An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. I. Of Animals which are commonly supposed to be of a Spontaneous Birth.

I. Whether there are any Ani∣mals pro∣duc'd with∣out Seed. THERE is nothing more vul∣garly taken for granted among Authors, than that certain Ani∣mals, particularly Insects, are ge∣nerated without Seed, as Bugs and Lice out of Human Excreti∣on and Filth; Book-worms out of Books, Wood-lice out of Wood, Moths out of Garments, and innu∣merable others, which, as they say, breed and are produced without Copulation of different Sexes.

Some Physicians who pretend to be the only Inspectors into things of this nature, because they discern not with their Eyes, nor can any way comprehend the Causes which produce these Ani∣mals, call the formation of them Aequivocal, as if they sprang from different Principles, and their production had no manner of agreement with that of others; whereas indeed their Generations, by the same right as other Generations, are to be called Univocal; since they are effected by the same necessity, and no less than others, require a praevious Seed and requisit Dispositions therein. For whatsoever in Nature is produc'd, proceeds from Seed, and nothing in the Earth is generated by Chance, or contrary to the Course of Nature. True it is, that that sort of Seed is chiefly inter∣nal, and not always appearing to the sight; but that there is such a Seed latent in those Bodies, is not to be denied, since we find that Lice, Bugs, Maggots, &c. are curiously wrought and formed, each in their kind, and exactly agree among them∣selves in similitude of parts. For there is nothing wanting to their perfection; and they may be said to be no less compleat as to their internal, than external parts. For who can imagine, that so great a variety of Members, so exact a Form of each, so wonderful a proportion and contexture of parts, should fortuitously, and by an accidental Concourse of Atoms be produc'd, and that there should not rather be some necessarily determined Seed to bring them forth? For if we allow, for Example, that Daws among Birds, or Cats among Beasts, are produc'd of Seed, as being too elabo∣rately fram'd to be compos'd by an uncertain Agent, why may not the same thing be judged of other Animals, when as we may observe in them a Structure no less exact and curious, and Parts no less correspondent each to other?

II. Every Ani∣mal is en∣gendred of Seed. But some Philosophers suppose, that Bugs, Lice, Maggots, and such like Animals are generated, while many seminal particles, as they call them, being agitated by a subtle matter or heat, are so disposed as to compose or constitute certain conve∣nient Figures and Organs. For this motion, as they say, not rashly and by chance, but according to the Laws of Nature, and its Seminary Virtues proceed out of an aptly and well-disposed Matter, and determinated Heat; whereby it comes to pass, that the parts of the Matter so exagitated, not on∣ly conduce to the formation of the Heart and Veins, and the union of them with the Arteries, but also to compose the Principle of the Brain, the Sensory and Motory Organ of the Fibres, Nerves and Spirits, which things being first laid as a foundation, a farther progress is made to the forming of the perfect Instruments, those namely which contribute and are inservient to Sensation and the Local Motion of the Body.

III. Of the breeding of Ducks or Geese from Trees in Scotland. To this production of Animals may be referred that which HECTOR BOETIUS makes mention of in his History of Scotland, namely, that on the Sea-side in some parts of Scotland, there is a sort of Bird ingendred of a certain Tree, that is, of the Fruit of it falling off and dropping into the Sea. The same thing or the like, he re∣ports to be on the Sea-costs of the Hebrides Islands, where such a strange kind of Production is said to be brought about two manner of ways. The one from Ships, or old Planks and pieces of Timber, which being left upon the Shore, and there re∣maining some time, breed from their corruption certain Worms or such like Insects, which discover∣ing

first Feet, then Wings, lastly Plumes, come at length to bear the similitude of Ducks or Geese, and like them take their ••light up into the Air. The other is a Hatching as it were of certain little Birds out of Excerscences▪ ••ike Snailes, Cockles, or some kind of Shel fish sticking to the Sea-w••••d that grows in those parts, which are therefore supposed to proceed from the Fruits of Trees, because they are chiefly hatcht about that time, in which the Leaves or Fruits of those Trees that grow by the Sea-side appear and d••op•• into the Sea. And in∣deed if Fruits hanging on a Tree can bread Worms, Maggots and such like Insects, why may there not as well out of the same Fruits be bred such Ani∣mals, as like other Birds take wing and glide to and fro in the Air?

IV. Fishes en∣gendred of Dew. I have been informed by Men of very good Credit, that if a Hurdle be plac'd over any water, whether a running Stream or standing Pool, and dewy Turfs be so laid upon it before Sun-rising, that the Hearby-side may be turned downward without shaking off too suddenly the drops of Dew▪ so many drops as afterward•• upon the Sun-rising, and heating the Turf shall fall into the water, so many Fishes will be ingendred of them, and vari∣ous, according to the diversity of the Herbs on which the drops of Dew ••ate.

