in answering the Argument brought against the Essence of Matter and drawn from the Sacrament of the Host think they have right to cry out They are injur'd That their Philosophy is sequestred from Things relating to Faith That they are Philosophers and not Divines and undertake the explaining the Mysteries of Nature not of Religion I would I say they 'd do me the like Justice or if they had rather the same Favour And supposing any one so Religious as to suspect me of the Heresie of those who say The Souls in parting from the Body are not doom'd for Eternity I wish he 'd consider once more that I am in this an Historian and Philosopher not a Theologist and give a Relation of Descartes's World am not making a Profession of Faith Which the Character of an History such as I am upon will bear far more independently of the Truths of our Religion than a System of Philosophy Any one that knows never so little must be forc'd to acknowledg this Which being once suppos'd I return to the Narrative of my Old Gentleman who thus went on M. Descartes's Soul returning to Stockholm found her self in the like unlucky Circumstances as did one Hermotimus L. de Anima mentioned by Tertullian who having procur'd the self-same Secret as Descartes left constantly anights his Body asleep in Bed whilst his Soul went a rambling through the World Both one and the other at their return found their Lodgings out of a Capacity to receive them The Task Descartes's Soul enjoyn'd her self then was to meet at Paris She would not tell me presently of the Accident but only invited me to take a turn or two No sooner said than done With one Snuff of the Tobacco I equipt my self to wait on her My Soul was no sooner out of my Body but she said in Language Spiritual she was about to tell me strange News I am says she no longer Imbody'd my Corps is this day to be interr'd at Stockholm and he gave me the Particulars of what I have been relating Nor did she seem sab or afflicted thereupon I then demanded of her if she experienc'd what the Philosophers report That the Soul being the substantial Form of the Body when separated for good and all is in statu violento She answer'd me she knew nothing of that violent State but found her self incomparably better out than in the Body And that she had but one Concern upon her to know in what part of the vast Space was best to settle her Abode in That she would take my Directions in the thing but that she found her Will inclin'd for the third Heaven The third Heaven according to the division Cartesius makes of the World is the last of all and that which is the farthest remov'd from us For the first is nothing but the Vortex in which is plac'd the Earth whose Centre is the Body of the Sun about which the Coelestial Matter that composes the Vortex carries us and makes us turn continually like the other Planets The second Heaven is incomparably larger than that in which we are and takes up all that mighty space in which we see the fix'd Stars which are so many Suns and have each of them a Vortex of which they are themselves the Centre as our Sun is of this Lastly the third Heaven is all that Matter or all that indefinite Extent which we conceive above the Starry Heaven and is void of Bounds and in respect of which the space of all the other may be consider'd as a Point Now many Reasons determin'd M. Descartes to choose his place of Residence in the highest Heaven The first was To avoid the Company of an Innumerable gang of Souls of Philosophers that were vaulting and fluttering on all parts of this our Vortex for to tell you by the way 't is incredible how many Souls we met upon our Journey And M. Descartes was much surpriz'd to see the Secret of which he took himself to be the first Inventer made use of in all times even by those of a very mean Quality whereby they have escap'd a dying or whose Souls have lost their Bodies by some Accident not unlike that of M. Descartes But that which made their Company so disrelisht and perfectly intolerable to Cartesius his Spirit was That these Souls so disentangled as they were from Matter were tinctur'd still with Prejudice wherewith they were prepossess'd when united with their Bodies That when he would have converss'd with them about the Principles of Bodies and the Causes of several Phoenomena's they faintly suppos'd to him or prov'd by the Authority of Aristotle substantial Forms absolute Accidents and occult Qualities as is done to this day in many Schools And except some few Souls of the highest Rank which he hath converted and proselyted to Cartesiâ—nism all are inveterate and inleagu'd against him with as immoderate Fury as the Philosophers of this World when he began to publish his Doctrin here The second Reason that byass'd him to that Election was because he look'd upon those indefinite Spaces as a new Discovery of which he was the Author For it was upon his forming a distinct Idea of Matter whose Essence consisted in Extension that he concluded Space Extension and Matter to be one and the same thing signify'd under different Names And being it was necessary to admit of a