Duchess of Margaret Cavendish Newcastle

“ There are many sorts of Consumptions; as, some are Consumptions of the Vital Parts, as the Liver, Lungs, Kidneys, or the like Parts: Others, a Consumption of the Radical Parts: Others a Consumption of the Spiritous Parts: Other Consumptions are only of the Flesh; which, in my opinion, is the only Curable Consumption. But, all Consumptions, are not only an Alteration, but a Wasting and Dis-uniting of the Fundamental Parts; only those Consuming Parts do, as it were, steal away by degrees; and so, by degrees, the Society of a Human Creature is dissolved. ”

“ Most Learned Societies,
All Books, without exception, being undoubtedly under your Iurisdiction, it is very strange that some Authors of good note, are not asham'd to repine at it; and the more forward they are in judging others, the less liberty they will allow to be judg'd themselves. But, if there was not a necessity, yet I would make it my choice, To submit, willingly, to your Censures, these Grounds of Natural Philosophy, in hopes that you will not condemn them, because they want Art, if they be found fraught with Sense and Reason. ”

“ Tis no wonder, that some sorts of Vegetables are produced out of Stone or Brick, (as some that will grow on the top of Houses) by reason that Brick is made of Earth, and Stone is generated in the Bowels of the Earth; which shows they are of an Earthly Nature or Substance. Neither is it a wonder that Vegetables will grow upon some sorts of Water, by reason some sorts of Waters may be mixt with some Parts of Earth. ”

“ I was of an opinion, That Nature, because Infinite, could not know her Self; because Infinite hath no limit. Also, That Nature could not have an Absolute Power over her own Parts, because she had Infinite Parts; and, that the Infiniteness did hinder the Absoluteness: But since I have consider'd, That the Infinite Parts must of necessity be Self-knowing; and that those Infinite Self-knowing Parts are united in one Infinite Body, by which Nature must have both an United Knowledg, and an United Power. ”

“ But, not to be tedious; it was my Mind's Opinion, That all the Parts of the Happy World, being Regular, they could not obstruct each other's Designs or Actions; which might be a cause, that both the Sensitive and Rational Parts may not only make their Societies more curious, and their Perceptions more perfect; but their Perceptions more subtile: for, all the actions of that World being Regular, must needs be exact and perfect; in so much, that every Creature is a perfect Object to each other; and so every Creature must have, in some sort, a perfect Knowledg of each other. ”

“ That, for any thing Man can know to the contrary, all Creatures may have some Natural Rules: but, every Creature may chuse whether they will follow those Rules; I mean, such Rules as they are capable to follow or practise: for, several kinds and sorts of Creatures, cannot possibly follow one and the same Prescription and Rule. Wherefore, Divine Prescriptions and Rules, must be, according to the sorts and kinds of Creatures; and yet, all Creatures may have a Notion, and so an Adoration of God, by reason all the Parts in Nature, have Notions of God. ”

“ There are numerous sorts of Diseases, to which Human Creatures are subject; and yet there are but few Fundamental Maladies; which are these as follow; Pain, Sickness, Weakness, Dizziness, Numbness, Deadness, Madness, Fainting and Swounding; of which one is particular, the rest are general: The particular is Sickness, to which no parts of the Body are subject, but the Stomack: for, though any parts of the Body may have Pain, Numbness, Dizziness, Weakness, or Madness; yet in no part can be that which we name Sickness, but the Stomack. ”

“ The Opinion of the Major Parts was, That by reason every Part had Self-motion, and natural Free-will, Nature could not foreknow how they would move, although she might know how they have moved, or how they do move. ”

“ No question but there is Information between all Creatures: but, several sorts of Creatures, having several sorts of Informations, it is impossible for any particular sort to know, or have perceptions of the Infinite, or Numberless Informations, between the Infinite and Numberless Parts, or Creatures of Nature: Nay, there are so many several Informations amongst one sort (as of Mankind) that it is impossible for one Man to perceive them all; no, nor can one Man generally perceive the particular Informations that are between the particular Parts of his Sensitive Body ”

