Chap. 155. Of Local Dreames.
THe reason that many times we dream of walking woods or houses, and the like, is through this following reason; The rational innate matter, as I often said before, turns most commonly into such figures, as the sensitive innate matter prints, or hath printed upon the senses, now if a tree or house, or the like, be printed on the inside of the pia mater, or the like sensitive part, when we are asleep, the rational innate matter straight figures them, these figures move after a local manner, although they have not an animal, or local shape; the reason is, that the rational innated matter being purer in it self, without the mixture of dull matter, moves onely in their own matter, and the figure moves in the matter; whereas the sensitive in∣nated matter working upon the dull part of matter, moves in that dull matter, and not the dull matter in the sensitive inna∣ted matter, that is the sensitive innate matter moves in the dull part of matter, and the dull part of matter is moved by the sensi∣tive innate matter; thus the sensitive figure is moved, but not moving, but the rational innated matters figures give their own motions; likewise if we have seen a battle, or heard of a battle, and afterwards we dream of the same, or of the like battle; then the rational innated matter puts its self into animal figures, and moves after a local manner, each figure placing it self after that manner or way as was related, or printed by the senses, or after away of its own invention, and when the figures encounter each other, as they must do to fight a battle in the brain; and then some seeme to be falling, and others dead, and some mangled; those figures are as falling and bro∣ken, and cease to move after the local manner; and when one party seems to move as in a confusion, then the motions are irregular, and just as the senses present, so doth the rational innated matter act in the brain when we sleep, and sometimes when we are awake, as in imagination.