Van Helmont's works containing his most excellent philosophy, physick, chirurgery, anatomy : wherein the philosophy of the schools is examined, their errors refuted, and the whole body of physick reformed and rectified : being a new rise and progresse of philosophy and medicine, for the cure of diseases, and lengthening of life / made English by J.C. ...

CHAP. IX. Minerals and herbs do imagine after their ownirregular manner.

VVHatsoever subsisteth by a real essence, doth after some sort love it self: Where∣fore also, it hath the sense of a friend, or enemies; that is, of its own commo∣dities, and troubles: wherefore, a self-love resteth in the bosome of Nature: But things do scarce ever remain in the same state, without interchange: Therefore they undergo somewhat: but if they suffer, and walk in the way of destruction, verily it must needs be, that they have a cause from whence they are grieved: Wherefore, sympathy and antipa∣thy are observed to be even in stones; but in the Load-stone, most manifestly; the which notwithstanding cannot consist without a sense or feeling: But wheresoever that sense is, although it be dull, it happens also, that some shew of imagination agreeable to its sub∣ject, doth accompany it: For otherwise, it is altogether impossible for any thing to love; desire, attract, and apply that which is consonant to it self, or to shun any thing adverse to it self, unless a certain sense, knowledge, desire of, and aver••eness from the object are reciprocally present.

All which things do enclose in them an obscure act of feeling, imagination, and

certain image of choice: For else, by what means shall a thing be moved, or altered at the presence of its object, unlesse it feel or percieve that very object to be present with it self: If it perceive, how shall it be altered, except under a conception of the passion felt by it self? And unlesse that felt conception doth include some certain imagination in it self? Take notice Reader, that in this corner, all the abstruse knowledge of oc∣cult or hidden properties layeth, which the Schools have banished from their diligent search: they desisting from whence they were to begin, according to that Maxim; A Phylosopher must begin where nature ends: I have therefore deliberated more exactly to demonstrate, that in inanimate things ••here inhabiteth a kind of sense, phantasie, yea, and of choice, yet in a proportionable respect, according to the capacity and degree of every one.

I do not in the mean time make mention of Zoophytes or Plant-Animals, which re∣mote absence of proving, might unto many seem to be ridiculous: But our paradox will offend none who moderatly understands it.

First of all, it is not to be doubted, but that some flowers do accompany the Sun, as well in cleer days, in those wherein the Sun doth not shine, as in nights themselves; they attesting that they have a motion, sense, and love of the Sun: because, without which it is impossible for them to accompany the hidden Sun. For even as late in the even∣ing they loose the Sun in the West (the which, while he hastens towards the East, doth not operate amongst us who abide in the shadow of the earth) yet in the mean time, whether the night be hot, be cold, be cleer, or rainy., the flowers notwithstanding do not cease equally to bend themselves towards the east: Which thing first of all, poynts out that there is in them a knowledge of the rising, and circuite of the Sun, in what part he is to set, and in what to rise; cal thou it the instinct of nature, or as it listeth thee: For names will not change the matter: the matter it self is of a deed done, but the deed hath its cause in the flower: But that these things do thus happen in plants vegetatively enlivened, it is the lesse wonder: But that they have place also in Minerals, I thus prove: There is al∣most nothing made in nature, without a proper motion: and nothing is moved volunta∣rily or by it self, but by reason of the property put into it by the Creator, which proper∣ty, the Antients name a proper love, and for this cause they will have self-love to be the first born daughter of nature, given unto it, and bred in it for its own preservation: And when this is present, there is of necessity, also a Sympathy, and Antipathy, in re∣spect of the diversity of objects: For so the feathers of other birds are said to undergo rottennesse by the feathers or wings of an Eagle: and cloath made of the wools of sheep that died of their own accord, is soon of its own accord, in the holes which are beaten thorow it, resolved as it were with rottennesse, in what places the threds of the dead wool run down: So a drum made of a sheep and asses skin, is dumb, if a neighbouring drum made of the hide of a wolf, be beaten.

The skin of a Gulo (it is a most devouring creature in Swethland) stirs up in a man, however sober he be, and not a hunter, the ordinary sleeps from hunting and eating: if the party sleeping be covered with the same. But what are these things to miner∣als? Truly I proceed from the vegetable kingdom, through dead things, by degrees, un∣to stones, whereunto the holy Scriptures attribute great virtue: For indeed, stones could neither move, nor alter, if they had not an act of feeling of their own object: For nei∣ther could red Coral wax pale, if being born about, it shall touch the flesh of a men∣struous woman, unlesse it self felt the defects thereof: For the Load-stone bewrays it self, as the most manifest of stones, which by a proper local motion inclines it self to the North, as if it were vital: But not that it is drawn by the north: Because if a Load-stone be placed toward the north in a woodden box, in the averse part of it, upon the face of a standing pool of water, the box, with the other and opposite corner of the stone, speedily as may be, rowls it self to the North: Therefore, if that should be done, by a drawing of the north, and not by a voluntary impulsive motion of the Load-stone it self; the box should in like manner, presently also, by the same attraction, yield it self unto the north bank: The which notwithstanding, comes not to passe: but the box, together with its stone, remains unmoved, after that the stone together with the box, hath retorted it self on the requisite side, and by a requisite motion. It is clear therefore, that the Load-stone doth of its own free accord, rowl it self to the North: From whence afterwards it followes, that there is in it a sense, knowledge, and desire unto the north, and also the beginning of a conformable motion.