“ Passions, unquiet Humors, Grief, Pain, Sadness, Sickness, and the like; through which, Man seems to be more restless, than any other Creature: but, whether the cause be in the Manner, or Form of Man's Composition, or occasioned by some Irregularities; I will leave to those who are wiser than I, to judg. ”

“ Nature is so delighted with Variety, that seldom two Creatures (although of the same sort, nay, from the same Producers) are just alike; and yet Human Perception cannot perceive above four kinds of Creatures, viz. Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, and Elements: but, the several sorts seem to be very numerous; and the Varieties of the several Particulars, Infinite: but, Nature is necessitated to divide her Creatures into Kinds and Sorts, to keep Order and Method: for, there may be numerous Varieties of sorts ”

“ At the latter end of my Philosophical Conceptions, the Parts of my Mind grew sad, to think of the dissolving of their Society: for, the Parts of my Mind are so friendly, that although they do often Dispute and Argue for Recreation and Delight-sake; yet, they were never so irregular, as to divide into Parties, like Factious Fellows, or Unnatural Brethren: which was the reason that they were sad, to think their kind Society should dissolve, and that their Parts should be dispersed and united to other Societies, which might not be so friendly as they were. ”

“ But, as to those sorts of Substance, which some Learned Men have imagined; in my opinion, they are but the same sort of Substance that the Vulgar call, Thoughts, and I name, the Rational Parts; which, questionless, are as truly Body, as the grossest Parts in Nature: but, most Human Creatures are so troubled with the Thoughts of Dissolving, and Dis-uniting, that they turn Fancies and Imaginations, into Spirits, or Spiritual Substances; as if all the other Parts of their Bodies, should become Rational Parts ”

“ The Minor Part's Opinion was, That if all the Parts of one Society, as for example, a Man, from the first time of his Production, to the time of his Dissolution, should, after division, come to meet and unite; that Man, or any other Creature, would be a Monstrous Creature, as having more Parts than was agreeable to the nature of his Kind. ”

“ The Reason that all Creatures are produced by the ways of Production, as one Creature to be composed out of other Creatures, is, That Nature is but one Matter, and that all her Parts are united as one Material Body, having no Additions, or Diminutions; no new Creations, or Annihilations: But, were not Nature one and the same, but that her Parts were of different natures; yet, Creatures must be produced by Creatures, that is, Composed Figures, as a Beast, a Tree, a Stone, Water, &c. ”

“ There is great difference between a Natural Fool, and a Mad Man: for, Madness is a Disease, but a Natural Fool is a Defect; which Defect was some Error in his Production, that is, in the form and frame either of the Mind, or Sense, or both; for, the Sense may be a Natural Fool as well as the Reason; as we may observe in those sorts of Fools whom we name Changelings, whose Body is not only deformed, but all the Postures of the Body are defective, and appear as so many fools: but sometimes, only some Parts are fools; as for example; If a Man be born Blind, then only his Eyes are Fools ”

“ Although Nature knows her self, and hath a free power of her self; (I mean, a natural Knowledg and Power) yet, Nature cannot be an upright, and just Judg of her self, and so not of any of her Parts; because every particular part is a part of her self. Besides, as she is Self-moving, she is Self-changeing, and so she is alterable: Wherefore, nothing can be a perfect, and a just Judg, but something that is Individable, and Unalterable, which is the Infinite GOD, who is Unmoving, Immutable, and so Unalterable; who is the Judg of the Infinite Corporeal Actions of his Servant Nature. ”

“ The Human Notions of GOD, Man calls Conscience: but, by reason that Nature is full of Varieties, as having Self-moving Parts; Human Creatures have different Notions, and so different Consciences, which cause different Opinions and Devotions: but, Nature being as much compoundable as dividable, it causes unity of some, as also, divisions of other Opinions, which is the cause of several Religions: which Religions, are several Communities and Divisions. ”

