Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CXCI. Which is most proper for Study, the Evening or the Morning. (Book 191)

IF Antiquity had not had Errors, the cause of those who prefer the study of the Evening before that of the Morning, would be very desperate. But Reasons having more force here than the Authorities of Pedagogues, who hold Aurora the friend of the Muses, only to the end that their Scholars rising betimes in the Morning, themselves may have the more time left after their exercises; I conceive the Evening much more fit for any Em∣ployment

of the Mind, than any other part of the day; the Morning leaving not only the first and more common wayes full of Excrements, but also all the Ventricles of the Brain wherein the Spirits are elaborated, and also the Arteries and Interstices of the Muscles full of vapors; whence proceed the frequent osci∣tations, contortions, and extension of the members upon our awaking, to force out the vapors which incommode them. On the contrary, the Evening even after repast, finds those first wayes full of good Aliments, which send up benigne and lauda∣ble vapors which allay and temper the acrimony of other more sharp and biting, found by experience in Men fasting, who for that reason are more prone to Choler. Moreover, Study con∣sisting in Meditation, and this in reflection upon the Species re∣ceived into the Phansie, 'tis certain that the report of these in∣troduced all the day long, serves for an efficacious Lesson to the Mind, when it comes to make review of the things offered to the Intellect, for it to draw consequences from the same, and make a convenient choice: but in the Morning all the species of the preced∣ing day, are either totally effaced, or greatly decayed. More∣over, the melancholy humor, which is most proper for Study, re∣quires constancy and assiduity, which ordinarily accompanies this humor; and it is predominant in the Evening as Bloud is in the Morning, according as Physicians allot the four humors to the four parts of the natural day; as therefore the Sanguine are less proper for Study than the Melancholy, so is the Morning than the Evening. Hence the good Father Ennius never versified so well as after he had drunk, which seldom happens in the Morn∣ing; and the conceptions of fasting persons are commonly more empty, and less agreeable than those of Authors well fed. For the Spirits repaired by Food are carried much further, as being more vigorous when their continual flux and deperdition finds matter proper for their restoration, as they do after Supper, having then the same advantage that an Army hath, which sees at its back another Auxiliary one ready to recruit it. On the contrary, in the Morning nothing remains in the Body of all the Aliments of the foregoing day, but only a mass of liquid blood, which is presently distributed into all the parts, having its self need of restoration: Whence the other animal-functions are per∣formed less vigorously in the Morning than in the Evening, espe∣cially after Supper; Which is justifi'd also by the experience of those who when they would learn any thing by heart, study it in the Evening and sleep upon it, committing the same to those vigorous Spirits newly produc'd by the food, to be more deeply engraven in the Memory. And your nightly Students sleep com∣monly in the Morning, which is the fittest time for it, and best refreshes the forces both of Body and Mind; whereas Evening sleep is lyable to musings and tumults. Which also is confirm'd by the practice of Courtiers, who best of all Men understand the delights of Life; especially Ladies, who by long sleeping in

the Morning, preserve themselves fair and in good plight; which is an infallible sign of health, without which, the functions of the Mind cannot be rightly perform'd.

The Second said, That a vessel which is to be fill'd, must first be empty'd, and the Organs of Sense must be free from all Species, that they may be susceptible of those whereof we desire to inform them. For which purpose, the Morning is far fitter than the Evening, when all the Idea's of the day past, throng into the Phansie, and shut the door to new Objects. The Spirits like∣wise are then more pure from the vapors, which arise from meats while undigested; which vapors are very prejudicial to the Spi∣rits, as appears in those that have drunk too much, who reason but very ill; and they that apply themselves to study after Sup∣per, find a manifest difference in themselves from what they were before it; their Animal Spirits being clouded by multitude of vapors which fill their Heads, and leave no longer free passage to the Spirits: Besides that, Attention hurts Digestion, calling the Spirits to the Brain from the Stomack, where they should be to concoct the food; whence follows imperfect sanguification, testi∣fied by paleness of Complexion of hard Students. Moreover, the Soul being Light, delights more to exercise its functions in the day than in the night, whose darkness saddens it, and represses its beams; whence our conceptions are much more dull in the night, whose coldness is an Enemy to all Actions, as heat (which is greater in the day) is a friend to them. And the Custom of the most studious is back'd with Reason, which re∣quires that the Soul, Man's chief part, begin to take its food of Knowledge at the chief and first part of the day. And our an∣cient Laws seem to favor this Opinion, whilst they prohibit the judgement of Criminal Causes after dinner, as requiring more attention than Men are commonly capable of at that time; and certainly they must be much less capable thereof after Supper.

The Third said, That the Question cannot be determin'd but by distinguishing of Complexions, Ages, Customs, and dif∣ferent Studies. The Cholerick commonly find themselves fittest for study in the Evening, when the Acrimony of their predomi∣nant humor is allay'd by the recent vapors of meat. On the con∣trary, the Phlegmatick must not sleep much, and to be early is both most healthful for him, and the fittest time for his study; but the Sanguine requires more sleep. And for Customs, though bad ought to be reform'd, yet if an Evening Student changes for the Morning, or on the contrary, it will be with less success. If it be asked, What Custom then is best to be contracted, we must come to the consideration of Ages; wherein, Children after seven years old, when they begin to be capable of regular disci∣pline, must not be confin'd to less than eight or nine hours sleep; after the Age of Puberty, Morning Studies are most profitable for them. The Evening is fittest for the Studies of Youth and

Manhood, in whom Choler predominates, as less disturbing their Morning repose, which is necessary to repress the boylings of their hot Blood; whence if they rise too early, they are com∣monly troubled with the Head-ach. Lastly, Old-age being more phlegmatick, and its humors sharper, 'tis good for them to go to bed betimes, to the end to temper that Acrimony by the gentleness of the vapors rising from the lately taken Supper; and also 'tis most profitable for them to rise early, whereunto they are guided by Nature, awaking sooner than any other Age.