shew the Stars to have more Power and greater Influence to Produce Fools Knaves Slaves and Beggars than Wise Just Free and Rich Noble men and if the Planets had no Power over the Fortunes nor over the Minds of Men but over the Bodies of Men then the Influence the Soul hath on the Body would Contradict the Influence of the Planets and the Planets Influence would Contradict the Influence of the Soul so as by their Crossness the Body would be Perpetually Tortured and the Mind Disquieted and if the Planets had an Influence over the Soul and Body then we would be Good and Bad Wicked and Pious Valiant and Cowards Sick and Well Hungry and Dry or otherwise have no Appetite according as the Planets please or according to their Influences also all men would be Good and Bad Sick and Well Wise and Fools Valiant and Cowardly just at one time as the Sign or Influence is so that all men under the Domination of such Stars or Planets would be alike at one Minute and if all Men should Like or Love one Woman at one Minute and Time or all Women one Man that is as many as See her or him that Woman would have more Servants and Suters than she could Please or Answer and the Man more Mistresses than the Great Turk Also if it were according to the Dominion of the Planets thousands on a Sudden would be Inspired with Poetical Raptures and soon after be Dull and Stupid Dolts whenas that Influence Changed but I believe there is greater Influence from one Nation on another according to Interest Strength and Potency and so from one Man to another according to Interest Power and Authority than the Stars and Planets have on Several Nations and Several and Particular Men which Produces greater Effects than the Planets Effects and Influences can do not but that I believe the Planets can Work as Sudden Effects nay far Suddener and Immediate as we see by the Effects of the Heat and Light of the Sun but I believe that Beauty and Wit have a greater Influence upon the Passions of the Mind and Senses and Appetites of the Body than the Stars and why may not we think as well that the Actions especially the General Actions of men might have as great an Influence or Power over the Stars and Planets as the Stars and Planets are thought to have over Men for I see no reason to the contrary since they are Fellow Creatures and not Gods But surely every several part and particle in Nature hath an Influence on each other from which are produced several Effects and Effects have Influence upon Effects some on some and some on others or perchance they have all a Working Effect to each other as many Grains of Corn are ground for one Loaf of Bread many several Materials go to one House many several Families to one Commonwealth many several Nations to one World and many several Worlds to one Universe Thus Madam I have Obeyed your second Command concerning the Influences of the Stars and Planets as I did your first but in this Later Discourse I seem to have no Belief that the Stars have an Influence over the Bodies or Minds no more than the Bodies or Minds have over the Planets and so over Fortune Education Laws Custom and the like whereas in my Former Letter I said they had over the Body and was apt to Believe they had also over the Mind but since I Writ the Former Letter concerning this Subject I have thought of it more than I had then and Believe every Creature hath some Influence to each other But I leave both Letters and the Opinions and Arguments written therein to your Better Judgment and rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CXXXIX MADAM I Am sorry to hear that Sir S. K. is so full of the Dropsie as to be Dying indeed the Dropsie is a Disease that Quenches out the Fire or Flame of Life as a Torch Candle or Lamp having more Water than Radical Oyl or Vital Heat so that one may say those that are full of the Dropsie have a River or Sea in their Body they are Drown'd not with VVater VVithout but VVithin them it is an Inward Deluge and a Dropsical Body is like Noah's Flood wherein the Inward Parts are as the several Nations and the Animal Spirits as the People Drown'd therein but the Soul as Noah is Saved in the Ark of Heaven and at the Day of Judgment is to be Restored to the Bodily World again But leaving this Similizing Dropsie pro 〈…〉 m Divers Causes as sometimes through 〈…〉 ometimes through an Hot and sometimes through a Cold Cause some Dropsie through a VVasting Cause some through an Obstructive and some through a Superfluous Cause In some the Effects may be Cured by Altering or Removing the Causes in others the Cause is Essential not to be Removed but by Death and so not to be Cured in Life but whatsoever the Cause be whether Curable or Incurable the best Remedy either to Prolong the Life of the Diseased Body or to Cure those that are Curable is to make Issues which as Sluces Drain the Water out of the Body or so much as to keep it from Overflowing or they are like Taps set to Barrels full of Liquor which runs forth at the Tap-holes But there must not only be One Sluce or Tap-hole but Two or Three to Vent the Superfluity of the Water that Comes or is Bred in the Body 'T is true I have heard those that have Issues say they are somewhat Troublesome but yet they are not so Troublesom