in Favour of them That Men are but little attentive to what is spoken at that time That the most Exact are sometimes guilty of it and that they do not desire their Words should be collected like those of Scaliger and of Cardinal du Perron There is some Reason in these Excuses and we are willing to believe that such kind of Faults deserve some Indulgence People are desirous to speak in Conversation but there are unhappy days in which they do not hit things right We are not always in a Humour to think and to express our selves well and Time is so short on certain Occasions that the least Cloud and the least absence of Mind makes those which have the greatest Interest and Penetration of Min stumble unluckily into Extravagant Absurdities But if the Faults which the Pretenders to Learning commit in Conversation are excusable the Faults they are guilty of in their Books after mature Deliberation are by no means pardonable especially if they are frequent and are not aton'd by some good thing For those who write an ill Book make abundance of People lose their time in reading of it besides their falling into the same Errors they are guilty of and this occasions many more which is a thing of very ill Consequence But though it be a greater Fault than People imagine to compose an ill Book or only an useless one it is a Fault that sooner meets with Reward than Punishment For there are Crimes which Men do not punish whether it be that they are in Fashion or because their Reason is not commonly so steady to condemn as Criminals whom they look upon to be Men of better Sense than they are themselves Authors are commonly look'd upon as Extraordinary Men who soar much above others and so they are respected instead of being punish'd Therefore there is no likelihood that Men should ever erect a Tribunal to Examine and Condemn all such Books as only serve to Corrupt Reason So that we must never expect to see the Republick of Letters better regulated than other Republicks are since both are compos'd by Men. Moreover it is very necessary in order to remove Error to allow the Republick of Letters more Liberty than others in which Novelty is always very Dangerous For should the World Incroach upon the Liberty of Learned Men and Condemn all Novelties without Discernment it would confirm us in our Errors Therefore there is no reason to find fault with my speaking against the Government of the Republick of Letters and with â—my endeavouring to show that often those great Men which are admir'd by others for their Profound Learning are at the bottom only Vain Proud Men without Judgment and without any true Science I am oblig'd to speak thus of them least People should blindly submit to their Decisions and follow their Errors The Proofs of their Vanity III. Of the Books of Pretenders to Learning of their Want of Judgment and of their Ignorance are apparent in their own Works Those who will give themselves the Trouble to examine them with an Intent to Judge of them by the Rule of Common Sense and without Prejudice of Esteem for those Authors will find that most of the Designs of their Study are grounded upon an unjudicious Vanity and that their principal End is not to perfect their Reason and much less to regulate the Motions of their Heart but only to Confound others in order to appear more Learned than they This is the Reason as we have already observed that they always fix upon odd extraordinary Subjects and that they only use odd and extraordinary Expressions to explain themselves and quote none but odd and extraordinary Authors They seldom explain themselves in their own Language it is too common nor yet with a clear plain easie Latin they do not speak to be understood but to be admir'd They seldom apply themselves to Subjects which are useful for the Conduct of Life that seems too common to them They neither endeavour to be useful to others nor to themselves but only to be thought Learned They give no Reasons for what they say or else they are such Mysterious and Incomprehensible ones as neither themselves nor any body else conceives with Evidence They have no clear Reasons and if they had they would not use them Those Reasons do not surprise the Mind they look too plain and too common every body is capable of them They rather chuse to relate Authorities to prove or to seem to prove their Thoughts for often the Authorities they alledge prove nothing by the Sense they contain they only prove because they are Greek or Arabick But it will not be amiss to speak of their Quotations it will in some respect discover the Disposition of their Minds It is very evident in my Opinion that nothing but False Learning and the Spirit of Polimathy could make Quotations so much in vogue as they have been hitherto and as they are still among some of the Learned for it is not very difficult to find Authors who quote large Passages every Moment without any reason for it either because the things they advance are so clear that no body doubts them or because they are so Obscure that the Authority of their Authors cannot prove them Or lastly Because the Quotations they alledge can add no Ornament to what they say It is repugnant to Common Sense to introduce a large Greek Passage to prove that the Air is Transparent because it is a thing that is known by every body To use the Authority of Aristotle to persuade us that there are Intelligences which move the Heavens because it is evident that Aristotle could know nothing of it Or to mix Forteign Languages Arabick and Persian Proverbs in French and Latin Books compos'd for every bodies use because those Quotations can add no Ornaments to them or else they are Fanrastical Ornaments which disoblige a great many People and can oblige but very few Nevertheless most of those that would be thought Learned take so much delight in those kind of Quotations that they are not asham'd sometimes to introduce them in Languages they do not understand and they strain hard to force an Arabick Passage into their Books which perhaps they cannot read Thus they puzzle themselves to compass a thing which is contrary to Common Sense yet pleases their Vanity and makes them cry'd up by Fools They have also another Defect which is very considerable and that is They take little care to show they have read with Choice and Judgment they only desire to appear to have read much and particularly Obscure Books in order to be thought great Scholars Books that are Scarce and Dear least People should think they want any thing Wicked and Impious Books which Honest Men dare not read Just like those that brag of Crimes which others dare not commit Therefore they will rather quote you very Dear very Scarce very Ancient and very Obscure Books than such as
are more Common and more Intelligible and Books of Astrology of the Caballa and of Magick than good Books as if they were not Sensible that Reading being the same thing as Conversation they should endeavour to show that they have taken care to read good Books and such as are most Intelligible and not such as are bad and Obscure For as it would argue a Depravation of Mind to be fond of Conversing commonly with Men we do not understand without an Interpreter when it is in our Power to inform our selves otherwise of what we desire to know So it is Ridiculous to read only such Books as cannot be understood without a Dictionary when the same things may be learn'd in those that are more Intelligible And as it is a Sign of Madness to affect the Company and Conversation of Impious Persons so it is the Character of a corrupted Heart to delight in the reading of ill Books But it is an Extravagant piece of Pride to be willing to perswade that one has read even those that one has not read which nevertheless is pretty frequent For there are Persons that are but Thirty Years of Age that quote more Ill Books in their Works than they could have read in several Ages and yet they will perswade others they have read them with great Exactness But most of the Books of certain Learned Men are only compil'd by dint of Dictionaries and they have hardly read any thing beyond the Contents of the Books they quote or some Common Places collected out of different Authors I dare not particularly enlarge upon those things nor give Examples of them for fear of offending Persons so Haughty and so Splenatick as those Pretenders to Learning are for there is no Delight in being abus'd in Greek and Arabick Moreover It is not very Material in order to render what I say the more Sensible to give particular Proofs of it Men being naturally enough inclin'd to find Fault with the Conduct of others and to apply what has been said In the mean time let them please themselves with that vain Phantasm of Grandeur and let them give each other the Applauses which we refuse to give them We have perhaps already disturb'd them too much in an Injoyment which seems so Sweet and so Delightful to them CHAP. IX How the Inclination we have for Honours and Riches leads us to Error HOnours and Riches as well as Virtue and Sciences which we have been speaking of are the Principal things that raise us above other Men for our Being seems to Agrandize and become Independent by the Possession of these Advantages So that the Love we bear our selves carrying it self naturally to Honours and Riches we may affirm at least that all People have some Inclination towards them Let us explain in few words how these Inclinations hinder us from finding out Truth and engage us into Falsehood and Error We have shown in divers Places that a great deal of Time Pains Assiduity and Industry of Mind are required to discover Truths that are compos'd and surrounded with Difficulties and which depend on many Principles From thence it is easie to conclude That Publick Persons who have great Imployments great Estates to govern and great Affairs to manage and who much Covet Honours and Riches are not very fit to Search after these Truths and that they often are guilty of Error in relation to Things that are not easily known when they set up for Judges of them 1. Because they have but very little Time to imploy in Search of Truth 2. That commonly they do not delight in it 3. Since they are not very capable of Attention because the Capacity of their Mind is divided by the multitude of the Idea's of such things as they desire and to which they are oblig'd to apply themselves 4. Because they think they know every thing and are not easily perswaded that their Inferiours can have a greater share of Reason than they have for though they are willing to learn some things of them they are unwilling to be instructed by them in solid and necessary Truths They fly out into a Passion when any Body contradicts and undeceives them 5. Since all their Imaginations are commonly applauded though never so false and opposite to Common Sense and that Men Laugh at those that are not of their Opinion though they maintain undeniable Truths The sordid Flatteries of those that are about them confirm them in their Errors and in the false Esteem they have of themselves and so encourages them to judge boldly of all things 6. Because they seldom fix on any but sensible Notions which are fitter for Common Conversations and to preserve the Esteem of Men than the pure Idea's of the Mind which serve to discover Truth 7. Since those who aspire to any Dignity endeavour as much as they can to suit themselves to the Capacity of others because nothing Excites the Envy and Aversion of Men so much as too uncommon Sentiments It is very difficult for those whose Mind and Heart is taken up with the Thoughts and Desires of making their Fortune to discover difficult Truths and when they do find out any they often abandon them out of Interest because the Defence of those Truths does not suit with their Ambition Men must often Wink at Injustice to become Magistrates a solid and uncommon Piety often hinders a Man from obtaining the Goods of Fortune and the generous Love of Truth often deprives Men of the Pulpit where Truth ought to be Taught All these Reasons joyn'd together make Men that are much above others by their Dignities Nobility and Riches or such who only think of rising and making their Fortune very liable to Error and little capable of discovering hidden Truths For among those things that are necessary to avoid Error in Questions that are somewhat difficult there are two principal ones that are not commonly met with in the persons we are speaking of viz. Attention of Mind to Penetrate into the Bottom of Things and Wisdom enough not to Judge of them Rashly Even those that are chosen to Teach others and whose Business it is to Inform themselves in order to instruct those that are committed to their Care commonly become liable to Error as soon as they become Publick Persons Either because that having very little time they are incapable of Attention and applying themselves to things which require a great deal of time or because that being earnestly desirous to appear great Scholars they boldly decide all things without the least Consideration and will hardly suffer any Body to Oppose and to Instruct them CHAP. X. Of the Love of Pleasure in relation to Morality I. We must shun Pleasure though it make us Happy II. It must not incline us to the Love of Sensible Delights WE have spoken in the three preceding Chapters of the Inclination we have towards the preservation of our Being and how it occasions our falling into many Errors We will