Furthermore, if any one doth hold a polished piece of steel nigh•• the aforesaid box, toward the South-side, the Load-stone then forthwith neglects the north, and turns it self to the steel; so that the box not only turns it self to the steel, but that it wholly

also, swims toward the north: whence also it is plain to be seen, that the Load-stone is carried with a stronger appetite to the iron, than to the North; and that the steel hath lesse of a successive alteration in it, than the North: Consequently also it is manifest, that it is strong in a manifest choice of objects. Some have moved a frivolous doubt a∣bout this matter; To wit, whether the Load stone draws the iron, or indeed the iron drawes the Load-stone it self? As not knowing that there is a mutual attraction on both sides, which comes not by little and little, by reason of much familiarity, neither doth it keep respects, not observe the ends of its own gain, fruition, circumstances, or conse∣quence:

Neither is that drawing subject to a flatterer, o•• defamer: out it is a gift originally in∣bred by nature, in the Archeusses on either part, and marked with a proprietary character by him who made all things; so that indeed, if the steel be lighter than the Load-stone, it is drawn to the Loadstone; but otherwise, if the stone be lighter than the steel: Be∣cause the drawing is not in the one, and the obedience of the drawing in the other; but there is one only mutual inclinative drawing, and not of the drawer with a skirmishing of the resister: And so, from hence it is manifest, that a desire is in nature before the drawing, and that the drawing followes the desire as some latter thing, as the effect doth its cause. If therefore, according to the testimony of truth, all things are to be discerned by their works, and the fruits do bewray their own tree; truly such attractive inclinations cannot subsist without the testimony of a certain co-participated life, sensati∣on, knowledge, and election.

Moreover, neither is the life of minerals lesse than the life of vegetables, distinguish∣ed from the animal life, by their own life, and their generations among themselves: Because that which is vegetable, and that which is mineral, do not operate but one, or a few proper things; and the same things as yet, with a precisenesse, interchangeable course, property, inclination, and necessity, as oft as a proper object is present with them: but a living creature operates many things, and those neither constrainedly, as neither by accident of the object; but altogether by desire, well pleasing, appetite, will, and choice of some certain deliberation; Seeing the first operation of the same is life; but the second, a proper appetite, desire or love, or delight. At length, thirdly, there is a deliberative and distinctive choice of objects: So I have seen a Bull that was filled with lust, to have d••spised an old Cow; but an heifer being offered him, to have again presently after, want••nized.

But the first operation of things obscurely living, is a power unto a seminal essenti∣alnesse.

Next, the second, is an exercise of powers, and properties.

At length, the third operation, is a greater, and lesse inclination, motion, and know∣ledge: The which indeed, flow not from a deliberative election or choice; but from a potestative interchangeable course, strangenesse, likenesse, appropriation, purity, or unaptnesse of objects: wherefore it was a right opinion of the Antients, that all things are in all after the manner of the receiver: But those powers by reason of their undiscerned obscurity, and the sloath of diligent searchers, have been scarce believed; but by pre∣decessours, and moderns, were not considered: and by reason of the difficulties of ac∣cesse, they have circumvented the world with a wandring despaire, and with the name of occult properties have hood-winkt themselves by their own sluggishnesse: But my scope in this place hath been; that if in Herbs and Minerals, there are such kind of no∣tions, the Authoresses and moderatresses of hidden properties; the same, by a far more potent reason, and after a more plentiful manner do inhabite in flesh and blood; To wit, excellently, with a particular and affected notion, motion, inclination, appe∣tite, love, interchangeable course, hostility and resistance; as with that which occurs in us through the service of the five senses: Even so that in flesh and blood, there is a certain seminal notion, distinction, imagination, of love, conveniency, likenesse, and also of fear, terror, sorrow, resistance, &c. with a beholding of gain, and losse, offence, and complacency, of superiority I say, and inferiority, and so of the agent, and the pa∣tient.

Because those necessary dependances of a consequent necessity, do flow from, and accompany the aforesaid sensations or acts of feeling: The which surely in the vital blood are characterized in a higher degree, by reason of the inbred Archeus the Author and workman of any of these passions whatsoever, than otherwise, in the whole kind that is not soulified or quickned: For a tooth from a dead carcase, that dyed by the extinguish∣ment of its powers, constraineth any tooth of a living man to wither and fall out, only

by its touching, because it compels it to be despised by the life: The which, a tooth from a dead carcase slain by a violent death, or presently extinguished by a sharp disease, doth not likewise perform. In like manner, the hair of a dead carcass whose life was taken away by degrees, by a voluntary death, makes persons bauld only by its touching: Watts, and brands brought on the Young by the perturbation of a woman great with child, through the touching of a dead carcase that died of its own accord, and by degrees, untill part of the branded mark shall wax more inwardly cold; the mark also doth by de∣grees, voluntarily vanish away. Observe well with me, whether these are not the testimonies of another act of feeling than that of cold.

Moreover, whether in that same sensation, there be not a natural knowledge, and fear of death connexed, which things are as yet also in the dead carcass: For truly a Tetanus or straight extension of a dead carcase, or stiffnesse thereof, is not a certain congelation of cold; But a mear convulsion of the muscles, abhorring death, and living even after the departure of the soul: For from hence the dead carcases of those who die by a violent death, because they die, the faculties of their flesh being not altogether extinguished, they feel not the aforesaid Tetanus but a good while after.