grudge his time to Instruct him because he thought he should not be sorry for it as ill spent The Importance of the Queries and Difficulties he propounded to him hindered him to take care to put him in a condition of establishing his Principles Their main hinge was of the difficulty of the nature of Angels upon the nature of man's Souls of its Union with the Body of the Soul of Beasts and Plants of Life Motion of the the Heart and upon the Circulation of the Blood Monsieur Des Cartes had brought this last Question into great request amongst the learned and he had wonderfully establish'd the credit of Harvey upon this account having been basely abused and decry'd by the Satyrs of divers Physicians in the Low-Countries the most part ignorant or fondly valuing themselves upon the ancient Maxims of their Faculty that which could be plausibly brought against this Opinion was objected 18 Months before to Monsieur Des Cartes by his Friend Plempius a Physician of Louvain Now altho' this last seem'd to remain satisfy'd with his Answer yet did he afterward an Action unworthy of their Friendship he thought fit for the inhancing the splendour of his own Reputation to mention in a Book that he was 〈◊〉 going to put out what had pass'd between Monsieur Des Cartes and he touching the two Questions of the Motion of the Heart and of the Circulation of Blood He to this effect gave all the gloss that was necessary to the Objections he had made to him but when they came to the Answers to them that he received he was so far from behaving himself towards Monsieur Des Cartes as a Friend who deserved to be respected that he was not so faithful to these Answers as is requisite even in Adversaries that confuâ—c one another and look upon one another as Enemies Regius was exasperated at such unhandsome Carriage and having confronted his Book with the Answers Monsieur Des Cartes had made to his Objections he could no longer smother the indignation that made him snatch up his Pen to signifie his resentments to Des Cartes He set out the ingratitude and deceitful dealing of Plempius in such lively Colours that one cannot express in any Language as he spoke them without running into the like transports of Anger against such a dirty smooty Behaviour He says That as for the places where Monsieur Des Cartes discovers the most hidden Secrets of Nature wherein consisted the main stress of his Answers Plempius hath been so malicious as to play the Mute or at least to pass by the greatest part of them and as for those which he doth relate he so maims them that he quite spoils the sense of them That in the place where he treats of the Circulation of Blood he is content only barely to relate the difficulties as if no body had answered them altho' the Answers Monsieur Des Cartes made to them were very convincing ones That in the place where Monsieur Des Cartes relates several Causes which being joyn'd together produce the beating of the heart Plempius introduces but one of them which is heat If Monsieur Des Cartes after he has alledg'd Reasons necessary for the evincing a thing add thereto some others less convincing in order to a great Illustration of the Point Plempius is so treacherous and unfaithful as to insist only upon this last Reason as tho' it had been produced for an Essential or Fundamental one and leaving you to suppose that this might be the only one that could have been alledged by Monsieur Des Cartes he labours to make him ridiculous which he goes about to do in places he doth not understand Plempius hath now forgotten what formerly he writ that he did not believe one could be able to charge Mons Des Cartes of having ever uttered any false thing or but an idle trifle But if he thought good to revoke the Praises he gave him it was sorry pittiful retraction to blot them out with injuries Mons Des Cartes seem'd not at all concern'd at such uncouth behaviour and was once of the mind only to oppose them by silence Regius did not judge so he reveng'd his Masters Cause in such a manner that probably made Plempius open his Eyes seeing he hath altered his Opinion about the Circulation of Blood to embrace that of Mons Des Cartes VI. In the Month of November in the same Year Father Mersennus being return'd from some Journeys gave Advice of a Prodigy that lately appear'd in Paris This Prodigy was that a young Lad of Sixteen years had Compos'd a Treatise of Coniques that was matter of astonishment to all the old Mathematicians that ever were shewn it This Youth was Son to Monsieur Pascal Intendant of Justice at Rouan And men thought it no piece of flattery to publish that he had been more successful than Apolonius in some Points Mons Des Cartes that admired almost nothing dissembling his purpose answered that he did not think it such an admirable thing that some should be found that could demonstrate Coniques more easily than Apolonius but that one might propose some other things about Coniques that a Child of Sixteen would have much ado to resolve Not having a mind to refer himself to any concerning the matter of fact but to the Testimony of his own Eyes for Mersennus was to send him a Copy of the Treatise He had not read the half of it but he judged that Monsieur des Argues had share in Composing it upon pretence that he was there quoted Understanding after clearing of some doubts