Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

CHAP. X.

The origine of Dreams, their variety, &c.

WHerein, impertinently I think to his maine pur∣pose in that Chap. he entreth into a long dis∣course of Dreams, which, because it seems to squint at other matters besides this in hand, I shall with brevity censure as most unsatisfactory, and very erroneous; First, then he saith there, [That because the Brain and Nerves are so benummed in the sleep, as not easily to be mo∣ved by the action of external Objects, there can happen in sleep no imagination and therefore no dreams but what proceed from agitation of the inward parts of a mans body.]

Sect. 1.

This I conceive erroneous,* 1.1 in that latitude of terms which he useth; for, no doubt, there are many Prophetick Dreams, concerning which the Scripture, both the Old and New Testament, are full of Instance, as Gen. 40. the Butler and Baker had Prophetick Dreams, so likewise Gen. 41. Pharaoh had a Prophetick Dream; such another you may find Dan. 2. of Nebuchadnezzer. In the New Testament we may observe in the 1. Chap. of S. Mat. v. 20. How an Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream: so likewise S. Paul, Acts 16.9. Now these, and many more, which the Scripture and story furnish us withall, and we are bound to believe, do shew us, that there are dreams which arise not from the agitation of the inward

parts, there being nothing in them that could progno∣stick any such thing; and therefore this Universal Pro∣position, (Th••re can be no dream but such) was a fault not to be pardoned: He spake much better in his Humane Nature, Cap. 3. Num. 3. where he saith, [That the Cau∣ses of Dreams (if they be natural) are the Actions or Violence of the inward Parts.] That Parenthesis (if they be natural) stopt a great gap, for these instances were not natural: It was much he should correct the first Copy, making it more erroneous; error it had before, but the rent in his Leviathan was made wider then in his first piece of Humane Nature.

Sect. 2.

Error it had before, it was not true to say, that all natural dreams come from the agitation of the inward parts;* 1.2 for as the greatest Philosopher that was meer man, Solo∣mon, expresseth it, Eccles. 5.3. A Dream cometh through the multitude of businesse, not onely when the in∣ward parts of a man are unquiet and violent, but even then when they are in the best Composure; if a Man have his Fancy disturbed with earnestnesse of thoughts about any businesse in the day, in the Night, when he takes his rest, and both the Outward and Inward Senses are lockt up by Sleep, his Fancy, being op∣p••est with the Negotiations of the day, will busie its self about them in the Night, as is most apparent; so that I remember, that the first Latine verses, which I made, were made in my sleep, my thoughts, having run upon nothing else in the day, busied themselves about them in the night; and you shall observe, that a dog, used to hunting, barks in his sleep, with the like, earnestness and useth actions of that nature; so that all natural dreams spring not from the inward parts.

Sect. 3.

But in his 3. Chap. of Humane Nature, he offers at some reasons to prove his conclusion,* 1.3 and they are de∣livered at numb. 3. under the name of a Sign, thus: [The signes by which this appeareth to be so, are the dif∣ferences of dreams (old men commonly dream oftner, and have their dreams more painful then the young) proceeding from the different accidents of mans body] Thus he;* 1.4 I conceive this Instance mistaken; God be praised, I have lived to the age of an old man, and I find it other, because I think my thoughts are more composed, and by practice have made my passions less violent, and trouble my self w•••• h lesse eagerness of businesse; but he saith only, Old men commonly; and then I say, this may be a sign, but not a certain one; yea, in natural things very weak, for the course of Nature is constant, and is a sign that that proposition of his, which is uni∣versally proposed, is not universally true; That many times natural Dreams may arise from such inward causes, may be granted, because they co-operate with the busi∣nesse, or thoughts, or passions, to which that man is in∣clined; but most oft they fail, when it is otherwise. What he further disputes there to shew,* 1.5 that such and such Constitutions do produce alike effects in the dreams of those persons, I deny not, so it be not universally af∣firmed; for we read of some men, who never dreamed; but in the same Numb. pag. 23. he proceeds to another sign thus, [Another sign that Dreams are caused by the Actions of the inward parts, is the disorder and casual con∣sequence of one conception, or image to another.* 1.6] I grant the conclusion that may be deduced hence, that is, that some Dreams may arise hence, but deny the universa∣lity;

for fancy not guided by reason, but taking things as, by chance, they offer themselves out of that book of the memory, may be as confused and disorderly, as any distur∣bance that comes from the inward parts; yea, that confu∣sion can hardly be conceived to come from the inward parts; for suppose the predominant humor be Melancholy or choler; these can suggest only such fancies, when, on a sud∣den, we may observe that Dreams alter their conditions, and, sometimes in an instant, change from one fancy to another, which that constant condition of the humor can∣not promote; his instance which he immediately gives, is not perswasive; thus: For when we are waking, the an∣tecedent thought or conception introduceth and is cause of the consequent (as the water follows a mans finger upon a dry and level Table) but in Dreams there is commonly no co∣herence.* 1.7 This Example seems to me most incongru∣ous to this purpose; for the understanding of man wa∣king, and his fancy, are imployed and set at work by his will, which often interrupts and crosseth the Chaine of Consequences, and imployes the Reason sometimes to seek out new reasons; other fingers to draw water to its end; sometimes commands that finger to stop in the midst of its progress; and so the finger, imployed other where, is not followed by the water; but in a Dream, if it arise from such a Physical cause, as many times it doth, a man may conceive rather why things, as they are lin∣ked together in the Memory, should follow one another, when one is moved or raised up, because there is no Su∣periour Power to controul that Consequence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  There have been progno∣stick dreams, and such can∣not be said to arise from the agitation of the inward parts.
• * 1.2

  Solomons o∣pinion of dreams diffe∣rent from Mr. Hobbes's.
• * 1.3

  His reasons in∣valide.
• * 1.4

  Old mens dreams.
• * 1.5

  Constitutional dreams:
• * 1.6

  Phantastick dreams.
• * 1.7

  Whence co∣herent, and incoherent, dreams.