“ But, as I said, Death is a general Dissolution, which makes a Human Creature to be no more: yet, some Parts do not dissolve so soon as others; as for example, Human Bones; but, though the Form or Frame of Bones is not dissolved; yet the Properties: of those Bones are altered. The same when a Human Creature is kept by Art from dissolving, so as the Form, or Frame, or Shape may continue; but all the Properties are quite altered; though the Exterior Shape of such Bodies doth appear somewhat like a Man, yet that Shape is not a Man. ”

“ It is very pleasing, whilst as man lives, to have in his Mind, or in his Sense, the Effigies of the Person, and of the good Actions of his Friend, although he cannot have his present company. Also, it is very pleasant to any body to believe, that the Effigies either of his own Person, or Actions, or both, are in the Mind of his Friend, when he is absent from him; and, in this case, Absence and Death are much alike. But, in short, God lives no other ways amongst his Creatures, but in their Rational Thoughts, and Sensitive Worship. ”

“ But some may ask, Whether the whole Mind of one Creature, as the whole Mind of one Man, may not perceive the whole Mind of another Man? I answer, That if the Mind was not joyn'd and mix'd with the Sensitive and Inanimate Parts, and had not interior, as well as exterior Parts, the whole Mind of one Man, might perceive the whole Mind of another Man; but, that being not possible, one whole Mind cannot perceive another whole Mind: By which Observation we may perceive, there are no Platonick Lovers in Nature. ”

“ Besides, if a dead Child did rise a Man, as at his most perfect Age, it could not be said, He rises according to a Natural Man, having more Parts than by Nature he ever had; and an old Man, fewer Parts than naturally he hath had: so, what by Adding and Diminishing the Parts of particular Men, it would not cause only Injustice; but, not any particular Human Creature, would be the same he was. ”

“ As for the Four Elements, Fire, Air, Water, and Earth; they subsist, as all other Creatures, which subsist by each other: but, in my opinion, there should be an Equality of the Four Elements, to balance the World: for, if one sort should superabound, it would occasion such an Irregularity, that would cause a Dissolution of this World; as, when some particular Humour in Man's Body superabounds, or there is a scarcity of some Humours, it causes such Irregularities, that do, many times, occasion his Destruction. ”

“ I answer, first, That Nature's Parts move themselves, and are not moved by any Agent. Secondly, Though Nature's Parts are Self-moving, and Self-knowing, yet they have not an infinite or uncontrolable Power; for, several Parts, and Parties, oppose, and oft-times obstruct each other; so that many times they are forced to move, and they may not when they would. Thirdly, Some Parts may occasion other Parts to be irregular, and keep themselves in a regular posture. Lastly, Nature's Fundamental actions are so poysed, that Irregular actions are as natural as Regular. ”

“ As for example, A Man, or the like Creature, doth not appear when he is old, as when he was young; nor when he is sick, as when he is well in health; no, nor when he is cold, as when he is hot. Nor do they appear in several Passions alike: for, though Man can best perceive the Alteration of his own Kind, or Sort; yet, other Creatures have several Appearances, as well as Man; some of which, Man may perceive, though not all, being of a different sort. And not only Animals, but Vegetables, and Elements, have altered Appearances, and many that are subject to Man's perception. ”

“ But some may say, A Man in a Swound is void of all Motion.
I answer: That cannot be: for, if the Man was really dead, yet his Parts are moving, though they move not according to the property or nature of a living Man: but, if the Body had not consistent Motions, and the Parts did not hold together, it would be dissolved in a moment; and when the Parts do divide, they must divide by Self-motion: but, in a Man in a Swound, some of his Corporeal Motions are only altered from the property and nature of a living Man ”

“ By the Exterior Motions of the Planets, we may believe their Exterior Shape is Spherical: for, it is to be observed, That all Exterior Actions are according to their Exterior Shape: but, by reason Vegetables and Minerals have not such sorts of Exterior Motions or Actions, as Animals; some Men are of opinion, they have not Sensitive Life; which opinion proceeds from a shallow consideration: neither do they believe the Elements are sensible, although they visibly perceive their Progressive Motions; and yet believe all sorts of Animals to have sense, only because they have Progressive Motions. ”