the motion of the body and so all those things which are said to be attracted by these qualities are mov'd by another kind of motion then that of Attraction And indeed who can easily conceive that a simple quality should be able so of a sudden and so powerfully to offer violence to things solid and weighty What motion can have an incorporeal vertue to go and find out and bring away massy bodies How is it to be apprehended that contrary to all other qualities which advance forward this only should return back Would there not be a necessity that while it brings back the bodies which it draws after it it should quit the space where it found them which yet continues still full of the same quality True it is and must be acknowledg'd that the Loadstone hath a magnetick vertue which it diffuses out of it self But this vertue is not attractive it only causes in the iron a certain feeling of its presence and thereupon the iron makes towards it of it self as it is in like manner inclin'd towards the iron For if they be both set on the water so as that they may freely swim on it they will approach one another if they be of equal force and if the iron be the more weighty or that it be stopp'd the Loadstone only will move towards it So that it is clear they draw one another no otherwise then as it is said the Sun draws the vapours which by reason of their lightness ascend of themselves after they have felt the heat Art 12. That there is not any attractive vertue in Purgative Medicines NOr is it by Attraction that purgative Medicaments do operate For of these these are some which cause vomiting being apply'd to the soals of the feet and other inferiour parts then which there cannot be a more certain argument of their not attracting the humours since that instead of obliging them to come to themselves they cause them to make a contrary motion Besides the purgative vertue being a natural Faculty should attract the humours which are conformable and consonant to it self in what subject soever they are found whereas far from that it attracts them not at all in bodies which are weak or depriv'd of life And indeed those who have more exactly examin'd the manner how purgation is wrought have shewn that purgatives have no other vertue then that of dissolving and separating the humours as the Rennet does the parts of the Milk And that the separation being made Nature being incens'd thereat expels and drives them out So that the evacuation thereof is wrought not by Attraction but Impulsion Art 13. That Grief and Heat are not attractive THere are yet others who affirm that grief and heat are attractive but they are only the Spirits which Nature sends with the blood into the parts for their support and assistance And this is no true attraction no more then that which is made by a vacuum For a privation which in effect is nothing cannot have any vertue But in this case the bodies put themselves forward to prevent a disorder which Nature cannot bear withall There are not therefore any Attractive vertues and consequently we are not to look for any in Animals in order to the causing of any conveyance of the blood into the veins But there remains this yet to be urg'd to the particular in dispute that it is true the Blood is not attracted but that it moves of it self as does the iron which is sensible of the magnetick vertue of the Loadstone and that having in like manner a certain feeling of the sympathetical vertue inspir'd by the parts it is of it self inclin'd towards them It must be acknowledg'd this expedient would do pretty well if this sympathetical vertue could be well establish'd But how shall we imagine it can subsist in such different subjects as Plants and Animals are or members of a different constitution and temperament such as are those of sound and unsound or diseas'd parts Nay though it should be granted in them What allyance can there be imagin'd between that vertue and the blood which is often alter'd or corrupted between it and the mineral waters which are drunk in fine between it and the poisons which are dispers'd all over the body Nay when all is done neither this means nor any of the others that have been propos'd doth satisfie the regularity which Nature observes in the motions of the blood nor most of the agitations it suffers in the Passions of the Soul nor yet the transportation of the chylus and other humours which is wrought in the body So that there is a necessity of having recourse to the Spirits as the general cause of all these effects And certainly whereas the Blood moves not of it self and that whatsoever is mov'd by another must be either forc'd or attracted or inclin'd neither impulsion nor attraction having any place here it is accordingly necessary that some Body which hath the vertue of moving it self should combine with it and convey it whereever it goes Now since we know that the Spirits are the chief instrmments of the Soul sent by Nature to all the parts to dispose them to action mixt by her with the blood to render it fluid and which she insinuates even into the humours against Nature as well to concoct as force them away there is no question to be made of their being the transporters of the moisture which is in the Vessels since they are beforehand in them to keep them fluid and that there are not any other substances which may be mixt with them to convey them to the places whereto they ought to go And consequently that they are bodies most susceptible of motion which being animated or immediately mov'd by the Soul are the only instruments that can move the blood in all the differences of situation which we observe therein Art 14. That the Blood is convey'd to the parts only by the Spirits FRom what hath been deliver'd it is apparent that in the ordinary course of the Blood the Spirits are the only instruments which cause it to ascend without trouble descend without precipitation and direct and convey it into all the parts nay even to the depth of the Bones for their nourishment By the same Spirits it is diversly stirr'd in the Passions according to the different designs which the Soul proposes to her self they convey it to the wounded parts to relieve them and confine it to an exact observance of that rectitude and regularity which is remarkable in all its motions In a word Nature is the principle and source of all these operations and that Nature is no other then the Soul and her Faculties all which stand in need of Organs in order to their action and can have no other then the Spirits whereto all these effects may be referred They are therefore intermixt with the Blood and as the Air being stirr'd carries along with it the vapours that are got
do's not admit of any in particular as oblig'd to be equally capable of all by reason of its being indeterminate and indifferent as we have shewn before It is therefore out of pure necessity that they are raised in the Soul and by the connexion and unavoidable consequence there is between the effects and their causes True it is indeed that Nature hath propos'd to her self to bestow on Man besides the Faculties convenient for his species those also which are proper to his Sex to wit the active vertue in order to generation and heat and drought to serve as instruments to that vertue as she hath bestow'd on the Woman the passive power and cold and moisture to perform the function of the material cause But all the Inclinations consequent to those qualities as confidence or fearfulness liberality or avarice c. are onely dispositions fram'd in the Soul without her knowedge and beside or against her intention It must be confess'd they are natural because they are by accident in the order of Nature and follow the causes which depend on the matter Nay they are allow'd to be perfections and if they should be wanting there would be a defect in as much as the causes from which they proceed necessarily require that consequence and concatenation which is between them For a Man who should not be couragious or a Woman who should not be timorous would be guilty of the same imperfection as a Lion that should be fearfull and a Hare that should be couragious Art 9. That there are some parts fram'd by Nature out of design others not THE same thing may be said of the Conformation of the parts for Nature hath in her Idaeas that figure which is most convenient to every species and which she would bestow on every individual were she not prevented by the particular causes such as is the Temperament And though she gives each Sex a different structure of body yet does she as much as lies in her power always preserve the character of the figure which is proper to the species For though the Conformation of the Woman's parts be different from that of the Man's yet is there a greater resemblance between her and Man than any other Animal whatsoever Now it is certain there are some parts which are proper to each Sex and such as Nature hath a design to frame after such and such a fashion as those that serve for organs to perform the functions whereto each of them is ordered But for the rest as height of stature largeness of head a square figure of the face c. which are to be observ'd in Man or lowness of stature littleness of head and roundness of face c. which are proper to the Woman all this variety I say proceeds not from the design of Nature but pure necessity consequently to the Temperament which is proper to either though it contributes to the perfection and beauty of the body for the reasons we have given already SECT 2. Wherein the Perfection of the Male consists Art 1. Of the Inclinations proper to Man THis presuppos'd we now come to observe the Inclinations consequent to the Temperament of Man Nature hath made him hot and dry for the end we have already assign'd But according to the proportion of his being hot he must necessarily be strong and consequently thereto that he should be naturally Couragious desirous of Fame Magnanimous Sincere Liberal Mercifull Just Gratefull and consequent to his being dry he should be Resolv'd Constant Patient Modest Faithfull Judicious The reasons of all these effects are easily found For as the Soul makes use of these qualities knows what she is able to perform by their means and is inclin'd to the actions conformable to their vertue So upon heâ— being sensible of the heat which is the principle of strength and courage she takes a confidence in her self and upon that she would command she courageously undertakes and slights small dangers And being courageous she is forward free and without artifice She is also liberal not onely upon this account that it is the property of heat to dilate it self but also for this reason that the confidence she hath of her self takes away the apprehension of wanting those things that shall be necessary for her She easily pardons because she thinks she cannot be injur'd She is just because she desires little as being satisfy'd with her self in fine she is gratefull because she is just and liberal On the other side as drought obliges things to keep within their bounds and hinders them from spreading and dispersing themselves so she accommodates her self to this vertue and is fortify'd within her self not easily changing the resolutions she hath taken patiently enduring the inconveniences which happen to her constantly endeavouring to perform the promises she hath made and not suffering her self to be carried away with the vanity of those honours which she deserves not In a word drought contributes to the purity of the Spirits and checks the impetuous sallies of the Imagination allowing the time required by the understanding for the consideration of things whence proceed prudence and soundness of judgment Art 2. That the Temperament of Man is hot and dry in the first degree BUt it is her to be observed that all these natural vertues are not consistent with these two qualities if they be excessive For if the heat be too great instead of Courage it will raise Temerity the desire of Fame will be chang'd into Pride Magnanimity into Insolence Liberality into Prodegality Justice into Severity Clemency into Induigence and Gratitude into Ostentation and Vanity In like manner if drought be predominant the Constancy of the Soul degenerates into Obstinacy Harshness Insensibility Austerity The perfection therefore of the Temperament convenient to Man in respect of his Sex should come as near as may be to the exact Temperature proper to humane Nature as we have shewn And so it may be affirm'd that it ought not to be hot and dry but in the first degree whatever goes beyond it leading to excess and imperfection The reason this that Nature which always endeavours to give the several Sexes the Temperament convenient to the species recedes no further from that Temperament than is necessary for the disposing of them into the order of those causes whereof they are to perform the function Whence it may be inferr'd that the least degree of heat and drought which Man may have beyond the exact Temperature is sufficient to give him the vertue and efficacy of the efficient cause The same thing is to be advanc'd concerning the Conformation of the parts for there is one conformation which is convenient to the species and is a mean between those which are proper to the several Sexes For as all things should aim at a certain mediocrity in humane nature for the reasons before alledged so ought the conformation of the body to be in the mean between the excess and defect which may
move So that when it is said of some body that he hath an inclination for such a person it is meant of the friendship he hath towards him or the disposition he hath to love him This is the true inclination the other onely the effect of this Art 2. The distinction of Inclinations HAving nothing to say here of that kind of inclination which is improperly so called we shall speak onely of that which truly deserves that name Of this also there are two kinds one Natural and proceeding from Nature the osher acquir'd and proceeding from habit and custom There are some men naturally inclin'd to Love Anger Justice c. others acquire an inclination to Vertues Vices and Passions whereto they were not naturally inclin'd Art 3. The Seat of the Inclinations BUt the kinds before mentioned reside in the Soul as their true and proper seat For besides that of the Inclinations some are wholly Spiritual as those which Arts and Sciences leave in the mind others are Corporeal as for example the ease and facility wherewith a Trades-man works when he hath good tools for this facility is not in the tools though it proceeds from them In like manner the inclination which a man hath to be angry is not in the organs though it proceeds from the constitution of the organs in as much as the disposition which a thing hath to move as well as the motion whereby it is afterwards agitated ought to be in the thing it self and not in the causes from which it receives that disposition and motion It follows therefore since it is the Soul which ought to move that the disposition to move should be in the Soul From hence it may be easily inferr'd that the Appetite is the seat of the Inclinations in regard that is the onely part of the Soul which may be moved And whereas there are three sorts of Appetite the Will the Sensitive appetite and the Natural appetite each of them hath such inclinations as are suitable and conformable thereto that is to say the spiritual are in the Will as those which Arts and Sciences leave in the mind the Sensible are in the Sensitive appetite as those which a man hath to the passions of the sensitive Soul and those which are purely corporeal make their aboad in the Natural appetite such as are those which Nature hath for certain motions of the humours in diseases and for all the actions for which the organs are design'd For even before the parts are in a capacity and condition to act the Soul hath an inclination to the functions which they ought to perform Whence it comes that a young Ramm runs his head against things before his horns are in sight a young wild Boar will offer to bite before his tusks are grown out and Birds endeavour to flie though though they are not fully fledg'd Yet are we to make this observation by the way that the inclinations of one Appetite are many times communicated to another For the Inclination a man hath to passions is at last entertain'd into the Will and those of the Natural appetite commonly spread themselves into the Sensitive as the examples we have alledged sufficiently evince Art 4. How Inclination is to be defin'd FRom all these considerations me thinks it were no hard matter to frame an exact definition of Inclination which may be this Inclination is a certain disposition deeply rooted in the Appetite which receives from it a bent towards certain objects acceptable thereto But to speak more significantly we are to acknowledge that these Metaphorical kinds of expression are not proper to define things and the words of bending or bowing or weighing whereby Inclination is commonly defin'd cannot be properly said of any thing but bodies and are not to be attributed to the Soul Let us endeavour then to find out some other expedient to clear up this matter and to look after some other notions and terms which may be more proper to the thing now under our examination Art 5. Whence proceeds the Disposition wherein the Inclination consists OUt of all controversie then it is that the Appetite hath certain motions whereto it is commonly more inclin'd then to others and it may be said that it hath a disposition to perform them and that the said disposition consists in the facility which it meets with in the performance of them The question then is to know whence it receives this disposition and facility for it cannot proceed from the weight scituation figure or any other circumstances of that kind which cause in Bodies a disposition and facility to move themselves To discover this secret it is to be laid down as granted that the Inclination is a disposition and a fixt and permanent facility that happens to the Appetite and consequently it is necessary that the cause which produces it should also be durable and permanent Now all the causes of that order which may be imagin'd as to the present enquiry are reducible either to the disposition of the organ of the appetite or to the habit which it may have acquired or to the images which are preserv'd in the memory and frame the knowledge precedent to its motion for these things onely are permanent and may cause that disposition and constant facility wherein the inclination consists It might then be affirmed that if the Spirits are the organs and immediate seat of the Appetite as we shall have occasion to shew hereafter it must follow that according as they are more subtile or more gross they are the more or the less â—asily mov'd and that the Appetite which moves along with them receives its motion with greater slowness or activity And that hence it proceeds there are some constitutions which are so changeable love with so much facility and desire things with so much earnestness and on the contrary there are others whose Souls are so heavie that it is almost impossible to stirr them and prosecute the attainment of their desires with a lethargick supinity and negligence But this reason is not general for all the Inclinations for besides that there are some which proceed from the instinct and have no dependance on the qualities of the spirits there are some also in the Will which is not engag'd to any organ nay we acknowledge that there are such even in Angels in whom it is out of all dispute that neither that cause nor any other corporeal disposition can have any place The same thing is to be said concerning the habit which the Appetite may have contracted since the habit is a quality acquired by many actâ—ons and that there are some natural inclinations which are derived from the very birth If these things be as they are laid down there remain only the Images preserv'd in the memory which may be the general and immediate cause of this disposition and facility wherein the Inclination consists Art 6. How the motions of the Appetite are wrought TO understand how this is done