Space and an Extension above our World since we have a most clear Conception of them it was plain That above our World there was Matter too and as we can have no Idea of any Bounds or Limits that Matter has it is necessary it should be Infinite or rather Indefinite Finally the third and most prevailing Reason of all and which he intimated not to me until we arrived upon the place is that well conjecturing the Matter above the fix'd Stars to be uninform'd and not yet shap'd into a World he was in good hopes that he was able to set it to work himself and fancy'd that in dividing and agitating it according to his Principles he could reduce it to a World like this excepting that it would be destitute of real Men and only stor'd with Automatous Machines in their Likeness That Project was the Subject of the most part of his Books especially of his Book of Principles and that Entituled The World of M. Descartes We set out immediately for the third Heaven I shall not descend to the Particulars of our Voyage I hope in a few days you 'll bear me Company there your self I 'll only say that upon our Coasting we found all Things exactly in that Portrait we had drawn before without Form without due Order or any regular posture of the Parts as rude and unsightly Materials that require the Hand of the Artist We survey'd it all about and bewilder'd our selves a long time in the vast Deserts of the other World which perfectly represented to me the Face of the Chaos and that confus'd Mass of which the
the Cynique habited like a Morris-Dancer mounted upon a Cross-way-stone at bottom of which lay his Tub expounding to an Auditory much like that of the Singers du pont neuf In the last sate Aristotle on an exalted Seat that looked more like a Throne than a Magisterial Chair and at his Feet stood all the Philosophers that lived before him in Admiration and listning to him as an Oracle Before the Throne of Aristotle were heaped the Books that represented the Writings of those same Philosophers his Predecessors which one was putting Fire to to sacrifice them to the Goddess Wisdom whose Head resembled a Sun brandishing abundance of Rays upon the Face of Aristotle and making a Glory round about it At the Bottom of the Hall upon a kind of Altar stands a large Silver Statue of the beautiful Pythias formerly Aristotle's Lady for whom his Passion was so strong as to Sacrifice unto her At the Top of the Hall was a Ceiling enrich'd with admirable Paintings lately done divided likewise betwixt Alexander and Aristotle agreeable to the Embossings for on one Side was the Hero receiving a Thunderbolt from the Hand of his pretended Father Iupiter Ammon to fulminate all the Princes of Asia and on the other the Philosopher receiving another from the Hand of Minerva to thunderclap all the Chieftains of the New Sects of Philosophy among which we easily knew M. Descartes M. Gassendi Father Maignan and many others As we were taken up with the Curiosity of all these different Pieces of Sculpture and Painting the Vice-roy of the Place came in to give us Audience Never was Man so much surprized as my old Gentleman at first Sight of the Governour he had formerly known him in Holland when he there accompanied M. Descartes He was called M. Voetius the most resolved Peripatetique in the World and the most avowed of all Descartes's Enemies he that most disturbed the Quiet he came to seek in Holland and the most obstinately as successfully opposed his Design of gaining a Party there Whereas that Man acts the greatest part in the History of Cartesianism of which at the Entrance of my Relation I engaged to give some Particulars when occasion served and seeing at the Intercourse of which I speak we fell upon a Negotiation with him as to a Project of Peace between the Peripatetiques and the Cartesians it will not perhaps be troublesome and impertinent briefly to insert the Difference he had with M. Descartes and the Motive that determined him to fix in the Globe of the Moon M. Descartes Dissâ—rt de Meth. after he had finished his Course of Philosophy in the Colledge de la Fleche ceased not to be a Philosopher thereupon nay pretends he commenc'd one but from that Time As he was fully convinced there was far less to be gained from the most curious of Books and Libraries than from the great Volume of the World the most Compleat and Instructive of all others to such as know how to study it as they ought he pitch'd upon Travel During nine or ten Years he run through most Countries frequented the Court as also the Armies of most Foreign Princes But still as a Philosopher i. e. continually making serious Reflections upon the Intellectual and Moral Part of Man upon the different Customs of Countries upon the contrary Judgments Men make of the self-same things conformably to the different Notions they have imbibed concerning them endeavouring always herein to alembeck Truth from Falshood and to advantage himself equally by the Folly and Wisdom of other Men that he might collect a System of Life composed and regulated by defecated Reason whose Happiness as far as possible should be