PRay look over the Minutes of the Parcae, and amongst those Eternal Volumes, see, when I am fated to commence Temporality.

In Iune, Anno Dominl, 1664. according to Humane Computation, in that part of the Globe which you are designed for.

Well, and what Fortune, what Post hath the Lottery of Fate assigned me? What Entertainment am I to expect in a new, Ma­terial Mansion?

Your Curiosity seems to argue a De­sire of fixing there; but you'll be of another Mind when I tell you, that Incorporation is a Penalty inflicted upon Souls for their Extrava­gances in this World: That the Body is a Pri­son, a Clog, the most officious Enemy you can meet with in betraying you to false Per­ceptions, and irregular Conclusions. In short, you'll find no agreeable Object, but at such [Page 2] times as you withdraw, and converse with Beings as simply immaterial as yourself. Now you are an unconfin'd Agent, a Stranger to those grosser Terms of Body, Place and Time: As yet you know nothing of Magnitude, Quan­tity, or Motion, and those innumerable Er­rours that result from them, by false Notions of their Nature. And when you come into the other World, you'll be as great a Stranger to the Nature of Angels, Spirits, and Immaterial Be­ings, as now you are of those material ones.

What surprizing Relations are these! Shall I ever forget this inorganical way of Converse? These immediate Conceptions, without the Assistance of Sense? This simple Particularity of Perception, without Composi­tion or Division? In short, this Nature that I carry about me? If so (dear Minister of Fate) lay down some Rules for me to take along with me, which, after I am imbodied, may restore this Knowledge to me, and the un­happy Tribe of Humanity: 'Twill be a great Office of Charity, if possible to be accom­plished.—

'Tis utterly impossible.

—Why so?

Because that a finite Power and an in­finite Subject are incompatible.

How far then is it possible for Huma­nity to conceive?

When the Infinite Eternal Mind was pleas'd to create Matter, Time and Place, he extended the [...] Empyreum to confine 'em in. Whatever is beyond this vast Convex, this spacious [...], is what has been from Eterni­ty: [Page 3] Shou'd I say really what that is, Man­kind cou'd not understand it, because of an Incongruity (as urged before) betwixt the Power and Subject: I might as well enjoyn 'em to smell with their Eyes, or tune an Instrument by their Taste. But however, to speak as near as I can to their Capacities,—Quantity and Place, beyond the Coelum Empyreum, are swal­lowed up, as Time is, in Eternity. Before this Coelum Empyreum and its material Inclosures were created, all was, as now is, beyond it; and when the last Fire (a part of that mate­rial Fabrick) shall burn up all the rest of Mat­ter, and by the Fiat of its awful Creator con­sume it self, there shall be no more Matter, Time, or Place, but all return to the first Eter­nal Constitution: Not so much as Bodies immortalliz'd shall be Matter, according to the Definition now made of it; but a new inexpressible Something, which cannot be trans­lated out of the Language of Spirits, into that of Men: Matter is not so perfect as Immate­riality, Time as Eternity, Place as Incircumscrip­tability.— And whatever Humane Philo­sophers wou'd be at, I can exp [...]rimentally as­sure 'em, that they come as near an Adequate Conception of these things—when they think not at all of them, as they do in their most Elevated Contemplations. However, not to leave 'em altogether in the dark, a Collection of what you now do in this pre-existent State will (if deliver'd according to their Capacities) not make 'em less ignorant, especially when they are put in mind of the Method of their own Living before they came into their Bodies.

Perhaps they will not believe they ever acted such things, but look upon all as a Dream or Fiction.— What think you of Pythagoras his Collections before he went into his Body? A Copy of such an Original must be authentick upon your Subscription, and consequently useful to Mankind.

I must attend the Destinies, who are now Sitting in Council; but when I return, I'll bring you the Original out of the Registry, which you may translate as near as the Lan­guage of Spirits can be adapted to the Lan­guage of Men.

WEll met, Brother: Which way is your Flight design'd?

I have just left the Bosom of Causes, to take a Prospect of the lower World, to see if there be any Preparation for my Re­ception there: And yet I'm much troubl'd at the Apprehension of being clogg'd with that uneasie, restless Lump of Humanity, and the attending Consequences make me very im­patient.

Why so? What Conjectures have ye?

'Tis the want of reasonable Conjectures; for by all the Observations I can make of my Temper, I cannot resolve my self whether I'm a Male, or a Female Spirit. But why do I thus busie my self about Sexes? Certainly 'tis ominous, and argues my Imbodying near at hand: But if after Six Thousand Years Expecta­tion I shou'd be ty'd to a Poet, I shall reckon it a Fore-stalling my Damnation, and had e'en as good commence Devil, without any more adoe, and take up with one Hell.— See you not that Wretch in yonder Grove, with his Hat over his Eyes, scratching his Head, tearing his Nails, and sending his poor Hackney-Soul about, like a Spaniel Dog, to fetch and carry Similitudes, Rhimes, Compo­sition, [Page 6] &c. I remember, about Thirty Years since, when he was our Companion, he wou'd sometimes break off in the midst of a Dis­course, without bidding God b'w'ye, and away to the Brooks, Groves and Fountains; which made me suspect the nearness of a Poetick Preferment.—But, hark!—The Hu­mour of our late Companion in his new Lodging!

Well, and what then?—Why the Sense is out before the Rhime: Now 'twou'd be charitable to assume an Airy Organ, and help him out, viz.—I know not how.

Poor Wretch! He knows not what to do, unless he un [...]oes all, and begins again, which he'd as lieve be hang'd as attempt, having ta­ken so much pains about it already. Oh, for Sysiphus's restless Stone, or Belides's leaking Tun! They are minute and pettite Tasks to his. Not Ixion's Wheel has half the Torture of an over-hasty Period.—But this is not all: When he has undergone the bitter Throws and Pains of Rhimeship, then the Darling Off-spring of his Brain turns prosti­tute to the Abuses of all the World: The Praises of wise Men are so few, that their Voice is lost in so large a Theatre; and the nume­rous [Page 7] Applauses of Fools are too loud a Scan­dal. —And after all this, Is't not pity the poor Rogue shou'd take such pains to be dam­ned? For there's not one Poet in Five Thou­sand that escapes. It had gone hard with Ouldham himself, if it had not been for the Penance of his own Satyrs. Say, Fellow-Im­materiality: What shall I do? I can never look down upon a Couple of Lovers, but I'm afraid their Toying will end in making an Heliconian Prison for me; especially if the In­namorato is for Balls, Masquerading, and Love-Sonnets.

Alas, Brother! I'm all Resentment and Pity. Little do Mortals think what Plague we are at, about the Lodging and Entertain­ment we expect at their Hands:—But for my part, your Apprehensions of Incorpo­ration are all Charms, and Sweetness, to the dismal Reception I look for.

—VVhy, what's the matter with you?

—I can never loave our happier Re­gions, to visit the lower Elements, but, before I am aware, I find my self amongst Sea Fowl, hovering over Rivers, Ponds and Marshes, admiring the Scaly Sholes, and envying the Pastime of those ever thirsty Revellers. Now, VVhat can this mean, but that I'm ordain'd to actuate a Drunkard? And if so, Hell is a Toy to such a Confinement: This Moment wou'd I plunge into the boundless Depths, to be secur'd from such a Companion. But why that rash Thought? Is not Hell also crowded with 'em? And are not its Horrours doubled by their Confession? Yet, if Hell cou'd be [Page 8] Hell without 'em, 'twou'd be a happy Place, and nothing in't of the Beast, Antick or Non­sense, but a rational Complaint of Despair. VVonder not, dear Brother, at my deeper Reflections, till you've consider'd yonder Fi­gure at the Old D—l Tavern. VVhat think you of their Motions, Converse and Passions? Suppose all their Discourse were taken in Short-hand, and the weakest Person amongst 'em shou'd have a View of the whole when he's in a Mood of Thinking: VVould not he blush at such Follies, at such an unaccounta­ble Expence of Time; especially if he thought an Hour so spent was of equal length with any other Hour in the Line of Life, and must be equally accounted for? Alas! VVho wou'd suppose that Souls, cloyster'd up in these sen­sualizd, unthinking Statues, were ever our Companions! Come, let's retire towards our peaceful Regions, and not be VVitnesses of what a Mid-night Scene produces. A Poet's Structure! afraid of a Poetick Mansion! 'Tis a Paradise, to what I dread. Nor is there any Spirit in all our Order, that can be afraid of such a Body, but I must meet with it in this Epitome of all Plagues. A Drunkard can be Poet, Beggar, Cully, Buffoon, or any thing: So that I am like to meet with the most abject Slavery in Nature.

UP, ye lazy Dog: Are not ye asham'd to kennel and snore in that Star, till it smells again of Drowsiness?

VVho's there?—Now, are not you a spiteful Spirit, to disturb my Rest, when you have taken yours?—You are just crept out of some fix'd, idle Luminary, where you have had no jolting, nor disturbance, and come to perplex me, who am already Topsie­turvy with the swift Motion of my Erratick Mansion, which moves at least a Hundred Miles a Minute.—If I am out in my Computation, 'tis because I'm scarce awake.

Arise, prating, and let's away to the As­signation.

—VVhat Assignation? VVhat d'ye dream of? Have ye call'd in at Aquarius, for a Dram o'the Pitcher?

No, no: A Royal Congress of all the Princes in Christendom are met together, and Thousand Thousands of naked Souls are crowding for Commissions, to inspire the suc­ceeding Generation of that illustrious Con­vention.

VVell, I do'nt care, I wait for new Re­volutions; but if I did not, I wou'd not budge one Foot, for I'm sure we can't all speed; and 'twou'd vex me to the Heart to put in for a Prince's Off-spring, and afterwards ride the Wooden Horse in St. James' Park, or turn Cobler.

VVell, I'm loth to spoil the old Tenet in the other VVorld, that All Souls are equal, and are only diversify'd by the Dispositions of their Organs; or I'd proclaim thee a mean; little Soul, scarce fit to animate Plants and Mine­rals.

—Pray, be gone about your Business: I tell you once more, I'm for a broad Sword and a Centry-Box at the End of the Canoll: And for your Proclamations, 'tis not good I catch ye transgressing upon the Grass, left I take the Forfeiture, and give you a Strapado or two in­to the bargain.

I believe you are a Iacobite-Soul, or you wou'd not absent from the Congress.

—Perhaps I am,—and it may be I shall have a greater Commission than I tell you of: But this I can assure you, there are many Iacobites that will come in for Com­missions, with private Lewid'ores in their Fobs, in spight of all the Care and Diligence that can be us'd to the contrary.

—'Tis possible: But what's the Is­sue of it?—You see Iove has taken a particular Care of the British Monarch's Person and Concerns,—and every Sessions the Triangular Supporter preaches a late R [...]epentance to his Enemies.

—I don't value that; that can on­ly discompose the Body which I shall be ty'd to, and so I shall be the sooner at liberty a­gain for more Rambles.

—You're mistaken; you'll find other Obligations upon your self when you come to be incorporate, than you now dream of. But turn and take th'other Nap,—whilst I attend, and know how to be happy, either in my own, or in my Companion's good Success.

—PReach Patience to me!—O Hell and Fury! That I who was the great Comrade of Alexander, Iulius Caesar, Aristotle and Cato Utican's Souls, shou'd now at length be cloyster'd up in an Oyster-Wench's Bastard! I saw the Saracen's-Head Porter and her at work, but I little thought the Teeming Embrio was design'd for me. Alas, from how great Hopes am I fallen! The present Lewis and his Allye attended me like Lacquies, and if I had not been upon the Ramble at their first want of Motion, I had certainly had the Refusal of those Commissions; but now I must away, and into such a Body too, as humble Irus [Page 12] (were he now alive) wou'd scorn the base Al­liance, Now must I drudge about with Dan­dry-Comb [...], and Small Coal-Betty, or else move a Thoughtless Lump, from Door to Door, and often meet, instead of Bread, the threat­ning Charity of Bridewell. Add yet to this, Kib'd Heels, a Snotty Nose, and part of E­gypt's Plagues.—Ah Constantine, when only thou and I were Candidates for the Ro­man Sceptre, I little thought of such an home­ly Cottage.—O Rage, VVretchedness!

—VVho's this that talks of Rage and VVretchedness, without comparing his with my hard Fate? A base born Embrio to enliven? 'Tis a happy Residence to mine! If Fate wou'd but give me my Choice, I'd hug the Brat; nay, I'd give my Hopes of future Happiness to boot, and think't an easie, cheap Damnation to what I must of force endure.

—How!—Now my Impatience cools, and grows milder, to think that the De­stinies have not left me the only Stigmatiz'd Infortune. But how, in what great Instance am I thus out-done?

A young Ignatian just form'd, when se­veral of us pricking in the Lottery of Fate, he fell to my Share; whereupon I read in those Brazen Volumes and found that he will be a Necromancer: Alas, how shall I be treated from those Officio [...]s Imps of Darkness, (the Assisters of that Black Art,) which I have so often cha­sed out of these purer Regions, when they have been upon their hasty Errands?— Or what can I expect from our own Society, when I my self shall hereafter come upon the [Page 13] same Account, mounted upon a drudging Fallen Angel, being ty'd to too great a Lump of Clay to soar aloft, as now I'm us'd to do, now I'm a pure Agent, unconstrain'd and free, oblig'd to truckle to no Humane Laws? But, alas! my Freedom is about to sink, Incorporation beckens me, (a Law severer than all the Ten to Mankind.—The first Choice I now expect, is to commence Iunior Devil, and wear th' Impostor's Badge. I sell my self, to buy Preferment in that holy Tribe. But, O the fop­pish Rules that I must use, to cheat my self and others! Such Words repeat, and such Cha­racters draw; such antick Postures use, and such Familiars entertain: And then the Con­sequence of all this is only to please this Sense, or gratifie that Malice; when all's a most egre­gious Cheat and Fiction, only the Ensurance of Damnation is real. I remember Dr. Fau­stus's Spirit said as much to me, and boasted how he'd fool the Devil: But when he came to be inclos'd in Flesh, he streight unactive grew, dull, and incapable to think, project, or judge of what he undertook; and when he dar'd to play about the fiery Ditch, he fell, and sunk for ever.

—Alas, hard Fate!—Well, since we must away, where is this Iesuit to live?—Say,—that when our Bodies are asleep, we may meet, converse, and pity one another's Hardships.

—Within Ten Miles of London.—He that can play at Legerdemain with Hell, can easily Bilk an Act of Parliament.

—True:—I shall find you out.

WEll, Gentlemen, the Quarrel in­creases betwixt the Souls of our Order, and those of the Vegitable; I can't yet tell what will be the Event, but I think it Wisdom to discipline our selves in the Art of War, which we have almost lost, 'tis so long since the Skirmish of Michael and his Angels, with the Devil and his. I was but Lieutenant then, and brought up the File next the lowest Rank of Angels, but we quickly did the Busi­ness when we came to engage; and I doubt not but we shall have the same Success against these turbulent Vegitable Spirits, if they do pro­ceed to muster.

1. But, pray Captain, what Remarks did the Astrologers and Virtuosi of the little, heavy Globe, called Earth, make on the A­ction?

VVhy, truly, (as one of our Order, that held Correspondence with 'em, told us,) they retir'd to their Closets, and were ready to crack their Brains; all the Pious went to Prayers, and not one amongst that Race, but were almost distracted. The Roaring of our Vehicles they call'd Thunder; our Balls they cal­led Thunder-bolts; and our Priming with the Antiperistasis of Snow and Spiritous Sulphure, that they call'd Lightning; and all this to such a [Page 15] Miracle, that 'twas put in their Chronicles. But another remarkable Passage was this; the Elements clear'd up, and Men ventur'd out of their Houses again, to view the Hea­vens, when we had just routed the Rebels, and were in pursuit of 'em, leaping from Star to Star; which made the gazing VVorld be­low us think 'twas a Shooting of Stars.—But to the Business in hand: Is our whole Number here?

—Yes, Captain.

Very well.—Silence there.—

To the Right, To the Right, To the Right: As ye were.

To the Left, To the Left about: As ye were.

—You make too great a Noise, the VVorld below us will be alarm'd again, and expect a Charge upon their Heads.

—VVho's there, that Catechises me? Set him upon Charles's Wain, with two Dozen of Thunder-bolts at his Heels, and to abide the first Charge of our Infantry for his Sawciness. So, very well:—Mind that third File.— Keep in Order, or you shall ride with your Companion.—Silence there behind.—

• Exhale new Vapours.
• Condense new Clouds.
• Shape your Clouds into Vehicles.
• Prepare your Balls and Hail-stones.
• Prime with Snow.
• Ram down.
• Advance.
• Present.
• Charge.

—Oh, dear Captain, How am I pelted! See how the Region is scowr'd be­hind me for Three Hundred and Fifty Leagues together: Then what must I suffer, that am so near your roaring Muzzles.

—Enough: Let him down.—But who is yonder, that makes such haste to­wards us?

—O Captain, Sad News! Your last Charge has overthrown three of the Pla­nets Houses, and ruin'd all their Aspects, Con­junctions, Oppositions, &c. that they will never be habitable again: So that all the Astrolo­gick Souls are up in Conspiracy, and swear a Revenge for spoiling their Trade.

How? How's that?

Aries, Taurus and Gemini are no more, and the Astrologers are up in Arms.

Astrologers dare neither plot nor fight, unless they consult the Stars.—Now, if the Planets Houses are broke down, the Art is bu­ried in the same Ruines: So that there's no danger of any thing but Noise, or Revolt to the Vegitable Souls.—Well, Lieutenant, for the future you'll learn to be more modest:—See that you take a List of Names, and call a Rendesvouz for Exercise once a Week, and re­member to fill up the Places of such Souls as are sent into the other World: You need not trouble your self about your Charge, it will last but till 1697. 'Tis said the Milennium be­gins then.

W [...]ll, Gentlemen, since we are all equal by Creation, and Inequality is only contingent by Actuation in different Organs, my Opinion is this, (though I'm willing to submit to the Judgment of this honourable Consistory) that a [...]o [...]tention about Superiority may, by a solemn Decree, be en­acted Criminal, and a severe Penalty enjoyn'd; or else, that the two Orders of Spirits may chuse their several Champions for a friendly Dis­pute, and cast Lots who shall begin, that we may never hereafter be troubl'd to compose our continu'd Aetherial Wranglings.

—A Friendly Dispute, deci­sive by Plurality of Voices, is the best Me­thod.

—Chuse your Champions then. Is't done?

Yes; and the first Lot [...]alls upon the Vegitable.

—The Rational, the Rational Order.

—Well Gentlemen, withdraw, there shall be an effectual Care for a Regula­tion of what's amiss; and as near as may be, to a general Satisfaction, and so depart in Peace.

—STand back there, I'm in great haste; a poor VVretch that lies strugling under the pangs of Separation, can­not be loos'd till I hand him to Charon's Ferry.

—Pray good Mercury, hold a little, I have one request to beg of you.

—Speak—Speak quickly, VVhat is't?

—Only be my Guardian, and let me wait upon you into the other VVorld, thence to the Infernal Shades, and so back again.

—Indeed your Order has been very civil to me always when I past these Regions, and tho' it will be some trouble to me, yet your Request is granted,—take hold of that end of my Wand, and keep close behind me.

—VVhat strange—

—Hush, not a word, we are now at our first Journeys end.—Ay, that's the Object; see how Death has fixt his Eyes, and sits triumphant upon his Lips: So, now I have eas'd him, his Corps must be left to be lament­ed and buried by his Friends, but he marches with us.

—VVhere is he?

—Here, VVhat do ye design to do with me?

—That last Office I do to all Man­kind—Conduct you to your last Aboad—Holo Charon, make haste, and take this Fare.

—VVhat is he? He smells of Parchment, Subpoena's Injunctions, &c. VVas he not towards the Law?

—Yes, I have be [...]n a Barrister.

—Mercury, I dare not take him with all that Luggage about him; he'll sink the Wherry. Take away that Forgery—Very well, and that double Mortgage—So, and that Parcel of Replications, Writs of Error, &c.—Ay, now we are light enough, we'll be over presently.

VVhere am I now?

—Amongst your Predecessors; you are welcome to Shoar, and so farewel; Come along Comrade.

—Tarry a little, he says something. I wou'd fain know what Thoughts I shall en­tertain, when I have left my Body.

—Amongst my Predecessors? Then I'll go seek out for Mr. H [...]bbs, to know the reason why I am thus cruelly treated, when I follow'd his Rules, so exactly.—Yonder he goes—Hobbs, Mr. Hobbs.

—How I am continually plagu'd, with my new Proselytes, that lay all their Damnations at my door? But I believe some on 'em put upon me; I'll question this new Comers Principles—Do you know me?

