The Works of Sir Thomas Browne Volume III Part 17

Nor can we omit how agreeable unto this number an handsome division is made in Trees and Plants, since _Plutarch_ and the Ancients have named it the Divisive Number, justly dividing the Ent.i.ties of the world, many remarkable things in it, and also comprehending the generall[170]

division of Vegetables. And he that considers how most blossomes of Trees, and greatest number of Flowers, consist of five Leaves; and therein doth rest the setled rule of nature; So that in those which exceed there is often found, or easily made a variety; may readily discover how nature rests in this number, which is indeed the first rest and pause of numeration in the fingers, the natural Organs thereof. Nor in the division of the feet of perfect animals doth nature exceed this account. And even in the joynts of feet, which in birds are most multiplied, surpa.s.seth not this number; So progressionally making them out in many, that from five in the foreclaw she descendeth unto two in the hindemost. And so in fower feet makes up the number of joynts, in the five fingers or toes of man.

[170] ?e?d???, T????, F???a???, ??a, Arbor, frutex, suffrutex, herba, _and that fifth which comprehendeth the_ fungi _and_ tubera, _whether to be named_ ?s???? _or_ ?????, _comprehending also_ conserva marina salsa, _and Sea-cords, of so many yards length_.

Not to omit the Quintuple Section of a Cone,[171] of handsome practise in Ornamentall Garden-plots, and in some way discoverable in so many works of Nature; In the leaves, fruits, and seeds of Vegetables, and scales of some Fishes, so much considerable in gla.s.ses, and the optick doctrine; wherein the learned may consider the Crystalline humour of the eye in the cuttle-fish and _Loligo_.

[171] Elleipsis, parabola, Hyperbole, Circulus, Triangulum.

He that forgets not how Antiquity named this the Conjugall or wedding Number, and made it the Embleme of the most remarkable conjunction, will conceive it duely appliable unto this handsome Oeconomy, and vegetable combination; May hence apprehend the allegoricall sence of that obscure expression of _Hesiod_,[172] and afford no improbable reason why _Plato_ admitted his Nuptiall guests by fives, in the kindred of the married[173] couple.

[172] pepta? id est nuptias multas. _Rhodig._

[173] _Plato_ de leg. 6.

And though a sharper mystery might be implied in the Number of the five wise and foolish Virgins, which were to meet the Bridegroom, yet was the same agreeable unto the Conjugall Number, which ancient Numerists made out by two and three, the first parity and imparity, the active and pa.s.sive digits, the materiall and formall principles in generative Societies. And not discordant even from the customes of the _Romans_, who admitted but five[174] Torches in their Nuptiall Solemnities.

Whether there were any mystery or not implied, the most generative animals were created on this day, and had accordingly the largest benediction; And under a Quintuple consideration, wanton Antiquity considered the Circ.u.mstances of generation, while by this number of five they naturally divided the Nectar of the fifth Planet.

[174] Plutarch problem. Rom. 1.

The same number in the Hebrew Mysteries and Cabalistical Accounts was the Character[175] of Generation; declared by the Letter _He_, the fifth in their Alphabet; According to that Cabalisticall _Dogma_: If _Abram_ had not had this Letter added unto his Name, he had remained fruitlesse, and without the power of Generation: Not onely because hereby the number of his Name attained two hundred fourty eight, the number of the affirmative precepts, but because as in created natures there is a male and female, so in divine and intelligent productions, the mother of Life and Fountain of souls in Cabalisticall Technology is called _Binah_; whose Seal and Character was _He._ So that being sterill before, he received the power of generation from that measure and mansion in the Archetype; and was made conformable unto _Binah._ And upon such involved considerations, the ten[176] of _Sarai_ was exchanged into five. If any shall look upon this as a stable number, and fitly appropriable unto Trees, as Bodies of Rest and Station, he hath herein a great Foundation in nature, who observing much variety in legges and motive Organs of Animals, as two, four, six, eight, twelve, fourteen, and more, hath pa.s.sed over five and ten, and a.s.signed them unto none.[177] And for the stability of this Number, he shall not want the sphericity of its nature, which multiplied in it self, will return into its own denomination, and bring up the reare of the account. Which is also one of the Numbers that makes up the mysticall Name of G.o.d, which consisting of Letters denoting all the sphaericall Numbers, ten, five, and six; Emphatically sets forth the notion of _Trismegistus_, and that intelligible Sphear which is the Nature of G.o.d.