independent of the Turns and Wheels of Fortune He began to put his Project in Execution in a certain Place in Germany which he does not name where he passed the Winter at his Return from the Coronation of the Emperor Ferdinand III. where closeting himself whole Days together in his Stove he recollected in his Mind all the Observations he had made upon the Conduct of Mankind which he imployed to constitute his Rules of Morality as they are at present in his Book entituled Dissertation de la methode de bien user de sa raison From whence passing to Metaphysical Notices and those of Natural Philosophy he laid the Scheme to the most part of his Works he since hath left us making at the same Time an Essay of his Physicks in the Mechanical Explanation of the Motion of the Heart and Aâ—teries which certainly is not the worst Piece we have of his Works Next he deliberated what Place was most convenient for a Settlement Ibid. he was byassed against his stay in Britanny his Native Country where his Family then bore as it does to this Day a considerable Port foreseeing the Incumbrances he should find among his Relations would inevitably retard his vehement Pursuit of Philosophy In fine he resolved on Holland as a Retreat freest from Disturbance where every one said he minds his own concerns without medling with other Men's and where the Maintenance of those numerous Troops served but to recommend with more Security to the whole Country the Advantages of Peace in the midst of a rageing War He passed near eight Years in Peace and Quiet Ibid. making his ordinary abode at Egmond a little Town on the Coast of Holland insomuch that during all that Space he never left the Country but on the account of his Domestick Occasions that indispensibly oblig'd him to make some Journies into France Ibid. p. 20 Happy if his Zeal for the Publick Good and his Compassion for the Miserable Condition of Philosophy had not made him transgress that excellent Moral Maxim he had prescribed himself to leave the World as he found it without endeavouring to reform it or rectifie its Ideas to think only of finding Truth for himself and of conquering his own Passions but he was worsted first by that of Printing and after by all the other Authors are subject to when they find their Opinions contradicted For it must be confessed although M. Descartes had formed an Idea of a Wise-man to himself much like that of the Stoicks yet any one may see in reading some of his Works he was not yet arrived to that Apathy and Indolence which makes their Essential Character No sooner had he impressed his Dioptriques and his Meteors Next that his Dissertation concerning Method and since his Meditations But he found himself set upon from all Hands all the Vniversities of Holland took the alarm Doctor Reviâ—s for that of â—eyden Voetius and Demâ—tius for Vtrecht Schook for that of Groiningue ratified a triple Alliance against this upstart Enemy who for his Part before he declared and set up his Standard against Aristotle had made underhand a considerable Party Revius having engaged Doctor Tkill on his Side a hot and active Man undertook the Censuring his Meditations throughout his Divinity and the
Submission and respect I am capable of that I am with all my Heart and Soul MONSIEUR Your most humble and most obedient Servant and most zealous Disciple The INDEX PART I. THE different Relations given of the World of Cartesius Page 1 The Conversation of the Author with an old Cartesian and the occasion of his Voyage to the World of Cartesius 5 Cartesius his Design of finding out the Secret of the Soul and Body's Vnion as also that of separating and reuniting them when he pleas'd 9 Cartesius his Progress in the Study and Knowledge of Man 10 The Mystery of the union and separation of the Soul and Body found out by Cartesius 16 The use of the Mystery 19 That Cartesius is not dead 25 The Secret of the union and separation of the Body and Soul known long before Cartesius 30 Cartesius retires into the indefinite Spaces and makes preparation for the building of a World there like this of ours 31 The Author is invited by the old Cartesian and the Spirit of Father Mersennus to come to the building of Cartesius his World 37 The Author's discourse with the Soul of Father Mersennus 39 An Explication of the manner of the Apparition of Spirits 42 The adventure of a little Moor-Page to Regius Physitian of Utrecht formerly a Friend but afterwards an Enemy of Cartesius 45 The Author's Soul is separated from his Body by the secret of Cartesius 51 How according to the Principles of Cartesius all Bodily Operations may be perform'd as well in the absence as presence of the Soul 53 PART II. THE setting out of the Author with the old Cartesian and Father Mersennus for the World of Cartesius 56 What the Air is and of what parts it is compos'd 57 Wherein consists the fluidity of liquid Bodies ibid. Motion naturally and of it self is perpetual 61 The falsity of Cartesius's Axiom that there is ever an equal quantity of Motion in the World taking the word Motion according to Cartesius's definition 62 The way that