as a Swell'd Unwieldy Bulk or Sick and Indisposed Body But by your Letter I perceive that Sir S. Ks. Body is so much Overflowed as it cannot be Drained so soon as to Save his Life but it will be Drowned and Overwhelmed in the Whirlpool of Death And so leaving his Soul to God I rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CXL MADAM YOu writ in your last Letter that the Lady G. D. takes Cooling Julips in the Morning and Cordials when she goes to Bed to Digest Crude Humours but my Reason says she is in an Errour as for Example Dry Wood and Wet Wood or Sear Wood and Green Wood although there should be put much Fire to the Green or Wet VVood it will not hastily Burn nay such VVood doth oftener put Out the Fire than the Fire doth Inkindle the VVood for the moist Vapors that Issue or are Drawn forth by the Heat of the Fire do Destroy that Heat that Drew those Vapors out whereas on the other side Dry or Sear VVood when Kindled and all of a Firy Flame fling but a little VVater on it and it will Quench out the Flaming Fire The like are the Bodies of Mankind they are easier Cooled when Inflamed Applying Cooling Liquors as Julips Ptisan Barly Water and the like than to Heat them with Cordials when they are full of Raw Crude and Waterish Humours
more Industriously Carefully and Prudently to Temper their Passions and Govern their Appetites than Men because there comes more Dishonour from their unruly Passions and Appetites than from Mens but for the most part VVomen are not Educated as they should be I mean those of Quality for their Education is onely to Dance Sing and Fiddle to write Complemental Letters to read Romances to speak some Language that is not their Native which Education is an Education of the Body and not of the Mind and shews that their Parents take more care of their Feet than their Head more of their VVords than their Reason more of their Musick than their Virtue more of their Beauty than their Honesty which methinks is strange as that their Friends and Parents should take more Care and be at greater Charge to Adorn their Bodies than to Indue their Minds to teach their Bodies Arts and not to Instruct their Minds with Understanding for this Education is more for outward Shew than inward Worth it makes the Body a Courtier and the Mind a Clown and oftentimes it makes their Body a Baud and their Mind a Courtesan for though the Body procures Lovers yet it is the Mind that is the Adulteress for if the Mind were Honest and Pure they would never be guilty of that Crime wherefore those Women are best bred whose Minds are civilest as being well Taught and Govern'd for the Mind will be Wild and Barbarous unless it be Inclosed with Study Instructed by Learning and Governed by Knowledg and Understanding for then the Inhabitants of the Mind will live Peaceably Happily Honestly and Honourably by which they will Rule and Govern their associate Appetites with Ease and Regularity and their Words as their Houshold Servants will be imployed Profitably But leaving the Lady C. R. and her Husband to Passion and Patience I rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant XXVII MADAM YEsterday I employed my time in reading History and I find in my self an Envy or rather an Emulation towards Men for their Courage Prudence VVit and Eloquence as not to Fear Death to Rule Commonwealths and to Speak in a Friend's behalf or to Pacifie a Friend's Grief to Plead for his own Right or to Defend his own Cause by the Eloquence of Speech yet this is not in all Men for some men have Courage and no VVit and some have VVit and no Conduct and some have neither VVit Courage nor Conduct but mistake me not for I do not Envy or Emulate a Stubborn Obstinacy nor a Desperate Rashness nor an Inslaving Policy nor Fine VVords and Choice Phrases but to Fight Valiantly to Suffer Patiently to Govern Justly and to Speak Rationally Movingly Timely and Properly as to the purpose all which I fear Women are not Capable of and the Despair thereof makes me Envy or Emulate Men. But though I love Justice Best and trust to Valour Most yet I Admire Eloquence and would choose VVit for my Pastime Indeed Natural Orators that can speak on a Sudden and Extempore upon any Subject are Nature's Musicians moving the Passions to Harmony making Concords out of Discords Playing on the Soul with Delight And of all the Men I read of I Emulate Iulius Caesar most because he was a man that had all these Excellencies as Courage Prudence Wit and Eloquence in great Perfection insomuch as when I read of Iulius Caesar I cannot but wish that Nature and Fate had made me such a one as he was and sometimes I have that Courage as to think I should not be afraid of his Destiny so I might have as great a Fame But these wishes discover my Aspiring Desires and all those Desires are but Vain that cannot be Attained to yet although I cannot attain to Iulius Caesar's Fame it suffices me to have attained to your Favour and to the Honour to subscribe my self Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant XXVIII MADAM IN your last Letter you were pleased to Condemn me for Admiring Words so much as to prefer Eloquence before all other Musick but pray Madam mistake me not for I do not Admire the Words but the Sense Reason