Duchess of Margaret Cavendish Newcastle

“ But I fear the opinion of Immaterial substances in Nature will at last bring in again the Heathen Religion, and make us believe a god Pan, Bacchus, Ceres, Venus, and the like, so as we may become worshippers of Groves and shadows, Beans and Onions, as our Forefathers. I say not this, as if I would ascribe any worship to Nature, or make her a Deity, for she is onely a servant to God, and so are all her parts or creatures, which parts or creatures, although they are transformed, yet cannot be annihilated, except Nature her self be annihilated, which may be, whensoever the Great God pleases ”

“ But pardon, Madam, for I think it a Crime to compare the Creating, Generating and producing Corporeal Life and Wisdom of Nature unto any particular Creature, although every particular Creature hath their share, being a part of Nature. ”

“ But then it is beyond my imagination, how that can be a Principle of material things, which it self is nothing; that is, neither a substance, nor an accident. Good Lord! what a stir do men make about nothing! I am amazed to see their strange Fancies and Conceptions vented for the Truest Reasons: Wherefore I will return to my simple opinion; and as I cannot conceive any thing that is beyond Matter, or a Body; so I believe, according to my reason, that there is not any part in Nature, be it never so subtil or small, but is a self-moving substance, or endued with self-motion ”

“ That all things may be resolved into their minima's, and what is beyond them, is nothing, and that there is one maximum, or biggest, which is the world, and what is beyond that, is Infinite. Truly, Madam, I must ingeniously confess, I am not so high learned, as to penetrate into the true sense of these words; for he says, they are both divisible, and indivisible, and yet no atomes, which surpasses my Understanding; for there is no such thing, as biggest and smallest in Nature, or in the Infinite matter; for who can know how far this World goes, or what is beyond it? ”

“ You thought verily, I had mistaken my self in my last, concerning the Rational Souls of every particular Creature, because I said, all Creatures had numerous Souls; and not onely so, but every particular Creature had numerous Souls. Truly, Madam, I did not mistake my self, for I am of the same opinion still; for though there is but one Soul in infinite Nature, yet that soul being dividable into parts, every part is a soul in every single creature, were the parts no bigger in quantity then an atome. But you ask whether Nature hath Infinite souls? ”

“ But is it not strange, Madam, that a man accounts it absurd, ridiculous, and a prejudice to Gods Omnipotency, to attribute self-motion to Matter, or a material Creature, when it is not absurd, ridiculous, or any prejudice to God, to attribute it to an Immaterial Creature? ”

“ I answer, all parts of Nature are not bound to have heads or tayls; but if they have, surely they are wiser then many a man's. I demand, says he, Has every one of these Particles, that must have a hand in the framing of the body of an animal, the whole design of the work by the Impress of some Phantasme upon it? or as they have several offices, so have they several parts of the design? I answer, All the actions of self-moving Matter are not Impresses, nor is every part a hand-labourer, but every part unites by degrees into such or such a Figure. ”

“ You will cease to wonder, that I am not altogether capable to understand your Authors opinions in Natural Philosophy, when you do but consider, that his expressions are for the most part so obscure, mystical and intricate, as may puzzle any brain that has not the like Genius, or the same Conceptions with your Author; wherefore I am forced oftentimes to express my ignorance rather, then to declare to you the true sense of his opinions. ”

“ Certainly, Madam, I am amazed, when I see men so conceited with their own perfections and abilities, (I may rather say, with their imperfections and weaknesses) as to make themselves God's privy Councilors, and his Companions, and partakers of all the sacred Mysteries, Designs, and hidden secrets of the Incomprehensible and Infinite God. O the vain Presumption, Pride, and Ambition of wretched Men! ”

“ Nevertheless, I do constantly believe, that both sensitive and rational Knowledg in Matter was produced from God; but after what manner or way, is impossible for any creature or part of Nature to know, for Gods wayes are incomprehensible and supernatural. And thus much I believe, That as God is an Eternal Creator, which no man can deny, so he has also an Eternal Creature, which is Nature, or natural Matter. But put the case Nature or natural Matter was made when the World was created, might not God give this Natural Matter self-motion, as well as he gave self-motion to Spirits and Souls? ”

“ But you will say, Motion may be granted, but not Life, Sense, and Reason. I answer, I would fain know the reason why not; for I am confident that no man can in truth affirm the contrary: What is Life, but sensitive Motion? what is Reason, but rational motion? and do you think, Madam, that any thing can move it self without life, sense and reason? ”

