A voyage to the world of Cartesius written originally in French, and now translated into English.

A VOYAGE TO The World of Cartesius. (Book 3)

PART III. (Book 3)

THE Third Heaven of the World of Descartes, is the same with what the Philosophers heretofore called the Imaginary Spaces; but seeing the Word Imaginary seemed to import nothing but what was Chimerical, and in the Imagination only he chose rather to term it the Indefinite Spaces. There have not been wanting some that have started Difficulties upon the Term Indefi∣nite, which in several Places he seems to substi∣tute in the Place of Infinite, without any Neces∣sity; but at last his Disciples have made it al-a-mode, and Custom hath warranted its Use.

As soon as I set Footing in those vast Regions, I descry'd indeed the finest and most advantagi∣ous Place possible to be imagin'd for the Building of a World in, nay for the Construction of Milli∣ons and Infinite Worlds, but I saw no Materials proper to begin, or to make the least Part of so great an Edifice.

Having travell'd six or seven thousand Leagues without any News of Tidings of Descartes, we agreed to separate our selves, that we might find him out the easier: Father Mersennus took one way, the Old Gentleman and I, with the two Peri∣patetick Souls the other. In short, Father Mersen∣nus found him, and quickly after we had parted, we saw them both together, making towards us. The obliging way wherewith he receiv'd me, certified me, T••••t Father Mersennus had given him a good Character of me, and spoke of me as a Man that in Time would prove one of his most zealous Followers. He likewise ve∣ry respectfully saluted the two Peripateticks, but gave them to understand the Pains they had taken, in coming to treat of an Accommodation with him, were manifestly to very little pur∣pose: That Father Mersennus had already suffi∣ciently advis'd him of the Propositions they design'd to offer, which he assured them he should not be very forward to condescend to; notwith∣standing he would give them a favourable Audi∣ence, and satisfie them beforehand he had no ill Design upon the Kingdom of Aristotle; there∣upon, giving Orders to Father Mersennus to en∣tertain the two Gentlemen, he accosted the Old Sage and my self in particular.

The Discourse began with the ample Protestati∣ons of Friendship, M. Descartes and the Old Stager

made each other, mutually expressing the Joy they had in seeing one another: The Old Gentleman, out of hand took upon him to make my Elogy, speaking a thousand fine obliging things of me to Descartes; especially he cry'd up the uninterested Love I had for Truth, the De∣sire of Learning that always had appear'd in me, and the Readiness I had promis'd, to imbrace the Instructions, in the Inquest of which I had made so long a Voyage. I wav'd, as modestly as pos∣sible the other Praises that were given me; but added, That for the Love of Truth and Desire of Learning, I must stand up, as for my only considerable Accomplishments; that as to the Readiness I had ingag'd to receive M. Des∣cartes's Instructions, that ought not to come into the Account, since a Master of his Character and Worth, and a Genius so Admirable and Tran∣scendent beyond all others, as his was, had Right to demand and require that entire Submission from all that pretended to Wisdom or Equity in the World.

You are pleas'd to carry your Compliment a little too high, reply'd M. Descartes, and I que∣stion whether the generality of those that are reputed the Wise and Equitable Persons of the World, would subscribe to that Homage and Submission you their Representative vouch for them: I question too, according to the Rules of Physionomy of Spirits, whether I ought to build much upon that pretended Tractableness, wherein you pride your self so much; methinks I perceive still at bottom of your Soul some kind of, I know not what, Prejudices, that indispose it for the Knowledg of Truth. Tell me, in beholding this vast Space, (continued he) what

is't you think you see? Monsieur, (I reply'd) that is a perplexing Question, but to convince you that I speak from my Heart, in promising to be instructive, I will make Answer to your Question just as my Thoughts are of it: Accord∣ing to you I ought to say, That beholding the great Space, I see a Body or Matter; but with∣out Dissimulation, methinks, in effect I see just Nothing.

At that my Old Sophister tipt the Wink upon me, which I took not at that instant, nor under∣stood the Meaning of it till after. 'Tis enough, says M. Descartes, let us talk of someting else: Give me an account, pray, how goes Philosophy in your World, if you have any News of it; for these many Years I have been ignorant al∣most of all the Concerns there, as well from the Indifference and Disregard I have found in me ever since my quitting the Body, for the Sen∣timents of Men, as that Monsieur here, who is the only Person that has visited me since, having retired in the Country many Years ago, has been incapable of hearing the Particulars of Affairs that concern Cartesianism, contenting himself to learn, and to assure me from Time to Time, my Philosophy continued still to have very many Friends, and very many Enemies.

And I am not much better instructed, I answered, with what regards your Sect, having but begun to interest my self in its Affairs, since those few Days I have had the Honour of this Gentleman's Acquaintance; however, I will inform you of all that I could hear, or that has come to my Knowledg, without giving my self much Trouble of Enquiry. Your Philosophy, as

you know, was set up with all the Advantages and Disadvantages of Novelty, and it has expe∣rienc'd the Fortune which all New Doctrins use to find. Many there are that have imbrac'd it with Admiration, and defended it with Earnest∣ness and Passion. It hath met with the Patron∣age and Protection of Persons commendable for their Parts, Capacity and Politeness; but almost all Bodies and Vniversities have rejected it, and declared against it: Each acted in that as in all things else, according to the Principle of Self-interest: Some took your Side, as apprehend∣ing themselves thereby distinguish'd and advancd above the Herd; others deny'd it, as fearing the diminution of their Credit: The Motive and Pretence of both Parties was the Love of Truth and uncorrupt Doctrin. The Posture of present Affairs hath almost the same Face still; yet if we judge by the Books, whether of Philosophy or Medicine, brought from England, Holland and Germany, Cartesianism hath made very consider∣able Progress in those Parts. Scarce once in an Age is printed any Course of Philosophy ac∣cording to the Method of the Schools; and al∣most all the Works of that Nature, that at this Time are publick in France, are Physical Tracts that suppose the Principles of the New Philosophy: Such Books as treat of an Vniversal, of Metaphysical Degrees of Ens Rationis, create Fears in the Booksellers Minds; they'll cumber themselves with no more of them, and endea∣vour to rid their Hands of all that they have left, at any rate, as Merchants do their Stuffs when the Fashion's over. All those Questions, heretofore so famous, wherewith the Presses have groan'd for almost two hundred Years,

and that have found Employment for so many Printers, are no where heard of but in the Schools of the Publick Professors. Out of the Desks there is no talk of the Thomists, the Scotists and the Nominals, at least there is no Distinction made betwixt them; all are numbred in the same Predicament, and on the same Side which they call the Old Philosophy, to which is oppos'd the Philosophy of Descartes, or the New Phi∣losophy.

You have had the good Fortune with your Lustre to efface all the New Philosophers that have risen both in and since your Time; and to make use of a Comparison, that bating the Odium of the Subject it is taken form, hath nothing in it but what makes for your Renown; As in Spain the Name of Lutheran is indiffer∣ently given to all Hereticks of whatever Sect or Faction, so the Title of Cartesian is attributed to all those that have undertaken to make Refine∣ments in Point of Natural Philosophy. I have seen more than one bold Venturer, that in full Dispute hath listed Gassendus among your Follow∣ers, though you was undoubtedly his Junior by several Years: And I know a certain College, where the Professor durst not speak of Insensible Matter, of the Rules of Motion, of the Per∣spicuity of Ideas, lest he should be forthwith ac∣cused of Cartesianism.

For the rest (excepting in the Exercises of some Honest Religious Persons, that doubtless have no ill Design, but not having read you, would yet assume to themselves the Honour of engaging you) that treating you as an Atheist, is quite out of Doors, as is the making that Proposition a Precedent for your Religion, which

you advance in the Entrance on your Metaphy∣sicks, That we must doubt of every Thing; yet some of the finest and clearest Heads do not stick seriously to affirm, That the late Conver∣sions of the Huguenots in France have robb'd you of many Disciples; for upon their Conviction of the Real Presence of the Sacred Body of I. C. in the Eucharist, they confidently assert the Fal∣sity of some of your Principles, which they are at a Fault to reconcile with the Reality of that Mystery.

But no matter, all such as have a sound and unprejudic'd Notion of Things, though they stand diameter to your Opinions, do you Justice, and give you an Encomium that seems none of the least; which is, that they acknowledg you have open'd the Eyes of the Philosophers of our Times to the Discovery of the Rises of their Method in Philosophy, by that just and reason∣able Reproach of the little Concern they had, for the most part, to dive to the Bottom of the Things they treat of, whether in Metaphysicks or in Physicks, and the little Application they bring with them, both in framing to themselves and giving their Disciples clear and distinct Ideas of the Things disputed of; the Abuse that was made of the subtilty of Mind, perverted only to the multiplying Wranglings and trifling Dis∣putes, to the inventing of new Equivocal Terms, to the confounding rather than enlightning certain abstracted Questions, prudently enough introduc'd the Schools, for Exercise and an Oc∣casion of Dispute and Emulation, to the Minds of Youth, but ridiculously made the main Stress and Essentials of Philosophy, that from thence had degenerated into an Empty Science, com∣pos'd

of Words and Terms that signifie no∣thing: The little Observation made upon Ex∣perience, that is the Mother of Philosophy: The implicit Dependence they had on the Sentiment of another, often superficially considered and ill understood.

