Age of fifty four Was he so much out of Love with his Life as to neglect the repairing those effluxes of his Machine whose Failures and Disasters he could so easily foresee Do you believe then returned he that M. Descartes is dead I know not said I how you understand it but methinks the Corps of a Man should not be buried unless he was dead before and all the World knows that in the Year 1650. M. Chersilier prefde Lett. de M. Descarâ—es the Body of M. Descartes was interred at Stockholm with great Pomp and Solemnity by the Care of M. Chanut his particular Friend and then Embassador of France at the Court of Sweden That since M. Dalibert hath ordered his Bones to be removed to Paris and to be disposed of in the Church of S. Geneve where his Epitaph is to be seen engraven upon a fair White Marble It seems to me once more That all this supposes a Man as dead as dead can be All these Particulars are true said my Cartesian but for all that it is false that M. Descartes is dead for that we call Death is when our Body becoming incapable of Vital Functions either by the Defailure of the Organs which are wore out in the Succession of Years or corrupted by some Disease or endammaged by some Hurt or Wound the Soul is oblig'd to quit her Habitation following the Laws of their Union establish'd by the Sovereign Master of the Universe But Cartesius's Soul was by no means separated from his Body after this manner Hear then the Matter of Fact About three or four Months after his Arrival in Swedeland where Queen Christina had invited him and did him the Honour to entertain him in her Library an Hour in a Morning every Day Pref. de lett de Deâ—cartes He was seized in the midst of Winter with an Inflammation of the Lungs seconded with a Giddiness in the Brain but the Fever having left his Brain there had been no great Difficulty in his Recovery Lett. de Descartes Himself had wrote a little Time before to one of his Friends That he had made some Discoveries in Anatomy that insur'd his Life for an hundred Years And 't is known that M. Descartes did not use to go by Guessing or advance any thing without a firm Assurance but an unseasonable Misfortune rendred his Prediction fruitless seeing he had not rested well that Night his Soul had a Mind to take a little Turn for Recreation-sake he takes his usual Dose of Snush and his Soul leaves his Body in the Bed By ill Luck the Physician contrary to his Custom came to visit him at Midnight the Noise he made in entring the Chamber did not awake his Body whose Senses were perfectly laid asleep by vertue of the Herb of which I spoke that was mingled with the Tobacco But having put to his Nose a Vial of extreamly Spirituous Liquor to fortifie the Brain it made a more quick and lively Sally upon the Organ of Sense than Hungary Water used to do which M. Descartes Soul made use of when she would re-enter the Body and conclude its Trance it caused it to open its Eyes and to give some Groans The Physician ask'd it how he did The Machine accustomed some Days ago to answer to that Question That he was very ill made still the same reply but to other Questions the Physician proposed since the Soul was not there to talk rationally and answer to the purpose the Answers were full of Extravagance and Delirium just as the Machine was determined by the Voice of the Doctor It talked eternally of the Separation of its Soul from its Body because the last Thoughts the Soul entertained in the Act of separating her self were those of that Separation which had left some Figures or Traces stamp'd upon the Brain answering to those Thoughts and determining the Tongue to a Motion requisite to pronounce such sort of Words These Symptoms enduc'd the Doctor to believe he was again transported with a Raving in his Head wherefore he is out of Hand blooded in the Foot Cupping-Glasses are apply'd and several other Violent Remedies which so exhausted and altered his poor Body that in a short Time it had spent all its Strength it 's natural Heat began to faint and lose itself by little and little a Deâ—luction of his Brain fell into his Breast and in a Word it became a meer Cadaver and unable to perform the Duties of Life and to receive his Soul Thus it happened so that you see a Man may truly say M. Descartes is not dead Assuredly Sir said I this is not to dye according to due Form and Method nevertheless the Swedish Physician would be held Guiltles before all the Faculties of Europe for he has followed the Rules of his Art he acted according to appearance and if he did but understand what you are teaching me That M. Descartes is not dead he might boast of the Greatest and most unprecedented Exploit that was ever known in Medicine I mean to have killed a Man without causing him to die But Sir I beseech you continued I acquaint me if you know What was the Destiny of M. Descartes Soul for according to the uncontroverted Principles of our Faith a Soul in leaving this World receives her Arrest for Eternity and either has her Portion in Paradice Hell or Purgatory for some Time That Question ruffled my old Gentleman And in the Name of God said he almost in a Passion rid your self of that Ridiculous Custom you have taken up in the Schools of introducing Questions of Religion in Matters purely Philosophical M. Descartes had once thought to renounce his Philosophy or at least refuse to publish his Works to save him the Trouble of answering those impertinent Objections which were made at every turn and upon all occasions I am giving you clear Matter of Fact and you desire me to Account for the Conduct of God But in brief have not I forestall'd all your Difficulties when I told you M. Descartes was not Dead And since he is not Dead why demand you if he has submitted to a Judgment the Dead are only concern'd in I beg'd his Pardon for my Imprudence and agreed with him That nothing was more unseasonable and inconvenient than such sort of occasional Questions to a Philosopher that had made a System without regard to any thing of that Nature And that likewise put me in mind of entreating my Readers to use the same Candor towards me That they will not wrangle with me upon the Point of separate Souls whole Shoals of which I meet with in my Voyage to the World of Descartes nor tye me to answer all the Scruples they might be able to raise on that Account For therein bottom the most agreeable Passages of my History with which I should not present the Publick but upon that Condition I would entreat them to remember the Priviledg these Cartesian Gentlemen take who when perplex'd
'll give you an Abbreviate of him This Little Black was formerly Valet to M. Diverses letters de Desâ—artes Regius the famous Professor of Physick in the Vniversity of Vtrecht who as is known was then the intimate Friend Disciple and Admirer of M. Descartes Upon these Accounts he meâ—ited the communication of his Secret for the separating the Soul and Body Since that they broke with each other in so much that M. Descartes thought himself oblig'd to Write against him Because he deprav'd his Doctrin and made it give Offence M. Regius who if Descartes's Character be true was none of the most Honourable and gentilest Gentlemen in the World to revenge himself and shew how he scorn'd and trampled on a thing Cartesius set so high a rate upon taught it this litle Negro One time above the rest he went to make use of it Returning one day from the Country where his Master had sent him much tir'd he sate himself under the shade of an Oak His Soul left his Body to its repose and rambled for Diversion I know not where Mean while some Highway-men kill'd a Man hard by him The Grand Provost who was near being advis'd of the Murder came speedily with his Sergeants The Noise they made was such that it awak't the Body of the Little Black And there happen'd something in the Adventure not unlike that I told you lately of Descartes For the Machine determin'd by the Noise and the strong Impression the Presence of arm'd Men made upon his Organ began to fly They pursue him overtake him and examine him He contradicts himself at every Word in his Answers which in the absence of his Soul were not likely to be very coherent The Grand Provost who was a little too expeditious in the Business took his Flight and the Astonishment that appear'd in his Countenance and his Words for an Evident convicton of the Crime and caus'd him to be hang'd upon a Tree as an Accomplice of the Murder'â— that was committed The Soul returning not long after found her Body hanging in that rascally Posture of a Malefactour Forc'd then as she was to seek a now Abode she was in a miserable condition The majority of separate souls which play in all the vast extent of the World being Souls of Philosophers and Souls of great Importance and having in a Convention held by the most considerable of them declar'd that Opinion of Philosophy true that holds an â—nequality in Souls of the same Species They would no ways admit that the Soul of an ignorant Negro should enjoy the same Priviledge as they and gave her chase througout the Universe In short her good Fortune would that she should attempt to pass our Vortex and arrive at the very place Descartes's Soul had pitch'd upon to Meditate He had Compassion on her and allow'd her the liberty to live with him Father Mersennus brought her hither in Case there should be occasion and we 'll leave her with your Body to take care on 't The Retail of a Story so well circumstanc'd induc'd me to credit what was said as true I intreated both the Spirits to excuse the Transport I was guilty of telling them that the Figure and Colour he made use of to appear in being the same the Devil â—urnishes himself with all when he would be visible had 〈◊〉 printed on my Mind that horrible Idea I desir'd them to give me some Instructions how I must be rigg'd to accompany them in that wondrous Voyage that they propos'd saying I hop'd to make infinite Advantage of the Favour they vouchsafed me and in their Society to return so choice a Treasure of Knowledge as would distinguish me from the rest of Mankind Three things say's Father Mersennus you have to do The first is To dismantle your Mind of all the Prejudices of Childhood and the ordinary Philosophy For 't is strange to see how the Prejudices the Soul sucks in but by the Senses should make so deep impression on the Understanding with Time and Custom which she chooses for the Rule of her Opinions In so much that Souls separated form their Bodies otherwise than by Death although during that separation they act independently on the Senses do yet think judge and reason conformably to their prejudice Without that Precaution you 'l make a fruitless Voyage and be but where you are at your return The second Requisite before our embarquing is That you give Orders to this little Spiritâ— after what Method he must treat your Body in your absence Whereupon it is advisable to let you know that when your Soul shall be in state of Separation all things will be carried on in the usual Road not only as to Natural Functions but as to those Motions caus'd by External Objects provided that you leave the Machine mounted in the same manner as it is at present So that if you us'd to wake and rise at the sound of an Alarm or at a certain Hour as soon as that Hour shall strike the Motion of the Timpanum of your Ears communicated to your Brain shall make way for the Animal Spirits to glide along the Muscles and to produce in your Legs and Arms and your whole Body such Motions as daily you your self produc'd for the taking of your Breeches then your Doublet and the rest of your Appurtenances after one an other and dressing you from Head to Foot It shall walk as it us'd to do traverse all the House upstairs and down It shall sâ—at it self at Table as soon as the voice of the Page crying Dinner Sir is ready shall strike upon its Ears It shall Eat shall Drink and in a word perform every Action it has been accustom'd to the Animal Spirits never failing to take their course towards certain parts of the Body at the presence of certain Objects and by consequence producing always certain Motions in the Body in certain Circumstances Now in all External Actions that we do there is nothing but Motion produc'd this way And hence it is that Beasts who are undoubtedly as Meer Machines as our Body seem to us at the same time to act both with Variety and Uniformity The only Mischief that you need to fear is in case a Friend should come to visit you Because the Body without the Soul would be incapable to maintain discourse and must answer very impertinent to the Thing in hand For betwixt our selves it is only by Discourse that we Cartesians know that those Bodies we commonly call Men are truly Men and not meerly Machines Let. 53. de Desc. Tom. 1. But herein it is this Little Negro will be serviceable M. Descartes hath taught him all the different Motions possible to be made upon the Pineal Gland and all the various Determinations of which the Animal Spirits are capable by its means And how the Words are form'd in the Mouth only by the motion of the Muscles that stir the Tongue the lower Jaw and Lips And how particular
Words are fram'd only by the certain Motions of the Muscles caus'd by that of the Animal Spirits according to the different Questions a Friend suppose that gives you a visit in the absence of your Soul should propound to you The Little Negro by the various Motions he shall then impress upon your Gland and from thence upon the Animal Spirits and Muscles shall form without failure in your Mouth the Words that ought to be spoke and such Answers as the Questions shall demand And fear not he should make your Body speak any thing unbecoming of your Soul For I 'll say that for him Negro as he is he is no Fool. You may take yet an other way It is but leaving your Body in the Bed where it is and in the Trance you 'l put it by the taking Snush for the separating of your Soul That Trance which consists in slackning the Sensitive Nerves is not attended with any further trouble Mean while this little Negro shall make your Figure and shall so exactly Personate you as if your Soul had made no expedition And in that there ' I be no difficuty no more than is in my appearing in the Formalities of a Friar and this Gentleman 's in the same Physiognomy and dress you us'd to see him as I have but just now explain'd it to you And to observe to you by the by you see the Cartesian Philosophy teaches without any Sin what Apollonius Thyanaeus and many other Magicians could not do without first giving themselves to the Devil The third and last Thing you have to do is To take a little of the Gentleman's Snush which he has brought you so we 'll hoise Sale and stand off for the Road that will bring us to M. Descartes Having return'd thanks to Father Mersennus for the Instructions and Light he was pleas'd to give me I assur'd him as for the first Article I durst undertake for that I had all along been somewhat Sceptical in point of Schoolâ—Philosophy and that my Mind was free from the contagion of Prejudice that commonly is caught there And as to the Prejudices of Infancy the reading M. Descartes had taught me to distrust them And that whilst he was Discoursing I had arm'd my self with a fresh Resolution of assenting to nothing but what I should most distinctly conceive following M. Descartes's advice I forbore to mention another Resolution I had made which was To fore arm my self at least as much against the Opinionativeness of the Cartesians as the ordinary Philosophers well knowing they were as much conceited as their Neighbours Touching his Directions that respected my Body in my Soul's Absence I closed with the second Proposal Seeing said I Reverent Father it seems more simple and feasible than the former I like it well quoth he since 't is one of our Maxims in any System to choose the most simple way and that which costs least Trouble However that was not the Reason that resolv'd me but because I thought therein less Danger and was not so firmly persuaded that my Body would be so expert and active in the Absence of my Soul as was pretended and also because the Instance of Brutes which was urged made little Impression on my Mind unable to discard those Prejudices a Soul capable of Sense and Reason had confirmed I deâ—ired Father Mersennus to give Orders to the Little Black to sute himself with my Person 'to fee if it would fit him Forthwith it was done and I beheld another me at my Beds Feet as the Sosia of Amphitryon saw another Sosia before his Lady's Gate at his Return from the Camp only with this Difference that I at my Bed's Feet asked very courteously to me in the Bed whereas the Sosia who return'd from the Army was well cudgelled by himself Sosia who stood before the Gate of Alâ—mena I recommended to him above all the fast bolting of my Chamber-door that no Body might enter and the frequent visiting my Body Day by Day and admonishing him to take Care it might always lye in a Convenient Posture Upon my old Sophiâ—ter's presenting me a Dose of Snush I demanded if it was the True For I remembred I had heard a Story of one Apuleius that one Qui pro Quo metamorphosed into an Ass at the same Time he expected to become a Bird. He told me he carried but one sort and that there was no Danger of Mistaking I then presently took it and sneezed God bless me three or four Times with mighty Violence Hereupon I fell into a Swoon like that of M. Descartes I described before and in an instant my Soul by the only Act of the Will perceived her enlargement from the Body I intend not to enter upon the Retail of Reflections I made upon my Soul and on my Body when they were divorced from one another I will only say I began from that Moment to perceive the Strength of Prejudice and Conceit in obstructing the Knowledg of Truth and how wise and rational is the Advice M. Descartes and his Followers give precautioning us on that Respect and yet at the same time how little Care those Gentlemen had to make use of the Rules they prescribe to others For the first thing my Gentlemen would persuade me whether I would or not was that my Soul in the instant of Separation saw herself seated on the pineal Gland As I judged it unfitting to begin with them by a palpable Contradiction I made answer That the Separation was performed so heedlesly I had no Time to make that Observation What I said was true and was also the least disobliging Answer I could find for I perfectly remembred and was throughly convinc'd of what I had lately read in M. Stenon the great Anatomist who was a great admirer of M. Descartes and look'd upon him as the ingenious Contriver of a Novel Man but shew'd and prov'd by ocular Demonstration Anatomie du cerveau this Man of his a quite different Creature from that which God Created And that the Pineal Gland has not the Situation much less is capable of those Motions attributed to it upon that Hypothesis That the Vessels with which it is encompassed are not Arteries which might supply it with the Matter of the Animal Spirits as M. Descartes supposes but only Veins that by consequence the Honour and Priviledge it has given it of being the Closet of the Soul is without Foundation and that perhaps it deserves not to be advanced upon any more considerable Employ it has above the other Glands whose Office is usually of no great Importance in an Animal Body These were my Thoughts though I kept them to my self and I was desirous as much as possible to accompany them in their Sentiments I first observed to them how Digestion was performed in my Body though my Soul was absent by the only Vertue of that Acid Humor in the Stomach which by the Agitation of its insensible Parts dissolves Meats no
