TWO TREATISES . IN THE ONE OF WHICH , THE NATVRE OF BODIES ; IN THE OTHER , THE NATVRE OF MANS SOVLE ; IS LOOKED INTO : IN WAY OF DISCOVERY , OF THE IMMORTALITY OF REASONABLE SOVLES .

AT PARIS , Printed by GILLES BLAIZOT .

M. DC . XLIIII . WITH PRIVILEDGE .

The calamity of this time being such , as hath bereaft me of the ordinary meanes of expressing my affection to you ; I haue beene casting about , to find some other way of doing that in such sort , as you may receiue most profit by it . Therein I soone pitched vpon this consideration ; That Parents owe vnto their children , not onely materiall subsistence for their bodie ; but much more , spirituall contributions to their better part , their minde . I am much bound to God , that he hath endewed you with one very capable of the best instructions : and withall , I do therefore esteeme my selfe obliged , to do my vtmost for moulding it to its most aduantage . If my ayme therein do proue successefull , you will with more ease digest those inconueniences and distresses , which already you haue begun to be acquainted with , and that threaten dayly worse vnto you . For how can a man suffer his hart to be deiected att the priuation of any temporall blessinges , whiles he considereth the inanity of them ; and that nothing is worthy his serious thought , but what may accompany him to his eternall habitation ? What needeth he feare the desolations of warre , and the worst that they can do against him , who haue his estate in their power , when he may be rich with a much nobler treasure , that none but himselfe can robbe him of ? Without doubt , he that shall seriously reflect vpon the excellency of his owne nature , and vpon the admirable perfect and happy state he shall most certainely arriue vnto , if he but weane himselfe from those worldly impediments , that here clogge his soules flight ; can not choose but looke with a disdainefull eye , vpon the glattering tryfles , that weake spirits delight themselues withall . If he deeme it not requisite ( as of old , the famous wise man did ) to throw away those encumbrances , to the end he may the more freely attend vnto diuine contemplations ( for worldly goods , duely vsed , may be very aduantagious both to ones selfe , and to others ) yet at the least , he will not repine att fortunes recalling of what she formerly had but lent him , and but permitted him the vse of .

To the end then that you may be armed against the worst that may arriue vnto you , in this vnhappy state of affaires , in our distressed country ; I send you those considerations of the nature and Immortality of humane soules , which of late , haue beene my chiefe entertainement . The progresse you haue already made in the study of Philosophy , hath ( I am persuaded ) enabled you to benefitt your selfe , with what I haue written vpon this subiect : on the serious examining of which , if you will employ but halfe the time , that I haue done in spinning out my thoughts , and weauing them into the piece you see , I doubt not but you will thereby receiue so much contentement , as well as profit , that you will not repent you of your paines . Besides that , intellectuall entertainements are the purest , and the noblest , and the most proportionate to mans nature , and proue the most delightfull to him , when they are duely relished . You will presently agree , that the matter j handle , is the most important and the most weighty , within the whole extent of humane nature , for a worthy and a gallant person to employ himselfe about . The aduantage which man hath ouer vnreasonable creatures , is , that what he doth , is by election ; and he is himselfe master of all his actions ; whereas they are impelled by outward causes , vnto all they doe : it is properly sayd of them , that aguntur magis quam agunt : He onely is free : and in all varietyes of circumstances , hath the power to choose one , and to reiect an other . Now , to haue this election wisely made , and becoming a man , requireth that it be steered by knowledge . To do any thing well , a man must first know throughly all that concerneth the action he is about ; and chiefely the end of it . And certainely , of all his actions , the gouernement of himselfe , is the most important , and neereliest concerning him . The end of that gouernement , and of all a mans aymes , is by all men agreed to be Beatitude : that is , his being completely well , and in a condition of enioying the most happinesse , that his nature is capable of . For arriuall whereunto , it is impossible to pitch vpon the direct and sure meanes , vnlesse it be first determined , whether the Beatitude we speake of , do belong to this life , or be not to be attained , till we come to the next : or rather , whether or no , there be an other life besides this , to be happy in . For if there remaineth an eternity vnto vs , after the short reuolution of time we so swiftly runne ouer here on earth ; it is cleare , that all the happinesse which can be imagined in this fleeting state , is not valuable , in respect of the future ; nor any thing we do here is considerable , otherwise then as it conduceth to the making our condition then , better or worse . Now the way to be sure of this , is eyther infallible authority , or euident science . They that rely on the first , depend of others : and they onely who know , are absolutely complete of themselues ; and haue within themselues , the principles whereby to gouerne their actions , in what is of highest consequence to them . It is true , euery body is not of a straine of witt and iudgement , to be of this ranke : and who are not , must be contented to beleeue others , and be satisfyed with what is taught them . But he that will be of a superior orbe , must make this his study . This is the adequate entertainement of a worthy person .