I can also assure you, that kind of Advice, though envidiously at first receiv'd, has not fail'd of its Effect. The Desk-Philosophy has chang'd its Countenance in the principal Colleges of France. The most ingenious of the Professors affect to treat of the ordinary Questions, and those that are most crabbed with greater Soli∣dity and Method, with more Justness and Exact∣ness, persuaded that those Questions thus handl'd have a greater Power than is imagined to form a Juvenile Mind, if it is capable of it, to ren∣der it Correct and Just, to accustom it insensibly to make those so necessary Abstractions, in order to the avoiding Mistakes and Fallacies in the Train of a Reasoning, spun through a Dis∣course, in the Examination of a Mathematical Demonstration, the Discussion of a Physical Experiment, or perhaps a Political Interest or Concern.

Since when Men are more shy of calling the Proofs they bring for their Opinions, Demonstra∣tions, they are not so eager to declare War against those that talk otherwise than them∣selves, and that often say the same thing. They have learn'd to doubt of certain Axioms that have hitherto been held Sacred and Inviolable, and upon Examination have sometimes found them unworthy of so great a Title. Occult Qualities are under a Suspicion, and a Cloud, having lost considerably of their Reputation. The Horror

of a Vacuum is no where receiv'd but in the Shools, where no one will be at the charge of Glass Tubes, and certain Instruments which manifestly prove the absurdity of that hackney'd Solution, that hath been constantly given to the most curious and extraordinary Phenome∣na's of Nature. All sort of Experiments are daily made. That of the Gravity of the Air is try'd a thousand different ways; and there is scarce any little Pretender to Physick in the Town, but has at his Fingers ends the History of M. Paschal's Experiment.

Here M. Descartes, interrupting me, de∣manded what was that Experiment of M. Pas∣chal? I answered, it was that made in the year, 1648. upon the Well of Domme with Torricelli's Tube. Wherein the Quick Silver was observ'd to fall a great deal lower at the top of the Moun∣tain, than in the middle, or at the bottom; from whence hath been evidently concluded the Gravity of the Air. Does that, reply'd M. Des∣cartes, go by the Name of M. P.—'s Expe∣riment? It is then, because he put it in Pra∣ctice, or rather because he occasion'd it to be practic'd by M. Perrier; for assuredly it is not because he invented it, or foresaw the Success. And if that Experiment ought to bear the Name of its Author, it might more truly be intitu∣led, the Experiment of Descartes. For it was I that desir'd him two years before to make the Trial,* 1.1 and assur'd him of the Success, as being intirely conformable to my Principles, without which it had never come into his Head, being he was of the contrary Opinion. That Man is Fortunate, continu'd M. Descartes, in point of

Reputation. A great many Persons were for∣merly made to believe he had compos'd a Book of Coniques, extracted from himself by the meer dint of Reason, at sixteen years of Age: That Book was sent me; and before I had read it half,* 1.2 I concluded he had made great Advantage of Monsieur des Argues's Instructions; which Conjecture, a little after was confirm'd by his own Confession. What you say (reply'd I) a little surprizes me; for in the Preface to a Tract, De l' Equilibre des Liqueurs, Printed af∣ter M. P.—'s Death, your Testimony is quoted upon that Particular, and it is not alto∣gether conformable to that you give at present: For there is no notice taken of the assistance he receiv'd from M. des Argues. It is only said, the thing appear'd to you so prodigiously un∣credible, that you would not believe it. But that you was persuaded that M. P— the Fa∣ther, was the genuine Author of the Piece, but was willing to confer the Honour on his Son. I know not, said he, what they have made me speak or think in that Preface, but I am very well assur'd I say nothing at present, but what I had wrote in plain Terms to Father Mersennus,* 1.3 after I had seen the Work.

After all, said I, Monsieur, I am not much surpriz'd that M. Paschal at sixteen years of Age, without any foreign Succour, wrote a Book of Coniques, and by chance jumpt in his Thoughts with M. Descartes; he that at twelve years old, before the sight of any Books of Geometry, made himself particular Definitions, Figures, then Axioms, and push'd on his Notices so far, that when he was caught at his Opera∣tions,

he was already arriv'd to the thirty second Proposition of the first Book of Euclide, which he had never read.

Do you credit that, said M. Descartes? Why should I not, said I! It is so affirm'd and cir∣cumstanc'd in the Preface, I have mention'd, as leaves no room to doubt of it. M. Paschal, the Father, desirous that his Sons 〈◊〉〈◊〉 time should be imploy'd in the gaining of the Tongue, which he taught him himself, was cautious to conceal from him the very Names of things, that are us'd in Mathematicks, and constantly forbore to mention 'em to his. Friends when he was pre∣sent: Notwithstanding according to the Author of the Preface,

The Passion that Child had for such sort of Science, joyn'd to his pierc∣ing Understanding, serv'd him instead of a Master; seeing his Tasks that were order'd him, rob'd him of all other opportunities, but his Hours of Recreation (a Circumstance very remarkable) he laid out all he could of those in these Speculations. He was con∣strain'd, says he, to make his own Definiti∣ons, calling a Circle a Round, a Line a Barr, and so of the rest. After his Definitions, he made him Axioms; and as we: proceed from one thing to another in that Science, he car∣ried his Researches so far, that he was arriv'd to the thirty second Proposition of Euclide. As he had made that Progress, his Father ac∣cidently entred the Room he was in, and found him so attentive on the Proposition he was upon, that it was a good while before he took notice of his Approach. But it was a far greater Surprize to him, upon his Demand, What he was a doing? To hear him say, He

was in search of such a Thing, which was ex∣actly the thirty second Proposition of the first Book of Euclide. He ask'd him then, What made him think of that? He answered, it was his Discovery of such an other Thing; thus, as it were, analyzing and explaining his meaning still, by the Names of a Barr and a Round, he came down to the Definitions and Axioms of his own Contrivance. M. Paschal was so astonish'd at the greatness and force of his Son's Genius, that leaving him, without speaking another Word, he went at the same juncture to a Friend's House of his, one M. Pailleur, admirable in the Mathematicks. When he came there, he stood immoveable as a Statue, and as a Man transported. M. Pail∣leur observing that, and seeing him in Tears, was very much affrighted, and pray'd him to conceal no longer from him the cause of his Displeasure. I weep not, said M. Paschal, out of any Grief, but Joy. You know what pains I have still taken to prevent all Know∣ledg of Geometry in my Son, for fear it should take him off his other Studies. Yet see what he has done; upon that he related all to him that I have said: And M. Paschal, by the Advice of his Friend, desisted to offer violence to his Son's Inclinations, who was yet but a dozen years of Age, and gave him an Euclide.

Seriously, said I to M. Descartes, do you think a Man could have the Face to circumstan∣tiate a Lye so methodically as this? Could any thing seem more probable than the Circles he calls Rounds, and the Lines that he calls Barrs? Is not that enough to persuade us of the Truth of his Axioms, and the thirty second Proposition of

Euclide? What can be more Natural, than the Surprizal of M. Paschal the Father, excepting perhaps it was a little too long, who took there∣upon his Cloak, and order'd his Horses to be put in the Coach, yet remain'd, at his Arrival at M. Pilleur's House, in so immoveable a post∣ure, as was capable to scare him? After all it is very fine and extraordinary, and it would be great pity it should be false.

And I say (reply'd M. Descartes) it is greater pity that it should be true, and that any should believe it: For if once it be credited, that a Child of twelve years old, that hath never seen a Book of Geometry, and in whose Presence all endeavours have been us'd to suppress the very Name of it, whose Mind all day long was taken up with quite different Notices, who had no time to spare but his hours of Recreation, which no Body probably order'd him to pass away in Solitude, should be able to frame to himself a Method of Geometry, invent Axioms, and arrive at last to the thirty second Propositon of Euclide, I say, if such like things be once receiv'd for Truth, the Publick will become the Subject and Game on which, in a short time, the most Romantick Panegyrists shall sport the Extra∣vagancies of their Imaginations. That way of praising is injurious to the Persons prais'd, and a Commendation so improbable as that, renders the Truths themselves suspected, that shall be found in Company with it. M. Paschal was a Man of a most exalted Capacity, but was far from being an Angel or a Devil. I told M. Des∣cartes thereupon, I chanc'd into a Company not long since, where one was speaking much to the same purpose as he had done, upon this Topick,

and there fortun'd a Gentleman to be there, a Friend to a Society that was under no mighty Obligations to M. P. who seeing all People ri∣dicule that Fable, said, in a careless leering Air, that the Author of the Preface and his Friends, did, at most, but Justice to M. Paschal▪ and that they had rather been too backward in that they had said no more; and as he was urg'd to unmask himself, as to the meaning of a thing every one perceiv'd he was not very serious in, he added, That Hyperbole, as extravagant as it look'd to him, appear'd but a very mean return for the Obligations they were under, for his Letters to the Provincial, in which he had done 'em very signal Favours that were worth these, and that were on a more important Occasion. To which all agreed, and 'twas acknowledg'd M. Paschal's Services to those Gentlemen could not be repaid in a better Coin. Yet I must needs tell you M. P. wrote only, by the Memoirs that were given him, and that he thought true, as false and precarious as they were, not knowing the Spirit of a Party wherein he was ingag'd. Undoubtedly he was rather over-reach'd himself, than any design he had to impose on others. Let us say no more on this occasion; and M. Descartes recall'd me to the Chapter concerning Cartesianism.