Upon the truth hereof a certain Famous Man infers that from Lakes, Rivers, Seas, Fishponds, and all places in general, disposed to the ingen∣dring of Fish, there are Seeds variously exhal'd, being conveyed through the Air, mixt and incor∣porated with the Dew, and falling upon the Herbs, are so cherish'd by the Spirit of them, and acquire such a disposition from them, that being receiv'd into the water, they are there form'd into these Fishes. In the same manner as from the Dew lying upon the Leaves of Nightshade, and warmed by the heat of the Sun, are ingendred Worms, as SCALIGER affirms; and as in Chili, a Pro∣vince of South America, there grows a Tree, from whose Leaves small Serpents are said to fall.

V. All Ani∣mals what∣soever are generated from the Egg. Now, tho' it hath been from Antiquity to this day the general opinion, that divers Animals, par∣ticularly small Insects are produc'd only by cor∣ruption; It is of late plainly evinc'd to the con∣trary by many Experiences. For besides those which I have quoted in my Institution of Philoso∣phy touching Insects, we see that Butterflies by Co∣pulation, produce an infinite number of Eggs, from which are hatcht Canker-worms of all sorts. Whence we may conclude, that all those Animals which are thought to be spontaneously ingendred, which are found in Cheeses, Fruits, and other sorts of Food, proceed from real Eggs, or at least from something equivalent to the Seed that comes from Females after they have been impregnated by the Company of the Males.

VI. How Ser∣pents have been gene∣rated in a Mans Brain. But HOLLERIUS in his 10th Book De Morbis Internis, Chap. 10. makes observation of a Scorpion bred in the Brain of a certain Italian by the frequent smelling of the Herb Basil. And RAIMUNDUS in his Mercurius Italicus af∣firms, that he found by experience, that the fore∣said Plant, plac'd under a Stone in a moist place, within two days produc'd a Scorpion, which much at the same time, while he resided at Siena, a very rare and memorable accident confirmed. A cer∣tain Gentleman of Siena, wonderfully taken and delighted with the smell of this Plant, used fre∣quently to snuff up into his Nose the powder there∣of dried, but highly to his cost, for in a short time he died Mad; whereupon his Skull being open'd by a Surgeon, a Scorpions Nest was there ••ound: And this might possibly be, in regard the Scorpion, being delighted with the smell of that Plant, creeps with a great desire to it, lodges in it, and haply feeds upon it, and may chance also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lay its Eggs in its Leaves and Buds: Whence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might easily happen, that the foresaid▪ Gentle∣man might, together with the Powder snuff up into his Nostrils some of the Scorpions Eggs, which cherish'd by the heat of the Head, might well enough hatch young Scorpions.

VII. Locusts bred of the Seed of Flies. So the Ukrainians are mightily infected, espe∣cially in a dry Summer▪ with swarms of Locusts, by reason these sorts of Insects, before they expire, leave each of them behind them 2 or 300 Eggs in Autumn, which afterwards by the next Sum∣mer•• heat are hatcht into Locusts, which unless they be swept away by the following Rain, or driven by the Northerly Winds into the Euxin Sea, spoil all the Corn, and inflict vast damages upon those Provinces through which they travail. Some there are, who, by diligent observation, have made this remark, that never any Insects are gene∣rated of the Flesh of Beasts or Fish, except they have been first Fly-blown, or tainted with the Seed of Flies; and consequently that Vermination in Flesh proceeds only from Flies, altogether like to those which afterwards breed in Flesh.

VIII. Bees gene∣rated out of Heifers. VIRGIL in his 4th Book of Georgicks af∣firms, that from a Heifer of two year old, having its Nose stopt, and being beaten to death, its Bowels, after it is killed, being spread over its whole Skin, Bees are generated, provided this be done about the beginning of the Spring, and be∣fore Herbs shoot forth into Flowers. This, (as we suppose) may very well be, in regard the Heifers about the beginning of the Spring, feed upon Thyme and Cassia, which soon after shooting forth into Flowers, contain little Eggs, which being agitated by heat and the subtil matter, are dilated, and at length are delivered of these little Animals. For what the common belief is of most men, is ab∣solutely false, namely, that Bees are generated out of the corrupted Carcases of Oxen. However this seems more likely than that exterior Causes should be able to meet so opportunely, as to build or frame Organs of Animals, such, as whose fabrick or structure can be comprehended by no human understanding unless perhaps some Seminary and Plastick Virtue lie hid in the said Bodies, which be∣ing scarce credible, it seems a much greater pro∣bability, that all Generation is univocal, and that almost all Animals are procreated by others of the same kind.

