CHAP. 1. That the World lives, and is full of life.

PUrposing to comment something on the Spirit of the World, I shall first demonstrate, That the Uni∣verse is full of Life and Soul; and here Page  2 besides, That Nature makes nothing Spiri∣tuous, but it also indues it with Life; and That the World consists in continual and restless alterations of forms; which cannot be without vital motion. We may also take notice, That the same Na∣ture, like a careful as well as a fruitful Mother, embraces and nourisheth the whole World, by distributing to each member a sufficient portion of Life▪ so that nothing occurs in the whole Uni∣verse, which she desires not to inform; being never idle, but alwayes intent upon her action, which is Vivificati∣on.

This vast Body then, is indued with motion, yea, continually agitated there∣with; and this motion cannot be wrought without some vital Spirit: for whatso∣ever wants Life, is immoveable. But here I mean not of violent motion from place to place; but of that, which in reference to a form, is privation; to per∣fection, imperfection. The vegeta∣tion of Plants, and concretion of Stones, are effected by the motion of this uni∣versal Spirit, agitating this great Mass, and the mediation of a certain radical Page  3 and nutritive Spirit, whose origine or principle, like some primary procreating cause, resides in the Centre of the Earth; and thence, as from the heart, exerts all vital functions, and extends it self through the whole Body. And this root or principle is included in the bo∣some of the ancient Demogorgon, that universal Parent; whom, old Poets, those diligent Searchers of Natures Se∣crets, have ingeniously described, clothed in a green Cloak, obduced with rust, and covered with thick darkness; feed∣ing all kindes of Animals, into whose belly, the vertues of the Celestial Lu∣minaries, continually descend; pene∣trating the very bowels of the Earth, and impraegnanting it with all kindes of Creatures; where the elementary qua∣lities and powers offer their services to this old Parent, as to the Producer and Distributer of all things; who continu∣ally occupies Iliastus, in dispensing of spe∣cifical forms; and Archeus, in exciting vital heat: which Iliastus and Archeus, are as it were two Instruments, whereby he informs, conserves and augments all things.

Page  4Here note, That by Iliastus we mean a general Steward that affords matter for all generation; and by Archeus, natural or radical heat, which digests this matter, and acts upon it.

This Demogorgon then is he, by whom, as by his Instrument, God produces all things in and under Heaven: so that he containing his Iliastus and Archeus, does with singular providence, unknown to vulgar Philosophers, and therefore masked under the supplement of occult causes, form and generate, then nourish and preserve all things; exercising the office of a good Housholder or Steward, who hath his Cellar in the bowels of the Earth, and thence draws Life and vigour for his Family. The Earth there∣fore, which is the Receptacle of Celesti∣al Influences and Vertues, contains in it the Fountain of this vital Spirit, from whose Rivulets, Animals, Minerals, and Vegetables, derive Life; which com∣municates to them, sense, essence, and vegetation, as it findes their matter dis∣posed Page  5 for motion: and hence such things as are compounded of a more ducible Mass, and fit for such moti∣on, become sensitive and vegetable, and able to generate things like them∣selves, because they are indued with Life: for Plants, and the like, whose Spirits are not cohibited in too crass and hard matter, encrease and multiply; grenerating things like themselves by seed and plantation; but not like Ani∣mals, but Minerals, whose Life is nei∣ther sensitive nor vegetive, but onely essential, because their composition be∣ing too hard and gross, too straightly captivates their Spirit, that they cannot produce any thing like themselves, un∣less they be first purged from their gross impurity, and reduced to the subtilty of their first matter: about which, Aure∣lius Augurellus, that excellent Poet and Philosopher, writes thus, Lib. 1. Chry∣sop.

Page  7For when these Minerals are pure, they will by their specifical form, though not generate something like themselves, yet work such an alteration and per∣fection in things like themselves, that they shall equalize the Philosophical E∣lixir, whose divine vertues, wise-men so much admire, fools so much con∣temn, because their blinde eyes can∣not penetrate to the Centre of this Mystery.

If therefore Animals, Minerals and Vegetables, which constitute the greatest part of this visible World, be full of Life; what Reason have we to think, That the whole is more imperfect then part thereof? But let us sink further into Sublunaries: if the Celestial Bodies give Life to the Inferious, they must certainly and necessarily be enlivened by the Universal Spirit: for nothing can give that it hath not: of which let us hear Augurellus.

