The five days debate at Cicero's house in Tusculum between master and sophister.

SECT. XXV. Corollaries of the former Argument, from that of Invention.

WHither now tends this whole Discourse? I think it would be understood what is this force, and whence it is: Certainly it proceeds not from the Heart, nor Blood, nor Brains, nor Atomes. Whether the Soul be Breath or Fire, I know not; nor am I asham'd, as some others are, to confess I do not know, what I do not. But this I can affirm, as much as of any thing else that is obscure, be the Soul Breath, or be it Fire, I durst be depos'd it is Divine; for, I beseech you now, can

you imagine that so great an ability of memory can be produc'd or compounded of Earth, or this gross Region of Air? You do not see what is its Nature: But what are its Qualities, you do see; or if you do not that neither, what is its quantity, to be sure you do see. How then do we conceive of it? whether do we think there is any concavity, into which, as into a Fat, we turn up the things which we remember? that is absurd: For what bottom, or what such Figure of the Soul can be imagin'd? or what Gage of so large a Size? Or do we take the Soul to be imprest as Wax, and the Memory for the Prints of things set down in the Mind, as in a Table-book? What Prints can there be of Words? what of the things themselves? Lastly, what Volum so vast, as to represent such numerous Nations? What think you should that Power be, which brings to light useful Secrets, which is call'd Invention, or Devising? or that it can be compounded of this earthly, mortal and frail Nature? What judge you of him, who the first impos'd names on all things, which Pythagoras reckons a Work of the highest Wisdom? or who drew scatter'd men into Communities, and incorporated them for the mu∣tual Support of Life? or who couch'd the Sounds of the Voice, which seem'd infinite, into the marks of a few Letters? or who calculated the Courses, Progressions, Stations of the Planets. All of them were great Personages. Those of higher Anti∣quity yet, who found out Corn, who Cloathing, who Houses, who the helps of living handsomly, who guards against wild Beasts; by whom being ci∣viliz'd and reclaim'd, we naturally proceeded from the necessary, to the more polite Arts? for entertainment of the Ears, was in great measure found out and temper'd, with variety of Notes and Voices. We

look'd up even to the Stars; both those which are fix'd at certain distances, and those also which are not so in reality, but in name, only wandring Stars. All the motions and windings of which, the Soul, that first observ'd, gave at the same time proof, that it was like him who had fashion'd them in Heaven. For when Archimedes lock'd up the mo∣tions of Sun, Moon, and the five other Planets, into his Sphear, he brought that to pass, which the God that in Timaeus, built the World, that one Re∣volution should adjust motions most unlike for speed and slowness. Which if it cannot be wrought in this World without God, neither could Archimedes in his Sphear, have imitated the same Motions, without a Divine Wit.