Dissemblers in regard that both Timorousness and Dissimulation proceed from the weakness which attends the melancholick Temperament and then it is that the effect is sign of an effect Now since causes and effects serve for Signs to the Art we treat of the next thing to be known is what these causes and effects are Art 1. What Causes they are which serve for Signs IT is not to be doubted but that the Causes which contribute to the discovery of men must be such as have an influence over Man and are in him that is such as cause some alteration in the Body and Soul and promote and change the actions of both Of these there are two Orders some are Internal some External The Internal causes are the Faculties of the Soul the Temperament the Conformation of the parts Age Nobleness or meanness of Birth the Habits as well Intellectual as Moral and the Passions The External are Parents the Celestial Bodies the Climate the Seasons Aliment prosperous or adverse Fortune Example Advice Punishments and Rewards For all these Causes make different impressions upon Man and according to the strength they have they produce in him different effects and dispose him to such and such actions So that every Faculty of the Soul every Temperament every Age every several kind of Birth hath its proper actions its particular dispositions its inclinations and aversions Parents do many times derive to their children those qualities of body and mind which are natural to themselves the Climate Health and Sickness course of Life Prosperity and Adversity Good and Bad Example in fine the different aspects of the Celestial Bodies cause an alteration in the Body and Soul imprinting in them divers qualities and making them inclinable to certain Actions Art 2. What the Effects are which serve for Signs THe Effects which proceed from these Causes are also of two kinds for some are Corporeal others Spiritual The Spiritual are the qualities of the mind the Inclinations the Habits all the actions and motions of the Soul for that they have been numbred among the Causes was in consideration of the Effects which they produce as here they are ranked among the Effects by reason of the Causes from which they proceed For instance the Inclination which a man hath to Anger is the cause of the Anger but it is also the effect of the cholerick Temperament which gives birth to that Inclination The Corporeal Effects consist in the Bulk of the Figure of the parts in the first and second Qualities in the Air of the Countenance in the Carriage and motion of the Body as we shall shew more particularly hereafter So that upon cognizance taken of these Causes and a knowledge of the power they have some judgment may be made of their present or future effects And on the other side upon an observation of the Effects and a knowledge of that whereto they ought to be referred the present or past causes may be ghess'd at Thus are they Signs one of the other and THE ART HOW TO KNOW MEN hath a priviledge to make its advantage of them in order to the performance of what it promises But in regard all these Signs create not an equal knowledge of the things whereto they are referr'd that some of them denote the same with more certainty then others it is requisite there should be a careful examination taken of their Strength and Weakness since that is the chiefest and most solid ground of this Art CHAP. 2. Of the Strength and Weakness of Signs Art 1. What Judgment is made by the Causes GEnerally speaking the judgment which is made by the Causes is more uncertain then that which is made by the Effects in regard that from the knowledge of the cause of some thing it does not follow that it should produce the effect it is imagin'd to do by reason of divers obstructions which may happen in the production thereof But when an effect is seen it must of necessity be that the cause did precede Thence it comes that the knowledge which is had of the Temperaments by the marks they leave upon the Body is more certain then that which is had of the inclinations by the Temperament in asmuch as these marks are the effects of the Temperament and that the Temperament is the cause of the Inclinations Art 2. Of the next Causes MOreover the causes are of two kinds some are termed the Next Causes others are Remote From the former a more certaine judgment may be deduced in regard they have a stricter connexion with their effects Accordingly the knowledge which is had of the Temperament better discovers the inclinations then any thing that can be inferr'd from Birth Age or the Climate c. But there is not any Cause from which there may be a more certaine judgment deduc'd of a mans actions then the Habit For he who shall know one to be a just person will be the more apt to affirm that upon such or such an occasion he will do an act of justice Into this rank may also be reduced the Passions themselves in reference to those others which are wont to accompany them for the Passions never march alone and there is not any of them but produces some others which either appear with it or follow it very closely Thus Arrogance Impatience Indiscretion accompany Anger and therefore he who knows a man to be sometimes transported with the latter may affirm that he is apt to fall into the others And this observation is so considerable that it makes way for the Noblest rule of all Physiognomy whereof Aristotle is the author and which he calls Syllogistick and of which we shall have occasion to speak hereafter The Qualities or Endowments of the mind do also give a certain judgment of the good bad productions which shall proceed from them And it may be affirmed that when some man shall conceive himself oblig'd out of the bent of his own inclination to embrace some opinion or to speak to some business he will judge and discourse of it answerable to the opinion the world hath of his capacity and endowments Art 3. Of the Remote Causes AS to the remote Causes if there were so great certainty in Astrology as some imagine to themselves no question but the judgments which might be made upon consideration of the Celestial Bodies would be the most certain of any But we do not acknowledge so great a power in those Bodies as is attributed to them and we can grant them at most but some small advantage over the Climate which gives some ground to judge of the Inclinations upon the accompt of the Temperament whereof it is a Remote cause as well as they Age and Sickness may be put in the some rank But good and bad Fortune Nobleness or meanness of Birth Examples under which I comprehend Counsels Advice Rewards and Punishments afford but very doubtful conjectures Lastly the Seasons and Aliment make the most uncertain
judgments of any Art 4. What Judgment that is which is made by the Effects AS to what concerns the discovery which may be of the Causes by the Effects we are to presuppose the distinction we have already made thereof that is that of these latter there are some Spiritual some Corporeal For generally speaking the judgment which is made by the Corporeal is more certain then that deduc'd from the Spiritual in as much as the former immediately proceed from the Temperament and the Conformation of the parts which are the Next Causes of the Inclinations or they viz the effects proceed from the Passion it self which produces them on the Body when the Soul is stirr'd thereby And as to the Spiritual which are the Qualities or Endowments of the mind the Inclinations the Actions and Motions of the Soul and the Habits as there are many several Causes whereby each of them may be produc'd so the judgment made thereof is the more indeterminate and uncertain For the Passion may be caus'd by divers objects by the Weakness of the Mind by the Inclination c. In like manner the Inclination may be the product of the Instinct to the Temperament and of Custome The Habits also have diverse Principles as well as the Qualities of the mind so that it is no easie matter precisely to assigne the Cause from which each of these Effects proceeds Now since there may be a more exact knowledge deduced from the Corporeal Effects and that it is of them only that Physiognomy makes use in order to the discovery of the Inclinations it concerns us to engage upon a more careful examination of them and to see what their number may be what the causes thereof are and what Strength and Weakness they have that so we may judge not only of the Inclinations as Physiognomy does but also of the Qualities of the mind the Passions and Habits which THE ART HOW TO KNOW MEN pretends it self able to discover by them CHAP. III. Of the Natural Signs IN the first place we are here to presuppose that there are two kinds of Effects or Signs which are imprinted on the Body Of these one is the Natural which proceeds from the constitution of the Body and the other Elementary Causes the other the Astrological which proceeds from the Stars or Celestial Bodies whereof Metoposcopy and Chiromancy make use We shall hereafter examine whether there be any certainty in those Sciences and whether the Signs upon which they have fram'd their Rules may contribute any knowledge of the Inclinations the Passions and the Habits as they pretend to do As to the Natural Signs Aristotle hath reduc'd them to nine Heads or Articles which are these 1. The Motion of the Body as the Cate the Gesture and Carriage of it 2. Beauty and Deformity 3. Colour 4. The Air of the Countenance 5. The quality of the Skin 6. The Voice 7. The Fleshiness of the Body 8. The Figure Of the Parts 9. The Largness Of the Parts All these Signs proceed from Internal or External Causes And this distinction is so necessary that it makes in a manner the whole difference there is between those which are advantageous and those that are otherwise as we shall make appear The Internal Causes are the Conformation of the Parts the Temperament and the Motive Vertue the External are all those things which come from without and work some alteration in the Body Thus a man may go slowly either out of his natural Inclination or out of Design or through Weakness Beauty and Deformity proceed from Nature Artifice or Accident The Colour ought to be consonant to the Temperament but the Air and such other things may alter it The Air of the Countenance and the Voice the Skin and the Fleshiness of the parts may receive alteration upon the same account In fine the Figure of the Parts â—s either Natural or Accidental for a man may become crooked and crump-shoulder'd either by a Fluxion or by a Fall or by Nature True it is that of these Signs some are not so easily changed by the External Causes as the Figure the Air of the Countenance and Motion but the Colour the Skin and the Voice do easily receive the impressions thereof But it being suppos'd as it is certain that the Internal causes are those which produce the most certain Signs we make this further observation That the Figure and Largness of the Parts proceed from the Conformation the Temperament gives the Colour the quality of the Skin and the Fleshiness of the Parts The particular kind of Gate and the other Motions proceed from the Motive Vertue But Beauty the Voice the Air of the Countenance proceed from all these three Causes joyned together For Beauty consisting in a symmetry and just proportion of the Members as to colour and grace the proportion proceeds from the Conformation Colour from the Temperament and the grace from Motion The Voice is answerable to the Conformation of the Organs their Temperament and the motion of the Muscles In fine the Air of the Countenance and the Carriage of the Body have their principal dependence on the Motion for in the disturbance of the Passions the Air which accompanies them is nothing else then a certain proportion of the parts resulting from the diverse motions they make in pursuit of Good and Evil which moves the Appetite But that disturbance of the Passion being calm'd and taken away the Air which remains fix'd on the Countenance relates to the Conformation and the Temperament as may be observ'd in those who naturally have the same constitution and disposition of the Parts with those which the Passion is wont to cause Art 1. Of the Difference of Signs OF the Signs before-mentioned some are Common others Proper The Common Signs are not determinated to any one quality but may signifie many on the contrary the Proper are determinated only to one Moreover there are some Signs which in a manner never change as the Conformation all the rest may be chang'd And among these last some are Stable and Permanent others are Transient and continue but a short time Thus those which proceed from Age and the Climate are Stable but such as proceed from Sickness and the Passions are of small continuance From these Distinctions something may be deduc'd which may contribute to the discovery of the Strength and Weakness of the Signs for those which proceed from external causes do not denote any thing certain And of those which the Internal causes have produc'd the Stable are significators of Permanent Inclinations the others may possibly denote the present Passions but not the natural Inclinations unless it be by accident as Aristotle speaks Besides the signs which are the least easily chang'd by the External causes are the most certain such as are the Figure the Air of the Countenance and Motion but the Colour the Skin the Fleshiness of the parts and the Voice are consequently the
of some other Creatures have the same Inclinations with those Creatures it is to be examin'd what Creatures those are which may give a ground for this rule For all are not fit to be admitted into that predicament either in regard that sufficient observations have not been made of them or that they are at too great a distance from the nature of man as Insects Serpents Fishes c. Aristotle therefore in his Physiognomy hath pitch'd upon twenty seven to wit fifteen four-footed Beasts and seaven Volatiles The former are the Lion the Panther the Horse the Hart the Ox the Ass the Dog the Wolf the Swine the Goat the Sheep the Ape the Fox the Cat and the Frog The other are the Eagle the Hawk the Cock the Raven the Quail Sea-Fowl and small Birds Others have added to these the Owl and the Ostrich It is therefore requisite there should be so many Chapters design'd wherein must be treated of the natures of these Animals and especially of those parts of them whereto those of men may have any resemblance and of the Inclinations they denote Art 3. How the said Art makes use of the third Rule AS to the third Rule which shews that he who hath any semblance to Men of some other Climate hath the same Inclinations as they have this is grounded on the Figure of the Body and such Inclinations of the Soul as that Climate causes But in asmuch as the Climate is to be consider'd not only by the position of the Heavens but also by the nature of the Soil by the Scituation by the Winds reigning there it is requisite in the first place to treat of that Constitution of the Body and the Inclinations which a hot dry cold or moist Climate may cause and afterwards of those which may proceed from a moist or dry fruitful or barren soil In the third place of that which is consequent to the scituation as it is oriental or occidental high or low maritime or mediterranean In fine what contribution may be made thereto by the several Winds East West North and South Thence it must descend to the Figure and Manners of those Nations which depend partly on these causes partly on the original of the people themselves whereof they still retain some tincture as also on the good or ill fortune which hath attended them and causes them to change their former discipline and their antient course of life This Treatise must needs be long and will require great pains to bring it to a period For besides that there must be some reason given of the particular Figure of every People and its Inclinations which is a thing very hard to do it must also give an account of the Laws which are proper thereto in regard that the Law as Plato sayes is the finding out of Truth all sorts of Laws being not convenient for all manner of Nations but only such as are conformable to their natural dispositions and he who hath lighted on that Conformity and Correspondence hath met with Truth But howere it may be this Discourse is to be divided into so many Chapters as there are Climates and those subdivided again into so many Sections as there be Nations inhabiting each of them Art 4. How the said Art makes use of the fourth Rule THe fourth Rule teaches us That those men who have any thing in their countenances approaching the Beauty of Women have the same Inclinations as they have and on the contrary This is grounded on the Beauty which is peculiarly answerable to either Sex as also upon the Inclinations which are natural to each of them It is therefore requisite there should be a discourse concerning Beauty and that it should be divided into two Treatises whereof the former shall shew how all the parts ought to be made which frame the Beauty of Man and the Inclinations attending it And the other is to give a particular account of the parts whereof the Beauty of the Woman consists and the Inclinations correspondent to her Sex All this shall be treated in fifty Chapters there being no less then twenty five parts in each Sex whereby they are represented as differing one from the other the Colour and Proportion which ought to be between them being comprehended therein Art 5. Why The Art how to know Men treats of the Temperaments BUt in regard these two last Rules are principally grounded on the Temperament before we come to the examination of them it is requisite there should be a previous Treatise of the Temperaments and a discovery made of the Inclinations which each of them causes in the Soul and the Figure it gives to the parts of the Body And this is to be done in fifty two Chapters wherof the first sixteen shal treat of the Temperaments which are conformable to the whole Body and the other thirtysix of those of the Nobler parts For there are some principal temperaments correspondent to the four Humours when they are only predominant to wit the Sanguine the Cholerick the Melancholick and the Flegmatick then each of these hath some one of the other humours predominant under it as the Cholerick-Sanguine the Melancholick-Sanguine c. and that makes up the number of sixteen In fine every noble part is either temperate or hot cold dry or moist or is hot and moist hot and dry cold and moist cold and dry So that there being four noble parts and each of those having nine differences of Temperaments all put together make up two and fifty kinds of Temperaments which must be known in order to a judgment of the Inclinations Art 6. That there are other Rules besides those of Physiognomy whereby the Inclinations may be discover'd THus is it that The Art how to know Men makes use of the Rules of Physiognomy for the discovery of the Inclinations and how upon small foundations it designs the greatest superstructure whereof Science ever attempted the carrying on But it does not think that sufficient as having added thereto some other means whereof Physiognomy makes no advantage For besides that it makes the very effects of the Inclinations to contribute to the discovery of them to wit the desire of doing the actions and the pleasure there is in doing them often it being a thing out of all dispute that if a person be observ'd to be often desirous to do the same thing or that he does it many times with a certain pleasure it is a certain sign of the Inclination he hath thereto Besides this I say it very advantageously makes use of the remote causes whereof we have made mention before for though the judgments which may be deduced from them be not absolutely certain yet do they either fortifie or weaken those which proceed from the next causes which are as we said the Instinct the Temperament and the Conformation of the parts Accordingly if a man be of such a Temperament and Conformation as may be proper for courageous actions and that he