touching the matter in hand that there was no likelihood that his friend Monsieur des Argues had the least hand in it he rather believed that Monsieur Pascal the Father was Author of it than be perswaded that a Boy of Sixteen Years could be capable of Composing such a strong Piece of Work This great Man's doubt proved much more glorious to this Prodigy in Nature than the admiration of all those who are certain of the matter of fact His Incredulity was not only grounded upon the want of Age and likelihood it had another foundation still even the Project of a brave Design about Coniques that Monsieur des Argues had lately got Father Mersennus to send him But he did not in the least suspect Monsieur Mydorge to have contributed his Assistance or Name to young Monsieur Pascal altho' they see his four Books of Coniques come out of the Press that same year and tho' he was ignorant what this friend had already done upon the same Subject some years before At the same time Monsieur de Beaune who was no less one of his friends than Monsieur Mydorge and Monsieur des Argues put him upon the Solution of divers Questions that he propounded to him about Mathematicks and under a pretence to discourse with him upon his own designs he endeavoured to pump out the Communication of his in one of the
dâ—cided at his return He had hopes to see the finishing of the Impression of his Principles before he took hâ— Journey But the tediousness of those thâ— Graved the Figures obliged him to leave thâ— to M. Schooten and depart in Company 〈◊〉 Monsieur de Ville Bressieux the First of May putting his Cause depending at Groninguen 〈◊〉 to such a posture that it was not likely 〈◊〉 create him the least trouble or surprize From Egmond de Hoef he came to Leiden froâ— thence to Amsterdam and then pas'd through the Hague to take leave of his Friends Monsieur Sorbiere who feigned himself to be one of that Number expected him there supply'd with such Arms as he had required of M. Gassendus to assault him about his opinion of a Vacuum Monsieur Des Cartes was armed with the patience to Answer all his Difficulties without complaining of the unseasonableness of the time whereby he was straiten'd M. Sorbiere having spent his whole stock of Ammunition against him could not for shame beg any new Arguments touching a Vacuum of M. Gassendus but sought out other Subjects to plague and quite weary Monsieur Des Cartes out of his Skin applying himself rather to find what to object than to comprehend what Answer was given him The next day he writes to M. Gassendus to give him an account of whatever he had performed against Monsieur Des Cartes to be serviceable to him yea and he set them so very much at variance that they were very shy of one anothers Company and treated one another with a great deal of indifference for a pretty while without so much as careing to see one another when they were both in Paris XIV Elziver perceiving the Impression of Mons Des Cartes his Principles to be brought almost to a Conclusion intreated the Author to permit him at the same time to Print the Latine Translation of his Essays which Foreigners that had no knowledge of the French Tongue earnestly longed for Mons Curcellaeus was Author of this Translation who desired Monsieur Des Cartes to review it before he gave leave to publish it He did so and withal took occasion to take another touch at some of his Notions and to make some Alterations in his Original Insomuch that these Translations have as great an advantage as that of his Principles which surpasses the Originals in goodness Now M. Curcellaeus translated nothing but his Discourse de Methodo and the Treatise of Dioptriques and Meteors He did not meddle with Geometry whether he judged it above his reach or whether he had notice that M. Schooten had undertaken to translate it we know not Monsieur Des Cartes embarked and set sail from Holland to the great sorrow of his friends fearing the great Obstacles that might hinder his return but especially they feared the resentment of the Indignities committed in respect of him by the Magistrates and Professors of Vtrecht He arrived at Paris towards the latter end of June and went to lodge at Abbot Picet's in the Rue des Ecouffes He departed from thence for Orleans the 12th of July from whence he went down the Loire to Blois to Monsieur de Beaune's House who was a Counsel in the Presidial from thence to Tours to Abbot de Touchelay Junior's House in the Absence of the Elder Brother There he see a great many of his Friends and Acquaintance and some of his Relations After that he pass'd to Nantes and so to Rennes from whence accompanied with his two Brethren Counsellors in Parliament he went to Crevis in the Diocese of St. Malo to his Brother-in-Law Monsieur Rogiers a Widdower who married his Sister Jane Des Cartes there they all laid their heads together how to settle and accommodate their Domestick Affairs He was to go from thence to Kerleau near Vannes to his Eldest Brother's House and then to Chavagnes in the Diocese of Nantes to his Younger Brother's After that he went as far as Poictou upon no other Errand than he did in Britagne to visit his Friends and Relations and so came back to Paris towards the middle of October BOOK VII From 1644 till 1650. I. II. AT his Arrival he found the Edition of his Principles and