believ'd a Soul separate from the Body had been capable of such an Accident M. Descartes who was aware of it and well understood the cause left me for a moment to wait on Aristotle's Embassadors I knew not what Intercourse they had till the old Gentleman's Information on our return to th' other World He told me Mr. Descartes declin'd entring all Dispute and Business with them only assuring them he had not the least Design of making any Inroad into Aristotle's Dominions but that he thought it a difficult piece of Work to effect a through Accommodation and that it would be proper for each to preserve their Liberty in Opinion as before without being restless and concern'd to bring over that of others to it notwithstanding to the end their Voyage might not be wholly ineffectual he promis'd to see that the Cartesians behav'd themselves with greater Respect and Esteem towards Aristotle upon condition Aristotle would restrain the Peripateticks from flying out with that out-rage against Cartesianism To come to my Spiritual Metamorphosis I knew not the reason of that neither till my return and it was this We must suppose that as long as our Soul is united with our Body the most part of its Ideas and Conceptions depend on the disposition of our Brain The diversity of that Disposition consists as say the Peripateticks in the difference of the Species Apparitions or Images of Objects contain'd in the Cavities of the Brain or imprinted on its Substance The new Philosophers more truly say That those kind of Pictures are nothing but the Traces and Footsteps stampt on the Brain by the ordinary Current of the Animal Spirits that flow in great Plenty as in little Rivers and wear themselves a kind of Channel to which they usually keep In what way soever that different Disposition causes the different Idea's and different Judgments of the Soul for it is an inscrutable Mystery it is certain it is done and that different Ideas suppose different Traces So that should a dissection be made of a Peripatetick and a Cartesian Brain with the help of good Microscopes for the discovery of those Prints that are exquisitely fine one should see a prodigious difference in the Complexion of those two Brains I never indeed question'd that Truth but I thought that dependence of the Soul lasted no longer than it was in the Body and that as soon as the Separation was perform'd it had no more Correspondence with it But I experimented the contrary and my Fellow-Travellers assur'd me that so long as the Body has its Organs sound and free let the Soul be ten thousand Worlds apart it will receive the same Impressions as if it resided in it And that if M. Descartes's Snush had not lax'd the sensitive Nerves I should have seen whilst I was in Descartes's World all the Occurrencies the Eyes of my Body were presented with I should have heard every noise that beat upon the Drum of my Ears And so of all the rest So astonishing an Effect as this makes no Impression on Philosophical Souls For if they be Peripateticks they presently explain it by the Sympathy betwixt the Soul and Body of the same individual and if they be Cartesians they expound it by the general Laws of the Soul and Bodies Union which is in cause that God on occasion of such and such Motions made in the Body produces such and such Thoughts or Perceptions in the Soul and say they one of these Laws is That whilst the Organs of the Body are capacitated for Imployment the Soul wherever she is receives the Impressions of Objects that affect them it being as easy a thing for God to advertise the Soul of that Impression when she is remote from the Body as when present proximity of Place being wholly insignificant in the thing since according to them the Motion of the Organs is not the real cause that produces Sensations but only the occasional cause that is that which offers an occasion to God Almighty of producing them in the Soul My Old Gentleman then as I was saying in our Return confess'd the Trick Father Mersennus and himself had agreed to play me They had given Instructions before they departed to the little Negro that was commission'd to guard my Corps at such an Hour in which they easily foresaw we should be arriv'd to M. Descartes's World to take Care so to determine the Animal Spirits in my Brain as they might no longer keep the beaten Tracks they had been us'd to for the exciting Peripatetick Speâ—ies in my Mind but to make them glide in such a Current as was necessary and as he knew how for the implanting Cartesian Ideas in their Room which he perform'd with that Dexterity that whether it was by the Legerdemain of Sympathy or by vertue of the General Laws of Vnion of the Body and Soul my Notions were all in an instant turn'd topsie turvy And I that a Moment since could see nothing in that Immense Space in which I was began to perceive Matter there and to be convinc'd that Space Extension and Matter were all one and the same thing After which as often as M. Decsartes bade us to conceive how such and such Motions were effected in Matter I saw them more distinctly than your most clarify'd Cartesians do your Chamfer'd Parts of Matter wreath'd in shape of little Skrews by the Struggle they have to squeez betwixt the Balls of the Second Element or to constitute a little Vortex round the Loadstone and to cause that wonderful affinity that is found betwixt that Stone and the Poles of the Earth and with it and Iron It is plain that an Universal Revolution of Ideas like this cannot happen in the Soul without causing an extraordinary Commotion in its Substance no more than a general Alteration of Humors can occur in the Body without a Change of its Constitution I was therefore infinitely surpriz'd at so prodigious a Change being wholly unable to give any probable Guess at its Cause but could not help attributing it to some Secret in M. Descartes's Philosophy who returning quickly after address'd me in a more Familiar Air than at my first Reception Well what shall we begin to fall to work upon our World I see you are at present capable and worthy of reaping that Satisfaction Monsieur said I I know not where I am nor what I ought to think of my self But certainly nothing can more effectually dispose me to a Belief that you are capable of becoming the Creator of a World than that Power you manifest over Spirits Yes Monsieur I acknowledg Space Matter and Extension to be the self-same Thing I see plainly in that Space Materials for the Building a New World and if you once accomplish so vast and prodigious a Work from this Time forward I renounce my Body to live here with you for ever and ever to the End of the World nothing seeming comparable to the Advantage of living with the most
Submission and respect I am capable of that I am with all my Heart and Soul MONSIEUR Your most humble and most obedient Servant and most zealous Disciple The INDEX PART I. THE different Relations given of the World of Cartesius Page 1 The Conversation of the Author with an old Cartesian and the occasion of his Voyage to the World of Cartesius 5 Cartesius his Design of finding out the Secret of the Soul and Body's Vnion as also that of separating and reuniting them when he pleas'd 9 Cartesius his Progress in the Study and Knowledge of Man 10 The Mystery of the union and separation of the Soul and Body found out by Cartesius 16 The use of the Mystery 19 That Cartesius is not dead 25 The Secret of the union and separation of the Body and Soul known long before Cartesius 30 Cartesius retires into the indefinite Spaces and makes preparation for the building of a World there like this of ours 31 The Author is invited by the old Cartesian and the Spirit of Father Mersennus to come to the building of Cartesius his World 37 The Author's discourse with the Soul of Father Mersennus 39 An Explication of the manner of the Apparition of Spirits 42 The adventure of a little Moor-Page to Regius Physitian of Utrecht formerly a Friend but afterwards an Enemy of Cartesius 45 The Author's Soul is separated from his Body by the secret of Cartesius 51 How according to the Principles of Cartesius all Bodily Operations may be perform'd as well in the absence as presence of the Soul 53 PART II. THE setting out of the Author with the old Cartesian and Father Mersennus for the World of Cartesius 56 What the Air is and of what parts it is compos'd 57 Wherein consists the fluidity of liquid Bodies ibid. Motion naturally and of it self is perpetual 61 The falsity of Cartesius's Axiom that there is ever an equal quantity of Motion in the World taking the word Motion according to Cartesius's definition 62 The way that Spirits converse with one another 67 The Travellers meet upon their Road Socrates Plato and Aristotle and upon what occasion 68 Their discourse with those Philosophers with some notable Particulars of their History 71 Aristotle refutes Cartesius his Method and Meditations 79 The old Cartesian and Father Mersennus railly upon the Sphere of Fire that Aristotle imagin'd 86 The Contradictions of Cartesius 89 His Disciples have indeavour'd to smother one of them in the French Translation of his Works 90 A Suit commenc'd formerly against the Cartesians relating to the Sphere of Fire 94 A description of the Globe of the Moon 97 Cyrano de Bergerac banter'd by Socrates his familiar Spirit in the Globe of the Moon 98 The inequalities observ'd in the Moon are partly Seas and partly Lands shar'd among the most famous Mathematicians and Philosophers as they are to be seen in the Maps of that Country ibid. The Traveller's descent into Gassendus and from thence to Mersennus 99 They Traverse the Hemisphere of the Moon that is opposite to our Earth 100 They are deny'd Admission at Plato and why 101 They arrive at Aristotle which they find strictly gâ—â—rded as a Town under Apprehensions of a Siege 102 The Author finds there and knows again his Regent in Philosophy an old Professâ—r of the Vniversity of Paris 103 A Description of the Lyceum of the Moon 105 The old Cartesian likewise remembers Voetius the greatest Enemy Cartesius had in Holland 108 Some particulars of the Life of Cartesius and his Adventures whilst he staid in Holland 109 The Character of Voetius 112 The Travellers Negotiation with Voetius for the re-union of the Peripateticks and Cartesians 119 A Project of Accommodation presented the Travellers by Voetius 122 They continue their Voyage with two Peripatetick-Souls that Voetius had deputed to accompany them to the World of Cartesius ibid. In their Way they light upon the Souls of Hermotimus and Ainia a Roman Pretor and Duns Scotus 123 c. The Dispute of the Peripatetick Souls with Father Mersennus and the old Cartesian concerning absolute Accidents 127 Cartesius his Explication of the Mystery of the Eucharist not Catholick 130 They meet with Cardan in the Globe of the Moon in the Peninsula of Dreams the reason of his Melancholy 132 The Travellers return to Mersennus 133 Their reading the Project of Accommodation given them by Voetius containing a Confutation of a great part of the Cartesian Philosophy 134 Cartesius's Demonstrations of the Existence of a God refuted by a Mandarin of China 158 The Arrival of the Voyagers to the World of Cartesius 172 PART III. CArtesius his Reception of the Travellers 174 The Discourse of the Author with Cartesius concerning the present State and Condition of the Cartesian Philosophy in our World 174 c. Cartesius his Thoughts of that famous Experiment of the Gravity of the Air said to be M. Paschal's whereof Cartesius pretends to be the Author 181 His Sentiments formerly of the Book of Conick Sections said to be wrote by M. Paschal at sixteen Years of Age 182 The Extravagant Praises of M. Paschal's Panegyrists and of the Preface to the Book concerning the equilibration of Liquors 185 Cartesius his Projects for propagating his Philosophy whilst he was in our World 190 How he designed to get the Iesuits on his Side and then the Fathers of the Oratory and M. Arnauld ibid. Decrees of the Congregation of the Oratory against Cartesianism and Jansenism 193 The great Contest betwixt Malbranche Father of the Oratory and M. Arnauld The Character of the former 196 M. Arnanld compar'd with Admiral de Chatillon 201 Cartesius builds his World before the Travellers and as he builds it explains to them the chiefest Points of his System 207 The Confusion of Aristotle's Embassadors 221 The Return of the Travellers and Arrival to our World 238 In what Condition the Author's Soul found his Body she is seated in quality of a Cartesian Soul upon the Pineal Gland of his Brain 239 PART IV. THE Zeal of the Author converted to Cartesianism to promote the Sect and which he expresses in a Letter he wrote to Cartesius after his Return 242 He is much perplexed by the Ingenious Peripateticks 243 The Ordinary Arguments against Cartesius his System propos'd and refuted 244 The Author sometimes sides with Cartesius to refute him more easily 246 Motion of Matter seems not impossible in the Cartesian System 248 A new Method of proving it possible 250 Other Difficulties drawn from Cartesius his own Principles proposed by the Peripateticks to the Author whose solution he desires of Cartesius 259 The first Argument That by the Principles of Cartesius the Sun and Stars may be prov'd opaque Bodies as are the Planets of the Earth 260 Argument 2. That by Cartesius his Principles we could not see the Stars nor the Sun it self 265 Argument 3. That Cartesius his Principles supposed it is impossible for the Earth to have a particular Vortex in the great Vortex of the Sun 276 The Consequence of the preceeding Demonstration in Astronomy and Physicks The Moon could no longer turn about the Earth nor the Satellites of Jupiter about him 287 Heavy Bodies would not descend to the Centre of the Earth but would fall towards the Sun ibid. There would be no flux or reflux of the Sea 289 The General Principle of all the Physical Effects of the lower World quite over-turned 291 Cartesius his Inconstancy concerning the Properties of his Elements 293 The Physical Arguments that are weak against Copernicus touching the Motion of the Earth are strong against the Cartesians 294 Propositions of very great importance in Physicks advanced without Proof and supposed against all Reason by Cartesius 296 The Author importunes Cartesius to send him the Solution of all these Difficulties 297 The END
Weight and Moment Can we apprehend a greater Idea of God Almighty than that which M. Descartes hath given An Idea that he derived not from the Visible Creatures that sleight and faint Ray of an infinitely perfect Being but which his Mind found impressed upon it self and which left no room for him to doubt of the Existence of a Sovereign Being though he possessed neither Heaven nor Earth nor any Body nor indeed any other Soul than his Can the Omnipotence of a Deity be advanced to a more transcendent Degree than he hath done it God according to him can cause That Two and Three shall not make Five That four Sides shall not be requisite to make a Square That the Whole shall be no bigger than One of its Parts Effects that other Philosophers never scruple to place out of the Reach of the God head But has not an Author of a little Piece called A Letter wrote to a Learned Iesuite clearly shewn That 't is Descartes World that is described in the first Chapter of Genesis Another Book hath since been publish'd in Holland with the Title of Cartesius Mosaisans and is to the same effect The Author of the Treatise concerning The Influence of the Stars describes the End of the World upon Descartes his Hypothesis Monsieur Scottanus in a late Apology that he offered for M. Descartes against those that Endeavoured to render him obnoxious to the Suspicion of Atheism observes to us the Respect he had for Religion certifying us That one of his Reasons for the reducing his Meditations to the Number of Six was the Consideration of the Six Days which God imployed in the Creation of the World If we may credit Father Mersennus a Learned and Noted Minim and an intimate Acquaintance of Descartes we shall find nothing of a more Christian Temper and that inspires us more ravishingly with the Love of God than Descartes Philosophy In short there is nothing more edifying than the Letter that Philosopher wrote to the Sorbon Doctors in dedicating his Meditations to them which is so true that not long since a Friend of mine not wont to be very Nice in those Matters having read by chance the Letter at my House which touched him and finding farther the Title of Meditations in the Front of the Work he seriously entreated me to lend him that Godly Book to entertain his Devotions during Passion Week This so strange Variety of Opinions and Relations counter to one another of a World otherwise of no little Renown provoked my Curiosity and induced me to be convinced of the Truth or Falsity of the Reports in my own Person All the Difficulty was to find a Guide to conduct me to a Country to which there was no Road passable either for Horse or Foot for Coach or Barge by Land or Sea But presently after my Resolve I was happily favoured with the most lucky Occasion that could be wish'd for the undertaking my Voyage with all the Pleasure and Ease imaginable Having sojourned some Months in a Country Town I strook up Acquaintance with an Old Standard of about eighty Years a Man of Parts and that formerly had conversed much with M. Descartes That Commerce had begot in him an unaccountable Zeal for the Tenets of that Philosopher and exasperated him to declaim against the Method and Opinions of the School the Prejudices of Childhood and taught him to make external Elogies on the Cartesian Philosophy He had so given himself up to this Opinion that he could no ways suffer in Point of Philosophy any one to deviate never so little from it In a Conference that we had together upon such sort of Things I desired to know if he kept up his Correspondence with any Carâ—esians of Worth and Reputation No said he I have broke with all Sorts of Persons that call themselves by that Name I can no longer find among them that Zeal and Observance the first Cartesians without Reserve