to fear So that upon such occasions weakness of mind is the cause of those emotions as on the other side soundness of judgment smother them The Sixth Whereas it is possible that vicious Inclinations may be reform'd by study and bad education may alter corrupt the good it concerns the Artist to add as much as may be the Moral marks to the Natural and endeavour to discover by the Words and Actions of the person whose humour he would be acquainted with whether he follows his Inclinations or hath reform'd them Art 4. Of the Moderation of Spirit indispensibly requisite in the Study of this Art NOw whereas all these Rules and all these Observations are very hard to be reduc'd to practice it must be laid down as a thing certain that it is very easie to make many temerarious judgments thereby and to abuse this art if great care be not taken Therefore among all the Qualities requisite in the person who is desirous to study it I wish him particularly Moderation of Spirit that he may not be partial or praecipitate in his judgments and above all things not to make any to the disadvantage of others but in the secret closet of his own Heart so as that neither his Tongue nor their Ears may be witnesses thereof Otherwise Religion and Prudence would not permit the exercise of this noble Science and in stead of being necessary and serviceable to Society it would become its greatest Enemy FINIS THE TABLE THE FIRST BOOK CHAP. I. AN Idaea of the natural Perfection of Man page 1 ART 1. That only man hath the sense of Touching in perfection 3 2. All in man should be in a mediocrity 4 3. That all the Faculties ought to be in a mean 6 4. That all natural Inclinations are defects 7 5. That every Species hath its proper Temperament 9 6. Why Sexes were bestowed on Animals and why the male is hot and dry and the female cold and moist 10 7. Wherein the Beauty of Sexes consists That there are two sorts of natural effects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12 8. That there are some Faculties and Inclinations which it is Natures design to bestow on the Sexes others not 13 9. That there are some parts fram'd by nature out of design others not 15 SECT 2. Wherein the perfection of the Male consists p. 16 ART 1. Of the Inclinations proper to Man ib. 2. That the Temperament of Man is hot and dry in the first degree 18 3. A model of Man's figure 19 4. Of the figure of Man's parts 21 5. The Reasons of the figure of Man's parts 22 6. That the figure of the parts denotes the inclinations 23 SECT 3. Shewing wherein consists the natural perfection of the Woman 24 ART 1. The Reasons of these Inclinations 26 2. That the Inclinations of the Woman are not defects 28 3. That the Inclinations of Man are defects in the Woman 30 4. Wherein the Beauty of the Woman consists 31 5. The causes assign'd of this figuration of parts in the Woman 33 6. That all these parts denote the Inclinations which are proper to the Woman 34 7. Wherein perfect Beauty consists 36 CHAP. II. Of the Inclinations SECT 1. Of the Nature of Inclination p. 40 Art 1. The Object of the Inclination 41 2. The distinction of the Inclinations 42 3. The Seat of the Inclinations 43 4. How Inclination is to be defin'd 44 5. Whence proceeds the Disposition wherein the Inclination consists 45 6. How the motions of the Appetite are wrought 47 7. Of the Judgments of the said Faculties 48 8. That the Images which are in the memory the causes of Inclination 50 9. That the disposition facility of the Appetites motion proceeds from the same Images 52 SECT 2. What are the Causes of the Inclinations 54 Art 1. The several distinctions of the said causes ibid. 2. That the Instinct is one of the causes of the Inclinations 55 3. That the Temperament is one of the causes of the Inclinations 56 4. That the Conformation of the parts is a cause of the Inclination 58 5. How Figure acts 60 6. How Inclinations are produc'd by the remote Causes 63 7. Of the nature of Aversion 65 CHAP. III. Of the Motions of the Soul 67 SECT 1. That the Soul moves ibid. Art 1. What part of the Soul moves 68 2. That the motions of the Soul are not metaphorical ibid. 3. That the rational Soul hath a real motion as the Angels have 69 4. That the motions of the Will are real motions 70 5. That Objections made against the motions of the Soul considered 73 6. The Motions of the Appetites 75 SECT 2. How Good and Evil move the Appetite 77 Art 1. How Knowledge is wrought 79 2. That the Images are multiply'd 81 SECT 3. What are Motions of the Soul 84 SECT 4. Of the Number of the Passions 87 Art 1. What the Simple Passions and how many there are 88 2. That there are but eight Simple Passions 89 3. Why there are but eight simple Passions ibid. 4. The Definitions of the simple Passions 91 5. The Definitions of the mixt Passions 92 6. The Natural order of the Passions 94 7. That there are three Orders of the Passions 95 SECT 5. How the Passions of one Appetite are communicated to the another 98 SECT 6. What is the Seat and first Subject of the Appetite 106 Art 1. What is the Seat of the Sensitive Appetite 107 2. The Seat of the natural Appetite 111 3. How the Passions are compleated 113 CHAP. IV. Of the Motion of the Heart and Spirits in the Passions 114 Art 1. Of the Nature of the Spirits 115 2. Of the matter of the Spirits 116 3. How the Spirits are framed ibid. 4. An Objection against the precedent Doctrine answered 118 5. Why the heart moves 120 6. That the Spirits are moved for three ends 122 7. That the Spirits convey the blood into the parts 123 8. The beating of the Heart forces not the Blood into all the Parts 124 9. That the blood is not attracted by the Fibres 128 10. That the blood is not atttracted by any Magnetick vertue 130 11. That there are not any Attractive vertues 131 12. That there is not any attractive vertue in Purgative Medicines 133 13. That Grief and Heat are not attractive 134 14. That the blood is convey'd to the parts only by the Spirits 136 SECT 1. Of the animation of the Spirits 137 Art 1. Objections answered 142 2. The union between the Spirits and the Parts 143 3. How the foresaid union is consistent with the intermixture of the Spirits with the blood and humours 144 SECT 2. Why the Heart and Spirits move in the Passions 146 SECT 3. What Faculty it is that moves the Spirits 149 Art 1. Of what kind the motion of the Heart and Spirits is in the other Passions 152 SECT 4. How the Soul causes the Body to move 154 CHAP. V. Of the Vertues and Vices whereof the
Knowledg But for Man to know Man which is the Subject of this Treatise it is an Art as full of incertitude as any The lineaments of the Face and lines of the Hands are not streight enough to lead us unto it though Vultus be Index Animi though the Eyes be as the Casements of the Soul yet many times they prove false Glasses though as the Turk believes every Man's Fate and Fancy be written in his Forehead yet the letters are so obscure that we cannot read them and the Poet tells us Fronti nulla fid es Indeed the probablest way to get this Art is by Conversation and Discourse according to the Italian Proverb A Roma ti viddi a Venetia ti conobbi I saw thee at Rome I knew thee at Venice which made the Philosopher say to a man who had a promising Face of Wisdom I thought thee wise till I heard thee speak This Sagacious and sharp-sighted Author hath gone very farr in this Art as appears in this Discourse and in other acute Notions that I have read of His which shew him to be full of pensees desliees Moreover I had the good hap and occasion to know Him and converse with Him in Paris and truly I believe He may well be ranked among the Philosophers of the Vpper House which this Age affords Therefore Sir besides your great Ingenuity you discover also much Judgment in the Election of your Authors who are much oblig'd to you for your exact fidelity in rendring them And consequently it may well be said that You have attain'd the Art of knowing Men by penetrating the true sence and every Souls of those Authors you deal withall JAM HOWEL THE PREFACE Wherein is treated of the Excellency of the ART HOW TO KNOW MEN and of the Author's Design IT was a groundless complaint of him who wish'd Nature had plac'd a window before mens hearts that their thoughts and secret designs might be seen There was I say no reason for that complaint not only in regard those are not things which fall under the Senses and that though the eyes saw the very bottom and all the windings turnings of the heart yet could they not observe any thing therein from whence they might derive the least knowledge of it but also in as much as Nature hath made other provision for this discovery and found out more certain means to make it then would have been that strange openness which Momus imagin'd to himself For she hath not only bestow'd on Man voice and tongue to be the interpreters of his thoughts But out of a certain distrust she conceiv'd that he might abuse them she hath contriv'd a language in his forehead and eyes to give the others the Lye in case they should not prove faithful In a word she hath expos'd his soul to be observ'd on the out-side so that there is no necessity of any window to see his Motions Inclinations and Habits since they are apparent in his face and are there written in such visible and manifest characters From these characters it is our design to frame the greatest and most advantageous work that haply was ever undertaken a work wherein the Noblest and most necessary discoveries of knowledg which Man can arrive unto are contained in fine a work wherein may be found the secret and perfection of Wisdom and humane Prudence These great promises will be thought the more attainable when it shall be known that what we undertake is THE ART HOW TO KNOW MEN an Art whereby every man is taught to know himself wherein consists the highest point of Wisdom and withall to know others which is the Master-piece of Prudence The secret of Wisdom consists in this that a man knows what he is himself what he may do and what he ought to do and that of Prudence in knowing also what others are what they may do and what they are desirous to do Can any knowledg be more delightful or more profitable then these And may not he who hath acquir'd them justly pretend to the acquisition of the greatest advantages of this life Now the Art of Knowing Man teaches all these things For though it seems to have no other end then to discover the Inclinations the Motions of the Soul the Vertues Vices which are observable in others yet does it with the same labour teach every one to find them out in himself and to deduce more rational and more impartial judgments thereof then if he first considered them in his own person For it is most certain that we cannot by our selves come to a perfect knowledge of our selves and our Souls may in that respect be compar'd to our Faces inasmuch as the former as well as the latter can only view themselvs in Mirrours If she attempts the beholding of herself the trouble she is at in that self-reflection distracts and wearies her and self-love corrupts and poysons all the judgments she makes of her-self For instance a person transported with Anger cannot make any just judgment of his passion which how furious soever it may be still thinks that all the reason and justice is of its side A covetous person thinks his most sordid cares the effects of Prudence and Necessity In a word all our Inclinations and Habits please and humour us all our Passions seem rational to us Who therefore could be sensible of them much less condemn them having the recommendation of pleasure being maintain'd by an appearance of Reason which are the two greatest corrupters of our sentiments To apprehend therefore their imperfections it is requisite we saw them in another that being a glass which flatters not and though those we make use of do represent such Images as are immediately blotted out of the memory the case is not the same with this which makes constant and permanent draughts the remembrance whereof is not easily lost In fine it is a thing out of all dispute that there is no better way for a man to come to the knowledg of himself then by studying that knowledg in others Thus is it then that the Art weteach is able to bring a man to the knowledg of himself But inasmuch as there are two kinds thereof one Physical and Natural which examines the composition of Man the nature of the Soul's faculties and the admirable Oeconomy observable in their functions the other Moral which relates to Morality and makes a discovery of the Inclinations Passions and Vices it must be acknowledg'd that it undertakes not to give an account of the former to the utmost extent it is capable of but leaves the absolute and exact disquisition thereof to Medicine and Philosophy But being oblig'd to make the strictest examination of things relating to Manners it is impossible but that enquiring into their causes and the manner whereby they are framed in the Soul there falls within its design the noblest and most intricate part of Physick or natural Philosophy and treating of the conformation of parts
the temperaments Spirits Humours Inclinations Passions and Habits It should not discover what is most secret in Body and Soul Nay I have this further to affirm that by all these discoveries of Knowledg it elevates the spirit of Man to the Soveraign Creator of the Vniverse For acquainting it with the infinite miracles remarkable in Man it insensibly inclines him to glorify the Author of so many wonders and by that means directs him to the end whereto he is design'd For should he consider only the structure of Man's body how can he forbear being ravished with astonishment to see the order and symmetry of all the springs and Ressorts from which this admirable Machine derives its motion And the unimitable Art which is concealed therein would it not discover to him the hand that was employed about it and the understanding and design of the great Master whose work it is But if he would raise his thoughts yet a little higher and make a privy-search into the secrets of the Soul to find out there the manner whereby she comes to the knowledge of things how she moves and how many several motions she assigns her-self What excess of ravishment would not the knowledge of so many miraculous operations cause in him What sentiments would he not have of the Goodness and Wisdom of God who hath lodg'd so many vertues in so small a space and not only epitomiz'd all the creatures in Man but would also make in him an abbreviation of himself For not to enter into any discourse of our ineffable Mysteries keep within the bounds of Nature the Inclination he hath infus'd into him towards all sorts of good things the Light wherewith he hath illuminated him in order to the knowledge of all things are they not the effusions of his infinite Goodness and Wisdom But what is yet more astonishing hath he not enclos'd within the spirit of Man which hath its limits and boundaries the whole extent and infinity of his Power And by a miracle which is hardly conceivable hath he not invested him with a power of creating all things as himself For if the understanding produces and in a manner creates the images and representations of those things which it knows it must needs follow since it hath the power to know them all that it also according to its manner creates them all and consequently that it is the Creator of a new world or at least the Copist or after-drawer of all the works of God It must be so inasmuch as when it thinks on the Sun it cannot do so without making at the same time another Sun in it self By the same rule it makes also Starrs Heaven Elements in a word whatsoever is in the Vniverse But if God hath wrought one miracle by bestowing an infinite power on a limited thing he hath also done another in joyning greatness and power with misery and weakness For it is certain that of all the Creatures there is not any subject to such a multitude of miseries and infirmities as Man Nay these are raisâ—d even out of his advantages and if he had not that pregnancy of wit and the delicate composure of body which he hath he would not be so unfortunate and miserable as he is So that it may be said by instancing him alone we may decide that famous Probleme which hath been so often propos'd to wit What thing is that in the world which is at the same time both the greatest and least He therefore is only to contemplate himself who would enter into the knowledg he ought to have of the Divinity and there he will find eternal subjects of the praises and respects and thanksgivings which he is obligâ—d to render upon all occasions and at all times These are the high Lessons which may be learn'd by the ART HOW TO KNOW MEN. But when it shall be advanc'd to those whereby it would discover the inclinations manners and designs of others there will be a necessity of making this general acknowledgment that it is the surest guide can be taken for a man's conduct in civil life and that he who shall make use of it will avoid thousands of dangers and inconveniences into which from time to time he runs the hazard of falling There need no reasons to prove a thing so clear since it is certain that if the ART is able to perform what it promises there are few actions wherein it is not necessary as for instance the Education of children the choice of Servants Friends Company and most others which cannot be well done without it It shews the opportunities and favourable conjunctures of time wherein a man ought to act or speak a thing and teaches him the manner how he ought to do it And if it be requisite to suggest an advice to inspire a passion or design it knows all the passages through which they are to be derived into the Soul In fine if we may rely on the advice of the Wise-man who forbids our conversing with an angry or envious person and going into the company of the wicked What can rescue us from those unhappy accidents but the ART we treat of For the account commonly given of Man is deceitful if a man go only according to the reputation they have and dangerous if their acquaintance be gotten by conversation but that which our ART promises is only without fraud or hazard Yet is it not to be imagin'd as some at first sight are apt to do that this ART is no other then PHYSIOGNOMY and that its power reaches no further then to make a discovery of the present inclinations and thence draw some light conjectures in relation to Vertues and Vices For besides that it does all this as well as the other but with greater exactness as shall be seen hereafter it goes much further since it promises to shew what were or will be the inclinations and passions past and to come the strength and weakness of mens minds the dispositions they have to certain Arts and Sciences the Habits they have acquir'd and what is most important it teaches the way to discover secret designs private actions and the unknown Authors of known actions In a word there is no dissimulation so deep into which it does not penetrate and which in all likelihood it will not deprive of the best part of those veils under which it lurks Now forasmuch as all these things may be reduc'd to four principal heads to wit the INCLINATIONS the MOTIONS OF THE SOVL VERTVES VICES it is oblig'd ere we pass any further to tell us in the first place What Inclination is what are the causes of it and how it is framed in the Soul 2. How the Soul is Mov'd nay how and why it causes the heart and spirits to move in the passions In fine 3. Wherein Vertue and Vice consist and what is the number of the Species of both whereof it may make its judgment Besides since it ought to denote
