Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Part 36

Cap. 5. The Arguments devised against Atheists by _Des Cartes_, and drawn from the _Idea's_ of our Mind, examin'd and found imperfect and invalid.

Lib. 2. Cap. 1. The opinions of the Gentiles concerning G.o.d, unduly applied to the _Deity_, which we worship: but properly to be understood by them of the _Sun_, or of the _Soul of the World_.

Cap. 2. More expresly proved, that the Antient Philosophers conceived, the _Soul of the World_ to be G.o.d.

Cap. 3. The Historical Theology of the Gentiles for the most part is unduly applyed or accommodated to the Holy Scriptures.

Cap. 4. The Divine Substance, Immensity, Incomprehensibility, Invisibility, explicated, as far as our weak reason does teach.

Cap. 5. The Divine Perfections, and other Attributes and Affections, how far explicable.

Cap. 6. The Eternity of G.o.d, how apprehended.

These are in short the Heads of the Book, which is yet but in Latin. It were to be wisht, the Author would make it speak his own lively _English_.

II. HONORATI FABRI _Soc. Jesu Theologi, Tractatus duo; quorum Prior est de Plantis & de Generatione Animalium; Posterior de Homine._

As the Matter of this Book is considerable, so is the order and dependence of all its parts excellent; in regard that all the Propositions are ranged according to a Geometrical method, and so well disposed, that the latter do always suppose the former, and seem to depend all of them upon certain evident principles, whence they flow by a natural consequence.

This _Volume_ contains two Treatises.

The _First_ is divided into 5. Books. In the _four first_, he treats of _Plants_, and distributes them into three _Cla.s.ses_; some growing _in the Earth_, as _Trees_; others, growing upon _Plants_, as _Mosse_; and a third sort growing upon _Animals_, as _Hair_, _Horns_, and _Feathers_. He examins and considers the {326} Parts of all these Plants and their Use, the manner, how they are produced, and nourished; and their different Qualities. He discourses also of Bread, Wine, Oyle, and the other Mixtures, that are made of Plants.

In the _Fifth Book_, he treats of the _Generation of Animals_, where he delivers many curious matters, explicating in a very easie and familiar way that Argument, which hath always been lookt upon, as one of the obscurest in Natural Philosophy.

The _Second_ Treatise consists of 7. Books; wherein the Author considers, what appertains to _Man_. He discourses _first_, of Digestion, of the Circulation of the Bloud, and of the Use of the princ.i.p.al parts of the Humane Body. _Next_, he treats of the Senses, External and Internal; of all the Motions of the Body, both Natural and Voluntary, of the sensitive Appet.i.te, and the Pa.s.sions; _Thence_ he proceeds to the Temperaments, Habits, Instinct, Sleep, Sickness, &c. _Lastly_, pa.s.sing to the _Rational Soul_, he endeavours to demonstrate the Immortality thereof, and to explain also the Manner, how it worketh upon the Body, and is united with the Body; where he omits not to reason of all the Powers of the Soul, of Liberty, and of the Operations of the Understanding and Will.

In _general_, the Author makes it his study, for the explicating of the most perplext Difficulties, to shew, that Nature works not but by very simple and easie wayes.

In _particular_ he intersperses several curious remarks. _E.g._ He teaches how to make _Perspectives_, that magnifie Objects, without Gla.s.s; telling us, that when an Object is look't upon through a small hole, it appears much greater than it is; and that therefore, if instead of Gla.s.ses one did cast before ones eyes two _Plates_ having little holes in them, it would furnish us with a new kind of _Perspectives_, more commodious than those of Gla.s.ses, which spoil the Sight by reason of the refraction of the Rayes, caused thereby. _Again_, He renders the cause of that common, but surprising, effect of Painters, drawing certain Pourtraictures, which seem to look directly upon all their Beholders, on what side soever they place themselves: _Videl._ That in those Pictures, the Nose it a little turned to one side, and the eyes to the other. Whence it comes, that such pictures seem to look to the right side, because the Eyes are indeed turned that way; but they appear also to look to the left, because the point of the Nose is turned that way, and the Table, whereon the Picture is drawn, being flat the Looker on perceives not, that the Eyes are turned th'other way; which he would do, if the Eyes of the Pourtrait were convex: Whence it comes, that no Figure can be made embossed, which looks every way.