attributed to that great Man Every one now a days builds Systems according to his own Humor and allows himself the Liberty of Adding or Retrenching what he pleases in the Platform M. Descartes hath laid which is a concern of that critical Nature as cannot be once touch'd without spoiling the whole Since the Death of the Famous M. Chersilier I have forbore writing to any single Person for I am persuaded That the pure and unmixt Cartesianism was buried with him You Gentlemen reply'd I are of a strange Constitution All the Prefaces of your Books are fill'd with Invectives and Raileries against those who implicitely espouse the Sentiments of an Author and profess they will never desert him It looks as if you and the rest of the new Philosophers had banded together in an offensive Confederacy to make continual War upon the Followers of Aristotle on that Account and at the same time you fall into the same Error for which ye reproach them and are an hundred times more bigotted to your Descartes than they to Aristotle For my part I know not how to blame the Conduct of those that are somewhat moderate which you are so enrag'd against If their Reason hath discover'd to them another Path than what M. Descartes trod in why are you angry if they follow it Aristotle held Possession a long time and reign'd absolute Monarch in Philosophy The Prescription and Vassalage of several Ages confirm'd his Title of Prince of Philosophers Descartes is a Rebel who durst encourage a Party against his Prince What Right has he to demand a greater Submission unto him than he was willing to allow to Aristotle Because answer'd he Truth and Reason are manifestly on his side That reply'd I is exactly the first step Rebellion ever makes to inforce the justice of its Cause and proclaim the publick Welfare does depend upon it But notwithstanding Sir pursu'd I I am more inclin'd to Neutrality in this Affair than you imagine I have determin'd to dive to the bottom of Descartes's Philosophy of which I have as yet but a dark and confus'd Knowledg having never studied him in his own Works but in the Books of his Disciples as soon as they appear'd and that irregularly and without Method But as I am oblig'd to leave this Country very speedily and have but a short time to advantage my self by your Ability in this Affair therefore it was that I enquir'd Whether you had any Communication of Letters or Friendship with any good Cartesian of Paris to whose Acquaintance you might recommend me and who would be willing to instruct a Scholar so apt and forward as I pretend to be That Proposal extreamly inspirited my old Gentleman and I perceiv'd sudden Joy diffus'd it self all over his Countenance Ever since I knew you said he taking me by the Hand I have observ'd in you a passionate Concern for Truth which is the best and first Disposition Descartes requires to attain unto it Trouble not your self you have still two Months good which you
must stay with me and that 's as much time as is required I shall in a little time receive some News from M. Descartes whereupon wee 'll take such Measures as shall much shorten your Journey Hey day News from M. Descartes said I why he has been Dead this forty Years I should be sorry answer'd he to have let that Word escape me in another's Presence but I let it ship purposely at present to highten your Desire of hearing from me those Things which few in the World are acquainted with which presently will surprize you and the Knowledg thereof will convey you in a trice to the end you desire Hear me then You must know continu'd he that Cartesius like the ancient Leaders of Sects of Philosophers avoided the publishing all the Mysteries of his Philosophy Some he reserv'd which he only divulg'd to some particular Friends of which I had the good Fortune to be one All the peculiar Discoveries he had made which he thought might be of Use and either contribute to Morality or serve to make any Progress in the Knowledg of Natural Beings he hath obliged the Publick with But Prudence advis'd him to suppress such others as some might have converted to an evil Use. The Immortality of the Soul is one of those Points wherein he was oblig'd to observe that Method and certainly is one of the most Important Articles in Philosophy To prove this in a plain familiar and intelligible way such as shall force the Mind to give assent and leave not the least Scruple behind is to undermine the chief Foundation of Libertinism and Atheism This M. Descartes hath done by demonstrating the distinction of the Soul and Body in a Man by the only clear and distinct Conception that we have of those two kinds of Being That Demonstration is one of the most fine and useful places of his admirable Meditations And he was high-surpriz'd to see it so hoâ—ly oppos'd especially by Gassendus which though before he had ask'd his Permission gall'd and vex'd him a little more perhaps than was convenient upon that occasion Which gave rise to a Reflection in the Mouths of many at that time and which betwixt our selves was true enough That M. Descartes did not understand Raillery But he had Moderation enough in the heat of his Conflict to decline the submitting to the Temptation which had often invited him to confirm his Demonstration by Experiment fearing it might prove of dangerous Consequence And that is the Mystery which I am about to teach you It was his way as all know to endeavour to make good by Experience the Truths he had discover'd by the meer Light of his Understanding He was in hopes that having demonstrated with so clear conviction the distinction of the Soul and Body he might make so far a Progress as to penetrate into the Secret of their Union and at last come to that of separating and re-uniting them when he pleas'd The Questions that his Illustrious Scholar Elizabeth the Princess Palatine us'd to make upon that Head and the difficulty he found in himself to invent such Solutions as might be easily understood put him in short upon the Undertaking One day he propos'd his Design to me and some other of his Friends We thought him Whimsical And I remember I laughing made Reply That there was but one way imaginable to effect it which was to find out the famous Caduceus of Mercury which that God they say sometimes by Iupiter's Orders made use of to separate the Souls from Bodies and after a certain term of Years to joyn them unto new ones according to the Principles of Pythagoras's Transmigration That however did not divert Cartesius from raving on his Project not ascertaining himself of the Success nor judging yet he ought altogether to despair That was it that ingag'd him in a more exact Study than formerly of an Human Body and occasion'd him to make those most exquisite Discoveries in Anatomy The first Conclusion that he drew from the Idea he had of the Soul as of a being perfectly Indivisible was That it was not extended through the whole Body as vulgarly it is taught He shew'd the falsity of that Master Reason which was us'd till then to confirm Men in their Prejudices that in whatever part you prick the Body the Soul is sensible of Pain Then said the Philosophers It must be extended through the whole He exposed the Weakness of that Argument by two Experiments that manifestly prove the perception of Pain and the Impression of Objects in Places where our Soul is not The first is that of those Persons who have lost an Arm who from Time to Time perceive an Aking in the Place where their Fingers used to be as if they had their Arm entire although their Fingers are not there nor by Consequence their Soul The second is of a Man that 's Blind which he often instances who makes his Staff supply the Loss of his Eyes to distinguish the Figure and Qualities of Objects Who knows by the Assistance of his Stick whether it be Water Earth or Grass that he touches whether the Floor be Rough or Smooth c. For it is certain he perceives all this by his Staff although no one will say That his Soul is in it He then demonstrated That the Impression of Objects upon our Body consisted only in the Vibration of the Nerves and Fibres that are spread throughout the Parts it being unnecessary the Soul should be co-extended with them But it was suffcient to her for the perception of Objects that that Vibration should be communicated to some principal part where she kept her Residence just as the Vibration caus'd by the touch of a soft or hard of a rough or smooth Body communicates it self to the Hand by the Mediation of the Staff that as the Staff extended from the Hand to the Body which it touches is instrumental to the Soul for the perception of the Qualities of the Body so likewise the Nerves drawn out for instance from the Brain to the Hand may be ministerial to its perception of the Body that the Hand doth touch And that in fine The Pain caus'd by the too near approach of a Finger to the Fire doth no more suppose the Souls actual Presence in that part of the Body than does the ail of a Finger of which a certain Maid complain'd from day to day Let. de Desc. whose Arm being gangreen'd was cut off without her Knowledg For she only felt the Pain because the Humours or some other Cause made a Concussion in the Nerves of her Arm which ran before to the end of her Hand and because they strook them in a manner like to that which was formerly requisite to excite a Pain in the Finger before she lost her Arm. Having made this first Step and drawn a Consequence of that Importance and Satisfaction from so abstracted a Principle as the Indivisibility of the Soul it was easy for
him to prove she kept her Court no where but in the Brain There it is that the Nerves do center or rather from thence they have their Origin It is there that the Philosophers if you except a few and in those Vanhelmont who seiz'd with a Whim plac'd the Soul in the Breast it is there I say that the Philosophers generally agree to be found that which we call the Common Sense that is to say the only place where the Soul can be advis'd of all the different Impressions that external Objects make upon the Senses But since the Brain is of large Extent and besides that soft and whitish Substance which commonly goes by that Name hath Membranes Glands Ventricles or Cavities it was something intricate to resolve and precisely to determine in what place the Soul was seated M. Descartes throughly examind the different Opinions of Philosophers and Physicians there upon and after having solidly confuted the greatest part of their Sentiments that were founded upon but weak and unsound Principles he evidently concludes The seat of the Soul must have three Conditions First it must be one to the end that the Action of the same Object that at the same time strikes two Organs of the same Sense should make no more than one Impression on the Soul as to instance she might not see two Men where there was but one Tom. 2. Let. 36. Secondly it must be very near the Source of the Animal Spirits that by their means she might easily move the Members And in the third Place it must be Moveable that the Soul causing it to move immediately might be able to determine the Animal Spirits to glide towards some certain Muscles rather than others Conditions no where to be met with but in a little Gland call'd Pineale or Conarium situated betwixt all the Concavities of the Brain supported and incompass'd with Arteries which made up the Lacis Choroides It is that Lacis we may be assur'd that is the source of the Spirits which ascending from the Heart along the Carotides receive the form of an Animal Spirit in that Gland disengaging themselves there from the more gross parts of the Blood and from thence they take their Course towards the different Muscles of our Body partly dependently partly independently on the Soul as the Author of Nature has order'd it with reference to the end he propos'd to himself in the production of Mankind So far M. Descartes took Reason along with him for his Guide and for ought I know he might have stop'd there had not Fortune or rather the good Providence of God who often encourages the laudable Curiosity of those that apply themselves to the consideration of his wonderful Works reveal'd to him in an extraordinary manner the Secret that he was in search of And that was without doubt one of the most strange Effects of the desires of a Philosophical Soul P. Malle branche which a famous Author stiles a Natural Prayer that never fails to be heard when it is joyned with a prudent and exact Management of our Reason Should you believe me added he if I should tell you M. Descartes had often Fits of Extasy Why not Said I that 's no such incredible thing of so Contemplative a Man as he was nor is it a Case without a President Who has not heard of those of the famous Archimedes in which he often lost himself through his vehement Application to Mathematical Speculations and in one of them his Life Syracuse being taken by the Roman Army whilst he was drawing Figures in his Chamber with that earnestness of Mind the Tumult of a Town taken by Storm was not loud enough to wake him And he sooner was run through by the Soldiers that had forc'd his House than he was apprehensive of their Approach Alas reply'd he with a Sigh you 'll see in the Consequence of what I am relating That the Extasies of M. Descartes were no less fatal tho' they were not of the same Nature and proceeded from a far different Cause It happen'd one Day whilst we were at Egmond a little Town in Holland which he delighted in that he entred his Stove very early in the Morning which he had caus'd to be built like that in Germany where he began his Philosophy and set himself to thinking as he us'd to do Two Hours after I came in I found him leaning over the Table his Head hanging forward supported with his left Hand in which he held a little Snush Box having his Finger near his Nose as if he was taking Snush As for the rest he was Immoveable and held his Eyes open The noise that I made in entring the Room not causing him to stir I had the Patience to observe him half an Hour postur'd in that manner without his perceiving of me In the mean while there happen'd an Adventure that much surpriz'd me There stood upon the Cornish of the Wainscot in the Stove a Bottle of the Queen of Hungary's Water I was amaz'd to see it descend whilst no Body came near it and to pass through the Air towards M. Descartes The Cork with which it was stopt came out of its own Accord and the Bottle fastning it self to his Nose hung there for some time I protest I durst have swore at that moment there had been no small Conjuring in the Business of our Philosopher and that some familiar Demon like that of Socrates had inspir'd him with all the fine Things he still had taught us But I was convinc'd not long after that there was nothing less in it and I desire you to suspend your Judgment thereon He awaken'd a little while after as in a start and striking his Hand upon the Table This time at last said he I have it I thought him still in a Dream And springing up forthwith upon his Chair transported with Joy without seeing me he cut two Capers in the middle of the Room still repeating I have it I have it I burst out with Laughter to see that Frolick a thing not customary with M. Descartes being naturally of a Grave and Melancholy Temper who hearing and seeing me at the same time presently redden'd and afterwards fell a Laughing as well as I. And as I was urgent with him to give me the Reason of his Joy and Rapture To punish you says he for having observed an Indecorum unbecoming a Philosopher you shall not know 't so soon And with that he left the Room in which we were and entred into his Closet bolting it upon him Nevertheless two days after he imparted to me the Mystery We took a turn together out of Town and after occasional Discourse of several Things Well said he abruptly without recourse to Mercury's Caduceus I have found out the Secret not only of the Union of the Soul and Body but also how to separate them when I please I have experienc'd it already That was the Product of the Meditation wherein you surpriz'd me
the other day and when I seem'd to you to awake of a suddain I came farther a Field than you imagine He spoke this in so serious and positive a way that he seem'd to be in earnest It shall be your Fault added he if you are not convinc'd of the Truth of what I say and of the Experiment It is the most curious Secret in the World I am resolv'd to commit it but to very few but that Adherency which you have manifested until this time unto me will not suffer me to be reserv'd in any thing He went on without giving me time to complement his Generosity and related that extraordinary Event in all its Circumstances He told me that being fix'd attentively upon the Question which the Princess Elizabeth had propos'd touching the Union of the Soul and Body and revolving in his Mind his former Thoughts upon that Subject in the midst of that extraordinary Application he found himself in such a strange Surprizal in an Instant that he was not capable when he told me of it to express himself clearly thereupon nor could he gain so distinct a Conception of it as when actually he was in it All that he could tell me was That it resembled a Trance because in that there is no use of the Senses one can neither See nor Hear nor Feel the Impression of External Objects unless they be extreamly violent and then there is an end of it But herein it was quite different since the Soul had Perceptions of it Self and was apprehensive of the Cessation of its Organical Functions Which in a Trance is nothing so That she was furnish'd with a World of Immaterial or purely Spiritual Notices of which he had sometime discours'd to us but in an abundantly more perfect and lively manner than when his Attention was disturb'd with the appearances of Fancy which constantly interrupt it That more Discoveries of Truth could be made thus in one Minute than in ten years by the ordinary means which Knowledg of Truth fill'd the Soul with so pure and satisfactory a Joy that nothing is more true than what Aristotle says likely upon the same Experience That the compleat Happiness of Man in this Life if there is any such thing consists in the Contemplation of God and Natural Beings But he told me he had no sense of that perfect Joy till he was fully enlightned upon the Point that then took up his Thoughts Which was done in a Moment He had the satisfaction not only to know but to be sensible in some measure of the Truth of the greatest part of those Things which had imploy'd his Meditations until that time and of the Evidence of the Idea's he had fram'd concerning the Essence of the Body and Soul to see her advanc'd upon her Pineal Gland he had conjectur'd and to see that the Union of the Soul with the Body was nothing less then that vertual or rather imaginary Extension by which she was suppos'd commensurate with the Limbs much less those imaginary Modes