corporeal | |
Figurative Motions, so are the Effects. | |
CHAP. XXVII. Of LIGHT. | |
WATER, Air, Fire, and Light; are all Rare and Fluid Creatures; but they are of | |
different sorts of Rarities and Fluities: and, though Light seems to be | |
extremely Rare and Fluid; yet, Light is not so Rare and Fluid, as pure Air is, | |
because it is subject to that sort of Human Perception we name Sight; but yet, | |
it is not subject to any of the other Perceptions: and, pure Air is only | |
subject to the Perception of Respiration, which seems to be a more subtle | |
Perception than Sight; and that occasions me to believe, That Air is more Rare | |
and Pure, than Light: but howsoever, I conceive the Figurative Motions of | |
Light, to be extraordinary even, smooth, agil Lines of Corporeal Motions: but, | |
as I said before, there are many sorts of Lights that are not Elemental Lights; | |
as, Glow-worms Tails, Cats Eyes, Rotten Wood, Fish Bones, and that Human Light | |
which is made in Dreams, and Infinite other Lights, not subject to our | |
Perception: which proves, That Light may be without Heat. But, whether the | |
Light of the Sun, which we name Natural Light, is naturally hot, may be a | |
dispute: for, many times, the Night is hotter than the Day. | |
CHAP. XXVIII. Of DARKNESS. | |
THE Figurative Motions of Light and Darkness, are quite opposite; and the | |
Figurative Motions of Colours, are as a Mean between both, being partly of the | |
Nature of both: but, as the Figurative Motions of Light, in my opinion, are | |
rare, straight, equal, even, smooth Figurative Motions: those of Darkness are | |
uneven, ruff, or rugged, and more dense. Indeed, there is as much difference | |
between Light and Darkness, as between Earth and Water; or rather, between | |
Water and Fire; because each is an Enemy to other; and, being opposite, they | |
endeavour to out-power each other. But this is to be noted, That Darkness is as | |
visible to Human Perception, as Light; although the Nature of Darkness is, To | |
obscure all other Objects besides it self: but, if Darkness could not be | |
perceived, the Optic Perception could not know when it is dark; nay, | |
particular dark Figurative Motions, are as visible in a general Light, as any | |
other Object; which could not be, if Darkness was only a privation of Light, as | |
the Opinions of many Learned Men are: but, as I said before, Darkness is of a | |
quite different Figurative Motion, from Light; so different, that it is just | |
opposite: for, as the property of Light is to divulge Objects; so, the property | |
of Darkness is to obscure them: but, mistake me not; I mean, that Light and | |
Darkness have such properties to our Perception: but, whether it is so to all | |
Perceptions, is more than I know, or is, as I believe, known to any other Human | |
Creature. | |
CHAP. XXIX. Of COLOVRS. | |
AS for Colour, it is the same with Body: for surely, there is no such thing in | |
Nature, as a Colourless Body, were it as small as an Atom; nor no such thing as | |
a Figureless Body; or such a thing as a Placeless Body: so that Matter, Colour, | |
Figure, and Place, is but one thing, as one and the same Body: but Matter, | |
being self-moving, causes varieties of Figurative Actions, by various changes. | |
As for Colours, they are only several Corporeal Figurative Motions; and as | |
there are several sorts of Creatures, so there are several sorts of Colours: | |
but, as there are those, Man names Artificial Creatures; so there are | |
Artificial Colours. But, though to describe the several Species of all the | |
several sorts of Colours, be impossible; yet we may observe, that there is more | |
variety of Colours amongst Vegetables and Animals, than amongst Minerals and | |
Elements: for, though the Rain-bow is of many fine Colours; yet, the Rain-bow | |
hath not so much Variety, as many particular Vegetables, or Animals have; but | |
every several Colour, is a several Figurative Motion; and the Brighter the | |
Colours are, the Smoother and Evener are the Figurative Motions. And as for | |
Shadows of Colours, they are caused when one sort of Figurative Motions is as | |
the Foundation: for example, If the Fundamental Figurative Motion, be a deep | |
Blew, or Red, or the like, then all the variations of other Colours have a | |
tincture. But, in short, all Shadows have a ground of some sort of dark | |
Figurative Motions. But, the Opinions of many Learned Men, are, That all | |
Colours are made by the several Positions of Light, and are not inherent in any | |