The art, which he teaches of making _Parsley_ shoot out of the ground in a few hours, is this. Infuse the seed of it in Vinegar; and having sown it in good ground cast on it a good quant.i.ty of the Ashes of Bean-Cods, and sprinkle it with Spirit of Wine, and then cover it with some linnen. He mentions also; that if you calcine Earth, and then water it well, it will {327} produce a great variety of different Herbs, and that the Ashes of Corn burnt, being sown, have sometimes produced other Corn.

To add that by the by, this Author is not so addicted to _Aristotle_, as to be on his side, when he thinks Truth is not. He hath emanc.i.p.ated himself considerably from the _Scholastick_ way of Philosophing. He dares maintain, that the Vegetative and Sensitive Souls are not _Substantial_ Forms; and that it is with Plants and Animals, as with Artificial things, the Form whereof results from the Union and Disposition of the parts. According to this _Hypothesis_ he explicates all the Operations of Plants and Animals, without having any recourse to the Soul. He avers also, that there are no _Species Intentionales_, and no Habitudes, and that the Animal Spirits, which Philosophers commonly believe to be necessary for all the Operations of Life, are useless.

It might also be observed out of this Author, what he discourses of the Generation of Animals by Putrefaction; of the Cause of intermittent _Feavers_, and of the Animal Instinct, and of many other particulars; were it not better to refer the curious to the Book it self.

III. _RELATION DU VOYAGE de l' Evesque de Beryte, par la Turquie, la Perse, les Indes, _&c._ jusques au Royaume de Siam, & autres lieux_; par M. _de Bourges, Prestre_ &c.

This Author imploying his Pen chiefly, according to his design, to give an Accompt of the Success, the Undertakers of this Voyage had, in propagating the Christian Faith in the remoter parts of the World, and relating on that occasion, What number of Churches they have founded in _Cochin_, _China_, and the Kingdom of _Tonquin_, (in which latter alone he affirms, that there are more than three hundred thousand Christians;) being I say princ.i.p.ally intent upon that Subject, he seems not to have made many Philosophical observations in those places. Mean while he does good service to those that have occasion to travel into the _East-Indies_ mostly by Land, by describing the pa.s.sage, they took thither; which was, That they embarqued at _Ma.r.s.eilles_, in _September_, the most convenient and favourable season for that Voyage; whence Ships do ordinarily pa.s.s every Month from _Syria_, reckoning one Month for the time of Sayling, to _Alexandretta_. Thence to _Aleppo_, counting one Month more for the Stay, to be made there to meet the _Caravane_ for _Babylon_, and six weeks more for the march from _Aleppo_ to _Babylon_, where a fortnight will pa.s.s before an opportunity happen to embarque upon the _Tyger_ for _Balsora_; which Journey will require a fortnight more: And about this time it will be about the end of _January_. Thence is always conveniency to pa.s.s from _Congo_, 4 days Journey from _Comoron_ or _Gombroun_, to which latter part there is also frequent occasion to pa.s.s by Sea from _Balsora_, which will take up some 15 or 16. days Sail. There (vid. at _Comoron_) you will every year meet with _English_, _Portugal_, _Dutch_, and _Moorish_ Vessels, from _Surat_, from _October_ till the end of _April_, for they are obliged to be at _Surate_, before the end of _May_, because all the ports of those {328} _Indies_ are shut the 4. ensuing months, by reason of the danger of that _Sea_.

But besides this Direction, the Book is not quite dest.i.tute of _Natural_ Observations. It relates, 1. How Diamonds are found and separated in _Golconda_; They take of the Earth, held to be proper to form them, which is reddish, and distinguish'd with white veins, and full of flints and hard lumps. Then they put near the places, which they will digge, a close and even Earth; and to it they carry those Earths, they have digg'd out of the Mine, and gently spread it abroad, and leave it exposed to the Sun for two days. Then being dryed enough they beat it, and sifting this Earth, they find the Diamonds in ashes of Flints, in which Nature hath set them. Here he adds, that the King of that Country farms out these Diamond-Mines for 600000. Crowns _per annum_, reserving to himself the right of all the Diamonds, that exceed ten _Carats_ in weight. There are Diamonds, that mount to 35. and 40. _Carats_. And this is the great Treasure of that Prince.