and Wit that is Exprest and made Known by Words neither do I Admire Formal Orators that speak Premeditated Orations but Natural Orators that can speak on a Sudden upon any Subject whose Words are as Sweet and Melting as Manna from Heaven and their Wit as Spreading and Refreshing as the Serene Air whose Understanding is as Clear as the Sun giving Light of Truth to all their Hearers who in case of Perswasion speak Sweetly in case of Reproof Seasonably and in all cases Effectually And Madam if you do Consider well you cannot chuse but Admire and Wonder at the Power of Eloquence for there is a strange hidden Mystery in Eloquence it hath a Magical Power over mankind for it Charms the Senses and Inchants the Mind and is of such a Commanding Power as it Forces the Will to Command the Actions of the Body and Soul to Do or to Suffer beyond their Natural Abilities and makes the Souls of men the Tongue 's Slaves for such is the power of an Eloquent Speech as it Binds the Judgement Blindfolds the Understanding and Deludes the Reason also it Softens the Obdurate Hearts and causes Dry Eyes to Weep and Dryes Wet Eyes from Tears also it Refines the Drossy Humours Polishes the Rough Passions Bridles the Unruly Appetites Reforms the Rude Manners and Calms the Troubled Minds it can Civilize the Life by Virtue and Inspire the Soul with Devotion On the other side it can Enrage the Thoughts to Madness and Cause the Soul to Despair The truth is it can make Men like Gods or Devils as having a Power beyond Nature Custom and Force for many times the Tongue hath been too Strong for the Sword and often carried away the Victory also it hath been too Subtil for the Laws as to Banish Right and to Condemn Truth and too hard for the Natures of Men making their Passions its Prisoners and since Eloquence hath such Power over Arms and Laws and Men as to make Peace or War to Compose or Dissolve Common-wealths to Dispose of Souls and Bodies of Mankind wherefore those men that are indued with such Eloquence and overflowing Wit are both to be Fear'd and Lov'd to be highly Advanced or utterly Banished for those whose Eloquent Wit out-runs their Honesty are to be Punished but those that employ their Eloquent Wit and Elegant Graces to the service of the Commonwealth are to be Esteemed Respected and Relied upon as Pillars of the Commonwealth But to conclude Wit makes a Ladder of Words to climb to Fame's high Tower and the Tongue carries men further than their Feet and builds them a Statelier and more Lasting Palace than their Hands and their Wit more than their Wealth doth Adorn it But now leaving Words and Wit I rely upon Love and Friendship and rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant XXIX MADAM I Heard by your
Spoken to them Neither do I wonder that Others in Great Authority and Power will Advance Some Persons when they have but a New Acquaintance or rather a Sight of them to Place and Office and before they are Setled in their Offices Displace them again without any Reason or Knowledge either of Advancing or Displacing Nor do I wonder Others will be so in Love for two or three Dayes as they almost Sigh out their Breath of Life for their Wished Desires and a Day or two after Reproach or Laugh at those they were so much in Love with as they Desired their Favour more than Heaven All this I say I do not VVonder at Observing and Perceiving the Inconstant Natures of Mankind But I wonder to Perceive or Find any one to be Constant Seven Years or One Year much more to be Constant their Whole Life time for Constancy is as Seldom or Rarely Seen as a Blazing Star Indeed Constancy in this World is somewhat like a Blazing Star it Lasts for a time and then Goes out for it is not as the Fix'd Stars but rather as the Wandring Planets though truly I am constantly Fix'd to be Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CXIX MADAM I Give you many Thanks for your Counsel and Advice concerning my Health for certainly an Over-studious Mind doth Wast the Body which is the Cause for the most part that Painful Students are Lean for the Mind Feeds as much upon the Body as the Body upon Meat But truly I am sometimes in a Dispute with my self whether it be better to live a Long and Idle than a Short but Profitable Life that is to Imploy a Little time Well or to Wast a Great Deal of Time to no Purpose and I Conclude that a Little Good is better than Nothing or better than a Sum of Evil for 't is better through Industry to Leave a Little to After Age than Die so Poor as to Leave Nothing no not so much as After Ages may say there Liv'd such a one in Former Ages than to Die and be quite Forgotten and therefore should I live out the Course of Nature or could live so Long as Methusalem when the Time were Past it would seem as Nothing and perchance I should be as Unwilling to Die then as if I Died in my Youth so that a Long and a Short time of Life is as one and the same 'T is true Death is Terrible to Think of but in Death no Terrour Remains so as it is Life that is Painful both to the Body and Mind and not Death for the Mind in Life is Fearful and the Body is seldom at Ease But howsoever I will endeavour Madam so to Divide the time of my Bodily Life as to Imploy part of my Time for Health and part