and so few wife didst make Good Nature move their braine another way And then as Beasts as Beasts perchance they may LOrd how the World delight to tell a Lye As if they thought they sav'd a Soule thereby More lyes they tell then they will Prayers say And run about to vent them every way Some bragging lyes and then he tells how free The Ladies were when he 's in Company Or else what such a Lord did say to him And so what answer he return'd to them Or any Action which great Fame hath won Then he saies streight t was by his counsell done When any Wit that comes abroad in print Then he sayes strait he had a finger in 't How he did rectifie and mend the same Or else he wrote it all or gav 't a Name Thus in the World thousands of lyes are told Which none but Fooles their words for truth will hold But in the World there are more Fooles then wise Which makes them passe for Truth when all are Lyes J Begun a Booke about three yeares since which I intend to name the Worlds Ollio and when I come into Flaunders where those Papers are I will if God give me live and health finish it and send it forth in Print I imagine all those that have read my former Books wil say that I have writ enough unless they were better but say what you will it pleaseth me and since my Delights are harmlesse I will satisfie my Humour For had my Braine as many Fancies in 't To fill the World would put them all in Print No matter whether they be well exprest My will is done and that please Woman best A Farewell to the MUSES FArewell my Muse thou gentle harmlesse Spirit That us'd to haunt me in the dead of Night And on my Pillow where my head I laid Thou sit'st close by and with my Fancies play'd Sometimes upon my Eyes you dancing skip Making a vision of some fine Land-skip Thus with your sportings kept me oft awake Not with your noise for nere a word you spake But with your Faiery dancing circling winde Upon a hill of thoughts within my minde When t was your sport to blow out every light Then I did rest and sleep out all the night GReat God from Thee all Infinites do flow And by thy power from thence effects do grow Thou order'dst all degrees of Matter just As t is thy will and pleasure move it must And by thy Knowledge orderd'st all the Best For in thy Knowledge doth thy Wisdome rest And wisdome cannot order things amisse For where disorder is no wisdome is Besides great God thy wil is just for why Thy will still on thy wisdome doth rely O pardon Lord for what I here now speak Upon a guesse my knowledge is but weak But thou hast made such Creatures as Man-kind And giv'st them something which we call a Minde Alwaies in Motion never quiet lyes Untill the Figure of his body dies His severall thoughts which severall Motions are Do raise up love hopes joyes doubts and feare As love doth raise up hope so feare doth doubt Which makes him seek to finde the great God out Selfe-love doth make him seek to finde if he Came from or shaell last to eternity But Motion being slow makes knowledge weake And then his thoughts 'gainst Ignorance doth beat As fluid waters 'gainst hard Rocks do flow Break their soft streames and so they backward go Just so do thoughts and then they backward slide Unto the place where first they did abide And there in gentle murmurs do complaine That all their care and labour is in vain But since none knowes the great Creator must Man seek no more but in his goodnesse trust FINIS Reason Thoughts I mean of Forme dull Matter Some think there was a Chaos a confused Heap The Readers may take either Opinion Severall Motions and severall Figures (†) Not the Matter but the Degrees (†) Not the Bigness of Figures but the manner of shapes which makes some shapes to have the Advantage over others much bigger as a Mouse will kill an Elephant (†) Which is in Likenesse (†) Unlikenesse One Shape hath power over another one Minde knowes more then another Either by Growth or Sense or Reason For when Matter comes to such a degree it quickens That it begins to move Motion is Life * I meane when I say Obstruct that it either turnes their motion another way or makes them move slower * I do not say that Bones are the solid'st matter in Nature †As the Figure of Man * All Motion is Life I mean the Figure of dul matter As a plentifull Crop or a great Brood These degrees are visible to us Dancing is a measur'd Motion †Scorching is when the Motion is too quick †That is when there come so many Spirits as they disagree pressing upon one another (†) Those Degrees that are neerest have the greatest Sympathy (†) Like Chess-men Table-men Nine-pins or the like * I say higher for expressions sake †Nothing can bee made or known absolute out of Infinite and Eternall †Though it may have other Motions yet not the Animall Motion †The Figure might bee without an Animall Motion but an Animall Motion cannot bee untill there is an Animall Figure (†) Which Food is when such Materialls are not proper for such a Figure †The greater the Number is the more variety of Motion is made which makes Figures in the braine (†) In Animall Shapes (†) A Pig of Lead (†) The Huske †To prove that it is the several Motion is that wee shall have the same sense in our sleep either to move Pleasure or feele Paine (†) Like Glass