which the Schools makes use of to confound and plague the Conceptions of Youth But that which was of most Importance was to see that this Union was nothing in Effect but these actual Commerce and Correspondence the Soul and Body had with one another A Commerce that chiefly is maintain'd in this that the Nerves spread through the Body by their Vibration give occasion to the Soul of knowing the different impressions External Objects make upon the Senses and in that the Soul pursuant thereupon by the Motion she immediately impresses upon the Pineal Gland where all the Nerves concentre determines the Animal Spirits to their several marches through the Muscles to produce in the Body such several Motions as she shall please to give and especially those that are necessary to her Preservation After that pursu'd my old Friend M. Descartes entertain'd me with all that happen'd upon that occasion and all the other Reflections he had made The Principal of which was That his Soul in that juncture no longer perceiving the Motions external Objects caus'd upon his Body and by consequence that Commerce in which the Essence of Union consisted being broken she could behold her self as in a separate State though in the mean time she resided at her usual Abode that local Presence having the least share in her Union with the Body She then had a mind to disengage her self from the Body and see what would be the Event of that Separation No sooner had she wisht it than it was so And he farther experienc'd what he had often suggested to us before that if the Machine of the Body had all its Organs sound and free if it had its customary Heat in the Heart and Stomack the circulation of the Blood the filtration of the Humours and all those natural Functions all the Motions constantly perform'd in us without the notice of the Soul would go on as regularly in her absence as when she was there Moreover it fell out as she was busy in contemplating the operation of her Body at some paces distance from it a Fly fortun'd to tickle it in the Face presently the Hand rais'd it self to the place and unseated the Fly just as if the Soul had been actually in the Body So true it is that the greatest part of the Motions of our Body which we attribute to the Soul are owing to the sole Disposition of the Machine This Soul before she durst venture to wander very far from the Body made her entry and exit sundry times and judging by the disposition in which she saw it she might without any apparent danger leave it for some time she hazarded the undertaking a very long Voyage She arriv'd at Beitany in the Houses of her Relations and from thence she made a Sally unto Paris to the House of some other Acquaintance She was much concern'd to see that the People there had but an indiffernt Opinion of her Religion the Country M. Descartes had chose to live in and some unwaranted Inferences that one or other had drawn from his Principles had given occasion to those rash Censures It is notwithstanding true that all the time he liv'd and when he dy'd he was a sound and honest Catholick Finally such was the success the Soul found in her Rambles when separate from the Body that she could when she pleas'd in a Minute travel three or four thousand Leagues In so much that this of M. Descartes parting from Egmond about half an hour after eight in the Morning had travers'd all France in an hour and an half and was return'd at ten Bless me said I to my old Gentleman how expedient would that be for a Person that so passionately desires to see the Country as I do You shall gratify your Curiosity answer'd he but hear me out M. Descartes Soul being return'd from her Voyage in France found her Body almost in the same posture in which she left it But as yet she
was not fully Satisfy'd She was unacquainted with the way and means that led her into this Condition And she consider'd it was an hazardous Exploit and that being once united to her Body she might never for ought she knew be disjoyn'd again till Death should cause a final Separation She apply'd her self therefore seriously to consider the Nature of her Body and the disposition of all its Organs She found that the Nerves imploy'd in Sentation and those that serve for Natural functions as the beating of the Heart the circulation of the Blood c. were of a Nature quite distinct She saw that these were vehemently distended and she concluded it might be for the better communicating the Animal Spirits to the Muscles with which the Nerves are united and capacitating them to maintain and continue those natural Motions the Soul is not aware of when united with the Body and that on the contrary the Nerves made use of in Sensation and by whose Means the Soul received the Impression of Objects were almost all unbraced and lax which might prevent the Motion caused by the Impulse of Objects from being continued unto the Seat of the Soul The Difficulty was to find the true Cause why one should be taxed without the other and how she might bring it about to distend those that formerly were laxed Mean while the Snush-Box which I mention'd his Body held in its left-Hand made M. Descartes call to mind That before his Extasie he had taken Tabaccco-Snush and he could not tell but so extraordinary an Effect might have been produced by the Vertue of that Tobacco That which he took of was an unusual kind which a Merchant of Amsterdam had brought over from an Island near China and presented him It was extreamly strong and M. Descartes to mollifie it had mix'd a certain Herb in it dryed to Powder whose Name he never would acquaint me with nor the Place where it grew though he presented me with a great Quantity of the same He laid a sufficient Dose upon the Back-Side of his Hand and gave it his Body to take and at the same Time happen'd this prodigious Effect in his Brain for all the Vapours raised there since his last taking were dislodged and dissipated in an instant He observed it was only the Particles of the Tobacco that scattered the Fâ—mes of the Brain and that those of the Herb which he had tempered with it being not so fine and having very little Motion fastned themselves in the Nerves that cause Sensation and and made them looser than they were before Seeing that Effect he no longer doubted but concluded it to be the Herb which he mix'd with the Tobacco that caus'd his Trance and took away his Senses and that the Tobacco at the same Time unhar bouring all the Fumes that might benight the Brain left the Soul with the entire Liberty of knowing and reflecting on it's self as she had then experienc'd After which he thought that Hungary Water was sufficient to brace the Nerves afresh that serve for Sensation since it is often used to recal those Persons that swoon away The Soul takes the Bottle I not long since mentioned and brings it in the Air from the far Side of the Chamber to his Body and therein consists exactly the Magick of which I then suspected M. Descartes guilty and moistens his Nostrils with it The subtile Vapour of that Liquor effected what he aimed at presently the laxed Nerves erect themselves and the Soul streight seats it self in the Pineal Gland and finds itself consederate with the Body as before It was in that instant I perceived Descartes to come to himself I told you he lock'd himself forthwith in another Room it was to make a second Experiment of his Tobacco and his Herb which succeeded to his Hearts Desire Since when it was a Business of nothing for his Soul to leave the Body and since his imparting to me the Secret his Soul and mine have made an hundred Expeditions together to instruct our selves of the greatest Curiosities in Nature As those that read the Works of M. Descartes are unacquainted with all that I have been relating they with just Cause are amazed at a thing which you will not startle at for the future I mean the Particulars he descends to in his Physicks concerning the Properties of his three Elements at how great soever remove from Sense they lie concerning their Figure their Motion their Rank and File in the Composition of his World and all particular Bodies concerning the Disposition of his Vortexes in which he proceeds so far as to observe the different size of the Balls of the second Element Part. 3. Princip of which they consist in their respective Places how those that come nearest the Centre of the Water are the least of all those that are a little removed are somewhat bigger increasing still in Bigness unto a determinate Distance after which they all are equal Concerning the Formation of their Parts chamfer'd in Fashion of a Skrew with which he explains the Nature and the different Phenomena's of the Load-Stone in a way so fine and easie Phoenomena's that till then had puzled and confounded all the Philosophers even those that had so ready a Method of explaining all things by the Assistance of their occult Qualities All this he saw intuitively and of himself and for me that speak to you is it possible to think That at the Age of seventy seven and being of so weak a Constitution as I am I say is it possible for you to think I should have lived to this and preserved my Health and Vigour as I do unless I had had a perfect Knowledge of the Machine of my Body Unless I had still filled and made-up the Breaches whereat Life leaks and runs out continually I mean not in applying the Remedies that Medicine prescribes whose conjectures are so very uncertain and from the Use of which Monsieur Descartes has so frequently dissuaded the Princess Elizabeth Lett. de Descartes But in the Practice of that Critical Knowledge my Soul has of my Body of which she perfectly is and can be instructed as often as she pleases by putting herself in the Capacity I have now been-speaking of I must acknowledg Sir replyed I then it is a most admirable Secret and of Infinite Use I am impatient till I learn it of you and as soon as I know it I am persuaded I shall improve it to as great a Benefit as Adam would have done the Tree of Life in Paradise if he had continued there And I doubt not but if Origen had known it he that looks upon the History of Scripture as Allegory he would have believed the Tree of Life to be nothing but this Mystery which God had communicated unto Adam But that which you was speaking of your Health creates one Scruple in me How Monsieur Descartes having to the Advantage of this fine Knowledg came to dye at the
in answering the Argument brought against the Essence of Matter and drawn from the Sacrament of the Host think they have right to cry out They are injur'd That their Philosophy is sequestred from Things relating to Faith That they are Philosophers and not Divines and undertake the explaining the Mysteries of Nature not of Religion I would I say they 'd do me the like Justice or if they had rather the same Favour And supposing any one so Religious as to suspect me of the Heresie of those who say The Souls in parting from the Body are not doom'd for Eternity I wish he 'd consider once more that I am in this an Historian and Philosopher not a Theologist and give a Relation of Descartes's World am not making a Profession of Faith Which the Character of an History such as I am upon will bear far more independently of the Truths of our Religion than a System of Philosophy Any one that knows never so little must be forc'd to acknowledg this Which being once suppos'd I return to the Narrative of my Old Gentleman who thus went on M. Descartes's Soul returning to Stockholm found her self in the like unlucky Circumstances as did one Hermotimus L. de Anima mentioned by Tertullian who having procur'd the self-same Secret as Descartes left constantly anights his Body asleep in Bed whilst his Soul went a rambling through the World Both one and the other at their return found their Lodgings out of a Capacity to receive them The Task Descartes's Soul enjoyn'd her self then was to meet at Paris She would not tell me presently of the Accident but only invited me to take a turn or two No sooner said than done With one Snuff of the Tobacco I equipt my self to wait on her My Soul was no sooner out of my Body but she said in Language Spiritual she was about to tell me strange News I am says she no longer Imbody'd my Corps is this day to be interr'd at Stockholm and he gave me the Particulars of what I have been relating Nor did she seem sab or afflicted thereupon I then demanded of her if she experienc'd what the Philosophers report That the Soul being the substantial Form of the Body when separated for good and all is in statu violento She answer'd me she knew nothing of that violent State but found her self incomparably better out than in the Body And that she had but one Concern upon her to know in what part of the vast Space was best to settle her Abode in That she would take my Directions in the thing but that she found her Will inclin'd for the third Heaven The third Heaven according to the division Cartesius makes of the World is the last of all and that which is the farthest remov'd from us For the first is nothing but the Vortex in which is plac'd the Earth whose Centre is the Body of the Sun about which the Coelestial Matter that composes the Vortex carries us and makes us turn continually like the other Planets The second Heaven is incomparably larger than that in which we are and takes up all that mighty space in which we see the fix'd Stars which are so many Suns and have each of them a Vortex of which they are themselves the Centre as our Sun is of this Lastly the third Heaven is all that Matter or all that indefinite Extent which we conceive above the Starry Heaven and is void of Bounds and in respect of which the space of all the other may be consider'd as a Point Now many Reasons determin'd M. Descartes to choose his place of Residence in the highest Heaven The first was To avoid the Company of an Innumerable gang of Souls of Philosophers that were vaulting and fluttering on all parts of this our Vortex for to tell you by the way 't is incredible how many Souls we met upon our Journey And M. Descartes was much surpriz'd to see the Secret of which he took himself to be the first Inventer made use of in all times even by those of a very mean Quality whereby they have escap'd a dying or whose Souls have lost their Bodies by some Accident not unlike that of M. Descartes But that which made their Company so disrelisht and perfectly intolerable to Cartesius his Spirit was That these Souls so disentangled as they were from Matter were tinctur'd still with Prejudice wherewith they were prepossess'd when united with their Bodies That when he would have converss'd with them about the Principles of Bodies and the Causes of several Phoenomena's they faintly suppos'd to him or prov'd by the Authority of Aristotle substantial Forms absolute Accidents and occult Qualities as is done to this day in many Schools And except some few Souls of the highest Rank which he hath converted and proselyted to Cartesiâ—nism all are inveterate and inleagu'd against him with as immoderate Fury as the Philosophers of this World when he began to publish his Doctrin here The second Reason that byass'd him to that Election was because he look'd upon those indefinite Spaces as a new Discovery of which he was the Author For it was upon his forming a distinct Idea of Matter whose Essence consisted in Extension that he concluded Space Extension and Matter to be one and the same thing signify'd under different Names And being it was necessary to admit of a Space and an Extension above our World since we have a most clear Conception of them it was plain That above our World there was Matter too and as we can have no Idea of any Bounds or Limits that Matter has it is necessary it should be Infinite or rather Indefinite Finally the third and most prevailing Reason of all and which he intimated not to me until we arrived upon the place is that well conjecturing the Matter above the fix'd Stars to be uninform'd and not yet shap'd into a World he was in good hopes that he was able to set it to work himself and fancy'd that in dividing and agitating it according to his Principles he could reduce it to a World like this excepting that it would be destitute of real Men and only stor'd with Automatous Machines in their Likeness That Project was the Subject of the most part of his Books especially of his Book of Principles and that Entituled The World of M. Descartes We set out immediately for the third Heaven I shall not descend to the Particulars of our Voyage I hope in a few days you 'll bear me Company there your self I 'll only say that upon our Coasting we found all Things exactly in that Portrait we had drawn before without Form without due Order or any regular posture of the Parts as rude and unsightly Materials that require the Hand of the Artist We survey'd it all about and bewilder'd our selves a long time in the vast Deserts of the other World which perfectly represented to me the Face of the Chaos and that confus'd Mass of which the
