made it So as it is not impossible but the same particular Figures may be erected by the same Motions that joynd those parts and in the Matter may repeat the same Motion eternally so by succession and the same Matter in a Figure may be Erected and dispersed eternally Thus the Dispersing of the Matter into particular Figures by an Alteration of Motion we call Death and the joyning of Parts to create a Figure we call Life Death is a Separation Life is a Contraction Of LIFE LIfe is the Extract or Spirit of Common Matter This Extract is Agile being alwayes in motion for the Thinnesse of this Matter causes the subtelty of the Quality or property which Quality or property is to work upon all dull Matter This Essence or Life which are Spirits of Sense move of themselves for the dull part of Matter moves not but as it is moved thereby Their Common Motions are foure Atractive Retentive Digestive Expulsive Atractive is that which we call Growth or Youth Retentive is that we call Strength Digestive is that we call Health that is an equall distribution of Parts to Parts and agreeing of those Sprits Expulsive is that which we call Death or Decay The Attractive Spirits gather and draw the Materialls together The Digestive Spirits do cut and carve out every thing The Retentive do fit and lay them in their proper places The Expulsive do pull down and scatter them about Those Spirits most commonly move according to the matter they worke on For in spungy and in Porous light matter their motion is quick in solid and weighty their motion is slower For the solid parts are not onely dull and immoveable in themselves but they hinder and * obstruct those Spirits of sense and though they cut and peirce through all yet it is with more labour and slower motion for their motions change according to the quantity and quality of that Matter they meet with for that which is Porous and Spungy the Figures that they forme that matter in are sooner made and suddenlier destroyed then that which is more combustible This is the reason Mineralls last longer then Vegetables and Animals because that Matter is both tougher and harder to worke on then Vegetables and Animals are These Sensitive spirits we may similize to severall Workmen being alwayes busily imployed removing lifting carrying driving drawing digging and the like And although these Spirits are of substance thinner then dull matter yet they are stronger by reason of their subtlety and motion which motion gives them power for they are of an acute quality being the Vitrioll as it were of Nature cut and divide all that opposeth their way Now these Spirits although they be infinite yet we cannot thinke them so grosse an infinite as combustible matter yet those thinner infinites may cut and carve the thicker infinites all into severall Figures like as Aqua-fort is will eate into the hardest Iron and divide it into small parts As I have sayd before the Spirits of life worke according as the Matter is for every thing is shap'd according to the solidity of the matter like as a man which builds a House makes the beames of the House of such wood which is tough and strong because he knows otherwise it will breake by reason of the great weight they are to bear but to make Laths he takes his Wood and cuts it thin that the Nayls may easier passe through so joyning and fitting severall forts to proper uses to build his house Or like a Cooke when he 's to raise a Pye must take stiffe Dough for otherwise it will not onely fall before it be finished but it cannot be raised and to make the Lids to cover his Pye hee must use a softer Paste otherwise it will not rowle thinn thus a stiffe Paste is not fit for a Lid nor a thinner Paste for to raise a Pye it may make a Cake or so So the Spirits of life must make Figures as the matter is fit and proper thereto for the figure of man or the like the Spirits of life take the solid and hard matter for the * Bones The Glutinous Matter for the Sinews Nerves Muscles and the like and the Oyly matter for Flesh Fat Marrow So the fluid for Blood and such like matter And the Spirits themselves do give this dull matter motion not onely in the building of the Figure but to make the Figure move when it is built Now the spirits of life or lively spirits do not onely move dull and in moving matter but makes that matter to move and worke upon others for some kinde of Figures shall make †another to resemble it selfe though not just be as it selfe is made but as the shadow like the substance for it workes as a Hand that is guided by another and not of its owne strength that is the reason Arts have not so much persection as Nature The Copy is not so lively as the Originall for the spirits of life move and work of their own strength and the dull matter by the strength of the Spirits Of CHANGE THe Change of motion in severall Figures makes all change and difference in the World and their severall properties and effects thereto And that which we call Death or corruption is not * an absence of life but an expulsive motion which doth annihilate those figures that erecting motion hath made So death is an annihilation of the Print not of the Mould of figures for the Moulds of those figures of Mankinde Beast or Plant of all kinds whatsoever shall never be annihilated so long as motion and matter last which may alwayes be for the