—Yes to my Sorrow:—VVhat think you now of your Doctrine of Fatality?

—VVhat Doctrine do ye mean?

—That every individual person is fated to all the Actions of his Life; yea, even the most minute and inconsiderable; as for instance, to get up at such a time of the Day, to feed himself precisely at such an Hour, and with such a certain number of bits, to go over the Streets at so many Steps, to VVhore and be Drunk at such a time, to go to Prayers and be Melancholy at such a time, to dispute against his Principles at such a time: In short, that all that we think, say, and act, are neces­sarily predestin'd, and run as links in an inevi­table Chain of Causes.—VVhat think ye of the Reasons of this Hypothesis now? That we are made up of two parts, a Soul, and a Body; and that when these are conjoyn'd we must live necessarily as long as we do live; and that so long as we do live, we must necessa­rily have a mind which has its perception by the Senses: That as this perception is necessa­ry, so is the choice that we make by it: As for instance, Something that is good, or at least appears so to the perception, offers it self, and as such, 'tis impossible to refuse it, as a proper Object to the mind, as 'tis also impossible af­ter perception, to choose an Evil as such; and thus we are [...] to VVho [...]ing for those Arguments which our reason offers, that we should refrain, carry not along with 'em so great a good to our perception, as those other reasons that induce us to it, and as a great power necessarily commands a l [...]sser, so the [Page 30] will necessarily chooses it as most agreeable to it, and thus I refrain VVhoring, when there appears a greater good to let it alone: Thus I am fated to make so many steps in walking the length of my Chamber, because to step so far at a step, appears more agreeable to my Constitution, Fancy, &c. than to step further or shorter, and therefore as most agreeable, it most inclines my will, which therefore is ne­cessitated to act accordingly: As to the Body it depends necessarily upon the Mind, for my Hand cannot move of it self, unless I move it, and if I move it, it is necessitated to move; and can't help it; and thus, Mr. Hobbs, I'm ne­cessitated to be Damn'd, because the way to it, had more appearance of good in it, than walking in another way, and therefore I cou'd not but choose it. Oh! what an Unhappy Wretch was I, that was not fated to examine this Doctrine by the same Measures that I did all others; truth is only known by falshood, and falshood by truth; black by white, and white by black, and every thing by its con­trary: What a Mysterious Riddle then is this, Which is both, and all one? viz. Do, or do not do, 'tis fated. If I wou'd have done a thing, and examin'd it's contrary, viz. cou'd not do it, or vice versa, then there had been fate in the case, otherwise Hobbism, or a new Riddle, whose Solution had been Ruine in one World, and Damnation in another. What's the meaning of Laws, Rewards, and Punishments? For if I act what I must act, Why am I bid to do so, or forbid to do so? If I rob my Neighbour, Why shou'd a little [Page 31] superinduc'd Law take hold of me, and not that great Law of Fatality preserve me since I act agreeable to it? What injustice can I do when eternal Fate stands by me, and warrants all my Actions? Fool that I am, was I to live my Life over again, I wou'd only believe, and warrantably too, that Fate, though it be like a Law, yet it speaks not in this manner; This Man shall do thus, and this thing shall be­fal that Man, but rather thus, whatsoever a Soul chooseth, such and such things shall cer­tainly follow; for 'tis not the Action, but the Consequence of the Action, that is Fate.—If Fate had design'd, that if Paris Ravish'd Helena, the Grecians shou'd contend with Troy about it: But this was once in Paris's power to do, or not to do without Compulsion or Necessity. Thus Apollo foretold Caius, That if he begat a Son, that Son would kill him, which was con­ditional and not necessary, thus Plato; If it were not thus, the ill have a protection for their Vices, and the Good deserve no praise. To which I might add, That there are certain Moral In­stincts, co essenti [...]l with Humanity, eternally [...]ixt and unchangeable, such as Love, Iustice, Religion, &c. not fitted to a private temper, or a particular Nation, to these instincts we are all really chain'd by a Fatality and necessity of Act, more or less, not­withstanding all our struggles to be rid of 'em, but to speak of Fatalities in opposition to these, is to charge the great eternal mind with Contradictions, Divisions, and at last with Non-Entity; which now I can too late think of: Oh that I cou'd, that I cou'd.—

—Pray Mercury let's begone from this unhappy Subject of Fatality, and let's see something new among the Dead, I want to take a view of Alexander, Caesar, Hercules, Epi­menondas, and the other brave Heroes, so much talkt of, or the great Philosopher M [...]nippus, I know not which to ask for first.

—Men [...]ppus! He was the greatest Man the World ever bred, his life really Phi­losophiz'd, whilst others Talk'd,—That is he there, you cannot vex him.

Lend me your Wand, I'll hit him one dab on's Pate for Tryal.—

No, no, you must be civil to Stran­gers. —See that behind him is—Hercules.

—But where's his Club? Methinks he looks so like a silly I'uny, that I durst venture a foil with him: But where's fair Hellen, and the ugly Thersites?

—They stand together there.

—Bless me! How the Dead equals all things? I have only one other Question to ask, and I have done; Pray Mercury, of what Quality or Calling are those generally, who are dignified for their Vertue.

—Ignorant poor Labourers of both Sexes, that have been the greatest Enemies to their Sences, those Nurses of all Vice.

—This will be s [...]range News for our Aetherial Inhabitants, who are all gaping to be Lords, Dukes, Princes, and Emperors.

—Come, let's be gone, my business is never sleeping.

—I can't press upon you any longer, —pray lead the way—Strange! Where are [Page 33] we got already?—What fine Countries are yonder?—

—Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithi­nia, &c.—Well, Do you know where you are now?

—In my own Region. Thanks, kind Mercury for this Kindness.

I am glad I have gratify'd you. Fare well.

—Farewell.

—MEthinks (tho' I know no reason for't) I tremble to come so near these Regions of Death and Horrour. What shou'd we do here, amongst the Graves and Tombs of the Deceased? Is it pleasant to view the Triumphs of that pale-fac'd Tyrant?

—No: But if we can find some of our old Acquaintance, hov'ring o'er the Pri­sons of their Bodies, it may be a Satisfa­ction to ask some Questions. There is one [Page 34] that often visits his Tomb, (and Body, which he left too hastily:) He can't be long absent, the Clock has struck Twelve.—Hush, here he comes:—Stand still, and put on Invisi­bility.

—Hail, dear Tomb! the dear Re­pository of my other Part.—But why shou'd I love and pardon the adulterous Lump, which left me, for the Embraces of Death; and being deaf to all Intreaties and Reasons, violently thrust me out of Possession. How am I then bewitch'd, to visit the old, ingrate­ful Mansion, and assume an Aerial Resem­blance of what I once was!—Assist me, Fancy: What Hair had he?—Right. And what a Face?—That's exact.—Now, for a Body, Arms, Thighs, Legs and Feet? They are more easie.—So.—Now, for Cloaths?—That's truly imitated. Now me­thinks I am A.—B.—the very same through­out: How I hug my self in this Figure!— There's nothing wanting now, but to tell Mo­neys upon this Grave-stone, till the envious Cock proclaims a too too eager Flux of Time.— Very well: Now I am seated.—Perhaps some Fools may be frightn'd at me.

—Why ha'now, old Comrade? What's the meaning of this wealthy Posture? Come, will ye give a Bag or two for old Ac­quaintance sake?

—Why upon this Errand at such an unseasonable Hour? You are come on pur­pose to give me a Visit: Are n't ye?

—Yes, we are so: And we hope your Entertainment will be suitable to [Page 35] Visitants; especially, since we expect no more from you, than the Solution of a few Que­stions.

—Pray, What are they? I'll ob­lige ye, if I can.

—What Apprehensions have Mankind, when they see this Airy Vehicle that you assume every Night? Whether is the Spe­ctacle pleasant through the Novelty of it, or dismal for want of understanding it.

Mankind has very different Ap­prehensions of me: Some, when they see me, run stark mad immediately. Others come on purpose swearing, all's Delusion, a Cheat, or an Imposition on the Senses; and when they see us, won't believe their Eyes; only some­times we have particular Commissions to un­deceive 'em, with a witness. A Third Sort, a little wiser than both, keep s [...] much Pre­sence of Mind as to see us, and troop off quietly, with their Hair bolting up an end. But here and there are a very few that have more ade­quate Conceptions of us, and neither seek nor flee our Company, knowing that we Souls and Spirits have no more Power over 'em in Bodies, than we have out; and that what­ever Power we have at any time is only lent us, and also limitted, and not to be extended when and where we please. So that we are really no more in our own Nature and Power, than what their Fancy makes us. Thus Rea­son secures some against us; and Religion a very few, who can master all the little Sugge­stions of Fear by their Faith.

—Very well.—Next, Why do ye thus hanker after a rotten, putrifying Body; chusing that Shape that it once bore, before all others?

—Because I was turn'd out of doors by violence, without so much as taking my Leave of it, or its bidding me Farewell.— And cou'd I quietly brook such an abrupt, ha­sty Separation from a Comrade, I had been so intimate with for near Seventy Years? What tho' it was deaf to my Counsels and Reasonings, yet it was my other Part; and as before Incorporation I found my self imper­fect, but half an Entity, now I am so again, and shall be, till I am re-united to my old Companion. But this is all R [...]ddle to you, who have [...]ot yet known how Souls act in Bodies, how the Intellect conceives Ideas of Material Objects by the Senses. Did you but know how the Visive Power conveys the Si­militude of the Thing seen to the Soul, you'd wish to be incorporate, tho' it were in one single Eye: How much more when you'd have all the Senses to command? When you'd have a whole Microcosin to rule in, like a Dei­ty? Now, after all this, Which of you wou'd not love the Remembrance of such an Union, and imitate it, till the time of Re-union ren­ders ye a perfect, compleat Being again?

But what was the Reason of your sudden Separation from the Body?

The Body being part of my self, I was willing to gratifie it as far as I cou'd, even to a Weakness; which I continu'd so long, till it grew habitual, and I lost my Com­mand, [Page 37] fixing my Happiness upon wrong Ob­jects, viz. the little Concerns of the World; which bearing no Analogy or Proportion to the Greatness of a Soul, caus'd an Uneasiness. 'Tis incongruous to try Sounds by the Taste, they being the only proper Objects of the Ear. There is no Object for the Soul, but God; a [...] appears by its Rest when fix'd on him, and Uneasiness every where else. And thus I, by the Importunity of my Body, and the Defe­ctibility of just Perception, expecting Happi­ness where it was not to be had, grew impa­tient under the Disappointment, even to Strangling, to be rid of the Burden.

—Alas, unfortunate Brother! We can do no more than pity thee, and own our Obligations for these Discoveries.— Farewell.

—WEll, What News, Brother?

—The strangest Adventure you ever heard of. Cupid having Commission to distract some body in the o­ther World, as he fled down he miss'd his Way, and rambl'd into our Regions; where the Order of Vegitables are pillaging the little [Page 38] Wag of his Bow and Quiver, and pretend to cure him of his Blindness.

—Let's away to see the Humour on't: I believe the arch Knave will put a Trick upon 'em all, and come off with flying Colours.

—Nay, but, Gentlemen Spirits, pray be civil.—What's the meaning of this?

—The meaning on't is, that since you have found the way into our Quarters, we have a Mind to hinder your Pranks here; we have no need to be fool'd and plagu'd, as the Inhabitants are both in Heaven and Earth (if we may believe the Poets.)

—By me?

—Yes, by you. And what can we expect from one that bewitches his own Mo­ther with Adenis, Anchises? &c. You know nothing (I'll warrant you) of Endymion, Hya­cinthus, the Adulter [...]us Net, and a Thousand more such things: Do you? Nor can Iupiter himself escape you, but down goes his Target and Thunderbolts, and away to Taw and Push-Pin with Ganynede: Sometimes he's Metapho­riz'd into Gold, now a Swan, then a Bull▪ anon a Shepherd, and so on, according as your Whimseys dictate, whilst the Government of the World lies at Sixes and Sevens, and he that has the longest Nails and Teeth is the best Entity. And when your Caprices and Magots are surfeited with Aetherial Amours, away ye troop to the Earth, where you [...]ye a Prince to a Stage-player, and a Princess to a [...]oot-boy, or else plague Equality by Despa­ration [Page 39] of Enjoyment; laughing at the poor Wretches, to see 'em covetous of their Mis­fortunes. Wherefore we conclude it necessa­ry for our own Peace, and out of pity to our Neighbouring Worlds, to dis-arm you of your Power, and cure that Blindness which makes you shoot thus at all Adventures.

'Tis a strange thing (Gentlemen Souls) why I, having a Bow and Quiver, (as if no Body else us'd neither,) must upon ne­cessity be the God of Love, and sentenc'd so to be by those who confess they never saw me before. A great Rashness, certainly, for the Wisdom of your Order, to be guilty of! But, to put you out of all doubt, assure your selves, I am a Spirit, as ye are; only with this dis­ference, I have suffer'd a Dissolution from a Body, and ye are yet unbodied. Time was, I actuated that famous Scythian, Pomaxathres, that slew the great Roman, Marcus Crassus; and was accounted the best Archer that Scy­thia ever boasted of. Now, hearing that one Sagittarius, a Resident of these Regions, was fam'd in that Art, I came on purpose to create a Correspondence, and try the Skill of the Heavenly Archer.

—Well, is this be so, and you are that Pomaxathres, we beg your Pardon for our Errour, and think our selves happy in the Mistake.—Sagit [...]ari [...]s sur passes in this Art, ne­ver making his Butts less than ten Degrees di­stant. —Do ye see that Milky Way there, so much talk'd on by the Poets? His Shafts have scour'd that Road by their frequent Motion, and have kept that part of the Sky clear from [Page 40] dark Matter, and Excrements of Stars; which is the reason of its Albitude: But the Lower World, like Fools, not knowing so much, do fancy it to be the Way for the Souls of the Blessed to mount to Paradice.—Come, let's be gone; we'll quickly introduce ye into Sa­gitarius's Acquaintance.

—I long to meet the Artist, that we might give you some Divertisement by our Skill.—But, pray, which is the Way to the Lower World?

—You must leave Venus on the Left, and so to 19 Degrees, 30 Minutes of Capri­corn; afterwards the Coast is clear, and divi­ded into Right Lines to all parts of the Globe.

—Farewell, Gentlemen; I'm in haste now, I'll call again some other time.

—And is the Impostor gone? Cer­tainly he was Cupid. Why were we so be­witch'd as to believe him? Cou'd we think the God of Love cou'd speak Truth, when all his Subjects are given to Lying.

WHich way with your Circum­ferences, Compasses, Figures: &c. Ha! What Project's on foot now?

—To survey the Stars, and take a Note on the Influences written on their Fore­heads.

—Why so?

—I'm sure I shall be an Astrologer, and 'tis good to make Collections against I have need of 'em: I have a strong Fancy that I shall be the Prophet of Europe. If I'd been imbody'd but Twenty or Thirty Years since, I had been the Second Lilly, or, at least, his Successor.—But if, after all, I shou'd for­get what I now do in this Pre existent State, I shall be hardly put to it, about the Fate of Great People, the Change of Wind and Weather, Sweet-hearts, Losses, Travels, Life, Death, and every thing else, unless you'll keep Correspon­dence with me.

—Ay indeed, such a Correspon­dence wou'd make you famous; but I've just receiv'd a Commission to take Possession of an Embryo, fated for a Mountebank: So that I can serve you in nothing, but by giving you Information of the Death of those he designs to kill.

—That will be something: But what shall I do for the rest?

—As the rest of your Neighbours do: Guess at what's most probable.

—Then I shall be mistaken some­times.

—'Tis your Interest you shou'd, or you'd be Arraign'd for a Wizard.

—'Tis hard such an exquisite Skill and Death shou'd be Rivals. But is there no way else to escape the Fagot, and be famous?

—Yes, as Licens'd Way, as we have to kill People.

Pray, what's that?

—Bring other Persons into a Con­federacy with you, who design, near such a Time, to Plot, Fight, Marry, Sail, Masque­rade, or any thing else that is to be done; and then fall on Prophesying: But you must be very confident, and remember a great ma­ny Authors Names, (no matter for their Works,) the pretended Influences of the Stars, and Examples of the Wonders you have per­form'd, and other Measures suitable to the blind Side of the Enquirer. And if you can but Rhime, like young Lilly o'er his Pills, your Custom grows as thick as Hops, and you may lye in Bed and gather 'em.

—Now I'm stock'd indeed, to [...] three quarters o'th' Town. But won't my pre­sent Collections also be useful?

—Yes, if 'twere possible to re­member; but the Clog of Humanity depres­ses the Vigour of our Faculties, and makes [...] quite different Beings: So that what I've [...] you now, must be repeated in the other World, and that will be sufficient, with goo [...] Management.

—I'm satisfy'd. But what will yo [...] do to be as famous as he that came lately (al [...] at one time, I think 'twas) from all the Cour [...] in Christendom, into this part of the Globe ju [...] under us? You know who I mean, the Sta [...] tell [...]; I can't forbear trying my Fa­culty.

—Right: I was a great Familiar with his Soul, before Adam and Eve went to Bed together. About 2593 Years since, he was for going into a young Crispin; and I ve­ry hardly dissuaded him, by telling him, his Mistriss wou'd be skill'd in Palmestry, and read his Pass into another World through his own Styrrup-Leather.

—A kind Disappointment. But what's this to the Question I ask'd?

—Well, he's a famous Mounte­bank now, and cures every thing that he fails not in; and when he misses, he cannot lose his Reputation, for he lest that behind him in Italy, where it starv'd to death.

—How came he to be so famous then?

—E'en as you must; by Confe­deracy, thus, The Lyar that he makes use of, to roar about the Stage, and tie the unthink­ing Multitude together, having got a credu­lous Patient, takes the silly Thing by the Hand, to that Corner of the Stage where the Curtain hangs, and the list'ning Doctor behind it;— and then he begins to examine what Grie­vance? Where? How long? and such other like Questions as are for his purpose. Where­upon the Doctor draws off at a distance, and the Patient is introduc'd; to whom he tells every thing, like an Oracle, without any Que­stions, receives his Fees, and sets a little longer time (for such a desperate Cure) than he de­signs to tarry. And so he deals with the whole Generation of Adam, to the latter end of the Chapter.—There are a Thousand other [Page 44] handy Ways of killing People, and getting their Moneys for't, but 'tis not for my Interest to make 'em publick, lest the World shou'd be convinc'd against I set up, and stone me, amongst the rest of my honest Fellow Tra­vellers.

—DID you he [...] of the Dragon's Frolick?

—Not I: I have been upon the Ramble these three Days, I am but just now arriv'd in this Region, and am going to tell my Landlord Aquarius, that I have no design to bilk my Lodging. But, pray, what'is this Fro­lick you talk of?

—The Dragon's Tail taking it ill to come always behind, grew very importu­nate to lead the Head for one Day; and the Head being tyr'd out with continual Sollicita­tions, agreed to be led: According the Tail set forward, and began his Journey; but wanting Eyes. soon mistook his Course, and rambled to the Borders of his Regions, where he fell down, and light upon Aquarius's Water­pots; [Page 45] which flew with such a Noise, that the lower World thought it a Clap of Thunder. Pisces being the next Sign, (and peeping above Water, to learn what strange Motion that was) cry'd out to his two Fishes to secure them­selves, for the Leviathan was upon the Scam­per for Prey. The Dragon (which he thought to be the Leviathan) being so bruis'd with the Fall, began to repent of his Retrograde Jour­ney; for his Head, by such a Motion, got the Vertigo, and dizzy Drunkenness, his Body was cut by the Pitchers, besides the Abuses the unfor­tunate Traveller light on from the Inhabitants of that Region; who taking him for a Mon­ster, began to surround him, maulling him with the Beam of Libra, and the Fragments of the Pitchers, without asking Questions, or taking the Legal Procedure against him for the supposed Invasion.

This Account is surprizing, especial­ly being so near my Lodging. Methinks this wou'd be very proper for Application, if the Story was told in the lower world, where Reason is postpon'd to Sense, and the ill Con­sequences seldom taken Notice of, till the whole Man is shipwrack'd and lost;— But what became of the Dragon?

—Nature finding her work imper­fect, without the re-assumption of the fallen Wretch into his place, and that the whole Generation of Astrologers wou'd be at a loss in their Observations, order'd the Dragon to be put into the one of Libra's Scales, and a Weight into the other, sufficient to mount him up into his own Region; which was ac­cordingly [Page 46] done; where, being arrived, he set head foremost, and swore by all the Pla­nets he wou'd never be rul'd by his Tail a­gain. —The Tail being asham'd of its Mis­carriage, hid it self betwixt the Legs, which is the Reason that the little Stars in't disap­pear'd, when Archimedes thought to have found 'em at the end of his Telescope.