as Judges because that by their Meditation they have acquir'd to themselves such a Right of judging of the Merit or Demerit of the Cause that it cannot but in Justice be submitted to them CHAP. XX. The Conclusion of this first Book I. That our Senses are only given us for our Bodys II. That we must doubt of their Testimony III. That it is not an inconsiderable thing to doubt as we ought to do WE have in my Opinion I. That our Senses are only given us for the preservation of our Body sufficiently discover'd the General Errors into which our Senses betray us both in respect of their proper Objects as also of those things which are not perceiv'd but by the Understanding I believe there is no Error we are subject to upon their occasion whose Cause may not be discover'd in some of those things which have been already mention'd if they be well examin'd We have also seen that our Senses are very faithful and exact to Instruct in the Relations which all Bodies that are about us have to one another but that they are incapable of informing us what Bodies are in themselves that a right use of them tends only to the Preservation of our Health and Life that we cannot sufficiently despise them when they arrogate Dominion over the Mind This is the thief thing which I wish may be well remembred in all this first Book viz. That we conceive well that our Senses are only given us for the preservation of our Body that we six this Thought in our Mind and that to be deliver'd from the Ignorance we are now involv'd in we seek for other assistances besides those which our Senses afford â—s But if there are some Persons as certainly there will be too many who are not perswaded of there last Propositions from what I have here advanc'd II. We must distrust the Testimony of our Senses I would at least desire this of them That they would only learn a little to distrust their Senses and if they will not wholly reject their Testimony as false and deceitful that they will not refuse to doubt of it And indeed it appears to me that enough has been said to create at least some scruple in the Mind of reasonable Persons and consequently to excite them to make use of their Liberty otherwise than they have yet done For if they begin to doubt whether the Testimony of their Senses are true they will more easily refrain their assent and so keep themselves out of those Errors unto which they have hitherto been subject Especially if they well remember that Rule in the beginning of this Treatise Never to give an entire assent but to things intirely evident and to which they cannot refrain consenting without knowing certainâ— that they should make an ill use of their Liberty if they did not consent Besides III. Thâ—â— it is not an inconsiderable thing to doubt as one ought to do let no one imagine that he has made but a small advancement if he has only learn'd to doubt To doubt with Judgment and Reason is not so small a thing as People imagine for here it may be said that there 's a great difference betwixt doubting and doubting we doubt through Passion and Brutality through Blindness and Malice and lastly through Fancy and only because we would doubt But we doubt also with Prudence and Caution with Wisdom and Penetration of Mind Academics and Atheists doubt upon the first grounds true Philosophers on the second The first doubt is a doubt of darkness which does not conduct us into light but always removes us from it The second doubt is begot of Light and assists us in some manner to produce it in its proper place Those who doubt only after the first manner do not apprehend what it is to doubt with Judgment they laugh at what Defeartes teaches us about doubting in the first of his Metaphysical Meditations because it appears to them that he would only have them doubt out of fancy that he would only have them say in general that our Nature is infirm our Mind is full of blindness that we must take great care to deface these prejudices and other like things It is not sufficient to say the Mind is weak we must be sensible of its weaknesses It is not enough to say it is subject to Error we must discover in what our Errors consist This is what I believe has been begun in this first Book by explaining the Nature and Errors of our Senses I shall in the second prosecute the same design by explaining the Nature and Errors of our Imagination The End of the first Book A SEARCH AFTER TRUTH BOOK II. Of the Imagination The First Part. CHAP. I. I. A general Idea of the Imagination II. That it includes two faculties the one Active and the other Passive III. The general Cause of the changes which happen to the Imagination of Man and the design of this second Book IN the preceeding Book we have treated of the Senses and have endeavoured to explain their Nature precisely observing what use ought to be made of them We have discovered the chief and most general Errors which they make us subject to and have attempted so to limit their power that we may expect much and fear nothing from them if they are always kept within these limits we have prescribed In this second Book we shall treat of the Imagination Natural Order obliging us to it for there being so great a Relation between the Senses and the Imagination we ought not to separate them It will afterwards appear that these two Powers differ amongst themselves only as to more or lest This is the order we shall observe in this following Treatise It is divided into three Parts In the first we shall explain the Physical Causes of the disorder and Errors of the Imagination In the second we shall make some application of these Causes to the most general Errors of the Imagination and shall also speak of what may be call'd the Moral Causes of these Errors In the third we shall speak of the contagious Communication of strong Imaginations If the generality of those things that are contain'd in this Treatise are not so New as what has been already said in explaining the Errors of the Senses they will not however be of less use Thinking Persons are sensible enough both of the Errors and even of the Causes of the Errors whereof I treat but very few make a sufficient reflexion thereon I pretend not to instruct all the World 't is the Ignorant I wou'd teach and only inform others or rather I endeavour here both to instruct and inform my self We have said in the first Book I. A general Idea of the Imagination that the Organs of our Senses were composed of little Fibres which on one side terminate in the outward parts of the body and skin and on the other at the middle of the Brain Now these
the chief Fibres of all the Muscles which is the Heart that they encompass its Orifices Auricles and Arteries that they spread themselves even in the substance of the Lungs and so by their different motions produce very considerable changes in the Blood For the Nerves which are dispersed through the Fibres of the Heart cause it somerimes to extend and then again to contract with too much force and precipitancy pushing with much violence a great quantity of Blood towards the Head and all the external parts of the Body yet sometimes these Nerves produce an effect directly contrary And the Nerves which encompass the Orifices Auricles and Arteries of the Heart cause very near the same effect with those Spiracles or breathing Holes with which the Chymists moderate the heat of their Furnaces and as the Spouts do which are made use of in Fountains to diminish or encrease the force of the stream For the use of these Nerves is diversly to contract or dilate the Orifices of the Heart and so to hasten or retard the filling and evacuation of the Blood and thereby to augment of diminish its heat Thus the Nerves which are dispersed through the Lungs have also the same use for the Lungs are compos'd only of the branches of the Wind-pipe of the Venous Artery and Arterious Vein interwoven one with another it is visible that the Nerves which are extended throughout the whole substance by contracting of them hinders the Air from passing with so much liberty through the branches of the Wind-pipe and likewise impedes the motion of the Blood through the Venous Artery into the Arterious Vein and so into the Heart Thus these Nerves according to their different agitation still augment and diminish the heat and motion of the Blood In all our Passions we have very sensible Experiments of these different degrees of heat in our Heart Sometimes we feel it manifestly encrease and diminish all of a sudden and as we falsely judge that our Sensations are in the parts of our Bodies and so by that means excite our Soul as it was explained in the first Book so almost all our Philosophers have imagined that the Heart was the principal seat of the Passions of the Soul and this is still the most commonly received Opinion Now because the faculty of Imagining receives great changes by what happens to the Animal Spirits and that the Animal Spirits differ very much according to the different fermentation of the Blood which is made in the Heart it is very easie to discover why passionate Persons imagine things quite after another manner from those who consider them in cold Blood The other Cause which contributes very much either to the augmenting or diminishing these extraordinary fermentations of the Blood in the Heart consists in the action of many other branches of the Nerves which we have already spoke of These branches spread themselves in the Liver II. Of the change of the Spirits caus'd by the Nerves which go to the Liver to the Spleen and the rest of the Bowels which contains the most subtile part of the Blood or what is commonly called the Bile and in the Spleen which contains the more gross or Melancholy in the Pancreas which contains an acid Juice very proper for fermentation In the Stomach Bowels and other parts which contain the Chyle And indeed they are dispersed through every place which can contribute any thing to the varying the fermentation of the Blood in the Heart Also the Arteries and Veins are united to these Nerves as Willis has discovered of the lower Trunk of the great Artery which is ty'd to them near the Heart of the Axillary Artery on the right side the Emulgent Vein and of some others Thus the use of the Nerves being diversly to act those parts to which they are join'd it is easie to conceive how the Nerve which environs the Liver may in contracting it cause a great quantity of Bile to run into the Veins and into the Duct of the Bile which being mingled with the Blood in the Veins and with the Chyle enters into the Heart through the Duct of the Bile and there produces a more violent heat than ordinary Thus when we are mov'd with certain Passions the Blood boils in the Arteries and Veins and this heat spreads it self through the whole Body the Head is inflamed and filled with so great a number of Animal Spirits which being too brisk and too much agitated by their impetuous course hinder the Imagination from representing any other things than those whose Images they form in the Brain that is from thinking of any other Objects besides those of the Passion which Rules It is the same of the little Nerves that go to the Spleen or to other parts which contain a thicker Matter and less susceptible of Heat and Motion it renders the Imagination altogether languishing and dull in causing some gross Matter and such as is difficult to be put in Motion to run into the Blood As for those Nerves which environ the Arteries and Veins their use is to hinder the Blood from passing and by contracting them compel it to run into such places as it finds the freest passage to So that part of the great Artery which supplies all the parts above the Heart with Blood being connected and compressed by these Nerves the Blood must necessarily enter into the Head in great quantities and this way produce a change in the Animal Spirits and by consequence in the Imagination But it must be well observed III. That these Judgments happen without the concurrence of our Will by the order of Providence that all this is performed meerly by Mechanism I mean that all the different Motions of these Nerves in all the different Passions are not produced by the Command of the Will but on the contrary are made without nay even contrary to its Orders So that a Body whose Soul is not so well disposed as that of a healthful Man shall be capable of all the Motions which accompany our Passions Thus even Beasts may have the like altho' they should be only pure Machines And indeed this ought to make us admire the incomprehensible Wisdom of him who hath so well ordered all these Springs that it is sufficient for an Object to move the Optick Nerve after such and such a manner to produce so many different Motions in the Heart the other parts of the Body and even in the Face it self for it hath lately been discovered that the same Nerve which extends some of its branches into the Heart and into the other interior parts also communicates some of its branches to the Eye to the Mouth and to the other parts of the Face So that it cannot raise any Passion within us but it also appears outwardly because there can no motion happen to the branches which go to the Heart but it also communicates it self to some one of those which are dispersed through the Face The