Spirits converse with one another 67 The Travellers meet upon their Road Socrates Plato and Aristotle and upon what occasion 68 Their discourse with those Philosophers with some notable Particulars of their History 71 Aristotle refutes Cartesius his Method and Meditations 79 The old Cartesian and Father Mersennus railly upon the Sphere of Fire that Aristotle imagin'd 86 The Contradictions of Cartesius 89 His Disciples have indeavour'd to smother one of them in the French Translation of his Works 90 A Suit commenc'd formerly against the Cartesians relating to the Sphere of Fire 94 A description of the Globe of the Moon 97 Cyrano de Bergerac banter'd by Socrates his familiar Spirit in the Globe of the Moon 98 The inequalities observ'd in the Moon are partly Seas and partly Lands shar'd among the most famous Mathematicians and Philosophers as they are to be seen in the Maps of that Country ibid. The Traveller's descent into Gassendus and from thence to Mersennus 99 They Traverse the Hemisphere of the Moon that is opposite to our Earth 100 They are deny'd Admission at Plato and why 101 They arrive at Aristotle which they find strictly gâ—â—rded as a Town under Apprehensions of a Siege 102 The Author finds there and knows again his Regent in Philosophy an old Professâ—r of the Vniversity of Paris 103 A Description of the Lyceum of the Moon 105 The old Cartesian likewise remembers Voetius the greatest Enemy Cartesius had in Holland 108 Some particulars of the Life of Cartesius and his Adventures whilst he staid in Holland 109 The Character of Voetius 112 The Travellers Negotiation with Voetius for the re-union of the Peripateticks and Cartesians 119 A Project of Accommodation presented the Travellers by Voetius 122 They continue their Voyage with two Peripatetick-Souls that Voetius had deputed to accompany them to the World of Cartesius ibid. In their Way they light upon the Souls of Hermotimus and Ainia a Roman Pretor and Duns Scotus 123 c. The Dispute of the Peripatetick Souls with Father Mersennus and the old Cartesian concerning absolute Accidents 127 Cartesius his Explication of the Mystery of the Eucharist not Catholick 130 They meet with Cardan in the Globe of the Moon in the Peninsula of Dreams the reason of his Melancholy 132 The Travellers return to Mersennus 133 Their reading the Project of Accommodation given them by Voetius containing a Confutation of a great part of the Cartesian Philosophy 134 Cartesius's Demonstrations of the Existence of a God refuted by a Mandarin of China 158 The Arrival of the Voyagers to the World of Cartesius 172 PART III. CArtesius his Reception of the Travellers 174 The Discourse of the Author with Cartesius concerning the present State and Condition of the Cartesian Philosophy in our World 174 c. Cartesius his Thoughts of that famous Experiment of the Gravity of the Air said to be M. Paschal's whereof Cartesius pretends to be the Author 181 His Sentiments formerly of the Book of Conick Sections said to be wrote by M. Paschal at sixteen Years of Age 182 The Extravagant Praises of M. Paschal's Panegyrists and of the Preface to the Book concerning the equilibration of Liquors 185 Cartesius his Projects for propagating his Philosophy whilst he was in our World 190 How he designed to get the Iesuits on his Side and then the Fathers of the Oratory and M. Arnauld ibid. Decrees of the Congregation of the Oratory against Cartesianism and Jansenism 193 The great Contest betwixt Malbranche Father of the Oratory and M. Arnauld The Character of the former 196 M. Arnanld compar'd with Admiral de Chatillon 201 Cartesius builds his World before the Travellers and as he builds it explains to them the chiefest Points of his System 207 The Confusion of Aristotle's Embassadors 221 The Return of the Travellers and Arrival to our World 238 In what Condition the Author's Soul found his Body she is seated in quality of a Cartesian Soul upon the Pineal Gland of his Brain 239 PART IV. THE Zeal of the Author converted to Cartesianism to promote the Sect and which he expresses in a Letter he wrote to Cartesius after his Return 242 He is much perplexed by the Ingenious Peripateticks 243 The Ordinary Arguments against Cartesius his System propos'd and refuted 244 The Author sometimes sides with Cartesius to refute him more easily 246 Motion of Matter seems not impossible in the Cartesian System 248 A new Method of proving it possible 250 Other Difficulties drawn from Cartesius his own Principles proposed by the Peripateticks to the Author whose solution he desires of Cartesius 259 The first Argument That by the Principles of Cartesius the Sun and Stars may be prov'd opaque Bodies as are the Planets of the Earth 260 Argument 2. That by Cartesius his Principles we could not see the Stars nor the Sun it self 265 Argument 3. That Cartesius his Principles supposed it is impossible for the Earth to have a particular Vortex in the great Vortex of the Sun 276 The Consequence of the preceeding Demonstration in Astronomy and Physicks The Moon could no longer turn about the Earth nor the Satellites of Jupiter about him 287 Heavy Bodies would not descend to the Centre of the Earth but would fall towards the Sun ibid. There would be no flux or reflux of the Sea 289 The General Principle of all the Physical Effects of the lower World quite over-turned 291 Cartesius his Inconstancy concerning the Properties of his Elements 293 The Physical Arguments that are weak against Copernicus touching the Motion of the Earth are strong against the Cartesians 294 Propositions of very great importance in Physicks advanced without Proof and supposed against all Reason by Cartesius 296 The Author importunes Cartesius to send him the Solution of all these Difficulties 297 The END
