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A53045
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Ground of natural philosophy divided into thirteen parts : with an appendix containing five parts / written by the ... Dvchess of Newcastle.
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Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing N851; ESTC R18240
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124,614
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322
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Builders for no Creature can subsist or consist by it self but must assist and be assisted Yet there are some differences in all Productions although of the same Producers otherwise all the Off-springs of one and the same Producer would be alike And though sometimes their several Off-springs may be so alike as hardly to be distinguished yet that is so seldom as it appears as a wonder but there is a property in all Productions as for the Produced to belong as a Right and Property to the Producer CHAP. IX Of Resemblances of several Off-springs or Producers THere are numerous kinds and sorts of Productions and infinite manners and ways in the actions of Productions which is the cause that the Off-springs of the same Producers are not so just alike but that they are distinguishable but yet there may not only be resemblances between particular Off-springs of the same Producers as also of the same sort but of different sorts of Creatures but the Actions of all Productions that are according to their own Species are Imitating Actions but not Bare Imitations as by an Incorporeal Motion for if so then a covetous Woman that loves Gold might produce a Wedg of Gold instead of a Child also Virgins might be as Fruitful as Married Wives CHAP. X. Of the Several Appearances of the Exterior Parts of One Creature EVery altered Action of the Exterior Parts causes an altered Appearance As for example A Man or the like Creature doth not appear when he is old as when he was young nor when he is sick as when he is well in health no nor when he is cold as when he is hot Nor do they appear in several Passions alike for though Man can best perceive the Alteration of his own Kind or Sort yet other Creatures have several Appearances as well as Man some of which Man may perceive though not all being of a different sort And not only Animals but Vegetables and Elements have altered Appearances and many that are subject to Man's perception The Fourth Part. CHAP. I. Of Animal Productions and of the Differences between Productions and Transformations I Understand Productions to be between Particulars as some particular Creatures to produce other particular Creatures but not to transform from one sort of Creature into another sort of Creature as Cheese into Maggots and Fruit into Worms c. which in some manner is like Metamorphosing So by Transformation the Intellectual Nature as well as the Exterior Form is transform'd Whereas Production transforms only the Exterior Form but not the Intellectual Nature which is the cause that such Transformations cannot return into their former state as a Worm to be a Fruit or a Maggot a Cheese again as formerly Hence I perceive that all sorts of Fowls are partly Produced and partly Transformed for though an Egg be produced yet a Chicken is but a Transformed Egg. CHAP. II. Of different Figurative Motions in MAN's Production ALL Creatures are produced by Degrees which proves That not any Creature is produced in perfection by one Act or Figurative Motion for though the Producers are the first Founders yet not the Builders But as for Animal Creatures there be some sorts that are composed of many different Figurative Motions amongst which sorts is Mankind who has very different Figurative Parts as Bones Sinews Nerves Muscles Veins Flesh Skin and Marrow Blood Choler Flegm Melancholy and the like also Head Breast Neck Arms Hands Body Belly Thighs Leggs Feet c. also Brains Lungs Stomack Heart Liver Midriff Kidnies Bladder Guts and the like and all these have several actions yet all agree as one according to the property of that sort of Creature named MAN CHAP. III. Of the Quickning of a Child or any other sort of Animal Creatures THE Reason that a Woman or such like Animal doth not feel her Child so soon as it is produced is That the Child cannot have an Animal Motion until it hath an Animal Nature that is until it be perfectly an Animal Creature and as soon as it is a perfect Child she feels it to move according to its nature but it is only the Sensitive Parts of the Child that are felt by the Mother not the Rational because those Parts are as the Designers not the Builders and therefore being not the