Correspondence and Sympathy which is found between the Nerves of the Face and some others that answer to other parts of the Body and which want a Name is yet more remarkable and that which produces this great Sympathy is that as in the other Passions the little Nerves that go to the face are only branches of that which descends lower When we are surprized with any violent Passion if we carefully reflect upon what we feel in our Bowels and the other parts of the Body where these Nerves infold themselves as also upon the changes which accompany it in the face and if we consider that all these diverse agitations of our Nerves are wholly involuntary and that they happen notwithstanding all the resistance our Will can make against them we shall not find it so difficult to suffer out selves to be perswaded of this plain Exposition that has been made of all those Relations the Nerves have one to another But if we examine the reasons and end of all these things we shall find therein so much Order and Wisdom that but a little serious attention will be requisite to convince those Persons that are the most Wedded to Epicurus and Lucretius that there is a Providence which rules the World When I see a Watch. I have reason to conclude that there is an Intelligence since it is impossible that Chance shou'd have produc'd and dispersed all its Wheels into order How then can it be possible that Chance and the meeting together of Atoms shou'd be able so justly and proportionably to dispose all those divers Springs as appear both in Man and other Animals And that Man and all other living Creatures shou'd beget others which bear such an absolute resemblance to them So it is ridiculous to think or say with Lucretius that 't is Chance that has form'd all the parts whereof Man is composed that the Eyes were not made to see but Men were induced to see because they had Eyes and so of the other parts of the Body These are his Words Lumina ne facias oculorum clara creata Prospicere ut possimus ut proferre viai Proceras passus ideo fastigia posse Surarum ac feminum pedibus fundata plicari Bâ—achia tum porro validis exapta lacertis Esse manusque datus utrâque ex parte ministras Vt facere ad vitam possimus quae foret usus Caetera de genere hoc inter quaecumque pretantur Omnia perversà praepostera sunt ratione Nil ideo natu'est in nostro corpore ut uti Possimus sed quod natum est id procreat usum Must not one have a strange aversion for a Providence thus voluntarily to be blinded for fear of acknowledging it and endeavour to render our selves insensible to proofs so strong and convincing as those that Nature has furnished us with It is true that if once we come to affect being thought great Wits or rather Impious as the Epicureans have done we shall immediately find our selves surrounded with darkness and perceive only by false Lights boldly deny those things that are most clear and arrogantly and magisteriously affirm what is most false and obscure This Poet may serve for a proof of the blindness of these mighty Wits for he boldly determines tho' contrary to all appearance of Truth upon the most difficult and obscure Questions and it seems that he did not perceive even those Idea's that are most clear and evident If I shou'd stay to relate some more passages of this Author to justifie what I say I shou'd make too long and tedious a digression altho' it may be permitted to make such reflections as may for a moment divert the Mind from more essential Truths yet is it never permitted to make such digressions as for a considerable time take off the Mind from giving attention to the most important Subjects to apply it to trivial things CHAP. V. I. Of the Memory II. Of Habits WE have already explain'd the general Causes as well external as internal which produce any change in the Animal Spirits and by consequence in the faculty of Imagining we have show'd that the external are the Food which nourishes us and the Air we breath and that the internal consists in the involuntary agitation of certain Nerves We know of no other general Causes and even dare affirm there are none So that the faculty of Imagining depending in respect to the Body only upon these two things the Animal Spirits and the disposition of the Brain upon which they act there remains nothing more in order to the giving a perfect knowledge of the Imagination but only to shew the different changes that can happen in the substance of the Brain We will examine them after we have given some Idea of the Memory and of Habits that is of the faculty that we have of thinking of those things that we have before thought of and of acting things over again which we have already done Order requires this Method For the Explanation of the Memory I. Of the Memory 't is necessary to remember what has already been repeated so many times that all our different Perceptions depend upon the changes that happen to those Fibres that are in that part of the Brain in which the Soul more particularly resides This only supposed the nature of the Memory is explained for even as the Branches of a Tree which have continued sometime bent in a certain form still preserve an aptitude to be bent anew after the same manner So the Fibres of the Brain having once received certain impressions by the course of the Animal Spirits and by the action of Objects along time retain some facility to receive these same dispositions Now the Memory consists only in this facility since we think on the same things when the Brain receives the same impressions As the Animal Spirits act sometimes with more and sometimes with less force upon the substance of the Brain and that sensible Objects make a much greater impression than the Imagination alone it is easie from thence to discover why we do not equally remember all things we perceive For example why what one often perceives is commonly represented more lively to the Soul than what one perceives but once or twice why we remember more distinctly what we have seen than what we have only imagined and so likewise why one shou'd know better how the Veins are dispersed through the Liver after having but once seen a dissection of this part than after having many times read in a Book of Anatomy and other like things But if we shou'd reflect upon what hath been before said of the Imagination and the short discourse made on the Memory supposing us once delivered from this prejudice that our Brain is too small to preserve a very great number of traces and impressions we shall have the pleasure to discover the cause of all these surprizing effects of the Memory whereof St. Austine speaks with so much
accompanied with the Emotions of the Spirits because all things which we see do not appear to us always either Good or Evil. These Connexions also may alter and break off because not being always requisite for the Preservation of Life they ought not always to be the same But there are Traces in our Brains that are Naturally united one with another as also with certain Emotions of the Spirits because such a Connexion is necessary for the Preservation of Life and their Connexion cannot be broken off or at least not very easily because it 's convenient that it should be always the same For Example the Trace of a Precipice which a Man sees under himself and from which he is in danger of falling or of some great Body which is ready to fall upon us and crush us to Death is Naturally join'd to the Trace which represents Death as also to an Emotion of the Spirits which disposes us to fly or desire an Escape This Connexion of Traces never changes because it is necessary that it should be always the same and it consists in a Disposition of the Fibres of the Brain which we have from our Birth All those Connexions which are not Natural may and ought to be broken because the various Circumstances of Time and Place ought to alter them so that they may be useful to the Preservation of Life 'T is convenient for Example that Partridges should fly from Men with Birding-Pieces in their Hands especially at such times and in such places where Men are accustomed to Hunt after them but it is not necessary that they should fly at other times and in other places Thus for the Preservation of all Creatures 't is necessary that there should be certain Connexions of Traces which may be easily form'd and destroy'd and that there should be others which may not be broken without great difficulty And lastly others which are never to be broken 'T is very useful to enquire carefully into the different Effects which these different Connexions are capable of producing for they are very numerous and of great importance for the Understanding of Man and of all things between him and which there is any Relation We shall find in the sequel of this Discourse that these Things are the Principal Cause of our Errors But 't is time to return to what we promis'd to treat of and to explain the different Changes that befal the Imagination of Men by reason of their various Manner of Living CHAP. IV. I. That Studious Men are the most subject to Error II. The Reasons why they rather choose to follow Authothority than make use of their Judgment THE Differences that are in the various Manners of Mens Living are almost Infinite There are a great Number of different Conditions Employments and Societies These Differences are the reason that almost all Men pursue different Designs and argue upon different Principles It would be very difficult to meet with several Persons who have absolutely the same Prospects in one and the same Community wherein particular Persons ought to be all of the same Spirit and have the same Designs Their different Employs and Conversation do necessarily give a different Turn and Humour in the way of Managing the Execution of those Things in which they agree This shews that it would be an impossible Undertaking to particularize the Moral Causes of Error But besides it would be of no use to do it here 't is our business only to speak of such Manners of Living as betray Men into the greatest Number of Errors and to such as are of the highest Importance When we shall have Explained those we shall have open'd a Way sufficient to enable the Mind to proceed farther and every body may be able to Survey at once and very easily the most bidden Causes of several particular Errors which cannot be explain'd but with a great deal of Time and Labour When the Mind sees clearly it delights it self with pursuing Truth which it does with an inexpressible swiftness I. That Studicus Persons are the mst subject to Error The Employment which seems most necessary to be treated of in this place because it produces the most considerable changes in the Imagination of Men and which lead us most into Error is the Employment of