What Obligation had you to take up arms against him Monsieur I reply'd I still preserve that Respect that Esteem and Friendship for you which I owe inviolable and I take it for a peculiar favour of Fortune to meet you here to make a fresh Protestation of them And I assure you that I am neither come in quality of a Spy or Enemy but if you please so to receive me of a Voyager 'T was purely curiosity that brought me hither by the way As to the concern of Philosophy I must acknowledge I am a little Sceptical in that Matter and know not at present what I am I am resolv'd to try all Sects before I am determin'd so that you may Sir look upon me as a Man of an uninterested Country and that contrives no Plot or Mischeivous Design against your Commonwealth These Gentlemen indeed are profess'd Carâ—esians but they are Philosophers and Men of Honour and have Esteem for Merit though it be on the contrary side and who hold that Liberty of Conscience in point of Philosophy is the unviolable Charter of all honest well bred Men But I pursued I am highly surpriz'd at the bustle and disturbance in this Country There 's no Spanish Town in Flanders so readily Alarm'd as yours What is' t you so much dread That which we so much dread said he is that Implacable Enemy of our Sovereign your Descartes who when on Earth did all imaginable towards the extirpating the Peripateticks and only desisted there as we are from good Hands inform'd to come to ruin them in this Country It is now more than thirty years so exact a Guard has been observ'd to prevent a Surprize consequent to the Advice we have had that in all this time he hath been forming a Party and gathering all the Forces possible in order to a Descent This is the Intelligence we have receiv'd from a Dutch Professor of Philosophy who acts here as Generalissimo in Aristotle's Absence But Descartes may come as soon as he pleases you see we are in a capacity to receive him Well Monsieur said I if that be all you may sleep secure Monsieur Descartes I assure you has no Design of an Invasion in his Head he 's a thousand Times farther off this Place than 't is from hence to Earth he is thinking of Building a New World above the Heavens he has invited us to see the Execution of his Grand Design and thither 't is we are going And to convince you of the Truth of what I say 't is but deputing when we part some Souls to bear us Company and they shall bring you an account of what they there shall see You rejoyce me mightily said he for we Peripateticks are tired with these long Fatigues but take it not ill that I execute my Orders and conduct you to the Governour of the Place according to the Custom That all Philosophers of a different Sect from ours arriving here give him an account what Project brought them hither we have used this Course but since Descartes has given us these Alarms So we took the Road that led to the Place convoyed with a Detachment of about fifty Souls Academiques for the most part and Collegians who look'd as if they did not wish us very well that Place was only a great Garden that represented the Lyceum in Athens where Aristotle used to teach his Scholars walking whence they derived the Name of Peripateticks 'T is of a great extent and very finely kept it is cut into abundance of Allies whereof the four greatest meet in the middle of the Garden at a round large Fountain whereon is raised a stately Pedestal of the most delicate Marble I ever saw on which stands the Statue of Alxander the Great crowned by Victory with Lawrels trampling under Foot Scepters and Crowns and Bucklers and broken Arms and the Treasures of Asia Four great Statues chained to the four Corners represent the Principal Nations Alexander conquered I found that Monument so like that of the Place des Victoires that I should have believed one had been the Pattern to the other had not I at the same Time made Reflection that the near Resemblance of those two Hero's might easily have furnished the Minds of both the Undertakers with the same Ideas All the Figures of the Monument no less than the other Statues in several Parts of the Garden as those of Philippus Olympias and many other illustrious Personages who formerly honoured Aristoâ—le with their Friendship are of Silver for Silver is very cheap and common in the Globe of the Moon and it is probably for that Reason Chymists who always affect Mystery in their Words call that Metal by the Name of the Moon As we were