Letter the next Morning in which he notified He would see me before four and twenty Hours were at an end and that I should put my self in a Readiness for my Voyage I waited all the Day with great Impatience but seeing at last he did not come about ten a Clock I went to Bed half an Hour after being yet awake I was amazed to hear my Curtains drawn on all Sides my Bed the Casements of my Windows to fly open with so vast a Noise and to see by the Assistance of the Moon my old Gentleman in the middle of the Room and another with him habited in an unusual Dress I protest I was seized with such a sudden Dread that the Hair of my Head stood upright and I sweat all over The old Gentleman then approaching to my Bed-side said You are fearful take Courage a little Don't you know me I know you answered I in a trembling Tone but what could I think to see you in my Chamber without entring at the Door with such a Noise and Havock as was here What you should and ought to think said he is that a Spirit separate from the Body may enter any where without a Key and needs not the Convenience of a Door And for the Noise it was first to wake you and then for the Pleasure of surprizing you and putting you in a little Fright Do not you remember the Conversation we had together a Fortnight since I well remember it said I but was it all true you then related Infallibly said he and I now am come to make good my Promise I then made you of conducting you to M. Descartes's World Here is the Reverend Father Mersennus who is now come from him to advise me all is ready and that he would be glad before he puts the Design of his World in Execution to make a Tryal in the Presence of some of his Friends you shall be of the Party if you think fit I advise you not to lose so fair an Opportunity At the same Time Father Mersennus steps up and bowing low to the Ground confirmed what my old Philosopher had said and added That understanding by him the Character and Qualification of my Soul he could undertake for a kind Reception from M. Descartes Pardon Reverend Father said I my Astonishment I am not accustomed to receive such Visits Spirits I never saw before and I could never have believed they had been so civil and well-bred as I now find them Mean while though I us'd all possible endeavours to compose my â—elf I still was somewhat fearful I was under strong Apprehensions there might be Sorcery and Witchcraft in the Case and that under pretence of guiding me unto M. Descartes's World they design'd to convey me to the Witches Sabbath On the other hand I fear'd to affront these Gentlemen-Spirits who for the most part understand not Will and Humour And my Memory furnish'd me with a parallel Case of some certain People cajol'd with the pretence of such sort of Mysteries till having learn'd a part and refusing to go on they had their Neck writhen by the Devil or his Accomplices I renounc'd all manner of covenanting in my self and made use of all the Precautions my Prudence could suggest in that Conjuncture after which I spoke to them as fairly as I could in this manner Gentlemen you make Profession of a Sect that gives it as a Maxim That a Man must not assent to any thing but a Truth fully and clearly manifest And that it is distinguishes you from all others and especially the Philosophers of the Schools The Conversation I had with this Gentleman a fortnight ago and the Critical Reading of M. Descartes since joyn'd with the present Circumstances create some Scruples in my Mind of which should be glad to be clear'd before we go any farther With you take kindly what I shall propose We will hear you readily 〈◊〉 they and you shâ—ll have the satisfaction you demand Only settle and compose your self for you seem a little disturb'd And resolve your self you need not fear and that you shall receive no harm Those last Words a little reviâ—'d me and I began to speak with a more steady Voice It is not many days since I read in M. Descantes That the Essence of the Soul consistâ—â— in being a thinking Substance and that she hath neither Extension hor Figure nor Colour which I know not how to reconcile with what I see at present For you give me to understand you be purely Spirits yet I perceive in you different Colours and I see you form'd in the Figure of a Man and you look like Beings that are extended Rid me I pray you of this Perplexity Father Mersennus presently tool the Word What you propose said he stands to Reason But it is easy to answer you and plainly to expound the Thing by the evident Principles of true Philosophy It is câ—â—tain a Soul is essentially a thinking Substance and that she is neither Figur'd noâ— Colour'd We are purely Spirits indeed and though we seem to have a Face and Hands and Feet yet we have neither Face nor Hands nor Feet He must be as addle-brain'd as was Tertullian and bent on Error with as great a Zeal as he when he ingag'd himself in that Affair Who thinks the Soul is not only Corporal but has also Parts proportion'd to the Body which she animates and is therein just as a Sword is in the Scabbord His devout Spirit that saw Souls of a blew Colour in his Prayer had topsyturn'd his Mind upon that Subject To make you therefore comprehend how you see us Colour'd Figur'd and Extended with Face Hands and Feet though we have neither Extension Colour Figure Hands nor Feet you must know your Soul whilst she is united with the Body cannot behold another Soul so as in her self she is cannot hear her Speak or to explain my self more justly cannot have the immediate Communication of her Thoughts To the end then you might know that we are here and that we might make you understand our Thoughts and the Design that brought us hither it was expedient to make use of means proportion'd to the Capacity your Soul at present's in Now I would not have you imagine that for this purpose I was forc'd to frame my self a Body of some Matter But only call to mind what your reading of M. Descartes ought to teach you That to see an Object with regard unto your Soul is nothing else than to perceive the Extension Figures and Colours of that Object That that perception is not caus'd immediately by the Object which being at a distance from our Body and our Soul cannot act upon them of it self That therefore 's done by the Reflection of Infinite Rays of Light which rallying from every part and every point of the Object strike and make the several Threads to quaver of which the Optick Nerve's composed That Concussion is communicated to the Brain and to the
otherwise than Aqua Fortis dissolves Metals How the most subtle Parts separated from one another made a Cream-like Liquor called the Chyle How the Peristaltique Motion of the Guts served to drive down the grosser Parts and to give admittance to the Chyle into the Venae Lacteae of the Mesentery through the imperceptible Pores proportioned to the Figure of the Particles the Chyle's composed of How upon the Heats staying in my Heart just as before the Blood performed its circular usual Course continuing all the consequent Effects such as Nutrition and the sound Constitution of the Limbs placed at the greatest Distance How in short all the Motions were carried on by the only Clockwork of the Machine And here the Sticklers for the old Philosophy must not resent the Compliance I used on this Occasion for if all that was absolutely false it could never have been true in this present Juncture seeing my Body was not corrupted tho' my Soul had left it but if the Motion and Circulation of the Humours once had ceased it must of necessity have been corrupted Whence it follows That supposing my Soul separate from my Body as I do then suppose it was it is plain that all the Motions were performed and performed only by their Dependance on the Disposition of the Machine At last we thought of setting out I ask'd then what Names and Titles of Dignity or Respect Souls used to treat each other with in their Spiritual Conversation for that Souls being in French of the Feminine Gender I was guilty all-a-long of an Absurdity in calling the Soul of M. by the Name of Monsieur yet I durst not use Madam nor Mademoiselle As for you said I to Father Mersennus 's Soul I may ease my self of that Trouble for the future by using your Reverence so you may said he by addressing M s Soul with your Lordship both Titles are all a mode in Italy and arriv'd from thence in France But trouble not your Head about it we continue the same Names we had in the World when in our Bodies M. Descartes is M. Descartes still this Gentleman is what he was before I am called Father Mersennus as you are M for we Cartesians are a little Platonical in the Business With Plato what 's a Man He 's a Soul that makes use of a Body And you may call to Mind a Particular Passage among others in Cartesius his Method where he says Examining with Attention what I was and that I could conceive my Body to be nothing and on the contrary if I did subsist a Moment without thinking I had no Reason to believe I had an Existence in that Moment I conceived I was a thing or a Substance whose whole Nature and Essence did meerly consist in thinking so that my self I mean my Soul by whose means only I am what I am my self I say is a thing wholly distinct from my Body And I wonder added Father Mersennus the Philosophers and School-Divines have escaped this Passage and have not before this ranked it in the Catalogue of his pretended Errors especially since M. Arnauld reflected on it by the by But let 's be gone said he and let 's make haste we have lost a whole half Hour already Time's very precious And with that he Soars up in the Air with the Soul of the old Gentleman and I without any more Demurs set out to follow them A VOYAGE TO The World of Cartesius PART II. THE Weather was very serene the Air extreamly clear the Moon was in the Full and the Stars glittered methought in an extraordinary manner which made me wonderful impatient to contemplate those Glorious Bodies more nigh them whose Splendor Vastness Number and Order have been thought a Subject of Admiration by all Ages the worthiest Object of the Study and Meditation of Philosophers and most sensible Proof of the Divinity notwithstanding which my Guides caused me to make a Halt upon the Pinnacle of a Tower raised far above the rest of the Town to observe the Nature of the Air of that low Region and the Parts of which it is composed Come on says my old Gentleman you shall know by your own Experience the Truth of Descartes his Sentiments in the Explication of Natural Beings Remember what he says in his fourth Book of Principles that the Air is only an Amass of branched and ragged Parts of the third Element extreamly small sever'd from one another and floating in the middle of the Balls of the Second Element whose Motions they obey See how the Parts of the First Element are mingled through the whole and fill up all the Intervals the little Globules and the branch'd Parts leave betwixt them how the Fluidity of this Body as well as all other we call Liquids consists in the Motion of its insensible Parts which have an indifferent Tendency to any Side for being they are all in Motion and have mostly quite different Determinations we may readily conceive two things First That upon a Liquid Body's ceasing to be confined and bounded by a Solid one it must diffuse itself on every Side since it's Parts are in a Motion every way Secondly That upon a solid Body's offering to pass through finding all the Parts in Motion it easily makes a Separation since to do this 't is only requisite to give them different Determinations instead of those they had before it being certain that when Bodies and especially small ones are in Motion a Motion so different as that in which the little Parts are found 't is the easiest thing in Nature to give them new Determinations and by consequence to divide a Liquid Body and pass through it These two Phaenomena's then of a Liquid Body being explain'd so cleverly and so intelligibly as you see they are by the Principles of Philosophy the Gentlemen Philosophers of the Schools would have a great Sway over my Mind if they would oblige me to acknowledge Fluidity for an absolute Accident distinguish'd from the Motion of the Insensible Parts of a Liquid Body As much inclined as I was to defend the Interests of the old Philosophy I must own this Reasoning joyned with that I saw my self made great Impression on my Mind for though I could perceive no such Thing as the little Globules of the Second Element of which he talk'd and which was a meer Illusion of a Soul intoxicated as much as possible with the Ideas and Prejudices of Cartesianism yet I was forced to Acknowledg in the Air those little insensible Parts loose and disingaged of one another that undoubtedly constitute all Liquid Bodies I plainly saw that subtle Matter which Aristotle himself acknowledged under the Name of Etherial Matter and taught to be dispersed throughout the World in a most rapid Motion Thereupon I could not disallow that plain Explication he had made of the Properties of a Liquid Body And I must grant That were Descartes's Philolosophy as reasonable in all its Parts as this I might be
up unto her so soon as M. Descartes shall present her to me After that Protestation which seemed a little to reinstate me in their good Oponion we launch'd again And it will not be amiss to advise my Reader here this once for all That whatever Room these Harangues and Disputes take up upon the Paper they lasted but one single instant since separate Spirits entertain each other a quite different way from that they use when in the Body whose Tongue pronounces but one Syllable at a Time one Spiritual Word that a Separate Soul shall speak unto another Soul is more full and expressive than a thousand pronounced or written And since my taking of this Voyage I have made a World of fine Discoveries for the explaining the Way that Angels discourse together I question not but to be in Print some Time or other upon that Occasion I confess I shall speak many Things that for want of Use will not be understood but my Book may find no less a Welcome and Esteem for that but rather the good Fortune Books of Mysterious Divinity have met with that have been for some Time the only ones in Fashion recommended meerly by their being unintelligible to those that read them and pretending to be understood by the Composers for it is known by too manifest Experience the Authors of those Books are not always such mighty Saints as they would seem We parted then from the Top of the Tower before the Instrument desisted from its turning and we steered towards the Globe of the Moon My Soul perceived an unspeakable Pleasure to scud it in the Air and to wander in those vast Spaces she could only travel with the Eye before when united with the Body that minded me of a former Delight I had sometime â—asted in my Sleep in dreaming that I whipt through the Air without ever touching Ground above which I thought my self exalted many Yards We met upon the Road vast Troops of Separate Souls of all Nations Laplanders Finlanders Olaus mag l. 3. c. 17. Tert. de anima Brachmans and I then remembred what I had read in several Books That the Secret of separating the Soul and Body was known among those People But about fifty Leagues on this side that Planet there is a Region very well stock'd especially with Philosophers and those Stoicks for the generality And quite from that Place to my Arrival at the Globe of the Moon I descryed how swingingly History belies an infinite Number of Persons that it supposes dead like other Men though in truth they are no more Dead than M. Descartes himself I shall discourse with some of them as I go along The Moon has an Atmosphere like the Earth that by a moderate Computation may amount to three French Leagues in height As we were just ready to strike Sail we made a good Distance from us three Souls that held a very serious Conference together we judged they might be Souls of Consequence by the deference many others in their Retinue seemed to pay them Upon our enquiring who they were we understood they were Socrates Plato and Aristotle that were met in Consult for the Publick Interest for that being advised by certain News from our World That the Venetians had beaten the Turks not only out of Ancient Peloponesus but also the Famous City of Athens where heretofore these three Philosophers had made so great a Figure they had resolved in their Debate so soon as any Noble Venetian's Soul should arrive in these Quarters to petition her to recommend their Interest to General Morisini and the Republick's Consideration To require the replacing the Statues the Athenians had erected to them To re-establish the Academy and the Lyceum with all their Priviledges and to restore the Marbles in the Prytaneum whereon was engraven the Justification of Socrates with the Execrations charged on Anytus and Melitus his Accusers And in case they should push their Conquests as far as Macedonia to have as great regard for Stagyra at present Liba nova as Alexander the Great had formerly on the account of his Master Aristotle whose Country that was I am surprized says Father Mersennus to see these Philosophers I never heard any Mention of them here nor did I ever meet them in all my Travels It is true I have observed in my Commentaries upon Genesis That Plato and Trismegistus used to quit their Bodies the better to contemplate the Sovereign Good and that Socrates as Alcibiades relates in Plato had from Time to Time such sort of Extasies 'T is true also I never took Aristotle for so great a Fool as to throw himself headlong into Euripâ—s for the Madness and Despair of being unable to comprehend the Flux and Reflux of the Sea And many things I have read in that Philosopher induced me to suspect he knew the Mystery of Separation but I never thought to inform my self whether these Gentlemen made use of it to prevent their Dying You 'll see he added that as M. Descartes has determined to put the Project of his World in Execution that he framed while he lived on Earth so Plato will resolve upon the Undertaking that of his Republick which we shall see fix'd somewhere in those Vast and Desart Spaces above the Heavens where he will convoy a Colony of Separate Souls to constitute his Government That supposed said my old Gentleman Lucian had but ill Intelligence from the other World since in his Dialogues of the Dead he often talks of Socrates as a Man that had passed the Stygian-Lake in Caron's Boat and as an old Inhabitant of Hell Nouveaux Dial. deâ— Mor. But what Gentlemen said I do you say of our Modern Lucian I mean the Author of the New Dialogues of the Dead that without farther Ceremony places Monsieur Descartes in Hell and brings him on the Stage discoursing with the pretended Demetrius of Moscovy Is it reasonable to think That Author upon his entertaining us in that Work with some pretty Things and diverting us with an abundance of choice Historical Observations to think I say under that Shelter he had Right to put off all the Frolicks of his Imagination without any regard to Truth To place M. Descartes in Hell at the same Time he 's above the Heavens is not this to express my self in the Quodlibetique Style of our Fâ—iend M Aberrare toto Coâ—lo In the interim we saw the three Philosâ—phers advance towards us 'T is known they were three of the finest Gentlemen that have bore that Character in Antiquity and that they have always been distinguish'd from that Rascality of Sophists and Cynicks that generally were meer Andrewâ— and only purchased the Reputation of Sages at the Expence of the most abusive Extravagances Socrates made the Address and in a most obliging manner told us He easily perceived we were of France not only because we came that Road but also that he saw in us the Character and Genius of the Nation