He inquir'd then, what Strength he had in the Vniversities, and most celebrated Colleges of France? And how his Doctrin was look'd up∣on there? I told him, without Ceremony, what I knew concerning it: That I knew no College that openly profess'd his Doctrin, that most of them were discharg'd from Teaching of it: That in the Vniversity of Paris, extream care

was taken lest the Professors should give too much liberty on that side: That Cartesianism had been the Debate of several Assemblies, and how that I had heard, from some Body, that it had been talk'd of putting it down by an Act of Parliament; it was propos'd to the late Chief President, M. de la Moignon, but that that Ex∣pedient was not prosecuted. That the Vniver∣sity of Caen, which next to that of Paris is the most flourishing, at least, for Philosophy, had in one Thousand six Hundred Seventy seven, de∣clar'd against that Doctrin, and condemn'd it as contrary to Orthodox Divinity; denying all hopes to any that should undertake to maintain it, of their admission to any Degree in the Vniversity; and forbiding all such as were already admitted, the teaching it viva voce, or by Writing, upon pain of forfeiting their Priviledges and De∣grees; that the Example of Angers had been imitated therein, that two years before had made the like Decrees, which had been con∣firm'd by a Placart of the King put forth at Versailles in the year, 1675. and that most of the other Universities had gone in imitation of the same Proceedings.

This News chaf'd M. Descartes. And what, said he, has no one in these occasions undertaken my Defence? Would no Corporation, no Commu∣nity declare for my Doctrin? We have seen whole Orders take on them the quality of Sco∣tists and Thomists, and to carry the Interests, some of an Universal a parte rei, others of an Universal a parte mentis, sometimes beyond the Bounds of a laudable Emulation; whilst a Phi∣losophy so Solid and Curious as mine, shall be abandon'd to the Humours and Caprice of the

Vniversities. I had pardon'd the Hollanders, that their ill-natured Behaviour, who were not oblig'd indeed to have those Considerations for a Stranger, as I was in respect of them; but I could never have believ'd they would have treated me so in France, my Native Country; to which I am sure I have given much Honour and Reputation. Why were my Bones tran∣slated from Sweden to Paris, if at the same time they intomb'd them with Pomp and Funeral Elogies, they blasted my Memory throughout the Kingdom? I quitted, it's true, the World, a little with the soonest: But after all, I left it not before I had acquir'd a most wonderful Esteem. I had taken infallible Measures for the securing my Party: And my Affairs had never been reduc'd to so damn'd a Plight, had my Dis∣ciples trod in my Steps, and kept their Eye ex∣actly on my Views and my Designs.

For I must confess, said he, I was not exempt from the Weakness and Blind Side of all Leaders of a Sect. I was concern'd for the Progress of my own, though I feign'd to seem as indifferent for that as any thing else; and the Hopes I had one Day to see it take Place of all the rest, serv'd as an Incentive to encourage my Endea∣vours: I had drawn up my self a System of my Management, for the accomplishing my Design. My first Prospect was that of cajoling the Iesuits, and sounding them, to try if I could engage them in my Interests, or at least make a Party among them; that would have been a Parting-Blow indeed, and my Affairs for ever after would have stood secure of any Rival or Competitor: They are possess'd of the Colleges of the princi∣pal Towns in France, and there are among them

a great many Men of excellent Sense, and cap∣able of protecting my Opinions, if once they were admitted.* 1.4 I sent them my Works, desir∣ing them to examine them, and assuring them, I would submit them to their Judgment. Cir∣cumstances were very favourable at that Jun∣cture; their Provincial was my Countryman, my Friend, and my Relation: My Regent in Phi∣losophy, who was still living, and whom I had observ'd to be a better Naturalist than most of the Philosophers of that Time, wished me very well. In short, I question'd not my Success; but I was highly surpriz'd upon Father Mer∣sennus his acquainting me from Paris that Father Bourdin, the Mathematician of the Iesuits College, had publish'd Theses in opposition to my Do∣crin. Those were the first that appear'd against me in France; such a Thunder-clap as that gave me quickly to understand how the So∣ciety stood affected, and how little Stress I ought to lay upon the Friendship of some Parti∣culars. Not long after the same Mathematician wrote against my Meditations, in no very seri∣ous Style, turning them to Droll and Ridicule; which occasion'd on my part a very smart and vigorous Answer. I complain'd thereof to Father Dinet, in a Letter that I printed with my Meditations: In a Word, an open Breach was made betwixt the Iesuits and my self. I desir'd Father Mersennus very carefully to watch the Be∣haviour of the Fathers towards me, and to give me Intelligence of all. I made a Resolution too to fall upon them, and confute some one of their Printed Courses that was most in Vogue; but I desisted from that Design for some parti∣cular Reasons.

Mean while I had another String to my Bow: There was set up a Party at that Time in France, diametrically opposite to the Iesuits, compos'd of those who write themselves S. Austin's Disciples, and who were zealous Sticklers for M. Iansenius, the Bishop of Ypres his Doctrin. Monsieur Ar∣nauld, as young a Doctor as he was, had already got an extraordinary Fame: In the concern I had with him upon account of some Objections he raised against my Meditations, which I an∣swer'd with the greatest Expression of Esteem I had for his Intellectual Capacity, I found out what he was, that is, a Man ambitious of Distin∣ction and Novelty, and of whom one might be sure, if once one had engaged him in a Party, recommendable with those two Temptations: Therefore I was well assur'd of him; and I be∣lieve the Resentment I express'd towards the Iesuits, was that which most endear'd him: This fell out so well, that from thenceforth you should not see a Iansenist Philosopher that was not a Cartesian. It was likewise these Gentlemen that brought Philosophy in Fashion among the Ladies; and I had Advice from Paris at that Time, That nothing was more customary in their Dressing-Rooms than the Parallel of Monsieur d'Ypres and de Molina, of Aristotle and Descartes.

I dream'd next of hooking in some Fraternity or other; well-remembring what I us'd to hear the late M. Iansenius say, That such sort of Peo∣ple espouse an Interest without knowing what it is; and he was of Advice it would be of no small mo∣ment for his S. Austin to be seconded with some such Herd; because, added he, when they are once imbarqu'd, nothing can put a Stop to them pro &

contra. I had an Eye upon the Minim Fryens, upon the Score of Father Mersennus, who was my intimate Friend, and in great Repute with the Order; but I consider'd that though those Fa∣thers had Men of Parts and Learning among them, yet they were little abroad, and taught not publickly: Again, Father Mersennus assur'd me, That if the Matter was brought before the Chapiter, Aristotle's Party would infallibly carry it, 'cause of the Old ones, who had for a long Time equipt themselves with all sorts of Philosophical Furniture, and would never be at the Charge of suting themselves afresh.

You did well in avoiding that Game (inter∣rupted our Old Gentleman) for since that a Father of their Order, one Father Magnan, a Rational, Understanding Man, striking a little out of the Usual Road, and treading in a new Track, has, as I am inform'd, been chastis'd in a General Chapiter, and Prohibitions have been made for any to imbrace his Principle; and since the main of their Studies as well as of other Seminaries, are Metaphysicks and Divinity: What is properly called Physicks is not very current; the Offensive and Defensive League entred by several Orders for Physical Predetermination, against Mean Science, is the grand concern that hath found them Em∣ployment for almost an hundred Years.

And it will continue them in Employment still, (reply'd M. Descartes) for the same Reason as made me take those Measures I speak of, that is, because Predetermination and Mean Science are be∣come the Sentiments of the Order and Commu∣nity; a Quality I designed to give my Philoso∣phy, to eternalize it: But, however, when I quitted the World, I left Things in so good a

tendency that way, as incourag'd me to hope I had a main Party in the Congregation of the Fathers of the Oratory. It is a considerable Body in France, whose Business is Study, many whereof have rendred themselves Famous by their Know∣ledg and their Writings. The Emulation that is between them and the Iesuits, with a Salvo to the Esteem and Respect they have for one ano∣ther, was enough to procure me an Hearing in their Congregation: What, have those Fathers forsaken me?