—WHat have you forgot your old Companion? or are you asleep as well as your Body?

—Who's that?

—Your late Friend A;—when we parted, you desir'd me to pay you a Visit in your new Lodgings; and you knew I was al­ways punctual at an Assignation, where Friendship was the Motive: I long to know what Entertainment you have light on, what Liberties you enjoy, or what Con­finements you lie under, that I may take an Estimate thereby what I have to trust to when my Turn comes.

—To give a Journal of my Enter­tainment, will be just the same Satisfaction that a Criminal has when he is no longer per­plex'd [Page 47] betwixt Hope and Despair; but is as­sur'd he shall be hang'd; but you are not deny'd the Criminal's Comfort, to wit, Com­pany: But not to detain you from Particulars, when I parted with you, I immediately shot into the Embryo I told you of, as swift as a Falling Star, and before I was aware, I was dispers'd through the whole Lump; not a Finger or Toe but I was busie in't, as the hasty Heir is amongst his Coffers and Leases when his Father's a dying; but as to my first Motion, I thought 'twas just like a half­drown'd Fly, when the Sun begins to shine upon it, which first puts out a Leg, then a Wing, and so by degrees gathers Motion, till it presumes upon its own strength, and new Adventures; so I, first a Knee, then an El­bow, then a Heel, and so on, till I grew so troublesom a Guest, that my Mother cry'd out for help, to be shut on me; & so by a Writ of Ejection dispossess'd me of my warm Tene­ment, and turn'd me out into the wide world, naked, helpless, and full of Tears: But then began the Plague of Dependance, and the Date my Misfortunes; for you will find when you come into a Body, that a Soul does sympathize, and receive an Impression of Pleasure or Pain, according to the resent­ment of the Senses, & vice versa, the Body participates in the Ease or Disturbance of the Soul. I am now but just six weeks old, and methinks 'tis longer than the Six Thousand Years of my Pre-Existence; for I'm horribly bus'd Night and Day. 'Tis said, The Ape is [...]o very tender of her young ones, that she frequenty [Page 48] hugs them to death; but my Nurse only mocks me with such a Kindness; for when she has almost strangled me for want of Breath, she recovers me to strangle me again. And if I Itch or Smart, am swadled too straight or too loose, am hungry, or over-cramb'd. 'tis all one; for I've no way to declare my grie­vance, but by sprawling, making a foul face, or exercising my treble Organs, and that does not avail me neither; for I'm only look'd upon to be peevish, and out of humour whether this Usage will kill me, or whether I shall weather it out to abide worse, I know not: But this I know, That if I was to begin my Pre-existent State again, I'd take heed of such extravagant Rambles as cou'd be att [...]n'd by no less a Penance than such an Incorpora­tion.

—If you find such Penance for Pre-existent Extravagances, alas what will become of me, who am in ten times deeper than you; the foot of my Account will be ama­zing, when your small Debt has such sever [...] Exactions.

—I don't know that, but pray with­draw; here comes the Nurse to beslabber [...] with Caudle; if she finds the Body without me, and unactive, the House will be all in [...] uproar, and my new Companion will be lai [...] out, and starv'd to death; and I dread [...] second Change, remembring the old Pro [...] verb,—Seldom comes a better.

—WHat, more Complaints still? Shall we be for ever plagu'd with Repetitions of the harsh Reception our Fraternity find below?—Here,—Who are the Friends of the Parties incorporate? Stand forth, and declare your Grievance.

—A great Intimate of mine, and a Member of our Order, is unfortunately ty'd to a Fidler, who runs eternal Divisions, to the great Curse of every Visitant's Ear; never considering, that what delights him, may be a great Mortification to another.—One of his Acquaintance the other Day, being tir'd with a Whimsey, on Green Sleeves and Pud­ding-Pyes, (an Air well known to the Musical Tribe in that Globe,) began to be free with him, telling him what he thought of his En­tertainment; and in Conclusion, broke his Crowd and Fiddle-stick.

—Perhaps he might deserve it. But how cou'd the Soul (your Friend) suffer by that Accident?

—I ask'd my Friend this very Que­stion; and he answer'd,—That tho' by a Habitude of Incorporation he began to love [Page 50] the Body, yet he was so much afraid of Vio­lence, (being a Party,) that he try'd all the Windows of his Tenement, to make an E­scape; but coming to the Ear, he heard the welcome Sound of Impose less on your Friends, and so farewell. My Friend thinking the Storm was over, began to love the Ear for the wel­come News he heard in't, tho' indeed 'twas the most frequent part of Residence that my Friend had in the whole Material Fabrick.— He had not tarry'd long there, but he was summon'd to tune another Fiddle; but the Chamber-door was first lock'd, and no Fidler was at home for more Visitants: So away they went to work; the Fidler with his Fingers, Wry Mouth, and other antick Gestures; and my Friend, according to his Office of Per­ception, judg'd of Measure and Proportions. And having tun'd that also into the usual Concor­dance, a Mournful Ditty was to be compos'd, and set, to bewail the unhappy Abuse of his Wooden Apollo; not considering that the bare Remembrance of a Disgrace is afflicting to any body, but one that carries his Soul in his Ears. Now, my Friend being ignorant what Distance lay between b flat and b sharp, or how much a Lesser Third differ'd from a Greater Sixth, was not so able as willing to assist his Comrade in the Composure: Who thereupon rag'd, swore, grew distracted, and out of Re­venge, has cruelly confin'd my Friend to the cold Prison of his Fiddle, where he uses to vi­sit him two or three times a Night; allowing no better Converse, than the doleful Accents of Mad Tom o'Bedlam.

—This Account is Argument dismal enough to add to our Litany, From Fidlers, Li­bera nos, Domine. But who's the second Com­plainant? What has he to say?

—A Race of—

—Of what?

—Of—I dare not mention the ugly Name, for fear it brings a Distraction amongst us, and the very Malignity of the Sound in­fect us with the Fatality of its Heresies.— But if a general dark Character will satisfie, 'tis unwillingly ready.

—Certainly it can't be much worse than the Accounts we have already. Let's have the full, particular Relation.

—Well, since ye are so covetous of what ye will repent, take it.—A Society of Virtuosoes, in which a Friend of mine has lately commen [...]'d, and for which I'm sure he'll be damn'd, has bewitch'd the other World with fruitless Discourses, unprofitable Disputes, needless Digressions, of Posse, Esse, Quiddity, Predicament, and a Thousand such Sounds; by which they have lost their own Reason, and despoil'd their Followers of theirs too. They will make every thing disputable, so much as the Pre-Existence of Souls: Nay, they'll not believe the Existence of a Deity, if their An­tagonist proves it not by a Syllogism, in Mood and Figure. Two and Three is not Five amongst them, without a Consequence from just Premises. A certain Heretick Pedant the other Day maintain'd a Vacuum, and proselyted a simple Country Gentleman by such seeming Reasons, as he wanted Sense to confute.— [Page 52] One of 'em, as I was inform'd, was this,— It wou'd be ridiculous to think, that when a Gnat pushes back a parcel of Air with its Wings, that parcel drives another before it, and that another; and so the stirring of the Little Toe of a Flea shou'd raise a Bunch upon the Back of the Universe. The unthinking Plebeian having long wish'd Suicide no Murder, because his Mistresses Unkind­ness made him weary of his Life, straightway retir'd out of the Assembly, and thank'd his pitying Genius for providing a way to cure his Melancholy, viz. by the help of a Vacuum; resolving to lay the Fault upon Nature in the Day of Judgment, that he was accidentally in a place, where he cou'd not live any longer, for want of Breath. Whereupon he imme­diately made and executed his Last Will and Testament, and took his Leave of all his Friends.—And, in order to find out a Va­cuum, he caus'd all his Blunderbusses, Guns and Musquets to be laid over a Gate, ready to discharge; and behind 'em, two of his Ser­vants, well mounted, with a hanging Carpet between 'em, with so much Lead at the bot­tom as to keep it tight and perpendicular; and thus, having wish'd Happiness to his fair Tormenter, he order'd the Pieces to be fir'd, and his Servants (to whom he had bequeath'd his Horses for this last Office of Friendship) to set Spurs to their Legacies, and follow the scowr'd Road, he himself bringing up the Rear, and charging about for the Vacuum. But after he had almost run himself out of breath in a vain Pursuit of it, he retir'd to the Assembly of Virtu [...]s [...]s, which was not yet [Page 53] broke up, saluting his Teacher by the Name of Mad-man, and Beggar of Questions. But the Virtuoso, to maintain his Credit, asserted that the Gentleman might have found the Vacuum if he had follow'd close up to the Carpet. Whereupon, another of the Gentleman's Ac­quaintance, resenting his Friend's Disgrace, order'd the same Trial again, resolving to keep up close to the windy Engine, to prove the Assertion a Falsity; but he, to keep Ground, ran himself out of breath, and fell down dead: Which Accident upheld the Cre­dit of the Vacuum.

Another wou'd prove, That a small Thread, which was equally twisted, and all of the same Matter, wou'd sustain a greater weight than a Cable Rope that was unequally twisted. To prove which, he offer'd this Reason, That being all of a strength, it had no place to break first. A little School-Boy that stood by, wish'd his Father had known that Secret before his Ship-wreck. It had been all one, (reply'd another of his Form-fellows;) for▪ the Thread wou'd have broke close by the Ship, by reason of the Additional Weight of the rest of the Thread. In like manner, if the Thread hang'd in a perpendicular Line, with a Weight at the End of it, it wou'd break at the Up­per End, because the Lower End wou'd not bear so much Weight as the Upper End, by the Weight of the Thread. Nay, Suppose the Thread laid upon a Level, and extended beyond its strength; having no place to break first, it must break in all places at once: For if Particulars cannot act beyond their Power, Generals cannot; both coming under one Predicament. Three Quarters of the Auditory [Page 54] cou'd not understand the Boy, who therefore was whipp'd for his Sawciness and Interrup­tion. So that that Orator also sate down with his Credit.

A Third stood up, and, without pretend­ing to prove any thing, drove all the Auditory out of the little Wit they had left, by asking, Whether there may not be an Infinity of Worlds, this Globe being not so big as those above? Whether this World might not be made out of the Ruins of a preceding Old One? Whether these Globes may not be the Excrements of the Sun? Whether it might not be better for the next Generation to be taught to go upon All Four, for several good Reasons that might be given? Whether the Representatives of Nature's Pudenda were not a more proper Badge of Honour to wear at a Cavalier's Girdle, than a Sword; since this is a Mark of Death, and that of Life? Whether this Tuft of Grass (pulling one out of his Pocket) may not be a Man within these Sixty Years? Whether, if it were possible for one Man to imitate another in all his Members, Motions and Gestures, that Imitator should not, by Equality of Organs, be susceptive of the other's Thoughts and Inclination? Whether an Eternity of Matter is disputable? Whether the Souls of Men are Pre-existent, or Contemporary with the Body? Whether it is not a great Absurdity to at­tribute to a Vacuity that Quality of Yielding to a Body, and that Space which are the Dependencies of an Extent, which can only agree to a Substance? Whether—

—Hold: No more Whethering in Virtuocisin. Poor Earth! Alas, What Enter­tainment can we expect in thee? We shall be [Page 55] sweetly brought to Bed if Virtuocism finds en­couragement, and propagates till there's no other Trade for us to take up with. Hasten our Spindles, dear Parcae, whilst there are some Infidels, and Opposers of these Do­ctrines.

—'TIS enough for Humanity, that knows no better, to be Noisie Querulous, and arraign the Justice of Fate, and the wise dispensation of Providence, who fits not the particular Chain of Causes to the private humour of this or that Party; but respects the universal Good at once: hence I am satisfied, the despicable Post assign'd me, is wisely dispos'd, and ought to be accepted with gratitude, since 'tis inconsistent with the goodness of the Divine Being, to make a gene­ral Good incompatible with a particular one; whence it is also plain, that I may be happy in my Station. But was I to chuse, and knew not what Fate had ordain'd me, I'd be an Emperor at least; How full of Charms is it to imitate the Divine Original of Beings, to see whole Kingdoms depend upon me, to be encom­pass'd with eternal Heads of Nakedness; to have [Page 56] the power of exalting one, and debasing another; of rewarding Vertue, and punishing Vice; of dis­posing of Life and Death; in short, to be an Earthly God. Now must I suffer Affronts and Abuses, without the power of Revenge, to stoop, and acknowledge my dependance to almost every Being. Alas, what's the mean­ing of that Providential Riddle, That Man is the Lord of the world; That Beast, Fish and Fowl are his, when there's so many Rivals-that the Title is lost, and one part of Huma­nity can pretend so little to a propriety in Rule; That the same Predicament serves for us, and those things we are said to be Lords of? Man disposes of Man as he doe's of a Beast, even to exchanging, selling, and Slavery. Me­thinks it is unaccountable; since all are out of the same Dust, stamp'd with the same Impres­sion, equal in their Nothingness, both à parte ante, and à parte post. Nay their very Souls which animate these grosser Vehicles, are also equal, only acting differently, by a more or less aptitude of Organs, or inequality of Educa­tion.

—Tho' we Spirits fell not when the Angels did; yet we have certainly the same defectibility of Judgment; for two things (especially Opposites) cannot be both best. Call you a Beggar's Condition despicable and sla­vish? 'Tis certainly the happiest Post in the Creation; and were it possible for Fate to be guilty of a Caprice, and cast Lots once more about the Disposals of Emperors and Beggars, I'd petition to renew my Chance; possibly I might the second time alter my Condition, and come out a happy Beggar.

—Why so?

—Becasue there appears to me a greater happiness in an unenvied Cottage, than in the Noisie Crowds of Flatterers. Little does the Plebeian know how heavy a Crown weighs; how great the Trust is, and how hard to be managed. 'Tis the Court that's full of Trea­chery, Ambition, Pride, Bribes, and such a dreadful Catlaogue of Vices, that 'tis impossi­ble for the best of Men to arrive to a greater degree of Goodness there, than a Negation of Evil. The Watch must be kept so strictly, that there's no time to act virtuously. But in the retir'd Solitudes of Poverty, one Third of our Temptations are lost, the uneasiness of the Sense, causes a search after the quiet of the Mind. We have nothing to resist in Solitude▪, but a few stragling Thoughts; nor nothing to seek after, but to be happy. There we are free from publick Calamities: and private Enemies, unenvy'd in every thing but Happiness; and 'tis impossible to steal that from us, when we have nothing else to do but to keep it: Nay, if we shou'd communicate it, we lose nothing, but have more by giving. I cou'd reckon up Augustus, Dioclesian, Maximinian, Vatius, Em­ped [...]cles, &c. who laid by their Scepters for Spades; and cou'd also mention how happy the Change was; but the remembrance wou'd make my Crown too uneasie, which now I must bear as well as I can.

—'Tis in vain to wish on ei­ther side what can't be avoided. But, say Brother, won't the Case be strangely alter'd by our different Stations in the other World?— [Page 58] Methinks I see you sometimes royally seated amongst the Representatives of your Kingdom, sometimes in private Council, turning over the Cabala, or darker Mysteries of State, but always look'd upon as more than mortal. Methinks I also see my self injur'd and over-pow'rd by the Mint of Damnation, and my Addresses to your Highness, by Friends or Petition, in agi­tation; Methinks I see my cold reception, the Meanness of my Concerns lost amongst Mat­ters of greater Moment, and my Importunity for a Dispatch, answer'd by the Insolences of a hundred subordinate Officers; one denies me admittance, another turns me out, and every one looks upon me an impertinent, worthless Thing, because I left all my Nobility and At­tendance behind me among the Stars.

—By this you may in some measure judge of the distracted Cares of a Crown; how amongst these numerous Com­plaints, Petitions, &c. 'tis impossible to hear and redress all, time won't permit, and Om­nipresence is not confer'd to Earthly Scepters, to act every where, and every thing at once: Think [...]y' it not afflicting to a Father to see many of his Children strugling under Unhap­pinesses, and whilst he relieves some, others perish; and also that he has many more un­der the same Circumstances, that he knows not of.

—Enough; let's not think so much on the Evils of Humanity, as to lose the sense of that little Good of which it is capa­ble; Not to be happy in some things, because we can't in every thing, is an unkind Theft to our [Page 59] selves. Compare the Distractions of other Crowns to yours, whilst I examine whose Cot­tage is meaner than mine; and this (with other like Inferences,) will divert the black Refle­ctions we have made; An earthly Philoso­pher could say, Nemo Miser nisi comparatus. Come, let's not learn of the World below us, but give them Examples. We can't miss, if we retire to our Region; for there being nothing but Equa­lity, 'tis impossible any one shou'd pretend to be more happy or miserable than another.

—CErtainly he can understand now I have assum'd this Body of Air.—Holo Brother—I have been calling these two hours to no purpose Do you hear me now?

—Hear ye! Yes; who are ye? And what's your Business?

—What, Have you forgot me your old Comrade, and your Contract? Has this Lump of Humanity spoil'd all your Fa­culties, [Page 60] or are you ungrateful, or over-proud of your new Lodging?

—I don't know what you mean by Forgetfulness, or Contract.

—That's very strange: I'm certain, This is the Body you were to animate, and by consequence, [...]ou must be the same Indivi­dual that agreed with me to keep a Correspon­dence, when you came into this Body. I had forgot my self, and have been all this time speaking to you in the Language of Spirits, not knowing it was too fine for the Perceptions of an Organiz'd Body.

—By this you'd make me be­lieve a Pre-existent State of Souls before they come into the Body: But if there be such a State, I have wholly forgot it; only I have some dark Ideas of things when they are mention'd that I never saw nor heard of before; which probably may proceed from the Cognizance I took of 'em before I was imbody'd.

—That's no Argument at all; since that Idea gives you n [...]ither the Species, nor the Form of the Thing spoken of, if nei­ther be mention'd; as for Instance, If I shou'd tell you in general Terms, That at the West-end of the Vatican at Rome, there's a curious Picture; you wou'd presently form an Idea of it in your Mind; but perhaps it may be a Saint, instead of a Land-skip: but to pass over that, have you any Idea of the Language of Spi­rits?

—None but such as is Orga­nical.

—By this you may see your Errour again; for Spirits speak one to another, as Man does, when he speaks to God in his Mind. Again, Man's Voice is limited; I mean, when he speaks, he is not heard but at such a di­stance; but when one Spirit speaks, all the Thousand Millions of Spirits, where-ever dis­pers'd throughout the Creation, have a di [...] ­stinct perception of such Speech, if directed to them all at once; or if directed to any one Spirit, be he never so far off, he only hears; and not one of all those that are be­twixt him and the Speaker; so that 'tis as or­dinary a thing for Spirits to converse one with another at the most protracted distances, as 'tis face to face; but this is only to your Ca­pacity; for there's no such a thing as distance amongst Spirits; for they are as near one ano­ther, when the whole Coelum Empyreum is betwixt 'em, as they are when both together, and yet they are not like God, every where at once, or omnipresent.

—This is strange Doctrine to Mortals;—pray' how do Spiris move? whether locally by a Medium, or in an in­stant, or in Time, or how?

—None of all this—for what is impartible, is not moveable; for, ac­cording to Humane Philosophy, (which holds in this Case,) any thing that is moving, whilst it is moving, is partly in termino a quo, and part­ly in termino ad quem; which is inconsistent with Impartibility. Nor can a Spirit move so, as to pass through a Medium: As for Instance, To go from London to Rome, or Constantinople, [Page 62] without passing over the distance, or places betwixt 'em: Now every thing that passes, passes through a place equal to it self, (as suppose through Air, Water, &c. the place that the Body is in, is equal to the Body which fills it.) But the place equal to an Indivisible Spirit, (speaking ad Humanum Captum) is a Point; and therefore if an Angel or Spirit, by his Mo­tion, passes through a Medium, he must neces­sarily pass through or number many Points in termino ad quem; which is impossible. To speak yet nearer the Common Apprehension of Mortals, a Man may in his Mind think of France, and then immediately of Syria, with­out thinking of Italy, which is the Medium, betwixt both: And this comes nearest the Motion of Spirits; now whether this Motion is effected in Time, or in an Instant. (As thus, When God Almighty commissiona­ted an Angel to go and appear to Manoah, whether in coming from Heaven he might be a Day, an Hour, or a Minute; or whe­ther he was there in the same unsuccessive Moment wherein he receiv'd the Commission.) To this we answer in respect of Men, who are ty'd up to the gross Rules of Time, Place, Matter, &c. There was a Flux of Time be­twixt the Receipt of the Commission, and the Execution of it: But in respect of the Nature of Angels, the Receipt of their Commission, the Execution of it, and a Thousand Years after the Execution of it, were all included in one Unsuccessive Now: The Reason of it is this, If there were a Time for the Begin­ning of an Action, and another Time for the [Page 63] Ending of it, then there wou'd be Succession, and by consequence Partibility; but that's in­consistent (as above) with the Nature of an Indivisible Being, as an Angel or a Spirit are.