Creature; of which Opinion I am not: For, if that were so, every Creature would | |
be of many several Colours; neither would any Creature produce after their own | |
Species: for, a Parrot would not produce so fine a Bird as her self; neither | |
would any Creature appear of one and the same Colour, but their Colour would | |
change according to the Positions of Light; and in a dark day, in my opinion, | |
all fine coloured Birds, would appear like Crows; and fine coloured Flowers, | |
appear like the Herb named Night-shade; which is not so. I do not say, That | |
several Positions of Light may not cause Colours; but I say, The Position of | |
Light is not the Maker of all Colours; for, Dyers cannot cause several Colours | |
by the Positions of Light. | |
CHAP. XXX. Of the Exterior Motions of the Planets. | |
BY the Exterior Motions of the Planets, we may believe their Exterior Shape is | |
Spherical: for, it is to be observed, That all Exterior Actions are according | |
to their Exterior Shape: but, by reason Vegetables and Minerals have not such | |
sorts of Exterior Motions or Actions, as Animals; some Men are of opinion, they | |
have not Sensitive Life; which opinion proceeds from a shallow consideration: | |
neither do they believe the Elements are sensible, although they visibly | |
perceive their Progressive Motions; and yet believe all sorts of Animals to | |
have sense, only because they have Progressive Motions. | |
CHAP. XXXI. Of the Sun, and Planets, and Seasons. | |
THE Sun, Moon, Planets, and all those glittering Stars we see, are several | |
sorts of that Man names Elemental Creatures: but Man, having not an infinite | |
Perception, cannot have an infinite perceptive knowledge: for, though the | |
Rational Perception is more subtle than the Sensitive; yet, the particular | |
Parts cannot perceive much further than the Exterior Parts of Objects: but, | |
Human Sense and Reason cannot perceive what the Sun, Moon, and Stars are; as, | |
whether solid, or rare; or, whether the Sun be a Body of Fire; or the Moon, a | |
Body of Water, or Earth; or, whether the Fixed Stars be all several Suns; or, | |
whether they be other kinds or sorts of Worlds. But certainly, all Creatures do | |
subsist by each other, because Nature seems to be an Infinite united Body, | |
without Vacuum. As for the several Seasons of the Year, they are divided into | |
Four Parts: but the several Changes and Tempers of the Four Seasons, are so | |
various, altering every moment, as it would be an endless work, nay, | |
impossible, for one Creature to perform: for, though the Almanack-makers | |
pretend to fore-know all the variations of the Elements; yet, they can tell no | |
more than just what is the constant and set-motions; but not the variations of | |
every Hour, or Minute; neither can they tell any thing, more than their | |
Exterior Motions. | |
CHAP. XXXII. Of Air corrupting Dead Bodies. | |
SOME are of opinion, That Air is a Corrupter, and so a Dissolver of all dead | |
Creatures, and yet is the Preserver of all living Creatures. If so, Air hath an | |
Infinite Power: but, all the reason I can perceive for this Opinion, is, That | |
Man perceives, that when any Raw (or that we name Dead) Flesh, is kept from the | |
air, it will not stink, or corrupt, so soon as when it is in the air: but yet | |
it is well known, that extreme cold air will keep Flesh from corrupting. | |
Another Reason is, That a Fly entombed in Amber, being kept from air, the | |
Fly remains in her Exterior Shape as perfectly as if she were alive. | |
I answer, The cause of that may be, that the Figurative Motions of Amber, may | |
sympathize with the Exterior consistent Motions of the Fly, which may cause the | |
Exterior Shape of the Fly to continue, although the Innate Nature be altered. | |
But Air is, as all other Creatures are, both Beneficial, and Hurtful to each | |
other; for Nature is poised with Opposites: for we may perceive, that several | |
Creatures are both Beneficial and Hurtful to each other: as for example, A Bear | |
kills a Man; and, on the other side, a Bear's Skin will cure a Man of some | |
Disease. Also, a Wild-Boar will kill a Man; and the Boar's Flesh will nourish a | |
Man. Fire will burn a Man, and preserve a Man; and Millions of such Examples | |
may be proposed. The same may be said of Air, which may occasion Good or Evil | |
to other Creatures; as, the Amber may occasion the death of a Fly; and, on the | |
other side, may occasion the Preservation, or Continuation of the Fly's | |