You make me call to Mind, said I thereupon, some Passages in that Business, that may be worth your Hearing. I know not whether you have reason to be satisfy'd or dissatisfy'd with the Reverend Fathers, you shall be Judge your self. About ten or a dozen Years ago there happen'd some Divisions in the University of Angers, oc∣casion'd by the Fathers of the Oratory's defending certain Theses, wherein much New Philosophy was interwoven, partly according to your Prin∣ciples, partly according to the particular Notions of the Professors:* 1.5 The University took alarm at Sight of those Innovations, and would not suffer the Theses to pass: She gave the Court an Account of it, and the Father General. The Court was enclin'd for the University, which oblig'd the Father General to order in the Congre∣gation, That no one should swerve from the Ancient Opinions, or any ways teach the New Philosophy. But here comes a Cup of Comfort for you; speedily after came out a Printed Let∣ter, penn'd in excellent Latin, to the Reverend Father Senault, General of the Oratory, entitul'd, Epistola eorum quotquot in Oratoriana Congregatione Cartesianam doctrinam amant: Wherein, after

having laid down the Motives that induc'd them to beseech him not to straiten and infringe their Minds; on that Particular were added these Words, ut noris quam late Cartesiana haec labes, (si labes est)— grassetur. Plusquam ducenti nu∣mero sumus, quos pestis ista infecit.

Hereby you see what Strength you had in that Congregation: Which yet was no Impediment to the Proceedure and Decree of the General Assem∣bly of the Oratory in 1678. declaring she imbrac'd no Party; but that she always had, and would still maintain that Freedom and Priviledg of pre∣serving Sound and wholesome Doctrin; and that she laid restraint on none but such as were cen∣sur'd by the Church, or as savour'd of the Sen∣timents of Iansenius and Baius in Divinity, or of the Opinions of Descartes in Philosophy.

Oh the Base and Cowardly—cry'd M. Des∣cartes, all enrag'd. Softly, Monsieur, I reply'd, if you your self had headed a Corporation, whose Essential Interests you had engag'd to maintain, you would have had very different Thoughts from those you now have under the Quality of a Leader of a Sect. Neither Pru∣dence nor Conscience could oblige a Man to be∣come the Martyr of a Philosopher. Matters are of a quite distinct Nature in Point of Philo∣sophy and Religion: A Man may allow of the Opinions of a Philosopher, consider'd in them∣selves, and at the same Time be included in such Circumstances as make it prudence to Acquiesce.

But two things there are, which I have alrea∣dy observ'd to you, which should make you overlook those Paltry Affronts you Philosophy has met with. The first is, that what is in it

more choise and better than ordinary, begins to be authoriz'd in the Schools of the most zealous Peripateticks; who no longer oppose the Truth, that you have insus'd into them, but only so husband Aristotle's Stake, as it may not be said that ever any Philosopher had a clearer View than he. You know the Adventure of the last Age in France; the wisest Heads of the Kingdom could do no otherwise than approve the great∣est Part of the Regulations made in the Council of Trent, notwithstanding there were Reasons that obstructed the adhereing to that Couuncil, on Discipline-account. What was done? The States of Blois made Ordinances exactly like a great Part of the Decrees of that Council: Thus, without admiting the Council, they fol∣low'd in effect the Purport of it. The Peripa∣teticks have in some sort transcrib'd the Conduct of those grave Politicians. 'Tis a Crime among them to be a Cartesian, but 'tis an Honour to make good Use of the best Part of M. Descartes. And to compare the Fortune of your Doctrin with that of another that in our Days hath made such a Bustle in the World, before the Propositions of Iansenius had been condemn'd at Rome, his Followers highly complimented him upon them: His was the Pure and Uncorrupt Doctrin that was copied from the great S. Augu∣stin; but they had no sooner been censur'd as Heretical, but they vanish'd in a Trice, and could not be found in Iansenius his Book: No one could heartily believe they ever had been there, and in Spight of Bulls of Popes and Ordinances of Bishops, 'twas reckon'd a Mortal Sin to sign a Condemnation of Propositions, and a Form of Faith, without the Distinction of De Iure & de

Facto. The quite contrary happen'd in the Af∣fair I am speaking of.

At first, when the Cartesians made Mention of Subtil Matter, and ridicul'd the Horror of a Vacuum, talk'd of the Elastick Vertue of the Air, the Pressure of its Columns, and the man∣ner of the Impression of Objects on our Senses, Aristotle was brought to confront them with a quite contrary Doctrin.

Since that Time, upon Examination of the Reasons on which your Propositions in those In∣stances depended, they would not say that you were in the Right; but many undertook to affirm, That Aristotle had taught the greatest Part of that before you. There hath been since discover'd in his Writings an Ethereal Matter, the manner of Sensations by the Concussion of the Organs; the Demonstration of the Gravity of the Air, and the most delicate Truths of the Equilibrium of Liquors: So instead of the Ianse∣nists abandoning, or seeming to abandon the Right, and sheltering themselves under the Fact, the Peripateticks fall on Possession of the Right by the Fact itself; that is, the Peripateticks now find in Aristotle what according to themselves had not been visible for these thirty Years. On the contrary, the Iansenists have lost Sight of the Propositions they had pointed to us hereto∣fore themselves, before they were condemn'd: So that would you make any Abatements, as I hope you will, that I may make good my Pro∣mise I made Voetius your Old Friend in Holland, we should see M. Descartes turn Peripatetick, and Aristotle Cartesian.

The other Thing, that is Matter of Consola∣tion to you, and that in Defiance to all the Ef∣forts of your Enemies must encourage you to hope for the Immortality of Cartesianism, is the uncontroulable Liberty that's left to every one of Writing for and against it: And that at this Day the most Solid and Ingenious Patron of the New Philosophy, is a celebrated Father of the Oratory, whose Books are in great Reputa∣tion. He forthwith requir'd his Name and Character. He is call'd, said I, Father Male∣branche: He's a Man of an extraordinary pierc∣ing Judgment, of profound Thought, that has a wonderful Gift at methodizing his Reflections, which he opens and displays in the neatest and most lively manner imaginable; that knows however to give an Air of Truth and a probable Turn, to the most extraordinary and abstracted Notions; that is skill'd to the utmost Perfection, in preparing the Mind of his Reader, and inter∣essing him in his own Thoughts. In short, he is the most charming Cartesian that I know. His principal Work is called, The Search of Truth; and it is from that in particular that he hath been acknowledg'd for such as I have de∣scrib'd him: Yet I cannot conceal from you a little Accident that may somewhat allay the Joy that News must excite in you; which is, That this Illustrious Champion of the New Philo∣sophy, has been sometime since at Variance with M. Arnauld, whose Friend he had ever been before, which made a kind of Civil War. The Onset and Defence on both Sides is manag'd with Vigor and Courage; each of them combate in their own way: Volumes of five or six hun∣dred Pages apiece are sent out by M. Arnauld in

the turning of an Hand: The other is less luxuriant, but more strict and pressing: He takes those Captains for his Precedent, who only make use of some select Troops, without any regard to Number, that always march close and in good Order, who let the Enemy wheel about as often as they please, but are sure to break their Ranks whenever they see an Advantage. Discourse is various concerning the Motives of that War; M. Arnauld is the Aggressor: The most refin'd Politicians, who, as you know, never fail to make the best of their Talent on such Occasions, say, It is a Trick and Evasion of the Old Doctor, who has several other such at command. Some Years ago there appear'd two Books against him; one was titul'd, The Spirit of M. Arnauld, wrote by a French Protestant Minister, retir'd to Holland; that's a very roguish Book, I must confess, and full of Venom and Gall, but he leaves M. Ar∣nauld inextricably in the Briars; he not only turns his own Weapons upon him, but also against the Catholick Religion, and concludes di∣rectly from the Principles and Practice of M. Arnauld, that most of the Arguments he takes to be most forcible and Advantagious to the Catholick Religion, are nul and insignificant, are meer Shew and Out-side, fit only to dazle the Eyes of the Ignorant, and such as cannot pene∣trate to the Bottom of Things.

The other Book, which was printed the first of the two, but was not made publick till some time after, was written by a Iesuite against a French Translation of the New Testament, com∣monly call'd, The Mons New Testament, done by the Gentlemen du Port Royal, and whereof M. Arnauld took upon him the Patronage and

Defence. That Book of the Jesuite is Solidly, Scholar-like and Politely wrote. He very per∣tinently comes over M. Arnauld on many Occa∣sions, and adds from time to time, in those Places, he challenges him to give an Answer to such and such a Point: Notwithstanding, those two Books found no Reply; and no one could say they were unanswer'd, because they were despised and did not deserve the Pains. Reli∣gion it self was ingag'd, that Answer should be made the first (as hath since been done by ano∣ther Hand) and M. Arnauld's Honour and Re∣putation 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.

'Tis known by long Experience, that M. Ar∣nauld 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 him∣self new Adversaries, and out of a gayety of Humour falls to Daggers-drawing with his Friends and Allies, whilst his Country is aban∣don'd to the Pillage and Descretion of his Ene∣mies? Here is, say they, the short and the long of the Business. Those two Books Non∣plus M. Arnauld. The first upon several Arti∣cles presents you with an Argumentum ad Homi∣nem, 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 Ad∣versary might escape him. It would be no part of Prudence to engage on so disadvantagi∣ous 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 Di∣version. He picks a random Quarrel with Fa∣ther 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 Iesu∣ite? 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 Corpo∣real God: Without which no Man can find out what he means by his intelligible Extension, that is, he says, in God. However the other Con∣cern 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 V••raine?