“ Concerning the divine Soul, I do not treat of it; onely this I may say, That all are not devout alike, nor those which are, are not at all times alike devout. But to conclude: some of our modern Philosophers think they do God good service, when they endeavour to prove Nature, as Gods good Servant, to be stupid, ignorant, foolish and mad, or any thing rather then wise, and yet they believe themselves wise, as if they were no part of Nature; but I cannot imagine any reason why they should rail on her, except Nature had not given them as great a share or portion, as she hath given to others ”

“ But your Generosity is above all Gratitude, and your Favours above all Merit, like as your Learning is above Contradiction: And I pray God your University may flourish to the end of the World, for the Service of the Church, the Truth of Religion, the Salvation of Souls, the instruction of Youth, the preservation of Health, and prolonging of Life, and for the increase of profitable Arts and Sciences: so as your several studies may be, like several Magistrates, united for the good and benefit of the whole Common-wealth, nay, the whole World. ”

“ I answer, That naturally we may, and really have a knowledge of the existence of God, as I proved in my former letter, to wit, that there is a God, and, that he is the Author of all things, who rules and governs all things, and is also the God of Nature: but I dare not think, that naturally we can have an Idea of the essence of God, so as to know what God is in his very nature and essence; for how can there be a finite Idea of an Infinite God? ”

“ Indeed, to speak properly, there is no such thing as an absolute power in Nature; for though Nature hath power to move it self, yet not beyond it self. But mistake me not, for I mean by an absolute Power; not a circumscribed and limited, but an unlimited power, no ways bound or confined, but absolutely or every way Infinite, and there is not anything that has such an absolute power but God alone: neither can Nature be undividable, being Corporeal or Material; nor rest from motion being naturally self-moving, and in a perpetual motion. ”

“ And as for your Authors opinion, That there are no Contraries in Nature, I am quite of a contrary mind, that there is a Perpetual war and discord amongst the parts of Nature, although not in the nature and substance of Infinite Matter, which is of a simple kind, and knows no contraries in it self, but lives in Peace, when as the several actions are opposing and crossing each other; and truly, I do not believe, that there is any part or Creature of Nature, that hath not met with opposers, let it be never so small or great. ”

“ I will onely say this in general, that the Art of Physick has never flourish'd better then now, neither has any age had more skilful, learned, and experienced Physicians, then this present; because they have not onely the knowledg and practise of those in ages Past, but also their own experience joyned with it, which cannot but add perfection to their Art; and I, for my part, am so much for the old way of Practice, that if I should be sick, I would desire rather such Physicians which follow the same way, then those, that by their new Inventions, perchance, cure one, and kill a hundred. ”

“ Whereof, if you will have my opinion, I confess freely to you, that in my sense and reason I cannot conceive it to be possible, that these is any such thing in Nature; for all that is a substance in Nature, is a body, and what has a body, is corporeal; for though there be several degrees of matter, as in purity, rarity, subtilty, activity; yet there is no degree so pure, rare and subtil, that can go beyond its nature, and change from corporeal to incorporeal, except it could change from being something to nothing, which is impossible in Nature. ”

“ The like the Ferment, which, to my sense and reason, is nothing else, but a natural effect of natural matter. Concerning his opinion, That Causes and Beginnings are all one, or that there is but little difference betwixt them, I do readily subscribe unto it; but when he speaks of those things, which are produced without life, my reason cannot find out, what, or where they should be; for certainly, in Nature they are not, Nature being Life and Soul her self, and all her parts being enlivened and soulified, so that there can be no generation or natural production without Life. ”

“ I do not say, That man hath an absolute Free-will, or power to move, according to his desire; for it is not conceived, that a part can have an absolute power: nevertheless his motion both of body and mind is a free and self-motion, and such a self-motion hath every thing in Nature according to its figure or shape; for motion and figure, being inherent in matter, matter moves figuratively. Yet do I not say, That there is no hindrance, obstruction and opposition in nature; but as there is no particular Creature, that hath an absolute power of self-moving ”

“ My answer is, that in my opinion, Fancy and Reason are not made in the Brain, as there is a Brain, but as there is sensitive and rational matter, which makes not onely the Brain, but all Thoughts, Conceptions, Imaginations, Fancy, Understanding, Memory, Remembrance, and whatsoever motions are in the Head, or Brain: neither doth this sensitive and rational matter remain or act in one place of the Brain, but in every part thereof; and not onely in every part of the Brain, but in every part of the Body; nay, not onely in every part of a Mans Body, but in every part of Nature. ”

“ Why then shall not Nature also be said to have an Infinite Natural Wisdom and Power, although she has not a Divine Wisdom and Power? Can we say, Man hath not a free Will, because he hath not an absolute free Will, as God hath? Wherefore, a Natural Infinite, and the Infinite God, may well stand together, without any opposition or hinderance, or without any detracting or derogating from the Omnipotency and Glory of God; for God remains still the God of Nature, and is an Infinite Immaterial Purity, when as Nature is an Infinite Corporeal Substance ”