IX. Animals discovered in a mix∣ture of Pep∣per and Water. And much after the same we may determin con∣cerning Animals discovered in water, wherein Pepper hath for the space of three days been infu∣sed. For altho' they are too minute to be well dis∣cerned by our Senses, yet they are fram'd with so great and almost infinite variety of Organs, that they must needs be allowed to be the progeny of others of that kind, and most likely it is that their Eggs have lain hid in the Pepper.

X. Worms bred in Fruits. Worms are generated in Fruits; and Flies which are so numerous in Summer, cannot be produc'd by any act of Generation, since the whole race of Flies being destroyed, there can be none survi∣ving to produce others.

Worms are bred within the Pulps of Fruits, not spontaneously, as if there were nothing in the Fruit before, from whence they may be generated, but from a premised Seed, that is to say, while Bees or Flies, sitting upon Flowers, leave behind them certain little Eggs, which being intercepted within the Fruits, are disclosed by the urging heat, and turn into Worms. Thus Fruits and Herbs breed Worms, when they are exposed to the Air; and sometimes in one and the same Plant, divers sorts of Insects are to be seen: But if any Plant be inclosed within a Vessel, and the said Vessel be kept close stopt, so that the Air can have no ac∣cess, no Worms will there breed from any putre∣faction; nor is Cheese capable of breeding Mitcs, if kept in a Glass Vial well stopt and Hermetical∣ly sealed.

XI. Flies are generated of other Flies. So Flies are not bred spontaneously, but by a premised copulation, and of Eggs laid, which be∣ing promiscuously dispers'd in the Earth, and afterwards cherish'd by vernal heat, are deliver'd of the respective Animal: For if PLINY may be credited, Flies, as also Ants, Beetles, Bees, Spiders, Wasps, and other such like Animals ge∣nerate by commixture or copulation; and this is chiefly to be prov'd by this one Argument, name∣ly, because some years, Flies, Locusts, &c. are more abundant than others, make greater waste and havock in the Fields, and more infest Man∣kind, which certainly can be from no other cause, but for that in a mild Winter they were preserv'd and not destroyed by the coldness or moisture of the Earth.

XII. How Worms breed in the Maws of Infants. Wherefore by no means can we assent to those Peripatetick Physicians, who affirm that Maw-worms are bred in the Intestines out of putrefacti∣on, by the means of Heat; as in like manner they assert of other Insects, that by the heat of the Sun they are produc'd out of Horses, Cows or o∣ther Animals Dung. But it may more probably be alledged, that the Maw-worms have their pro∣duction from the little Eggs of Insects swallowed down by Children with their Meat. For our Meat cannot be so exactly preserved, but that it may by some way or other be contaminated by invisible Insects, which continually fly up and down in the Air. And whereas the meats swarm∣ing with those Eggs, are conveyed into the sto∣mach; the said Eggs by this means remain entire, and being cherish'd by a gentle heat, are at length delivered of these Worms: And for a clear demon∣stration hereof it is to be observed, that Children during the time they suck, are never troubled with Worms, nor are they in the least subject to this Distemper, till they come to feed upon more solid meat; whereas before they immediately drew their nutriment from the Breasts, in which none of these little Eggs could harbour. But when they come to feed upon external nutriments, they are then more exposed to the breeding of Worms, because the fermentations in those nutriments are not powerful enough to destroy the Eggs.

XIII. That some Fies are viviparous ALDROVANDUS in his first Book of Insects affirms, that some Flies are viviparous or capable of bringing forth living Flies: I took, saith he, when I was young, being entitc'd by the spe∣cious form thereof, one of the bigger sort of Flies, streakt with several white Lines; which when I had kept some time in the hollow of my hand, I perceived at last proceeding from it, certain small white Worms crawling up and down. And tho' he speaks but of his catching one only Fly, which had Worms living and moving within her womb, yet it may easily be imagin'd, and inferred that the rest of that kind are also viviparous.

XIV. Whether Mares may be impreg∣nated by the Wind. Some Animals become pregnant by the wind, as PLINY relates of Mares in Spain and Cap∣padocia, in his Eighth Book, Chap. 42. It is cer∣tain, saith he, that in Portugal on the Banks of the River Tagus, near Lisbon, there are certain Mares, which turning their Face to the West-wind, when it blows, conceive thereby an Animal Spirit, which proceeds to a Birth, that is brought forth into the world with wonderful ease and expedi∣tion, but retains not life beyond the term of three years. This the Ancients gave credit to, but I fear, not upon so exact examination and enquiry, as a matter of this nature requires; since sure e∣nough it is that Generation cannot be effected without the coition of Male and Female, unless perhaps that which they call Hippomanes, be taken for a Birth, that I say, which Mares, while they are exposed to the wind, emit. I have ask'd some Portugueses whether or no it were true which some Ancient Authors have delivered concerning the fruitfulness of the Portugal Mares, and whether any sort of Wind was so efficacious as to deserve to be termed a Father of Living Creatures. Of these persons, some professed themselves totally ig∣norant of the matter; others, whom the reading of Ancient Authors had incited to a more narrow search and enquiry into Antiquity said, that they had heard indeed that Mares sometimes bring forth certain mishapen and formless Masses, or lumps of Flesh, having nothing of resemblance with the shape of a Horse, or any other Animal: But this happens very rarely, and that too, only when they are high fed, and raging with desire of Copulati∣on, are kept from the company of the Male. Whence we cannot but admire that PLINY, COLUMELLA, and other Accurate Wri∣ters of Natural Causes, should make mention of this strange sort of Geniture, which neither they themselves had observed, nor could warrant the truth thereof to the World by any sufficient Te∣stimonies; except we compare this opinion of theirs concerning the fruitfulness of those Mares, and their celerity of Birth, with some conceits of Justine the Epitomizer.