mould of all Figures is in the power of motion and the substance of matter Of Youth or Growth THus Spirits of sense work according to the substance of the matter for if the matter be porous and light they form those Figures quicker and dissolve them suddenly But if their matter be solid and hard they worke slower which makes some figures longer ere they come to perfection and not so easily undone And if their strength be too weake for the matter they worke upon as wanting helpe then the Figure is imperfect and mishapen as we say This is the reason Animals Vegetables which are young have not so great strength as when they are full growne because there are fewer spirits and the materialls are loose and unsetled not knockt close But by degrees more spirits gather together which helpe to forward their worke bring in materialls by Food setling them by nourishment carrying out by Evacuations that matter that is unusefull and that Rubbish and Chips as I may say which would hinder their motion If they bring in unusefull matter their figure increases not as we say thrives not And if they carry out the principall materials the figure decayes and falls downe But those parts of matter which are not spirits do not carry that part of matter which
is spirit but the spirits carry the dull matter Thus the spirits the innated matter move in dull matter and dull matter moveth by the spirits and if the matter be fine and not grosse which they build withall and their motion be regular then the Figure is beautifull and well proportioned Of Increasing THe reason that the corruption of one Figure is the cause of making of another of the same kinde is not onely that it is of such a tempered matter that can onely make such a kinde of figure but that the spirits make figures according to their strength So that the spirits that are in the Seed when they have undone the figure they are in by a generall expulsion which we call corruption they begin to create againe another figure of the same kinde if no greater power hinder it For the Matter that is proper to make such like Figures is fitted or temper'd to their strengths So as the Temper of the Matter and the strength of the Spirits are the Erectors of those Figures eternally And the reason that from one Seed lesse or more Numbers are increased and raisd is that though few begin the work more will come to their help And as their Numbers are increased their Figures are more or lesse weaker or stronger Of Decay WHen Spirits of Life have created a Figure and brought it to perfection if they did not pull it down again they would be idle having no work to do and Idlenesse is against the Nature of Life being a perpetuall Mption For as soon as a Figure is perfected the Spirits generally move to an Expulsive Motion This is the reason that Age hath not that strength as Full-growth But like an old house falling down by degrees shed their Haires or Leaves instead of Tiles the Windowes broke downe and stopped with Rubbish So Eyes in Animals grow hollow and dimme And when the Foundation of a house is loose every little wind shakes it So when the Nerves being slack and the Muscles untyed and the Joynts unhing'd the whole Body is weak and tottering which we call Palsies which Palsies as the wind shakes The Blood as the Springe dries up Rheumes as Raine fals down and Vapours as Dust flye up Of Dead and Death DEad is where there is a Generall Alteration of such Motion as is proper to such Figures But Death is an Annihilation of that Print or Figure by an Expulsive Motion And as that Figure dissolves the Spirits disperse about carrying their severall burthens to the making of other Figures Like as a house that is ruin'd by Time or spoyled by accident the severall Materials are imployed to other uses sometimes to the building of an house again But a house is longer a building then a pulling down by reason of the cutting carving laying carrying placing and fitting every part to make them joyn together so all the works of Nature are sooner dissolv'd then created Of Locall Shapes SOme Shapes have power over others but t is not alwaies in the size or bulck of the Figure but in the manner of their Formes that gives advantage or disadvantage A little Mouse will run through the Snowt of a great Elephant A little Flye will sting a great Figure to death A Worm will wind through a thick Body The Lions force lies in his Clawes The Horses in his Hoofe The Dogs in his Teeth The Bulls in his Hornes and Mans in his Armes and Hands Birdes in their Bills and Talons And the manner of their Shapes gives them severall properties or faculties As the Shape of a Bird causes them to flye a Worm to creep the Shape of a Beast to run the Shape of Fish to swim yet some flye swifter and higher then others as their Wings are made So some run nimbler then others according as their Limbs are made and some swim glider then others according as their Fins are made But Man surpasses the shape of all other Creatures because he hath a part as it were of every shape But the same Motion and the same Matter without the shape could not give such Externall Properties since all Internall Properties are wrought out of dull Matter So as it is their shapes joyned with such Motions proper thereunto that give strength Agilenesse But the Internall Qualities may be alike in every Figure because