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. VIII. Of Slumbers and Dreams.

I. How Sleep comes to be interrupted. SLumbers or reposes of Sleep are for the most part interrupted, and but seldom hold out continued.

This hence proceeds, namely, because the Spi∣rits being diversly agitated, and ••••nding the Vestigia of various impressions, direct their course through such pores, rather than others. For the Animal

Spirits running through the Pleits of the Brain, render the series of them in a manner inflate, and according to their various agitation, either move them with one single motion, or skip from one to the other. Hence if it happen, that the Spirits, leaving one series of the Vestigia, skip first into one, then another, and so forward, various Imaginations must of necessity arise, which hang together by no connexion one with another; and yet they are all of a Company, tho' with some small interruption. Whence ARISTOTLE compares such Impressions, as are formed by Sleep in the Brain, to Frogs made of Cork, which be∣ing stuft with Salt, are plunged into the Water, where as soon as the Salt is melted, they seem to struggle alternately, and without observing any Order, rise up to the surface of the Water.

II. Whether there be any that never Dream. ARISTOTLE in his Book of Dreams, Chapter the last, makes mention of some who are look'd upon as Persons that never Dream'd; such a one PLUTARCH mentions Cleon in his time to have been: And I my self was familiarly acquainted with a Doctor of Physick at London, who protested often times to me that he never had any apprehension of any thing in a Dream.

Altho' such sort of Men never remember that they dream'd of any thing, yet nevertheless they cannot be said to have been totally free from Dreams, for the Soul never wholly ceaseth from Cogitation; and whatsoever Body is laid asleep, that loses not its Essence which is constituted in Cogitation. So that because those sort of Men re∣member not that they had any Nocturnal Cogita∣tions, it doth not therefore follow that they had none, since it many times happens to us not only to forget our Dreams, but even those thoughts which we had waking, altho' in the mean time we may be sufficiently assured that we saw in Imagination, or distinctly perceived something in our Dream: So Cleon, and those other Persons mentioned by Aristotle, were not free from Dreams, but forgetful of those things whose species were obliterated by reason of the quality of their tem∣perament.

III. How the Night More comes upon those that are asleep. Some in their Sleep fancy such a load or weight lying upon them, as if some Daemon lay heavy upon their Breast, and hindred the freeness of their Breathing. Hence this sort of suppression which the Latins call Incubus, is named by the Greeks, Ephi••ltes or Insultor, we call it in English, the Night Mare.

The Cause of this Nocturnal Asthma proceeds from the Animal Spirits being denied their influx into the Nerves and Muscles designed for the Or∣gans of Respiration; for if in Sleep the Animal Spirits have not their free Influx into their Muscles, the like motion is induc'd; whence the Soul in such an affection judges according to Custom, as if some weight were incumbent, and hindred the motion of the Diaphragma or Midriff. Add hereunto that those things which come into our Imaginati∣on, when asleep or in a Dream, more strongly affect the Brain than those which are conveyed into it by the Senses when awake. So while we indulge to Sleep, if Spittle abound in the Mouth, it follows that we seem to chew some certain Meats, and to mash them with much lteration, which never happens to us when we are awake. The same distemper may be caused when any thick Vapour fills the Womb, which by reason of its thickness cannot evaporate, but by an excited heat distends that part, whereupon the Diaphragma or Midriff is pressed, and therefore cannot be so commodiously drawn down, especially in the midst of Sleep, wherein by reason of the lesser influx of Animal Spirits it becomes less vehemently inflate, and is prest downward.

IV. The Cause of unchast Dreams. So the Genital Humour growing turgid in the Spermatick Vessels, and agitating them with a cer∣tain irritation procures unchast Dreams; so the more gross and undigestible sort of meats being ta∣ken at Supper, in regard they surcharge and lie heavy upon the Stomach, cause disturbances and frightful Phantasms in the Sleep.

V. How it comes to pass that some rise out of their Bed, and walk in their Sleep. It is usual with some persons to rise out of Bed at Midnight, and have recourse to those places and do those actions, which awake they would not dare to venture on; some hurry up and down, and without any help or assistance climb up Trees, and get up to House-tops. HORSTIUS makes mention of a certain Nobleman, who climb∣ing up a High Tower, and ransaking the Birds-Neasts there, got down again by the help of a Rope.

Physitians are of opinion that these things pro∣ceed from turgid Blood, and an Effervescence of the Spirits, which being carried into the seat of the Mind, agitate those Instruments of Motion, and impel them to perform those effects; whence it comes to pass, that the Body by the impulse of the Animal Spirits is wrapp'd up in Imagination, and by vertue thereof is incited to such actions: But I am of opinion, that all these things would signifie nothing without the help of Imagination which in a manner alone performs and brings to pass all these difficult things. For Imagination is not only incited by External Objects, but also by those things which are represented in Sleep, whence being agitated by the reserved Species of things, it both excites extraordinary motions, and im∣pels to the performance of those things which str••ke both admiration and astonishment into the Beholders.

VI. An Exam∣ple brought of Galen and others. It is reported of GALEN, that sometimes he walk'd almost a whole furlong in his Sleep; and of a Servant of Pericles, that he used frequently in his Sleep to walk upon the House-top. Others make mention of a Schoolmaster, who, in his Sleep, not only was wont to teach his Scholars, but went one time armed to kill a Colleague of his by whom he had been sharply reproved, of which when he wak'd he remembred not any thing. Moreover, some persons of undoubted credit have delivered a relation of two Young Men, whereof one tho' wholly ignorant of the Art of Swimming, yet used to rise in his Sleep, repair to the water and Swim; the other was also a Nightwalker, who one time above the rest, went down into his Ma∣sters Kitchin, and there in presence, and to the admiration of some of the Servants, not yet gone to Bed, spitted the Brooms like joints of Meat, and laid them to the Fire; thus he bestirred him∣self, till at last waking, and being ashamed of what he had done he sneak'd away to Bed as fast as he could. And all these things proceeded from the helgtth of Imagination, and the persons deeply fixing their Minds, each of them upon the things they acted, whereby the passages through which the Animal Spirits, first entred, remained so wide and open, that the same Spirits at length insinu∣ated

themselves, and the Soul by their motion be∣came affected in like manner.

VII. Dreams are usually of those things which were thought on in the Day time. In Dreams the same imployments and actions run in our Minds, upon which we were intent and busied the day before.

The Reason is, because the parts of the Brain, which have formerly been shatter'd by the acting of an Inferior Object, are more easily moved by the Animal Spirits, than those which have always remained quiet; whence when the Vestigia of those things which we have first imagined, are discovered and remain after a sort laid open, the Spirits running slightly over them, bring back those Images of the Soul which it imprest upon it when awake. Wherefore unless the Body be in∣disposed and disturbed by noxious Humours, no other Cogitations can be offered to the Mind than those which possest it waking.

VIII. How it happens that some in their Sleep let go their water. Some persons in their sleep emit their Urin, and as if they were standing against a Wall, or hold∣ing a Chamberpot in their hands make water.

This never happens but when the Bladder swells with fulness, and is extended beyond its usual extension, because then the vellication of the Sphincter so opens the pores in the interiour super∣ficies of the Ventricles of the Brain, that the Spi∣rits running to and fro above the Glandule, take their course toward those Nerves which are in∣servient to the emitting of the Urin, and thereby procure such a motion, that not only the appetite of making water is produc'd, but also the Image of the Wall or Chamberpot is presented, which they that thus dream were wont to make use of upon this occasion.