man requires not an excessive vivacity of Imagination nor an over-circumspect Judgment nor a too happy memory Nay it cannot bear with these sublime Spirits which are alwaies fixt on the contemplation of things high and difficult not only upon this account that having design'd man for society it expects he should equally apply himself to Contemplation and Action but principally in regard that it is impossible the body should have its natural perfection when it hath the dispositions requisite to sublimity of Spirit For the Body must needs be weak when the Spirit is too strong as the over-great strength of Body lessens and weakens the Spirits as we shall shew more at large hereafter The case is the same with all the other faculties for if the Appetite be too apt to move if the Senses too subtile if the Concoctive virtue the evacuative or retentive be too strong they are so many defects and irregularities they should all be proportionate to the equality of the Temperament which does not admit of these vicious perfections Art 3. That all the Faculties ought to be in a Mean ANd that this is true even in those faculties which are spiritual may be deduced hence That the action and the power ought to be conformable one to the other in as much as the action is only a progress and effusion of the active power If therefore actions cannot be perfect but so far as they are moderate it is necessary that the faculties should derive their perfection from their moderation But it is a receiv'd maxim in morality That actions to be virtuous ought to be in a mediocrity and consequently the faculties from which they proceed should also be in the same mediocrity Now the first spring of this mediocrity is the Indifference which is natural to the rational Soul for since the Action is conformable to the power the actions should be as indifferent as the other is and though it be determined by the action it does yet does it nevertheless preserve its indifference by the mediocrity which the action receives from it The reason is that what is in the mean is indifferent in respect of the extremities and that what is in the extremity is less indifferent and more determinated then what is in the mean as we have shewn already And thence proceeds the necessity there is of moderating the passions For though in other animals they are the more perfect the greater and stronger they are and that the more fearful a Hare is and the more cruel a Tigre the more perfect is each of them in its kind yet is not so in those of man in as much as they ought to be in a mean between excess and defect that they may be the more conformable to the indifference of the superiour part Art 4. That all natural Inclinations are defects I Conceive it will be no hard matter to apprehend and subscribe unto all these truths because they are maintain'd by reason and experience But there is yet another may be deduc'd from the same principles which I question not will be thought very strange though it be no less certain It is this That though there be some Inclinations which are good in themselves and deserve commendation such as those men have for the virtues yet are they defects and alter the natural perfection which is conformable to humane nature And certainly this will occur upon common observation and experience that those who have from their birth some excellent virtues have had them attended by greater vices for a man must needs fall into defects and imperfections so far as he is at a distance from perfection Now the perfection of man is to be indifferent and not determinated to any particular virtue he should be capable of all For the Virtues that come along with the birth are not real virtues they are only the initiatios of them or rather they are but inclinations which a man hath for them In a word they are bounds and limits confining the capacity of the Soul which is universal to a particular habit The Soul of its own nature is not determinated and ought to be capable of all humane actions And as it may know all things so is it requisite that the Appetite which follows her knowledg should have also the freedom to incline it self to all things And this universal capacity is at the same time an effect of the spirituality of her nature and the cause of the liberty she hath For if she were material she would be determinated and if she were not indifferent she should not be free The Inclinations therefore which man may have though they might be for the most excellent virtues are imperfections he ought not to have any for any one in particular but for all together And this is that which the Angel of the Scholes hath so judiciously deliver'd when he affirm'd That there is no Animal but hath some inclination to a Passion conformable to his nature but that man only is the mean of all and that it is requisite he should be equally susceptible thereof in as much as he is of his own nature indifferent and indeterminate To conclude since the Temperament and the Conformation of the parts are the two principal causes of natural Inclinations as we shall shew hereafter and that they make the Soul incline to those actions which are conformable to them it is not to be doubted but that the mediocrity and the mean which they ought to be guided by in man does also invest the Soul with an equal bent towards both the extremities Art 5. That every species hath its proper Temperament BUt it is to be observed that in the distribution of the Temperament made by Nature to Animals she hath in the first place considered their species and hath appointed every one that which was most convenient for it For example she hath assign'd a hot and dry Temperament for the species of the Lion a hot and moist for that of a Horse a cold and dry for that of an Asse and so all the rest But as she hath been careful of the conservation of these species and to that end hath bestow'd on them the two Sexes which were to receive different qualities she hath been oblig'd to divide this first Temperament and to give one part of it to the male and the other to the Female For though in the species of the Lyon the male and female are hot and dry yet is it certain that the female is such in a lower degree then the male and the same thing is to be said of all the rest It is therefore to be granted that the just and equal Temperament we have spoken of before is that which is most convenient to humane Nature But in as much as it was also requisite that the man and Woman should have different qualities that just Temperament was divided between them and without straying too much from that perfect Temperature the man hath receiv'd a
and soft parts are the productions of the moisture for they denote abundance of flegmatick bloud But of the round some have their dependance on the cold others on the moisture for they either proceed from the fat which fills the vacant places of the muscles as in the arms cheeks thighs or from the cold which contracts the figure of the parts and presses them of all sides whereas the heat always spreading it self forward causes unevenness angles which prevent the roundness of them Hence it comes that the forehead and face of the Man are of a square figure and those who are inclin'd to Melancholy have corners of the forehead ending in a sharp point and long faces contrary to the â—legmatick who have them almost of a round figure The mildness modesty and the bashfulness which appear in the countenance and actions of the Woman are also effects of the cold which abates the courage and checks or remits the motion of the parts To the same principle is also to be attributed the smalness and weakness of the voice by contracting the throat in which it is framed and weakning the vital faculty But all these things fall more particularly under consideration in the Treatise of Beauty it shall suffice here to observe in the main that the natural conformation of the Woman follows the Temperament of cold and moist in that degree which Nature hath prescrib'd for the perfection of her Sex Art 6. That all these parts denote the Inclinations which are proper to the Woman OUr next work must be to shew that all these parts have a dertain ceâ—ation to the qualities of the mind whereof we have given an account that they are the signs which discover them how secret soever they may be and lastly that of all the figures and lineaments which contribute to the Beauty of the Woman there is not any one but denotes a vicious inclination We need produce no other proof of this truth than the natural weakness which is remarkable in the â—ody of the Woman and the conformation of all her parts whereof there is not any one but is the effect either of the coldness of her Temperament or the moisture predominant in her as we have shewn already For since the weakness of the body and of natural heat is ever attended by an inclination to fearfulness distrust avarice c. and that the superabundance of moisture accompanying it causes softness of nature effeminacy inconstancy and fickleness c. it follows that she hath not any part which does not discover some one of the Inclinations before-mentioned But for the further clearing up of a Proposition that seems so strange we must fall into a more particular consideration of things and make it appear by those rules of Physiognomy which Aristotle and other great Persons among the Antients have left us that there is no truth so well establish'd as this Aristotle hath given us this observation That a little face is a sign of pusillanimity and lowness of spirit By that character he designs those who are not abe to bear good or bad fortune who upon the least smile of prosperity become insolent upon the least frown of adversity are utterly cast down and discourag'd who entertain the least delay or denial as a great misfortune a small negligence for a great injury continually complaining distrustfull of all they have to do with full of suspence in the taking of any resolution c. as we shall shew more at large when we come to the particular characters of this vice The round face denotes maliciousness and an easie inclination to anger The narrow forehead is an argument of a fickle and incorrigible disposition The round forehead is a sign of testiness and weakness of mind The high forehead and very smooth signifies flattery and disâ—imulation Black eyes denote fearfulness the large eye argues inconstancy Thick and soft lips are marks of Loquacity an over-busie enquiry into the affairs of other people and a negligence of their own Some affirm that they are the significators of avarice and lying which two vices are commonly observable in the Moors whose lips are of that making The little mouth is a sign of weakness and lying The round chin denotes envie The long and small neck denotes a timorous disposition and a person inclin'd to loquacity When the upper part of the breast is smooth and fleshy it is an argument of credulity and weakness of judgment The shoulders little and close together are signs of avarice When the thighs feet and hands are fleshy the back streight and weak the hands little all these are signs of a soft and effeminate constitution that is they denote a delicate and voluptuous person one who is not able to endure any hardship or pains-taking to whom the slightest inconveniences are insupportable and one that impatiently bears the want of the least pleasures and enjoyments of life Art 7. Wherein perfect Beauty consists THis is all the account we have to give of the Beauty as well of the Man as the Woman There remains yet onely one difficulty which no doubt will occurr to all those who shall read this Discourse and may if not resolv'd bring the truth we have established into some dispute It is this that the Beauty whereof we have given a description is proper and correspondent onely to our climats and not to be accommodated to others for there is no Countrey but admits a diversity of judgments and opinions concerning this point nay there are some Nations that are so much at a distance from the sentiments we have of Beauty that they account beautifull such persons as in our apprehensions are little remov'd from deformity it self If the case stand thus how can any one frame to himself a certain and determinate Idaea of Beauty which is so indeterminate and full of diversity and restrain to the designs of Nature a thing which seems wholly to depend on the opinions of men Nay it being suppos'd that it is a natural perfection what Judge shall be able to decide which is the most perfect and accomplish'd since every People and Nation will imagine it hath good grounds to bestow the prize on that which is proper to it self We answer then that Reason onely is that soveraign Judg of all Nations who is able to pronounce a final sentence in a business so nice and prosecuted with so much partiality Yet is it not paricular Reason that shall have this prerogative but the general Reason which is grounded on common notions and principles not admitting of any dispute This Reason it is which teaches us that the Body is the Instrument of the Soul and the greater number of faculties and different powers this latter hath so much the greater diversity of parts must the former have to be employ'd as the organs thereof for the Instrument ought to be proportionate both to the cause by which it is used and to the action which it is by its
if they be not often renewed they are so lost or weakned that they cannot make a perfect representation of things 'T is true there are certain objects which upon the first sight make so strong an impression in the Soul that the species thereof are preserv'd a long time in the memory and that the first apprehension which is had of them hath as great an influence upon him as many several apprehensions often reiterated would have upon some other occasion Hence it comes that the first sight of a very beautifull person many times raises a Love which continues many years Upon this account it is said commonly in the Schools that there are certain acts which alone and upon the first performance of them may produce habits But otherwise that is those onely excepted there is a necessity that the Images which the Soul frames and continues in the memory should be often renew'd and as it were receive a second touch by several subsequent reflections that they may be perfectly expressive and representative For as often as ever the Soul makes an apprehension or a commemoration of some object so often does she frame an Image thereof to her self in regard that by apprehending or remembring she acts and that she can have no other action then the production of Images which Images joyn'd with those that are in the memory render them stronger and more lively much after the same manner as the colours which are often touched over as we have shewn in the place before alledged Art 9. That the disposition and facility of the Appetite 's motion proceeds from the same Images THese Images therefore which are in the memory and are accordingly perfectly expressive are those from which the disposition and facility which the Appetite hath to motion toward certain objects does proceed And certainly it may be affirm'd that the Soul which finds her self stored with these Images and sees her self in a condition to produce the apprehensions necessary to her is raised up to a certain confidence in her self and without any reflection of hers thereupon she is sensible of her own strength and courage And as a man who hath a vigorons body much wealth or is of noble extraction assumes a confidence in himself and is at all times in a condition to undertake things conformably to his power though he thinks not of it in like manner the Soul does the same when she hath the Images in a readiness in order to the making of her judgments she hath all her faculties in a disposition fit to act and when she is in action it may be easily perceiv'd she was prepar'd thereto And thence it will not be hard to judge that the Instinct the Temperament the Habits c. cause the inclinations because all these things presuppose Images perfectly expressive For those of the Instinct are strong and deep as we have already shewn those of the Habits ought to be often reiterated and the Temperament the Conformation of the parts kind of life c. which the Soul knows and is sensible of have the same effect on the Images as the Habit. Whence it may be inferr'd that in all these the Images are perfectly representative the Appetite is in a condition to move as soon as the Practick understanding or the Estimative faculty shall present them to it And here does consist the facility which it hath to be inclin'd thereto as the Inclination consists in that facility as we have already affirmed These things thus laid down we may define the Inclination by proper notions and terms thus The Inclination is a permanent disposition and a facility attain'd by a long progress of time which the Appetite hath to move towards certain objects which are acceptable and delightfull thereto SECT 2. What are the Causes of the Inclinations Art 1. The several distinctions of the said causes THus farr have we discoursed concerning the nature object and seat of the Inclinations we now come to an examination of the causes thereof For though we have already spoken of the principal cause and that which is the immediate source of them to wit the Images which are preserv'd in the memory yet are there yet remaining some others which albeit not so nearly adjacent to the Inclination are nevertheless in a certain degree necessary thereto nay they are such as being better known and more manifest will accordingly give a greater light to a thing so obscure as this is Besides therefore that secret and immediate Cause we have treated of before there are two other kinds to wit Next causes and Remote and both of them are either Natural or Moral Of the Natural the Next are the Instinct the Temperament and the Conformation of the parts The Remote are the Starrs the Climate difference of Age of Sustenance and indispositions of the body The Moral are nobleness or meanness of Extraction Riches and Poverty Power and Subjection good and bad Fortune and kind of Life which comprehends Arts Sciences Habits and Counsels Examples Punishments and Rewards For all these things raise particular inclinations by disposing the Soul to judge whether the things are good and givng her a bent towards them We are now to consider how this is done Art 2. That the Instinct is one of the causes of the Inclinations AS to the Instinct there is no doubt but that it must be numbred among the said Causes when it shall be found that it consists in the Images which have their birth with the Animal in order to its apprehension of those things which are necessary for its conservation and whereof he cannot come to the knowledg by the Senses For as these Images are perfectly expressive as being perfectly present to the Soul so upon all occasions they are the Sollicitours and remembrancers of the Estimative faculty that it would propose them to the Appetite and raise in that as we said before the inclination it hath to the action which they command should be done Thus is it that the Soul apprehends and is inclin'd to the functions whereto she is design'd and to a search after most of those things which are necessary for her For thence proceeds the inclination which Birds have to flie Fish to swim Men to discourse and which all living Creatures have to seek out the sustenance and remedies which they know are naturally fit and profitable for them Art 3. That the Temperament is one of the causes of the Inclinations AS concerning the Temperament it is unanimously acknowledged by all to be the most general and most eminent cause of the Inclinations that according to that quality of the humours which is predominant in the body men are inclin'd to such and such passions that such as are subject to Melancholy are naturally sad and ingenious the Cholerick active and angry the Sanguine jovial and affable the Flegmatick stupid and slothful As to Climates there are some in which men are more ingenious and more civiliz'd in others more dull