XV. Vulturs falsly given out to con∣ceive by the Wind. Nor is it with less incertainty, that AELIAN in his 2d Book of Animals, asserts the Conception of Vulturs by the Wind, and their exposing their hinder part to the North-wind, to be as it were trodden and impregnated by the said Wind, since among Vulturs there is known to be a Male and Female, by the conjunction whereof Generation is produc'd, according to the common direction of Nature. Moreover, their Neasts are discovered, and they are known to couple at set times of the year. Nor signifies it any thing to say, that some Animals lay Eggs, which from the Wind are call∣ed Hypenemious or Subventaneous, that is to say, indeed Wind-trodden Eggs, as Hens, Partridges, &c.

which before such time as they have experienc'd Coition, emit those subventaneous Births: Since these sorts of Eggs are barren, smaller and more liquid than those, which being produc'd by Copu∣lation, are capable of faecundity. Nor can the li∣quor of them by any brooding of the Hen be brought to thicken, but still remains what it was at first.

XVI. The Pyrau∣stae breed in flames of fire. In the Brass Fornaces in the Isle of Cyprus, where the Stone Chalcites being cast in, is many days a burning, there spring up on a sudden in the very midst of the Fire, certain little winged Animals, called Pyraustae, somewhat bigger than great Flies; which nimbly run and frisk up and down in the fire. ARISTOTLE makes mention of them in the 5th Book of his History of Animals, Chap. 19.

These Pyraustae breed not of the simple sub∣stance of the fire, but out of Eggs left by this kind of Animal in the Stone Chalcites; for I can∣not but perswade my self, that this Chalcites in the Mines is condenst out of a certain Juice, from which, as from a kind of Vehicle, certain Eggs, apt for the generating of these Pyraustae, proceed out of some Vegetable Body; so that in fine the Pyraustae themselves are procreated out of these Eggs, the fat humour being mixt to the Metal∣lick Matter, and thereupon live unhurt in the fire. In regard such is the temper of the Matter whereof they consist as long to endure the fire, and like Adianthum to elude the strength of the flames. St. AUGUSTIN in the 21st Book of his Teatise De Civitate Dei, mentions also a sort of Worms found in bubling Streams of Water, so hot, as not to be touch'd without scalding.

XVII. A certain sort of Wood incombusti∣ble. TORNIELLUS in his Book of the World, takes notice of a light kind of Wood, and to all outward appearance combustible, said to be brought from the Mountains of Java, whereof a small portion hath been cut off with a Knife, and cast into a large Coal Fire, and not been consumed, nay, not so much as lighted, impaired or dimini∣shed; but being taken out, hath appeared as if it had never been cast into the fire.

XVIII. The vulgar opinion of the Sala∣mander. And altho' the same thing be vulgarly reported of the Salamander, yet I dare not maintain it as a compleat truth, since most certain it is, that at Rome a Salamander being cast into the fire by Corrini, a Roman Knight, immediately swell'd, and sent forth a fat thick matter which quench'd the Coals, and by repeated vomitings endeavour∣ed to defend himself from the cruel Ardours of the fire.

XIX. Some sort of Linnen which no fire con∣sumes. LEMNIUS saw, as himself attests, Man∣tles Knit or Woven of a certain incombustible sort of Flax which yield not to the fire, and are in∣vincible to the hottest flames; insomuch that if at any time these Clothes come to be sullied, or con∣tract any thing of Soil or Spots, there is no need of Soap or Lie for the taking out of these Spots, but the Garments are thrown whole into a great fire, and immediately become all in a blaze as if bedawb'd with Grease; but being taken out, they are fresh, and cleansed of all their Spots. The same sort of Plant is said to grow in the Desert and Sandy Parts of India, whereof some Stocks, acquire from the condition of the Soil, and quality of the Ambient Air, such disposition as to be ca∣pable of being woven into Linnen.