“ To my Reason, there are as many times and durations as there are motions; for neither time nor duration can be separated from motion, no more then motion can be separated from them, being all one. But Time is not Eternity, for Eternity hath no change, although your Author makes Time and Eternity all one, and a being or substance by it self: Yet I will rather believe Solomon, then him, who says, that there is a time to be merry, and a time to be sad; a time to mourn, and a time to rejoyce, and so forth: making so many divisions of Time as there are natural actions ”

“ But if the Soul be Incomprehensible, how then doth he know that she is a light, and not onely a light, but a glorious and splendorous light? You will say, By a Dream, or Vision. Truly, Madam, to judg any thing by a Dream, is a sign of a weak judgment. Nay, since your Author calls the soul constantly a light; if it were so, and that it were such a splendorous, bright and shining light, as he says; then when the body dies, and the soul leaves its Mansion, it would certainly be seen, when it issues out of the body. ”

“ Certainly, Madam, it seems as strange to me to prove the Immortality of the Soul, as to convert Atheists; for it [is] impossible, almost, that any Atheist should be found in the World: For what Man would be so senceless as to deny a God? Wherefore to prove either a God, or the Immortality of the Soul, is to make a man doubt of either: for as Physicians and Surgeons apply strengthening Medicines onely to those parts of the body which they suppose the weakest, so it is with proofs and arguments, those being for the most part used in such subjects, the truth of which is most questionable. ”

“ Truly, Madam, I think no man will be so mad, or irrational, as to say a Stone is an Animal, or an Animal is a Tree, because a Stone and Tree have sense, life, and motion; for every body knows, that their Natural figures are different, and if their Natures be different, then they cannot have the same Motions, for the corporeal motions do make the nature of every particular Creature, and their differences ”

“ I dare say that there have been millions of Women, which have longed for some or other thing, and have not been satisfied with their desires, and yet their Children have never had on their bodies the prints or marks of those things they longed for: but because some such figures are sometimes made by the irregular motions of animate Matter, would this be a sufficient proof, that all Conceptions, Ideas and Images have the like effects, after the same manner, by piercing or penetrating each other, and sealing or printing such or such a figure upon the body of the Child? ”

“ You may say, that motion may be transferred out of one body into another, without transferring any of the Matter. I answer: That is impossible, unless motion were that which some call No-thing, but how No-thing can be transferred, I cannot imagine: Indeed no sense and reason in Nature can conceive that which is No-thing; for how should it conceive that which is not in Nature to be found. ”

“ But Nature loving variety doth rather smile at Arts follies, then that she should be angry with her curiosity: like as for example, a Poet will smile in expressing the part or action of a Fool. Wherefore Pure natural Philosophers, shall by natural sense and reason, trace Natures ways, and observe her actions, more readily then Chymists can do by Fire and Furnaces; for Fire and Furnaces do often delude the Reason, blind the Understanding, and make the Judgment stagger. ”

“ But, Madam, you may be sure, that many, who pretend to know Physical secrets, most commonly know the least, as being for the most part of the rank of them that deceive the simple with strange tales which exceed truth; and to make themselves more authentical, they use to rail at others, and to condemn their skill, onely to magnifie their own: I say, many, Madam, as I have observed, are of that nature, especially those, that have but a superficial knowledg in the Art of Physick; for those that are thorowly learned, and sufficiently practised in it, scorn to do the like ”

“ Some perhaps will question the truth or probability of my saying, that Light is a Body, objecting that if light were a body, when the Sun is absent or retires under our Horizon, its light would leave an empty place, or if there were no empty place but all full, the light of the Sun at its return would not have room to display it self, especially in so great a compass as it doth, for two bodies cannot be in one place at one time. ”

“ Neither did Nature make death, but Man made death natural. Which if it be so, then Death being, to my opinion, a natural Creature, as well as Life, Sickness, and Health; Man, certainly, had great Power, as to be the Creator of a natural Creature. But, I would fain know the reason, why your Author is so unwilling to make God the Author of Death, and Sickness, as well as of Damnation? Doth it imply any Impiety or Irreligiousness? Doth not God punish, as well as reward? and is not death a punishment for our sin? You may say, Death came from sin, but sin did not come from God. ”

“ Concerning the Key of Divine Providence, I believe God did never give or lend it to any man; for surely, God, who is infinitely Wise, would never intrust so frail and foolish a Creature as Man, with it, as to let him know his secret Counsels, Acts, and Decrees. But setting aside Pride and Presumption, Sense and Reason may easily perceive, that Man, though counted the best of Creatures, is not made with such infinite Excellence, as to pierce into the least secrets of God ”

“ 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? ”