To conceiue how high and excellent , this science of gouerning a man in order to Beatitude in the next world is , we may consider , how among all arts that concerne this life , the art of a statesman , vnto whome belongeth to see a common wealthwell gouerned , is by much the noblest . All other arts , are but ministeriall to him . He maketh vse of the soldier , of the lawyer , of the orator , of the antiquary , of the physitian , as best conduceth to the end he aymeth att , of making the commonwealth he gouerneth , happy and flourishing . All other meaner trades serue him in a yet lower degree . Yet after all , he must take his measures from the Metaphysitian or Diuine . For since the gouernement of a society of men , aymeth att giuing them the best being they are capable of ; and since Mans well being here in this life , is but instrumentally good , as being the meanes for him to be well in the next life ; It is euident , that the statesmans art , is but instrumentall to that , which sheweth , how euery particular man must gouerne his life , to be partaker of a happy eternity . And consequently , if a statesman haue not this science , he must be subiect to a brauer man then himselfe , whose prouince is to direct all his actions vnto this end . We are told , how reuerently great Cesar listened to the discourses of learned Achoreus , how obseruant Alexander was of his Master Aristotle , how secure Nero trode , whiles Seneca guided his steppes , how humble Constantine was to saint Syluesters precepts , how Charlemaine gouerned himselfe in his most important actions , by Alcuines aduise : In a word , all the great men of antiquity , aswell among the Romanes , as among the Gretians , had their Philosophers , and Diuines in their kind , belonging to them ; from whome they might deriue rules of liuing and doing as they ought vpon all occasions , if themselues were not Masters in that superior and all directing science . He that seeth not by his owne light , must in this dangerous ocean steere by the lanterne which an other hangeth out to him . If the person he relyeth vpon , eyther withholdeth the light from him , or sheweth him a false one , he is presently in the darke , and can not faile of loosing his way . How great an authority had the Augurs and priests among the rude Romanes , to forbid any publike act , or to breake any assembly vpon pretence of Religious duties , when they liked not the businesse that was in agitation ? The like may interessed Diuines among Christians do , if the ministers of state haue not some insight into Diuinity . He leadeth a vexatious life , that in his noblest actions is so gored with scruples , that he dareth not make a steppe , without the authority of an other to warrant him .

Yet I do not conclude , that he whome I designe by the character of a braue man , should be a professed or a complete Metaphytian or Diuine , and consummate in euery curious circumstance that belongeth to this science ; it sufficeth him to know it in bulke ; and to haue so much Diuinity , as in common occurrents , to be able to gouerne himselfe ; and in speciall ones , to vnderstand what , and why his Diuine perswadeth him to any thing ; so that euen then , though not without helpe , yet he gouerneth himselfe , and is not blindely gouerned by an other . He that aymeth att being a perfect horseman , is bound to know in generall ( besides the art of riding ) the nature and temper of horses ; and to vnderstand the different qualities of bittes , saddles , and other vtensiles of a horseman ; But the vtmost exactnesse in these particulars , belongeth to farriers , saddlers , smithes , and other tradesmens of all which , the iuditious rider knoweth how to make due vse , when he hath occasion , for his principall end ; which is , orderly gouerning his horse . In like manner , he whom we designe by a complete braue man , must know solidely the maine end of what he is in the world for : and withall , must know how to serue himselfe when he pleaseth , and that it is needfull to him , of the Diuines high contemplations , of the Metaphysitians subtile speculations , of the naturall Philosophers minute obseruations , of the Mathematicians nice demonstrations ; and of whatsoeuer else of particular professions , may conduce to his end ; though without making any of them his professed businesse .