for Fame and all for Gods Favour and when I Die I will Bequeath my Soul to Heaven my Fame to Time and my Body to Earth there to be Dissolved and Transformed as Nature Pleases for to her it belongs I do not much Care nor Trouble my Thoughts to think where I shall be Buried when Dead or into what part of the Earth I shall be Thrown but if I could have my Wish I Would my Dust might be Inurned and mix'd with the Dust of those I Love Best although I think they would not Remain Long together for I did observe that in this last War the Urns of the Dead were Digged up their Dust Dispersed and their Bones Thrown about and I suppose that in all Civil or Home-wars such Inhuman Acts are Committed wherefore it is but a Folly to be Troubled and Concerned where they shall be Buried or for their Graves or to Bestow much Cost on their Tombes since not only Time but VVars will Ruin them But Madam lest I should make you Melancholy with Discoursing of so sad Subjects as Death and Graves Bones and Dust I leave you to Livelier and Pleasanter Thoughts and Conversation and rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CXX MADAM YOu were pleased to tell me in your last Letter that Many have desired your Charity which have been Ruined by these last Civil VVars and that they who before this time were able to Relieve many with their Wealth now do Want Relief themselves by which we may know that neither Riches nor Peace is Permanent and many are not only Ruin'd in their Estates and Banished their Native Country but Forsaken of their Friends which is a terrible Misery but Misery and Friends seldom keep together and it is to be observed that a Civil VVar doth not only Abolish Laws Dissolve Government and Destroy the Plenty of a Kingdom but it doth Unknit the Knot of Friendship and Dissolve Natural Affections for in Civil VVar Brothers against Brothers Fathers against Sons and Sons against Fathers become Enemies and Spill each others Blood Triumphing on their Graves for when a Kingdom is Inflamed with Civil War the Minds of all the People are in a Fever of Fury or a Furious Fever of Cruelty which by nothing but Letting Blood by the Surgeon of VVar can be Cured and that not a Little but Most must Bleed ere there will be a Perfect Cure It is the Plague of the Mind as well as the Plague of the Body for the Minds of Men are Infected with Covetous Desires Ambitious Designs Treacherous Plots and Murderous Intentions and so General it is that Few Minds escape the Infection which shews it proceeds from the Malignity of the Air or the Influence of some Raging Planet and if so it proceeds from a Natural Cause although it be an Unnatural War or else it proceeds from Unwise Government where many Errours gather into a Mass or Tumor of Evil which Rises into Blisters of Discontents and then Breaks out into Civil War or else Heaven sends it to Punish the Sins of the People Besides it is to be observed that Vices Increase in a Civil War by reason Civil Government is in Disorder Civil Magistrates Corrupted Civil Laws Abolished Civil Manners and Decent Customs Banished and in their Places is Rapine Robbing Stabbing Treachery and Falshood all the Evil Passions and Debauch'd Appetites are let Loose to take their Liberty But this is so commonly Known to those that have seen a Civil War as I should not have needed to Mention it although those that have Liv'd alwayes in Peace will not Believe it but I have Suffered so much in it as the Loss of some of my Nearest and Dearest Friends and the Ruin of those that did Remain that I may desire to Forget it Wherefore leaving this sad Discourse I rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CXXI MADAM IN your last Letter you were pleased to tell me that the Lady E. E. and the Lady A. A. are alwayes Quarrelling with each other when they Meet and Rail on each other when they are Asunder and their Husbands in the Behalf of their Wives do the like But I Wonder they should do so whenas they are
a Man but perchance some have Childish Constitutions all their Life-time and the truth is that Diet is much according to the Constitution for that which will Agree with some will Disagree with others and for Milk it better Agrees with VVeak Constitutions than Strong yet VVomens Milk and Asses Milk doth Agree better than any other Milk by reason those Milks are Thinner and not so full of Curds But leaving Mrs. P. C. to her Milk I rest Madam Your very faithful Friend and Servant CLV MADAM TWo or three dayes since the Lady M. L. was to Visit me again with a Countenance as Joyful as formerly it was Sad I told her I was very glad to see such an Alteration in her Face which shew'd her Mind to be more Chearful than it was she said it was true for she hoped she would be as Happy as she thought she was Unhappy for my Husband hath Confess'd said she that his Unkindness to me was rather Seeming than Real more to Prove my Virtue than to Dislike my Person or Humour and that if he were Unmarried and Free to Choose any VVoman through the VVorld he would Choose me for his VVife and he sayes he would not Part from me were he sure to be the Master of the VVorld by being Perfid or Divorced from me and hereafter he would endeavour to be as Good a Husband as I am a VVife and with