some false Stitches I must let you understand it was huddl'd up in such hast out of a desire to have it joyned to my Booke of Poems as I took not so much time as to consider throughly For I writ it in lesse then three weekes and yet for all my hast it came a weeke too short of the Presse Besides my desire to have those Works Printed in England which I wrote in England before I leave England perswaded me to send it to the Presse without a further inlargement But I imagine my Readers will say that there is enough unless it were better I can only say I wish it were so good as to give satisfaction howsoever I pleased my selfe in the Study of it The Table OF Matter and Motion page 1. Of the Forme and the Minde 2. Of Eternall Matter 3. Of Infinite Matter 4. There is no proportion in Nature ib. Of one kinde of Matter 5. Of Infinite Knowledge ib. There is no Judge in Nature ib. Of Perfection 6. Of Inequalities ib. Of Unities 8. Of Thin and Thick Matter ib. Of Vacuum 9. The Unity of Nature ib Of Division 10 The order of Nature ib. Of War and no absolute power 11. Of Power ib. Similizing the Spirits or Innate Motion Of Operation 13. Of Natural or Sensitive War 14. Of Annihilation ib. Of Life 15. Of Change 20. Of Youth and Growth 21. Of Increasing 22. Of Decay 23. Of Dead and Death 24. Of locall Shapes 25. This visible Motions in Animals Vegetables and Minerals 26. Of the working of the severall Motions of Nature 27. Of the Minde 30. Of their severall Dances and Figures 31. The Sympathy and Antipathy of Spirits 33. The Sympathy of Sensitive and Rationall Spirits in one Figure 36. The Sympathy of the Rationall and Sensitive Spirits to the Figure they make and inhabit 37. Of Pleasure and Paine 38. Of the Minde ib. Of Thinking or the Minde and Thoughts 41. Of the motions of the Spirits 42. Of the Creation of the Animall Figure 45. Of the gathering of the Spirits 47. The moving of Innate Matter 49. Of Matter Motion and Knowledge or Understanding 52. Of the Animall Figure 54. What an Animall is 55. Of Sense and Reason exercis'd in their different Shapes 56. Of the dispersing of the Rationall Spirits 63. Of the Senses 64. Of motion that makes Light 65. Of Opticks ib. Of the flowing of the Spirits 66. Of Motion and Matter 67. Of the Braine 68. Of Darknesse ib. Of the Sun 69. Of the Clouds ib. Of the motion of the Planets 70. Of the motion of the Sea ib. I speak not here of Deiaticall Infinites but of grosse Infinites such as Philosophers call Chaos OF MATTER AND MOTION THERE is no first Matter nor first Motion for matter and motion are infinite and being infinite must consequently be Eternall and though but one matter yet there is no such thing as the whole matter that is as one should say All And though there is but one kinde of matter yet there are infinite degrees of matter as thinner and thicker softer and harder weightier and lighter and as there is but one matter so there is but one motion yet there are infinite degrees of motion as swifter and slower and infinite changes of motion And although there is but one matter yet there are infinite of parts in that matter and so infinites of Figures if infinite figures infinite sizes if infinite sizes infinite degrees of higness and infinite degrees of smalnesse infinite thicknesse infinite thinnesse infinite lightnesse infinite weightinesse if infinite degrees of motion infinite degrees of strengths if infinite degrees of strengths infinite degrees of power and infinite degrees of knowledge and infinite degrees of sense Of the Form and the Minde AS I sayd there is but one Matter thinner and thicker which is the Forme and the Minde that is Matter moving or Matter moved likewise there is but one motion though slower or swifter moving severall wayes but the slower or weaker motions are no lesse motion then the stronger or swifter So Matter that is thinnest or thickest softest or hardest yet it is but one Matter for if it were divided by degrees untill it came to an Atome that Atome would still be the same Matter as well as the greatest bulk But we cannot say smallest or biggest thickest or thinnest softest or hardest in Infinite Eternall Matter THat Matter which was solid and weighty from all Eternity may be so eternally and what was spungie and light from all Eternity may be so eternally and what had innate motion from Eternity may be so eternally and what was dull without innate motion from Eternity may be so eternally for if the degrees could change then there might be all thin and no thicke or all thicke and no thin all hard no soft and fluid or all fluid and no solidity For though contracting and dilating may bring and joyne parts together or separate parts asunder yet those parts shall not be any other wayes then by Nature they were Of Infinite matter INfinite