Studious Persons who make more use of their Memory than Wit For Experience always shews us that they who apply themselves most eagerly to the Reading of Books and to Search after Truth are those who have lead us into the greatest number of Errors 'T is the same thing with those that Study as with those that Travel When a Traveller by misfortune has taken the wrong Road the farther he advances the more remote he is from the Place whither he designs to go and the more diligent and hasty he is to arrive to the end of his Journey the more he wanders out of the way In like manner those ardent desires which Men have for Truth cause 'em to precipitate themselves into the Reading of Books where they think to find it or to frame to themselves a Chimerical Systeme of things which they desire to know for which they have a strong fancy and which they endeavour by the vain Efforts of Wit to make others relish to the end they may receive the Honour which is usually due to the Inventors of Systemes Now let us explain these two Defects 'T is a difficult thing to apprehend how it comes to pass that Men of Sense should rather choose to make use of other Persons Judgment in the Search of Truth than of that which God has bestow'd upon ' em Without doubt there is infinitely much more pleasure and honour for a Man to guide himself with his own than other Men's Eyes nor does any Man who has good Eyes ever dream of shutting 'em or of putting 'em out in hopes of one to guide him nevertheless 't is the same thing with the use of Judgment as with the use of the Eyes for as the Judgment is â—â—â—nitely above the Eyes the use of it is accompanied with satisfactions far more solid and which content it after another manner than Light and Colours do the Sight However Men always make use of their own Eyes to be their Guides but they seldom or never make use of their own Judgment to discover the Truth But there are several Causes which contribute to this same Perturbation of the Mind II. Reasons why they rather choose to follow Authority than make use of their own Judgement First the Natural Sloath of Men that will not give themselves the Trouble of Meditation Secondly Their Inability of Meditating into which they are fallen for want of applying themselves to it in their Youth as has been shew'd in the Ninth Chapter In the third place the little Love Men have for Abstracted Truths which are the foundation of every thing that is to be known here below In the fourth place the Satisfaction that Men
its Extension and by little and little renders it both weak obscure and confus'd Now the greatest part of those who boast of knowing the Opinions of others never Study but after the second Manner and so the more Reading they have the more their Judgment becomes Feeble and Confus'd The Reason is because the Traces of their Brains are confounded one with another being very numerous and because Reason has not digested 'em in order which hinders the Mind from imagining and representing clearly to it self the Things which it stands in need of When the Mind goes about to open certain Traces meeting with others more familiar it never seeks another Passage For the Capaciousness of the Brain not being Infinite 't is impossible but the great number of Traces form'd irregularly must interfere one with another and cause a Confusion among the Idea's 'T is for this very Reason that Persons that have great Memories are incapable of judging such things as require much attention But that which is chiefly to be observed is this that the Knowledge they acquire who Read without Meditation are only to retain the Opinions of others In a word that all Sciences that depend upon the Memory are properly these kinds of Knowledge that puff Men up because they make a great noise and infuse a World of Vanity into those that possess them Thus they who are learned after that manner being usually full of Pride and Presumption pretend they have a Right to Judge of every thing tho' they are very uncapable which causes them to fall into a great number of Errors But this false Knowledge does more mischief still for these Persons fall not alone into Error they draw along with them almost all the Minds of the Vulgar sort and a very great Number of young People who believe all their Decisions as so many Articles of Faith These falsely Learned having often prevail'd over them with the weight of their profound Learning and having deafned them as well with extraordinary Opinions as with the Names of ancient and unknown Authors have gain'd so powerful an Authority over them that they respect and admire as Oracles whatever they utter and no less unadvisedly embrace all their Sentiments Persons also much much Ingenious and more Judicious who had never known them before or could not be inform'd by others what they are hearing them talk at such a rate and with so haughty so imperious and grave an Air would have much ado to refrain their respect and esteem for what they say because it is a difficult thing to forbear paying somewhat to Air and Deportment For as it often happens that a Man who is fierce and daring abuses others who are stronger but more prudent and moderate than himself so they who maintain Things which are neither true nor probable put their Adversaries to Silence by speaking after an imperious haughty and grave manner which surprizes them Now these People of whom we speak have a high Conceit of themselves and despise other Men as being fortify'd with a certain Air of Pride intermix'd with Gravity and a Counterfeit Modesty which prepossesses and wins those that hear them For it is to be observ'd that all the different Airs of Persons of different Conditions are only the Natural consequences of that Esteem which every Man has of himself in reference to others as it is easie to perceive if we never so little consider it Thus the Air of Fierceness and Brutality is that of a Man that magnifies himself and little values the Merit of others The Modest Air is that of a Man who has a low Conceit of himself a high Esteem for others The Grave Air is that of a Man who has a high Conceit of himself and greatly Ambitious of others Esteem And the Simple Air is that of one who has no great Conceit either of himself or of any body else So that all the different Airs which are almost Infinite are only the Effects which the different Degrees of Esteem that Men have of themselves or of those with whom they Converse naturally produce in our looks and over all the Exterior parts of our Bodies We have in the Fourth Chapter explain'd the Correspondence between the Nerves that raise the Passions within us and those which demonstrate them outwardly by the Air which they Imprint upon the Face CHAP. VI. That Studious Persons are usually prejudic'd in favour of some Author so that their Principal Aim is to know what he believ'd without minding what he ought to believe THere is another fault of great consequence whereinto great Students usually fall which is That they Dote upon some certain Author If there be any thing true and good in the Book they cry it up even to excess every thing is true the whole is good every thing in it is to be admir'd They please themselves with admiring what they understand not and they would have all the World admire it as well as themselves They assume Honour to themselves from the Praises which they give to those obscure Authors because thereby they perswade others that they understand them perfectly well and this affords them no small occasion of Vanity They value themselves above other Men because they believe they understand a Piece of Impertinency in an Old Author or in a Man that perhaps never understood himself How many Learned Men have Sweated to Illustrate some obscure Passages of the Ancient Philosophers and Poets and how many great Wits are there who make it their whole delight to Criticize upon a Word or the Sentiment of an Author But 't is convenient to bring some Instance for what I alledge The Question concerning the Immortality of the Soul is without all doubt a Question of great Importance The Philosophers are not to be blam'd for using all their endeavours to resolve it and tho' they compile large Volumes to prove tho' weakly enough a Truth that may be demonstrated in a few Words or in a few Pages at most yet they are excusable But who can refrain from laughing to see them put themselves to such a World of Trouble to decide what Aristotle thought of it 'T is in my Opinion a thing of little benefit to those that live now to know whether there were ever such a Man who was call'd Aristotle whether that Man ever wrote those Books which go under his Name whether he meant such or such a thing in such a part of his Works it can neither make a Man more Wise or more Happy But 't is of great Importance to know whether what he has said be true or false in it self 'T is to no purpose then to know what Aristotle believ'd touching the Immortality of the Soul tho' it be of great moment to know that the Soul is Immortal However we are not afraid to assert that several Learned Men have put themselves to more trouble to know the Opinion of Aristotle upon this subject than the Truth of the Thing in it self
since there are some who have compos'd whole Folio's on purpose to unfold what that Philosopher believ'd of it but never did so much to know what he ought to have believ'd of it But tho' so great a number of People have tir'd their Brains to resolve what was Aristotle's Opinion they labour'd all to no purpose since they cannot as yet agree about this trifling Question which shews that the Followers of Aristotle are very Unfortunate to have a Man so obscure to enlighten them and who himself affected obscurity as he testifies in a Letter which he wrote to Alexander The Opinion then of Aristotle touching the Immortality of the Soul has been at several times a very great Question and very considerable among Studious Persons but because it may not be thought that I talk at Random and without any Foundation I am oblig'd to recite in this place a passage out of La Cerda somewhat long and somewhat tedious wherein that Author has heap'd together as many different Authorities upon that subject as upon a Question of great moment His words are these that follow upon the second Chapter of Tertullian de Resurrectione Carnis Quaestio haec in scholis utrimque validis suspicionibus agitatur num animam immortalem mortalemve fecerit Aristoteles Et quidem Philosophi haud ignobiles asseveraverunt Aristotelem posuisse nostros animos ab interitu alienos Hi sunt è Graecis Latinis interpretibus Ammonius uterque Olympiodorus Philoponus Simplicius Avicenna uti memorat Mirandula l. 4. de examine vanitatis Cap. 9. Theodorus Metochytes Themistius S. Thomas 2. contra gentes cap. 79. Phys lect 12. praeterea 12. Metap lect 3. quodlib 10. qu. 5. art 1. Albertus tract 2. de anima cap. 20. Tract 3. cap. 13. Aegidius lib. 3. de anima ad cap. 4. Durandus in 2. dist 18. qu. 3. Ferrarius loco citato contra gentes late Eugubinus l. 9. de perenni Philosophia cap. 18. quod pluris est discipulus Aristotelis Theophrastus magistri mentem ore calamo novisse peritus qui poterat In contrariam factionem abiere nonnulli Patres nec infirmi Philosophi Justinus in sua Parainesi Origenes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut fertur Nazianz. in disp contra Eunom Nyssenus l. 2. de anima cap. 4. Theodoretus de curandis Graecorum affectibus l. 3. Galenus in historia Philosophicâ Pomponatius l. de immortalitate animae Simon Portius l. de mente humana Caietanus 3. de anima cap. 2. In eum sensum ut caducum animum nostrum putaret Aristoteles sunt partim adducti ab Alexandro Aphodis auditore qui sic solitus erat interpretari Aristotelicam mentem quamvis Eugubinus cap. 21. 22. eum excuset Et quidem unde collegisse videtur Alexander mortalitatem nempe ex 12. Metaph. inde S. Thomas Theodorus Metochytes immortalitatem collegerunt Porro Tertullianum neutram hanc opinionem amplexum credo sed putasse in hac parte ambiguum Aristotelem Itaque ita citat illum pro utraque Nam cum hic adscribat Aristoteli mortalitatem animae tamen l. de anima c. 6. pro contrario opinione immortalitatis citat Eadem mente fuit Plutarchus pro utraque opinione advocans eundem Philosophum in l. 5. de placitis Philosop Nam cap. 1. mortalitatem tribuit cap. 25. immortalitatem Ex Scholasticis etiam qui in neutram partem Aristotelem constantem judicant sed dubium ancipitem sunt Scotus in 4. dist 43. qu. 2. art 2. Harveus quodlib 1. qu. 11. 