Page images
PDF
EPUB

he thought it came into the blood either by refpi ration, or by attraction through the pores. And it must be acknowledged, that fomewhat igneous or æthereal brought by the air into the blood feems to nourish, though not the foul itself, yet the interior tunicle of the foul, the auraï fimplicis ignem. 205. That there is really fuch a thing as vital flame, actually kindled, nourish'd, and extinguish'd like common flame, and by the fame means, is an opinion of fome moderns, particularly of Doctor Wills in his tract De fanguinis accenfione: that it requires conftant eventilation, through the trachea and pores of the body, for the difcharge of a fuliginous and excrementitious vapour : and that this vital flame, being extremely fubtil, might not be feen any more than fhining flies or ignes fatui by day-light. And yet it hath fometimes become vifible on divers perfons, of which there are undoubted inftances. This is Dr. Willis's notion: and perhaps there may be fome truth in this, if it be fo understood, as that light or fire might indeed constitute the animal fpirit or immediate vehicle of the foul.

206. There have not been wanting thofe, who, not content to fuppofe light the most pure and refined of all corporeal beings, have gone farther, and bestowed upon it fome attributes of a yet higher nature. Julianus the Platonic philofopher, as cited by Ficinus, faith, it was a doctrine in the theology of the Phoenicians, that there is diffused throughout the universe, a pellucid and fhining nature pure and impaffive, the act of a pure intelligence. And Ficinus himself undertakes to prove, that light is incorporeal, by feveral arguments: Be cause it enlightens, and fills a great space, in an inftant, and without oppofition: Becaufe feveral

lights meet without refifting each other: Because light cannot be defiled by filth of any kind: Becaufe the folar light is not fixed in any fubject: Laftly, because it contracts and expands it felf fo eafily without collifion, condensation, rarefaction, or delay throughout the vastest space. These reafons are given by Ficinus, in his comment on the first book of the fecond Ennead of Plotinus.

207. But it is now well known, that light moves, that it's motion is not inftantaneous: that it is capable of condenfation, rarefaction, and colli fion that it can be mixed with other bodies, enter their compofition, and increase their weight (a). All which feems fufficiently to overthrow those arguments of Ficinus, and fhew light to be corporeal. There appears indeed fome difficulty at first fight, about the non-refiftance of rays or particles of light occurring one to another, in all poffible directions or from all points. Particularly, if we fuppofe the hollow furface of a large fphere, ftudded with eyes looking inwards one at another, it may perhaps feem hard to conceive, how diftinct rays from every eye should arrive at every other eye without juftling, repelling, and confounding each

other.

208. But these difficulties may be got over by confidering in the firft place, that vifible points are not mathematical points, and confequently, that we are not to fuppofe every point of space a radiating point. Secondly, by granting that many rays do refift and intercept each other, notwithstanding which the act of vifion may be performed. Since as every point of the object is not feen, fo it is not neceffary that rays from every fuch point arrive at the eye. We often fee

(a) 169, 192, 193.

1

an

an object, though more dimly, when many rays. are intercepted by a grofs medium.

209. Befides, we may fuppofe the particles of light to be indefinitely fmall, that is, as fmall as we please, and their aggregate to bear as fmall a proportion to the void as we please, there being nothing in this that contradicts the phænomena. And there needs nothing more in order to conceive the poffibility of rays paffing from and to all vifible points, although they be not incorporeal. Suppofe a hundred ports placed round a circular fea, and fhips failing from each port to every other; the larger the fea, and the fmaller the veffels are fuppofed, the lefs danger will there. be of their striking against each other. But as there is by hypothefis no limited proportion between the fea and the fhips, the void and folid particles of light, fo there is no difficulty that can oblige us to conclude the fun's light incorporeal from it's free paffage; efpecially when there are fo many clear proofs of the contrary. difficulty, therefore, attending the fuppofition of a fphere ftudded with eyes looking at each other, this is removed only by fuppofing the particles of light exceeding fmall relatively to the empty spaces.

As for the

210. Plotinus fuppofeth, that from the fun's light which is corporeal, there fprings forth another equivocal light which is incorporeal, and as it were the brightnefs of the former. Marfilius Ficinus alfo, obferving it to be a doctrine in the Timæus of Plato, that there is an occult fire or spirit diffused throughout the univerfe, intimates that this fame occult invifible fire or light is, as it were, the fight of the mundane foul. And Plotinus, in his fourth Ennead, fheweth it to be his opinion, that the world feeth it felf and all it's

[blocks in formation]

parts. The Platonic philofophers do wonderfully refine upon light, and foar very high: from coal to flame; from flame to light; from this vifible light to the occult light of the celeftial or mundane foul, which they fuppofed to pervade and agitate the fubftance of the univerfe by it's vigorous and expanfive motion.

211. If we may believe Diogenes Laertius, the Pythagoræan philofophers thought there was a certain pure heat or fire, which had fomewhat divine in it, by the participation whereof men became allied to the gods. And according to the Platonifts, heaven is not defined fo much by it's local fituation, as by it's purity. The pureft and moft excellent fire, that is heaven, faith Ficinus. And again, the hidden fire that every where exerts it felf, he calls celeftial. He reprefents fire as moft powerful and active, dividing all things, abhorring all compofition or mixture with other bodies. And, as foon as it gets free, relapfing inftantly into the common mafs of celeftial fire, which is every where prefent and latent.

212. This is the general fource of life, fpirit, and strength, and therefore of health to all animals, who conftantly receive it's illapfes cloathed in air, through the lungs and pores of the body. The fame fpirit imprifoned in food and medicines, is conveyed into the ftomach, the bowels, the lacteals, circulated and fecreted by the feveral ducts, and diftributed throughout the fyftem (a). Plato in his Timæus enumerating the ignited juices, names wine in the first place, and tar in the fecond. But wine is preffed from the grape, and fermented by human induftry. Therefore of all ignited juices purely natural, tar or refin muft in his account be efttemed the first.

(a) 37, 42, 44.

213. The

213. The vivifying luminous æther exifts in all places, even the darkeft caverns, as is evident from hence, that many animals fee in thofe dark places, and that fire may be kindled in them by the collifion or attrition of bodies. It is alfo known that certain perfons have fits of feeing in the dark. Tiberius was faid to have had this faculty or diftemper. I my felf knew an ingenious man, who had experienced it feveral times in himfelf. And doctor Willis, in his tract De fanguinis accenfione, mentions another of his own knowledge. This luminous æther or fpirit is therefore faid by Virgil, to nourish or cherish the innermoft earth, as well as the heavens and celeftial bodies.

Principio coelum ac terras, campofque liquentes,
Lucentemque globum Lunæ, Titaniaque aftra
Spiritus intus alit.

214. The principles of motion and vegetation in living bodies feem to be delibations from the invifible fire or fpirit of the univerfe (a). Which, though prefent to all things, is not nevertheless one way received by all; but varioufly imbibed, attracted, and fecreted by the fine capillaries, and exquifite ftrainers in the bodies of plants and animals, whereby it becomes mixed and detained in their juices.

215. It hath been thought by some observers of nature, that the fine glandular veffels admit from the common mafs of the blood, only fuch juices as are homogeneous to thofe, with which they were originally imbued. How they came to be fo imbued doth not appear. But thus much is plain; that fine tubes attract fluids, that the glands are fine tubes, and that they attract very (a) 43, 157, 164, 171.

[blocks in formation]
« EelmineJätka »