Matter cannot have exact Forme or Figure because it hath no Limits but being divided by motion into severall parts those Parts may have perfect Figures so long as those Figures last yet these parts cannot be taken from the Infinite Body And though parts may be divided in the Body Infinite and joyned severall wayes yet Infinite can neither be added nor diminished yet division is as infinite as the Matter divided No proportion in Nature IN Nature there is no such thing as Number or Quantity for Number Quantity have only reference to division neither is there any such thing as Time in Eternity for Time hath no reference but to the Present if there be any such thing as Present Of one Kinde of Matter ALthough there may be infinite degrees of matter yet the Nature and kind of Matter is finite for Infinite of severall kindes of Matter would make a Confusion Of Infinite knowledge THere can be no absolute Knowledge if infinite degrees of Knowledge nor no absolute power if there be infinite degrees of strength nor present if infinite degrees of Motion No Judge in Nature NO Intreaty nor Petition can perswade Nature nor any Bribes an corrupt or alter the course of Nature Justly there can be no complaints made against Nature nor to Nature Nature can give no redresse There are no Appeales can be made nor Causes determined because Nature is Infinite and eternall for Infinite cannot be confined or prescribed setled or altered rul'd or dispos'd because the Effects are as infinite as the Causes and what is infinite hath no absolute power for what is absolute is finite Finite cannot tel how Infinite doth flow Nor how Infinite Matter moveth to and fro For Infinite of Knowledge cannot guess Of Infinite of Matter more or lesse Nor Infinite of Causes cannot finde The Infinite Effects of every Kinde Of Perfection IN Infinite can no Perfection be For why Perfection is in Unity
his delight although (†) it is against his liking So the rationall spirits oftimes agree with the Motions of the sensitive spirits although they would rather move another way The Sympathy of the Rationall and Sensitive Spirits to the Figure they make and inhabit ALL the Externall Motion in a Figure is by the sensitive spirits and all the Internall by the Rationall spirits and when the Rationall and Sensitive Spirits disagree in opposite Figures by contrary Motion they oft war upon one another which to defend the sensitive Spirits and rationall Spirits use all their force and power in either Figure to defend or to assault to succour or to destroy through an aversion made by contrary Motions in each other Now the rationall spirits do not only choose the Materialls for their defence or assault but do direct the sensitive spirits in the management thereof and according to the strength of the spirits of either side the victory is gain'd or lost If the Body be weak there is lesse sensitive Spirit if the direction be not advantageous there is lesse rationall Spirit But many times the Alacrity of the rationall and sensitive Spirits made by moving in a regular Motion overcomes the greater numbers being in a disorder'd Motion Thus what is lost by Scarcity is regain'd by Conformity and Unity Of Pleasure and Paine ALL Evacuations have an Expulsive Motion If the Expulsive Motion is regular t is Pleasure if irregular t is Paine Indeed all Irregular and crosse Motion is Paine all Regular Motion is Pleasure and Delight being a Harmony of Motion or a discord of Motion Of the Minde IMagine the rationall Essence or Spirits like little sphericall Bodies of Quick-silver several ways (†) placing themselves in several Figures sometimes moving in measure and in order and sometimes out of order this Quick-silver to be the Minde and their severall postures made by Motion the Passions and Affections or all that is moving in a Minde to expresse those severall motions is onely to be done by guesse not by knowledge as some few I will guesseat Love is when they move in equall number and even measure Hate is an opposite motion Feare is when those small Bodies tumble on a Heap together without order Anger is when they move without measure and in no uniforme Figure Inconstancy is when they move swistly severall wayes Constancy is a circular motion Doubt and suspition and jealousie are when those small Bodies move with odd numbers Hope is when those small Bodies move like wilde Geese one after another Admiration is when those Sphericall Bodies gather close together knitting so as to make such a circular figure and one is to stand for a Center or point in the midst Humility is a creeping motion Joy is a hopping skipping motion Ambition is a lofty motion as to move upwards or * higher then other motions Coveting or Ambition is like a flying motion moving in severall Figures like that which they covet for if they covet for Fame they put themselves into such Figures as Letters do that expresse words which words are such praises as they would have or such Figures as they would have Statues cutt or