Analogisme, Angle and Figure, Figures deficient, dimension of Circles, and several others, most of which belong to art, as to Geometry, and the like; I am come to that wherein he discourses of
Sense and
Animal Motion, saying,
[1] That some Natural bodies have in themselves the patterns almost of all things, and others of none at all; Whereof my opinion is, that the sensitive and rational parts of Matter are the living and knowing parts of Nature, and no part of nature can challenge them onely to it self, nor no creature can be sure, that sense is onely in Animal-kind, and reason in Man-kind; for can any one think or believe that Nature is ignorant and dead in all her other parts besides Animals? Truly this is a very unreasonable opinion; for no man, as wise as he thinks himself, nay were all Man-kind joyned into one body, yet they are not able to know it, unless there were no variety of parts in nature, but onely one whole and individeable body, for other Creatures may know and perceive as much as Animals, although they have not the same Sensitive Organs, nor the same manner or way of Perception. Next your
Author says,
[2] The cause of Sense or Perception consists herein, that the first organ of sense is touched and pressed; For when the uttermost part of the organ is pressed, it no sooner yields, but the part next within it is pressed also, and in this manner the pressure or motion is propagated through all the parts of the organ to the innermost. And thus also the pressure of the uttermost part proceeds from the pressure of some more remote body, and so continually, till we come to that, from which, as from its fountain, we derive the Phantasme or Idea, that is made in us by our sense: And this, whatsoever it be, is that we commonly call the object; Sense therefore is some Internal motion in the Sentient, generated by some Internal motion of the Parts of the object, and propagated through all the media to the innermost part of the organ. Moreover there being a resistance or reaction in the organ, by reason of its internal motion against the motion propagated from the object, there is also an endeavour in the organ opposite to the endeavour proceeding from the object, and when that endeavour inwards is the last action in the act of sense, then from the reaction a Phantasme or Idea has its being. This is your
Authors opinion, which if it were so, perception could not be effected so suddenly, nay I think the sentient by so many pressures in so many perceptions, would at last be pressed to death, besides the organs would take a great deal of hurt, nay totally be removed out of their places, so as the eye would in time be prest into the centre of the brain; And if there were any Resistance, Reaction or Indeavour in the organ, opposite to the Endeavour of the object, there would, in my opinion, be always a war between the animal senses and the objects, the endeavour of the objects pressing one way, and the senses pressing the other way, and if equal in their strengths, they would make a stop, and the sensitive organs would be very much pained. Truly,
Madam, in my opinion, it would be like that Custom which formerly hath been used at
Newcastle, when a man was married, the guests divided themselves, behind and before the Bridegroom, the one party driving him back, the other forwards, so that one time a Bridegroom was killed in this fashion; But certainly Nature hath a more quick and easie way of giving intelligence and knowledg to her Creatures, and doth not use such constraint and force in her actions; Neither is sense or sensitive perception a meer Phantasme or Idea, but a Corporeal action of the sensitive and rational matter, and according to the variation of the objects or patterns, and the sensitive and rational motions, the perception also is various, produced not by external pressure, but by internal self-motion, as I have declared heretofore; and to prove, that the sensitive and rational corporeal motions are the onely cause of perception; I say, if those motions in an animal move in another way, and not to such perceptions, then that animal can neither hear, see, taste, smell nor touch, although all his sensitive organs be perfect, as is evident in a man falling into a swoon, where all the time he is in a swoon, the pressure of the objects is made without any effect; Wherefore, as the sensitive and rational corporeal motions make all that is in nature; so likewise they make perception, as being perception it self, for all self-motion is perception, but all perception is not animal perception; or after an animal way; and therefore sense cannot decay nor die, but what is called a decay or death, is nothing else but a change or alteration of those Motions. But you will say,
Madam, it may be, that one body, as an object, leaves the print of its figure, in the next adjoyning body, until it comes to the organ of sense, I answer that then soft bodies onely must be pressed, and the object must be so hard as to make a print, and as for rare parts of matter, they are not able to retain a print without self-motion; Wherefore it is not probable that the parts of air should receive a print, and print the same again upon the adjoyning part, until the last part of the air print it upon the eye; and that the exterior parts of the organ should print upon the interior, till it come to the centre of the Brain, without self-motion. Wherefore in my opinion, Perception is not caused either by the printing of objects, nor by pressures, for pressures would make a general stop of all natural motions, especially if there were any reaction or resistence of sense; but according to my reason, the sensitive and rational corporeal motions in one body, pattern out the Figure of another body, as of an exterior object, which may be done easily without any pressure or reaction; I will not say, that there is no pressure or reaction in Nature, but pressure and reaction doth not make perception, for the sensitive and rational parts of matter make all perception and variety of motion, being the most subtil parts of Nature, as self-moving, as also divideable, and composeable, and alterable in their figurative motions, for this Perceptive matter can change its substance into any figure whatsoever in nature, as being not bound to one constant figure. But having treated hereof before, and being to say more of it hereafter, this shall suffice for the present, remaining always,
Madam,
Your constant Friend,
and faithful Servant.
[1] C. 25. a. 1.
[2] Art. 2.
XIX.
Table of Contents
MADAM,
To discourse of the World and Stars, is more then I am able to do, wanting the art of Astronomy and Geometry; wherefore passing by that Chapter of your Author, I am come to that[1] wherein he treats of Light, Heat and Colours; and to give you my opinion of Light, I say, it is not the light of the Sun, that makes an Animal see, for we can see inwardly in Dreams without the Suns light, but it is the sensitive and rational Motions in the Eye and Brain that make such a figure as Light; For if Light did press upon the Eye, according to your Authors opinion, it might put the Eye into as much pain as Fire doth, when it sticks its points into our skin or flesh. The same may be said of Colours, for the sensitive motions make such a figure, which is such a Colour, and such a Figure, which is such a Colour; Wherefore Light, Heat and Colour, are not bare and bodiless qualities, but such figures made by corporeal self-motions, and are as well real and corporeal objects as other figures are; and when these figures change or alter, it is onely that their motions alter, which may alter and change heat into cold, and light into darkness, and black colour into white. But by reason the motions of the Sun are so constant, as the motions of any other kind of Creatures, it is no more subject to be altered then all the World, unless Nature did it by the command of God; for though the Parts of self-moving Matter be alterable, yet all are not altered; and this is the reason, that the figure of Light in our eye and brain is altered, as well as it is alterable, but not the real figure of the Sun, neither doth the Sun enter our eyes; and as the Light of the Sun is made or patterned in the eye, so is the light of Glow-worms-tails, and Cats-eyes, that shine in the dark, made not by the Sun's, but their own motions in their own parts; The like when we dream of Light, the sensitive corporeal motions working inwardly, make the figure of light on the inside of the eye, as they did pattern out the figure of light on the outside of the eye when awake, and the objects before them; for the sensitive motions of the eye pattern out the figure of the object in the eye, and the rational motions make the same figure in their own substance.