But supposing Motion, Time, Place, &c. to be attributed to Angels and Spi­rits, in respect to Mankind, as really they are: As it may be said, A Spirit is in such a Place now, and was not two Hours since. Supposing (I say) such a way of speaking, in reference to Mankind, how is it feasible for a Spirit, a Witch, &c. to be so, orto go through the Key­hole of a Door?

Well, allowing such a Con­descention, ad Humanum Captum, yet 'tis a vulgar Errour. First, As to Witches: They ne­ver do it, 'tis their Spirits, and they [...] (I mean [...]heir Bodies and Animal Life) are all the while [...]n an Examinated Trance, wherein the Devil [...]oes make use of their Fancy, to inform them of what passes at a distance in those Aerial Bo­ [...]ies that resemble them, and in which their [...]pirits really are: As Mankind want not ma­ [...]y Instances of such Truths. A Spirit's pas­ [...]ng through a Key-hole is absurdly ridiculous; or since Matter is not determinative on Spi­ [...]ts, 'tis all one to them to pass through Gold, [...]lass, or the most Continuous Solidities in Na­ [...]re, as to pass through Air only. So that [...]hen a Spirit assumes an Aerial Body, since [...] it self is Matter, or a Body, and since [...]ere can't be Penetration of Bodies, it follows, at a Spirit which is to go through Glass, one, &c. leaves the Aerial Body which it [...], and only passes through the Glass, [Page 64] Stone, &c. in its own Nature, and assumes a new [...] Body of Air on the other side; and here al­so may be a Solution of those strange Riddles, (for so they are to some Mortals,) how a Witch receives the Wound in the same Part, in which the Aerial Representation of her re­ceiv'd it. As for Instance; A Fallen Angel prompts a Witch to afflict such a Person: She consents; and being under this Angel's power, he makes use of natural Methods, so as to in­vert the ordinary Operation of her Animal Powers, (as above,) that she falls into a Trance, insensible of Burns, Cuts, &c. Now this wicked Angel having a permissive Possession of her Spirit, forms a Body of Air for it, organiz'd and fit for Perception, in which it assaults and af­flicts th [...] Person design'd: But in all the In­stances that Mankind can bring of such Aerial Representations that have been struck at, whe­ther in Humane or Brutal Shape, the Persons that struck never felt that they hit any thing but Air; which is a certain Evidence that 'twas not the true Body of what it represented. Now, this wicked Angel being present with the Witch's Spirit, and taking notice where, and what the Wound wou'd have been, had it been a real Body, amongst other the Occur­rences that he represents to the Witch's Fancy, he insinuates the Wound, and at the same time inflicts it himself upon the real Part of the Body which was representatively cut or wounded in the Phantasm; the Witch all the time believing the whole to be a real Truth, and acted per­sonally.

Possibly 'tis so. But, Pray, is there a Number of Spirits, or different Species amongst 'em?

Humanely speaking, there's Thousands of Thousands; but in the Language of Spirits there's no such a gross Term as Num­ber; for Number is a discrete Quantity, caus'd by a Division of Continuity: But this is incon­sistent with the Nature of Spirits.—And as to Difference of Species, to which we might add Equality, or Inequality, they are Terms adapt­ed to Matter; and therefore amongst Immate­rial Beings, 'tis the most egregious Nonsence that can be imagin'd.

What's the difference betwixt a Spirit's Perception, and ours?

A great deal, Men think, by means of the Senses. Suppose the Eye: First, There must be an Union betwixt the Sight, and the thing seen; for Vision is not in Act, except the thing seen is after a certain manner in the thing seeing; and this not by an Assumption of the Substance, but of the Si­militude of the thing seen, into the Eye. Now this Visive Power having assum'd a Similitude of the thing seen into the Eye, the Intellect abstracts Universals from it; which Act is call'd the Perception, and according to this Perception we judge and act. But 'tis not so with Spirits, they have no Perception from divisible or sen­sible Objects; for what by our Senses we know of Material Objects, that they know from the Ef [...]luviums of the Deity. As for In­stance, God is the Cause of every Substance, both as to its Matter and Form; therefore God, ac­cording [Page 66] to his Essence, (which is the Cause of all things) is the Similitude of all things. Hence Angels and Spirits, when they look up­on God, do (as in a Glass) see and know all Material and Immaterial Objects and Things whatever, when he pleases to communicate a Knowledge: And thus it is that Departed Souls have Knowledge of things happening in this Life.

What's the difference betwixt a Spirit's Thoughts and Language, since you say that their Language is like our Thoughts?

I have already told you, that as Men have their Perceptions by means of their Senses, so Spirits have theirs from the immediate Emanations and Ideas of all things which they see originally in God: This is the manner of their Perception, and the making known this Perception, by directing the Re­sult of it to one another, as Men do their Minds to themselves, when they speak to themselves internally, without Lip or Voice. This, I say, is the Language of Spirits; which is as different from their Perceptions as the Act of Receiving and Communicating is a­mongst Men.

Whether do Spirits and An­gels love, [...], are angry or pleas'd, &c. as Men are.

Not at all, 'tis inconsistent with their Nature, these being Acts adapted to the Powers of the Sensitive Soul: So that when Speech, Love, Hate, Fear, Courage, Tempe­r [...]nce, &c. are attributed to Angels or Spirits, 'tis an [...], or a Condescention adapted to Humane Dialect. To Love amongst Spirits, [Page 67] is to wish Good to one another: To rej [...]yce, is to rest the Will in some good Habit: Tempe­rance is a Moderation of the Will, according to the Rule of the Divine Will: Fortitude is a firm and resolute Execution of the Divine Will: And so of all other Concupiscible Powers.

Whether can several Spirits be in one plac [...] at the same time.

I have already told you, that Spirits know no such a thing as Place; 'tis as incongruous a Term to their Nature, as Time is. So that, what you call Place, is the same thing to them as no place; and if so, Spirits, according to that Notion you have of Place, may be Five Millions together in a Quart [...] Bottle, and yet never a one fe there; but 'tis impos­sible to make you understand the munner how, farther than by a dark Similitude. Suppose Five Millions of Persons shou'd all desire at the same time to be upon the Top of the m [...]nument,, (erected in Remembrance of the [...] of the Fire of London:) Now th [...]se Five Millions to be there at the [...]), with­out justling one another for [...]oom [...] ▪ but thus only by Virtual Application of themselves thi­ther. —I must be gone, there's a General Ass [...]gnation of our Order to meet at the Musick of the Spheres, and if my Place be found empty, my Name will be dash'd out of the Catalogue, upon a Supp [...]sition that [...] am imbody'd.

Well, I acknowledge my Ob­ligations for this Favour: Pray, let me con­verse with you as oft as you can. It won't be long but I shall put off this Clog, and change Circumstances with you; and then I'll be as kind in informing you of such things as you will also forget when you come into a Body.

—I'M weary with that drumming sort of Noise; there's nothing but an Eternal Din of one Tune, o'er and o'er. There's better Musick, ten to one, every Bar­tholomew-Fair.

—Pray, let me ask you one Question: Is there any Musick better than the Original of all Musick?

—No.

—Very well: Then since these Musi­cal Diastems, and these harmonious Motions, which proceed from the different Positions and Heighths of the Planets, and the Correspondent Symmetry of the Heavens, are the first Original of Musick, all other Harmony which the lower World pretends to, are but Imitations of this great Original. So that those little tickling Fancies of Ionick, Dorick, Phrygian, and [Page 69] other Measures, are but a different way of Trial to come the nearest ours; and if Mor­tality cou'd find out the true Spherical Musick, they wou'd never seek farther, nor alter it for any other, because 'tis impossible to desire or chuse an Imperfection, when Perfection stands by. But 'tis no wonder the World below us think the Musick of the Spheres a Fable, when one of our own Order shou'd undervalue it at such a rate. But perhaps you are of the same Opinion as Mankind, and these are only Words of Course, because you have a mind to be upon the Ramble.

Truly, I am not very well satisfied, whether I hear any thing, or no.

Yes, you hear, but without Con­cern; which makes me believe, that you be­long not to ours, but to the Animal Order, and in that Order you are design'd to animate an Ass, which, amongst all Creatures, never heeds Musick. You, and all Mankind, must grant, that the Planets move, and that Sound necessa­rily proceeds from Motion, and that this Sound must either be sweet or harsh: Now, if a fix'd Observation of Numbers moderate the Mo­tion, it effects a Symphonous Harmony, conso­nant to such a Motion; but if it be not go­vern'd by Measures, there proceeds an unplea­sant Noise. But in this admirable Structure of the Heavens, there is nothing but setled Rules and Proportions, curious Differences of Magnitude, Celerity, and Local Distances, which are constant­ly circumagitated through the Etherial Orbs; as in the following Figure.

[Page 70]

'Tis this Systeme that all Musicians imitate; and those that come the nearest it, have made their Calculations from Arithm [...]tical Proportions, in which this last Age has exceeded all former ones, having now laid down Rules to reduce all Audibles into Visibles, or Visibles into Audibles; that is, can give Directions for Building a House, agreeable to the Measures of a Musical C [...]mpo [...]re; or can play the Proportions of any [...]ouse now built, upon a Musical Instrument. If Mankind [...]earches a little deeper in the Musi­c [...]l [...], they will find out a Device to imi­ [...] our [...] Musick by a voluntary Self-Motion, [Page 71] or frame Instruments that shall play themselves.

Say you so? Indeed, the Novelty of that wou'd cost me many a Ramble.

But why love Musick on Earth, more than here?

Because I find by my Heaviness, I am grown so like a Body, that I shall soon have such a Relation; and you know 'tis natural for all Beings to be affected with something like themselves: However, I'll be sure (if I can re­member) to inform the Lower World of the Rea­sonableness of Spherical Musick; and what Measures they ought to take, to come as near it as possible. In the mean time, Farewell.

—Hold: If you design to visit the Lower World, you may be serviceable to 'em, if you put 'em in mind of using less Physick, and more Musick, since it alters all the Passions of the Mind, and is the readiest way to cor­rect Grief, Anger, Pity, Love, Fears, Desires, and all other Passions of the Mind: And if the Mind may be thus regulated, their Physicians need not to be told how great an Influence it has upon the Body. Another Remark you may add, (if you are like to find Credit,) that 'tis on­ly the Musick of the Spheres that keeps Angels and Spirits in a perpetual Health.

BAnkrup [...]y! Oh the dreadful Sound is sufficiently confoundative with­out the thing it self; a Dun to my Breakfast every Morning, and to play at Hide all day long for fear of the Counter-Verm [...]n; and all this too, (if Fare knows what's what,) by the Prodigality of a hopeful Son, who, with Cocks, Houses, and half a dozen Misses, cou'd thrust a dozen such Estates as mine, into the narrow Compass of a few Bonds, Bills, Mort­gages, &c. Oh these unwelcome Lights of Heaven, how fast they number out Use-Mony-Days! Alas, what an unhappy Spirit am I! How gladly wou'd I change Conditions with a Vegitable Soul, tho' it were to animate an humble Shrub!

—How Brother, animate Shrubs, and sleep in such a glorious Star as this, where you can have no dis [...]urbance at all; pray lie a little farther, and take the other Nap, and you'll be well.

—I cannot sleep for the Serivener, he bites me so; and if by chance I fall into a Slumber, I dream of the poor Man's Box, [Page 73] and the Quarter-day, or else that I see my Son on Horseback, riding into Quagmires.

—Why do you rave of Son, Quarter-day, &c. and are not yet got into the other world?

—But I'm a going; and my Mis­fortunes will be such there, as I have just now told you.

—Alas Poor wretch; and don't you know how to prevent all this? Arise, and follow me; there's a Company of Wits that in­habit the Planet Mercury, will certainly put you into some way to avoid your Misfor­tunes; nay, tho' they are such are inevitably fated to you.

—Alas, my Son's Horses have eaten me into a Consumption, that I can scarce get up; but however I'll try, since you talk of Remedies; Come, let's be going.

—Holo Mercurial Philosophers, open the Wicket there.

—Who's that? His Bawling has made my Brain miscarry of a hopeful Notion.— However, come in.

—I'm sorry for that; I wish I cou'd miscarry of mine too;—Bur where's the Philosopher? I can't see him.

—Look up, Friend, D'ye ex­pect a Wit to lie grov'ling upon Thresholds.

—Bless me! he's hang'd up in a Basket yonder.—Pray Mr. Philosopher. why so high?

—I walk i'th' Air, and gaze upon the Sun, and if my Intellect were not thus suspended, I shou'd think as little Thoughts as [Page 74] you do.—But what's the occasion of your Visit?

—I'm going into the other World where I shall be torn [...]n pieces with Debts and Usury; which to avoid, I wou'd ei­ther pa [...] in current Money or Words. The first I shan't be able to raise; and the last I'm not Ma [...]er of; therefore I'm come to ask your Coun [...]l about it.

—There's no need of the first, if your [...] were double, I'll teach you presently how to come off.—Stay a little;— Ay, that's right, Oh happy Art! This it is, not to [...] Thoughts to a Threshold; but l [...]ke a [...]ird [...]etter'd in a [...]ing, to allow 'em Liberty to play and [...] in the Air.— In the first place, you must [...] the Moon, and keep it unde [...] Lock and K [...]y Thirty days before your Day of Payment comes.

Why so?

—If you pay Use by the Months, and there be no Moon to measure out these Months, then no Use can be de­manded.

—I don't know how to effect such a Task;—I think 'tis far better to hang my self before the Day of Payment, and then my Creditors will never prosecute me.

—No, no, Rou talk like one that was never hang'd up in a Basket;— Don't you know the Law provides two days, one for Citation, or Demand of Payment, and the other for Payment?

—Well; and what then?

—'Tis impossible they shou'd come both at a time; so that one day is a warning to get ready, and run away the next. But this is not half; you are to learn the all-convincing Speech beside.

—Pray what's that?

—You must learn to Banter where you find your Creditor a little soft: As for instance; When they ask you for Money, fetch 'em out a Talisman, or any other thing, and ask 'em what it is?—If they say, they can't tell; reply, Do you ask Money, and are so very a Dunce? If they ask you for the Interest, ask 'em what they mean, or what kind of Creature that is? They'll answer, 'Tis an Encrease of Money by Months, Days, &c. Ask whether the Sea grows bigger by an encrease of all the Rivers that run into it? If they say, No; Ask 'em, With what a Conscience they can expect their Money shou'd increase; and so you may treat 'em all to the End of the Chapter.

—I don't know what to say to't, for I believe these Shams won't take, especi­ally since I have to deal with a Shole of Horse-Leeches, call'd Scriveners, Bankers? 'twill pass with Tailers, Ba [...]bers, and a few Drapers: but—I must be going, Farewel Mr. Basket­teer.

—Pray as you go along, Re­member the poor Prisoners.

HEY day! What's the meaning of this? Yonder's Materiality flying in the Air: What can be the Supporter?

Necromancy, perhaps, or Sorcery, or Witchcraft. Come, Shall we put a Stop to't? I'm sure none of the Creation has any Busi­ness there with Tubs, Caldrons, &c.

There's a Colt, and a Calf too: Per­haps they are the People of the World in the Moon, and are going to some Fair.

What! Going to a Fair out of their Globes? No. Come, let's attack 'em; at the worst it can but be the Devil, and we are as strong as he, and less innocent.

—Let's look big, and speak boldly.—Stand, there: What Commission have ye in these Quarters, you—Tub-man? What! Have ye young ones with ye? Ye sha'nt wag an Ace farther, till we know upon what E [...]rand ye are posting.

—Why, ye Etherial Stragglers: Are we bound to give you an Account?

Ye must do't, or disoblige your Hags, to defend your selves.

—Don't prejudice my Caldron, and I'll tell ye whither I'm marching with my Tribe.

—Say then.

—Into the French King's Cel­lar for two or three Hours, to treat my faith­ful Servants there, with every thing that's grateful to their Senes.

—Very well. And you, Mr. Tub­volant, say which Way bound,—quickly,— or we'll turn your Diddi-Birds out of their Nest; do you lend 'em Wings, if you can, to bear up their Garbidge.

—Thus have I seen a laden Pin­na [...]e brav'd by a meaner empty Vessel.— Well,—I also am upon the same Journey; and if ye will come along with us, you'll see such Entertainment as none of your Order ever saw before.

—No,—We must have no So­ciety with Apostates.—Come, turn out of your Lodgings, we must have the Tub; mount your Servants upon that Colt.

We are a Dozen of us already, and therefore too many, unless we must ride upon the Main, and hang upon the Tail.

—Yes, yes; any how, according as you can agree; we give no Orders in that.— So, that's very well.—Come, turn out of the Caldron, and bestride your Calf; he looks as if he wanted to suck you.—Very well:—Now, Lady-Haggs, jog on softly, that ye don't jade your Coursers before your Journey's End.

Remember this when you come to be Incorporate: Assure your selves, we shall be equal with you then.

—Come, don't prate, for fear ye stumble, and lose a Bunch.—We know your Power well enough, that 'tis limited. No more:—Troop off, and shew your Shapes.

—This Plunder will be extreamly welcome to Aquarius: You heard of the Mis­fortune of his Water Pots being broken the other Day, by the Retrograde Dragon; Ha!— won't these serve in their Room as well as may be?

—If they had been both of a sort, it had been better; this Tub will be subject to leak. But perhaps Aries can hammer the Cal­dron into Two with his Horns, and afterwards push it into the shape of the Pitchers: And if so, we'll make a Bone fire of the Tub, and laugh at the World below, who will shoot it with their Telescopes, for a prodigious Comet.

—Right, again.—But methinks, the Pleasantness of this Enterprise seems to be abated, by the Concern of getting unperceiv'd into our Lodgings: Suppose we shou'd be met with by the Watch, 'twill spoil the Humour on't.

—Pish, never trouble your self about that [...] Leave the Management of it to me.

I Have just now been with the Secretary of Fate, to be resolv'd about some Corporal Questions, for I judg'd my Imbodying near at hand. But 'twas not that that push'd on my Curiosity so much, as to know why I had such an unaccountable Inclination to your Company.

And are you resolv'd now?

Yes: I'm to be Lord Mayor of— in 1740. and you are to be my Lady Mayoress.

I the Mayoress? Why sure! Am not I as fit to be my Lord Mayor as you?

I suppose you will always think so, or else you'll break the Custom; but Fate has de­sign'd your Mould different from [...]: You are to have a Body of a [...], thin, [...] sort of Clay; and, in short, you [...]ll be the weaker Vessel, and therefore design'd for other Uses than the Burden of a Sword and Mace.

What Uses, (my Dear:) Methinks I begin to be in Love, before I know what it is.

Did you take notice of those three Souls that fled by just now?

Yes: Are they to be our Relations, when we come into the other World?

No nearer than your Son and two Daughters. There were two other Souls that us'd to be much in their Company about Twenty Years since, which in a little time will be your Father and Mother: But I shall spoil the Business, by reckoning up Genealogies. I'm told, you'll be very severe to me.

In what?

Unkind Prudence, and more cruel Cu­stom will bind you to hard Laws, and teach you this Lesson; Starve your self, to keep your Slave poor.

—That's a hard Lesson, indeed: But perhaps 'tis taught, to avoid harder.

—Right: For those that don't stand upon their Guard, are easily trepann'd, and wheedl'd into a Thousand Misfortunes; espe­cially, that great one of Rash Weddings. But to avoid all this, let you and I finish our Court­ship here.

I'm afraid Pre-existent Contracts will be forgot, or, at least, raise Jealousies amongst our Rival-School fellows.

Never fear that: Assume one Body of Air, and I'll prepare another, and then we'll talk it once o'er again.

But what Dress is A-la-mode?

Ruffs and Commodes will be out of Fashion: But what need you take care of that? Any Dress is every Dress, if there's no other present to compare it by.—Ay, that will do.—O the Charms of the Petti­coat! —Methinks I'm already got within [Page 81] the Influence of that Command, Increase and Multiply.

This is a near way of Wooing indeed. Where's your Billet-Deuxes, your Vows and Dying?—

Hold, no more of that Nonsensical Cant; 'tis all but an honest way of Fornica­tion at a distance.