M. Descartes spoke not of self-evident Principles in general but only of Mathematical Nous doutâ—roâ—s aussi de toutes les autres choses qui nous ont semble autrefois tres certains Meme des demonstrations de Mathematique de ses principes encore que d'eux-memes ils soient assez manifestes We will doubt also of all those things we heretofore esteemed most certain even of the Demonstrations of Mathematicks and their Principles though they are sufficiently manifest of themselves If this was designedly done as one may reasonably suppose it was a little Innocent Legerdemain that obliged Descartes and injured no Man and prevented at least the Contradidiction should be visible But to return to the Answer Descartes made to the Circle alledged What think you Father is' t a good Defence Or is it not to make a Retreat and Capitulate with his Enemies Or â—â—ther to speak more plainly and truly to unsay and contradict In good Faith Father declare it ingenuously you have treated Monsieur Descartes somewhat like a Friend or rather as a generous Enemy you have disarmed him He was a Man that scorned to beg his Life you foresaw too how high he 'd carry it after the Combate and still would challenge all he met with yet for all that you have thought fit to give him Quarter as a Man that did deserve it in Consideration of those other great Services he has done Philosophy I applaud your Generosity and you have no reason to repent on 't That little Softning with which I temper'd the Harshness of my Criticks had its design'd Effect which was not wholly to sowre Father Mersennus He took it graciously enough and only answered in a rallying way You are a very Wrangler and delight to find a Quarrel and the Humor that I see you are of had you lived in Descartes's Time you had certainly incurred his spending a whole Chapter on you But all that you say comes to just nothing as I could easily convince you but the Discussion of Fact and Contradiction is too tedious an Employment for us Travellers I perceive too Monsieur is tired already with it continued he in shewing me the old Gentleman and only wants a Mouth to yawn Come says he Monsieur you seem something Melancholy brighten a little brighten What do you think of Think of nothing said he How Mâ—nsieur I replyed What 's that you spoke certainly Blasphemy against the Doctrin of our Master If Aristotle had heard you what would he have said Do you think of nothing So What 's become of the Essence of the Soul that according to Descartes is thinking I had as lieve you 'd tell me that you have no Being as that you do not think He took me up in a very serious Air which sufficiently bespoke a greater Displeasure my Words had given him than Father Mersennus before You put a perverse Construction on my Proposition which meant no more than that my Mind was not possessed with Melancholy Ideas as you thought I am heartily glad Monsieur said I for Gayety and Briskness are never more necessary than in a Iourney But since we are fallen bechance upon the Essence of the Soul I could wish you 'd plainly expound what Monsieur Descartes has said thereon for as pure a Spirit as I am I have no clear insight into my own Essence and I wonder at it A very ill Sign said he that 's as much as to say your Intellect is benighted still with Prejudice and which I have already too much perceiv'd in you And I well observe that Novice which we lately met has raised fresh Scruples in you by his Sophistry Monsieur I replyed to use no Disguise with you I 'll frankly lay open the Disposition of my Soul in which I find it I am ravish'd in my Thoughts to meet with those that contradict Descartes's Philosophy that opens and enlarges my Mind But how strong soever their Arguments appear I secure my self against them and still reserve my Mind docil and tractable for the Instructions of that great Genius supposing he has the Leisure or the Goodness to bestow some on me when I shall have the Happiness to see him As for the Preconceptions of the Schools and Childhood I have for the most part quit them as I passed my Word before I undressed me of my Body Yet I confess some still remain concerning the Essence of the Body and the Essence of the Soul which I hardly can call by that Name in the signification you imploy it since they seem grounded upon Experience and on solid Reason I have however too great a Deference for M. Descartes to be throughly confirm'd that they are not false so that I am willing to acknowledg to speak in â—iner Language a gloomy kind of Darkness overcasts my Mind in those Particulars and I have not yet obtain'd the Priviledg of Cartesian Souls to have most distinct Ideas of those two kinds of Being which make up the World But once more I shall submit to your Instructions and Descartes's He then began to explain the Doctrin of Cartesiâ—s thereupon but said no more than I before had read in his Meditations in his Method in the first part of his Principles and in some of his Letters I shall not here give any Exposition of that Doctrin because I shall have an occasion to speak of it upon an Adventure that befel us in the Globe of the Moon I pretended out of Complaisance to have a better Taste of it than before and to find more Solidity in it than when I read it by my self That acknowledgment restated my Companions in their joâ—ular Humour who after much Merriment and Droll upon Aristotle's Philosophy wheel'd about unto his Sphere of Fire which according to his Map of the World ought to be situated under the Moon of which yet we saw not the least sign or footstep in our Voyage They were very Severe and Witty thereupon and reminded me of a Suit commenc'd some years ago by the Peripâ—teticks against the new Philosophers for diâ—sturbing them in the possession of that Sphere warranted by the Prescription of so many Ages and of a Decree made in favour of the Aristotelians pursuant to a falsly suppos'd Survey they had takeâ— of the place 'T was ordered that the Sphere of Fire should still remain where Aristotle had piâ—ch'd it Now as that Decree say they was â— Decree upon Request and not Contradictory the new Philosophers may revive the Action and bring the Process to a second Hearing And in that Case you are able to give evidence of the Truth and convict the Peripaâ—eticks of the invalidity of their Titles in a Concern of that Importance You may say what you please said I tho' that Sphere is not now to be found If I was to judg in that Action I should not so readily condemâ— Aristotle It may have been dispers'd and spent in the space of almost two thousand years For that many Stars
awarded them unto him with an universal Consent He hath thought fit to declare himself on the first occasion and to intreat the Publick as also those Gentlemen the new Philosophers to do him Justice in that Particular He protests then to separate his Interest in many Articles from theirs that style themselves his Disciples He declares that in the Questions of the Schools many things go under his Name which are none of his as is for Instance that most Childish Notion of the Horror of a Vacuum That he himself hath certify'd and prov'd by Experience the Pressure of the Air which at this Day is made a Principle in the Physical Expilcation of such Phenomena's as have most alliance to the Question of a Vacuum That he is no ways the Father of an infinite little Beings introduc'd in the School Philosophy That his Writings have often been mis-interpreted and Men have commonly taken for Natural Beings what in his Idea were only Denominaâ—â—ions and Metaphysical Attributes This Calm continu'd he with which I speak after that ungovernable Obstinacy you formerly knew me guilty of might stand for my Credentials as to you in Aristotle's Absence But I will farther add that since you meet him out of the Globe of the Moon he hath dispatch'd an Express in which he gives orders that if you pass'd this way I should not fail to inform you of his Thoughts and Intentions and to let you know that whatever Warmth appear'd in him in his Discourse against Descartes he would notwithstanding gladly hearken to some Accommodation with him Furthermore this is no unpremeditated Resolution The Expedient has been form'd and written long ago and the Fault will not be ours if you do not see it and take upon you the presenting it to Descartes if you so think convenient We return'd we most joyfully accepted it and that we thought our selves happy any ways to contribute to the Reconciliation of the two greatest Philosophers the World has known and the Reunion of two Parties that were at present the only considerable in Europe He took forthwith out of a Cabinet that was at the end of the Hall and where upon handsom Shelves stood a good sight of Books excellently bound and that look'd exactly like Books the new Philosophers have compos'd within this thirty or forty Years and that Aristotle and Voetius had undoubtedly read he took I say from a Cabinet a kind of Memoirs with this Title in Latin Words De Consensu Philosophiae Veteris Novae We have said I an Ingenious Man of our Woâ—ld that has wrote a Book with the same Inscription M. Du Haâ—el I my self have read it he replyed and a Man may easily see by the way it is wrote in the Author is well vers'd in all parts of Philosophy He is a Gentleman unbiassed as to one side or other is throughly acquainted with the Interests of each Party and therefore the fittest Person that I know to mediate in that Affair A preliminary Point is taken from his Preface which is much in the right on 't and whereto Aristotle and Descartes must forthwith accord that the Sect-Leaders of Philophy Neque omnia neque nihil viderunt With that he presented us the Project of Accommodation and desired us to read it at our leisure in our Voyage as also to take with us as we had offered at our Arrival some Aristotelian Souls to accompany us to Descartes's Place of Residence to the end he might know by them what that Philosopher had resolv'd upon the Propositions laid down in that Treaty We thanked him for the Honour he did us in intrusting us with so Important a Negotiation assured him we would do all that lay in us towards the facilitating its Success and after much Expression and Acknowledgment of his Civilities we beg'd his leave we might persue our Voyage since we had a vast way still to go and had spent many Hours in that we had pass'd already He conducted us out of the Lyceum and giving some Instructions to two Souls of the Country that seem'd Spirits of Note and Fashion ordered them to wait on us so made his Conge Designing to run over that whole Hemisphere of the Moon that is oppos'd to our Earth we kept on our Road to the North and leaving Democritus on the left we pass'd through Thales and drove on quite to Zoroaster from whence we made a double towards the West through desert Lands where we saw the ruins of some ancient Towns as of Atlas Cepheus Hermes without meeting Man Woman or Child till we came to the Lake of Dreams on whose Banks we found three separate Spirits with whom we were taken up one Moment in Discourse as we passed along We surprized the two first stoutly Cursing and Banning their Wives they had formerly in the World One of which was that Hermotimus mention'd by Tertullian and Pliny who leaving his Body abed to make a Ramble as his Custom was his Wife that did not love him slipt not the opportunity of calling up her Servants to whom she shewed not without tearing her Hair and playing the Mad-woman the Body of her Husband unsoul'd and breathless and carried the Humour on so well that the Body was burnt according to the custom of the Country before the Soul return'd who was from thenceforth forced to seek another Habitation The other Spirit was a Roman Senator whose Name was Lamia whose Wife had trickt out of the World by the same Project though a little more it had miscarried For as he related it The Soul being retâ—rned to look its Body where 't was left not finding it and seeing the Family Mourning begun to smell how the Matter stood It Posted presently to the place where was built the Funeral Pile to burn the Body and arriv'd there just as the Fire began to seize it The Soul thought it inconvenient to reunite her self with it for fear it might be obliged to be burnt alive she only mov'd its Tongue so as many of the Standers by heard these Words twice distinctly repeated I am not dead I am not dead But seeing the Masters of the Funeral Ceremonies who had undoubtedly received an Item from the Dame unconcerned as ' ere she left it to be burnt and came to fix in the Globe of the Moon The third whom we found two Leagues farther in a ghastly Grot was the famous Iohn Duns Scotus commonly called Scot or the Subtil Doctor He has pass'd for a dead Man unto this day on which Account some have given out most ridiculous Stories and highly disadvantagious to the Reputation of so worthy a Person and which have still been well confuted But the truth is that he is not dead and that having by the subtilty of his Mind found out the Secret so many others have procured his Corps was taken for dead and was buried in the absence of his Soul which took Sanctuary in the Globe of the Moon He was incompass'd by a Croud of
it and devolve upon the Arabian Commentators as on the Creators of that Being all the Railleries and fine Things pretended to be spoke by the new Philosophers on that Chapter But that he was not yet in that Humour the Cartesians having concluded nothing rationally against that System That an Incomplete Substance was no Chimera since the reasonable Soul in Man is undoubtedly so That their grand Axiom brought to demolish Substantial material Forms viz. Whatever is Material is Matter was palpably false as they have been answered an hundred times seeing Motion and Figure which are material Things are notwithstanding devoid of Matter and also that he lookt upon the ordinary Doctrin of Substantial Forms as his true Doctrin Nevertheless adjoyn'd he we shall see what use M. Descartes will make of it and what Advances he will offer on his part When he shall have granted Brutes a Soul the Peripateticks will consider whether they shall recede from some other Point Upon which he brought many Arguments to persuade him to be less hardy and intractable thereupon He represented how that Article of his Philosophy had shockt the whole World That his earnestness and zeal for that Opinion had been excusable if he had been the first Author but it is well known a Spaniard called Pereyra first lit upon that Notion and some were so malicious as to say he had drawn it from the Spaniard's Book before he deduc'd it from his own Principles That he had already gain'd by that Opinion as much Honour as could be expected that it was lookt upon in the World as an Ingenious Paradox on which he and his Disciples had descanted very subtly and had sufficiently plagu'd and tormented the School Philosophers but that the latter and more intelligent sort of Men could not forbear Laughing when they seriously undertook to maintain it as a Truth That 't was known this was the first Effect the Preface to a Book Entituled L' Ame des Betes The Soul of Beasts produced in the Mind of its Readers A Book wrote indeed with a great deal of Wit but wherein the Author too seriously drives at the Conversion of the Philosophers upon that Subject That no one had brought one substantial Reason to destroy the prejudice of all Mankind in that particular That no one had yet demonstrated that a middle Being betwixt Spirit and Matter was a thing impossible That the Promise the Cartesians had made to explain all that we see admirable in Beasts by the sole disposition of the Machine was whimsical and not to be relied on since it never had been put in Practice That when they talked of these Matters in general they sometimes spoke plâ—â—sibly enough but when they descended to Particulars they were either much to be pitied or not endured That the only Idea of the manner of Brutes acting on infinite occasions compared with tâ—at Paradox made it look extravagant That whereas 't was answered that Argument prov'd too much and made for the reasoning of Beasts it must be acknowledged that Instance perplex'd the Philosophers and gave them trouble to get clear off yet after all whatever pain it put them to their Argument lost nothing of its Force and the Instance on the other hand infinitely increased the difficulty For if it be hard to comprehend that Beasts should not have Reason upon seeing them act in so admirable and methodical a manner how much more difficult would it be to deny them bare Perception And lastly for Descartes to give up that point would not be construed to retract having himself declar'd he could not demonstrate that Beasts had not an apprehensive Soul Let. 67. Tom. 1. no more than it could be demonstrated unto him they had After that Aristotle passed to another Point which had some Connexion with the former which was The Essence of the Soul made by M. Descartes to consist in actual Thinking as he makes the Essence of a Body to consist in actual and determinate Extension He tells them That though he has many Scruples as to his Method and Manner whereby he offers to demonstrate the distinction of the Soul and Body and that many People continued dissatisfied a little with the Answers he gave to the Objections of Gassendus and M. Arnauld notwithstanding he would not dispute him that Glory of having said something thereon wholly New and very Ingenious That he is likewise disposed to follow his Opinion touching the Essence of the Soul provided he would satisfy him as to one Difficulty taken from Experience Many Persons said he have made you that Objection That if the Essence of the Soul consisted in actual Thought it were impossible she should exist without thinking and thus it would follow we should have Thought whilst we were in our Mother's Belly You will not scruple in the least that Consequence And as to what 's rejoyned by them that had we constantly Thought whilst we were in that Capacity we must necessarily have remembred some one of those Thoughts at least that we had there You answer The reason of our Non-remembrance is because the Memory consists in certain Traces which being made in the Brain upon thinking of an Object are there preserv'd and that the Brain of Infants is too moist and soft for the preservation of those Traces at least in such a manner as is requisite to cause remembrance But you are pressed upon that Answer Lettr. Tom. 2. for as much as in several places of your Writings you distinguish Memory into two sorts whereof one depends upon the Body and those Tracks or Footsteps impressed upon the Brain and the other which is purely intellectual depends upon the Soul above You also distinguish Notices into two kinds The one that depend upon the Organ and the other Immaterial that are wholly Independent on it Now we can easily apprehend that the disposition of the Brain of an Infant may be in the cause why the Soul recollects not those Thoughts which have their dependence on it but in regard of the Memory wholly intellectual those pure Conceptions those immaterial Notices which are altogether independent on the Organ and the different Plaits or Impresses of the Brain the humidity of the Brain can be of no Moment and we must undoubtedly remember those Thoughts and the Motions of the Will that have pursued them You will say that an Infant in the Mother's Womb is destitute of those pure Notices and of the use of the intellectual Memory Tom. 2. Let. 4. 38. But that is the thing I am asking a sufficient Reason for and of which I should be highly pleas'd to be convinced In effect Voetius had given express Orders to both his Envoys to see that M. Descartes gave a clear Explication of the Point From the Essence of the Soul they proceeded to the Essence of the Body Aristotle entred on that Article with an acknowledgment of an Error he formerly fell into advertising at the same time M.