Rationall Spirits worke not upon dull Matter but Figures themselves The Visible Motion in Animals Vegetables and Minerals THE Externall Motions of Animals are running turning winding tumbling leaping jumping shoving throwing darting climbing creeping drawing heaving lifting carrying holding or staying piercing digging flying swimming diving The Internall Motion is contriving directing examining comparing or judging contemplating or reasoning approving or disapproving resolving From whence arise all the Passions and severall Dispositions These and the like are the visible Internall Motions in Animals The Internall Motions of Vegetables and Minerals are in operation As contracting dilating which is Attractive Retentive Digestive Expulsive The Vegetables Externall Motion is increasing decreasing that is enlarging or lasting although there may be Matter not moving yet there is no Matter which is not moved Of the Working of severall Motions of Nature MOtions do work according as they finde Matter that 's fit and proper for each kinde Sensitive Spirits work not all one way But as the Matter is they cut carve lay Joyning together Matter solid Light And build form some Figures streight upright Or make them bending and so jutting out And some are large and strong and big about And some are thick and hard and close unite Others are flat and low and loose and light But when they meet with Matter fine and thin Then they do weave as Spiders when they spin All that is woven is soft smooth thin things As flowry Vegetables Animall Skins Observe the Graine of every thing you le see Like inter-woven Threads lye evenly And like to Diaper Damask wrought In severall workes that for our Table 's bought Or like to Carpets which the Persian made Or Sattin smooth which is the Florence Trade Some Matter they ingrave like Ring and Seale Which is the Stamp of Natures Common-weale T is Natures Armes where she doth print On all her Works as Coyne that 's in the Mint Some severall sorts they joyn together glu'd As Matter solid with some that 's fluid Like to the Earthly ball where some are mixt Of severall sorts although not fixt For though the Figure of the Earth may last Longer then others yet at last may waste And so the Sun and Moon and Planets all Like other Figures at the last may fall The Matter 's still the same but Motion may Alter it into Figures every way Yet keepe the property to make such kind Of Figures fit which Motion out can find Thus may the Figures change if Motion hurles That Matter of her waies for other Worlds Of the Minde THere is a degree of stronger Spirits then the Sensitive Spirits as
some false Stitches I must let you understand it was huddl'd up in such hast out of a desire to have it joyned to my Booke of Poems as I took not so much time as to consider throughly For I writ it in lesse then three weekes and yet for all my hast it came a weeke too short of the Presse Besides my desire to have those Works Printed in England which I wrote in England before I leave England perswaded me to send it to the Presse without a further inlargement But I imagine my Readers will say that there is enough unless it were better I can only say I wish it were so good as to give satisfaction howsoever I pleased my selfe in the Study of it The Table OF Matter and Motion page 1. Of the Forme and the Minde 2. Of Eternall Matter 3. Of Infinite Matter 4. There is no proportion in Nature ib. Of one kinde of Matter 5. Of Infinite Knowledge ib. There is no Judge in Nature ib. Of Perfection 6. Of Inequalities ib. Of Unities 8. Of Thin and Thick Matter ib. Of Vacuum 9. The Unity of Nature ib Of Division 10 The order of Nature ib. Of War and no absolute power 11. Of Power ib. Similizing the Spirits or Innate Motion Of Operation 13. Of Natural or Sensitive War 14. Of Annihilation ib. Of Life 15. Of Change 20. Of Youth and Growth 21. Of Increasing 22. Of Decay 23. Of Dead and Death 24. Of locall Shapes 25. This visible Motions in Animals Vegetables and Minerals 26. Of the working of the severall Motions of Nature 27. Of the Minde 30. Of their severall Dances and Figures 31. The Sympathy and Antipathy of Spirits 33. The Sympathy of Sensitive and Rationall Spirits in one Figure 36. The Sympathy of the Rationall and Sensitive Spirits to the Figure they make and inhabit 37. Of Pleasure and Paine 38. Of the Minde ib. Of Thinking or the Minde and Thoughts 41. Of the motions of the Spirits 42. Of the Creation of the Animall Figure 45. Of the gathering of the Spirits 47. The moving of Innate Matter 49. Of Matter Motion and Knowledge or Understanding 52. Of the Animall Figure 54. What an Animall is 55. Of Sense and Reason exercis'd in their different Shapes 56. Of the dispersing of the Rationall Spirits 63. Of the Senses 64. Of motion that makes Light 65. Of Opticks ib. Of the flowing of the Spirits 66. Of Motion and Matter 67. Of the Braine 68. Of Darknesse ib. Of the Sun 69. Of the Clouds ib. Of the motion of the Planets 70. Of the motion of the Sea ib. I speak not here of Deiaticall Infinites but of grosse Infinites such as Philosophers call Chaos OF MATTER AND MOTION THERE is no first Matter nor first Motion for matter and motion are infinite and being infinite must consequently be Eternall and though but one matter yet there is no such thing as the whole matter that is as one should say