If that Conjecture is not true, said M. Des∣cartes, it is however very probable, and those Gamesters play the Politician not amiss. But what (pursu'd he) is the Subject of Dispute be∣twixt 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. Fa∣ther 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 con∣tradictory 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. Des∣cartes;) but which at last of these two Comba∣tants 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 Advan∣tages 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 en∣countring 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 Ex∣pression) as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Outworks of the place he had a Design to ruin. That the Subject being very Abstracted and Metaphysical, and above the or∣dinary Capacity of Men, and Father Male∣branche's System on that Particular, requiring a very great Attention to comprehend it, M. Ar∣nauld seem'd to have taken designedly that Me∣thod of Assault, for the making a more advan∣tagious Effort on his Adversary; but that Fa∣ther 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 dis∣advantagious 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 di∣stinguish'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 re∣lieve his Party, and bearing still a Part and Fi∣gure, able to disquiet those by whom he had been worsted. I might likewise add, without

affronting Father Malebranche, he is already sen∣sible 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 Con∣tradictions, 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 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 Gentle∣man's Information, on our return to th'other World. He told me M^r. Descartes declin'd en∣tring 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 Li∣berty in Opinion, as before, without being rest∣less, 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 Ari∣stotle, 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 re∣turn; 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 Peripa∣teticks, in the difference of the Species, Appari∣tions or Images of Objects, contain'd in the Ca∣vities of the Brain, or imprinted on its Sub∣stance. 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 re∣ceive 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 Occur∣rencies, 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 Im∣pression on Philosophical Souls: For if they be Peripateticks they presently explain it by the Sym∣pathy betwixt the Soul and Body of the same in∣dividual; and if they be Cartesians they ex∣pound 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 Impressi∣on, when she is remote from the Body, as when present, proximity of Place being wholly insig∣nificant 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 Spe••ies in my Mind, but to make them glide in such a Current as was neces∣sary, and as he knew how, for the implanting Cartesian Ideas in their Room; which he per∣form'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 con∣vinc'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 Cartesi∣ans 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 affi∣nity 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 in∣finitely surpriz'd at so prodigious a Change, be∣ing 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 Ex∣tension 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 liv∣ing with the most 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 Or∣ders of the Sovereign Being for an entire Dismis∣sion 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. Des••artes prepar'd himself for the executing his Projection: Which was by the Exposition, or rather Supposition of some of his most Impor∣tant 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 Moun∣tain 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 Second is, That a Body always naturally continues its Motion in a right Line, though the

rencounter and justling of other Bodies fre∣quently disturb it from its Regular Course, and from hence follows an indisputable Principle, confirm'd by infinite Experiments; viz. That a Body, circularly moved, constantly endea∣vours to get farther from the Centre of its Mo∣tion; and if it fortune to get rid of a Body or Bodies, that constrain it to move circularly, it is always sure to make its escape by the Tangent of the Circle it describ'd, in its Motion.

[illustration]

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 Crea∣tures, 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 Mem∣bers 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 con∣fesses her Ignorance of the manner whereby it must be done. That bright and lively influx, wherewith thou hast enlightned my Understand∣ing, 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 Con∣templation of thy wonderful Works. Though I at present undertake to work upon that im∣mense 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 se∣cond, 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 Condescen∣tion 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 Rela∣tions and Dependences they have on one ano∣ther; 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 no∣thing but the Motion of its smallest Parts, agi∣tated 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 pre∣sent.

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.

[illustration]

S The Vortex of the Sun.

For the comprehending what I mean by this Word Vortex; imagine to your self a round or oval Space of Matter, which I divide in a thou∣sand or ten thousand little Parts. Suppose these little Parts, so many little Giggs, each made to turn about their Axle or their Centre; and

and bowl'd at the same time about the Cen∣tre of that round or oval Space; and this is what I call a Vortex.

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 Vor∣texes, in the Space which I have laid out, I shall make twenty fix'd Stars: But at these fix'd S••ars you'l be surpriz'd, and will have the pleasure of observing, that but one in twenty will continue, which will represent your Sun: All the rest will become partly Planets, partly Comets: Nor will there of those twenty, above one great Vortex remain, which will be that of the Sun, in which will be form'd two little new ones, to represent the Vortex of your Earth, and that of Iupiter. This will be sufficient, Monsieur, said he, ad∣dressing himself to me in particular, to qualify you for the comprehending the Work I am go∣ing to compleat. For the rest of my Principles and Conclusions, which you have seen in my Physicks, I shall more commodiously explain them in the performance it self, as occasion shall be offer'd.

With that M. Descartes, Father Mersennus, and my old Gentleman, betook themselves to three different Stations in the Space, and began to agitate and churn the Matter with a prodigi∣ous Alacrity. The twenty Vortex were come in an Instant, each having their Motion deter∣min'd on every side, and being so order'd that the Poles of one Vortex were terminated at the Eclyptick of an other. And hence it is that M. Descartes calls the Circle of a Vortex,* 1.6 that which is remotest from its Poles.

Whereas the parts of every Vortex were seen out of hand to be figured Angularwise for the generality, and to move round about their Cen∣tre, there was a mighty grating and clashing occasion'd by the Fraction of Angles, that neces∣sarily followed the Struggle every Part made to turn its self about its own Centre. And that was the first Reflection M. Descartes occasioned me to make, for the explaining to me the Ori∣gin and Production of the Elements, as they are distinguish'd in his Physicks. You see, said he, how from the agitation of Matter necessarily issue the Elements, at which the Philosophers of your World have blanched and bogled so. From a Cube or any Angular Body whatsoever, to make a round one, what more is required than the paring off the Angles and Inequalities that are found in the Surface of it? And what but this is done in the Motion I have impressed on all the little parts about their Centre? Is it possible they should turn thus without a mutual Unhorn∣ing one another? And can that continual rub∣bing of one against another, fail to polish them more exactly than if they had been turn'd in a Lathe? These little Balls constitute that kind of Matter which I call my second Element.

But now in the Interim of the shivering of these Angles, you see (and 'tis impossible to be otherwise) there is a World of little Filings, prodigiously less than the Balls of the second Element; and it is that diminutive Dust which I call the Matter of the first Element. But last∣ly, among the parts of the first Element, as minute as they are, there are some less than others, and whereas they are nothing but the Scrapings of the second Element, they are of

very irr••gular Figures, and full of Angles: Which is the reason they entangle and fetter themselves with one another, and cake into a ragged and gross Mass, which I call the Matter of the third Element: And these are my three Ele∣ments, which as you see, I had reason to defy the World to find a fault with.

Here M. Descartes was some Moments with∣out speaking to me, being extraordinary busy in the management of his Project, and the criti∣cal regulation of the first Motions of his Vor∣texes. Mean while the little parts of the Mat∣ter of every Vortex, by the means of their turn∣ing on their Centre and rubbing against each other, even'd and polish'd themselves by little and little, and still as they became perfectly Globular, they lost of their Bulk and decreas'd in Size. Then it was that I began to see the Consequences of the Rules of Motion, which M. Descartes had readily suppos'd. For seeing these little Balls took up less room than former∣ly, and seeing they kept still a turning round, and their Figure rendred them more fit for Motion, I perceived them presently to quit the Centre of the Vortex, and to gain the Circum∣ference. By that Effort obliging the Matter of the first Element, that was dispers'd through all the Vortex, to fall down to the Centre; and to constitute a Mass of that extreamly fine and powdered Dust, that still whirl'd round, and attempted to recover the Circumference from which the Balls of the second Element had chas'd it: But all in vain, because the Figure of the parts of the second Element maintained them in their Post; and all that could possibly be done by the Matter of the first, was upon occasion

to slip into the Intervals, the Balls in the Cir∣cumference of the Vortex, sometimes left be∣twixt them.

The Satisfaction M. Descartes observ'd I took at that petty Play, and the Facility I manifested in perceiving or conceiving whatever he com∣manded me, highly pleased him, and engaged him to explain to me one of the most curious Mysteries in Philosophy. I could wish, said he, you had your Body here, you would let in those admirable Deductions from the Principles I have laid, with a greater Gusto and Delight. Now you only see in the Centre of the Vortexes a heap of Dust or of subtil Matter, of the first Ele∣ment; but had you your Body and your Organs with you, capable of the Impressions that heap of Dust would make, you'd see for every heap of Dust a Sun. Monsieur (continued he) that very Sun, whose Splendour and Beauty you so often have admir'd in your World is nothing, in affect, but an Amass of that same Dust; but Dust instigated with such a Motion as I explain in my Philosophy, and you at present see.

To give you a clear Insight in this Matter, I need only suppose one thing; which I am sure you wont deny me; and which, on occasion, I could shew you in Aristotle himself, to wit, that Vision is caused meerly by the vibration, of the Threds wherewith the optick Nerve is wrought. And it is on Account of that vibration, that a Man falling rudely on his Head, or who walk∣ing in the dark, runs his Face against a Post, sees a sudden flash of Light like the glaring of a Candle. It tortures the Naturalists to explain the manner how that vibration causes us to per∣ceive all luminous and bright Objects. Upon

what Hypothesis soever they proceed, they meet with inconquerable Difficulties: But at the bot∣tom, and in earnest it is no more than this.