1. senten dist 1. qu. 1. Niphus in Opusculo de immortalitate animae cap. 1. recentes alii interpretes quam mediam existimationem credo veriorem sed scholii lex vetat ut autoritatum pondere librato illud suadeam We give ye all these Citations for true upon the Credit of the Commentator believing it would be loss of time to justifie them and because we have not all the Books from whence they were Extracted Nor do we add any new ones because we do not envy him the Honour of having well collected them and for that it would be still more loss of time had we a desire to do it tho' we should only for that purpose turn over the Indices of the Commentators upon Aristotle We see then by this passage of La Cerda that Studious Men who pass for able Scholars have put themselves to the Trouble to know what Aristotle believ'd of the Immortality of the Soul and that there were some of them that never scrupled to Write Books on purpose upon this subject among whom was Pomponatius For the principal Aim of that Author in his Book is to shew that Aristotle believ'd the Soul to be Mortal And perhaps there are some People who do not only enquire what Aristotle believ'd upon this subject but also look upon it as a Question of great Importance to know whether for Example Tertullian Plutarch or others believ'd or not that the Opinion of Aristotle was that the Soul was Mortal as we have great reason to believe of La Cerda himself if we consider the last part of the Passage which we have cited viz. Porro Tertullianum c. If it be not very Profitable to know what Aristotle thought concerning the Immortality of the Soul nor what Tertullian and Plutarch thought what Aristotle believ'd however the main of the Question about the Immortality or Mortality of the Soul is at least a Truth very necessary to be known But there are an infinite number of things the knowledge of which is very unnecessary and of which by consequence 't is to yet less purpose to know what the Ancients thought of them Nevertheless they put themselves to a World of trouble to guess at the Sentiments of Philosophers upon subjects of the like Nature We meet with Books full of these Inquisitions and these are the Trisles that have rais'd so many Wars among the Learned These vain and impertinent Questions these frivolous Genealogies of unprofitable Opinions are the Important subjects of the Criticisms of the Learned They imagine themselves the Absolute Masters of the Genealogical History of substantial Forms and the World is Ingrateful if it does not acknowledge their Merit How do these things display the Weakness and Vanity of Human Wit When Reason does not that regulates our Studies our Studies not only grow incapable of perfecting Reason but even darken corrupt and absolutely pervert it But 't is necessary here to observe that in Questions concerning Faith they are no way to blame who search what St. Austin for Example or any other Fathers of the Church have believ'd concerning those things as neither are they who enquire whither St. Austin believ'd what they believ'd who preceded him because we cannot attain to Matters of Faith but by Tradition Reason not being able to discover them The most Ancient Belief being the most true 't is requisite to know what was
their Masters For as those Persons do as much as in 'em lies never permit any but such as are devoted to their Interests or such as they are no way afraid of to speak to their Masters so the Prejudices of these Men will not permit the Mind to behold with a fixed Eye the Idea's of Objects that are wholly pure and unmix'd but they disguise 'em they cover 'em with their Liveries and present 'em in that manner all masqu'd so that 't is a difficult thing for 'em to undeceive themselves and acknowledge their Errors CHAP. IX I. Of Effeminate Wits II. Of Superficial Wits III. Of Persons of Authority IV. Of those that make Experiments WHat we have said is sufficient in my Opinion to set forth in general what are the Defects of the Imagination in Studious Persons and the Errors to which they are most subject Now in regard there are none but these Persons who trouble themselves with Searching after Truth and because all the rest of Mankind depends upon them for it it might be thought that we should here conclude this Second Part. Nevertheless 't is convenient to say something more concerning the Errors of other Men because it will not be amiss to know what they are Of the Effeminaâ—e Wits Whatever flatters the Senses extreamly affects us and to whatever affects us we apply our selves proportionably to the pleasure we take in it Thus they who give themselves up to all manner of the most sensible and pleasing Divertisements are incapable of penetrating Truths that include any considerable difficulty because the Receptacle of the Mind which is not infinite is wholly taken up with their Pleasures or at least they have a very great share therein The generality of Great Men Courtiers Rich Men young People and they that are call'd by the name of fine Wits being taken up with continual Pastimes and only Studying the Art of flattering their Concupiscence and Voluptuous Appetites by degrees acquire such a Delicacy of Skill in these things or rather such a Softness that they may be often said to be rather Effeminate than fine Wits as they pretend to be For there is a great difference between Fineness and Softness of Wit though they are generally confounded one with another Fine Wits are they who discern by the Conduct of Reason the most minute differences of things who foresee the uncommon and almost imperceptible Effects that depend upon Hidden Causes In short these are they who penetrate into the Subjects which they consider But soft Wits have nothing but a false Delicacy they are neither lively nor pierceing they discern not the Effects from the Causes even of the most gross palpable thing Lastly they neither apprehend nor penetrate into any thing but are extreamly nice as to Manners A Clownish Word the Accent of a particular County a little Grimace provokes 'em more than a torrent of confus'd and frivolous Arguments they cannot know the Defect of Reasoning but are immediately very sensible of a false Measure or an irregular Gesture In short they understand sensible things perfectly because they keep their Senses in continual Exercise but they want the true understanding of things that depend upon Reason because they seldom or never make use of their own Nevertheless these are the Persons who are most esteemed in the World and easily acquire the Reputation of Curious Wits For when a Man speaks with a free and disengag'd Air when his Expressions are pure and well chosen when he makes use of Simile's that flatter the Senses and move the Affections after an imperceptible manner though he utter nothing but trivial things though there be nothing found nothing true in all his fine Words He according to the Common Opinion shall be cried up for a Curious Wit a Refin'd Wit a Polish'd Wit They never perceive that he is only a Soft Effeminate Wit and shines only by false Lights that never enlighten the Mind and that his persuasions prevail only because we have Eyes but not because we have Reason Lastly We do not deny but that all Men are in some measure guilty of this weakness which we have observ'd in some There is not any Man whose Mind is not touch'd by the Impressions of his Senses and Affections and who by consequence is not a little sway'd by outward Formalities and Language As to this all Men differ but in the more or the less But the reason why this defect is attributed to some particularly is this because there are some who acknowledge it to be a fault and strive to reform it Whereas they who have been mentioned by us look upon it as a very advantageous Accomplishment Far from acknowledging this same false Delicacy to be the Effect of an Effeminate Softness and the Original of an Infinite number of the Diseases of the Mind they imagine it to be an Effect and Mark of the Beauty of their Genius To these of whom we have spoken Of Superficial Wits we may join a very great number of Superficial Wits who never dive into any thing and who never apprehend unless it be confusedly the differences of things Not through their own fault as in those before mentioned for their Minds are neither fill'd up nor contracted by their Divertisements only they have naturally Slender Wits However this same Slenderness of Wit proceeds not from the Nature of the Soul as may be well imagin'd but it is caus'd sometimes by the great scarcity or the more than ordinary slowness of the Animal Spirits sometimes through the Inflexibility of the Fibres of the Brain sometimes also through an immoderate abundance of Spirits and Blood or for some other Reason which it is not worth while to examine There are then two sorts of Wits Some readily observe the difference of things and these are True Wits Others imagine and suppose a Resemblance between 'em and these are Superficial Wits The first have a Brain proper to receive clean and distinct Traces of the Objects which they consider and because they are very attentive to the Idea's of the Traces they see those Objects as it were near at hand and nothing escapes ' em But Superficial Wits receive none but feeble or confus'd Traces of their Objects They see 'em only as it were cursorily at a distance and very confusedly so that they seem alike to 'em like the Faces of those which we see afar off because the Mind supposes always Likeness and Equality for the Reasons which I shall give in the Third Book The greatest part of those that speak in Publick all those that are call'd great Talkers and many of those who are fluent of Speech though they speak but little are of this sort For they who meditate seriously and accurately are very rarely known to have a Copious Utterance of their own Meditations Usually they hesitate when they begin to speak because they are somewhat cautious of making use of Terms that excite in others a false Idea being asham'd
to speak meerly for Talkings sake like many that speak boldly of every thing that comes next 'em they are therefore concern'd to find out Words proper to express as they ought to do their thoughts which are not common Though we have a great Veneration for Persons of Piety Divines Old Men and generally for all those who have justly acquir'd great Authority over other Men nevertheless we thought our selves oblig'd to say this of 'em it often happens that they believe themselves infallible because all other Men hearken to 'em with Respect because they make little use of their Reason in the discovery of Speculative Truths and for that they condemn with too much freedom whatever they dislike before they have seriously consider'd it Not that they are to be blam'd for not applying themselves to many Sciences of little use for they are allow'd both to let 'em alone and to despise them if they think convenient but they are not to judge of 'em rashly as their fancies lead 'em nor upon ill grounded suspitions For they are to consider that the Gravity of their Delivery the Authority which they have acquir'd over the Minds of Men and their common custom of confirming what they say by some Passage of the Holy Scripture will infallibly lead into Error all those that listen to 'em out of Respect and who being incapable throughly to examine things suffer themselves to be surpriz'd by Manners and Appearances When Error hath the appearance of Truth it is oftimes more respected than Truth it self and this false Respect is attended with dangerous Inconveniencies Pessima res est errorum Apotheosis pro peste intellectus habenda est si vanis accedat veneratio Thus when certain Persons either out of false Zeal or out of a Love for their own thoughts have made use of Scripture to establish false Principles of Natural Philosophy or any other Science they have oft been listen'd to as Oracles by Men that have believ'd 'em upon their Words because of that Veneration which they owe to Sacred Authority but it has likewise happen'd so that Vicious and Corrupted Minds have hence taken an occasion to despise Religion So that by a strange Inversion the Holy Scripture has been the Cause of Error to some and Truth has been the Motive and Original of Impiety to others We ought therefore to be careful as the Author above cited well observes how we seek for dead things among the living and never to pretend by the strength of our own Wits to discover in Sacred Scripture what the