2. That the most esteemed fruit in those parts; the _Durion_ (of the bigness and shape of an ordinary _Melon_) has a very unpleasing and uneven untollerable smell, like to that of a rotten _Apple_.

3. That _Rice_ prospers most in waterish grounds; and that the fields, where it grows best, resembles rather to Marshes, than to any ploughed Soyle: Yea, that that Grain has the force, though 6. or 7. foot water stand over it, to shoot its Stalk above it; and that the Stem, which bears it, rises and grows proportionably to the height of the water, that drowns the field.

4. That the way of keeping ones self harmless from a wild _Elephant_, when he runs directly upon one, is, to hold something to him; as a Hat, a Coat, a piece of Linnen, which he seises on with his Trunk; and playes with it, as if he were pleased with this apparent homage, done to him; and so pa.s.ses on. If he be in a rage, that then the only remedy is, to turn incessantly behind him to the left side, in regard that naturally (_saith this Author_) he never turns himself that way, but to the right: And the time, there is to turn, because of the Beasts unweildiness, affords leisure enough to climbe up some high Tree, or to mount some steep ground: all which if it fail, by holding always his tail, and turning with him, the Animal will be tired, and give opportunity to escape.

_London_, Printed by _T. R._ for _John Martin_, Printer to the _Royal Society_, and are to be sold at the _Bell_ a little without _Temple-Bar_.

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_Numb._ 19.

PHILOSOPHICAL _TRANSACTIONS._

_Munday_, _November_ 19. 1666.

The Contents.

_An Addition to the Instances of _Petrification_, formerly enumerated.

Articles of _Inquiries_ concerning _Mines_; as, to the neighbouring Country about them; the Soyl where they are; the Signes of them; the Structure and other particulars belonging to the Mines themselves; the Nature and Circ.u.mstances of _Ore_; and the Reduction of _Ore_ into _Metal_. Promiscuous _Inquiries_ formerly recommended to Monsieur _Heuelius_, particularly about _Cold_; together with his own, and his Correspondents _Answer_ to some of them. The success of the Experiment of Transfusing the Blood of one Animal into another._

_An Addition to the _Instances_ of _Petrification_, enumerated in the last of these _Papers_._

_This _Instance_ was some while since communicated to the _Royal Society_ by that Ingenious Gentleman Mr. _Philip Packer_, a worthy Member of that Body; in these words;_

On a Bank in a Close of Mr. _Purefoy_, neer his house, call'd _Wadley_, a mile from _Farrington_ in _Berks_, there grows an _Elme_, which hath now lost the top, and is grown hollow, containing neer a Tun of Timber. From the But of the same Tree, one of the spreading Clawes having been formerly cut off with an Axe, that part of the But, from whence the same was sever'd, being about 1 foot above ground, and inward within the trunk {330} of the Tree, hath contracted a petrfied Crust, about the thickness of a _shilling_, all over the woody part within the Bark; the Marks of the Axe also remaining very conspicuous, with this petrified crust upon it. By what means it should thus happen, cannot well be conceived, in regard there is no water neer it; the part, above the ground and out of the weather; the Tree yet growing: unless being cut at some season, when the sap was flowing, the owsing of the sap might become petrified by the Air, and the Tree grow rotten and hollow inward since that time; which how long since, is not known.

A piece of that part cut, was presented, together with this Account, to the said _Society_, for their _Repository_.

_Articles of Inquiries touching _Mines_._

What the Honourable _Robert Boyle_ gave the Reader cause to hope for, in _Numb_. 11. when he was pleased to impart those _General Heads_ for a Natural History of a Country, _there_ publish'd; He is not un-mindful to perform, by enlarging them as occasion serves, with _Particular_ and _Subordinate_ Inquiries. Here he gratifies the Curious with a considerable Set of Inquiries about _Mines_: which though unfinish'd, yet the _Publisher_, was instant to obtain their present Publication, to the end, that he might the more conveniently recommend them to several Forreigners of his Acquaintance, now ready to return to their several Countryes, which he understands to abound in Mines; and from the Curious Inhabitants whereof, he expects to receive a good Accompt upon some at least of these Inquiries; which also by several of them have been earnestly desired, as Instructions, to direct them, what Particulars to inquire after upon this Subject.

These Quaeries are reduced by the _Author_ to six Heads:

The _first_, The neighbouring Country about the Mines.