See here the Matter of the first Element; it turns round: And consequently wrestles to get at a distance from the Centre of the Vortex, in which it is; in making that Attempt to deviate from the Centre of the Vortex, it forces the Matter of the Second Element to circulate, that possesses all the Circumference, and shoves and pushes it every way imaginable, since there is not a point in the Circle that the Matter of the first Element describes, in its Motion, wherein it does not strive, to make its escape from the Cen∣tre, and by Consequence does not press against the Balls of the second. Imagine then you and your Body were in some part of the Circumfe∣rence▪ of the Vortex, and that you cast your Eyes towards the Centre. There are an abund∣ance of Lines of the Matter of the second Ele∣ment, that terminate in the bottom of your Eye. How comes that to pass? Why the Lines are driven towards the Circumference, and con∣sequently forced against the bottom of your Eye, by the subtil Matter, that is, at the Cen∣tre, and is indeavouring to make its Exit. Be∣ing thus pusht it presses upon the bottom of your Eye; pressing it in that manner it shakes the Strings of the Optick Nerve, and from this quavering follows the perception of the Object; and this is one of the most curious Phaenomena's of my Physicks, where I maintain that the Na∣ture of Light consists in that restless indeavour of the subtil Matter to remove its self from the Center of the Vortex, whence succeeds

[illustration]

that pressure which causes the most delicate and admirable Sensation that we have.

He then went on in explaining to me all the Properties of Light, and the Demonstrations he hath given concerning the Reflection and Re∣fraction of its Rays. He was very large and copious upon that Subject: For that piece of his Philosophy, together with that where he ex∣plains the Phaenomena's of the Loadstone, is his darling and beloved Theam. I shall not descend to the Particulars of that Discourse, for fear of wearying my Reader, as also frightning some, to whom Lines crossing one another with A. B. C. are as terrible as Magick, and the sight thereof enough to make them shut the Book, and never open it after. And this is the Reason I will make use of them as little as possibly I can.

He would not for any thing whatever have forgotten to remark to me those little ••••annel'd

Parts, whose Service is so very necessary to him, nor the way that they are wrought. A∣mongst the Parts of the first Element, which are made of the filings of the Second, there are some, that by reason of their irregular Figure, are not so rapid as the other. Those of this Nature easily hook themselves together, and make up little Bodies larger than the other parts of the first Element; and as in their turning about, they are often obliged to pass betwixt the Balls of the second Element,* 1.7 they accommodate them∣selves for that Passage, and as they squeeze be∣twixt them, wrythe themselves into the Shape of a Skrew, or become like little Pillars cham∣fer'd with three Furrows, or gutterwork'd and tourn'd as you see the Shell of a Snail. They are chiefly to be found toward the Poles of the Vortex, having their Determination toward the Centre. Now whereas some of them enter by way of the Northern Pole, others by the South∣ern, whilst the Vortex turns upon its Axis; it is apparent to every Cartesian, that those which proceed from the North-Coast must be turned Shell-wife a different way, from those that pro∣ceed from the South. And Instance M. Descartes took care to inculcate throughly in me: For it is principally upon that, the Power and Vertue of the Loadstone do depend:* 1.8 But it shall not be long, said he, before you see some particular Effect of these little channel'd Parts.

Take notice, said he, how things go in that Star that's next you. How some of the cham∣f••r'd Parts that come fromward the Poles of their Vortex, mingle themselves with the Mat∣ter of that Star, and not being able to keep pace with it in Motion, are thrown out of the

Star; just as the scummy Parts of a boiling Li∣quor are separated from the other, and rise a∣bove the Liquor. See how they link themselves to one another, and by that Union lose the quality of the first Element, and take on them that of the third. Upon their gathering and condensing in a very great quantity, it is mani∣fest they must hinder the action of the first Ele∣ment, whereby it pushes the Balls of the Second Element to the Circumference,* 1.9 and consequently must interrupt that Motion and Pressure in which Light consists. And now you may see exactly what those Stains are which you some∣times discover on the Face of the Sun of your World. They are nothing else but the drossy and scummy Parts of the third Element, ga∣thered in Heaps and expanded on its Sur∣face.

Now the wreek and scattering of those Stains which are still a gathering, and as easily dissipa∣nated, diffusing it self far and near throughout the Circumference of the Vortex, will consti∣tute a thin and ra••ify'd Body, like the Air about your Earth,* 1.10 at least, the finest part of it; and I have formerly observed, that that of the Vor∣tex of your Sun is extended as far as the Sphere of Mercury.

[illustration]

Whilst M. Descartes was thus busied in disclo∣sing to me all his Mysteries, Father Mersennus and the old Gentleman were diverting themselves, by Vaulting from Vortex to Vortex, and were but very ordinary Company to Aristotle's Pleni∣potentiaries, who star'd confusedly, and were ex∣ceedingly out of Countenance, and who now, and then joyned them, now and then came to us; comprehending not a Syllable all the time, in that Galima••phry of Vortexes, of the first, second and third Element, of ragged and branched Parts, &c. for having only Peripatetick Ideas they saw not so much as a Pins Head of all we saw in that immense Space: And they were much surprized to hear us entertain our selves seri∣ously, with such idle Fopperies and Chimera's; for such they reckoned all we said, so far as to believe we meerly designed it to expose and banter them; and doubtless they had highly

resented it, had not M. Descartes forestall'd them, by telling them, separate Spirits con∣ceiv'd things only in reference to some princi∣pal Ideas they had formerly been possessed with; and as they saw no Matter in the Space where we most distinctly behold it, so he himself with all the Eyes in his Head, was never able to per∣ceive substan••ial Forms in Bodies, absolute Acci∣dents and intentional Species, though at the same time the Peripateticks talkt of them, as Things they saw as clear as the Noon-day.

Mean time of these Occurrences, the old Gen∣tleman in haste, came and acquainted Descartes, That on that Coast he had been on, there were three or four Vortexes that began to jumble and fall to Loggerheads; and that if he did not speedily come and part them, there needed no∣thing more to tear and shatter all his World in pieces.

Poor honest old Gentleman, said M. Descar∣tes: That which makes him so solicitous for my World, is one of the finest Phenomena's that can possibly be seen, and by which I'll de∣monstrate to you how Comets are begot in yours; and how, in time, a fix'd Star may become a Planet. Let us go and cure him of his Fears.

When we came there we found two Stars, whose Surface was almost wholly overgrown with Scurf, and whose Vortexes began to be d••ain'd and suckt up by those round about them. If you have read my Book of Principles, and my Treatise concerning Light, says M. Descartes to me, you will easily conclude in what this little bu••tle and disorder ought to end; and I strange, said he to the old Gentleman, you should be frighted at it. Call to mind then what I

there teach, how that which preserves a Vortex in the midst of several others, is that impulse caus'd by the Matter of the Star in its attempt to obtain a remove from the Centre towards the Circumference: For the Star, by that Impulse, pushing and supporting the Matter of its Vor∣tex keeps the other Vortexes within their Bounds, and loses no Ground in the Dimensi∣ons of its Circuit. For, we must consider all these Vortexes, as so many Antagonists that dis∣pute it to an Inch, and so long as their Forces are equally match'd, gain no Advantage over each other; but as soon as one of them is any ways weakned or disabled, it becomes a Prey to all the rest, each taking in a part of its Space, and at last usurping it all. Now when a Star begins to be over-run with this Scurf, and crusted with a mass of the parts of the third Element, it can no longer push with so much force as it did before, the Matter of its Vortex towards the Circumference; and then the other that surround it, and whose Matter is indeavouring to get as far as possible from its Centre, finding no longer so much Motion, nor by consequence so much Resistance, expatiate and stretch them∣selves out, and oblige the Matter of that impo∣verisht Vortex, to circuit along with them, and by little and little each Inrich themselves. In so much, that some Moments hence, you shall see those Vortexes increase their Circumference with the Spoils of this poor Vortex, till at last they come to the Star it self, which will be made their Sport: That is to say, it will descend to∣wards the Center of some one of those Vortexes, there to continue in the quality of a Pla••et, to turn with that Vortex, and to observe the Mo∣tions

of the conquering Star: Or it will becon∣strain'd by the Motion that shall be given it, to bound from Vortex to Vortex, and to make a long Pilgrimage in Habit of a Comet, until its Crusts shall break: And then perhaps it will recover the eminency of a Star, and will take its revenge on some other, by appropriating its Vortex to its self.