[...]ye upon this Doctrinal Part of Woo­ing: The World below wou'd think this a strange Name for their Tendernesses

'Tis neither better nor worse; if I love a woman 'tis no more in other terms, than I wou'd sleep with her; so that soueezing Hands, grasping Knees, kissing, hugging &c. are Infant-Offers on both sides at something else; 'tis the extremity of these Desires that sheds the Blood of Rivals, prompts to Sui­cide, and Tenants Bedlam;—when perhaps the Party all the while believ'd it to be pure Love, innocent Gratitude, harmless Esteem, refin'd Friendship, &c. Not considering that true Friendship increase by the multitude of Rivals, and that no Man was ever angry with his Neighbour for loving his Wife's Soul; when you come into the other world, you'll find no Iilts nor Bullies in Bedlam for Love, no Affronts taken at the Encomiums of a Woman's Mind, no desperation for want of an Union of Souls, In short, all Languish­ments, Sighs, Vows. Protestations, and all the long Christ-Cross Row of Lovers is nothing else but the plain So, So, in another Dress. Friendship is another thing, and is too sacred to be mention'd at the same time as Love; [Page 82] it has no dependance at all on the Body, far­ther than that has a relation to the Mind, but Friendship is a Subject too foreign for monopolizing Lovers, and may be discuss'd when we have nothing else to do; therefore in short, what Stomach have you to an ho­nest Prolification? Am I yours now; or must I tarry till a real Naturalization reads the same Lesson to you o'er again in another World?

I'll consider on't; and in the mean time, if I shou'd consent, I hope you'll see me better rigg'd than the rest of my Neigh­bours.

Yes, yes, never fear that.

—Then I'm yours;—but I won't say, I love you, lest you shou'd tell me again what Love is.

—UP Mr. Letter-monger, and pre­pare for your Body, we are drawing out the first Thred of your Tempora­lity.

—VVhat mine? Pray lay that Distaffe by, and take another; do dear Lady, [Page 83] a [...]d let not me be a Prisoner these hun­dred years,—I'm afraid of Incor­poration; for even Divinity-Books, are a meer Drug; but perhaps in a hundred years more, Times may be better: I never intreated before, deny me not now.

—We'll grant your Request as­soon as any Body's else; but the Dice are cast, and there's no resisting Fate; you must budge whether you will or no: Come, don't think to wheedle, and persuade us like Customers; you aren't got behind the Coun­ter yet.

—I know it very well;—and since there's no Intreaty that can prevail I've done. Now must I stand Centry seven years with my fingers in my mouth, and bare­headed, the better to receive the Impression of the cunning Mystery.—Methinks I have got it already;—Now for a fine Fetch with that Author about Supernumera­ries, or Printing a greater Number secretly, than I contracted for; Can't I handsomly in­terlope with my Neighbour H—'s Copy, 'tis a very good one, and the Author is at work again. Suppose to get the next Copy, I go and out-bid for this, now 'tis too late, and tell the Au­thor he was Wheedled and Chous'd out of his Labours.—I must squeeze that Book binder, 'twill help towards the loss of my late Impression. —This Copy-Money runs away with a great deal of my Gains, Can't I turn Plagiary, and with a handsom sleight of Hand, put a new Title upon that old Book; or were't not best to turn Author my self, by pillaging other Mens [Page 84] Works—Right, that will do, I'll part with no more Copy-Money these seven years.— This Collection which I have already made, would pass, with a good Title Page.— M—R— and I, can invent some speci­ous one for it. 'Tis not a Farthing matter whe­ther 'tis agreeable to the Subject within treated of:—But how shall I come off with those Scandalous Pamphlets, I shall print under the Name of Iohn a Nokes upon Tower-hill, Grub-street. the Strand, or any where else? Shall I suffer for another's Pamphletteering, for telling News before it happens, and some­times such as always has, is, and will be a Notorious Lye? No I thank ye, so long as I know how to be in League with the Messen­ger of the Press, and some body else, I'll run the hazard.—Now for a Body! with all the satisfaction imaginable, for when I come in­to the other World, possibly I may attain to be as crafty as my Neighbours, and if so, I'll ven­ture one step further, to get above 'em: I have only one Request to make, (Dear Mistress of Fate) that you will send but a few Booksellers, and a great many Authors into the World, for these Threescore and Ten Years.

WELL, how fare our Friends, Brother? I long to be a Member again of your Society, and to be freed from the strange Alliances I have con­tracted.

Why, what Relations have you now?

My present Relations are a forward Crop of Beans, but what Kindred I shall meet with the next Harvest, I know not: I came out of a Sprat the last Year, having finish'd my Circuition and Change through all the Watry Inhabitants.

Pray, what sort of Fish gave you the most troublesome Entertainment?

The Porpus, by far, to be sure every Westerly Wind I was Drunk with tumbling o'er, and o'er, if it had not been for a pittying Collier, who by a lucky Shot made a hole just big enough to creep out of my Prison, I might have lain in Salt pickle these forty years longer; but 'tis all one, for I was turn'd out of one Prison, to be Chain'd in another; for I can't expect to cl [...]nge the Laws of Fate, and [Page 86] have my Transmigrations finisht before another Thousand Years more are expired.

Why so?

Because I must run through all things Terrestrial, Marine, and Volatile, before I have finisht my Task, and expiated the wicked­ness of my Pre-existent State, which expiation always lasts three thousand years; 'tis an un­alterable Decree, that all Spirits are to be pu­rify'd by such a Discipline, only here's the difference; that Spirits are to actuate mostly in those Creatures that are of the same Dispo­sitions as they were; as for Instance: The Justice of Fate assigns such as are Angry and Malicious into Serpents, the Ravenous into Wolves, the Fraudulent into Foxes, and so of the rest; only here and there's a good Spirit, whose actions being most rational, transmi­grates out of one Man into another, finishing most of the three Thousand years in humane Bo­dies, and as for other Creatures, the Fates take care that they speedily die, that that part of the Transmigration may be quickly over, and reason good for if by chance they shou'd be unjustly confin'd beyond the three Thousand Years, there's no amends to be made, but some preferment amongst the Officers of Fate, who are always exempt from the Duties of Humanity.

Pray give an Instance of some Soul that has animated several Humane Bo­dies.

I my self was first infus'd into [...], then pass'd into Euphorbus, then into [...], then [...] Pyrrhus, then into Py­thagoras; [Page 87] then I left Humanity, and Trans­migrated into an Elephant, and so on through every distinct Species in the Creation, and now at last I'm got into a Bean.

I can get into a Bean too, if I please: But here's the Question; Is this Bean, my proper Residence, and am I, by a Virtual Contact, confin'd more to it, than to any other Being, or Place whatever? I am rather of Opinion, that all this noise about Transmi­gration is no more than thus. That such as are of an equal Temper, Judgment, Inclina­tion, &c. may be said to be unanimous, or acted by the same Spirit, especially if they live in different Ages. I can't conceive it to be any thing else, but, like Care, Motion, Study, &c. of some dead Person appearing in some living one; and thus you, if you acted Pythagoras, you were no more Euphorbus, Hermotinus, or Pyrrhus, than as you had an Inclination to the several Excellencies that appeared in those Persons, and thus a Transmigration into Fishes, Trees, Plants, &c. is nothing else but a study of their Nature.

You might have added, That 'tis a Doctrine that has not been received in the lower World these many Years; and that 'tis also believ'd, that 'twas a politick Juggle to make the Age Virtuous, by suggesting, that if Persons liv'd ill Lives, they shou'd suffer such and such dreadful Transmigrations after Death; but you'll find to your Sorrow, when you come to put off your first Body, that all is matter of Fact, and no Politick Juggle.

When it comes to't, I'll believe it, but not before, since Pythagoras, who is af­firm'd to be the greatest Patron of this Do­ctrine, did also teach, That the Substantive Unity of one Number, is not the Unity of another, and if so, there's no Transmigration of one Animal into the Life of another different Ani­mal, but a continuance (as long as there is a Being) under the Law of its own Nature, and particular Species; Species is not coincident with Species; and this is also imply'd by one of Py­thagoras's Symbols, viz. We must not wear the Image of God in a Seal-Ring; that is, as God can't be resembled, or included in Corporeal matter, so a Humane Spirit (which is the I­mage of God) must not stoop so low as to actuate meaner Nature than the Rational.

Pythagoras held a Correspondence with Spirits, and cou'd not be mistaken, what Ins [...]ances you have brought, are none of his, [...]imon, Lenophanes, Cratinus, Aristophon, Her­ [...]ippus, and others, have ascrib'd many things to Pythagoras, which he never said nor wrote. —But you'll be better satisfy'd when you come to make an Experiment your self.

'Tis no matter whether they are his or no, they are truth, and truth never clashes with truth, but is always the same: But I suppose you are in a Dream, instead of, in a Bean, or I wou'd advise you to gape, for here's a shower of Rain, which will help on with your Germination, and haste your Change into a Cabbage.

PRoduce the Prisoner, and his Pamphlet; and let's hear what he can say in proof of his new Doctrines; if we admit of one Innovation here, no wonder the World below us is all in Flames and Divi­sions.

He is ready here, and his Pamphlet too—Will ye be pleas'd that I, or he read.

No, let him begin, and make his Defence to every particular Article as he goes along.

I accept the freedom of making my Defence to the Mysterious Truths that I have discovered, as a very great Favour, and shall without any Preface begin as fol­lows.

[Page 90] The First Cannon I [...]ay down is, That the Sun and Moon are no Planets (as is vulgarly be­liev'd) but the two Eyes of the World, and that which you call Eclipses, is nothing else but the Worlds winking when 'tis sleepy.

How the World sleepy? Prove that.

You'll allow the World to be Matter, and as soon as it was created, to be sent of an Errand, and ride Post until this very Minute, without an [...] intermission whatever: You will also grant▪ that the whole is of the same na­ture as all its parts, and that motion wears a­way, and destroys what is material, unless it have some Reparations, 'tis impossible always to run, move, act, &c. I speak of particular parts of Matter, and the same also holds good concerning the whole. I know the great Ob­jection that you'll make, and therefore will Obviate it, to save your labour, viz. 'Tis im­possible to pretend to particular Functions in Na­ture, and at the same time to be asleep.— To which, I Answer.—That the Soul of the World is never sleepy, no more than the Spirit in Humane Bodies; but you can't deny it impossible for a Man in's Sleep, to Walk, Saddle Horses, Mow, Plow, &c. of which, there are Instances enough; just so the Soul of the World follows on its Task, tho' its material frame may be asleep; for if it did not it would break its Commission, by leaving some part of the World in too long a Darkness; but this is not a Position enter­tain'd only by me, take the Sentiments of the lower World upon it, some of which call the [Page 91] Eclipses [...], or the Labours of the Moon, some shot at it to keep it awake, some held up Torches, and sounded Instruments of Brass to ease it: Whence one of their Poets. ‘Cum frustra resonant aera auxiliaria Lunae. Metam. Lib. 4.’

And another. ‘Una laboranti peterit succurrere Lunae. Juven. Sat. 6.’ All which considered, perhaps may render the Doctrine as reasonable as 'tis new.

—Well, we shall weigh your Rea­sons by an [...] [...]y, what's your next Thesis.

Second Canon. That the Constellations in the Heavens, call'd the Dragon's-Head and Tail, are nothing else but pieces of a pickled Whale. To prove which, I have the Man in the Moon to be my Voucher, who is a person of so great Credit, and Reputation, that Noah made him the Boston of his Ark. His Rela­tion is this, That one Morning, during the Flood, being very curious to take his leave of an old Neighbour or two that were got upon a Wind-Mill, to secure themselves from Drowning as long as they cou'd, the Moon being at Full, (that is broad awake) and ac­cording to her usual Method going to take a Draught of Sea Water, (which by the way, is the reason why Tides swell, on purpose for a full Draught) she suckt up a Whale, and the Boston of the Ark at once, with a bundle of [Page 92] Cable Ropes at his back, but being not us'd to such Victuals, she pickled the Fish, and presented it to the Astrologick Souls (who have eat up all but the Head and Tail,) but kept the Boston to be her Valet de Chamber.

A very strange Relation, but we shall know whether true or no, when we have sent a Messenger for the Man in the Moon: In the mean time proceed.

Third Cannon. That the Moon is drunk once a Mouth; I don't positively assert this, but am willing to recant if any of you can show me a better reason why her Face shou'd be so red, when she takes a dose of the great Salt Bowle, alias the Sea.

We shall consider of that also— proceed.

Fourth Cannon. That the occasion of the Universal Deluge, was the Tears of the Devil and his Angels, who wept for grief to be routed and cast out of Heaven: They had two Designs by their Tears, for when they found they could not get in again, they hang'd about the Con­cave and Battlements thereof, as Flies do up­on the Cieling of Houses, weeping as well to case themselves as to be reveng'd of Mankind, so finding themselves to be very many, they wept a numerous Company of Clouds, which were all that time in falling down upon the Earth, as is betwixt Adam and Noah; but I'm not so conceited and positive, as to believe this the reason, if you can give me a better. —But however I must beg the liberty to be positive in my next Cannon, viz.

—That the cause of Winds flying backward and forward, is the breathing of the World, just as Mankind sucks breath in and out. To prove this (for I know you expect no less than a Demonstration) I need not say you must consider, (for you do,) That there can be no Effect without a Cause, no Motion without a Mover: The Opinions that pass in this, and the lower World too, have not been enough examin'd, viz. That the Sun, Moon, and Stars being Monstrous Bodies, and continually upon the hurry 'tis suppos'd, that they moving, drive the Winds, along with 'em, and that the difference of their Motions, causes different Winds, or an Agi­tation of the Air, this, and that way; which is impossible, because then we shou'd have no Westerly Winds, most of the Erratick Stars mo­ving Westward, which hinder the Winds from coming that way; besides, all Southern and Nothern Winds wou'd be unnatural, but we know that they are as common as Easterly Winds. Nor wou'd the Rarification of Wa­ter (as the Philosophers in the lower World Dream) be enough to supply such great Winds, and Hurricanes, as sometimes happen, for they only proceed immediately from the lungs of the World, when it has catch'd cold, or is dispos'd to Laugh or Whistle▪ which makes the Air fly faster out. I might add here, instead of putting it into another Cannon.—That all Earthquakes proceed from the sighing of the World when 'tis in a melancholy Humour, for it raising up its Body (as Man does his Breast when he sighs) and being brittle where it has [Page 94] the fewest Ribs (I mean Mines, Quarries, &c. as vulgarly called) the Buildings, and Cities standing in those places, tumble in into's Bowels to secure themselves from a transport into the World of the Moon.— Well, Gentlemen, I hope 'tis your Si­lence that gives Consent unto these Truths, and not an Amazement at their Novelty. In Confidence whereof, I proceed to my

Sixth Cannon, viz. That Stars are the Bub­bies of the World, at which all Astrologers suck, and that all that don't love Astrology were put out to Nurse, and wein'd with grosser Dyet.— But I beg your Pardon (Gentlemen!) I turn'd over a wrong Leaf; this is your own received Principle, therefore no need to prove it, I meant thus—That 'tis as possible for an Ass to drink up the Moon, as to cure Wounds by Sympathy.

Ay, indeed now you say something, that is, as much as to say 'tis possible for an Ass to suck out one of the Eyes of the World; for so you call'd it but just now; but prav be­fore you prove it, prove a possibility that it may be proved.

Pray, Gentlemen, let me have fair play, I mean the liberty of a Philosopher— If I prove it, I also prove a possibility of pro­ving it: Don't?

Yes.

Very well. To proceed then. I am to tell you that my Correspondence from the other World is very good and creditable, and 'tis often found there, that the Man travels in pains of Childbirth, when the VVoman her [Page 95] self is Deliver'd without pain: That if some sort of Leaves are rub'd (whilst growing) up­on a Corn, VVart, &c. that Corn, or Wart shall die as the Leaf withers away:—Thus small ideal parts, or fancy'd Representatives of what is real, have the same Sympathetick Effect, that a true Cause wou'd have, when you come into the other World, read Sir Ke­nelm Digby's Works in this kind. Now those that can deny an Ass to have no Fancy, deny themselves any: But to be short, and give you an Instance that is matter of Fact. One of my Correspondents (Ludov. vives) gave me an account of a certain People that did imprison an Ass for drinking up the Moon; the manner was thus:—The Ass being driven to the Water to drink, the Moon shin'd very bright, and reflected in the water just where the Ass drunk; the Ass fancy'd strong­ly, pull'd hard to draw in the Moon, and it had the effect accordingly, tho' some were so silly as to believe the Moon being in danger, slipt out of sight behind a Cloud. Hereupon the Ass was brought to the Bar, to receive a Sentence according to his Deserts; and as the Senate were gravely debating the matter, one starts up, a little wiser perhaps than the rest, and made the short following Speech.— Gentlemen, 'Tis my private Opinion, (and I hope not unreasonably) that 'tis no trifling business for our Town to loose its Moon; and I know but of one way to recover it again, viz. by giving the Ass a strong Vomit, to weaken his Fancy, for 'tis that that keeps the Moon a Prisoner in his Maw.—No, [Page 96] says another, I think it much better that the Ass be cut up, and the Moon taken out of him; in short, they handled the Ass so severely, that he had forgot his Supper, and the Moon stole whole, and undigested again into its own place against the next Night, but ever after play'd at Bo-peep, when she saw the Ass come near the Water.—Gentleman, 'tis all matter of Fact, and as great a truth as my next Position.

That those Devils that were furthest pursu'd by Michael and his Angels, viz. as far as the middle Region of the Air, are all Taylors, and cut out the Clouds into Shapes of Hogs, Trees, Ships, Dromedaries, &c. on purpose to be talk'd on and wondered at by the ignorant Country People of the World below.

To prove which, you may be pleas'd to re­member, the Prince of Wicked Angels fell by Pride in endeavouring to be like his Ma­ker; and when he was excluded, and chased out of Heaven, he cou'd not forget the No­tion, but wou'd yet be imitating, and make the Representations of all Creatures in Clouds, and Condens'd Bodies of Air, I might (if there was occasion, to strengthen this Argument) add, that he has also his Oracles, Miracles, Sacrifices, Priests, in short above one half of the World his true and faithful Servents, and all this because the old Notion of Imitation was so deeply rooted in his mind.—Now it being prov'd, that the Prince of fallen Spirits, does act so and so; it follows, that all the subordinate Mob have an Itch to imitate their Head, it being a great truth: ‘[Page 97]Regis ad Exemplum totus Componitur Orbis.’ Subjects will be imitating their King, and Children their Parents, let 'em act good or bad. By Taylor, and cutting out Clouds, I mean only Metaphorically a shaping of Clouds, and I shall think none of you Here­ticks, if you call 'em Carpenters, or Statua­ries.

—Well, and the next.

That never any Spirit was sent into a Hu­mane Body, to joyn with it as its proper half, or as a convenient residence, but as into a Prison for Debt, purely for Debt; and not (as is pretended) for rambling, or other Extravagancies.

To prove which, you need only to consult the Records of our Honourable Court of E­quity, and you'll find the Decrees generally run thus: ‘That having upon the humble Suit of the Plantiff A, impartially weigh'd and consider'd the Defendant B's Charge, wherein is proved, that besides bilking his Lodging, he never paid for the cleansing his Wings, nor whitening his Wand; be it therefore Enacted by the Prerogative of this Honourable Court of Spirits, That the said B, be forthwith transported into the other World, and be kept close Prisoner in a Hu­mane Body for Seventy two Years (or some other Number, proportioned to the na­ture of the Debt.)’—And this is farther prov'd by my Correspondents in the other World, who tell me, they often get into the Ear to listen if there be any subject of dissolution, [Page 98] and sometimes mount up into the Eye, and take a view of the Skies, their old Lodgings; and when the Eye (that is to say, the Wicket door, or rather the Grate of the Prison) is clos'd up, 'tis more terrible to 'em, then Gar­nishing, or double Irons to a Criminal; and thus much for Incorpation Penalties.

'Tis as easie a thing for Ships to sail in the Clouds of the Air, as in the Sea, and 'tis an Invention that will be found out when Mankind shall discover the way into the World of the Moon.

This Cannon consists of two parts, viz. Hypothetick and Prophetick, to prove the Hy­pothesis.— Clouds are form'd in the Air ei­ther ordinarily, or extraordinarily; ordinari­ly by the Exhalations of thin and moist Va­pours, just as the steam of a boiling Caldron ascends, which meeting together, and justling in the air, by little and little are condens'd into thick Clouds, or airy Rivers, which by degrees empty themselves again into the Sea, as all other Rivers do upon the Earth. Extraor­dinarily, when several Winds meet together (as 'tis frequent in some Seas) the equal strife causes a whirling violent ascention of fighting Particles, which form a Vacuum in the shape of a leaden Pipe, or Pump as high as the Clouds, but Nature abhorring a Vacuum, fills that vast Pipe with Water, by way of Suction or drawing up. So that presently there are formed Clouds of many Millions of Tuns of Water, which can easily enough bear up a Ship, for water looses not its nature in being less▪ as is evident by a Ship swimming as well in [Page 99] Twenty Fathom deep, as Twenty thousand. Nor has it less power in the Air, than on the Earth; for a Tub of Water upon the top of a House, will bear up a Hat, Stick, &c. as ea­sily as the Well in the Ground, from whence that water was taken. But though we have prov'd, that Ships may sail in the Air, we shan't promise prosperous Voyages, which brings me to the Prophetick part of my Can­non, viz. That Mankind shall discover the way into the World of the Moon, when they find out the way of Sailing in the Air; I could prove this also, but that it wou'd lessen the Credit of Prophesies, which admit of no demonstra­tion, but matter of fact: Therefore I shall wave it, not desiring to be believed, till it be fulfill'd.