All And though there is but one kinde of matter yet there are infinite degrees of matter as thinner and thicker softer and harder weightier and lighter and as there is but one matter so there is but one motion yet there are infinite degrees of motion as swifter and slower and infinite changes of motion And although there is but one matter yet there are infinite of parts in that matter and so infinites of Figures if infinite figures infinite sizes if infinite sizes infinite degrees of higness and infinite degrees of smalnesse infinite thicknesse infinite thinnesse infinite lightnesse infinite weightinesse if infinite degrees of motion infinite degrees of strengths if infinite degrees of strengths infinite degrees of power and infinite degrees of knowledge and infinite degrees of sense Of the Form and the Minde AS I sayd there is but one Matter thinner and thicker which is the Forme and the Minde that is Matter moving or Matter moved likewise there is but one motion though slower or swifter moving severall wayes but the slower or weaker motions are no lesse motion then the stronger or swifter So Matter that is thinnest or thickest softest or hardest yet it is but one Matter for if it were divided by degrees untill it came to an Atome that Atome would still be the same Matter as well as the greatest bulk But we cannot say smallest or biggest thickest or thinnest softest or hardest in Infinite Eternall Matter THat Matter which was solid and weighty from all Eternity may be so eternally and what was spungie and light from all Eternity may be so eternally and what had innate motion from Eternity may be so eternally and what was dull without innate motion from Eternity may be so eternally for if the degrees could change then there might be all thin and no thicke or all thicke and no thin all hard no soft and fluid or all fluid and no solidity For though contracting and dilating may bring and joyne parts together or separate parts asunder yet those parts shall not be any other wayes then by Nature they were Of Infinite matter INfinite Matter cannot have exact Forme or Figure because it hath no Limits but being divided by motion into severall parts those Parts may have perfect Figures so long as those Figures last yet these parts cannot be taken from the Infinite Body And though parts may be divided in the Body Infinite and joyned severall wayes yet Infinite can neither be added nor diminished yet division is as infinite as the Matter divided No proportion in Nature IN Nature there is no such thing as Number or Quantity for Number Quantity have only reference to division neither is there any such thing as Time in Eternity for Time hath no reference but to the Present if there be any such thing as Present Of one Kinde of Matter ALthough there may be infinite degrees of matter yet the Nature and kind of Matter is finite for Infinite of severall kindes of Matter would make a Confusion Of Infinite knowledge THere can be no absolute Knowledge if infinite degrees of Knowledge nor no absolute power if there be infinite degrees of strength nor present if infinite degrees of Motion No Judge in Nature NO Intreaty nor Petition can perswade Nature nor any Bribes an corrupt or alter the course of Nature Justly there can be no complaints made against Nature nor to Nature Nature can give no redresse There are no Appeales can be made nor Causes determined because Nature is Infinite and eternall for Infinite cannot be confined or prescribed setled or altered rul'd or dispos'd because the Effects are as infinite as the Causes and what is infinite hath no absolute power for what is absolute is finite Finite cannot tel how Infinite doth flow Nor how Infinite Matter moveth to and fro For Infinite of Knowledge cannot guess Of Infinite of Matter more or lesse Nor Infinite of Causes cannot finde The Infinite Effects of every Kinde Of Perfection IN Infinite can no Perfection be For why Perfection is in Unity
his delight although (†) it is against his liking So the rationall spirits oftimes agree with the Motions of the sensitive spirits although they would rather move another way The Sympathy of the Rationall and Sensitive Spirits to the Figure they make and inhabit ALL the Externall Motion in a Figure is by the sensitive spirits and all the Internall by the Rationall spirits and when the Rationall and Sensitive Spirits disagree in opposite Figures by contrary Motion they oft war upon one another which to defend the sensitive Spirits and rationall Spirits use all their force and power in either Figure to defend or to assault to succour or to destroy through an aversion made by contrary Motions in each other Now the rationall spirits do not only choose the Materialls for their defence or assault but do direct the sensitive spirits in the management thereof and according to the strength of the spirits of either side the victory is gain'd or lost If the Body be weak there is lesse sensitive Spirit if the direction be not advantageous there is lesse rationall Spirit But many times the Alacrity of the rationall and sensitive Spirits made by moving in a regular Motion overcomes the greater numbers being in a disorder'd Motion Thus what is lost by Scarcity is regain'd by Conformity and Unity Of Pleasure and Paine ALL Evacuations have an Expulsive Motion If the Expulsive Motion is regular