and savage according to the quality of the air they breath and which produces that effect by the impression it makes upon the Temperament Lastly that the very Animals themselves are fearful or venturous docile or untractable proportionably to the coldness or heat the thickness or subtility of their blood The reason for which the Temperament is the cause of all these effects is deduced from the secret knowledge which the soul hath of the instruments whereof she makes use in her actions for being so neerly united or joyned to them she knows the weakness or strength thereof and consequently is soon satisfi'd what she may and what she may not do by their means Now though this knowledge be secret yet does it not proceed from the instinct for the instinct is a clear and distinct knowledge which is bestow'd only on the species and consequently ought to be common to all the individuals that are under it whereas this knowledge is different in every one of them and is withall obscure and confused For the Soul hath but a confused knowledge of choler and thence it comes that she represents it to her self in dreams by certain Images which do not absolutely resemble it but have only a certain conformity to it such as are those of fire fighting bright colours c. She does the same thing in Melancholy which she figures to her self by spectres obscurity and inextricable disturbances and so proportionably of the others as we shall press more particularly in the Treatise of the TEMPERAMENTS Now this knowledge how confus'd soever it may be is sufficient to instruct the soul how far she may be able to act or not to act by the assistance of these humours For it teaches her by the experience she makes of it ever and anon that choler is an active and unconstant humour and that it may be serviceable to her in assaulting fighting with and destroying whatever injures her That on the contrary Melancholy is not easily stirr'd troublesome and opposite to the principles of life and so of the rest And upon this knowledge the Estimative faculty frames its judgment conformably to the effects produced by these humours which it keeps in the memory and every foot refreshes by new apprehensions by that means rendring them perfectly representative and capable of producing the inclinatiâ—ns which we commonly observe therein Art 4. That the Conformation of the parts is a cause of the Inclination AS to the Conformation of the parts I do not think any body doubts but that it is a certain sign of many Inclinations in as much as it is observable that without any art but only by the bare inspection of the lineaments of the face the humour and thoughts of some persons may be in some measure discovered That those men in whom there is a certain resemblance to certain other Animals are inclinable to the same passions as they are That such as deal in Horses and Huntsmen consult it very exactly that they may thereby judge of the docility and tractability of Horses and Dogs And lastly that it is come into a Proverb affirming that those are not to be trusted who are guilty of any strange default or miscarriage of Nature But I am further to add that this Conformation of the parts is not only the sign but is also the cause of those inclinations for it gives the soul a bent to certain actions as the Temperament doth Yet is it not to be said that the Conformation is the effect of the Temperament and consequently that it does not denote the inclinations upon any other ground then that it denotes the Temperament which is the true cause thereof and not it For though this may be true in many occasions and that it is certain also that ordinarily the parts are lengthned contracted and assume several figures according to the quality of the predominant humour yet does it very often happen that the Conformation agrees not with the Temperament and that for instance a cold complexion may be consistent with a Conformation which seems to denote heat Accordingly the heart and brain are sometimes too great or too little in the same Temperament which must needs cause a notable difference in the passions over which those two parts have any power Add to this how many cholerick persons are there who have thick and short noses and how many subject to melancholy have them long and sharp contrary to the nature of those humours Who would affirm that all the Tartars and all the Chineses are of the same Temperament because all the former have large faces and that the latter are all flat-nos'd Are there not some creatures of different species that have the same Temperament and yet the figure of their parts is wholy different To be short it is not the Temperament which penetrates the veines and arteries which makes the articulation of the bones divides the fingers and builds up that admirable structure of the parts of every animal But it is the formative vertue is the Architect which the soul imployes to build up a body such as may be fit to perform the actions whereto it is designed and whereas this vertue alwaies endeavours to make the Animal it frames like unto that which produces it if this latter have parts of such a largness and figure the aforesaid vertue which bears the character of it alwaies frames the like if it be not obstructed It is true that many times the Temperament opposes its design and hinders the parts from receiving that figure which the formative vertue had design'd to give them but many times also it does not oppose but leaves it to act according to the measures it hath taken Hence it comes that the imagination of Women with child causes it to change the figure of the Embryo's parts so as that the Temperament makes no opposition Thus the Stars imprint on the body such marks as are not correspondent to the natural complexion thereof c. Art 5. How Figure acts ALl this presuppos'd the next question is to know how Figure which is a barren quality and does not act at all may cause inclinations Nor is it to be imagin'd that it produces them by an active vertue for the Temperament it self though it have that vertue yet does not employ it upon the soul which is not susceptible of material qualities there being not any thing that can really either warm or cool the soul So that both the Temperament and Conformation of the parts are only occasional causes and motives which excite her to the performance of her actions When she hath taken cognizance of the heat which is predominant in the body she frames her judgements conformably to the effects which she is able to produce and afterwards disposes her self to set the organs on work according to the design she hath taken The same thing is to be said of Figure she knows which is which is not proper for certain functions she afterwards makes
her judgment of them and lastly sollicits the Appetite to move conformably to the resolution she hath taken Now as there are some figures which are fit for the motion of natural bodies others opposite thereto so is it certain that every organicall function hath a certain figure that is suitable to it and without which it cannot be otherwise then imperfectly performed Thence it comes that every part nay every species of living creature hath a different figure because the functions of it are different And as the body which should have been square and was consequently design'd for rest receives a property and aptitude to motion when it is reduc'd to a round figure in like manner when any one of the organical parts which should have been of such a figure receives some other it is deprived of the disposition it had for the function for which it was design'd and acquires that which hath some correspondence with the extraordinary figure it hath receiv'd The case is the same as when an Artisan makes use of an Instrument which is not convenient and fit for the design he had propos'd to himself for instead of doing what he intended he does the quite contrary he cuts off that which he should have bored he makes uneven what he should have smooth'd and whereas his design was to cast the statue of a man he does that of a Lyon if the mold he makes use of be such as may represent that creature Such is the procedure of the soul when she hath such organs as have not the natural figure they ought to have For there is nothing more certain then that man as well as all other Animals hath a proper and peculiar figure design'd by nature to every one of his parts And therefore as the soul hath an inclination to perform the actions which are proper to the organs she ought to have so must it needs follow that that inclination will be chang'd when the organ is chang'd But there remains yet a difficulty which seems nor easily resolvable It is this that the soul knows by the instinct the action which the organs ought to perform when they have the conformation proper and natural to them On the contrary this cannot be said when the organ hath not the figure it ought to have because the Instinct gives her not the apprehension of the action which is not proper to her since it is a particular default and that the Instinct is a general apprehension bestow'd on the whole species To rid our hands of this difficulty we are to observe that the figure of the parts is the effect of the formative vertue and that the said vertue follows the Temperament or the impression and image it hath receiv'd from the animal engendring If it follow the Temperament the figure is not the cause of the inclination it is only the sign of it in regard the Temperament is the true cause thereof and in that case the soul knows the action of the part by means of the Temperament as we have said before But if it follow the impression or the image of the animal which engenders the formative vertue is the cause of the inclination inasmuch as it is a faculty which brings along with it not only the character of the parts of the animal engendring but also the disposition which it had to act conformably to their figure And this is so unquestionable that many times the child betrayes the same inclinations as his parents had done before him though he do not resemble them the Temperament having opposed the figure of the parts yet not had strength enough to deface the disposition to the inclination which they had Now it is certain that it is only the formative vertue which brings the character of these inclinations there being not any thing which the animal engendring communicates to that which is engendred but only that vertue as several modern experiences have made apparent Now as the formative vertue which is in the organs of the animal engendring moves with those organs so it acquires the same bent and the same disposition to move which those organs have so that coming to frame another animal it carries along with it that very same disposition which it hath acquir'd and communicates it thereto And whereas this disposition is as it were a weight continually pressing and solliciting the soul to move the soul sensible of that sollicitation at last frames the judgment conformable to the impression she hath receiv'd from it and afterwards derives it to the Appetite which entertains the same bent and this bent is the true Inclination in regard the Inclination cannot be any where but in the appetite Art 6. How Inclinations are produc'd by the remote Causes THus far have we discours'd of the Natural and Next causes of the Inclinations As to the Remote they are all in a manner reducible to the Temperament For the Stars the Climate Age Aliment and the Indispositions of body have no other influence on the inclinations then what is caus'd by the alteration they make in the temperament True it is there are some diseases which alter them by destroying the Conformation of the parts as a man who is maim'd in the hand or leg looses the inclination he had to play on the Lute or dance As concerning the Moral Causes they dispose the Estimative faculty to make its judgments according to the apprehension it receives from them of the strength or weakness they have as Nobleness of birth Wealth good Fortune raise in men an inclination to Ambition Pride and Courage in regard they are perswaded by the power they derive from them that they deserve honours and that there is not any thing which they may not attempt whereas on the contrary the inclinations arising from meanness of birth poverty and ill fortune are opposite to the other All the rest as course of Life Arts Sciences Vertues and Vices are grounded on Custome which renders things easie and agreeable upon the recommendation of the profit or pleasure that may be reaped thereby For all this being frequently represented to the Estimative faculty it makes favourable judgments thereof which are preserv'd in the memory and at last cause the Appetite to incline as we have shewn elswhere But we must not in this place omit one advertisement which is absolutely necessary in reference to the subject we treat of It is this that when we speak of the Temperament we do not understand only by that word the conjunction and mixture of the first qualities but our meaning is to add thereto the second qualities And therefore we do not speak only of the hot cold dry or moist Temperament but also of the Sanguine Cholerick Plegmatick and Melancholick Temperament in regard the humours which give the denominations to these Temperaments comprehend these two sorts of qualities But of all the second qualities there are not any so considerable in reference to the Inclinations as subtilty and
grossness for every humour may be either subtile or gross and a subtile Melancholy is more different from a gross then it is from choler Accordingly the effects of it are promptitude inconstancy anger as they are of choler whereas the productions of the gross melancholy are slothfulness stupidity obstinacy And it is upon this particular that medicine hath not sufficiently explicated it self in the division of the Temperaments for it hath set down but nine one temperate and the other eight in excess which might have been multiplied by addition of subtilty and grossness and by the interchangeable mixtures which may be assign'd in men as the Cholerick-Sanguine the Melancholick-Sanguine c. as we shall shew more exactly in the Treatise of the Temperaments Art 7. Of the nature of Aversion Thus have we given an account of all we could discover in a business which haply is the most obscure and most abstruse of any relating to Animals I must for my part ingenuously confess that I never met with any thing more hard to conceive then the nature of the inclination the manner after which it is fram'd in the soul and how it causes the Appetite to move But if I have perform'd what I aim'd at in this disquisition I may say that I have made two discoveries for one for the reasons I have used to clear up these difficulties may also serve for those that may occur in the knowledge of Aversion and are in all respects like unto them Accordingly the tearm Aversion is not here taken for that motion of the Appetite which frames Hatred but only for a Disposition and facility that it hath to assume that motion the account we have to give of this as to our meaning thereby being the same we have already given of the word Inclination Suitably to this explication we are to affirm that as the Inclinations are either Natural or Acquired so are there the same divisions of Aversion The Appetite also is the seat of both All the same causes whether Natural or Moral or Next or Remote act therein after the same manner and equally dispose the soul to move All the difference is that they have contrary objects and that they alwaies tend to contrary motions For the inclination looks only after things agreeable and gives the soul a bent towards them but Aversion is for those that are unpleasant and disposes the Appetite to avoid them So that it may be thus defin'd Aversion is a permanent Disposition and a facility attain'd by a long progress of time which the Appetite hath to recede from certain objects which are disagreeable thereto There is no necessity of any further explication how the soul comes to attain and contract this facility for whatever we have said concerning that which is in the Inclination is common to both CHAP. III. Of the Motions of the Soul SECT I. That the Soul moves ALL people talk of the motions of the Soul 't is generally said that she is inclin'd towards the good and avoids evil that she grows resolute or is discourag'd at the meeting of difficulties and there is no language but hath certain terms whereby to express the agitations she gives her self so that it is a thing manifest and such as ought not to be admitted into dispute that the soul can move and that she effectually hath such motions as are proper and peculiar to her And certainly as it is to be granted that she ought to know the things that are good and evil and that this knowledge were of no advantage nay would be prejudicial to her if she had not the means to enjoy the good and shun the evil In like manner is it necessary that with the said knowledge she should have the vertue of moving that so she may approach the good and recede from the evil which she knows Art 1. What part of the Soul moves FOr this reason therefore hath the Soul two principal flaculties one in reference to her knowledge the other to her motion which faculties are in all the orders of the soul For in the Intellectual Soul the Vnderstanding knows and the Will moves in the Sensitive the Imagination supplies the place of the knowing faculty and the sensitive Appetite frames the motions And in the Natural there is also a certain vertue which after its manner knows what is good or bad for it and an appetite which causes all the motions that we observe therein Art 2. That the motions of the Soul are not metaphorical THe greatest difficulty of all is to know of what nature these motions are and whether the soul does effectually move or that this is a figurative manner of speaking representing the actions of the soul according to a certain conformity which may be between them and the motions of the body For my part I am fully satisfy'd as to the question and therefore affirm though contrary to the Tenents of all Philosophy and the Schools maintaining that they are only metaphorical motions that they are true and real motions whereby the Soul changes place and puts her self into diverse situations Art 3. That the rational Soul hath a real motion as the Angels have TO establish therefore this doctrine which must serve to explicate the nature of the Passions we are in the first place to consider the motions of the rational Soul For if it can be shewn that being wholy spiritual as she is she nevertheless moves it will be a great presumption for the others which are fasten'd and chain'd to matter Now to do this would be no hard task could we but comply so far with Theology as to grant that Angels really move that they pass from one place to another that they dilate and contract themselves taking up a greater or lesser space For this verity presuppos'd it may be inferr'd that the rational soul which is of the same nature with them ought to have the same advantage But what is not the soul dilated when a child grows bigger Is she not contracted and restrain'd into a less space when some members are cut off And when one dies does she not depart out of the body and remove into some other place Which if it is not to be doubted that she is susceptible of a reall motion since that in all these there is a change of situation and place as in the Angels And certainly it cannot well enter into a man's imagination that being Noble as she is she should be depriv'd of a vertue which is common to all things created For there is not any body but hath the power to move it self either by the weight or lightness it hath all things having life grow and diminish all animals move of themselves and if to all this we add the motion of Angelical substances it is not probable the soul should be the only thing in the Universe that hath not any motion and should of its own nature be immovable Art 4. That the motions of the Will are reall