We waited then some Moments, and saw happen what M. Descartes had foretold; all the the Vortex was drain'd dry, the Matter of one of the neighbouring Vortexes surrounded the crusted Star, and influencing it with a violent Motion, carried it clever off: But since that Star, by reason of its Solidity, that consisted partly in its Figure, most proper for Motion, partly in the close Connexion of the Parts of the third Element, that cover'd it, and the paucity of its Pores in the Superficies: I say, since that Star, by reason of its solidity, was capable of a far greater Motion than the Mass of Celestial Matter that incompass'd it, and carried it along; having by degrees arriv'd to a mighty Speed, in the turning of a Hand it gain'd the Brink of the Circumference of the Vortex, and out it flew amain, and continuing its Motion by the Tangent of the Circle it had begun to describe, pass'd on to another Vortex, and from that to another, till I knew not what became on••t: For M. D••scartes interrupted the Attention I was in to pursue it, to instruct me, That the Adventure I had seen at present usually happen'd, and would still from Time to Time in our World: And that what we there call Comets, were nothing else but Stars that have lost their Vortex and Light by that congeal∣ing Matter, and then pass'd from Vortex to Vor∣tex,

* 1.11 becoming visible to us all the Time they traverse our Solary Vortex, and ceasing to be seen as soon as they entred in another.

Immediately after the Ruin of the Vortex I have been speaking of, there were seven others that ran the same Risque, and became seven Comets. Whereupon Monsieur Descartes pur∣su'd: It is not amiss, in order to your bet∣ter understanding the Effects that are speedily to follow, to give Names to the Principal Stars that are left: We have still a dozen of them, but we will trouble our Heads at present with no more then▪ eight. That then, continued he, pointing out the greatest Star of all, and which had the greatest Vortex, we will call the Sun; that other shall be Saturn; let the next on the Left-hand be Iupiter; that on the Right shall be named Mars; that other wee'll name Earth; and the nearest to us of all shall be christned the Moon: Of these two little ones, the one shall be Venus and the other Mercury. By and by I will name the other four. Having for some Time consider'd the admirable Disposition of all these Vortexes, that, in spite of their Flui∣dity, did not at▪ all mix and incorporate with one another, a thing no one would believe unless he saw it, and which cannot be comprehended but by a Cartesian Soul; for no other Philosopher 'till this Day hath been able to conceive it pos∣sible. We saw Mercury and Venus begin to be overspread with the rising Scum, and forthwith the Vortex of the Sun with the other neighbour∣ing Vortexes to get ground prodigiously on those two Stars, till at last their Heaven or their Vortex being entirely swallow'd up, they fell in with that of the Sun, somewhat near the Centre, and

began to turn about him, floating in the Matter of his Vortex. The same thing happen'd a little while after to four petty Stars, whose Vortexes border'd upon that of Iupiter, where they were oblig'd to descend, and take the same Lot therein, as Venus and Mercury in that of Sol. M. Descartes called these four the Satellites of Iupi∣ter, because they represent the four Planets that turn about Iupiter in our World. Lastly, the Earth in like manner made herself Mistress of the Moon, and obliged her to attend her in quality of her Planet; for that is the Name which is given to degraded Stars, because of their only Employment that is left; which is, to wander in the Zodiac, and to turn eternally about those that have rob'd them of their Vortex.

That which distinguishes their Condition from that of Comets, is nothing but the Difference found betwixt the Solidity of one and the other; for as they are less solid than the Comets, in entring the Vortex that receives them, they are not agitated in their Turning with so strong and violent a Motion, as to toss themselves out of the Vortex, but swim with the Current of Celestial Matter in which they are plung'd. In like manner, the Disproportion of Solidity that is betwixt many Planets, carried in the same Vor∣tex, is the cause that some remain more remote from the Centre or Star, and others approach nearer to it; for a Planet descends towards the Centre, as long as the Celestial Matter that's below it, is better able to mount farther from the Centre, the one necessarily following the other, according to the Laws of Motion. Thus, because Mercury was less solid than Venus, he came nearer to the Sun than she; and the Cele∣stial

Matter that's above him, forc'd him to that descent, because it had more Strength than he to get at a Distance from the Centre, and it oblig'd not Venus to sink so low, because the Ballance betwixt it and Venus was equally pois'd, the one having neither more nor less Power to deviate from the Centre of their Motion than the other. But as it sometimes fortunes in our World, that Petty Princes making War with one another; after having fought some Time, and the Conquerors as well as the Conquered drain'd themselves of Men and Mony, a common and powerful Enemy comes thundring upon them, and devours them all: So here happens a sudden Revolution in M. Descartes's World, that reduc'd Iupiter and the Earth to the same Condition they had reduc'd the other Stars, whose Vortexes they had demolish'd: Both the one and the other

[illustration]

no less than Mars and Saturn became Planets, and the Sun, the sole and universal Conqueror, ex∣tended his Vortex over all the Space the other had possess'd before, and constrain'd them all to turn about himself.

M. Descartes exemplify'd this Matter by certain Whirl-pools we sometimes see in Rivers, whereof one great one, that often contains in it many little ones, represents the great Solary Vortex, and the little ones represent the Vortexes of Iupi∣ter and the Earth. Those little Whirl-pools are carried along by the Motion of the greater, and turn about its Centre, whilst themselves make every thing that comes in the Reach of their Cir∣cumference, suppose Straws, or little Chips, to turn about their own: Thus the Earth carries round the Moon in her Vortex, and Iupiter his Sa∣tellites in his.

Having seen so many fine diverting Sights, and so near a Resemblance of this little World, with our great one, our Curiosity tempted us to a more particular Enquiry, and thorough In∣struction in all Things that concern'd the Planet representing the Earth, which we inhabit. But M. Descartes told us, That in case we would see all Things in Order and Succession, as they should be, it would be several Hours Work to put that Planet in the Posture and Circumstances our Earth is at present in, and besides we should see no∣thing more occur in it than he had observ'd, in the fourth Part of his Book of Principles, in de∣scribing the Formation of the Earth, as he at that Time conceiv'd it. Besides that Subtil Matter, whereof it was compos'd, whilst it was yet a Star, which Matter is lodged in the Centre, and besides that Shell, infinitely hard,

that dams it in, I conceiv'd, said he, a kind of third Region, constituted of the Parts of the third Element, not very strictly united: And I yet farther divided that third Region into three Stories, before I imagin'd to my self the Earth in the Capacity it has at present, and in which I am going to put my own.

[illustration]

1 The Centre of the Earth, full of the Matter of the First Element. M the internal Shell that covers it. C the Place of Metals. D Water. E Earth, on which we tread. V Air.

The lowest of these Subordinations was, accord∣ing to my Position, an Arch of very Solid and Heavy Matter, and there I place the origin of Metals. The Second, which I rang'd above it, was a Liquid Body, constituted of the Parts of the third Element, pretty long, very flexible and pliant, as it were little Eels, temper'd with an abundance of the Parts of the second Element, which was nothing else but what we usually call Water. Lastly, above all this I suppos'd a third Vault, made of the most clinging and craggy Parts of the third Element, whose sensible Parts

were only Stones, Sand, Clay and Mud, and which was very porous: And this is the outward Surface of the Earth, on part of which tread Mortal Men.

Next, I explain'd, how in that upper Vault of the Earth, by its being expos'd to the con∣stant Beating of the two first Elements against it, that rush'd through its Pores with Violence; there were made a World of Crevices and Chinks, which being in Time inlarg'd by little and little, its structure at last, all of a sudden fail'd, and broke in Pieces; whereupon its Ruins fell in part of the Water below it, of the second Story, and forc'd it above them, be∣cause it was less weighty; and that's the Water which constitutes the Seas. Some Parts of the Vault were still upheld, and remain'd suspended, as it often happens in the downfal of great Build∣ings; these were not drown'd, and they were these that made the Plains, and level Parts of the Earth. Lastly, some Pieces, as they fell, were shelv'd and supported against one another, and raised above the rest; and thus came the Inequalities of the Earth, which we call Mountains.

[illustration]

You plainly see then, said M. Descartes, that to shew you the Train of all these Things would demand a great deal of Time: But the Hour of your Departure hastens on, I remit you there∣fore to my Book for Satisfaction in all those Par∣ticulars. I am going now to make an Abridg∣ment of all those Motions, and to shew you in as little Time as we are speaking on't, this Earth, exactly like yours, with Mountains, Val∣leys, Plains and Seas. No sooner said than done: He falls to determining the Motion of an infinite Number of those long and flexible Parts of the third Element, and agitating them, by playing among them the Parts of the second, in the several Places, where he had heap'd them to gether, we saw presently a kind of Sea diffuse itself over the Face of the Earth; it was a less Trouble to him to raise Mountains, by only amassing together an abundance of the branchy Parts of the third Element, and causing them to link and graple with each other, whereby there stood in many Places great and mighty Piles, nothing differing from our Mountains. That Earth look'd very bare and naked, without Trees, without Herbs, without Flowers; for to produce all those Things that are the greatest Ornaments to our Earth, was a Business that would take up longer Time.

This done, he employ'd the rest of the Time that we staid with him, in the consideration chiefly of two Things: First, of the Gravity, or rather of the Motion of Bodies we call Heavy, towards the Centre. And secondly, of the Man∣ner of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea. He began with the first, and explained it at this rate.

Take notice, said he, that this Earth turns upon its Axis in its Vortex; it has not that Pow∣er of Moving of itself, but it is carried about by the Stream of the Celestial Matter that sur∣rounds it, which whirling with a more rapid Motion than the Earth, spends the overplus in making other Motions in all Parts, and especially in squeezing and pressing Terrestrial Bodies against the Earth; a Pressure so necessary, that take it but away the whole Earth would crumble all in Pieces, and all the Men and Animals on the Surface of the Earth of your World would be hurl'd into the Fluid Space, according to my grand Principle of Motion; that every Body that turns circularly, as does the Earth with all that is upon it flies fromward the Centre of its Motion, if not prevented by the other Bodies that keep it in, as does the Pression of the Cele∣stial Matter.