Holy Ghost hath not thought fit to reveal Ex divinorum humanorum malesana admixtione continues he non solum educitur Philosophia Phantastica sed etiam Religio Haretica Itaque salutare admodum est si mente solâ—ia fidei cantum deatur quae fidel sunt All Persons then who have Authority over others ought to be so much the more cautions in their Decisions by how much they find 'em to be most adher'd to Divines especially ought to take care how they being Religion into contempt through their false Zeal out of vain glory either to exalt themselves or disseminate their Opinions But because it is not for me to tell 'em their Duty let 'em bear St. Thomas Opuse 9. who being interrogated by his General what he thought of some Articles answered him out of St. Austin in the following manner Multum autem nocet alia que ad pietatis Doctrinam non speclant vel asscrere vel negate quasi pâ—â—tinentia ad sacram doctrinam Dicit enim in 5. Confâ—ss cum audio Christianum aliquem fratrem ista quae Philosophi le caeâ—â— aut stellis de Solis Lunae motibus dixerunt nescientem aliud pro alio sentientem patienter intucor opinantem hominem nec illi obesse video cum de te Domine Creator omnium nostrorum non credat indigna si forte sitûs habitûs Creaturae Corporalis ignoret Obest autem si haec ad ipsam doctrinam Pietatis pertinere arbitretur pertinacius affirmare audeat quod ignorat Quod autem obsit manifestat August in 1. super Genesin ad Litteram Turpe est inquit nimis perniciosum ac maxime cavendum ut Christianum de his rebus veluti secundum Christianas literas loquentem ita delicare quilibet Infidelis audeat ut quemadmodum dicitur toto Coelo errare conspiciens risum tenere vix possit Et non tamen Molestum est quod errans homo videatur Sed quod Auditores nostri ab eis qui foris sunt talia sensisse creduntur cum magno eorum Exitio de quorum salute satagimus tanquam indocti reprehenduntur respumtur Vnde mihi videtur tutius esse ut haec que communes Philosophi senserunt nostrae Fidei non repugnant neque esse sic asserenda ut dogmata Fidei licet aliquando sub nomine Philosophorum introducantur neque sic esse neganda tanquam Fidei contraria ne Sapientibus hujus Mundi contemnendi Doctrinam Fidei occasio praebeatur It 's very dangerous to speak decisively upon Matters which do not belong to Faith as if they did St. Austin tells us in his 5th Book of Confessions When I see says he a Christian that is not acquainted with the Opinions of Philosophers concerning the Heavens the Stars and the Motions of the Sun and Moon and would take one thing for an other I let 'em alone in these Opinions and Doubts For I don't see that Ignorance in the situation of Bodies the different ordering of Matter can injure 'em provided he has not unworthy Sentiments of thee our Lord who art the Creator of us all But it does him an Injury if he is persuaded that these things concern Religion and if he is so bold as obstinately to affirm what he knows not The same Saint explains his Thoughts yet more clearly upon this Subject in the first Book of the Literal Explication of Genesis in these Terms A Christian must take a great deal of Care that he does not speak of these Things as if they were Holy Scripture for an Infidel who should hear him speak Extravigances that should have no appearances of Truth could not forbear laughing at him so the Christian is only Confounded and the Infidel would be very little Edified Yet what is more mischievous in these Encounters than a Man's being deceiv'd is that these Infidels that we endeavour to Convert imagine falsely and to their inevitable ruine that our Authors have very extravigant Sentiments so that they condemn and despise 'em as ignorant Men it is therefore in my Opinion more proper not to affirm the common receiv'd Opinions of Philosophers as Matters of Faith which are not contrary to our Faith although we may sometimes make use of the Authority of Philosophers to make 'em be receiv'd We must not also reject these Opinions as contrary to our Faith that we may give no occasion
body may be an Eye-witness of their Error But when Cato assures us that they who struck him never hurt him he asserts it or may assert it with so much Confidence and Gravity that a Man may justly question whether he be really the same as he appears to be And we may be inclin'd to think that his Soul is not to be shaken because his Body seems to be immovable For the outward Air of the Body is generally a mark of the inward disposition of the Mind So that a daring and undaunted Lyar perswades us sometimes to believe things incredible because their talking with so much Confidence is a Proof that affects the Senses and therefore a most effectual Argument that strongly convinces the generality of People Few there are therefore who look upon the Stoicks as Visionaries or as Audacious Lyars because we have no sensible Proof of that which lies reserv'd in their Breast and because the Air of the Face is a most sensible Proof that easily imposes upon us besides that our innate Vanity readily induces us to believe that Man is capable of that Grandeur and Independency to which he pretends Hence it is apparent that those Errors which abound in Seneca's Writings are of all others the most Pernicious and Contagious because they are a sort of Delicate Insinuating Errors proportion'd to the Vanity of Mankind and like to that wherein the Devil engag'd our first Parents They are likewise array'd with those Pompous and Magnificent Ornaments which make way for 'em into most Mens Minds They enter take possession stupifie and captivate 'em not with a Blindness that inclines those miserable Mortals to Humility a sensibleness of their own Ignorance and an acknowledgment of it before others but with a Haughty dazling Blindness and a Blindness accompanied with some false Glimmerings And when once Men are smitten with this blindness of Pride they presently rank themselves in the number of fine and great Wits Others also reckon 'em in the same Order and admire ' em So that there is nothing that can be thought more Contagious than this Blindness because the Vanity and Sensuality of Men the Corruption of their Senses and Passions dispose them to be known thereby and puts 'em also upon infecting others with it I believe then there is no Author more proper than Seneca to demonstrate how contagious the Imagination of some Men is who are call'd fine and great Wits and what a Command strong and vigorous Imaginations have over Weak and more Illiterate People not by the strength or evidence of their Arguments which are the productions of Wit but by a certain turn and liveliness of Expression which depends upon the Force of Imagination I know well that this Author is highly esteem'd in the World and that I shall be accus'd of more than ordinary rashness for having spoken of him as of a Man that had a Strong Imagination but little Judgment But it was chiefly by reason of this Esteem that I undertook to speak of him not out of Envy or any Morose Humour but because his great Reputation will excite many to consider more attentively those Errors of his which I have hinted We ought as much as in us lies to produce famous Examples for the confirmation of things that we assert when they are of Consequence and he that Criticizes upon a Book sometimes does it an honour However it be if I find fault with any thing in Seneca's Writings I am not single in that Opinion For not to speak of some Illustrious Persons in this Age 't is about 1600 years ago that a certain Judicious Author observ'd 1. In Philosophia parum diligens 2. Velles eum dixisse suo ingenio alieno judicio 3. Si aliqua Contempsisset c. consensu potius Eruditorum quam puerorum amore comprobaretur Quintil. l. 10. c. 1. 1. That there was little Exactness in his Philosophy 2. Little Judgment or Exactness in his Elocution 3. That his Reputation was more grounded upon the Imprudent Heat of Young Men than confirm'd by the consent of the Wise and Learned 'T is in vain to Encounter palpable Errors with Publick Writings because they are not Contagious 'T is ridiculous to admonish Men that Hypochondraical Persons are in some measure mad they know it well enough But if they for whom they have a high value mistake 't is necessary to bid 'em have a care of such for fear lest they adhere to their Errors Now it is manifest that Seneca's Spirit is a Spirit of Pride and Vanity Therefore since Pride according to the Scripture is the Original of Sin Initium peccati Superbia the Spirit of Seneca cannot be the Spirit of the Gospel Nor can his Morals have any alliance with Christian Morals which are only true and solid 'T is certain that all Seneca's thoughts are neither false nor dangerous They who being endu'd with a found Wit have attain'd the Doctrine of Christian Morals may read him to good advantage Great Men have made a profitable use of him neither is it my intention to blame those who being willing to comply with the weakness of other Men who had so high an esteem for him have drawn Arguments from the Writings of that Author to defend the Morals of Jesus Christ and to engage the Enemies of the Gospel with their own Weapons There are some good things in the Alcoran and we find some true Prophecies in the Centuries of Nostra Damus We make use of the Alcoran to confound the Religion of the Turks and the Prophecies of Nestra Damus may be serviceable to convince some Whimsical Persons But it does not follow because there is something good in the Alcoran that the Alcoran is to be call'd a good Book as some true Explanations of Nostra Damus's Centuries will not make Nostra Damus a Right Prophet and they who make use of these Books to the ends aforesaid cannot be said to have a real Esteem for ' em It would be in vain for any Man to oppose what I have said concerning Seneca by bringing a great number of Passages out of that Author conformable to the solid Truths of the Gospel I agree that there are some such as there are also in the Alcoran and in other Impious Books And they would do me wrong to overwhelm me with the Authority of an infinite number of People that have made use of Seneca because we may sometimes make use of a Book which we believe to be impertinent provided they with whom we have to deal have not the same Opinion of the Author as we have To ruine all the Philosophy of the Stoicks there needs but only one thing sufficiently prov'd by Experience as also by what we have already said That we should be bound to our Body our Parents our Friends our Prince our Country by those ties that we neither can and which it would be a shame for us to endeavour to break Our Soul is united to our Body