t is Pleasure if irregular t is Paine Indeed all Irregular and crosse Motion is Paine all Regular Motion is Pleasure and Delight being a Harmony of Motion or a discord of Motion Of the Minde IMagine the rationall Essence or Spirits like little sphericall Bodies of Quick-silver several ways (†) placing themselves in several Figures sometimes moving in measure and in order and sometimes out of order this Quick-silver to be the Minde and their severall postures made by Motion the Passions and Affections or all that is moving in a Minde to expresse those severall motions is onely to be done by guesse not by knowledge as some few I will guesseat Love is when they move in equall number and even measure Hate is an opposite motion Feare is when those small Bodies tumble on a Heap together without order Anger is when they move without measure and in no uniforme Figure Inconstancy is when they move swistly severall wayes Constancy is a circular motion Doubt and suspition and jealousie are when those small Bodies move with odd numbers Hope is when those small Bodies move like wilde Geese one after another Admiration is when those Sphericall Bodies gather close together knitting so as to make such a circular figure and one is to stand for a Center or point in the midst Humility is a creeping motion Joy is a hopping skipping motion Ambition is a lofty motion as to move upwards or * higher then other motions Coveting or Ambition is like a flying motion moving in severall Figures like that which they covet for if they covet for Fame they put themselves into such Figures as Letters do that expresse words which words are such praises as they would have or such Figures as they would have Statues cutt or Pictures drawne But all their motion which they make is according to those Figures with which they sympathize and agree besides their motion and figures are like the sound of Musick though the Notes differ the cords agree to make a harmony so several Symmetries make a perfect Figure severall Figures make a just number and severall quantities or proportions make a just weight and severall Lines make an even measure thus equall may be made out of Divisions eternally and infinitely And because the Figures and motions of the infinite Spirits which they move and make are infinite I cannot give a finall description besides their motion is so subtle curious and intricate as they are past finding out Some Naturall Motions work so curious fine None can perceive unlesse an Eye divine Of Thinking or the Minde and Thoughts ONE may think and yet not of any particular thing that is one may have Sense and not Thoughts For Thoughts are when the Minde takes a particular notice of some outward Object or inward Idea But Thinking is only a Sense without any particular notice As for Example Those that are in a great feare and are amazed the Minde is in confus'd sense without any particular Thoughts but when the Minde is out of that amaze it fixes it selfe on Particulars and then have Thoughts of past danger but the Minde can have no particular Thought of the Amaze for the Minde cannot call to minde that which was not Likewise when we are asleep the Mind is not out of the Body nor the Motion that makes the sense of the Minde ceast which is Thinking but the Motion that makes the Thoughts therein work upon Particulars Thus the Minde may bee without Thoughts but Thoughts cannot be without the Minde yet Thoughts go out of the Minde very oft that is such a Motion to such a thing is ceast and when that Motion is made again it returns Thus Thinking is the Minde and Thoughts the Effect thereof Thinking is an equall Motion without a Figure or as when we feele Heat and see no fire Of the Motions of the Spirits IF it be as probably it is that all sensitive Spirits live in dull Matter So rationall Spirits live in sensitive Spirits according to the shape of those Figures that the sensitive Spirits form them The rationall Spirits by moving severall waies may make severall kindes of Knowledge and according to the Motions of the sensitive Spirits in their severall Figures they make though the Spirits may be the same yet their severall Motions may be unknown to each other Like as a Point that writes upon a Table-book which when the Letter that was writ thereon is rub'd out the Table is as plain as if there was never any Letter thereon But though the Letters are out yet the Table-book and Pen remaine So although this Motion is gone the Spirit and Matter remaine But if those Spirits make other kindes of Motions like other kindes of Letters or Language those Motions understand not the first nor the first understands not them being as severall Languages Even so it may be in a Sound for that kind of Knowledge the Figure had in the Sound which is an alteration of the Motion of the rationall Spirits caus'd by an alteration of the Motion of the sensitive Spirits in dull Matter And by these disorderly Motions other Motions are ru'bd out of the Table-book which is the Matter that was moved But if the same kind of letters be writ in the same place again that is when the Spirits move in the same Motion then the same knowledge is in that Figure as it was before the other kind of Knowledge which was made by other kind of Motion is rub'd out which severall knowledge is no more known to each other then severall Languages