That's reasonable enough,—What else have you to offer?

Ninth Cannon. That Saturn is neither Base nor Ten [...]r, but Counter-Tenor in the Musick of the Spheres.

I have my own reasons for this Negative, and I expect the same liberty that the Philo­sophers have in the World below, that is, Not to prove Negatives. Let all the Musical Souls amongst ye, prove the affirmative, and I'll not only yield the Cause, but give 'em both my Ears for a demonstration so soon as I have 'em. But to proceed, if I may speak with­out offence, or particular Reflections on this Honourable Consistory, who are now my Judges, I have a great many more Negatives to offer in opposition to as many received O­pinions amongst you, which ye have taken [Page 100] upon Trust, without examining the reasona­bleness of 'em; in which (provided I may be freed from my Confinement, and the Ca­lumny of it,) I shall oblige all our Fraternity with my farther Discoveries.

—We'll do you justice, and upon performance of your promise, you shall have your Liberty.

—THE Goodness of my Cause is to me instead of Questions; therefore I shall immediately begin to disco­ver the vulgar Errors of our Society.—The Condition of my Releasment,

—Hold a little; here's the Man in the Moon come now; let's hear what he can say about the Pickl'd Leviathan; if upon Oath he confirms not your Testimony already deliver'd, how shall we believe what you shall offer hereafter.—Swear him there, and Administer the Interrogatories al­ready drawn up to that end.

'Tis done—Imprimis, do you know the Prisoner at the Bar? Have you ever held Correspondence with him? And if so, how long?

Yes, I do know the Pri­soner at the Bar, and have held a particular Correspondence with him, ever since 35 Years before the Flood.

Item, Was you the Boston of Noah's Ark? Did the Moon suck a Whale and you up with a bundle of Cables at your Back, at full Tide in the Universal Deluge, declare the truth, and nothing but the truth.—You are upon your Oath.

The affirmative of every particular of this second Interrogatory is truth.

—Are you now Valet de Chamber to the Moon?

—I am.

He's very positive, pray examine a­bout his Humanity, Sustenance, &c. this looks very suspicious.

—Item, Were you a Man, or a Spirit, when you were Boston of the Ark? If the first, How come you to live so long without putting [...]ff the Body? If the last, was there any more Spirits with you there at the same time. Remember you are upon your Oath, and therefore speak the whole truth, and no­thing but truth.

—I was then, and yet am of Humane Race, and possibly shall conti­nue lively and well, till the day of Judgment, by reason of the agreeableness of that Aethar to [Page 102] my Stomach, I am never Sick, Hungry, Thirsty, nor Weary; for there's no crude Vapours, or gross matter to turn into Disea­ses. Nor is it at all strange, since the lower World tells you of one Epimendies (Viridiar. Lib. 4. prob. 24.) that slept Seventy Five Years without Meat and Drink, and of a whole Nation in India, that lives upon pleasing Odors, (Nat. Hist. lib. 7. c. 3.) and of Democritus that was fed divers days with the smell of hot Bread (Diog. Laert. lib. 1. cap. 9.) why shou'd it seem strange to you, that pure Aether shou'd afford such a Nourishment, when your com­mon, gross, vaporous Air nourishes Vegita­bles? Onions, and the Sempervive, shoot forth and germinate, when hang'd in the o­pen Air. What think ye of the Birds of Pa­radise, that have nothing else to feed upon but Air? Go and ask Rondoletius how it was possible for his Priest to live forty years upon nothing but Air? Or what he meant, when he said he was an Eye-witness of one that had lived Ten years without other Nourishment. From all which 'tis no wonder that the pure Aether shou'd have such Effects upon me, as you now see; though if there were occasion for it, there's all sorts of Diet: but they are given only as Physick to new Comers into our World in the Moon, as preparatory to a prepe­tual Abstinence.—Gentlemen, I hope what I have said is satisfactory; and so I de­sire the liberty to withdraw: The Moon is a­wake, and ready to get up by this time, and if I miss my Attendance, I may be turn'd out of my Office.

—Very well; discharge the Witness, and see him safe home in the Moon again.—In the mean time,—do you, Mr. Philosopher, proceed in your Disco­veries; you shall have a very favourable Con­struction of what you offer.

—I acknowledge my Obligations, (most judicious Patrons) and shall impart what I have found out, with as much Humility and Modesty as Truth can stoop to.—

First then, I shall presume to call this re­ceiv'd Opinion a Vulgar Error. ‘That Taurus has any Horns, or that he feeds of the Schems and Draughts of Astrologers in the lower World.’

—How's that? Blasphemy I protest: What will you make a sucking Calf of one of the great Supporters of the Stars!

—Pray, Mr. Astrologer, Not so fast, lest you shou'd tire; and then your Bull (I assure you) cannot carry you, tho' ye offer every day a Bundle of Schemes to him. Suppose there's no such a Being in all the Heavens as Taurus, but only a Nominal Di­vision of the Heavens, what will become of Horns and Fodder then?

—He raves certainly.—Prove what you say.

Nay hold there; what bid a Phi­losopher prove Negatives! Do you prove the Affirmative if you can; if not, tell this ho­nourable Court why you believe it.

—Let me consider a little.—

—Come never vex your self to find out what is not; when the Sun goes through that Part or Division of the Heavens, (or if you will, when that part of the Heavens moves by the Sun,) it is said to be in Taurus, because it happens at the time of the Year when the Countrey-man tills, manures, and plows his Lands by the help of Oxen or Bulls; likewise when the Sun is in Gemini, 'tis said to be so, because of the Pairing and Copulation of most Creatures at time; and so of the rest of the Signs; which are only Appellat­ions, and no real Beings. I cou'd tell you, that there's some in the World below us, that know as much; but this wou'd be too like one of their Proverbs, viz. If you wou'd know what News at Court, you must enquire in the Countrey: And this puts me in mind of ano­ther false Opinion among us, viz. ‘That the Devil is a Male Spirit.’

This is taken upon Trust too, without examination of his Testicles: if there be ever a Midwife-Spirit among you, that knew him out at Nurse, or that had any private Fami­liarity, or learn'd it by his own Confession before he fell, stand forth.

—I knew him out at Nurse, but was never very curious in that particular; but he told me himself that he was a Male-Spirit.

He tole ye! If you have no bet­ter Evidence than that, it proves nothing. 'Tis well known The first Word he spoke was [Page 105] a Lye; and 'twas for lying that Michael chas'd him out of Heaven.—I'm perswaded he's an Hermophradite, my reasons are these; 'Twas a brave and Masculine sort of Impiety when he pretended himself to be a God, and gave Oracles, and Prophesi'd; but 'twas a Feminine sort of wickedness, to be afraid of the Pentangle of Solomon, the Liver of Tobias his Fish, the sound of Tetragrammaton, the Ver­tue of Hipericon, the Root of Baaras: Cou'd any thing but a Foeminine Devil, be Command­ed by Charms, Spells, Conjurations, Lerters, Notes, and Dashes. In short, can the Devil be any thing else but a Rigil, that is, either Man or Woman, to gratifie the VVitches, and VVizards of the world below, Can he be any thing else but an Hermophrodite, whose Language looks both ways at once, and is ei­ther true or false. ‘Aio te Aeacidem Romanos vincere posse.’

No, no, the Case is plain; and I hope this Honourable Convention will order it to be regi­stred accordingly. And so I shall proceed to take notice of another Vulgar Error amongst us, viz. ‘That the Soul of the World is not subject to the Passions of Humane Spirits, or that it is not sometimes Merry, Sad, &c.’

I suppose, if I prove the contrary you'll look so wishfully upon one another, that you'll have an immediate Confirmation of it by the [Page 106] World's Laughing at you: 'Tis a certain truth, and if you will but peep out of the Wickets of your Stars, and view the Face of the Elements, you will just now see it look with a pair of Blubber'd Eyes, the reason of it is this; Taking a view of the Creation, it casually fixt one of its Eyes upon the Gallick Territories, and seeing so much Tyranny, Pride, Extortion, Blas­phemies, &c. it cou'd not refrain from Weep­ing, the Inhabitants of the World below us, call it Raining, not believing that the frequent showers of Tears that fall amongst 'em, are a bewailing their Irregularities; and thus, when it sees some good and vertuous Actions, it looks with a pleasant Air, and smiles upon 'em, and that they call Sun-shine. The other Night, the World had got the Highcough, which is very often mistaken for Thunder.—We are in almost a hundred Mistakes about the Worlds Common Actions; when it Spits, 'tis er­roneously suppos'd to be a Shooting of Stars; when it turns its Head on one side, either in a fit of Laughter, or by being asham'd at some unhandsome Actions it sees, presently 'tis con­cluded, there's an Eclipse of the Sun; and in this Opinion, the World below us are deeply rooted: Now since I am not stingy, or par­tial in Communicating my Observations, I wou'd have some of you Astrologick Souls (when you come to have Bodies) to unde­ceive your Neighbours about that which they call an Eclipse of the Sun, for 'tis laid down as a Maxime amongst 'em, That the Sun being a greater Body than the Moon, can never be to­tally Eclipsed; which Error does so much af­front [Page 107] the Harmonious Order, and make of the Universe, that the World, as unable to put up such Indignities, has been in the Hu­mour sometimes to close both her Eyes at once, and leave Mankind muffled up in a perpetual Night; for you must believe, that if the Face of the World be proportioned to its Body, it must be pretty broad, at least some 100000 Miles.—So that the Eyes must stand a great distance one from another; nay, the Inhabi­tants of the lower World grant as much in effect when they say the Sun is in an Orb vastly higher than the Moon; now taking their O­pinion for granted, the Sun may be totally E­clipsed according to their own Principles— as in the Figure annext; for when the Face of the world stands side-way to the Earth, so that the Moon is betwixt the Earth and the Sun, 'tis plain, the Moon does not only Eclipse the whole Body of the Sun, but as far about as the Circle B, the Body of the Sun, al­though bigger than the Moon, extending no farther than A.

[Page 108]

Another Vulgar Error, wich I have met with, is this. ‘That there are no more Worlds habitable by Men, than the Earth, Moon, Sun, and the rest of the Planets, with a few fix'd Stars.’

[Page 109]Now this I know, by my own Experience, to be a falshood, for coming home late one Night by the Seven Stars, I peep'd into the least amongst 'em (which you know is seldom vi­sible to the lower world) and I saw Thou­sands of Little Men and Women going to a Fair, but they were no bigger than Rats; I cou'd not forbear Philosophizing upon it, and at last I satisfy'd my self with this Conclusion, that all Stars were Worlds, and the People in 'em were proportion'd according to the bigness of 'em, and I was confirm'd in my Opinion when I consider'd that the Inhabitants of the Earth were about two Yards high, that those in the Moon were as high as the largest Steeples, and that the People in the Sun wou'd make nothing of stepping Seven Miles at a step in their common walking, had that an ordinary sucking Flea had a Trunk as big as an Ele­phant; now Gentlemen, that you may be satisfied as well as I, that the least Star is an Habitable World, 'tis but taking a little more notice of 'em in your Rambles.—

Another Vulgar Error amongst us is, ‘That there are some new Stars since the Creati­on, or at least old ones mended, as that in Cassopeia, that in Sagitarius, and many others.’

For First, (as introductive to what follows) I shall prove that Stars don't borrow their Light from the Sun, but have their own innate light, as Fish Scales, Rotten Wood, &c. notwith­standing all the plausible pretences of Earthly [Page 110] Philosophers; because, if they borrow'd their Light from the Sun, or by Reflection, they would not always have the same appearance, since the World moves its face sometimes so, that both its Eyes are hinder'd from looking upon such and such Stars, and sometimes by reason of the Interposition of one anhther; but such and such Stars have always the same Lustre, provided the Clouds don't interpose or hinder the light from making a right Judgment.—Secondly, They are not matter solid and compact as the Earth is, for 'tis evident to every bodies experience▪ that motion wou'd in time wear 'em away, but they are only Globulous formations out of the first light, which finisht the Circumrotation of Heaven and Earth, e're the Sun, Moon, or themselves were created; and if so, Light is not subject to attrition or wearing away, no more than Darkness, which in some sense is a quality ra­ther than a body: Hence no Stars grow old, or wear away, and if so, no need either of mending 'em, or making new ones, for a conve­nient perfect number was at first created; besides, if they should be mended, what would have become of their Inhabitants the same time? or where must they have dwelt till their World had been new Rigg'd? Those Stars talk'd on, in Cassopeia, Sagitarius, &c. were nothing else but Meteors or Evaporati­ons from the bodies of other Planets, caus'd by the Sun; and as the matter whereby they were [...]ed ceased, they disappear'd; and the truth of all this is well known by many of our Society, who were at the same time upon [Page 111] the Ramble in those Quarters.—The next vulgar Error I observe is this, ‘That in a few Ages the People in the World below us will teach the Rucks in Madacas­sar to fly with 'em into the World in the Moon, and steal some of those Inhabitants to show 'em at Bartholomew Fair.’

By what wild Notion this Opinion came to be propogated I know not, but the Authors of it do also tell us, that a Ruck is a Bird with wings twelve foot long, and that they make no more of sooping up a Horse and his Rider▪ than a Kite does of a Mouse, so that they can easily carry a Man any whither between their Pi­nions, or in their Talons. But tho' I grant this to be truth, yet the Voyage is too long to undertake; for according to my last Calculati­on, the distance between the Earth and the Moon is one hundred seventy nine Thousand, seven hundred and twelve Miles; so that sup­posing it possible for a man and his winged Courser to fly half a year together, it would be 980 miles a day, (too violent a motion for breathing) before he cou'd get to the Moon, which wou'd be a very hard Task without Meat, Drink, or Sleep. And lastly, (for I'll mention but one more at present) 'tis an Erronious Opinion, ‘That a Spirit can't carry away the whole Uni­verse at once, if he might be permitted to do it.’

[Page 112]If a Spirit can heave a Chair, a Stool, a Man, &c. he can also remove the World. The reason is, matter is not determinative upon Spirits, first, not as to place, for if a Spirit cannot be circumscrib'd, it follows that all Places are the same to him, and that if a Spi­rit moves a Chair from its first Station, he can also move it ten thousand Miles further, all the labour being only willing such a motion. Nor is it the Quality of matter that can hinder this motion, all matter being the same to him; we have daily instances of Spirits passing thro' Glass, and the most continuous matter as easily as through Air, which is a more extended Bo­dy. Nor is it Quantity that can hinder this motion, for 'tis granted that a Spirit can as easily move a man as a flea, and if so, he can as easily run away with a Star as a man, but this he is not permitted to do, since such a motion would spoil the harmonious and regular position of the Heavens: but to prove it possible to remove Sun, Moon, Stars, Earth, Sea, nay, and the whole Coelum Empyreum at once; I shall offer,—That a Spirit moves not mat­ter by application of matter to the thing mo­ving, (as when a man moves his Hatt off his Head, he moves it with his hand, which is another body) but by a vertual Contact or Application of the Will, just as a man moves his own Body, which is only by willing a mo­tion to it; just so when a man moves his hand, he moves it not by help of the other hand, but by the immediate act of his will. Now the Spirit in a man is limited by Incorporation, and can move nothing but only its members, [Page 113] or what it applys its members to; which also being matter are confin'd to Proportions in re­spect of that other matter which they are ap­ply'd to, yet an unbodied Spirit being confin'd to no particular Matter can will a motion to any matter, which is effective upon matter, as greater Powers command lesser. Nay, I might yet further offer that a spirit might more all the Universe at once (I mean the Coe­lum Empyreum, and all the Globes within it) without displacing the particular parts; as the Wheels, Weights, &c. of a Clock, when the whole Clock is mov'd away at once; for a Clock will follow its regular motions in Italy as well as in England, so that (Gentlemen Spirits,) if you have a mind to examine matter of fact, there's no more to do than to make a tryal, only I have this to tell you, that you cannot tell whether you move the whole or no, be­cause you carry all matter and place with you, so that there will be left no place behind to measure from, and if so, no distance, and consequently no motion to be judg'd of; nor can we who are within the Globe perceive it, since we shall be always at the same distan­ces, just as a fly wou'd be in a house if the house were removed. This is all I have to offer at present, by which I hope I may have not only performed the Conditions of my Liberty, but deserve a Philosophers body in the other World.

Consistory, Very well, be it Enacted forth­with, that he supply the first vacancy in the A [...]henian Society.

—HOW a Member of the Athenian Society! a privy Counsellor of the Stars? a Resolver of all Questions! very well,—Have at ye Phisicks and Metaphi­sicks, Methinks I long to begin the search, Nature lays open her hidden stores, the vegi­table world courts my Inspection, the Spirits of animate Beings crowd to be treated on, and the Caelestal bodies stoop to my Embraces, as Luna did to her Endymion. Though other Spirits tremble at the thoughts of Incorpora­tion, 'tis a great part of my happiness to think on't, and I'am uneasie in nothing but delays of [...]mencement Pray. Gentlemen Spirits, if ye have any kind resentment of my expecta­tions, begin and ask me some Questions, that I may try my faculty.

—Very well,—I shall be one of your humble Querists in the other World, and to save us both some labour, pray answer beforehand, whether the Longitude at Sea can be found out so as to be made practicable; and also the reason of the flux and reflux of that unquiet Element.

—Yes, 'tis possible to find out a Practicable Longitude, but I shan't discover the Method how till I come into the other World, and am secure of the thousand pounds Legacy, the promis'd reward; so that I shall intreat you, and all other my loving Querists, to let me take my own time for re­solving Questions of Interest; but as to the flux and reflux of the Sea, I'll impart the disco­very; —Know then that the whole mass of the Creation is one great vegitable Being, and that Water and Air are to it, as sap is to Trees, or as blood and serum are to animate Bodies; and that the universal Spirit which is disperst through every individual Particle of Nature, and more eminently gather'd toge­ther in the midst of that vast frame, is the Sun, which being plac'd in the Centre of the Earth resembles the spirit of man, which is also more particularly seated in the heart; this premis'd, I further add, That the Sun wou'd expire if there were not an Element of Air to oppose and fight with; which I prove thus, particu­lars are of the same nature as their Generals, and a small fire clos'd up so that it can have no Air to oppose it, immediately grows unactive and expires. And thus, when a man ceases to breath, the vital heat or spirit within having nothing to sight with, grows idle, and dyes. To which I shall yet add, as a resolution to the Question, That the strife betwixt the Sun and the Air thins and subtilizes the Sea, and causes the flux and swelling of the Tides as a small fire affects the bubling water that is near it; and thus the strife betwixt the vi­tal [Page 116] heat and the respiring Air in bodies, rari­fies and stirs up the blood to a pulsation, or a diastole and systole, agreeable to the flux and reflux of the Sea, and as the pulse is easier discern'd in the Arms and other extream parts, than in the main bulk of the body; So Tides are most remarkable at the shores. Thus Life is maintain'd by opposition, and thus all compounded Existences are preserv'd by unnatural Wars. One difficulty more is to be resolv'd, and I've done, some Seas have their Titles every two hours, some every four, and some every six, which periods are caus'd by the different humors of the Sea, as some are more terren [...] and heavy than other, some more salt and sulphureous, some more thin and vaporous, and accordingly their respe­ctive qualities encrease to such and such a de­gree before they are proper subjects for the Sun and Air to work upon, which being de­stroy'd by agitation, they are so long before they [...] to a proper head again; and this also [...] with the Crisis, or fits of fevers in humane bodies, which also differ ae­cording of the body, the [...] humowr mereases three days, the [...] and so the rest, before they can come to [...] a degree or Crisis of the distemp [...]r, and thus I have consider'd the resemblance [...] great and little World by way of answer to this Question.—And now propose your next.

—Here's the Correspondent come from your Incorporate Brethren the Athenian Society in the other World, perhaps they may [Page 117] be puzled by their Querists, and have there­fore desir'd you and the rest of their Succes­sors Assistance.

—Your Imbodied Brethren below greet ye well, wishing ye all good organiz'd bodies, & patient Querists, & intreat a continuance of Correspondence. They have by me sent you six Questions, desering you wou'd communicate your thoughts upon 'em, and if ye will send to them what difficulties you meet with amongst your Ethe­rial Querists they'll impart their Opinions to you. The following Questions are according to the qua­lity of the several Members.