's easie to conclude that we must not at first apply our selves to an Enquiry into hidden Truths whose knowledge depends upon too many things and whereof some are not familiar enough to us For we ought to Study methodically and make use of what we know distinctly to apprehend what we know not or what we know but confusedly However the greatest part of those who Study do not take this Course they make no Essay upon their own Strength they consult not themselves to know what they are capable of 'T is a secret Vanity and an irregular desire of knowing and not Reason which rules their Studies They begin inconsiderately to enquire into the most secret and impenetrable Truths and to resolve Questions which depend upon so great number of Relations that the most quick and penetrating Mind cannot discover them with any absolute certainty but after many Ages and almost an infinity of Experiments There are a great number of Questions of this Nature in Physicks and Morality All Sciences of Bodies and their Qualities as of Animals Plants Metals and of their respective Qualities are Sciences which can never be sufficiently evident nor certain especially if they be not manag'd after another Method than heretofore or if we begin not by the most Simple and least compounded Sciences upon which they depend But studious Persons will not give themselves the trouble of Philosophizing in Order they do not agree upon the Certainty of Physical Principles they know not the Nature of Bodies in General nor their Qualities but confess it themselves However they imagin they can give a reason why for Example the Hairs of Old Men wax White and yet their Teeth grow Black which depends upon so many Causes that it 's impossible to give any certain reason for it To know this it 's necessary to understand in what consists the Whiteness of Hairs in particular the Humours with which they are nourished the Philtres through which these Humours pass the Conformation and the Root of the Hairs or the Skin through which they pass and the difference of all these things in a Young and an Old Man which it 's absolutely impossible or at least very difficult to know Aristotle II. An example of want of Order in Aristotle for example hath pretended to know the Cause of this Whiteness which happens to Old Mens Hairs he hath given many reasons in different places of his Books But because he is the Genius of Nature he stays not there he enquires deeper He hath discover'd that the Cause which makes Old Mens Hairs White was the same which made some Persons and some Horses have one Eye Blew and the other of another Colour These are his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is sufficiently Surprising Book V. De Gener. Anim. C. 1. but there is nothing hid from this great Man and he gives reasons of so great a Number of things in almost all places of his Physicks which the sharpest Persons of this Age believe Impenetrable that it was deservedly said of him That God gave him to us that we might be Ignorant of nothing that was to be known Aristotelis Doctrina est Summa Veritas quoniam ejus intellectus fuit finis Humani Intellectus Quare bene dicitur de illo quod ipse fuit creatus datus nobis Divina Providentia ut non ignoremus possibilia Sciri Averroes ought to have added That Divine Providence gave us Aristotle to teach us what was impossible to be known For it 's true that this Philosopher does not only teach us things which may be known but if since he must be believ'd upon his word his Doctrine be the Soveraign Truth Summa Veritas he also teaches us those things which are impossible to be known Certainly one must have much Faith thus to believe Aristotle when he gives us only Logical Reasons and only explains the Effects of Nature by the Confus'd Notions of the Senses especially since he boldly decides Questions which will never be resolv'd by other Men. Thus Aristotle takes a particular Care to inform us that we must believe him upon his word for 't is an incontestable Axiom with this Author that the Disciple must believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is true that Disciples are sometimes oblig'd to believe their Master but their Faith ought to be extended only to Experiments and Matter of Fact for if they intend to become true Philosophers they must examine the Reasons of their Masters and then receive them only when they discover the Evidence of them by their own Judgment But to be a Peripatetick it is absolutely necessary to believe and to retain and the same Disposition of Mind ought to be had at the reading of that Philosophy as at the reading of an History for if any one takes the Liberty of making use of his Judgment and Reason he must not expect ever to be a great Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the reason why Aristetle and many other Philosophers have pretended to know what can never be known is That they have never known the difference betwixt Knowing and Knowing betwixt having a certain and evident Knowledge and having but a probable one And the reason why they never understood this difference is That the Subjects to which they applied themselves being beyond the perfect reach of their Mind they saw but a part of them without being able to comprehend them all together which indeed is enough to discover many Probabilities but not to discover Truth evidently Besides they seeking after Science meerly out of Vanity and probabilities being more apt to gain the Esteem of Men than Truth it self because they are more proportionated to the common reach of the Mind they have neglected to seek after necessary Means to increase the Capacity of the Mind and to give it more Extension than it has so that they have not been able to penetrate the bottom of Truths that are but a little hidden Geometricians have well known how little Extension the Mind has Geometricians behave themselves well in their Search after Truth at least they behaved themselves in their Studies after such way as shews they know it perfectly especially those that have made use of Algebra which Vieta and Descartes have renewed and improv'd in this Age. What I say appears from this That those Persons have not undertaken the Resolution of very compound Difficulties before they knew clearly the more Simple on which they depend They did not apply themselves to the Consideration of Lines as Conick Sections until they were Masters of common Geometry But that which is particular to Algebraists IV. Their Method inlarges the Capacity of the Mind that of Aristotle contractsit is That they see their Mind cannot be at the same time applied to many Figures they cannot imagine Solicts that have more than three Dimensions although it 's often necessary to conceive they may have more they make use of Common and very
that External Objects emit the Species or Images which represent them And 't is only upon this Foundation that they multiply their Faculties and defend their active intellect So that this Foundation having no Solidity as shall soon be shewn it will be unnecessary to spend any time to overturn the Superstructure We are assur'd then that it is improbable that Objects should emit their Images or Species which represent them for these reasons 1. From the impenetrability of Objects All Objects as the Sun Stars and all such as are near the Eyes cannot emit Species which are different from their respective Natures Wherefore Philosophers commonly say that these Species are Gross and Material in which they differ from express'd Species which are Spiritualised These impress'd Species of Objects then are little Bodies they cannot therefore be penetrated nor all the Spaces which are betwixt the Earth and the Heaven which must be full of them Whence it 's easie to conclude they must be bruis'd and broken in moving every way and thus they cannot render Objects visible Moreover one may see from the same place or point a great number of Objects in the Heavens and on the Earth therefore the Species of these Objects can be reduc'd into a Point But they are impenetrable since they are extended Therefore c. But one may not only see a multitude of very great and vast Objects There is no Point in all the great Spaces of the World from whence we cannot discover an almost infinite number of Objects and even Objects as large as the Sun Moon and the Heavens there is therefore no Point in all the World where the Species of all these things ought not to meet which is against all appearance of Truth The Second Reason is taken from the Change which happens in the Species Such as would know how all impressions of Visible Objects however epposite may be communicatedwithout being weaken'd may read Monsicur Descartes his Dioptricks it 's evident that the nearer any Object is the greater its Species ought to be since we see the Object 's greater But what is yet more difficult to conceive according to their Opinion is That if we look upon this Object with a Telescope or a Microscope the Species immediately becomes Six Hundred times as great as it was before for 't is yet more difficultly conceiv'd from what Parts it can grow so great in an instant The Third Reason is when we look upon a perfect Cube all the Species of its Sides are unequal nevertheless we see all the Sides equally Square So when we consider Ellipses and Parallelograms in a Picture which cannot but emit like Species yet we see Circles and Squares This manifestly shews that it is not necessary that the Object beheld should emit Species like it self that it may be seen In fine it cannot be conceiv'd how it can be that a Body which does not sensibly diminish should always emit Species on every Side which should continually fill all the great Spaces about it and that with an inconceivable swiftness For an Object that was hidden in that Instant that it discovers it self may be seen many Millions of Leagues on all Sides and what appears yet more strange is that Bodies in great Motion as Air and some others have not that power of pushing outwards these Images which resemble them as the more gross and quiescent Bodies such as the Earth Stones and generally all hard Bodies have But I shall not stay any longer to enumerate all the contrary Reasons to their Opinion there would be no end a very ordinary Judgment would raise innumerable Objections Those that we have brought are sufficient though they were not so necessary after what has been said upon the Subject of the First Book where the Errors of the Senses were explain'd But there are so great a number of Philosophers wedded to this Opinion that we believe it will be necessary to say something to encline them to reflect upon their own Thoughts CHAP. III. That the Soul has no power of producing Idea's The Cause of Mens Error in reference to this Subject THe Second Opinion is that of those who believe our Souls have any power of producing the Idea's of such things as they will think upon and they are excited to produce them by the Impressions which Objects make upon Bodies although these Impressions are not Images like the Objects which cause them they believe that 't is in this that Man is made after the Image of God and participates of his Power That even as God Created all things out of nothing and can reduce them to nothing again and then Create them anew so Man can Create and Annihilate the Idea's of all things as he pleases But there is great Reasons to distrust all these Opinions which extol a Man these are the Common Thoughts which arise from a vain and proud Original and which the Father of Light hath not inspir'd This participation of the power of God which Men boast of having to represent Objects and of doing many other particular actions is a participation which seems to relate to something of independance as independance is commonly explain'd it is also a Chimerical Participation which Mens Ignorance and Vanity make them to imagine They depend much more than they think upon the Goodness and Mercy of God But this is not a place to explain these things It 's enough if we endeavour to shew that Men have not the Power of forming the Idea's of things which they perceive No one can doubt that Idea's are real Beings since they have real Properties since they differ from one another and represent all different things Nor can we reasonably doubt that they are Spiritual and very different from the Bodies which they represent But it seems reasonable to doubt whether Idea's by whose means we see Bodies are not more Noble than the Bodies themselves for indeed the Intelligible World must be more perfect than the Material and Earthly as we shall see hereafter Thus when we affirm that we have the Power of Forming such Idea's as we please we shall be in danger of perswading our selves to make more Noble and Perfect Beings than the World which God hath Created However some do not reflect upon it because they imagin that an Idea is Nothing since it is not to be felt or else if they look upon it as a Being 't is a very mean contemptible one because they imagin it to be annihilated as soon as it is no longer present to the Mind But supposing it true that Idea's were only little contemptible Beings yet they are Beings and Spiritual Ones and Men not having the power of Believing it follows that they cannot produce them for the production of Idea's after the manner before explain'd is a true Creation and although Men endeavour to palliate and mollifie the hardness of this Opinion by saying that the production of Idea's presupposes something else but Creation