[175] Archang. dog. Cabal.

[176] Jod _into_ He.

[177] Or very few, as the _Phalangium monstrosum Brasilianum, Clusii et Jac de Laet. Cur. poster. Americae, Descript._ If perfectly described.

Many Expressions by this Number occurre in Holy Scripture, perhaps unjustly laden with mysticall Expositions, and little concerning our order. That the Israelites were forbidden to eat the fruit of their new planted Trees, before the fifth yeare, was very agreeable unto the naturall Rules of Husbandry; Fruits being unwholsome, and lash, before the fourth, or fifth Yeare. In the second day or Feminine part of five, there was added no approbation. For in the third or masculine day, the same is twice repeated; and a double benediction inclosed both Creations, whereof the one in some part was but an accomplishment of the other. That the Trespa.s.ser[178] was to pay a fifth part above the head or princ.i.p.all, makes no secret in this Number, and implied no more then one part above the princ.i.p.all; which being considered in four parts, the additionall forfeit must bear the Name of a fift. The five golden mice had plainly their determination from the number of the Princes; That five should put to flight an hundred might have nothing mystically implyed; considering a rank of Souldiers could scarce consist of a lesser number. Saint _Paul_ had rather speak five words in a known then ten thousand in an unknown tongue: That is as little as could well be spoken. A simple proposition consisting of three words, and a complexed one, not ordinarily short of five.

[178] Lev. 6.

More considerable there are in this mysticall account, which we must not insist on. And therefore why the radicall Letters in the Pentateuch should equall the number of the Souldiery of the Tribes; Why our Saviour in the Wildernesse fed five thousand persons with five Barley Loaves, and again, but four thousand with no lesse then seven of Wheat? Why _Joseph_ designed five changes of Rayment unto _Benjamin_? and _David_ took just five pibbles[179] out of the Brook against the Pagan Champion?

We leave it unto Arithmeticall Divinity, and Theologicall explanation.

[179] t?ssa?a ?? ?e _four and one, or five_. Scalig.

Yet if any delight in new Problemes, or think it worth the enquiry, whether the Criticall Physician hath rightly hit the nominall notation of Quinque; Why the Ancients mixed five or three but not four parts of water unto their Wine: And _Hippocrates_ observed a fifth proportion in the mixture of water with milk, as in _Dysenteries_ and bloudy fluxes.

Under what abstruse foundation Astrologers do figure the good or bad Fate from our Children, in good Fortune,[180] or the fifth house of their Celestial Schemes. Whether the aegyptians described a Starre by a Figure of five points, with reference unto the five[181] Capitall aspects, whereby they transmit their Influences, or abstruser Considerations? Why the Cabalisticall Doctors, who conceive the whole _Sephiroth_, or divine Emanations to have guided the ten-stringed Harp of _David_, whereby he pacified the evil spirit of _Saul_, in strict numeration doe begin with the Perihypate Meson, or ff fa ut, and so place the Tiphereth answering C sol fa ut, upon the fifth string: Or whether this number be oftner applied unto bad things and ends, then good in holy Scripture, and why? He may meet with abstrusities of no ready resolution.

[180] ??a?? t???, _or_ bona fortuna _the name of the fifth house_.

[181] _Conjunct, opposite, s.e.xtile, trigonal, tetragonal._

If any shall question the rationality of that Magick, in the cure of the blinde man by _Serapis_, commanded to place five fingers on his Altar, and then his hand on his Eyes? Why since the whole Comdy is primarily and naturally comprised in four[182] parts; and Antiquity permitted not so many persons to speak in one Scene, yet would not comprehend the same in more or lesse then five acts? Why amongst Sea-starres nature chiefly delighteth in five points? And since there are found some of no fewer then twelve, and some of seven and nine, there are few or none discovered of six or eight? If any shall enquire why the Flowers of Rue properly consist of four Leaves, The first and third Flower have five? Why since many Flowers have one leaf or none,[183] as _Scaliger_ will have it, diverse three, and the greatest number consist of five divided from their bottomes; there are yet so few of two: or why nature generally beginning or setting out with two opposite leaves at the Root, doth so seldome conclude with that order and number at the Flower? he shall not pa.s.se his hours in vulgar speculations.

[182] ???tas??, ?pitas??, ?at?stas??, ?atast??f?.

[183] Unifolium nullifolima.