[illustration]

S the Sun. T the Earth. AB CD the little Vortex of the Earth. NA CZ the great Orb wherein the Earth is carried round the Sun.

And it is for the same Reason, that a Terre∣strial Body forc'd into the Air, is oblig'd to de∣scend towards the Centre of the Earth, because it has less Force to digress from the Centre than has the Mass of Air, which it ought to dis∣mount to get into its Place: And the Reason why it hath less Force to digress from the Cen∣tre is, because it contains much more Matter of the third Element, and much less of the second than the Mass of Air equal to it in Bigness. Now the Matter of the third Element is dull and more unactive, and unable to get rid of the Centre, than the Matter of the second, it must therefore descend. Your Peripatetick Quality, continu'd he, and Democritus, and Gassendi's Chains made of link'd Atoms, are not worth a Straw, in comparison of what I say, and with that he cast a Stone on high, to shew us by Ex∣perience the Truth of what he had been Teaching.

The next thing was the Flux and Reflux of the Sea: For the better understanding this, he bade us first conceive, That the Vortex of the Earth was of an oval Figure. Secondly, That that of its Diameters, in which was the Moon, both in the New and in the Full, was the least of them all. Thirdly, That the Centre of the Earth was not the Centre of the Vortex, but was a little distant from it, 'cause of the Moon, that in whatever Part of the Circumference she was found, made the Space betwixt her and the Earth more strait; and by consequence hindred

the Celestial Matter from flowing in so free a Course betwixt

[illustration]

1 The Figure of the Vortex of the Earth.

them; and hence it follows, That the Earth, whose Place and Station, is no otherwise deter∣min'd, than by the Equality of Opposition, that presses it on every Side, ought to recoil a little towards that part of the Vortex that is opposite to the Moon. Fourthly, Whereas the Celestial Matter, that circuits with far greater Speed than the Earth and Moon, must find the Passage that lies betwixt them very narrow, in comparison of that Liberty and Room it had before, it must inevitably flow more rapidly in that Place, and at once press more violently upon the Air and Water: And to conclude, there ought to be an almost equal Pressure in the opposite Part of the Vortex, by the same reason of that Recoiling of the Earth.

He made us forthwith acknowledg the Truth of all those Principles and Effects that naturally follow them; for upon his placing the Moon perpendicular to the Equator of the Earth, we immediately saw first the Sea press'd by that Mat∣ter to sink lower, and its Waters thus press'd and crowded hurry towards the Poles, and spread themselves successively on the Shores, proportionably to their Distance from the Equa∣tor. 2. The Terrestrial Globe rowling on his Axle from West to East, we beheld the Pressure of the Moon to light on several Places after one another, according to the Succession of Meridi∣ans. 3. That successive Pressure of the different Parts of the Sea had this necessary effect, viz. to cause it to swell and fall in several Places, according to the plain and evident Rules of Sta∣ticks, which gave us a most exquisite and natural Idea of the Flux and Reflux of the Sea, consisting in this, that by how much it is mounted, by so much it is depress'd, and as often as it mounts in one Place it is depress'd in another; all these Motions going on regularly after each other, and being set, and punctual, as to Space of Time.

Again, since the Diameter of the Vortex, wherein this little Moon must necessarily be in its Conjunctions and Oppositions, was the least of all; and on the contrary, that in which it would be found in its quadratures the greatest, it was evident to us, that the depression and sinking of the Waters must be far greater in the Conjuncti∣ons and Oppositions than in the Quadratures, and consequently that the Sea must flow with greater impetuosity and Vehemence towards the Shore, or which is all one, that the Tides be far greater

in the New and Full Moons than at any other Time, and in the Equinoxes than in the Solstices, as it really happens in our World.

He next observ'd to us the particular Pheno∣mena's of the Flux and Reflux, founded on the same Principles, and minded us especially of the Reason, why we never see any Ebbing and Flow∣ing in Lakes and Ponds, let them be never so great, unless they have some Communication with the Sea: For if, said he, those Lakes and Ponds be beyond the Tropicks, they are never at all press'd by the Moon; and for those that are under the Torrid Zone, within the Tropicks, they take not up a compass of Ground, enough to cause that one Side of their Superficies should be more press'd than the other by the Globe of the Moon. Now that Inequality of Pressure is the only cause of that Vicissitude of Motions, which we call the Flux and Reflux of the Sea.

I was wonderfully taken with this Explication, and that way of solving the Flux and Reflux is so handsome, that those that demonstrate to M. Descartes the Earth cannot have a Vortex, at least an Oval one, ought upon that Consideration to shew themselves a little merciful to him: But these Philosophers are a very ungentile and brutish sort of Creatures, and know not what it is to be generous towards their Adversaries.

Mean while all the other Motions were per∣form'd in the little World with all possible ex∣actness, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the rest of the Planets, having once obtain'd their Post in the Vortex of the Sun, were extraordinary pun∣ctual to their Courses. He began to exhale Va∣pors, and to form them into Clouds, about the little Earth. To say no more, I was charm'd

with all these Prodigies: But we must now re∣solve on our Departure, and 'twas high Time we were a going. It was well-nigh four and twenty Hours since we left the Earth, and M. Descartes, who, as I have noted before, dis∣approv'd of their Conduct that deserted their Body before Death, and the Orders of the Sove∣reign Being, had dismiss'd them, advis'd us him∣self to defer the entire Satisfaction of our Curi∣osity till another Time. I made him a courte∣ous Acknowledgment and Resentment of his Fa∣vours, assuring him of the vast Esteem I had both for his Person and Doctrin. I beg'd the Favour of proposing to him the Scruples that might occur hereafter upon his Philosophy, when∣ever I had an Opportunity of sending a Letter to him. He express'd on his Part a World of Kind∣ness for me, exhorted me to a most sincere and hearty Love of Truth, and presented me with two Hyperbolical Glasses to make me a Perspective Glass, wherewith, he assur'd me, I might stand on the Earth, and discover all the Curiosities of the Globe of the Moon, and the Animals them∣selves,* 1.12 if there were any. He hath demonstrat∣ed in his Dioptricks the Excellence of that Figure, for the Glasses of a Telescope, beyond all other. He endeavour'd to have them made in Holland, and contriv'd an Engine for that Purpose, but he could not find Artists capable of accomplish∣ing his Design and his Idea with that Exactness as was necessary. He brought us on our Way as far as the second Heaven, which is that of Stars, and left Father Mersennus with us, to conduct us Home.

Some distance from the Stars, Aristotle's Em∣bassadors meeting some Philosophers of their Country and Acquaintance, desir'd us not to take it amiss, that they accompanied them, and took their Leave, but indifferently satisfied with their Voyage and Negotiation. Seeing we were in great haste, we stay'd no where on the Road, and avoided all Harangues and Disputes with every Person whatsoever, though we met in diverse Places very many Spirits, that would willingly have joyn'd Discourse with us. Father Mersennus, as we pass'd along, made me observe the Disposition of the Vortexes, and the situa∣tion of the different Elements that compos'd them, and especially the Balls of the second Ele∣ment, that I had no Apprehension of so long as I was stock'd with Peripatetick Notions, but that I saw take up the greatest part of the Universe, since I was turned Cartesian. In less than six Hours Time we arriv'd at my House, where there fell out a most unfortunate Disaster; for in pitching with a most violent descent, and not considering the Glasses I had with me, as I pass'd athwart my Chamber-wall, and my Glasses in Bodily Quality, could not enter, they were stopt, and dash'd in a thousand Pieces, by the reason of the unaccountable Swiftness wherewith they flew against the Stones; and thus I was depriv'd of the Pleasure of making the Expe∣riment, 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 perso∣nally 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 persua∣ded

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 ha∣ving 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 Cartes••an Soul, to seat her self in the Pin••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 Philoso∣pher, that had treated me so generously and gentilely. He promised me he would, and ac∣cordingly returned at a Months end, which he spent partly in the World, in dispatching some Commissions of M. Descartes, partly in the seve∣ral Planets and different Places of the wide Space, which he travers'd i•• 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 Execu∣tion. I gave him the Letter, which I have joyn'd to this Relation, and with which i'll finish it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Let. 77. Tom. 3.
• * 1.2

  Tom. 2. Let. 38.
• * 1.3

  Tom. 2. Let. 38.
• * 1.4

  Diverses Lett. de Des••. Tom: 3.
• * 1.5

  Recueil de ce qui s••est passe en l' Vniversite d•• Angers.
• * 1.6

  Part. 3. P••incip.
• * 1.7

  Numb 90.
• * 1.8

  Numb. 91.
• * 1.9

  Fig. Seq.
• * 1.10

  Numb. 92.
• * 1.11

  V. Fig. Vor••.
• * 1.12

  Let. de Descart.