To lay groundes for such knowledge as this , is the scope of my ensuing discourse . My first ayme , was to begett it in my selfe : to which end , the digesting my thoughts into order , and the setting them downe in writing , was necessary : for without such strict examination of them , as the penning them affordeth one meanes to make , they would hardly haue auoyded being disioynted and rouing ones . Now that I haue done that , my next ayme is that you , vnto whom I wish as much good as to my selfe , may reape as much benefit by the studying it , as I haue done by the composing it . My end then being a priuate one ( as looking no further then you my sonne , and my selfe ) I haue not endeauoured to expresse my conceptions eyther in the phrase , or in the language of the schooles . It will serue our turne , to comprehend the substance , without confining our selues to any scrupulous exactnesse , in what concerneth onely forme . And the same consideration hath made me passe slightly ouer many particulars , in my first Treatise of the Nature of Bodies ; vpon which learned and witty men might spinne out large volumes . For in that part , I ayme no further , then to shew what may be effected by corporeall agents . There , possibility serueth my turne , as well as the determinate indiuisible point of truth . I am obliged to that , onely in my maine great theme ; which is the soule . In regard of which , the numerous crooked narrow cranies , and the restrayned flexuous riuolets of corporeall thinges , are all contemptible , further then the knowledge of them serueth to the knowledge of the soule . And a gallant man , whose thoughts flye att the highest game , requireth no further insight into them , then to satisfy himselfe by what way they may be performed ; and deemeth it farre too meane for him , to dwell vpon the subtilest of their mysteries for science sake .

Besides this liberty that the scope I ayme att alloweth me of passing very cursorily ouer sundry particulars ; I find now att my reading ouer all together , what I haue written to deliuer it to the Printer , that euen in that which I ought to haue done to comply with my owne designe and expectation , I am fallen very short ; so that if I had not vnwarily too farre engaged my selfe for the present publishing it , truly I should haue kept it by me , till I had once againe gone ouer it . I find the whole piece very confusedly done ; the stile vnequall and vnpolished ; many particulars ( when they are not absolutely necessary to my maine drift ) too slightly touched , and farre from being driuen home : and in a word , all of it seemeth to be rather but a loose modell and roughcast of what I designe to do , then a complete worke throughly finished .

But since by my ouerforward promising of this piece to seuerall frindes , that haue beene very earnest for it , I haue now brought my selfe to that passe , that it would ill become me to delay any longer the publishing of some thing vpon this subiect ; and that obligations of an other nature permitt me not att the present to dwell any longer vpon this ( besides that , so laysy a braine as mine is , groweth soone weary when it hath so entangled a skeane as this is to vnwind ) I now send it you as it is ; but with a promise , that att my first leisure , I will take a strict suruey of it ; and then in an other edition , will polish , correct and adde what shall appeare needfull to me . If any man shall take the booke out of your hand , inuited by the title and subiect to looke into it ; I pray you in my behalfe represent vnto him , how distant my profession is , and how contrary my education hath beene , from writing of bookes . In euery art , the plainest that is , there is an apprentiship necessary , before it can be expected one should worke in it a fashionable piece . The first attemptes are alwayes very imperfect ayminges ; and are scarce discernable what they are meaned for , vnlesse the master guide his schollers hand . Much more will the same happen in so difficult and spiny an affaire , as the writing vpon such a nice and copious subiect as this is , to one that is so wholy ignorant of the lawes of methode as I am .

This free and ingenuous acknowledgement on my side , will I hope preuayle with all ingenuous persons , who shall reade what I haue written , to aduertise me fairely ( if they iudge it worth their while ) of what they dislike in it : to the end that in an other more accurate edition , I may giue them better satisfaction . For besides what faylinges may be in the matter , I can not doubt but that euen in the expressions of it , there must often be great obscurity and shortenesse ; which I , who haue my thoughts filled with the thinges themselues , am not aware of . So that , what per aduenture may seeme very full to me , because euery imperfect touch bringeth into my minde the entire notion and whole chaine of circumstances belonging to that thing I haue so often beaten vpon ; may appeare very crude and maymed to a stranger , that can not guesse what I would be att , otherwise then as my direct wordes do leade him .

One thing more I shall wish you to desire of them who happily may peruse these two Treatises ; aswell for their owne sakes , as for mine . And that is , that they will not passe their censure vpon any particular piece , or broken parcell of eyther of them , taken by it selfe . Lett them draw the entire thridde through their fingers , and lett them examine the consequentnesse of the whole body of the doctrine I deliuer ; and lett them compare it by a like suruey with what is ordinarily taught in the schooles : and if they find in theirs , many brackes and short endes which can not be spunne into an euen piece , and in mine , a faire coherence throughout ; I shall promise my selfe a fauourable doome from them , and that they will haue an acquiescence in themselues to what I haue here presented them with : whereas , if they but rauell it ouer loosely , and pitch vpon disputing against particular conclusions , that att the first encounter of them single , may seeme harsh vnto them , ( which is the ordinary course of flashy wits , who can not fadome the whole extent of a large discourse ) it is impossible but that they should be very much vnsatisfyed of me ; and goe away with a persuasion , that some such truthes as vpon the whole matter are most euident ( one stone in the arch supporting an other , and the whole ) are meere chymeras and wilde paradoxes .