—Whether the Pope be An­tichrist or no?

—Whether there may be found out a Cannon to measure a spherical Convoid?

—What's the proper difi­nition of glorify'd matter?

—What reasonable answer we can make when we are ask'd, Why upon Di­vorces we take penal Security that the Inno­cent party marrys not again during the Di­vorceds Life, when the forfeiture and pay­ment of such penal security [...]ill not satisfie the Law.

—Whether Lazarus's Estate belong'd to the next Heir or himself after he rose from the Dead?

—Pray assist me with two or three natural Rhimes to Chimney.

—How to find out a way to give Intelligence in six hours, of Ships at 100 Leagues distance, in order to profitable En­surances.

—Whether an Homunculus produced upon the Grounds that Paracelsus has laid down, wou'd have been animated by Blood, or such white Matter as Vermin have that are also produc'd by unnatural heat?

Their Bookseller, and Mr. Smith the Coffee-Man, want also to know whether there be any Cure for the Athenian Itch.

—Here's nothing that is beyond the power of an immediate perception. Say, all ye Aethereal Querists, have you any doubt to send into the other World?—If ye have, propose 'em to our Correspondent, who is just now going thither.

—I am afraid I shall be a Poet; direct me by what measures I may be exempted from the Fate of the Old Proverb; Poets are podr by Lestiny.

—I have but one to offer.— How may I attain to an effectual Form of Courtship?—But pray, let it be answer'd in the very next Mercury; for Lovers are im­patient.

—I have a very scrupulous Conscience. Pray, is it lawful to eat Black Puddings?

—I want to know the Rea­sons why those Questions I sent about six weeks since are not yet answer'd: I think my Questions deserve a Thought as well as any Bodies else.

—When comes out the next Volume?

—What curious Translations are design'd for the next Supplement?

—I'm a little asham'd, or I wou'd ask when I shall be Marry'd? Pray, let me be answer'd the next Tuesday; which being the first in the Month, is the Day ap­pointed by the Society for Love-Questions, and the Doubts of Ladies.

—Why many Questions are never answer'd? viz. Iacohitish, Obscene, Scan­dalous [...] Riddlish, useless, &c? Since every Bo­dy wou'd have their own Thoughts preferr'd to their Neighbour's,—let mine come the next.

—Why they pass over Que­stions of two or three Months standing, and take notice of Popular Subjects, Curious Ac­cidents, and such as can't be pass'd over with­out great prejudice to the Querist; which looks a little partial.—I want a speedy Answer,

—Why the World below is so foolish as to expect one Paper to please every Body, since the variety of Educations, Constitutions, &c. create different Judgments, so that what pleases this Person, offends that; and what offends this, pleases that; Insomuch that 'tis a true Riddle, To please most, is the way to offend most; and to offend most, is the way to please most? Let the next Mercury treat of this Subject, it being a Matter of Conse­quence.

—Pray, dismiss me; the Society is set, a [...]d I shall lose a great part of the Conference.

—Very well! Re­member us to our Embody'd Brethren, and [Page 120] tell 'em they shall have their Questions an­swer'd, and sent to 'em by their next Sessi­ons, and we hope they will consider of these sent by our Aetherial Querists; tell 'em also, that a Continuation of this Correspon­dence is very agreable to us, and shall never be broke off by our neglect.—One thing more,—You must remember to call in at Venus as you go along; there's a Female Spirit at a great loss in a certain soft Affair; she wants a Resolution of her Doubts as soon as possible.

—I Can't think my self to be of the same Species as other Spi­rits are.—How?—the disposal of so many thousand Souls!—Strange! what a spacious Mannour am I Lord of? What a numerous Crowd of living Tenements are at my Command? Methinks I see my [...] at the Head of 60000 Men, who act im­plicity, without questions: If I command, they fight, march, encamp, or what I please. Methinks I see my Enemy drawing near, and [...] depends on a single Breath, whether Thou­sands [Page 121] fall or none: What signifies a Diadem, or Tyrian Robes, when the Sword commands them to be laid aside? Alexander was not fear'd as Philip's Successor; but as a General, and a Conqueror. Is there any Spirit that can pretend to such an absolute Power over its fellow-creatures as a General?

—What Despotick Spirit is this that presumes to huff, and encroach upon my Priviledges? A General! 'Tis a little noise, busie Thing, that is so far from having an absolute Disposal of its Fellow-Creatures: as to have its dependance purely from me, Is it not in my power to crush the Wretch, and bring it strangled into the World? And then where's the Disposer of Crowns, the single Breath, that was to determine the Life and Fate of Thousands? How small is that Power over others, that is not able to preserve it self? Besides, admit a General to have a dis­pensation for an uncommon entrance into the World; how would he do for proper Sub­jects of his Power, if he disown'd his Obliga­tions to me? Where wou'd he have his At­tendance, if I shou'd deny to assist him by aiding humane Productions?

—How, I depend upon a whi­ning Female Midwifry! If the more hardy, and Masculine Beings obey me, what can the more helpless, brittle Clay, call'd Woman, do? If 'tis in a Commander's Power to put all to the Sword, by what Artifice can you plead an Immunity?—

—By that of Gratitude; If Male Spirits are not wholly ignorant of such a [Page 122] Vertue; for 'tis a mean recompence to destroy-those by whom we live.—But to pass over that: The first Refusal of any thing is most noble; and then you can't deny but we have our power of disposing of Life and Death before you: Besides, Life being more noble than Death, we have yet the preference, since we dispose of that, and you of this:

—What a vain Contest is here about a Preheminence that belongs to neither of you?

—What have we here, another Controller of Fate?

—Yes, very often of the Fate of Generals and Midwives too.

—Oh that I had but a Body, and this Insolent Gibbet Gazer another; that I might Cane him for his Sauciness.

—Not so passionate, g [...]od Gene­ral. —If you know any other Reason be­sides your Sword, pray answer—whe­ther 'tis not the End of an [...]ction that digni­fies it?—Or, whether Actions in them­selves are either good or ill otherwise than as they receive such denominations from the End which determines them?

—Right; What wou'd you infer from hence, the honour of fixing a Crimi­nal's Ear-knot, or piling up the expiating Fagot?

—No, but that my Office be­ing the Execution of just and prudent Laws, is far more honourable than the murthering Ambition of Generals, or the Midwifry of vicious Humanity. The most just Wars that [Page 123] happen, are never without the injustice of de­stroying some Persons, that have no other fault but prejudic'd Judgments; and Midwi­fry is so blind an Action, as to make no dif­ference betwixt the Legitimate and Illegiti­mate, betwixt Fathers of Countreys and Ty­rants; betwixt the Prince and Beggar.— But in a due Administration of just Laws; there's an immediate distinction betwixt Me­rit and Demerit, Vertue and Vice: In short, 'tis so absolutely necessary, that neither the Body Politick, nor private Persons can be safe and happy without it; and therefore nobly great, and meritorious, as a Preserver of No­bility amongst other Conditions.

—I never decide Disputes any other way than by my Sword; therefore if you persist in these Heresies, prepare to end the Argument by force.—

—I never fence, nor resist till I tie up my Adversary; if you'll tarry till then, I'm sure I shall convince you.—

—Dispute and quarrel as long as ye please, I shan't yield the preheminence to either of you;—Besides, 'tis unjust, (since we are all Proselytes to our own Conclusi­ons,) to give Judgment decisive upon our own Cases.—If you think it convenient, we'll refer the Dispute to the Arbitration of the Athenian Mercury, who will do us all Justice.

—Agreed.

—March then; but, I will lead up the File thither.

—HOW! A well fledg'd Cully, just come to Town, and brought along with him an unbawk'd Fancy, a strong Faith, and a deep Purse! Very well,—'Tis no common Catch,—a hand­som plausible Harangue; and he's mine; But yonder's one of my Comrades.—Holo Brother Projector, What Prospect have you of your Discoveries in the lower World; Are they like to succeed or not?—I'm upon the wings of an imaginative Faculty; and am fancying my self in pursuit of the Game.

—First let me see how I shall come off in what I'm now upon.

—Why have you not yet effected your Promise of recruiting the exhausted stores of Nature about Thunder and Lightning?

—What do you mean?

—When Nature was commanded to muster up all her Sulphury Stores, and Ven­geance call'd for their disposal on the Cities of Sodom and Gomorah, 'twas you (if I mistake not) that offer'd to raise a new Supply with­out a Bankrupcy of any of the four Elements.

—That I have done long since; but the great business in hand is—

—Is what? I'll warrant you 'tis some Intriegue that you are for managing when you come into the Body: Come we'll suppose our selves already there;—What wou'd you be at?

—Twenty Thousand Pounds at least, and a Name to out live Monuments.— The Notion's [...] and coming; and me­thinks I see a Coach and Six a little behind it, attending me as a small Testimony of such a useful Discovery.

—Then you'll forget me; At­tendance and Ceremonies will prejudice your Eyes from looking upon your old Friends: In short, you'll be moulded into a new Na­ture.

—Well, since you will be fancy­ing Incorporation, methinks I hear your Que­stion urg'd in the Body, and my self making Excuses, and coming over you for a handsom Treat, on purpose to seek an opportunity of telling you how lasting my Friendship wou'd be.—Methinks I also see you vex that you were prevented in the Question, and my self asking, What is become of all the auxiliary Ma­gazines sent in by your credulous Disciples?

—Your Fancy's pretty near the Truth; but I cou'd tell you that you'll be at a strange loss without an Apprentiship of se­ven years held in the Subterranean Conclave, o'th' Southern side of the T—le.

—Why, what's to be learn'd there, more than Decoy or Wheedling in a Yo—re Squire or two?

—To come off handsomly after all, and manage the Concern so wisely, as never to fail bringing the useful Discovery to perfection; but for want of Two or Three Hundred Pounds more, which will oblige the Engagers either to resign their first Inte­rest, rather than come in deeper, or force 'em to the last shift of paying their Footing, (which is, Breaking,) and commencing Pro­jector themselves; which, in my Opinion, is a very fine Trade amongst soft Heirs, cre­dulous Bankers; nay, amongst all that are Babes in Worldly Philosophy.—But to wave the Thoughts of the Body, and return to our first Subject.—You have supply'd the exhausted Stores of Thunder and Lightning, &c. Pray which way are your labouring Thoughts employ'd now? And what farther Discovery have you to communicate to the Universe?

—'T is a weakness to design before Projectors; and the surest way that can be found out to be supplanted; therefore I desire to be excus'd, farther than to tell you in gene­ral Terms: I am offering Proposals to the Register of Fate, for a regulation of the Solitices: I know no Reason the Sun shou'd not be call'd to an Account for being idle twice a Year, when the Inconveniences of his loytring are so destructive to the whole Frame of Na­ture, by burning up its radical Moisture on one side, and suffering the other side to lie imprison'd in the Chains of Frost and Dark­ness, without the least demerit.

—Indeed this has not yet been consider'd; but won't it disoblige the Com­putation of the Astrologick Souls?

—Particular Interests must not come in competition with a general Good: —But admit such a small inconvenience; I can quickly redress that.

—Nay, then you'l encroach up­on my Studies; for I have been drawing a Scheme of the Regulation of Time &c. for which I expect no small Recompence.

—Pray where does your Calcula­tion begin?

—From the very Minute that the Deluge began; which, as I take it, was about Seven a Clock i'th' Morning, from the Creation of Souls 2193 Years, 6 days 3 9/10 Minutes.

—You pretend to great Exact­ness.

—'Tis necessary; or I had chang'd Winter for Summer before now.

—Well, and have you any thing else to promote?

—Nothing at present, but to secure my self from being pump'd out of my Project, till I am certain of my Reward.

Farewel then.

—If you had not been in haste, I cou'd have told you how Noah's Compass and Sea-Card were the very first Enterprize I brought to perfection: But more of this the next Meeting.

—WELL, met Brother; how far this way?

—Into the Sphere of Saturn; I have only that part of the Universe to be ac­quainted with; and at my return home, I shall have a compleat Iournal, with some Re­marks, not a little curious and diverting.

—I am just come from thence, and am willing to give you a particular Re­lation of every thing there? But pray what are the most curious Remarks you have met with in this long Ramble.

—In the Region of the Moon I found some surprizing Novelties; particular­ly, the manner of that Planet's Motion.— The Moon is generally believ'd to perform its Circuition by a Principle of Self-Motion, which Nature at first communicated to it; but 'tis an Errour; for the Moon is a Lifeless inanimate Mass, and can no more move of it self than a Pewter-Dish can; nor is it (as some have concluded) bowl'd along by Spi­rits amongst the rest of the Stars; for then a swinging Gigantick Spirit wou'd sometimes throw it out of its due Cariere, and make it rob, or fall soul upon some of the other Pla­nets. No no, such Caprices in Nature are not to be met with.—'Tis continually [Page 129] carry'd along by half a dozen Spirits in a large Lanthorn, half of it transparent, and the other half dark, and these half dozen Spi­rits are reliev'd by another half dozen, once in four and twenty hours: The reason of its seeming Increase and Decrease, is nothing else but the turning of the darker or brighter side of its Lanthorn more or less directly or oblique­ly towards the Globe of the Earth. I can also assure you, that there's not one Star in the Heavens that moves of it self; but what are carry'd along by Spirits (plain Spirits, not In­telligences, as some Philosophers dream; for there's no such Beings.) There are many strange Opinions amongst Mankind about the Motion of the Heavenly Orbs: A Spirit that left its Body in a Dream, just when I came in­to the world of the Moon, gave us some mer­ry Tenets about it; as, that the Elements were divided into Spheres, like the Films of an Onion, and that such and such Stars mov'd in such and such Films. Some again held, That Stars were put upon Strings like Beads, and push'd on by [...]egions of Spirits. Some wou'd have 'em half under and half over their Films, and Chanels cut for 'em to roul along: Some believe that the Film is transparent, and that Stars are bowl'd along up em: Some, that they hang under their Films, and that there's a kind of a mucous Matter, which makes 'em stick like Flies with the feet upwards to a Cieling: but some believe there's no such things as Spheres, Films, or Divisions of Ele­ments; but that they hang in the Air upon their own Centre, whirling about like Boys [Page 130] Tops at Shrovetide. Thus far the humane Spirit discover'd the wild Opinions of his Brethren.

—This is pleasant indeed; but I believe I light on some Passages as remarka­ble. You know that every Globe has its par­ticular Aether, which moves along with it; and that there are indefinite Spaces, Vacuums, or Interstitiums betwixt the Planets, if not, the vertiginous motion of one Aether would justle with another. You are also satisfy'd, that the Globes of Mercury and Luna, have either of 'em a Republick of Philosophical Souls, that left their Bodies, and yet re­tain their old Notions.—It was my chance to travel that way when there was a publick Dispute betwixt some late deceased Cartesians, and some Peripateticks; every Soul was arm'd Cap-a-pe with Dilemaes, Proposi­tions, Objections, &c But the Dispute about Motion and innate Idea's, was manag'd so warmly, that they forgot their Footing, which was upon the extremity of the Vortex, and down they came sluttering into the indefinite Space or Vacuum I was telling you of.— Very well (says a Peripatetick Soul,) this Fall is no Motion, because there's no Continuity of Matter to measure by; and therefore I de­lie you all to prove a possibility of getting out again. A Carte [...]ian Soul fell a laughing at such a Challenge, and told him, he ought to get a new Body, and make Experiments; and afterwards consider the Theory.—No, says the Peripatetick; it can't be done; and therefore I'll not offer to budge till I see [Page 131] a Demonstration of a possibility, in Mood and Figure. And as they were examining, a certain Minor which was propos'd, comes a Comet, and with a Brush of its Tail scowr'd the Vacuum, and dash'd the Disputants upon the Vortex again.

—And what became o'th' Cause then?

—It was put by till another Con­ference, by reason of a black deformed Spirit that had had the Misfortune to leave its Bo­dy for a worse Place, which came roaring and howling into the midst of the Cartesian Souls, crying out, Where's the Spirit of Des-Cartes, that pretended to prove a Deity by Innate Ideas, when he shou'd have prov'd such Idea to be the Idea of a real Being; 'twas the weakness of this Argument that damn'd me: Besides, I'm continually chous'd and hunted about by a company of snearing Devils, that stigmatize me with the scandalous Cha­racter of a Cartesian Spirit; pointing at me with their sooty Paws, as I pass along; Do ye see (says one) yonder Inhabitant of the Cartesian World: See (says another) the Ar­tist that preaches of a subtle Matter which forms the Liquidity of Bodies. Pray (says a Third) will you go ask your Master what he means by the Sun's forming a great Vertex of sluid Matter for the Stars to swim in? And whether the Sun is both Agent and Patient in such a Formation? If not, of what pre­existent Matter he forms this fluid Matter? Or, whether he pretends to an immediate Creation of it out of nothing? with a thou­sand [Page 132] sand more such puzzling Questions, which doubles my damnation, to solve 'em.— Now Mr. Des Cartes, if you can keep up your Credit, and mollifie my Plagues, do it quick­ly: —Don't trouble me yet, reply'd the Philosophical Spirit, lest you spoil a new Notion that I left unfinished upon my Death­bed. O (says the Black Disciple) that my Master shou'd study to damn People when they are dead! I'll warrant you, 'tis to find out the reason why Mercury is sometimes near­er the Earth than the Sun: But pray, by the way, what's the Use of this, and a thousand more such Phaenomena's, if Vertue be the proper Task of the Intellect, & if the business of a wise Man be not Talking, but living? Thus the poor Spirit troop'd off again with­out his Errand, ra [...]ling his invisible Chains, and calling Philosophy Beelzebubism.

—This was a very strange Pas­sage indeed, and puts me in mind of half a dozen Philosophical Spirits, which were hud­dled together, and ty'd Muzzle to Muzzle in the Bastile of Mercury, for pretending to find out a way to appear visible to Mortals, with­out the assumption of Aerial Bodies, or any other Vehicle; as I pass'd by 'em, there was one that had his Notion too setled to remove it by such a Treatment—Courage (said he) Comrades; I'll procure a speedy Manu­mission from this Cage, by appearing in this posture to the Inhabitants of every Globe, and making 'em send Ambassadors to our Judges about us.—Say you so (says one of 'em) I pray make a Demonstration to [Page 133] us first how it may be done. Thus; (reply'd the other) The Representation of Things is not always confin'd to the ordinary Method of assuming the similitude of the thing seen into the Eye, which necessarily supposes a Subject to be assumed; but the visive power may exercise Ideas and Similitudes of things that are not, by indisposition or illusion. Thus by beating up the interior Organs, and acting briskly upon the Fancy, I can make the Pati­ent to believe a resemblance of what I please, or I can deceive the Eye, by indisposing it, through the annoyance of internal Fumes, Vapours, &c.—Thus have I made Ex­periments on Persons, who, whilst they have been lying in Bed, wou'd look upon the Win­dows, and see Curious Globes, and Figures of all shapes and colours, which wou'd move before the Eye, i [...] the Eye follows 'em, or wou'd pursue the motion of the Eye, if it drew from 'em. I might add the possibility of accom­plishing my end by [...]alse Refractions of Light, Interpositions of Bodies, &c. But I'll let that alone till I come into a Body; when I'll take some pains to undeceive the World below about Apparitions of ill Spirits, which are as commonly form'd in the Eye, as inclos'd in Aery Vehicles. Hold, not a word more of their Customs (reply'd the other) lest we shou'd be over-heard, and so receive double Punishment for Correspondence with Apo­states —Thus the poor muzzled wretches were confin'd for some time; but at their Trial, they; upon urging some such Argu­ments as I have now offer'd, convinc'd their [Page 134] Judges, and were again set at Liberty.

—I remember I was there at the same time, and there came in a Messen­ger Post-haste, saying, There are just now ar­riv'd a great number of Separate Souls upon the Confines of the Moon, that pretend to bring in Remonstrances against the whole Philosophical Academy of Souls; at which, the Spirit of Ari­stotle, who was always good at Subterfuges and By-holes, complain'd of Indisposition, and that he wanted to converse with the Spirit of Galen; but he was no sooner clear of the Crowd, but he mounts up through the Coelum Empyreum, and gets out of the Wicket into that vast indefinite Space, to be free'd from the importunate clamour of his thousand thou­sand Disciples fluttering about him. I cou'd not forbear following him, to see the humour on't; and amongst other things, I overheard him crying out, Oh that I had been Alexan­der's Horse, instead of he being my Pupil; then I had liv'd quietly in History, and had been only Curyetting, Pawing, or Neighing in the Fancy of the Learned: But now (Wretch that I am) I've div'd so deep, that I have not only lost my self, but am also accessary to the Destru­ction of my Proselytes. Methinks I see my self catching at Imp [...]ssibilities, and instead of 'em, grasp some strange bewitching Dream, that has either Blasphemy against the Gods in't, or is a sacrilegious Story of their Secrets, belying what I cou'd not discover. Methinks I also see that in quisitive Race of Mankind listning to partake of the [...]orbidden Notions, and rather than fail, they turn [...]ver my Works so oft till they find some­thing [Page 135] in 'em, that I my self never thought of, nor design'd. Hereupon, they begin to explain Incom­prehensibles, till they are serv'd by succeeding Ages as they serv'd me, but the whole Blame and Punishment retorts upon me, because I [...]et 'em first at work. Oh that I had defin'd [...] to have been Vertue; and Uice to have been Vice; I'd scap'd the scowring of so many duplicated Dam­nations, and might have walk'd quietly in the Battlements of the Moon, without Noise and Disurbance.