greatest weight is that Motion is of its own nature successive and that succession implies time wherereas most part of the Souls motions are instantaneous that is made in an instant But we have shewn in our Treatise Of Light that there are real motions of those taht are momentany That those of Light and those of Angels which after they have been contracted resume their former dilation or extent are so wrought And consequently that the motions of the Will being eminent are of that order since it is a thing affirm'd by many eminent Philosophers that those Motions of immaterial substances which are transient are made in an instant It is therefore a thing to be maintain'd as manifest that the rational Soul moves That being a limited substance she hath some extension without which we cannot conceive any limits That the said extension cannot be without parts and that those parts are movable as well as the whole That accordingly she may move within her self by moving her parts and that thence proceed all the interiour motions of the Will Art 6. The Motions of the Appetites NOw if this be true of the Rational Soul which is spiritual it will be much more easily comprehended to be so in the others which are fastened to matter and there will be no question made but that they are susceptible of the same motions in as much as motion belongs principally to things material Accordingly therefore the sensitive and natural Appetites suffer the same agitations as the Will when it loves when it hates c. and these motions are interiour and immanent and are fram'd in a moment as those of the Will But what wil some body say If these two Appetites are chain'd to matter there is a necessity the matter should move along with them and how can matter move in an instant It may be said in the first place that we are not to imagine the matter whereto the Appetite is chain'd to be gross and weighty as most of the parts of the body are but it is requisite that the power have a subject proportionable to it self and that the Appetite which is the most movable part of the Soul should have a subject the most movable of any Thus though the Appetite have its seat in the heart yet it is not to be inferr'd that the whole heart is its first and principal seat No that seat is the spirits and that moist heat which is the source of life and ever in motion as Hippocrates affirms So that it is not to be admir'd the matter whereto it is fastned should so easily and so readily follow the agitation which it gives it self Secondly it is to be noted that matter doth not always hinder things from moving in an instant in regard there are massie bodies that do move so For it is not to be doubted but that a weighty body sustain'd in the air makes some effort to descend that it presses upon the hand that stays it there and that a man feels every moment the impulsion which it makes therein which impulsion is no doubt a real motion Moreover Light which is a material quality and requires a subject to support it does nevertheless move in an instant as we have shewn in its proper place Now these two examples do not onely make it manifest that material things are mov'd instantaneously but they also give us a certain apprehension of the manner whereby the Appetite moves the Soul and whereby it moves it self in the body For it may be said that it is like a weight which thrusts the Soul to that whereto it would have her to go And it moves in the heart as Light does in a transparent body that is it enters into it it comes out of it it dilates it self in it it also contracts it self yet so as the diaphanous body hath no sense of all those motions though it be the subject whereto the light is annexed The case is the same with the Appetite which though fastened to its subject may dilate it self in joy contract it self in grief issue out of and return into it self in love and hatred and all so as that the body suffers nothing of all these motions True it is that the heart and spirits are agitated and stirr'd in great passions but not to urge that they are effects which follow and come after the emotion of the Soul it is to be observ'd that there are some passions which continue in the Appetite without making any impression on those parts And this may suffice to shew that the Appetite may move so as that the body be not chang'd thereby SECT 2. How Good and Evil move the Appetite BUt in order to a more exact knowledge of all these motions we are yet to find out what it is that engages and excites the Appetite to make them which is one of the most abstruse things of any in the nature of the Soul and the most hard to be conceiv'd according to the maximes of the Schools For though it be out of all controversie that Good and Evil are the onely objects which cause all the motions of the Appetite yet is it not easie to express the manner how it is done since Good and Evil make no impression on the Soul otherwise then by the Images which the knowing Faculties frame thereof of and that those Images have not any other vertue then to represent For if that representation be not subservient to the knowledge of things it will not be any way usefull to the Appetite which is a blind power and as it is affirmed not capable of any knowledge I am content that the Practick Vnderstanding and the Estimative faculty should judge whether things are Good or Evil that they should present them to the Appetite and command it to move in order either to its union with them or recession from them But how does the Appetite see How does it know when it neither sees nor knows any thing but those Images those judgments and commands being fram'd in the said faculties What is it that teaches the Appetite that it ought at that time to move after such or such a manner in order to its union with the Good and after another manner to recede from the Evil when it knows not whether the Good or Evil have been presented to the Soul All these difficulties are the brood of two principles which some have brought into the Schools One is that the Images which are fram'd in the Soul depart not out of the faculty whereby they are produced the other that the Appetite of what order soever it be hath noâ— any knowledge And upon these two foundations they imagin'd that this inference must necessarily be built that the faculties act one after another by a certain sympathy there is between them or by the direction of the Soul in the substance unto which they are reunited Now we shall elsewhere make it appear that these two means cannot be maintain'd and
Soul which takes notice of them to represent to her self such objects as are proper to those Passions and so to frame the Passions themselves However it be this is deducible hence that when the Imagination hath felt the emotion excited by the Will in the Appetite it frames to its self such an object as is requisite for the producing of that Passion But it is an uncertain and confused object which does not precisely determine it and therefore it many times happens that in such a case a man cannot give any reason why he is sad or merry and though he be sensible of the Good or Evil yet can he not specifie which it is SECT 6. What is the Seat and first Subject of the Appetite BY all we have hitherto said it is sufficiently apparent that the Appetite is the first Subject of the Passions because they are motions and that the Appetite is the only part of the Soul which moves But as the Soul is the Form of the Body and the faculties have certain proper Organs wherein they reside and where they act we are now to examine what part of the Body it is which serves for a Seat to the Appetite and where it frames its first motions for this examination is necessary to our design since we shall be ever and anon oblig'd to speak of the place whence the Passions have their first rise We are then in the first place to suppose that the Faculties of the Soul are inseparable from its substance and that whereever she is they also are But in regard that of these there are some which stand in need of Organs in order to action though they are in all places where the Soul is yet they act only in their own Organs Those Faculties which are Spiritual being not confin'd to matter do not stand in need of Organs and consequently they are and act in all places where the Soul is as the Understanding and Will For though the actions of the Understanding are more apparent in the Head and those of the Will in the Heart then they are any where else yet is it not to be conceiv'd that these two parts are the Organs thereof but because the faculties subservient to them are in those places and that we commonly attribute to those high powers the actions of those faculties which are subservient thereto as we attribute to the Prince what is done by his Ministers But the case is otherwise in the Corporeal Faculties for it is requisite that they should be restrain'd to some part of the Body which serves them for a subject and instrument in order to the performance of their functions And it is out of all doubt that the Sensitive and Natural Appetites are of that order but there is a great dispute among Philosophers to know which is the proper seat of either of them Art 1. What is the Seat of the Sensitive Appetite AS to the Sensitive Appetite we find by experience that in any Passion whatsoever the Heart is troubled and mov'd and that there are very few how secret soever they may be which may not be discover'd by the beating of the Arteries The ordinary manner of speaking nay indeed Religion it self will have it that this part should not only be a source of all the Passions which cause any alteration in the Body but also of all the affections and motions of the Soul so that we may affirm it to be the Seat Subject and principal Organ of the sensitive Appetite But we see further that in Insects and Serpents the parts after separation from the Heart discover sense and motion when they are touch'd Nay some have observ'd that in the more perfect Animals the Members move for a certain time after this part hath been taken away from them And we are assur'd by our late observations that before the formation of the Heart and Brain there is motion and sentiment in the Embryo To be short Hunger and Thirst are two sensitive Appetites and it is generally acknowledg'd that the mouth of the Stomach and not the Heart is the real subject thereof Nay there is no sensible part can be so slightly wounded as not to move at the same instant and yet it cannot be said that the Heart is the cause of that motion And therefore it seems probable that the Appetite ought to be whereever there is sentiment since the Sense enlightens the Appetite and that the latter cannot move without it And thence some have imagin'd that the Brain which is the principle of sentiment and the Organ of the Imagination should also have the same relation to the sensitive Appetite From all these observations it may be concluded that there are two kinds of sensitive Appetite one which is general and common regarding the conservation of the whole Animal such as is that which frames the ordinary Passions of Love Hate c. the other particular and proper to every part The first no doubt is plac'd in the Heart which is the spring of Life and the Centre from which do proceed all the powers whereby the Animal is govern'd The second hath its seat in every part as Hunger and Thirst in the Stomach But considering further that these two Appetites are of one and the same nature having the same motions the same objects and the same end and that they differ one from the other but as homogenial parts of the same whole it is accordingly requisite that they should have one subject which ought also to be of the same nature And consequently it is necessary that there should be in the Heart and in every part some Organ which may be common in order to its being the chief Subject of that Faculty which is common to them To discover this we are to remember and reflect on what we said before to wit that all the powers of the Soul are inseparable from her substance and that nevertheless they do not act whereever she is but only in certain parts Now this cannot proceed from any thing but the particular disposition which those parts have to be assistant to their actions whether they be more proper to receive the Impression of the objects as for instance the Eye which ought to be transparent that it might give passage to Light and the visible Species and so of the other Senses or that they are more proper to execute the motion which the Soul ought to make as the Muscles are the instruments of voluntary motions in regard they consist of tendons and flesh which are capable of contraction without which these motions cannot be made This presuppos'd as a truth not to be brought into dispute it is requisite that the part wherein the Appetite hath its immediate residence should be proper to the action it ought to do and whereas there is no other action then motion it is also necessary that the said part should have the dispositions proper to motion Now there is not any disposition more proper
into it or as the exhalations of the Earth raise up the matters that are join'd with them so the Spirits having receiv'd the motion and direction of the Soul carry away the blood and humours to all those places which they have orders to convey them For it is not to be doubted but that an oeconomy so just and so regular in the variety of its operations is guided and govern'd by some power which hath a preheminence above the elementary vertues and participates of that secret intelligence which God hath been pleas'd to entrust the Soul withall for the conservation of the Animal It is therefore she alone that causes the Spirits to move and gives them orders for the conduct of the humours SECT 1. Of the animation of the Spirits THe difficulty now remaining is to know how the Soul causes the Spirits to move whether it be as instruments separated from the Body or as Organs animated by her In a word the question is to know whether they are animated or not The common opinion is for the Negative and maintains that they are only distinct instruments which communicate the vertue of the Soul to the parts and are themselves guided by the direction they receive from her as the Arrow which is shot by the Archer and flies towards the mark at which he took his aim But if we consider this Direction a little more narrowly as also the manner whereby it may be made we shall find all this to amount to no more then fair words which do not explain the thing but leave in the mind a thousand difficulties inducing it to affirm the contrary Now if this Motion and Direction ought to be given to the Spirits as to distinct instruments it is necessary it should be done in the Heart which is the place where they have their birth and from which they derive all their force and vertue Nay it is further requisite that the whole mass of Spirits which issue thence should receive the same impression in asmuch as they are not divided one from the other If it be so this question will arise How it comes to pass that some of them go to one place rather then another As also these others How comes it that in one Passion they are directed to the forehead as in Love How in another to the eyes as in Anger How in others to the lower part of the cheeks and the ears as in Shame How happens there a greater confluence of them on the indâ—spos'd parts then on those which are sound and well For as in the springs the impetuosity of the water is equally communicated to all the channels or rivulets and that the art of the Designer cannot make the water flow into one rather then another if they be all equally open so can it not be conceiv'd that the Spirits should rather go to one part then another since the several branches of the Arteries through which they are to flow are all equally open Moreover he who shall consider how that in Anger they choose out the venome which is in the veins that it may be convey'd to the teeth of Animals how that in diseases they discern the humours from which they have proceeded to the end they might be forc'd out will easily find that there is not any direction of the Soul which can satisfie all these effects and there is requisite a vital knowledge and discernment such as cannot proceed from any other then an animated instrument For if any should affirm that the soul makes this discernment and choice there will follow a necessity that she should be mixt with those humours that so she may be able to separate them and they will be forc'd to acknowledge that the Soul is in those humours which will be a far greater inconvenience then to maintain the animation of the Spirits Now we have already shewn that it is by their means these motions are wrought We may adde further that the Direction of things forc'd or thrust forward does only regulate their motion towards the mark whereto they are to tend it does not diminish ought of the impetuosity which hath been imprinted on them and it is necessary their motion should persist to the end with all the force the mover hath given them And yet the Spirits go many times to other places then those whereto the Soul had ordered them to repair when they receiv'd her first impulsion And sometimes in their course they move more vigorously or more faintly then the impetuosity they had receiv'd might require For example in Shame they have order to spread the blood over the whole face as it were to cover and conceal the Soul from the infamy ready to fall on her and yet they cast themselves on the extremities of the eares and the lower part of the cheeks contrary to her first design Many times they begin a Crisis of sweats which they end by Urins and some times they grow faint and retreat in the conflict wherein Nature had engag'd them It may be more closely urg'd that the Soul does not only cause the Spirits to advance but she also makes them retreat she dilates them and contracts them And if so what shall this pretended Direction do upon all these occasions How shall it cause them to rally about the heart when they have straggled from it There must then be suppos'd some Attractive vertue whose work it shall be to seize on them at the extremities of the Body and bring them back to their first rendezvous But we have made it clear that this vertue is but an imaginary one and that however the case stands there must be some subject to convey it to the place where it ought to do its operation which is not to be imagin'd There is yet a greater difficulty in assigning the manner how the soul is able to dilate and contract them when they are at some distance from the heart For there is not in nature any impulsion or direction whereby these motions may be communicated There is is only Heat and Cold that can do it and whereas these qualities require a considerable time for the performance of their action it follows that they cannot be causes of that dilatation and contraction of the Spirits which are wrought of a sudden Adde to this that there is a necessity the Soul should send these qualities into the vessels to produce that effect and that in Fear for example she should cause Cold to rise to make a contraction of the Spirits which can neither be said nor imagin'd without absurdity For if the Cold be discover'd in some Passions it is not a cause of the contraction of the Spirits but the effect of it In fine it is generally acknowledg'd by all the great masters of Medicine that the vital sensitive and motive faculties are convey'd to the parts by the Spirits And Experience confirms this truth in asmuch as life motion and sentiment cease in them when they have not
