Ground of natural philosophy divided into thirteen parts : with an appendix containing five parts / written by the ... Dvchess of Newcastle.

CHAP. X. Of the Irregularity of the Sensitive, and of the Rational Corporeal Motions.

AS I have often mentioned, and do here again re∣peat, That the Rational and Sensitive Parts of one Society, or Creature, do understand, as per∣ceiving each other's Self-moving Parts; and the proof is, That, sometimes, the Human Sense is regular, and the Human Reason irregular; and sometimes the Rea∣son regular, and the Sense irregular: but, in these dif∣ferences, the Regular Parts endeavour to reform the Irregular; which causes, many times, repetitions of one and the same Actions, and Examinations; as, sometimes the Reason examines the Sense; and some∣times the Sense, the Reason: and sometimes the Sense and Reason do examine the Object; for, sometimes an Object will delude both the Sense and Reason;

and sometimes the Sense and Reason are but partly mistaken: As for example, A fired end of a Stick, by a swift exterior Circular Motion, appears a Circle of fire, in which they are not deceived: for, by the Exterior Motion, the fired end is a Circle; but they are mistaken, to conceive the Exterior Figurative A∣ction to be the proper natural Figure: but when one man mistakes another, that is some small Error, both of the Sense and Reason. Also, when one man can∣not readily remember another man, with whom he had formerly been acquainted, it is an Error; and such small Errors, the Sense and Reason do soon rectifie: but in causes of high Irregularities, as in Madness, Sickness, and the like, there is a great Bustle amongst the Parts of a Human Creature; so as those Distur∣bances cause unnecessary Fears, Grief, Anger, and strange Imaginations.