the Latine Translation of his Essays finished and the Copies come out of Holland The Treatise of Principles did not come out neither did that Piece he called his World nor his Course of Philosophy both of which were suppress'd He had a mind to divide them into other Parts The First of which contains the Principles of Humane Knowledge which one may call the first Philosophy or Metaphysicks wherein it hath very much relation and connexion with his Meditations The Second contains what is most general in Philosophy and the Explanation of the first Laws of Nature and of the principles of natural things the Proprieties of Bodies Space and Motion c. The Third contains a particular Explanation of the System of the World and more especially of what we mean by the Heavens and Celestial Bodies The Fourth contains whatsoever belongs to the Earth That which is most remarkable in this Work is That the Author after having first of all established the distinction and difference he puts between the Soul and the Body when he hath laid down for the Principles of corporeal things bigness figure and local motion all which are things in themselves so clear and intelligible that they are granted and received by every one whatsoever he hath found out a way to explain all Nature in a manner and to give a reason of the most wonderful Effects without altering the Principles yea and without being inconsistent with himself in any thing whatsoever Yet had he not the presumption for all that to believe he had hit upon the explication of all natural things especially such that do not fall under our senses in the same manner as they really and truly are in themselves He should do something indeed if he could but come the nearest that it was possible to likelihood or verisimilitude to which others before him could never reach and if he could â—o bring the matter about that whatsoever â—e had written should exactly agree with all â—he Phenomena's of Nature this he judged sufficient for the use of Life the profit and benefit of which seems to be the main and only end one ought to propose to himself in Mechanicks Physick or Medicine and in all Arts that may be brought to perfection by the help of Physick or natural Philosophy But of all things he hath explained there is not one of them that doth not seem at least morally certain in respect of the profit of life notwithstanding they may be uncertain in respect of the absolute Power of God Nay there are several of them that are absolutely or more than morally certain such as are Mathematical Demonstrations and those evident ratiocinations he hath framed concerning the existence of material things Nevertheless he
Censurers for his Book whilst he collected the Objections of Divines and Philosophers he could possibly find in Paris he received an Abridgement of it concerning the chief Points about God and the Human Soul which serv'd for an introduction to the whole Work which he divided into six Meditations In the first he propounds the Reasons why we may doubt of all things in general and especially of material things until such time as we have established a better foundation in Sciences than those we have had hitherto He â—â—akes it appear that the advantage of this general doubt consisteth in delivering us from all sorts of prejudices to loosen our Minds from Sense and so to bring it about that we cannot any longer doubt of the things which we shall afterwards know and acknowledge to be true In the second he demonstrates that the Soul making use of its own liberty in supposing that the things of whose Existence there may arise the least doubt do not exist at all in effectâ— doth acknowledge that it is impossible but that at the same time it exists it self which serves to make it distinguish the things that belong to it from those that belong to the Body In the third he produceth and displays the best Argument he hath for the Existence of a God without using any comparison draâ— from corporeal things In the fourth he proves that all things we have a clear and distinct notion of are true he there explains also the nature of the Errour that is in the Judgment and the discerning of true from false In the fifth he explains the nature of a Body in general he doth there likewise demonstrate the Existence of God in a new manner and he makes appear that the certitude of demonstrations themselves depend upon the knowledge of God In the sixth he makes a difference between the action of the understanding and that of the imagination He there evidently shews that the Soul of Man is really distinct from the Body and that nevertheless it is so nearly joyn'd to it that it composeth as it were but the same thing with it He explains also all â—he several Errours that proceeds from Sense â—ith the means to avoid them Last of all he â—here brings in the Reasons from which one â—ay conclude the Existence of things material We must observe that the Author doth not â—ind himself up to follow the Order of matters â—hroughout this Work but only the Order of Reason I mean that he hath not underâ—aken to speak of whatsoever appertains to â—he same Subject in the same place because 〈◊〉 would have been often impossible to prove 〈◊〉 well inasmuch as there were Reasons some â—hereof were to be fetcht a great deal furâ—her off than others But in reasoning in orâ—er