If any shall further quaery why magneticall Philosophy excludeth decussations, and needles transversly placed do naturally distract their verticities. Why Geomancers do imitate the Quintuple Figure, in their Mother Characters of Acquisition and Amission, _etc._ somewhat answering the Figures in the Lady or speckled Beetle? With what Equity, Chiromantical conjecturers decry these decussations in the Lines and Mounts of the hand? What that decussated Figure intendeth in the medall of _Alexander_ the Great? Why the G.o.ddesses sit commonly crosse-legged in ancient draughts, Since _Juno_ is described in the same as a venefical posture to hinder the birth of _Hercules_? If any shall doubt why at the Amphidromicall Feasts, on the fifth day after the Childe was born, presents were sent from friends, of _Polip.u.s.s.es_, and Cuttle fishes? Why five must be only left in that Symbolicall mutiny among the men of _Cadmus_? Why _Proteus_ in _Homer_ the Symbole of the first matter, before he setled himself in the midst of his Sea-Monsters, doth place them out by fives? Why the fifth years Oxe was acceptable Sacrifice unto _Jupiter_? Or why the n.o.ble _Antoninus_ in some sence doth call the soul it self a Rhombus? He shall not fall on trite or triviall disquisitions. And these we invent and propose unto acuter enquirers, nauseating crambe verities and questions over-queried. Flat and flexible truths are beat out by every hammer; But _Vulcan_ and his whole forge sweat to work out _Achilles_ his armour. A large field is yet left unto sharper discerners to enlarge upon this order, to search out the _quaternio's_ and figured draughts of this nature, and moderating the study of names, and meer nomenclature of plants, to erect generalities, disclose un.o.bserved proprieties, not only in the vegetable shop, but the whole volume of nature; affording delightfull Truths, confirmable by sense and ocular Observation, which seems to me the surest path, to trace the Labyrinth of truth. For though discursive enquiry and rationall conjecture, may leave handsome gashes and flesh-wounds; yet without conjunction of this expect no mortal or dispatching blows unto errour.

But the Quincunx[184] of Heaven runs low, and 'tis time to close the five ports of knowledge; We are unwilling to spin out our awaking thoughts into the phantasmes of sleep, which often continueth praecogitations; making Cables of Cobwebbes and Wildernesses of handsome Groves. Beside _Hippocrates_[185] hath spoke so little and the Oneirocriticall Masters,[186] have left such frigid Interpretations from plants, that there is little encouragement to dream of Paradise it self.

Nor will the sweetest delight of Gardens afford much comfort in sleep; wherein the dulnesse of that sense shakes hands with delectable odours; and though in the Bed[187] of _Cleopatra_, can hardly with any delight raise up the ghost of a Rose.

[184] Hyades _near the Horizon about midnight, at that time._

[185] De insomniis.

[186] Artemodorus et Apomazar.

[187] _Strewed with roses._

Night, which Pagan Theology could make the daughter of _Chaos_, affords no advantage to the description of order: Although no lower then that Ma.s.se can we derive its Genealogy. All things began in order, so shall they end, and so shall they begin again; according to the ordainer of order and mystical Mathematicks of the City of heaven.

Though _Somnus_ in _Homer_ be sent to rowse up _Agamemnon_, I finde no such effects in the drowsy approaches of sleep. To keep our eyes open longer were but to act our _Antipodes_. The Huntsmen are up in _America_, and they are already past their first sleep in _Persia_. But who can be drowsie at that howr which freed us from everlasting sleep?

or have slumbring thoughts at that time, when sleep it self must end, and as some conjecture all shall awake again?

_FINIS_

THE STATIONER TO THE READER

I cannot omit to advertise, that a Book was published not long since, Ent.i.tuled, _Natures Cabinet Unlockt_, bearing the Name of this Authour: If any man have been benefited thereby this Authour is not so ambitious as to challenge the honour thereof, as having no hand in that Work. To distinguish of true and spurious Peeces was the Originall Criticisme, and some were so handsomely counterfeited, that the Ent.i.tled Authours needed not to disclaime them. But since it is so, that either he must write himself, or Others will write for him, I know no better Prevention then to act his own part with lesse intermission of his Pen.

CERTAIN

MISCELLANY

TRACTS.

Written by

_THOMAS BROWN_, K^t, and Doctour of Physick; late of _NORWICH_.

_LONDON_,

Printed for _Charles Mearne_, and are to be sold by _Henry Bonwick_, at the _Red Lyon_, in St. _Paul's_ Church-Yard,

MDCLx.x.xIV.