Pictures drawne But all their motion which they make is according to those Figures with which they sympathize and agree besides their motion and figures are like the sound of Musick though the Notes differ the cords agree to make a harmony so several Symmetries make a perfect Figure severall Figures make a just number and severall quantities or proportions make a just weight and severall Lines make an even measure thus equall may be made out of Divisions eternally and infinitely And because the Figures and motions of the infinite Spirits which they move and make are infinite I cannot give a finall description besides their motion is so subtle curious and intricate as they are past finding out Some Naturall Motions work so curious fine None can perceive unlesse an Eye divine Of Thinking or the Minde and Thoughts ONE may think and yet not of any particular thing that is one may have Sense and not Thoughts For Thoughts are when the Minde takes a particular notice of some outward Object or inward Idea But Thinking is only a Sense without any particular notice As for Example Those that are in a great feare and are amazed the Minde is in confus'd sense without any particular Thoughts but when the Minde is out of that amaze it fixes it selfe on Particulars and then have Thoughts of past danger but the Minde can have no particular Thought of the Amaze for the Minde cannot call to minde that which was not Likewise when we are asleep the Mind is not out of the Body nor the Motion that makes the sense of the Minde ceast which is Thinking but the Motion that makes the Thoughts therein work upon Particulars Thus the Minde may bee without Thoughts but Thoughts cannot be without the Minde yet Thoughts go out of the Minde very oft that is such a Motion to such a thing is ceast and when that Motion is made again it returns Thus Thinking is the Minde and Thoughts the Effect thereof Thinking is an equall Motion without a Figure or as when we feele Heat and see no fire Of the Motions of the Spirits IF it be as probably it is that all sensitive Spirits live in dull Matter So rationall Spirits live in sensitive Spirits according to the shape of those Figures that the sensitive Spirits form them The rationall Spirits by moving severall waies may make severall kindes of Knowledge and according to the Motions of the sensitive Spirits in their severall Figures they make though the Spirits may be the same yet their severall Motions may be unknown to each other Like as a Point that writes upon a table-Table-book which when the Letter that was writ thereon is rub'd out the Table is as plain as if there was never any Letter thereon But though the Letters are out yet the Table-book and Pen remaine So although this Motion is gone the Spirit and Matter remaine But if those Spirits make other kindes of Motions like other kindes of Letters or Language those Motions understand not the first nor the first understands not them being as severall Languages Even so it may be in a Sound for that kind of Knowledge the Figure had in the Sound which is an alteration of the Motion of the rationall Spirits caus'd by an alteration of the Motion of the sensitive Spirits in dull Matter And by these disorderly Motions other Motions are ru'bd out of the table-Table-book which is the Matter that was moved But if the same kind of letters be writ in the same place again that is when the Spirits move in the same Motion then the same knowledge is in that Figure as it was before the other kind of Knowledge which was made by other kind of Motion is rub'd out which severall knowledge is no more known to each other then severall Languages
in others As what 's the reason a Beast or a Man or Fowles cannot live in the Water or Fish live long out of the Water And whether there may not bee a Sympathy naturally betwixt some Beasts to other although of a different Figure more then to others by some secret and obscure Motions and whether the severall Dispositions of Men may not have a naturall likeuesse or Sympathy to the severall dispositions and natures of Beasts What causes the severall sorts of Creatures to keep in particular Societies as in Common- Wealths Flocks Heards Droves Flights Covies Broods Eyes Swarmes Sholes and of their particular enmity from some sorts to others and their affections love to others their Factions side-takings and disagreeings in their owne Society their craft and policies of selfe-love and preservation and their tender love and assistance to their Young What makes Superstition And many more But Fancy which is the effect of Motion is as infinite as Motion which made me despaire of a finall Conclusion of my Booke which makes my Booke imperfect and my Fancies unsettled But that which I have writ will give my Readers so much Light as to guesse what my Fancies would have beene at A Dialogue between the Body and the Minde I Write and write and 't may be never read My Bookes and I all in a Grave lye dead No Memory will build a Monument Nor offer Praise unto the