Labouring Parts are not the Sensible Parts But it is to be noted That according to the Regularity or Irregularity of the Figurative Motions the Child is well shaped or mishaped CHAP. IV. Of the Birth of a Child THE reason why a Child or such like Animal Creature stays no longer in the Mother's Body than to such a certain Time is That a Child is not Perfect before that time and would be too big after that time and so big that it would not have room enough and therefore it strives and labours for liberty CHAP. V. Of Mischances or Miscarriages of Breeding Creatures WHen a Mare Doe Hind or the like Animal cast their Young or a Woman miscarries of her Child the Mischance proceeds either through the Irregularities of the Corporeal Motions or Parts of the Child or through some Irregularity of the Parts of the Mother or else of both Mother and Child If the Irregularities be of the Parts of the Child those Parts divide from the Mother through their Irregularity but if the Irregularity be in the Parts of the Mother then the Mother divides in some manner from the Child and if there be a distemper in both of them the Child and Mother divide from each other but such Mischances are at different times some sooner and some later As for false Conceptions they are occasioned through the Irregularities of Conception CHAP. VI. Of the Encrease of Growth and Strength of Mankind or such like Creatures THE reason most Animals especially Human Creatures are weak whilst they are Infants and that their Strength and Growth encreases by degrees is That a Child hath not so many Parts as when he is a Youth nor so many Parts when he is a Youth as when he is a Man for after the Child is parted from the Mother it is nourished by other Creatures as the Mother was and the Child by the Mother and according as the nourishing Parts be Regular or Irregular so is the Child Youth or Man weaker or stronger healthful or diseased and when the Figurative Motions move as I may say for expression sake curiously the Body is neatly shaped and is as we say beautiful But this is to be noted That 't is not Greatness or Bulk of Body makes a Body perfect for there are several sizes of every sort or kind of Creatures as also in every particular kind or sort and every several size may be as perfect one as the other But I mean the Number of Parts according to the proper size CHAP. VII Of the several Properties of the several Exterior Shapes of several sorts of Animals THE several Exterior Shapes of Creatures cause several Properties as Running Jumping
Hopping Leaping Climbing Galloping Trotting Ambling Turning Winding and Rowling also Creeping Crawling Flying Soaring or Towring Swimming Diving Digging Stinging or Piercing Pressing Spinning Weaving Twisting Printing Carving Breaking Drawing Driving Bearing Carrying Holding Griping or Grasping Infolding and Millions of the like Also the Exterior Shapes cause Defences as Horns Claws Teeth Bills Talons Finns c. Likewise the Exterior Shapes cause Offences and give Offences As also the different sorts of Exterior Shapes cause different Exterior Perceptions CHAP. VIII Of the Dividing and Vniting Parts of a particular Creature THose Parts as I have said that were the First Founders of an Animal or other sort of Creature may not be constant Inhabitants for though the Society may remain the particular Parts may remove Also all particular Societies of one kind or sort may not continue the like time but some may dissolve sooner than others Also some alter by degrees others of a sudden but of those Societies that continue the particular Parts remove and other particular Parts unite so as some Parts were of the Society so some other Parts are of the Society and will be of the Society But when the Form Frame and Order of the Society begins to alter then that particular Creature begins to decay But this is to be noted That those particular Creatures that dye in their Childhood or Youth were never a full and regular Society and the dissolving of a Society whether it be a Full or but a Forming Society Man names DEATH Also this is to be noted That the Nourishing Motion of Food is the Uniting Motion and the Cleansing or Evacuating Motions are the Dividing Corporeal Motions Likewise it is to be noted That a Society requires a longer time of uniting than of dividing by reason uniting requires assistance of Foreign Parts whereas dividings are only a dividing of home-Parts Also a particular Creature or Society is longer in dividing its Parts than in altering its Actions because a Dispersing Action is required in Division but not in Alteration of Actions The Fifth Part. CHAP. I. Of MAN NOW I have discoursed in the former Parts after a general manner of Animals I will in the