A summary or compendium of the life of the most famous philosopher Renatus Descartes written originally in Latin by Peter Borellus ... ; to which is also added an epitome of his life by Marcus Zurius Boxbornius ...

Thus the great Descartes liv'd and died, after four moneths residence in Swedeland; where, in that small tract of time, he had so ingratiated him∣self in the favour of the Queen, that, as Daniel Lipstorp, Profes∣sor of Philosophy at Lubeck, af∣firms, she did condescend to water his arme with her tears; he left us wonderful praises of him, and proves that he was accounted chief among those persons that were eminent above other men; and that Phi∣losophy was beholding to the same Descartes for a new birth; and relates many things con∣cerning

his life, viz. that his Father was a noble person of Poictiers, and liv'd a private life at the Town of Limonum in that country, a long time; and that afterwards he was made Lord President in the chief Court of Kenes in the Dutchy of Britany, who died whilst Descartes was in the Low Coun∣tryes. He goes on farther; that he made his Compendium Musicae when he was twenty years of age. He gain'd Ʋreter, and Becman Moderator of the Col∣ledge of Dort, and a most Fa∣mous Philosopher and Mathe∣matician, as his friends and ad∣mirers, soon after he had solv'd

those Propositions in his Method which were thought impossible for all persons. But before he betook himself to his retiring place, he had seen the Military Discipline of France, the Low Countryes, Denmark, Germany and Italy. At Ʋlme he saluted John Faulhabertus a Fa∣mous Mathematician, and when he had clear'd unto him many knotty difficulties in the Mathe∣maticks, as also to Peter Roten of Norimberg a Mathematician, he soon gain'd the love of all the learned Men there.

Then he visited the more Northern parts of Germany, and saw Pomerania, the Marquisate of

Brandenburgh, Megapolis, Holsa∣tia, Denmark, and from thence went to Holland; afterwards he went to Italy through the Ne∣therlands, and then arrived in France, and resided three years at Paris. There he was acquain∣ted with Monsieur Claudius My∣dorgius a Parisian Senator, and Treasurer of France; Florimond de Beaune a Senator in the Court of Parliament at Blois, John Baptista Morinus Mathe∣matical Professor, &c.

Then leaving Paris, as also his Brothers, Sisters, &c. He came to his Philosophical Re∣tirement at Egmond, where he continued some time; then he

was at Endegest, then at Amster∣dam, then at Leward in West∣frizeland, then at Daventry, then again in a little village near Harlem, then again at Harder∣wick, then at Ʋtrecht in Hol∣land, then at Leyden; but he most frequently liv'd in villa∣ges, where he compos'd his books in this subsequent order; his Dissertation concerning Method, his Dioptricks and Meteorologicks: then his Geo∣metry, upon which Treatise Florimond de Beaune and Fran∣cis Schoten made Annotations; then he compiled his Meditati∣ons, and his Principles of Phi∣losophy; he also made his Tra∣ctate

of Man, of the Generati∣on of Animals, and his Geome∣trical Analysis, which will spee∣dily be published: as also a small Treatise concerning Me∣chanicks, which with two E∣pistles to the most Serene Prin∣cess Elizabeth, I have delive∣red to the Printer, that they may be made publick.

Among his friends and ad∣mirers are to be reckoned C. Salmasius, S. Maresius, Abraham Heidan, Professors in Divinity; Adrian Herebord, James Golins, John de Raey a Physitian, Godfrey ab Hastrecht a noble Leodicensian, Cornelius Heegland a noble Dutchman, Monsieur Picot a noble

Frenchman, Monsieur Chilot the Mathematician, and an innume∣rable number of other persons.

That we may also lay some stone to adorn the Tomb of Des∣cartes, take this Epitaph of him.