it the first place as to what concerns Physiognomical Signs and to dispose the eyes in the most excellent place therein then to bring in the forehead and so consequently the others for the reasons we have alledged Art 4. That the Inclinations are most apparent in the Head IT might be said that all this Discourse does indeed demonstrate the appearance of the Passions more remarkably in the Face then any where else but that the same thing is not to be concluded as to the inclinations and that all this alteration and all these motions which are consequent to the agitation of the Soul are only transient Signs incapable of denoting permanent disposition such as are those of the Inclinations and Habits But we conceive it no inconsiderable advancement to have shewn that the Characters of the Passions are principally apparent in that part of the Body since that according to the rule of conformity whereof we shall speak hereafter those who naturally have the same air which the Passion causes are inclinable to the same Passion However it may happen if the Temperament the Conformation of the parts and the Motive vertue be the causes of permanent Signs it is consequently certain that there are not any parts wherein the Formative vertue acts more efficaciously then it does in the Head by reason of the excellency of its Operations and its Organs no parts wherein the Temperament can be more easily discover'd by reason of the particular constitution which the skin is of in fine no parts wherein the motive vertue is stronger and more free in its motions since there it is in its proper seat and vigour To these reasons this may be added that the great variety of the organs which are in the Head supplies us with a greater number of Signs then any other part whatsoever and that Audacity and Fear taken away as also some others which have dependance on them there is not any Passion that leaves its marks on the parts whereby the Heart is encompass'd So that without any further difficulty we may allow the Head the preheminence as to what concerns the Signs observable in Physiognomy Art 5. That the Inclinations are discoverable by the Arms and Leggs IT may seem deducible from these last reasons that we are willing to allow the second rank to the Arms and Leggs and admit them to be the places from which next to the Head there may be drawn such Signs as may pretend to most certainty and whereof there are a greater number and consequently that the Breast is not so considerable as they are And indeed if the Air of the Face the Behaviour and motion be more certain Signs then the Figure as Aristotle in these words seems to affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placing the Figure after the Motions it is certain that they are much more apparent in the Gesture and Gate then in the Breast where it may be thought there is only the Figure to be consider'd But we are here to call to mind what we have said elsewhere to wit that the Passions may be consider'd in their first stirring and in their execution and that the execution is not alwaies consequent to the stirring and emotion Now the Arms and Legs are the principal organs in order to the execution of what the Appetite commands and the Heart is the principle and source of the emotion So that the marks which this latter gives are more universal and more certain then those of the others it being affirmed that the Heart is alwaies mov'd in the Passions and that every Passion comes not to execution I add further that the Breast and Shoulders have also their particular carriage and motion as well as the Arms besides that the motion of the Arms and the manner of Going may be chang'd by custom whereas the same thing cannot be said of the Figure of the Breast which alwaies denotes the Temperament of the Heart and consequently the Inclinations And as for Aristotle we are to affirm that he does not make any comparison between the Air of the Countenance and Motion and Figure but he compares these three together with the other Signs as for example the Colour the Voice the quality of the Skin and the Fleshy parts which no doubt are much less certain then the former as we said elsewhere So that it is to be maintain'd as manifest that the most excellent place from which the most remarkable Signs of Physiognomy are to be drawn is the Head the next to that the parts which enclose the Heart the third the Arms and Leggs and the last the Belly For though this last hath some right to dispute the precedence with the Arms by reason of the many Signs found therein especially as to what concerns the Temperament yet it is most certain that modesty does not easily permit that part to be consider'd whence it must needs follow that the Signs are so much the less manifest whereto may be added this also that they do not principally denote the operations of the sensitive Soul but only of the Vegetative and that it is only by accident that it makes any signification of the other Art 6. From what places the Signs are taken THe most considerable places from which the Signs are to be taken are as Aristotle affirms those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In quibus sapientiae multae apparentia fit which assertion may be explicated two ways The former that the parts where Wisdom and Modesty ought to be most apparent are those which discover the most certain marks of the Inclinations So that the air of the countenance and the carriage or deportment of the Body making the principal discovery of Wisdom in a man it is accordingly from those places that we are to derive the most assured Signs of Physiognomy For as Prudence brings along with it a general disposition to all the other Vertues So on the other side Imprudence invests a man with a susceptibility of all sorts of Vices and Imperfections So that the places where those two qualities are most remarkable must of necessity furnish us with the Signs of all the other Inclinations The second Explication of that Assertion and in my judgment the better is that the external parts whereof the Soul seems to stand most in need and wherein she imploys the more art and conduct whether as to the framing of them or keeping them after they are fram'd are those from which we are to extract the most certain Signs of the Inclinations The reason this that the Soul making a fuller discovery of her self and in some sort more manifestly producing her self in those parts than in the others may in them also make a greater discovery of her Inclinations Now it is generally acknowledg'd that there are not any wherein her cares her conduct and her industry are more apparent than in the eyes and in the other parts of the Head in regard that all the Senses nay Reason it self are lodg'd therein
and next to them in the Breast upon this account that it comprehends the source of life and that the Appetite hath its residence there And lastly in the Arms and Leggs as being the instruments of voluntary motion which next to Sentiment is the noblest quality of the Animal From the precedent Discourse it is easily seen that there cannot be an assured judgment made of the Soul's Inclinations otherwise than by the proper and permanent Signs and that these are commonly drawn from the Figure the Air of the countenance the Motions and the Fleshy parts of the Body So that among the Signs propos'd by Aristotle the Figure and Air of the countenance have the first place Then follows the Motion in as much as the Animal does not move but answerably to the motion of the Appetite and so it is easie to judge of what quality the Appetite is by Motion which is one of its effects The fleshy parts of the body have the third place in regard they denote the matter whereof the body consists Now every matter requires its particular form and so by the qualities of the matter the qualities of the form may be known The Skin and Hair come next in as much as they are certain discoveries of the fleshiness In fine Colour and the Voice bring up the Rear and have the last place in regard they may be easily alter'd especially the Voice which is chang'd in a moment by the Passions by the least fluxion and by an hundred other such accidents CHAP. IV. Of the Rules which Physiognomy hath fram'd upon the natural Signs in order to the discovery of the Inclinations AS all the Signs whereof we have treated taken distinctly one from the other afford us not a very certain judgment of what we would deduce from them and that it is requisite there should be a concurrence of several of them to make a perfect denotation of what we would discover therby so Physiognomy hath reduc'd them into divers Classes wherein are comprehended all those which have any relation to the same end and signification And the number of these Classes is drawn from four rapports and resemblances which may be between Men other things it being conceivable that one man may have some resemblance to another who shall be mov'd by some passion or to Men of another Climate or to Women or to Brutes Now upon these four resemblances Physiognomy hath made four general Rules which besides that they promote its particular design do further discover the initials of that Science and the improvements it hath made in several Times and Ages Art 1. Of the Progress of Physiognomy I Conceive then it may be laid down as a thing not question'd that Physiognomy had its beginnings and advancements as the other Sciences had which have not of a sudden and as it were at the first start nor yet in the same Age attain'd the perfection and accomplishment which Time and after-experiences have brought them to And it is very probable that the first observations made thereof were taken from the effects which the Passions produce in the countenance and that it having been observ'd that a Man transported with Anger or cast down by sadness had his countenance in such or such a posture some observant Person inferr'd the likelihood there was that those who naturally had their countenances so were accordingly inclin'd to the same Passions For this manner of judging of the Inclinations is more consonant to common sence and the most easie to be observ'd Afterwards there was taken into consideration the resemblance which may be between men and other Animals and a judgment was made of the conformity of their Inclinations by the resemblance there was between them Then was there notice taken of that which is between the Sexes and at last that between men of different Climates For it is certain that the Sexes in each Species have the Figure of the Body and the Inclinations different as well as men of different Climates and that if there be a resemblance as to Figure between any two of them there ought to be also the same as to their Inclinations Art 2. That the Syllogistical Rule was added by Aristotle THus far went the Antient Physiognomy To these observations Aristotle hath since added the Rule which he calls Syllogistical Now though the rules which the antient Professors of Physiognomy made use of were not bad yet were they not certain enough to establish a Science upon them in regard they did not employ them all in their judgments nay indeed us'd them not as they should have done and that they wanted the Syllogistical Rule without which the other are defective And thence it came that Aristotle found fault with them and hath shewn by solid reasons that there was no certainty in their Science Art 3. The defect of the first Rule of Physiognomy FOr as to what concerns the first means which they call apparent Conformity or Resemblance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they minded not that there are many contrary Inclinations which cause the same constitution of countenance as for instance Fortitude and Impudence Besides the Air of countenance is chang'd in a moment according as the Soul is mov'd and so a man naturally sad may express a certain cheerfulness in his countenance upon the occurrence of some agreeable object In fine this Rule is very imperfect and confin'd the study of Physiognomy to too narrow limits Art 4. The defectiveness of the second Rule THe second Rule which they draw from the resemblance there may be between Man and other Animals is yet more doubtfull especially considering the manner how they made use of it For there is not any man as Aristotle affirms who hath an absolute resemblance with any other Animal whatsoever but onely in some particular part and there is ground to doubt whether any one part is capable of creating a judgment of an Inclination proper to the whole Species Secondly it is to be considered that there are few Signs proper and peculiar to any one Species and that there be many common ones and therefore the resemblance which is made between a man and some other Animal by the common Signs will be defective and signifie nothing since it may be also made to another different Species Nay if the resemblance be made by Signs proper to such a Species there will still be reason to question whether those Signs do determinately denote such an Inclination since it is to be conceiv'd every Animal hath several others Thus the Figure proper to a Tygre is to have a very spacious mouth short ears and the skin spotted But this cannot design a particular Inclination in regard that being a strong cruel and indocible creature it cannot be determined to which of these qualities that Figure may have any correspondence And therefore the antient Physiognomists could not by this Rule make any judgment of the Inclinations whether they made use of those Signs which are
be withall a person well descended that he be young fortunate and rich that he have some military imployment and that he be of a warlike nation it is certain that the judgement which may be made of his being inclin'd to courageous actions shall be more creditable then if those circumstances did not occur But if with that fortunate Constitution he be of a mean extraction if he be poor and unfortunate and stricken in years if he be of a Profession that abates his courage and keeps it down if he be of a Climate over-hot or over-moist the Inclination which Nature hath bestow'd on him to courageous actions shall be much weakned by these causes how remote soever they may be and the judgment to be made thereof ought to be the more reserv'd It is therefore necessary that there should be a previous knowledge of the Inclinations which these causes produce that they should be compar'd together and that it be examin'd how far they fortifie or weaken the others Whence it comes that having treated of the Inclinations of the Inhabitants in general it must discourse of those of Children Young persons perfect Men and Old men Thence it must descend to the Moral Causes which are in number seventeen to wit Nobleness and Meanness of Birth Wealth and Poverty Soveraignty and Subjection Prosperity and Adversity and the course of Life to wit the Art Militaâ—y Medicine Musick Hunting Dancing Philosophy Mathematicks the study of the Laws Oratory and Poetry observing the Inclinations and Manners which accompany each of these Professions so that this will be the work of one and twenty Chapters And after all these disquisitions it may well be confident that it is able to discover not only the present Inclinations but also those which are past and those which may yet be to come through the change which either hath been or shall be made in the Temperament and the Moral Causes CHAP. VI. How the Actions and Motions of the Soul are known THe next work of our Art how to know Men must be to shew how the actions and motions of the Soul are to be known we mean not those which are evident and manifest for it were ridiculous to give Rules to find out whether a Man be in Anger when he is seen transported with the fury which that Passion inspires or whether he be sad when he complains and laments and seems to be over-whelm'd with affliction But in regard there are some Passions which are to be foreseen before they are framed and that of those which are so there are some that are not produc'd to any great height as Hatred that some of them are theatrical and feigned as those of Flatterers Nay that there are some cloak'd with contrary appearances as when a man would have it thought he loves another person though he hates him when one makes shew of a certain joy when he hath much ado to smother his grief in fine Designs closely carried on secret Actions the unknown Authors of known actions All these things I say are the main subject of the Art we speak of and the Rules it gives for the knowledge of them And no doubt but there are such Rules since there is not any thing considerable fram'd in the Mind which may not be discover'd by the Countenance by a mans Words by the Effects and some Circumstances from which there may certain or at least very probable conjectures be deduc'd Art 1. That there are two kinds of Actions BE it observed then that there are generally speaking two kinds of actions some simple and plain and such as they appear to be others deceitful and cloak'd with dissimulation All the difficulty to be overcome in the former is to discover the end for which they are done For in every Action there is alwaies the apparent and manifest motion which is the matter and as it were the body of the Action and the Intention which is the form and as it were the Soul of the Action and that is ever obscure and hidden Thus when there is a necessity of fighting against the Enemies of the State the act of fighting is the matter of the Action and is evident but the End and Intention of it is a secret in regard it is not known whether it be for Honour or Advantage whether it be done out of force or by example c. There will be therefore a particular Chapter for discovery of the Ends and Intentions of the Actions Art 2. Of Dissimulation AS concerning the other Actions which are cloak'd and cover'd with Dissimulation the discovery of them is much more difficult for that difficulty occurs not only in the body of the Action but also in the End of it which is shrowded in divers pretences And among Actions the External may be disguis'd under contrary appearances and the Internal which are the Thoughts and the Passions may be easily dissembled Besides Dissimulation insinuates it self into the Words the Countenance and the Effects whether it makes its advantage of them distinctly or altogether as we shall shew more at large in the Treatise of Dissimulation Now the means whereby the Art we teach pretends to the discovery of it are twelve in number The first is to examine the dissimulation by it self and to see whether there be any likelihood or probability the thing should be as it is pretended whether the countenance of the Dissembler belyes his words and whether the Effects are consonant or contrary one to another The second to oblige him who hath been caught in it to discover it himself by fair words and persuasions 3. To oblige him to it by punishments 4. By Rewards 5. By present punishments or rewards 6. By a threatning of future punishments and promises of future rewards 7. By importunity 8. By Wine and Good-fellowship 9. By a consideration of the person who acts as whether he be of a timorous or confident disposition whether he have the reputation of being sincere or be a noted dissembler whether he be an inferiour person who speaks c. 10. By a like consideration of the person against whom the dissimulation is acted as whether he be one who is dreaded whether a Prince Master c. 11. There is yet a further way of discovering the Dissimulation by a sudden motion of some Passion which breaks forth and betrayes what is in the Soul such as may be that of Anger 12. The same discovery may be made by a sudden sally of Joy And upon all these several means there are certain particular Rules which shall be explicated in so many Chapters Art 3. How Actions may be foreseen BUt we now come to examine whether there be any Rules whereby the Actions of the Mind and the Passions of the Soul may be foreseen before they are fram'd and whether it may be affirm'd that upon such or such an occasion a man will have rational apprehensions if he should chance to be transported with Anger or fall into