Descartes to take care to avoid the like Misfortune I believed said he the World was from all Eternity upon a false Principle I suffered my self to pre-possessed with to wit That God was a necessary Being in his Actions as well as in his Existence You have one also of which the self same Error is the necessary Consequence And I am not the first that has put you in mind of it You not only affirm That the Essence of Matter consists in Extension but farther That Matter Extension and Space are but three different Names of one and the same Thing From whence with you it follows That wherever we conceive Extension and Space there must necessarily be Matter And from thence you conclude the World is boundless and infinite or as you choose to speak indefinite in Extension Your Adversaries of the Terrestrial World have indeavoured to demonstrate That bottoming on those same Principles the World and Matter must always have been and that Matter must necessarily continue always For as there is Matter at present where we conceive at present Space and Extension so by the same Reason there always has been and ever will be Matter where we conceive there ever has been and ever will be Space and Extension But we conceive that there always has been and that there always will be Space and Extension where the World at present stands This is a nice Point and might justifie the Conduct of the Doctors and Magistrates of Vtrecht on your Respect Betwixt our selves continu'd he the reasoning that bewildered you in that unextricable Maze is a meer Sophism A real Attribute say you cannot comport with nothing Now to be extended is a real Attribute it cannot therefore agree with nothing It agrees notwithstanding with Space and with what we imagine above the Firmament and call by the Name of Space Therefore that which is above the Firmament is real Therefore that which is in the Indefinite above the Firmament is Matter Therefore Matter Extension and Space are the self-same thing You ought to have apprehended the defect of that Reasoning from two Respects First from the Consequence that is taken from thence concluding for the Eternity of the World and which voluntarily offers it self to the Mind Secondly that supposing it false as indeed it is that the World should be Eternal they 'l demonstrate to you by an Argument exactly like yours that another Attribute no less real than thaâ— you term so comports with nothing For if the World is not Eternal it is plain a Man may truly say that nothing is Eternal since excepting God there has Nothing been from all Eternity Now to be Eternal is methinks as real an Attribute as to be extended But as it is a manifest Absurdity to affirm a real Attribute can accord with nothing it is necessary to reconcile it all that you agree with your Adversaries that those Words Extended and Eternal when attributed to Nothing and to Space make in our Minds quite contrary Ideas to what we have upon our attributing them to a Being or a Body When we attribute them to a Being or a Body they signifie something Positive when we attribute them to Nothing and to Space they give a Negative signification In a Word when 't is said nothing is Eternal no more is meant than that there has been no Being created from all Eternity And when 't is said There is only an extended Space beyond the Firmament it is understood there is no Body there and that there may be one to fill up that Void and nothing of a Body which we there conceive We cannot speak of Nothing and of Space but we must speak Something of them We cannot express what we think of them but by the Terms in use Those Terms are the same we imploy to speak of Beings But if we make Reflection on the Ideas we shall see they are wholly different nor are they ruin'd and destroy'd by one another as is pretended This puts me in Mind of a little Instance subtil enough upon this Subject which formerly Dr. Mâ—re an English Gentleman gave you he whose Elogies went so far as to apply to you what Horacâ— said of Homer Qui nil molitur inepte He propos'd this Question to you Suppose that God should destroy the World and reproduce it a little after might not it be said there would be or at least that we conceive there would be some Interval between the Destruction and Reproduction of the World although nothing of real interceeded betwixt them both From whence he proceeded to conclude That supposing in a Chamber God should annihilate all the Bodies that are between the Walls there would yet be Length Breadth and Depth although at the same time there was nothing real there He thought to have foil'd you supposing you would readily have assented to his first Proposition of which there seem'd no Doubt or Scruple But I am persuaded he found himself well enough Match'd when you deny'd him that we could conceive in his Hypothesis any Duration or Interval between the Destruction and new Production of the World The Author of a Letter wrote some years ago to a Cartesian Philosopher afforded the Reader Sport and Diversion enough upon that Point by several very pretty Hypotheses which he offers But as I am not given to Trifles and 't is unbefitting a Philosopher of my Character to be merry I shall only make use of your own Principles I 'll take that Hypothesis that supposes the Air in a Chamber to be destroy'd by God without any admittance or production of another Body there That Hypothesis once receiv'd makes it manifest That Extension may be conceiv'd without a Body and by Consequence that the Essence of Matter consists not in Extension You will not admit of this Hypothesis But I am going to shew that it implies no Contradiction by a reasoning much like one of those you make use of in another Case and take for Demonstration For according to you seeing I distinctly conceive a thing that thinks not conceiving Extension and because I distinctly conceive Extension not concerning a thing that thinks I have good Grounds for my Conclusion that a thing which thinks is distinguish'd from Extension and that Extension is distinguish'd from a thing that thinks Thus it is you demonstrate the distinction of the Body and Soul and thus it is evident one may exist without the other with-a Contradiction and that from this grand Maxim That the difference of Ideas is the only means we have of knowing the real distinction of Things and their Independence upon one another Upon that Principle thus I argue I most distinctly conceive the Destruction or Annihilation of a Body without conceiving the production of another Body Therefore it is no Contradiction a Body should be destroy'd without another Body's Production Therefore it is no Contradiction the Air betwixt the four Walls of a Chamber should be destroy'd and yet no other Body produc'd in its
room Or thus which turns to the same Account I most distinctly conceive a part of Matter setting aside all others and I most distinctly conceive all other without that for Instance without conceiving the Air inclos'd in a Chamber My Hypothesis then is establish'd as well as the Consequences that naturally follow against your Opinion touching the Essence of Matter So that if you have any Inclination towards a Peace you will be content to say that considering Things in their natural Capacity Matter is necessarily extended but will willingly give up that Expression that hath disgusted all the World That Extension Matter and Space were all the very same thing That Insult which Aristotle made upon M. Descartes in bandying one part of his Principles against another worsted my old Gentleman's Patience and rattled him so that ' was ten to one but he had tore the Paper on the spot He propos'd our going off without acquainting Aristotle's Embassadors who were stragled a good way from us telling us the Company of such sort of Cattle was not very pleasing But we represented to him how dishonourable a thing and unbecoming of Descartes that would be That that Paper was not so much a Project of Peace as a Challenge and Defiance Aristotle had sent hâ—â— that probably he might slight it and probably he might think it worth while to answer it That M. Descartes had so wonderful a Gift of persuading and captivating Spirits and the production of a World was a thing of that surprizing Nature that doubtless the two Souls that bore us Company must be converted to Cartesianism provided M. Descartes would be at the pains of explaining his System to them in a plausible and familiar manner These Reasons setled him again and we pursued in the reading of the Paper in expectation of the two Souls From the Essence of the Body and Soul Aristotle passed on to their Union and the Relations they have betwixt themselves He began with great Encomiums on M. Descartes for having opened the Eyes of the Philosophers and shewing them the Unusefulness as well as Absurdity of their Intentional Species in many cases alledging That he had taught nothing on that Occasion that ought to be held so strange and incomprehensible by the Peripateticks had not they deserted the Sentiments of their acknowledged Master to follow the Whimsies and Imaginations of his Commentators That he himself had remarked in many Places That the Sense of Feeling was dispersed throughout the Body and through all the Organs of the other Senses That Vision Taste the Perception of Sounds and Smells were only caused by the local Motion of some Bodies that touch'd and moved the Organs of the different Senses that in effect if that Motion were insufficient for the Soul 's perceiving Objects those intentional Species substituted in their Place would be as far from serving Turn That he was not for rejecting M. Descartes's Doctrin concerning the Seat of the Soul in the Pineal Gland were it proposed only as a pure Hypothesis since all that others say amounts to nothing better but it was insufferable that System should be urged as a setled and demonstrated Truth And that the Respect M. Descartes still pretended for Truth and Experience ought to make him qualify and moderate his Assertions thereupon He intreated him likewise to be more Human and good-natured towards those who taught the Soul was expanded through the Body and this is what he added to shew the Cartesians were a little Unreasonable in that Affair For said he when you assert the Soul is placed in the Pineal Gland either you suppose she takes up all the extent of that Gland or that she only possesses one indivisible part of it if she possesses all the Capacity of the Gland she herself must thence be extended for that Consequence entirely resembles yours which you draw against the Philosophers who make the Soul expanded throughout the Body If she only possesses an indivisible Part thereof there must necessarily be some part of Matter that is indivisible and not extended And thus in admiting that disjunctive Proposition you appropriate to the Soul what you affirm belongs to Matter only otherwise you grant an Attribute to Matter which on all other occasions you deny and pretend according to your Principles however we understand it that it is the only peculiar of a Spiritual Soul Besides all the Nerves where are the Radiations of the Spirits that enter in and out of the Pineal Gland can neither part from the same indivisible Point of the Gland nor meet there so that if the Soul was in an indivisible Point of that Gland she could not have the Perception of all Objects there But if you reply The Soul is not in the Gland as a Body is in another Body or as a Body is in a Place but that the Soul in quality of a Spirit is not in that Gland but because she acts there because she thinks there wills there and perceives Objects there and that since the Different Impressions of Objects terminate in divers Points of the Gland where she is advertised of them it may be said the Soul is in all the Gland The Philosophers that undertake you are ready to take you up with a fresh Objection For if the Soul acts wills thinks apprehends Objects in all the Gland that is to say in a very devisible Space and if that be sufficient to affirm she is in all the Pineal Gland it will be true according to their Hypothesis to say The Soul is in all the Body since it acts and perceives Objects in all the Body she sees them in the Eye as you say she perceives them in that part of the Pineal Gland where the Optick Nerve doth point or the Rays of the Spirits that proceed from that Nerve she perceives Sounds in the Ear or as you say she perceives them in another Point of the Pineal Gland where the Nerves do center or the Rays that serve for that Perception Thus that pretended Bug-bear of Philosophy I mean the Presence of the Soul throughout the Body that causes her to feel in the Hand when that is prick'd and makes her move it presently and withdraw it upon the Sense of the Compunction that makes her stir the Foot in order to advance methinks is no longer monstrous or frightful nor a Prejudice of Infancy evidently false seeing that Presence of the Soul throughout the Body is no other than that which is allowed her in the Pineal Gland the Pineal Gland being extended as well as the whole Body for the Diminutivenss of the Extension makes nothing to the Purpose Why therefore should that Vertual Extension of a Spirit be turned to a Jest and Ridicule when 't is the same as is admitted by the Cartesians when both are well explained and undoubtedly all the Sensations may very near be as justly explained upon this Hypothesis as upon that of the Pineal Gland From all which Aristotle concluded That
should be made the first as hath since been done by another Hand and M. Arnauld's Honour and Reputation were interess'd to satisfy the Scruples the Evidence of Fact and the Force of Reasons in the second had rais'd in the Minds of Men. See then what was the sense of the Politicians of the Commonwealth of Learning 'T is known by long Experience that M. Arnauld never us'd to be very Dormant in the case of Books wrote against him Whence then proceeds this extraordinary Patience he would fain seem to have at present Whence comes it that instead of defending himself against his Enemies that make voluntary Insults to attack him and fall so foully on him he makes himself new Adversaries and out of a gayety of Humour falls to Daggers-drawing with his Friends and Allies whilst his Country is abandon'd to the Pillage and Descretion of his Enemies Here is say they the short and the long of the Business Those two Books Non-plus M. Arnauld The first upon several Articles presents you with an Argumentum ad Hominem and is beyond Reply The second is penn'd with that Circumspection and Exactness as Wards off all Passes gives not the least hold and blocks up all the out-lets where ere his Adversary might escape him It would be no part of Prudence to engage on so disadvantagious Terms He must not however be seen to baulk or decline the Challenge and besides M. Arnauld had resolv'd to leave the World whenever he desisted to make a noise in it and to Write and Dispute whatever it cost him Therefore he cunningly procures himself a Diversion He picks a random Quarrel with Father Malebranche threatning an Attack on a Treatise of his concerning Nature and Grace which he had presum'd to publish contrary to his Advice He compiles a great Volume against two or three Chapters of the Research of Truth That Book is answered M. Arnauld thereupon makes his Reply Father Malebranche charges again M. Arnauld makes yet another Onset Here some are inquisitive why M. Arnauld neglects to answer both M. Iurieu and the Iesuite Hey day cry others how would you have him answer them Does not Father Malebranche find him his Hands full Whose little Volumes he 's forc'd to overwhelm with bulky Books to obstruct the entrance of that monstrous Impiety into the Church viz. the Doctrin of a Corporeal God Without which no Man can find out what he means by his intelligible Extension that is he says in God However the other Concern is urgent and requires Dispatch But what would you have a Man do they add Is it possible he should be every where at once Whilst the King of Poland march'd with all the Forces of his Kingdom to raise the Siege of Vienna was he not necessitated to suffer the Garrison of Kaminiec to over-run Podolia and the Tartars to inslave Vâ—raine If that Conjecture is not true said M. Descartes it is however very probable and those Gamesters play the Politician not amiss But what pursu'd he is the Subject of Dispute betwixt those two famous Authors For I assure you I perceive a Concern upon me upon their Account The Matter in Debate I answer'd is of the Nature of Ideas and the manner of our apprehending Objects that are without us M. Arnauld would have it that our Idea's are nothing but the Modifications of our Soul Father Malebranche pretends that that Opinion is unwarrantable and maintains