admiring that noble Monument we were astonished to see all of a sudden four Water-Spouts rise from the four Angles of the Pedestal the largest and the highest that ever were they mounted at least four hundred Poles in heighth and they were brought from a River behind a neighbouring Mountain that was higher than the Wells of Domme in Auvergn over which the Water was carried by the admirable Contrivance of the Old Philosophy that in supposing the Horror of a Vacuum in Nature shew'd how with Pumps to sâ—ing Water infinitely high which Secret is unfortunately lost in our World for since the Time of Galileus we can raise Water no higher than three or four and thirty Foot We saw these Water Spouts on every Side the least of which exceeded the highest Trees that encompassed the Garden From the middle of the Garden we observed four Halls of different Figure and Architecture one at the End of each of the four Alleys We were conducted to the biggest of them which was of exquisite Beauty and Magnificence being of Gold Azure and Precious Stones On both Sides in the Intervals of the Windows was your Imbossed Work of Silver excellently carved but that made a Gallimawâ—ry odd and humerous enough for on one Part on the Right-hand were râ—presented the famous Exploits of Alexander the defeat of Darius near the City Arbela the Attack of Poruâ— his Army the Passage of Granicus and the Taking of the City Tyre On the other were Triumphs of Aristotle over the rest of the Philosophers and the Extravagancies of those that went for Wisemen before his Time The first on the Left-hand exhibits Pythagoras doctrining his Disciples and presenting them with a sort of table-Table-Book wherein among others were written these three Precepts First That they were to hear him full five Years without speaking a Word to contradict him Secondly They must lend an attentive Ear especially in the Night to the Musick and Harmony of the Celestial Spheres which only Wisemen are priviledged to understand And Thirdly they must abstain from eating Beans The Second shews you Democritus laughing with Might and Main and Heraclitus weeping in warm Tears and a Troop of little Children hooping after them as after two Fools In the Third we had Diogenes
awarded them unto him with an universal Consent He hath thought fit to declare himself on the first occasion and to intreat the Publick as also those Gentlemen the new Philosophers to do him Justice in that Particular He protests then to separate his Interest in many Articles from theirs that style themselves his Disciples He declares that in the Questions of the Schools many things go under his Name which are none of his as is for Instance that most Childish Notion of the Horror of a Vacuum That he himself hath certify'd and prov'd by Experience the Pressure of the Air which at this Day is made a Principle in the Physical Expilcation of such Phenomena's as have most alliance to the Question of a Vacuum That he is no ways the Father of an infinite little Beings introduc'd in the School Philosophy That his Writings have often been mis-interpreted and Men have commonly taken for Natural Beings what in his Idea were only Denominaâ—â—ions and Metaphysical Attributes This Calm continu'd he with which I speak after that ungovernable Obstinacy you formerly knew me guilty of might stand for my Credentials as to you in Aristotle's Absence But I will farther add that since you meet him out of the Globe of the Moon he hath dispatch'd an Express in which he gives orders that if you pass'd this way I should not fail to inform you of his Thoughts and Intentions and to let you know that whatever Warmth appear'd in him in his Discourse against Descartes he would notwithstanding gladly hearken to some Accommodation with him Furthermore this is no unpremeditated Resolution The Expedient has been form'd and written long ago and the Fault will not be ours if you do not see it and take upon you the presenting it to Descartes if you so think convenient We return'd we most joyfully accepted it and that we thought our selves happy any ways to contribute to the Reconciliation of the two greatest Philosophers the World has known and the Reunion of two Parties that were at present the only considerable in Europe He took forthwith out of a Cabinet that was at the end of the Hall and where upon handsom Shelves stood a good sight of Books excellently bound and that look'd exactly like Books the new Philosophers have compos'd within this thirty or forty Years and that Aristotle and Voetius had undoubtedly read he took I say from a Cabinet a kind of Memoirs with this Title in Latin Words De Consensu Philosophiae Veteris Novae We have said I an Ingenious Man of our Woâ—ld that has wrote a Book with the same Inscription M. Du Haâ—el I my self have read it he replyed and a Man may easily see by the way it is wrote in the Author is well vers'd in all parts of Philosophy He is a Gentleman unbiassed as to one side or other is throughly acquainted with the Interests of each Party and therefore the fittest Person that I know to mediate in that Affair A preliminary