Soules content But howsoever Soule lye still at rest To make thy Fame to live have done the best For all the Wit that Nature to me gave I set it forth for to adorne thy Grave But if the Ruines of Oblivion come T is not my fault for what I can is done For all the Life that Nature to me lends About thy worke and in thy Service spends But if thou thinkst I take not paines pray speake Before we part my Body is but weak Soule Braine thou hast done thy best yet thou mightst go To the Grave Learned their subtle tricks to know And aske them how such Fame they do beget When they do write but of anothers Wit For they have little of their owne but what They have from others Braines and Fancies got Body O Soule I shall not need to take such paines The labour will be more then all the gaines For why the World doth cosen and so cheat By railing at those Authors Wits they get Muffling hiding of their Authors face By some strange Language or by some disgrace Their Wit into an Anagram they make That Anagram for their owne Wit they take And here there they do a Fancy steale And so of Strangers make a Common-weale Tell to the World they are true Natives bred When they were borne all in another Head And with translating Wit they march along With understanding praise they grow so strong That they do rule by conquering Fames great Court From whence they send out all their false report This is the way my Soule that they do use By different Language do the World abuse Therefore lye still thou troubled restless Spirit Seek not for Fame unlesse thou hast a Merit Soule Body when thou art gone then I dye too Unlesse some great Act in thy life thou do But prethee be not thou so wondrous nice To set my Fame at a great Merits price Body Alas what can I do to make thee live Unlesse some wise Instructions thou canst give Can you direct me to some Noble Act Wherein Vain-glory makes no false Compact Can you direct me which way I shall take Those that are in distress happy to make Soule No that 's unpossible unlesse all hearts Could be divided into equall parts Body Then prethee be content seek thou no more T is Fortune makes the World to worship and adore A Request to my Friends WHen I am dead and buried lye Within a Grave if Friends passe by Let them not turn away their sight Because they would forget me quite But on my Grave a teare let fall And me unto remembrance call Then may my Ashes rise that Teare to meet Receive it in my urne like Balsome sweet O you that are my dearest Friends do not When I am dead lye in the Grave forgot But let me in your Mind as one Thought be So shall I live still in your Memory If you had dyed my Heart still should have been A Room to keep and hang your Picture in My Thoughts should Copies pencill every day Teares be the Oyle for Colours on to lay My Lips shall mixe thy severall colour'd praise By words compounded various severall waies Innocent white and azure truth agree With modest red Purple in grain to bee And many more which Rhetorick still can place Shadowes of griefe to give a lively grace AN ELEGY HER Corps was borne to Church on gray Goose wing Her Sheet was Paper white to lap her in And Cotten dyed with Inke her covering black With Letters for her Scutcheons print in that Fancies bound up with Verse a Garland made And at the head upon her Hearse was laid And Numbers ten did beare her to the Grave The Muses nine a Monument her gave I Heare that my First Booke was thought to be none of mine owne Fancies onely I owne it with my Name If any thinke my Booke so well writ as that I had not the Wit to do it truely I am glad for my Wits sake if I have any that is thought so well of although Mistrust lies betwixt me and it and if it be so little Wit in it as they mistrust it was not mine I am glad they thinke me to have so much as I could not write so foolish And truely for any Friend of mine as I have none so cowardly that dare not defend their Honour so I have none so foolish as to be affear'd or asham'd to owne their owne Writings And truely I am so honest as not to steale anothers Work and give it my owne Name nor so vaine-glorious as to straine to build up a Fame upon the ground of another mans Wit But be it bad or good it is my owne Unlesse in Printing t is a Changeling grown Which sure I have no reason for to doubt It hath the same mark when I put it out But be it faire or brown or black or wilde I still must own it 'cause it is my Childe And should my Neighbours say t is a dull block T is honestly begot of harmlesse Stock By Motion in my Braine t was form'd and bred By my industrious Study it was fed And by my busie Pen was cloathd though plain The Garments be yet are they without stain But be it nere so plain not rich and gay Phantasticall t is drest the World will say The World thinks all is fine that 's in the Fashion Though it be old if fashion'd with Translation They nere consider what becomes them best But think all Fooles that are not Courtly drest O Nature Nature why dost thou create So many Fooles