that is to say beginning at the most eaâ—e things and so passing after that to things â—ost difficult he hath deduced from thence what he could possibly sometimes for one â—atter and sometimes for another which was in his Opinion the true way to find Truth â—recisely and to explain it aright He judged his Order only profitable to those whose Reasons are free and unbiassed who can say â—s much of one difficulty as of another And this is the reason why he thought it â—ot convenient nor yet possible to insert into the Text of his Meditations the Answer to â—he Objections one might give because that would have interrupted all the Series nay and might have invalidated the force of his Reasons which depends chiefly on the necessity of diverting ones thought from things sensible from whence most part of the Objections might be drawn But yet he set down those that were already come to his hand from the Low Countreys at the end of his Treatise to serve for a Model to others if there chanc'd to come any and to shew how they might come in course and follow in the impression by inserting his Answers at the end of each Objection These first Objections were sent by theiâ— Author Monsieur Caterus or Catters Doctor of Lounvain employ'd in the Missions of Holand He accompanied them with all the Civilities and Modesty that ordinarily sway learn'd lovers of Truth they were directed to two of his friends Bloemart and Bannâ—â— who knowing very well the capacity of this Doctor had desired them of him and thaâ— too as strong and pertinent as possible he could make them that they might be suitable to our Philosophers Intentions The two friends sent them to Monsieur Des Cartes just as they received them and he in like manner directed his Answer he made to them he endeavoured especially not to come short in Testimonies of Esteem and Civility of Monsieur Caterus who became a new Accession to his friends all his life after Fath. Mersennus that he might perceive some Effects of his Commission sent him in January the Objections he was able to pick up by word of mouth from off Divines and Philosophers he consulted in Paris Their difficulties were neither considerable nor in great number notwithstanding this Father offer'd some of his own and tho' he had done whatsoever lay in his power to start some from his Answer to the first Objections which he had conveyed to him with a design to have him to examine them with the rest Monsieur Des Cartes seem'd to believe that these several Objections had been made by persons sincere and honest and perswaded of the solidity of his Principles and drew up an exact Answer to them Now for as much as the Authors of these Objections-had signified by the Pen of Father Mersennus that it would be very proper and useful if at the end of his Solutions after having first of all presented some definitions demands and â—xioms he would wind up all according to the Method of Geometricians so that at one glance Readers might find wherewith they â—hould be satisfied he was exceeding glad that he had made him a proposition so agreeable to him and so easie to be put in Execution he therefore accompanied his Answer for their satisfaction with another Writing containing the reason for proving that there is a God and the difference there is between Spirit or Soul and Human Body couched after a Geometrical manner He had not quite finished his answering the second Objections but he received those of the famous Hobbs an English Philosopher who had long sought an occasion to get acquainâ—ance with him Father Mersennus had augmented his desire when he begun the reading of the Manuscript of Meditations for to make Animadversions thereupon but he declared to him that the only way to deserve his friendship was to be plain with him and not spare him M. Hobbes took it for granted the Father upon sending these Objections to Monsieur Des Cartes accompanied them with a word or two in behalf of his Friend to the end he might be acquainted with his desert and might know what kind of Philosophy it was whereof he
he sent it into France in Custody of true and faithful persons the Second day of October 1666. arriving at Paris in January the year after it was carried to Monsieur d' Alibertâ—â— House in the Rue de Beautreillis and some days after it was deposited without Ceremony in a Chappel in St. Paul's Church From thence it was transported in a pompous manner the 24th of June upon Midsummer or St. John's Day at Eight a Clock at Night into the Church of St. Genevieve du mont where it was received by the Abbot and Cannons Regular with most splendid Preparations The day following being Saturday they perform'd solemn Service where the Abbot Father Blanchard General of the Congregation officiated in his Pontificalibus There were a great many Persons present qualified accordingly Father l' Allemans Chancellor of the University had prepared a Funeral Oration But there chanced to come an Order from Court that it should not be pronounced They set the Herse in a Vault between two Chappels on the South-side of the Nef or Body of the Church where Monsieur d' Alibert hath caused to be put up a fair Marble against the Wall representing the Philosopher's Bust with a very pretty Epitaph composed of two Inscriptions one whereof is French Verse Composed by M. de Fiewbet Counsellor of State