Point is taken from his Preface which is much in the right on 't and whereto Aristotle and Descartes must forthwith accord that the Sect-Leaders of Philophy Neque omnia neque nihil viderunt With that he presented us the Project of Accommodation and desired us to read it at our leisure in our Voyage as also to take with us as we had offered at our Arrival some Aristotelian Souls to accompany us to Descartes's Place of Residence to the end he might know by them what that Philosopher had resolv'd upon the Propositions laid down in that Treaty We thanked him for the Honour he did us in intrusting us with so Important a Negotiation assured him we would do all that lay in us towards the facilitating its Success and after much Expression and Acknowledgment of his Civilities we beg'd his leave we might persue our Voyage since we had a vast way still to go and had spent many Hours in that we had pass'd already He conducted us out of the Lyceum and giving some Instructions to two Souls of the Country that seem'd Spirits of Note and Fashion ordered them to wait on us so made his Conge Designing to run over that whole Hemisphere of the Moon that is oppos'd to our Earth we kept on our Road to the North and leaving Democritus on the left we pass'd through Thales and drove on quite to Zoroaster from whence we made a double towards the West through desert Lands where we saw the ruins of some ancient Towns as of Atlas Cepheus Hermes without meeting Man Woman or Child till we came to the Lake of Dreams on whose Banks we found three separate Spirits with whom we were taken up one Moment in Discourse as we passed along We surprized the two first stoutly Cursing and Banning their Wives they had formerly in the World One of which was that Hermotimus mention'd by Tertullian and Pliny who leaving his Body abed to make a Ramble as his Custom was his Wife that did not love him slipt not the opportunity of calling up her Servants to whom she shewed not without tearing her Hair and playing the Mad-woman the Body of her Husband unsoul'd and breathless and carried the Humour on so well that the Body was burnt according to the custom of the Country before the Soul return'd who was from thenceforth forced to seek another Habitation The other Spirit was a Roman Senator whose Name was Lamia whose Wife had trickt out of the World by the same Project though a little more it had miscarried For as he related it The Soul being retâ—rned to look its Body where 't was left not finding it and seeing the Family Mourning begun to smell how the Matter stood It Posted presently to the place where was built the Funeral Pile to burn the Body and arriv'd there just as the Fire began to seize it The Soul thought it inconvenient to reunite her self with it for fear it might be obliged to be burnt alive she only mov'd its Tongue so as many of the Standers by heard these Words twice distinctly repeated I am not dead I am not dead But seeing the Masters of the Funeral Ceremonies who had undoubtedly received an Item from the Dame unconcerned as ' ere she left it to be burnt and came to fix in the Globe of the Moon The third whom we found two Leagues farther in a ghastly Grot was the famous Iohn Duns Scotus commonly called Scot or the Subtil Doctor He has pass'd for a dead Man unto this day on which Account some have given out most ridiculous Stories and highly disadvantagious to the Reputation of so worthy a Person and which have still been well confuted But the truth is that he is not dead and that having by the subtilty of his Mind found out the Secret so many others have procured his Corps was taken for dead and was buried in the absence of his Soul which took Sanctuary in the Globe of the Moon He was incompass'd by a Croud of
deal lower at the top of the Mountain than in the middle or at the bottom from whence hath been evidently concluded the Gravity of the Air. Does that reply'd M. Descartes go by the Name of M. P. 's Experiment It is then because he put it in Practice or rather because he occasion'd it to be practic'd by M. Perrier for assuredly it is not because he invented it or foresaw the Success And if that Experiment ought to bear the Name of its Author it might more truly be intituled the Experiment of Descartes For it was I that desir'd him two years before to make the Trial Let. 77. Tom. 3. and assur'd him of the Success as being intirely conformable to my Principles without which it had never come into his Head being he was of the contrary Opinion That Man is Fortunate continu'd M. Descartes in point of Reputation A great many Persons were formerly made to believe he had compos'd a Book of Coniques extracted from himself by the meer dint of Reason at sixteen years of Age That Book was sent me and before I had read it half Tom. 2. Let. 38. I concluded he had made great Advantage of Monsieur des Argues's Instructions which Conjecture a little after was confirm'd by his own Confession What you say reply'd I a little surprizes me for in the Preface to a Tract De l' Equilibre des Liqueurs Printed after M. P. 