But natural motion is alwayes con∣joyned with Life; how then can that produce Life and motion in another, that hath them not in it self? Motion never forsakes that which hath Life; and that which either moves, or is moved alwayes, cannot want Life: The Soul of the Universe moving it self spontane∣ously, is the fountain and original of all corporal motion; for the most subtile part of this Mundane Soul, soaring high, and inhabiting the Heavens, is conti∣nually wheeled about with the Celestial Bodies, which it self circumduces with its proper and continual motion: and for this Reason, the superiour Bodies are more lively and perfect then the in∣feriours, because they are continually moved orbicularly; and that which is moved continually, must needs be im∣mortal. And thus it appears, that the whole World is full of Life; and, that Page  9 the Life of every species and individual, is but a participation of this Universal Life of the World, which alone may be properly called an Animal, in whose corporal Elements, the seeds of all vi∣sible and corporal thing are hidden and included: for we see many Plants grow without precedent seeds, and many A∣nimals produced without copulation of Male with Female. The visible seed of Plants lies in their Grains; of Animals, in their Genitors: Metals also have their seed, but such as is not visible but by true Philosophers, who know how with great industry to extract it from its proper subject. And unless there be a certain procreative faculty in the Elements, wherein Generation is po∣tentially included, many Herbs would scarce germinate on the Earth, much less on high Walls where no seed was ever sown, nor Herb planted; neither would so many kindes of Animals be generated in the Earth or Water with∣out copulation of Sexes, as there are, which do by copulation afterwards, perpetuate their species, though them∣selves were not generated by the com∣mixtion Page  10 of any Parents; as we see in Snakes generated of Mud; and Flies, and other little Animals, of Excrements. Again, How do Oysters, Sea-Spunges, and other Aquatical Creatures live, which rather merit the name of Plant-animals, then of Fishes? These do not so much live by any particular Life proper to themselves, as by that U∣niversal one, general and common to all; which is more vigorous in sub∣tile Bodies, as more neer to it, then in grosser ones, which are more remote from it.

The World then, created wholly good, by him that is Goodness it self, is not corporal solely, but participates of spirituality and intelligence: (for it is full of all manner of forms:) and, as I said before, hath neither part nor mem∣ber, but that's vital; and therefore wise-men have called it a Masculine and Feminine, or Hermaphroditical Ani∣mal, one part holding a certain Matri∣monial Alligation with another. And hence, by a certain Translation, arises the diversity of Sexes in Plants and Ani∣mals; which, in imitation of the World, Page  11 copulate together, and generate a third like themselves: for the World pro∣duces an infinity of little Worlds; for every Body in the World that is gene∣rated, is a Microcosm, having distinct parts, vertues, and qualities belonging to a little World. So that every thing hath an inclination to generate a thing like it self, by the right ordering of Action and Passion; which could not be, if all things were not full of Life: for what Generation can proceed from a dead subject, seeing it is neither probable nor possible, that that can communi∣cate Life to another, that wants Life it self?

We see indeed sometimes, many things are generated without the congress of Male and Female, yea, without the pro∣duction of either, whereinto the Uni∣versal Spirit infuses Life by means of Fomentation; as many by Artifice, who exclude Eggs and Chickins without the sitting of a Hen: and others, who by preparing certain matters, and putrefy∣ing them, produce wonderful Animals, as the Basilisk of a Cocks Egg, or of the menstruous matter of a red Hen, Scorpi∣ons Page  12 of the Herb Bees of Neats bowels, a kinde of Ducks of the Leaves of a certain Tree falling into the Sea (a,) with many things of the like Nature, that merit admiration rather then cre∣dit, because they are made out of the ordinary course of Nature; certain matters in certain seasons and places attracting Life from the Universal Spi∣rit, wherewith the World so abounds, that all its actions are vital: insomuch, that nothing dies, perishes, or ceases from action, and consequently from Life, but immediately some other living thing results out of it: and upon this account, no Body perishes, or is totally annihi∣lated: for if it should, all the parts of the World would by little and little vanish one after another before our eyes; especially, considering how many mutations and Ages have gone before us; insomuch, that he that perpends, might admire that there are any reliques left in Nature at this time: which a French Poet, and no little conversant in this secret Philosophy, hints at to his Friend, thus:

(a) Our Author seems here to em∣brace the vulgar Opinion of the Ge∣neration of the Northern Ducks, which the Scots call Claikis, Claiks, or Claik∣geese; and the English, Bernacles: which many other Writers say are generated of the Nuts of a certain Maritimous Tree falling into the prolifical Sea, or of some Shells adhering to putrid pieces of Ships: which thing the learned Lobellius makes mention of (in Advers. Stirp. pag. 456.) where first he seems to assent to, & after∣wards to doubt of, and last to conclude, That Fabius Columna had justly refuted this Opinion. Lobellius in the second part of his Work, pag. 259. describes the fi∣gure of this Duck or Goose, as also of the Page  14 Tree and Shells. Olaus Magnus also mentions this kinde of Ducks, Lib. 19. Hist. Sextent, cap. 9.) But Carolus Clu∣sius seems to have explained the gene∣ration of them more rationally, Canctario Exoticorum, pag. 368. where he sayes, That the Hollanders sayling towards Waygatz, saw some of these Ducks sitting upon their Eggs. Fabius Columna repeats his words: but Ulysses Aldronaldus, Lib. 19. Antithog. cap. 23. towards the end, embraceth the middle sentence, saying, He had rather erre with the multitude, then contradict so many famous writers; and therefore he sayes, These Ducks may be generated of corruption, and afterwards multiply by copulation and incubation, like Mice and other Ani∣mals. The generation of Palmer-worms from Plants, may also be well re∣ferred to this place, which, whether they be generated naturally, or artificially, feed onely upon the Herb whereof they are generated, or to which they are related: as also the Generation of Caterpillars, and then of Butterflies; which afterwards multiply their species by copulation. I saw at Rome in Henricus Page  15 Corvinus, an eximious Apothechary and Botanist, his Shop, a Butterflie, which they said was made of the corruption of Cypress-Leaves; so elegant and great, that its Wings equalized my little Finger in length, and were all over, as it were, eyed; whereof, as of the Palmer-Worm, you may read Fabius Columna his Ob∣servations, Part 2. Stirp. minus Cog. pag. 85.