Fear c. As to the Actions of the Mind as they must be necessarily conformable to the strength or weakness of the Faculties whereby they are produc'd so is it certain that a man who shall have the organs subservient to those Faculties well or ill dispos'd shall have good or bad productions of the mind and that it may be assur'd that when he shall be oblig'd to the reception of some sentiment or to speak of some affair he will judge and speak of it according to the capacity which the world was persuaded he had as we have said elsewhere The Habit and Inclination do the like for if it be known a man is Just Magnificent Valiant c. it will be undoubtedly said that when any occasion shall present it self his sentiments will be consonant to the Vertue and Inclination he hath Art 4. How the Passions may be foreseen BUt as to the Passions there cannot so certain a judgment be made of them and it may only probably be said that a man will be transported with Anger and suffer himself to be carry'd away with vanity or some other Passion in regard that Reason and the Study of Philosophy may keep him in and correct the dispositions which he might have to those Passions Nay there is this further consideration to be made in reference to these motions that they are two-fold primary and secondary The primary or first motions hurry us away like torrents and as it is commonly said come not within the jurisdiction of reason The others are not so impetuous and admit of some time to consider them and therefore they may be the more easily check'd But they are withall more hardly discoverable in as much as they are more easily corrected whereas the judgment which may be made of the former is more certain it being very hard that the Habit should be so perfect as that it might divert Nature from those first assaults and break that strong connexion which is between the Inclination and the Action We are to make this further observation that of the Passions there are some may be called the Principal and Predominant others which are only the Companions Attendants of the former When a man is angry his Predominant Passion is Anger as being that which hath possess'd it self of all his Soul and whereto are referred all the other Passions which are framed afterwards as Arrogance Insolence Obstinacy c. In like manner Sadness or Grief is the predominant Passion in him who is afflicted but Fear Languor Sloath Superstition are its Attendant Passions In fine there is not any one of them which when it is fram'd in the Soul does not call some others to its assistance and relief so that the Predominant Passion once known there 's no doubt but the others are wayting on it But in regard the connexion there is between them may be stronger or weaker and that there are some whereof the consequence is as it were necessary and others wherein it is only contingent For Languor or Dejection of Spirit and Sloath are in a manner necessarily attendant on Sadness but Superstition does not alwaies follow it Whence it may be thence inferr'd that the knowledge had of the former is more certain and that of the contingent doubtful Let us therefore conclude that there are two waies principally whereby future Passions may be foreseen to wit the Inclination and the Connexion there is between the Passions Whereto may be added the Strength or Weakness of his Mind who is to resent it and the greatness of the Good or Evil which is to happen to him For if it be known that a man is to receive a great injury and that he be a person of a weak Spirit some will not stick to affirm that he will be overcome by the Passion of Anger Art 5. Whether contingent Actions may be foreseen IT will peradventure be objected against us that there is not any certain knowledge of things to come which are Contingent in regard they may equally either happen or not happen otherwise if a certain judgment could be made thereof they would not be Contingent The Answer to this Objection which is made against all the Sciences of Divination is this That there are two sorts of Contingents some which have a natural and regulated cause whereby according to the common order of things they ought to be produced Others have no regular cause but a fortuitous or free as those things that happen by hazzard or the election of the Will Those last are purely contingent and cannot be determinately known any way whatsoever But the former are not purely contingent and the knowledge had of them may be certain in the sequel of things as not differing from that of things necessary save only in this that their causes may be prevented from producing their effects The actions and passions of the Soul are of that kind in as much as there is a connexion between them and the Faculties the Inclinations and the Habits for they are effects which by ordinary consequence depend on those causes and though some of these effects be free yet are they not absolutely such when they proceed from the said causes and that these concurr with the freer cause such as is the Will CHAP. VII How the Habits may be known Art I. Of the discovery of the Moral Habits IN order to our satisfaction whether the Habits are discoverable or not we are to remember that there are two kinds of them the Intellectual and the Moral and that these latter are more easily known then the Intellectual For it is more easie to judge whether a man be Just or Temperate then whether he be a Physician or Mathematician The reason given of this difference is that the Intellectual Habits make not any impression on the body and consequently leave no sensible mark whereby they might be known But I do not conceive this reason solid enough in regard the Moral Habits do not also make any manifest impression on the body no more then the Intellectual It is therefore more to our purpose to affirm that the Moral habits are more certainly known because the Moral inclinations are determinated to certain Passions which often reiterated produce Habits And whereas there are few who resist their inclinations by reason of the difficulty and trouble it is to change them and that every one commonly does what is most easie and delightfull to him it thence proceeds that the knowledge had of the inclinations which is well grounded and certain enables us to make a more probable judgment of the habits whereby they are attended Art 2. How the Intellectual Habits may be known BUt the case is otherwise in the Intellectual Habits in regard the Understanding is not determinated to any one Art or Science rather than another And though that of these some have a greater conformity to the Imagination then they have to the Judgment or Memory yet the great number there
that part such miracles as are not yet fully known and that if the knowledge thereof could be attain'd there would haply be acquir'd that which Chiromancy does so much pretend to Add to this that he who shall take notice that the Lines which are in the Hands are different in all men that in the self-same person they are chang'd at certain periods of time and that all this diversity cannot proceed from any internal cause to us yet known will in all likelihood be forc'd to acknowledge that all those Characters are the effects of some secret influence by which they are imprinted in that particular part And that nothing being superfluously done in Nature they have their particular use and do denote if not any thing else at least this to wit the alteration which happens in the principles whereby they are produc'd For to make these impressions relate to the Articulations and the motions of the hand as some have done is a thing which cannot be maintain'd since the Articulations are equal in all men who nevertheless have all their Lines unequal that there are many Hands wherein there is not any Articulation at all as in the space which lies between the joints of the fingers That children newly born who have their hands shut all after the same manner without making in a manner any motion have nevertheless many lines which are different in every one of them that those who exercise the same Art and consequently ought as neer as may be to use the same motions have them nevertheless as different as if they were of contrary professions That in the self-same person they are chang'd though there be not any change in his course of life And lastly that in the forehead where there is not any Articulation and which part all men move after the saâ—â— manner there are also such lines wherein may be observ'd the same diversity as in those of the Hand We may further add to these considerations the great Antiquity of the Science of Chiromancy which must needs have been studied before Aristotle's time in as much as what he sayes of the Lines of the Hand is one of its observations and rules the work it hath found so many learned men who search'd into the secrets of it and have honour'd it by their Writings And lastly the admirable judgments which have been made according to its Maximes For it is a thing comes not much short of astonishment that of forty and five persons whom Cocles had foreseen by his Art to be subject to dye violent deaths Cardan observ's that there were but two of them living in his time to whom that misfortune had not hapned But to come to a free acknowledgement of the truth all these as we have already observ'd are but so many slight suspicions which conclude not for the certainty of this Science For as to the order of the Planets which it hath chang'd it gives a great presumption that it hath not been done without some reason but the question remains still undecided to wit Whether it be true that those celestial Bodies have any kind of power or influence over the Hand and whether any one of them have some particular place assign'd it therein The Authority of Aristotle may also be question'd and all this diversity of Lines may proceed from other causes and have other uses different from those appropriated thereto by Chiromancy Moreover how ancient soever that Science may be it makes not much for its certainty since there are ancient errours whereby all the precedent Ages have been abused And though many great Wits have thought it not unworthy their study yet have there been in all times some who have employ'd their endeavors about curiosities as vain as possibly this may be In fine all the testimonies and examples which are commonly produc'd in defence of it can pretend to no more weight and validity then those brought for Geomancy Onomancy and other Arts of Divination all which are imaginary and superstitious and yet neither want Patrons to protect them nor fail of success in the judgments which are made by them On the other side neither do all these reasons absolutely condemn it and make not any otherwise against it then in that they render it doubtful leaving the inquisitive person in an uncertainty what he ought to believe and continuing him in the desire of being satisfi'd therein Now the only means to attain that satisfaction is to examine the Principles of it and to see whether there be any reasons whereby they may be maintain'd For if any of them be certain and well grounded there is not in my judgment any rational person who joyning the precedent suspitions with the truth of these Principles but will acknowledge that if the Science which hath been built thereupon is not arriv'd to the highest degree of certainty it may come to it in time by the diligent and exact observations which are yet to be added thereto And that if it cannot promise as much as Astrology pretends it should discover by the Stars which it hath plac'd in the Hand it may at least judge of the good or bad disposition of the interiour parts between which and it there is an undeniable sympathy and by that means conduce very much to the conservation and continuance of Health and the curing of diseases For when it shall be confin'd within these limits and quit all other pretences it will still be a very considerable Science and such as for the excellency of its discoveries and the advantage may be made thereof might be worthy the curiosity of the severest Philosophers and all those who make it their business to enquire into the wonderful things of Nature These are the considerations which I had before I fell to examin the Principle before-mentioned which is the main foundation on which the disposal of the Planets into several parts of the Hand is built and in a manner the only source from which all the judgments which Chiromancy can promise are deduced The method I have observ'd therein is according to the subsequent Articles to shew 1. That of situations some are more noble then others 2. That the nobler situations are design'd for the more excellent parts and that the excellency of the parts is deduc'd from the advantage they bring along with them 3. What advantages may be deduced from the Hands 4. That the Right Hand is more noble then the Left 5. That motion begins on the Right side 6. That the Hands have the greatest portion of the natural Heat 7. That the Hands have a greater communication with the nobler parts 8. That some secret Vertues are convey'd from the nobler parts into the Hands 9. That Nature does not confound the Vertues and consequently 10. That the Vertues of the nobler parts are not receiv'd into the same places of the Hâ—nd 11. That there is a Sympathy between the Liver and the Fore-finger 12. That there is a Sympathy between the
by Hippocrates proceeds from the Spirits which convey the humors from one to another consonantly to the relation and correspondence which there is between the parts or according to the regularity they observe among themselves Art 19. That the Starrs or Planets have a certain predominancy over the several parts of the Hand TO return to the Sympathy there is between the interiour members and the several parts of the Hand I am of opinion that the reasons alledg'd by us for the maintaining thereof if they do not absolutely convince the most obstinate will at least leave in their mind some doubt of the truth thereof And I make no question but that Chiromancy ought to be satisfy'd therewith since that having been hitherto unknown to it they make good the chiefest of its foundations as also that it will be easie for the said Science to establish thereupon the maximes of Astrologie which ought to furnish it with most of its rules and secure its preatest promises For if it be once granted that the interiour parts are govern'd by the Planets and that they receive from those Celestial Bodies some particular influence as Astrologie teaches it must of necessity follow that the vertue which is deriv'd from those parts to the Hand should be accompanied by that which the Planets communicate to them And that for example if the Heart communicates its influence to some finger the Planet under whose government the Heart is should also derive his to the same place it being not probable that the influence of the Planet should make a halt at the Heart while this last communicates to the Hand that which is proper and natural to it in as much as the truth of the Celestial influences being granted it must be affirm'd that those two vertues are combin'd into one which is the onely essential disposition and the specifick property of each part Now it is a conclusion of Astrologie confirm'd by its principles and observations That the Liver is govern'd by Jupiter the Spleen by Saturn the Heart by the Sun and so of the rest whereof the consequence is that the fore-finger should be accordingly govern'd by Jupiter the middle-finger by Saturn the Ring-finger by the Sun c. in regard there is a correspondence and sympathy between those principal parts and the said fingers and that the former communicates to the latter the vertue they have in themselves All which consider'd we are not any longer to think it much that Chiromancy hath chang'd the order of the Planets in the Hand nor yet ask why it should place Jupiter on the fore-finger and the Sun on the Ring-finger rather then on any other part in as much as the nature of the Heart and Liver and the sympathy there is between them and those fingers hath assign'd it those places to be as it were particular houses which the said Planets have in the Hand as they have in the Heavens such as are peculiar to them These things thus laid down the whole difficulty is reduced to this point viz to know whether those Starrs do really govern the principal parts of the body and communicate unto them some secret vertue which might be cause of the good or bad disposition they have But for any man to think to drive on this Question as farr as it might go and to examine al the consequences and circumstances thereof with the severity which Philosophy requires in these matters besides that it would bring into doubt those truths which Astrologie places in the rank of things already judg'd and such as its most irreconcileable enemies are for the most part forc'd to acknowledge it would require a Discourse which should exceed the limits of our design nay indeed contradict the method wherewith all Sciences would be treated For this admits not that all those things which occurr therein should be brought into dispute it particularly declares against the censuring of those principles upon which they are establish'd and would have all those which are deduced from the conclusions of the superiour Sciences how doubtfull soever they may be to be receiv'd with the same priviledge as the maximes and common notions of the Mathematicks may challenge It is therefore sufficient for Chiromancy that Natural Philosophy maintains its first foundations and so whatsoever it afterwards receives from Astrologie ought to be allow'd or at least the disquisition thereof left in suspence till the ground of Astrologie it self shall have been examined Art 20. That the Planets have a predominancy over the interiour parts TO remove therefore in some measure the distrust which some may have that the Conclusions which Chiromancy derives from Astrologie for principles are wholly imaginary and contrary to truth we are now to make it appear by some observations not admittable into dispute That some parts of the body are under the particular direction and government of certain Planets Nor will this be any hard matter to do as to some of them And though we should reject the experiences which Astrologie might furnish us with upon this occasion and that upon such a rejection we should not have others convincing enough to make an absolute proof of this truth yet would the former lay down a great presumption for the ascertainment of the rest and leave a very wel-grounded conjecture for us to imagine that every member is governed by one of those Starrs and that the Principle which Astrologie had made thereof in order to the furtherance of Chiromancy is not ill establish'd Art 21. That the Moon hath such a predominancy over the Brain LEt us then begin with the Brain and affirm that it is a thing out of all controversie that the Moon hath a secret superintendency over that part and that it is more apparently sensible of its power then any of the other parts For it swells and abates it increases and diminishes proportionably to the increase or decrease of that Planet Thence it comes that the Science of Medicine upon a certain knowledge of these changes takes a care that when Trepanning is prescrib'd it should be perform'd with the greater precaution in the full of the Moon in regard the Physicians know that then the Brain is also in its full and that causing the Membranes which encompass it to come neerer the bone it exposes them to the danger of being the more easily touched by the instrument But there cannot be a greater demonstration of the connexion and sympathy which there is between the Moon and the Brain then that the Diseases of that part have their intensions and remissions according to the course of that Planet For of these â—ndispositions there are some do so regularly follow her motions that they may be the Ephemerides or Prognostications thereof Nay though she be under the Horizon and that the person subject to those indispositions endeavour by all ways imaginable to secure themselves against her influences yet does not all this hinder but that the breaking out of a fluxion