's Death your Testimony is quoted upon that Particular and it is not altogether conformable to that you give at present For there is no notice taken of the assistance he receiv'd from M. des Argues It is only said the thing appear'd to you so prodigiously uncredible that you would not believe it But that you was persuaded that M. P the Father was the genuine Author of the Piece but was willing to confer the Honour on his Son I know not said he what they have made me speak or think in that Preface but I am very well assur'd I say nothing at present but what I had wrote in plain Terms to Father Mersennus Tom. 2. Let. 38. after I had seen the Work After all said I Monsieur I am not much surpriz'd that M. Paschal at sixteen years of Age without any foreign Succour wrote a Book of Coniques and by chance jumpt in his Thoughts with M. Descartes he that at twelve years old before the sight of any Books of Geometry made himself particular Definitions Figures then Axioms and push'd on his Notices so far that when he was caught at his Operations he was already arriv'd to the thirty second Proposition of the first Book of Euclide which he had never read Do you credit that said M. Descartes Why should I not said I It is so affirm'd and circumstanc'd in the Preface I have mention'd as leaves no room to doubt of it M. Paschal the Father desirous that his Sons 〈◊〉 time should be imploy'd in the gaining of the Tongue which he taught him himself was cautious to conceal from him the very Names of things that are us'd in Mathematicks and constantly forbore to mention 'em to his Friends when he was present Notwithstanding according to the Author of the Preface The Passion that Child had for such sort of Science joyn'd to his piercing Understanding serv'd him instead of a Master seeing his Tasks that were order'd him rob'd him of all other opportunities but his Hours of Recreation a Circumstance very remarkable he laid out all he could of those in these Speculations He was constrain'd says he to make his own Definitions calling a Circle a Round a Line a Barr and so of the rest After his Definitions he made him Axioms and as we proceed from one thing to another in that Science he carried his Researches so far that he was arriv'd to the thirty second Proposition of Euclide As he had made that Progress his Father accidently entred the Room he was in and found him so attentive on the Proposition he was upon that it was a good while before he took notice of his Approach But it was a far greater Surprize to him upon his Demand What he was a doing To hear him say He was in search of such a Thing which was exactly the thirty second Proposition of the first Book of Euclide He ask'd him then What made him think of that He answered it was his Discovery of such an other Thing thus as it were analyzing and explaining his meaning still by the Names of a Barr and a Round he came down to the Definitions and Axioms of his own Contrivance M. Paschal was so astonish'd at the greatness and force of his Son's Genius that leaving him without speaking another Word he went at the same juncture to a Friend's House of his one M. Pailleur admirable in the Mathematicks When he came there he stood immoveable as a Statue and as a Man transported M. Pailleur observing that and seeing him in Tears was very much affrighted and pray'd him to conceal no longer from him the cause of his Displeasure I weep not said M. Paschal out of any Grief but Joy You know what pains I have still taken to prevent all Knowledg of Geometry in my Son for fear it should take him off his other Studies Yet see what he has done upon that he related all to him that I have said And M. Paschal by the Advice of his Friend desisted to offer violence to his Son's Inclinations who was yet but a dozen years of Age and gave him an Euclide Seriously said I to M. Descartes do you think a Man could have the Face to circumstantiate a Lye so methodically as this Could any thing seem more probable than the Circles he calls Rounds and the Lines that he calls Barrs Is not that enough to persuade us of the Truth of his Axioms and the thirty second Proposition of Euclide What can be more Natural than the Surprizal of M. Paschal the Father excepting perhaps it was a little too long who took thereupon his Cloak and order'd his Horses to be put in the Coach yet remain'd at his Arrival at M. Pilleur's House in so immoveable a posture as was capable to scare him After all it is very fine and extraordinary and it would be great pity it should be false And I say reply'd M. Descartes it is greater pity that it should be true and that any should believe it For if once it be credited that a Child of twelve years old that hath never seen a Book of Geometry and in whose Presence all endeavours have been us'd to suppress the very Name of it whose Mind all day long was taken up with quite different Notices who had no time to spare but his hours of Recreation which no Body probably order'd him to pass away in Solitude should be able to frame to himself a Method of Geometry invent Axioms and arrive at last to the thirty second Propositon of Euclide I say if such like things