of Well-being Now the Love of Well-being is so Powerful that it sometimes proves Stronger than the Love of Being and Self-Love makes us sometimes desire not to be because we have not a Well-being This is the Case of all the Damned who according to the Word of Jesus Christ had better not to be than to be so Unhappy as they are because these Wretches being declar'd Enemies to him in whom all Goodness Centers and who is the Sole Cause of Pleasure and of Pain which we are capable of it is impossible they should enjoy any Satisfaction they are and will be Eternally Unhappy because their Will will ever remain in the same Disposition and in the same Irregularity So that Self-Love includes two Loves the Love of Greatness of Power of Independence and generality of all things which seem to be proper for the Preservation of our Being and the Love of Pleasure and of all things that are necessary for our Well-being that is To be Happy and Satisfied Those two Loves may be divided several ways Whether because we are composed of two different parts of Soul and Body according to which they may be divided or because they may be distinguish'd or specified by the different Objects that are useful for our Preservation However we will not inlarge upon that because as we do not design to make a Treatise of Morality it is not necessary to make an Inquiry into and an exact Division of all the things we look upon as our Felicities It was only necessary to make this Division to relate the cause of our Errors in some order Therefore we shall first speak of those Errors which are caused by our Inclination for Greatness and for all those things that makes our Being Independant of others And afterwards we shall treat of those which proceed from the Inclination we have for Pleasure and for all those things which render our Being the best it can be for us or that contents us most CHAP. VI. I. Of the Inclination we have for every thing that raises us above other Persons II. Of the false Judgments of some Pious Persons III. Of the false Judgments of the Superstitious and Hypocrites IV. Of Voetius an Enemy to Monsieur Descartes WHatever raises us above others by making us more Perfect as Science and Virtue I. Of the Inclination we have for all that raises us above other Persons or that gives us an Authority over them by making us more Powerful as Dignities and Riches seem in some measure to make us Independent All those that are beneath us have a Respect for us and fear us they are always ready to do what pleases us for our Preservation and they dare neither Prejudice us nor oppose our Desires Therefore Men constantly endeavour to possess those Advantages which raise them above others For they never consider that both their Being and Well-being in Truth only depend on God above and not on Men and that the true Greatness which will make them Eternally Happy does not consist in that Rank which they hold in the Imagination of other Men as Weak and as Miserable as themselves but in an humble Submission to the Will of God who being Just will not fail to reward those who remain within the Order he hath prescribed But Men do not only desire Effectively to possess Learning and Vertue Dignities and Riches they also use their utmost Efforts in order to persuade others that they do really possess them And if it may be said that they endeavour less to appear Rich than to be really so it may also be said that they often take less care to be Virtuous than to appear so For as the Author of the Book Entituled Reflectiones Morales fays agreeably Virtue would not go far unless it were accompanied with Vanity The Reputation of being Rich Learned and Virtuous produces in the Imagination of those that are about us or that are more nearly related to us very convenient Dispositions for us It makes them fall at our Feet it makes them act in our Favour it Inspires them with all the Motions that tend to the Preservation of our Being and to the Increase of our Grandeur Thus Men preserve their Reputation as a Good which is necessary for them to Live with Ease in the World All Men then have an Inclination for Virtue Learning Dignities and Riches and for the Reputation of possessing those Advantages We will now endeavour to show by some Examples how those Inclinations may engage them into Error Let us begin by the Inclination that Men have for Virtue or for the Appearance of Virtue Those who apply themselves Seriously to become Virtuous commonly imploy their Mind and Time to understand Religion and to exercise themselves in good Works They only desire with St. Paul to be acquainted with Jesus Christ Crucified to find out a Remedy for the Distemper and Corruption of their Nature They desire no other Knowledge than that which is necessary for them to live Christianly and to know their Duty after which they apply themselves to fulfil them with Zeal and Exactness And therefore they seldom trouble themselves about Sciences which appear Vain and Barren in respect to their Salvation No Fault can be found with that Conduct it is Infinitely to be valued II. Of the false Judgments of some Pious Persons Men would Esteem themselves Happy to observe it exactly and they often repent their not having followed it more But this is unapprovable that since it is certain that there are Sciences absolutely Humane very Certain and Useful which disingage the Mind from Sensible Things and use it by degrees to relish the Truths of the Gospel some Pious Persons without having examin'd them condemn them too freely either as being Useless or Uncertain It is true that most Sciences are very uncertain and very useless Men are partly in the right to believe that they only contain Truths which are of little use No body is oblig'd to study them and it is better to despise them than to suffer ones self to be deceiv'd or blinded by them Nevertheless we may affirm That it is very necessary to know some Metaphysical Truths The Universal Knowledge or the Existence of a God is absolutely necessary since even the Certainty of Faith depends on the Knowledge which Reason gives of the Existence of a God It is necessary to know that it is his Will which makes and which regulates Nature That the Force or Power of Natural Causes is only his Will In a word That all things whatever depend on God It is also necessary to know what Truth is the means to distinguish it from Error the Distinction between the Mind and Body the Consequences that may be drawn from it as the Immortality of the Soul and several other things of that kind which may be known with certainty The Knowledge of Man or of ones self is a Science that cannot be reasonably despis'd it contains a World of
they have read in Books written by the Enemies of his Person and of his Religion The Book written by that Heretick intitled Desperata causa Papatus sufficiently shews his Impudence his Ignorance and his Passion and his desire to appear Zealous in order thereby to acquire some Reputation among those of his Party Therefore he is not a Man to be credited upon his Word For as there is no reason to believe all the Fables he has Collected in that Book against our Religion so neither is there any to Credit the Injurious Accusations he has invented against his Enemy Rational Men will not suffer themselves to be perswaded that Monsieur Descartes is a dangerous Man because they have read 〈◊〉 in some Book or other or because they have been 〈◊〉 so by Persons whose Piety they have a Respect for It is not lawful to believe Men upon their bâ—re Word when they accuse others of the most Enormous Crimes It is not a sufficient proof to believe a thing because we hear it affirm'd by a Man who speaks with Zeal and Gravity For it is impossible for any Person to relate Falsities and Foolish Stories in the same manner as he would relate good things particularly if he has suffer'd himself to be impos'd upon out of Simplicity and Weakness It is easie to discover the Truth or Falsity of the Accusations that are form'd against Descartes his Writings are Extant and easie to be understood by those that are capable of Attention Therefore I would advise People to Read his Works in order to get better Proofs against him than bare Report and I do not question but after they have read and examin'd them they will no longer Accuse him of Atheism and that on the contrary they will pay him the Respect that is due to a Man who has plainly and evidently demonstrated not only the Existence of a God and the Immortality of the Soul but also a World of other Truths which were unknown until his time CHAP. VII Of the desire of Science and of the Judgments of pretenders to Learning THe Mind of Man has without doubt very little Capacity and Extent and yet he desires to know every thing All Human Sciences cannot satifie his Desires and yet his Capacity is so confin'd that he cannot perfectly apprehend any one particular Science He is in a continual Agitation and desires always to know whether he be in hopes of finding what he looks for as we have said in the preceding Chapter or whether he perswades himself that his Soul and Mind are extended by the vain possession of some extraordinary Knowledge The unruly desire of Happiness and Grandeur makes him study all manner of Sciences hoping to find his Felicity in the Science of Morality and looking for this false Greatness in speculative Sciences What is the reason that some Persons spend all their Life in reading of Rabbi's and other Books Written in Foreign Obscure and Corrupted Languages and by Authors without Judgment and Knowledge But that they perswade themselves that when they are skill'd in the Oriental Languages they are greater and higher than those who are Ignorant of them And what is it that can encourage them in their ingrateful painful useless Labour unless it be the Hope of some Preferment and the Prospect of some new Grandeur Indeed they are look'd upon as extraordinary Men they are Complimented upon their profound Learning People are better pleas'd to hear them than others And though it may be said that they are commonly the least Judicious if it were only for employing all their Life in a very useless Study which can neither make them Wiser nor Happier Nevertheless most People fancy that they have a great deal more Sense and Judgment than others And as they are more Larn'd in the Etymology of Words they also fancy that they are Learn'd in the Nature of Things The same reason induces Astronomers to spend all their Time and Estate to get an exact Knowledge of Things which are not only useless but also impossible to know They endeavour to find an exact Regularity in the Course of the Planets which is not in Nature and to Form Astronomical Schemes to foretel Effects of which they do not know the Causes They have made the Selenography or Geography of the Moon as if People design'd to Travel thither They have already divided it among those that are Famous in Astronomy There are few of them that have not already some Province or other in that Country as a Recompence for their great Labour and I question whether they are not Proud of having been in Favour with him that has so magnificently distributed those Kingdoms among them What is the reason that Rational Men apply themselves so much to this Science and yet remain in gross Errors in respect to Truths which they ought to know unless they Fancy thas it is a great thing to know what passes in the Heavens The knowledge of the Vast Things that passes above seems to them more Noble Greater and more worthy of their great Wit than the knowledge of Vile Abjects Corruptible Things as Sublunary Bodies are in their Opinion The Nobleness of a Science is deriv'd from the Nobleness of its Objects It is a great Principle Therefore the knowledge of the Motion of unalterable and incorruptible Bodies is the highest and most sublime of all Sciences And for that reason it appears to them worthy of the Greatness and Excellency of their Mind Thus Men suffer themselves to be blinded by a false Idea of Grandeur which pleases and moves them As soon as their Imagination is struck by it they fall down before that Phantasm they Reverence it it destroys and blinds their Reason which should be the Judge of it Men seem to Dream when they Judge of the Objects of their Passions to have no Eyes and to want Common Sense For in fine where lies the Excellency of the knowledge of the Motions of the Planets and have we not a sufficient knowledge of it already since we know how to regulate our Months and our Years What does it concern us to know whether Saturn is surrounded by a Ring or by a great number of little Moons and why should we Dispute about it Why should any one be proud of having foretold the greatness of an Eclipse which perhaps he has hit better upon than another because he has had more Luck There are persons appointed by the King's Order to observe the Stars let us rely upon their Observations They may reasonably apply themselves to it for they do it out of Duty It is their business They do it with Success for they employ all their Time about it with Art Application and all the Exactness imaginable They want nothing in order to succeed in it Therefore we ought to be fully satisfy'd upon a matter which concerns us so little when they impart their Discoveries to us Anatomy is a very good Study since it is a thing of