we have no other perception of Objects than in God who being every where is intimately united with our Soul and who following the general Laws of the Union of the Body and Soul communicates to us the Idea of the Object that he hath in himself and at once makes us apprehend the Impression of it Both one and the other strive upon occasion to ingage you on their side or to shew rather that they advance nothing contradictory to your Thoughts upon Ideas But I am of Opinion you never penetrated so deep in that Affair as that either of them can gain much by your Authority What you say of me is true reply'd M. Descartes but which at last of these two Combatants have got the better on 't I answer'd him I was not rash and inconsiderate enough to set up for a Decider of the Difference and Advantages of those two Hero's That I could only say that they fell to 't in earnest That though M. Arnauld had propos'd to himself the encountring Father Malebranche's Tract of Nature and of Grace he thought it advisable to begin with the Confutation of what he had written touching Idea's in his Search of Truth looking on that past to use his Thought and his Expression as 〈◊〉 Outworks of the place he had a Design to ruin That the Subject being very Abstracted and Metaphysical and above the ordinary Capacity of Men and Father Malebranche's System on that Particular requiring a very great Attention to comprehend it M. Arnauld seem'd to have taken designedly that Method of Assault for the making a more advantagious Effort on his Adversary but that Father Malebranche without giving up his Out-works wherein he acquit himself admirably well had drawn them into the Body of the place that is to say had incorporated them with the Interests of Grace which is very disadvantagious Ground and too slippery a stand for M. Arnauld where he was very closely press'd Yet that I durst not undertake for the Success of Father Malebranche's Self on that Side because of the great Experience of M. Arnauld in such sort of War wherein he undoubtedly merits the Encomium Admiral Chatillon used to give himself viz. He had wherewith to be distinguish'd from the greatest Captains that ever were in that having been always beaten by his Enemies having lost all the Battles he had been oblig'd to Fight after all his Misfortunes he still stood upon his Legs in a capacity to relieve his Party and bearing still a Part and Figure able to disquiet those by whom he had been worsted I might likewise add without affronting Father Malebranche he is already sensible of the loss he has sustain'd since that first Breach For before that unhappiness and whilst he was a Friend of M. Arnauld he was every where extoll'd for a sublime and infinitely penetrating Genius and at present he 's a Man that speaks nothing but Perple it 〈◊〉 and Contradictions whom one can neither understand nor follow without danger of Error So true it is that M. Arnauld's Friendship is at this day as it ever has been a prodigious bank of Merit to those that are so fortunate to injoy it and that Societies no less than particular Persons that were destitute of that Advantage would be very little better for their Reputation As I was thus entertaining Discourse with M. Descartes I perceiv'd in an Instant a change in me that carry'd something in it much like what we experience in some sudden Faintings wherein all things seem to alter and turn colour I could never have
Wife and Puissant Soul that ever came out of the Almighty's Hands You 'l be better advis'd than that reply'd M. Descartes it behoves you to expect the Orders of the Sovereign Being for an entire Dismission from your Body nor is there any Necessity for it to have all the Satisfaction that you wish In less than two Hours Time I 'll make you a World wherein shall be a Sun an Earth Planets Comets and every thing you see more Curious and observable in yours and since this World I am about to make is not to stand for good and all but is only an Essay of another I intend to build at my Leisure of far greater Capacity and Perfection I can easily interrupt and break the Motions to let you see in a little Time the different Changes which occur not in the Parts of the great World but in the Process of Years Come on then let us begin said he but follow me exactly in the Principles I lay down and the Reflections I shall make you observe Above all interrupt me not After these few Words M. Desâ—artes prepar'd himself for the executing his Projection Which was by the Exposition or rather Supposition of some of his most Important Principles thought necessary to qualifie us for the comprehending the Dispatch of that grand Master-piece Conceive in the first Place said he that all this vast Space is Matter For this Space is extended and nothing is not capable of being so This Space therefore is an extended Substance or which is the same Thing Matter Whoever can doubt of this Truth can doubt if a Mountain can be without a Valley Conceive in the second Place That in Nature there are two inviolable Laws The first is That every Body will ever maintain the Post and Capacity it has once been put in will never change it till some External Cause shall force it if it is in rest it will be in Rest eternally if it is in Motion it will continue eternally in Motion if it is of a Square Figure it will preserve its Square Figure always The Line A G is the Tangent the Stone would describe supposing it to be freed from the Sling at the Point A. These Principles are the rich and fruitful Sources of that infinity of admirable Truths of which True Philosophy is compos'd and the only Rules I will and ought to follow in the Production of the World I am about This short Speech ended I was wonderfully edify'd in seeing M. Descartes fall to Prayers and make an humble Acknowledgment to God of all those intellectual Gifts and Blessings he had vouchsaf'd him Sovereign Being said he thou bearest me witness That never Mortal acknowledg'd that absolute Dominion thou hast over all thy Creatures with greater Respect and Submission than my self So long as I had my Being in the Land of the Living I made it my Business to convince Men of that entire Dependence they have on thee having persuaded many of that important Truth That thou art the only Being which can produce every thing in the World That it is a punishable Pride in Men to conceit themselves capable of causing the least Motion imaginable in Matter and that the very Motion their Soul supposes she influences on the Body which she animates is purely the effect of thy Almighty Power that in concurrence with the Laws thy Wisdom itself has confirm'd moves the Members of the Body with such exactness and celerity on occasion of the Desires and Inclinations of the Soul as persuades her it is herself that moves them though at the same Time she confesses her Ignorance of the manner whereby it must be done That bright and lively influx wherewith thou hast enlightned my Understanding hath guided me out of that Laberynth of common Delusion and open'd me the way and Method I ought to take in the Study and Contemplation of thy wonderful Works Though I at present undertake to work upon that immense Matter which thy infinite Bounty seems to have left at my Disposal and though I have assum'd the Freedom of warranting my Disciples the Production of a World like that of thy own Making yet it is wholly in Dependence on thy Power I have made this account Yea Lord I shall contribute in no wise to that Operation but by the Desires of my Will which thou out of thy gracious Goodness wilt be pleased to second by impressing so much Motion on this Matter as I shall wish for and by giving this Motion Determinations necessary to the End which I propose Reason and Experience having taught me That every pure Spirit such as am I my self by one of the Universal Rules to which thou conformest thy external Actions hath Right and Priviledg of so much Motion as is sufficient to move the Matter of a World Manifest then Lord thy Power in Condescention to a Spiritual Creature that makes this humble Confession of his Weakness and give us farther occasion to praise and glorifie thy Name Having finish'd his Devotion M. Descartes mark'd out a round Space of about five hundred Leagues diameter for the making a little Sampler of his World whereupon thus he spake Gentlemen I shall at present only represent you the Solary Vortex of your World and all that is therein that is to say the Sun the Earth the Planets the Elements the Disposition of its principal Parts and the different Relations and Dependences they have on one another if you will honour me with a Visit some Years hence you shall see the Great World finish'd The first thing I shall do is to divide in almost equal Parts all the Matter comprehended in the Space I have chalk'd out All those Parts shall be very Small but yet they must be less before I have done with them They must not all be of a Spherical Figure 'cause if they were all so shap'd there must necessarily be an Interval or Void betwixt them But a Void is impossible they must therefore be of all Shapes and Figures but angular for the generality Secondly whereas the Union of the Parts of Matter purely consist in that Repose they are in one by another that Division I propose to make will last no longer than I shall agitate them several ways and drive them on every Side Thirdly Since the Fluidity of Matter is nothing but the Motion of its smallest Parts agitated different ways upon my Division and Agitation of it in that wise I shall make it fluid as hard and consistent as it is at present Again this round Space of five hundred Leagues which I have cut out for the building of my little World being once made fluid I shall divide it into twenty Parts or twenty Vortexes that shall be severally constituted of infinite insensible Parts of Matter S The Vortex of the Sun Finally you must conceive each Vortex as a kind of Firmament at whose Centre will be an Astre or fix'd Star so that in making twenty Vortexes in the Space which
unaccountable Swiftness wherewith they flew against the Stones and thus I was depriv'd of the Pleasure of making the Experiment that M. Descartes had warranted of seeing from our Earth all the Occurrences in the Globe of the Moon as distinctly as if I was personally there I found my Body somewhat fainty and very feverish by the reason of a Fast of above thirty Hours Before I entred I would have persuaded the little Negro to reinstate my Brain in its Quondam capacity fearing lest he had unhing'd some Clock-work there For that there must be something more than ordinary in that Machine to cause such prodigious Alterations in the Soul of Man and I had been very finely serv'd if having been reunited with my Body I had found my self a Fool but the little arch Devil of a Spirit refused to do it telling me withal That I was highly oblig'd to him for setting me right in my Ideas I must therefore venture on 't for better for worse so that having thankt Father Mersennus and my old Gentleman for the favour vouchsaf'd me by their Company in so fine a Voyage my Soul entred her Body and fail'd not in quality of a Cartesâ—an Soul to seat her self in the Pinâ—al Gland of my Brain I had requested Father Mersennus to oblige me so far as to see me again before he return'd to M. Descartes's World that I might convey a Letter of Thanks by him to that great Philosopher that had treated me so generously and gentilely He promised me he would and accordingly returned at a Months end which he spent partly in the World in dispatching some Commissions of M. Descartes partly in the several Planets and different Places of the wide Space which he travers'd iâ— search of some old Cartesians on that Philosopher's Account to inform them of his Place of Residence and of the grand Design he was ready to put in Execution I gave him the Letter which I have joyn'd to this Relation and with which I 'll finish it A VOYAGE TO The World of Cartesius PART IV. MY Soul thus seated on the Pineal Gland of my Brain as a Queen upon her Throne to conduct and govern all the Moâ—â—ons of the Machine of my Body was extreaâ—ly pleas'd with the change of her Ideas and complimented her self with the honourable new Character of Cartesian wherewith I began to be distinguisht amongst the Learned I found my self immediately dispos'd for the Humour and Spirit of that Tribe of Philosophers and could not mention without disdain the Philosophy of the Colleges good only said I to corrupt the Mind and fill it with empty and confus'd Ideas and fit for nothing but to entertain the vanity of a Pedant Descartes was the first and indeed the only Philosopher the World has ever known the reâ—t in respect of him were mere Children Wranglers and Legendaries Being invited some days after to a Thesis of Philosophy it cannot be imagin'd what Violence it was to me to resolve to go I could not forbear gaping all the while I staid looking down from the exaltation of my Soul with pity on all I heard One of the first things I did was the degrading the Suarez's Fonseca's Smigletius's and Goudin's c. in my Library cashiering them of the considerable Post they held and abandoning them to a mouldy Chest of Lumber there to lye at the Mercy of the Dust and Vermin to be succeeded by M. Descartes bound in a fine Turky Cover and all his illustrious Disciples Before my Conversion to Cartesianism I was so pitiful and Tender-hearted that I could not so much as see a Chicken kill'd But since I was once persuaded that Beasts were destitute both of Knowledg and Sense scarce a Dog in all the Town wherein I was could escape me for the making Anatomical Dissections wherein I my self was Operator without the least inkling of Compassion or Remorse as also at the opening of the Disputes and Assemblies of the Learn'd which I thought good to keep at my House for the inhancing and propagating the Doctrin of my Master in the Country the first Oration I made before them was an Invective against the Ignorance and Injustice of that Senator the Arâ—opagite that caus'd a Noble Man's Child to be declar'd for ever Incapacitated from entring on the Publick Government whom he had observ'd take pleasure in pricking out the Eyes of Jack-Daws that were given him to play with Notwithstanding I must ingenuously confess that as resolv'd a Cartesian as I was I was not insensible of some weighty Scruples the more Ingenious sort rais'd in me in our Conferences I perceived also that the farther I went the more they increas'd and if M. Descartes does not settle and compose the Fluctuation of my Mind by a just and clever Answer to the Letter I have wrote him on that Subject I have great Fears the Traces of my Brain will change and the Animal Spirits resume their wonted Current This is the Copy of the Letter I sent to M. Descartes that contains the principal of those Difficulties which I thought not unworthy of the Publick A Letter to M. Descartes Monsieur I Cannot sufficiently express my Acknowledgments of the Honours and Civilities I receiv'd from you during that transitory Stay I made in your Parts of the highest Heavens The few good Qualities and Accomplishments you must necessarily find in me prevented not your treating me as a Person qualify'd with the greatest Merit For you to build an intire World before my Face and to give your self the trouble of making me comprehend the whole Contrivance to see all the Wheels and Springs of so admirable a Machine was an Honour greater in its kind than what the King vouchsafes Embassadors Princes and mighty Personages by commanding all the Water-works to be plaid for them at Versailles You may infallibly reckon from that time that I am devotedly at your Service and that having made your self absolute Master of my Vnderstanding by those sublimated Notices you have communicated you have yet more irresistibly captivated my Will by those extraordinary Favours you have heap'd upon me The Reverend Father Mersennus who readily condescended to the trouble of this Letter will inform you more at large both what my real Sentiments are of your Person and your Doctrin My Behaviour since my return hath throughly convinc'd him that there never was a Disciple more Zealous than my self for the Honour Growth and Advancement of the Sect. In less than a Month since my Arrival from your World I have cast Terror and Confusion in the Face of Peripateticism throughout the Land I have inspirited with new Life and Courage those few drooping Cartesians that remain'd but liv'd in Obscurity and Silence solacing themselves with the private enjoyment of Truth but were very remiss in promoting her Interest there where she had been but ill receiv'd Twice every Week I hold publick Disputes at my House and indeavour therein as much as possible to give Vogue and Reputation