heretofore Chancellor to the Queen the other which is in Latine comes from M. Clerselier notwithstanding some would still to this day have Father Allemant to be the Author of it After the Service for Saturday the 25th of June was done they carried the Titles the Verbal Process and Certificates which were drawn up in good Form into the Archives of the Abby of St. Genevieue Then M. d' Alibert Conducted all the Principal Assistants to the famous Bocquet's House where he treated them with a most sumptuous and magnificent Banquet BOOK VIII Containing the Qualifications of his Body and Mind his Manners His Life and Conversation towards God and towards Man I. MOnsieur Des Cartes his Body was something under a middle stature but very delicate and well-proportioned in all the shape and symettry of Parts yet he seem'd to have an Head a little too big in proportion to the Trunk of his Body His Brow or Forehead was broad and standing out a little His Complexion pale from his Infancy to his leaving the Colledge and then mixt with a pretty ruddy vermillion blush till his retirement into Holland and ever since somewhat sallow till his dying day He had upon his Cheek a kind of Pimple or Push that broke now and then and grew again His Under-Lip stuck out a little a pretty wide Mouth a Nose of a bigness answerable to its length His Eyes dark grey His Sight pleasant and firm to the end of his days His Countenance evermore serene and calm His Mind affable and Courteous The Tone of his Voice pleasant between Base and Treble yet too feeble to carry on any long Discourse occasioned by an alteration of his Lungs he brought into the World with him His Hair and Eye-brows pretty black the Hair of his Chin not quite so black and he began to be grey at the age of 43 years Some few years after he wore a Perriwig but of a fashion that resembled his own Hair and that too upon the account of his Health He followed less the Mode then he suffer'd himself to be drawn into it he staid till it became common that he might not affect Singularity He was never disregarded yet he chiefly avoided to appear in the Garb of a Philosopher At such time as he sequestered himself from much Company in Holland he changed his Sword for a Cloak His course of Diet was always uniform Sobriety was natural to him He drunk little Wine and was sometimes a whole Month together without drinking a drop yet seeming very jocund and pleasant at Table his frugality not burthensom to his Company He was neither nice nor difficult in the choice of his Victuals and he had accustomed his Palat to every thing that was not prejudicial to the health of the Body His Diet did not consist in eating seldom but to discern the quality of the Victual His judgment was that it was good always to keep the Stomach and other Viscera a doing as we do to Horses but that it ought to be with such things as afford small nourishment as Roots and Fruits which he believed more proper to prolong the Life of Man than the Flesh of Animals He observed that he eat more greedily and slept sounder when he was sad and melancholy or in some eminent danger than he did at any other time He slept much or at least his awaking was never forced so soon as ever he perceived himself dis-ingaged from sleep he studied meditating in Bed and raiâ—ed but half his Body now and then to commit his thoughts to writing This is the reason why he often continued ten Hours nay sometimes twelve in his Bed His Condescension to the necessities of his Body never proceeded to an Apathy or so far as insensibility of them He knew Nature must be supply'd He laboured hard and long He delighted pretty much in bodily exercise and indulged himself therein at his time for recreation till at length his sedentary life broke him off that Custom He was apt to believe that health of Body was the greatest Blessing in this life next to Virtue He had no great share of it in his Infancy and it was but ill preserved whilst he was subject to the government of Physicians he was troubled during his Childhood with a dry Cough hereditary to him from his Mother and very infirm till the Age of 13. when he was let Blood the first but never after till the Eve of his Death He reckoned Phlebobotomy extream dangerous to most People At the age of 19 or 20 years he thought he was not so much a Fool as not to be his own Physician Therefore he thought he was of age to take upon him the Administration of his health and dispensed with a Physician 'till his mortal Distemper He abhorr'd not only Mountebanks but even the Drugs of Apothecaries Empericks yea and he required great Caution in the administring Chymical Remedies When he was disengaged and free from that heat of Liver that made him in love with a Military Life in his youthful days he took up a course of Life so even and uniform that he was never Sick with any thing except by that Foreign Cause that brought him to his long home The two grand Remedies were his spare regular Diet and moderation in his Exercise yet he preferr'd before them those of the Mind and Spirit that have a mighty influence upon the Body as plainly appear'd by the great change Anger Wrath Fear and other Passions did excite in him The manner of living he prescribed himself was founded upon the oeconomy and well-ordering his Family He entertain'd a sufficient number of Domesticks