this Joyful Relation her Blood Flush'd into her Cheeks which shew'd that her Cold Dark Melancholy Thoughts were Dispersed like as the Sun breaks through Dark and Broken Clouds which Clouds when Joyned Obscured his Light and Abated his Heat the truth is her Joy was so much as I may say it was Contagious and Infectious for it Affected me with Joy to See and Observe her and if all her Neighbours were the like Affected she might do as the man that call'd his Neighbours and Friends to Rejoyce at the Finding his Lost Sheep but her Husbands Affections were not so much Lost as Hidden or Obscured from her Knowledge and truly she deserves to be Loved for her Virtue Chastity Love and Honour for there are but Few VVomen that make so good VVives as she for many Wives Dislike their Husbands not out of a Dislike to their Faults but out of Love to Variety and some Hate their Husbands through Hate to their Faults making no Distinction between the Man and the Faults nay some Dislike their Husbands Virtues and Good Qualities through a Dislike to their Persons and many Wives care not whether their Husbands Love or Hate them Live From or With them nay for the most part they love their Husbands Absence better than their Presence and will make Quarrels to Part but the Lady M. L. is not of the number of such Wives for she Loves her Husband which Love makes her Wink at her Husband's Faults she is Patient with her Husband's Anger Rejoyces at her Husband's Presence is Proud of her Husband's Favours Obedient to her Husband 's Honest Commands and had rather Die or Indure Torment than to Part or be Divorced from him All which every Good Wife ought to do But leaving the Lady M. L. to her Virtue Joy and Happiness I rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CLVI MADAM I Am sorry to hear you are not Well but if your Disease be only a Faint-tiredness or Weakness when you stand still any time since you can Walk an hour together and find no Weariness but rather Ease there is no Danger of Death for to be Weary when you Stand still so as to be near Fainting and to find Rest and Ease by Walking is a Natural Effect of a Natural Cause the reason is that when any one Stands still the Nerves and Sinews are Stretch'd straight out at Length but when one VValks or Moves they have Liberty as being Unbent and Unstretch'd as for Example when Mankind Stands their Legs Thighs Hams and Back are Straight as one Straight Line but when they Go their Legs Tuck up as first one Leg then th' other which Pulling or Tucking up Slackens all the Nerves and Sinews from the Back Downwards and that gives Ease for 't is not only Change that gives Ease but the Slacking of the Nerves and Sinews which are as if they were Stretch'd upon a Rack when they are Drawn Straight out at Length by Standing but it shews your Sinews and Nerves are not very Tough and Strong but rather Tender and VVeak being soon VVeary in Standing Still for the Nerves and Sinews are as Strings or Cords which Tie or Knit the several Parts of the Body together where some are Stronger and Tougher as not easily Stretch'd like as VVyer or Lute-strings or Bow-strings some are so Hard as they will sooner Break than Stretch others so Limber as to Stretch into a Hairs Smallness which makes them not so Firm nor Steady but apt to Tremble and Shake at the least Touch or Motion of the Air whenas those that are Hard and Tough require some Strength to Stir them The like is with the Nerves and Sinews those that are Weak and Tender when Stretch'd are apt to Move which is the reason that many with Standing Long will so Tremble and Shake as to be ready to fall to the Ground the Lower Parts of their Body being not able to bear them up being as it were Loose or Untied or Over-stretch'd and this is the reason that when Soft and Delicate Persons take up a great VVeight or hold a VVeight something above their Strength their Arms or Hands or Bodies will be as if they had the Shaking Palsie in them for an hour after for the Weight did Over-stretch their Sinews and Nerves But Madam I am Troubled with the same Tenderness insomuch as it is Tiresom to my Life and certainly the best Remedy will be to endeavour to Strengthen our Sinews and Nerves only the Mischief will be that what is good to Strengthen the Sinews and Nerves is Hurtful and apt to Obstruct the Liver Splene and Veins so as the Remedy may prove worse than the Disease for Gluttonous Meats are Good for the Sinews and Nerves but Nought for Obstructions But Physicians perchance can tell Remedies for I that am none may be Mistaken in the Cause and Ignorant of the Cure wherefore I will leave you to the Advice of the Learned Practicers and rest Madam Your faithful Friend and Servant CLVII MADAM THose that take Exceptions at my Philosophical Opinions as for Example when I say there is no such thing as First Matter nor no such thing as First Power are either Fools in Philosophy or Malicious to Philosophy As for Infinite Power it is in God and God hath no Beginning nor his Power as being Infinite and Eternal wherefore there can be no First or Beginning either in Quantity or Quality And as for Matter or Substance let it be as is Believed that Matter or Substance were made out of Nothing that is that God was the First