following Chapters speak more particularly of that sort we name Mankind who believe being ignorant of the Nature of other Creatures that they are the most knowing of all Creatures and yet a whole Man as I may say for expression-sake doth not know all the Figurative Motions belonging either to his Mind or Body for he doth not generally know every particular Action of his Corporeal Motions as How he was framed or formed or perfected Nor doth he know every particular Motion that occasions his present Consistence or Being Nor every particular Digestive or Nourishing Motion Nor when he is sick the particular Irregular Motion that causes his Sickness Nor do the Rational Motions in the Head know always the Figurative Actions of those of the Heel In short as I said Man doth not generally know every particular Part or Corporeal Motion either of Mind or Body Which proves Man's Natural Soul is not inalterable or individable and uncompoundable CHAP. II. Of the variety of Man's Natural Motions THere is abundance of varieties of Figurative Motions in Man As first There are several Figurative Motions of the Form and Frame of Man as of his Innate Interior and Exterior Figurative Parts Also there are several Figures of his several Perceptions Conceptions Appetite Digestions Reparations and the like There are also several Figures of several Postures of his several Parts and a difference of his Figurative Motions or Parts from other Creatures all which are Numberless And yet all these different Actions are proper to the Nature of MAN CHAP. III. Of Man's Shape and Speech THE Shape of Man's Sensitive Body is in some manner of a mixt Form but he is singular in this That he is of an upright and straight Shape of which no other Animal but Man is which Shape makes him not only fit proper easie and free for all exterior actions but also for Speech for being streight as in a straight and direct Line from the Head to the Feet so as his Nose Mouth Throat Neck Chest Stomack Belly Thighs and Leggs are from a straight Line also his Organ-Pipes Nerves Sinews and Joynts are in a straight and equal posture to each other which is the cause Man's Tongue and Organs are more apt for Speech than those of any other Creature which makes him more apt to imitate any other Creature 's Voyces or Sounds Whereas other Animal Creatures by reason of their bending Shapes and crooked Organs are not apt for Speech neither in my Opinion have other Animals so melodious a Sound or Voice as Man for though some sorts of Birds Voices are sweet yet they are weak and faint and Beasts Voices are harsh and rude but of all other Animals besides Man Birds are the most apt for Speech by reason they are more of an upright shape than Beasts or any other sorts of Animal Creatures as Fish and the like for Birds are of a straight and upright shape as from their Breasts to their Heads but being not so straight as Man causes Birds to speak uneasily and constrainedly Man's shape is so ingeniously contrived that he is fit and proper for more several sorts of exterior actions than any other Animal Creature which is the cause he seems as Lord and Sovereign of other Animal Creatures CHAP. IV. Of the several Figurative Parts of Human Creatures THE manner of Man's Composition or Form is of different Figurative Parts whereof some of those Parts seem the Supreme or as I may say Fundamental Parts as the Head Chest Lungs Stomack Heart Liver Spleen Bowels Reins Kidnies Gaul and many more also those Parts have other Figurative Parts belonging or adjoining to them as the Head Scull Brains Pia-mater Dura-mater Forehead Nose Eyes Cheeks Ears Mouth Tongue and several Figurative Parts belonging to those so of the rest of the Parts as the Arms Hands Fingers Leggs Feet Toes and the like all which different Parts have different sorts of Perceptions and yet as I formerly said their Perceptions are united for though all the Parts of the Human Body have different Perceptions yet those different perceptions unite in a general Perception both for the Subsistence Consistence and use of the Whole Man but concerning Particulars not only the several composed Figurative Parts have several sorts of Perceptions but every Part hath variety of Perceptions occasioned by variety of Objects CHAP. V. Of the several Perceptions amongst the several Parts of MAN THere being infinite several Corporeal Figurative Motions or Actions of Nature there must of necessity be infinite several Self-knowledges and Perceptions but I shall only in this Part of my Book treat of the Perception proper to Mankind And first of the several and different Perceptions proper for the several and different Parts for though every Part and Particle of a Man's Body is perceptive yet