But as I was intent upon the Philosopher's Expostulations, I saw at a distance three Mil­lions of separated Spirits, all Females; they had been ridicul'd, and chas'd out of all the Globes for their awkward Dresses, and brought along with 'em the Fashons of Two and Fifty Languages into the Indefinite Space above the Heavens. Some had got Ruffs a­bout their Necks as big as Cart-wheels; some Head Dresses as large as the Tail of a Comet; some were in one Dress, and some in ano­ther; a few were rubbing and scowring the outside of Heaven, to make it transparent, that they might see to dress their whole Bo­dy by it; some were doing, some were un­ing; some were pleas'd, some in a Passion: some lik'd their own Mode the best, and some prefer'd that of another; and some were quarrelling with every particular Dress, and made up a Iargon of all Dresses together: But to see the different Figures, Postures, Court­sies, Complements, and Tittle-tattle amongst 'em, made me believe that they were some Generation of Spirits which I had never [Page 136] heard of: Whereupon, I apply'd my self to the Aristotelian Soul I told you of, to desire his Opinion; who told me, he had done Opini­oning; but if I wou'd ask the Spirit behind me, I might be inform'd: Upon which, I turn'd me round, & saw a Thing all hung with Clouds and Vapours, in an Aery Humane Shape, wringing his Hands, and sighing at a wretched Rate; as I made up to him, I cou'd hear him say,—Poor Heraclitus, Whither now! Hast thou searched the whole Uni­verse, and every particular Globe of the Creation, to retire from new Objects of thy Over-pity, and all this, to find the greatest behind in this Indefi­nite Space? Alas, now I am desperate in my Search, and will give o'er, since Female Spirits are so wedded to Impertinencies, as not to leave 'em when dead.—Upon the mention of the Word Female Spirits, I troop'd off with all the speed imaginable, for fear of being caught up for a Foot-Boy [...]Spirit, by one Madam C— in Exchange-Alley; who I well knew was as proud of a Livery-Boy, as Paint and Fucus: I had no sooner got within the heavenly Wicket again, but I stumbled upon a Disputation that was held upon the Verge of Saturn. But I came a little too late, and cou'd only hear the latter part of the Conference; which by Plurality of Voices, fix'd a Liberty of Consci­ence, and that the Spirits of Iews, Pagans, and Christians, should all be free to believe themselves Children of Philosophy, and of the Number of the Elect. I pass'd on from thence without taking any Leave; (for there are no [...] among the Stars, that use Ce­remonies, [Page 137] but European Female Spirits, and they were most of them chas'd out of the U­niverse, as I noted before; and coming near, the Globe of Iupiter, there was a great Con­course of Spirits about a Chalenge between a Heathen and Christian Philosophick Soul, concerning the Burning up of the World: Here might Humanity if they'd had Eyes and Prospective Glasses strong enough, have seen their old Maxime confuted, which says, There's no penetration of Bodies; for here were at least ten Millons of Spirits got together all into one Body to hear the Dispute; but there was such a fluttering Hubbub, that the Orators were fain to leave off a while, to see if the Noise would cease; tho' in vain, for every little Auditor wou'd pretend to dictate, and give his Opinion: I cou'd hear one something louder than the rest, crying out,—Alas, alas, if the World is to be burnt up, and all the Stars consum'd, what shall I do for a Lodging; I shall ne'er away with the Converse of Femi­nine Spirits in the indefinite Space: Oh, says another, for my Master Aristotle, how gladly wou'd I learn o'er again the Lesson of the World's Eternity, that I might be able to con­fute this Litigious Spirit, that pleads for an untenanting of the Stars. Another was for Bantering; and said, the Universe wou'd make a prodigal Burnt-Offering. Thus one cries out one thing, and another another; so that the whole Assembly began to vote it pe­nal to name such a Topick; and that there shou'd be no more such Challenges for fear of a Tumult. You know I was always a mor­tal [Page 138] hater of Tumults and Quarrels; so that being in haste to get away, I made but one flight to the World in Venus; where I light upon a very high Mountain; but I had not tarry'd long there, but the Mountain was surrounded with Myriads of Female Spirits, Arm'd Cap a-pe with immaterial Javelins, Bows, Darts, and Colours of War; and one amongst the rest, comes up to me, giving me to understand in short, that I must either quit that Globe, or prepare to encounter all the Inhabitants; which were mostly Amazo­nians and Stoicesses, and had a Charter from the Secretary of Fate, to make that Globe their Retreat, to secure 'em from the Inso­lencies of Male Spirits; and also, that they had the Privilege to chastise all intruding Male Spirits as they pleas'd, by a Court Mar­tial; and therefore, believing me to be a Traveller, and a Stranger to their Customs, were so courteous, as to give me time and op­portunity to dispose of my self as I pleas'd.—I view'd the soft Herald from Top to Toe, and considering her Air and Features, I remember that in my last Search in the Registry of Fate, I had seen her Character, with this Sig­nature over against it.

I had no need to ask Questions upon this Reflexion, knowing the Riddle would be re­solv'd in another Globe, Anno Dom. 1691. and so without any acknowledgment of the Ob­ligation, or other complement, than in thought, I stood off again; and in about two Seconds [Page 139] of a Minute, got to the Boundaries of the World in Mars: There I was up to the Ears at first dash, amongst Male-Spirits; (forgive the Expression, I'm to be embody'd shortly,) and found 'em generally calling Councels of War, which put me upon the Curiosity of enqui­ring what Religion they were of; and I was inform'd they were mostly Christian Spirits: and upon asking what their General was? I presently concluded, Nothing at all.—A strange kind of Exression, Brother, is not it? But 'tis not strange, when I add, That it was farther told me, they were to fight against, and destroy one another, for such mean In­terests, as (when examin'd,) are not worth the exercising any Passion but Hate. Indeed this amaz'd me above whatever I met with in all my Rambles, altho' the next Encounter was not altogether unworthy my Reflexi­ons. —'Twas thus:

A little farther was a Nunnery of Spirits, wherein a certain Fault had been committed; but I dare not say what, for fear of prosecu­tion the next time I travel that way, since the Law was satisfy'd, in giving up the Cri­minal to the Mob of Spirits; which hand­led her severely enough; and afterwards a­way they hurry'd her to a certain Meeting of Dissenting Spirits; and having pull'd the Non­resisting Preacher off his Pedestal, (for they use neither Chairs nor Pulpits in that Globe,) one of the Ring-leaders mounts, and begins as follows:

Liberty, Boys, Liberty; away with these dull Canting Spirits, who, under pretence of being [Page 140] good, only meet to plot against our Freedom: Why do they tell us of hard Names and thinking, and not preach up Liberty, or something else that's new? For my part, I'm for Toleration of nothing but what suits my Humour. No matter who's uppermost, or what the last ot next Council decrees; 'tis all one to Mob; and who­ever is of my Opinion, let him hold up the dirty end of his Wand, and cry Cluck.— Hereupon, they all cluck [...]d so loud that the Spirits which carry'd that Globe, ran away from their Commission, and down it fell be­twixt Mercury and the Sun, and spoil'd the Ptolomaick Systeme of the Heavens; for my part, I got out of it as soon as I cou'd, and left the Rabble, who were going to pull a Pe­dant out of his School, for Tyrannizing over one of their Brethren.

I was no sooner got safe out of the Whirli­gigg-Planet, but I met with Charles's wain, laden with twenty dozen of Souls▪ bundled up close, and laid neatly upon Pillows of Snow; as I came near, to ask the meaning, up starts one of them, and call'd me Impertinent and Saucy, for not making my Honours before I ask'd Questions; whereupon, I made a very hum­ble Grin, and call'd 'em worshipful Dons; thinking 'em to be Spanish Souls; upon which, one of 'em condescended to tell me, in an­swer to my first Question, That they were Gentlemen Souls, and scorning the Drudgery of walking into their Bodies, were accom­modated with that Heavenly Calash to ride in, cautioning me for the future to be more ex­act in my Distinctions, and to observe a due [Page 141] Deference to the Honourable. It growing late, I step'd into the next Star; where the Inha­bitants were very small, yet very courteous, and entertain'd me handsomely that night. The next Morning I set out upon my Ram­ble again, and met the Caravan, (alias Charles's wain,) the second time, laden with a new Shoal of Spirits, and bound for the other world; at which I began to make my Honours (as pre­caution'd) but was laugh'd at by the Waggo­ner, who told me, they were a Company of Pick-Pocket, High-way, and Clipping-Spirits, (that is design'd for Bodies of such Professi­ons) and foreknowing the unkind Treat­ment they were to meet with in the other World, wou'd not go into their Bodies; but were forc'd to be carry'd. I was a little vex'd at the Mistake; but you know (Brother) that Travellers must comply with Customs, and put up Indignities on all hands.

— [...]Tis very right; and without such compliance, 'tis better to tarry in ones own native Star, where there's freedom both to speak and act, without constraint.—But amongst all your Rambles, did you never make a Visit to the Globe of the Earth?

—Don't mention that Place, if you have any respect to my Ease; for as it is the very Setling and Dreg of the Creation, so have its Inhabitants proportionable Qualifica­tions.

—Pray pardon my Inquisitiveness, and give me one Instance; I know not by what Fatality it comes about; but a new The­ory of Pain is as bewitching to me, as a small Practick in Pleasure.

—Is it so? Why then Imagine your self amongst a numerous Crowd of Mor­tals; every one a Bastile or Vatican to your old dear Acquaintance; Suppose you saw your Relations looking out of Mortal Eyes, (as the Grates of Prisons;) and now and then stealing a Glance at the Skies, the place of their old habitation: Suppose you also hear one calling out to you, Pray pay me a Visit at night, when the Body has little need of my Attendance, that I may give you an Account what an ambitious, restless Lump it is that I animate: Pray (says another) come see me when my Body's asleep, that I may have some vent to my Sorrows, by telling you the vast difference betwixt a Body'd and an un­body'd Spirit. No, (says a Third,) but if you'l come and see me, I'll preach the Do­ctrine of Humanity to you; possibly it may have such an effect upon you, as you may escape the first Damnation for three or four hundred Years longer. Suppose you hear five Thousand more beginning to make their Complaints, and the Body, like a Tip-staff, or Serjeant, hurrying 'em away into new expe­riments of Horror, before they can tell their Story out.

—Hold, pray no more;— I' have enough of Humanity: Let's be gone; i [...] your way lies towards the World in Saturn, [...]'ll bear you Company,

—I'm oblig'd to you: March then.

—HOld, hold, Brother, don't leave me yet:—Alas, he's gone, and with him all the whole Society of Spiris! What have I to converse with now but inanimate Globes, aud senseless Constel­lations? What signifies it that I am Lord of all, when I have no Subjects to reign over; no agreeable Mate (I mean, of the same Spe­cies,) to accompany me? Unkind Fate, to imbody all the Thousand Thousands of my Bre­thren, and to leave me to wander up and down the Universe by my self!—The World is to me a sort of Prison, not by Di­minution, but by Deprivation; for a Prison is not properly call'd a Prison, for being so great, or so little; but being a Confinement from such and such Enjoyments.—Oh that I cou'd cease to be, or transmigrate into any other Classis of Creatures! For what state is more unhappy than that which gives a power of en­joying Good, and denies a Subject to exercise his power upon?—But stay, why do I repine? Some Spirit must necessarily have been the [Page 144] last; and tho' it is I, yet it cannot be long but my Turn will quickly come.

Nine hundred ninety nine Millions of Millions,—Let me see again; pos­sibly my Calculation may be false.—Suppose once more, that everry Man (computing one Man with another,) is compos'd of a handful of pure Earth, all the Particles of the other Elements being separated from it, then it follows, that just so many Handfuls of Earth as the Globe contains in it, may be made in­to Men; but no more, unless the God of Na­ture will make more Earthly Globes; for when every Man rises at the Day of Judg­ment, and assumes his own particular hand­ful of Earth, if there shou'd be more Men than Earth,—Ha,—Some Souls must go without Bodies; which is very absurd.— Nor is it very reasonable, that the Earth shou'd not every Bit of it be made into Men, that when they come to take every one their own, there may be no Earth left; and then 'tis an easie thing for the last Fire to consume the other Elements. No,—that won't do neither;—for I'd forgot that Man is made of all the Elements; and therefore when all the Earth is spent in making Men, the Elements must be spent likewise, that is, the whole Earth, Air, Fire and Water, will (when every one takes their own,) be equally divided, and march up and down an Eter­nal Indefinite Space, or Vacuum, in living Glorify'd Humanity.—Very well,—now I have it; There were at first 9999999999 Spirits, and there's just so many handful of [Page 145] Dust in the Earth. Now if I cou'd tell how many Spirits are yet unbody'd, 'tis but sub­tracting the Remainder from the first Num­ber, and the difference is the Handfuls of Earth that are yet to be made into Men; and when I know this, I shall know how long it will be before I shall be re-united again to my Body, which I was separated from about 3000 Years since.—Methinks I long to renew the old Acquaintance.

—What Mathematical Soul is this that's computing the Day of Iudgment? It has always been too deep a Secret for Hu­manity to pry into.

—I have laid by that dull heavy Lump a great while since.

—But 'tis said, that Angels them­selves are ignorant of that Day.

—Yes, they were so at that time, when such Words were spoken, because they knew not how fast Spirits wou'd be unbodied, or how the Age of Man might shorten; nor consequently how long it wou'd be before the World was made into Men; but if you can give me an Account how many Spirits are yet unbody'd, I will tell you just now how long it is till the Day of Iudgment.

—None of 'em but my self.

—How! are all the 999999999 Souls (which were made upon the same day that the Angels were) sent into Bodies, ex­cept you?

—Yes, all but my self; I've just now parted with my last Companion.

—If so, the date of your pre-existence is just at an end; perhaps within this quarter of a Minute; for there's always some young Body or other gaping for a Soul to actu­ate it.

—I shall be very glad of it; for 'tis afflicting to be the only remaining Creature of one Species.

—'Tis so. But—

—Farewel; I am call'd away too, and with me the whole Race of unbodied Souls lose their Name, and change their very Nature.

—Is he gone?—I knew it cou'd not be long that he had to tarry,— Let me see;—No,—That won't do;—That's right; upon a modest com­putation, the World must expire within these 70 Years; for it's great odds this last unbo­died Soul will be separated again before that Period: Besides, there must be some left a­live, which will undergo the same change without dying, as the Body and Soul will do at their Re-union; therefore perhaps within these 70 all will be over.—Now methinks I see that little share of Dust that be­longs to me, receive its first Impression, and beckon to me to renew our old Acquaintance and Union; Methinks I see my self as eager in my Embraces of my old Comrade, and as busie in exercising my Offices of Perception, &c. as ever. But I'm at a loss as to the man­ner how, because of the inexpressible Change that my Organs must undergo. But I'll let that Thought alone. sinc [...] I'm satisfy'd, Ex­perience [Page 147] will teach me, that and every thing else within a very small Revolution of Time.

—WHat am I? Whence is my Original? And to what end am I design'd?

—You are a pre-existent Spirit, made upon the—Day of the Creation; Your Original is Nothingness, as to the Subject; but as to the Cause, it is the Eternal Mind.; who, when he sees fitting, will provide you a Bo­dy to act in.

—What do you mean? For my part, I believe you and I are both of us just now created; but if you are pre-existent, and it now is 5000 Years and more since the beginning of your Existence, pray answer me, How many Sons Adam had; what part of the Year the World was made in; but don't answer after the old Evasion, viz. at all times of the Year; but in what Sign the Sun was first placed?

—I have forgot now, 'tis so long since.

—I thought Reminiscence had been co-essential with, or a part of the Na­ture of Spirits; for according to the best De­finitions, the Soul is a Cogitative Faoulty. Now if Thinking, Disposing, Meditating, Exa­mining, Compounding, Dividing, Appre­hending, Joyning the Subject and the Attri­bute, Affirming; Denying, Suspending, &c▪ be the Function and Natural Acts of the Soul, it is necessary that Memory be an es­sential Attribute of it; for how is it possible to compare two things together, unless we re­member the First after we have examin'd the Second; for to think of two Things at once, is impossible, and it is so granted by all that make a due distinction between a Finite and an In­finite Being; being what comes nearest this Act, is the quick distinction of Letters in Reading, or the swift, yet regular Motion of the Fingers in Musick. Now since Reminis­cence is co-essential with Souls, an Argument may be drawn from hence to prove you de­generate, if not a Non Existent.

—That I have a Being I'm cer­tain, and this Converse with you, demon­strates it.

—Come, I'll grant you for once, that you are pre-existent, if you'll grant me, that my Body which I'm just now going into, is also pre-existent, and was created before Adam had a Being; but I'll ask for no Con­cessions, which I'll not first deserve by de­monstration: —For I may prove my Body contemporary with Adam's altho' not visible till above 5000 Years after he was created.

—Pray how can that be?

—When Matter was created, 'twas a great Store-house of all other Beings that were to be created from it, all which lay confusedly sleeping in their Chaos; but of this Lump was Adam created; and if so, he him­self was potentially in it before he had a spe­cifick Being. After his Creation, he was maintain'd from the productions of Earth and Water, by a destruction of, or more proper­ly, through a conversion of their Natures in­to his. Hence Adam's Children were only a Transmutation of other material Bodies, or the Effect of Meat and Drink in new Fi­gures, which lay once in such and such Crea­tures, and before that in the material Chaos we first spoke of. Now since the Mechanism of Nature is order'd that it cannot be de­stroy'd (unless by its Author,) but only trans­muted or chang'd into other Matter; as a Fire that burns, part of it goes to Ashes, part into Soot, part into Air, but yet is always some­where, or in some thing; so that all the visi­ble Changes we see, are nothing else but a conversion of one Element into another back­wards and forwards, according to the adapt­ness and modifications of Agents and Patients; This consider'd, it will plainly appear, that that Body which I am just now going into, was the last year part of it growing in such a Crop of Corn, part of it in such an Apple [...]tree, part of it in such a River, part of it in such an Ox, Sheep, Fowl, &c. and only by a proper Revolution of Particles un­der different Species, so adaptly disposited, [Page 150] that Nature found the Composition to fit one new distinct Species by it self; and according to its Commission, or first Settled Chain of Causes produc'd a humane Body, fit for the Actuation and Conjunction of a Spirit. Hence 'tis manifest my Body was as soon in the Bosom of its Causes as Adam's, and the last Body that shall be created, as soon as mine. Nay, to go farther, since from Eternity the great Creator did design to make a World, from which my Body was to be produced, I might say, that my Body was from all Eternity de­signedly and potentially, tho' actually in time,; which is the utmost that can be said of the Pre existence of Spirits. And I defie every Spirit in the Universe, to prove the least dif­ference in Time betwixt the actual Com­mencement of the Existence of its Body, and its self, or that the Potentiality of both is not equal, to wit, eternal.

This Argument wou'd hold, if it cou'd be prov'd, That the Soul is not so clogg'd and incapacitated in its Act of Reminiscence by coming into the Body, but that it might easily re­collect what has happen'd in its pre existent state, For we have innumerable Instances of the Soul's being more incapacitated in its Functi­ons one time than another, in the same Bo­dy, and this by Fits, Distractions, Diseases, &c. Which to me appears demonstrative, that if the Indispositions of the Body, which are only accidental, hinder a regular opera­tion of the Soul; much more may the Body it self, when first ty'd to, and made coessential with it.

We'll grant, much depends on the Body, as to the Mode of Perception and acti­on, but not so very much as is suppos'd; To mention that leisure time of Dreams; When perhaps the Body and Soul have the least actual dependance one of another, we shall find the habit of Reminiscence fresh at awa­king again; but to shew for once, that the Soul does not forget what it acts when sepa­rate from the Body, by reason of the Body's indisposition. Consider the Cases of Trances, Examinations of Witches, &c. what think ye of a Soul that has rambled out of the Body for two or three days together, and when it has return'd, and the Body reviv'd, it has told of infallible Truths some hundred Miles distance, where it self actually was: This we have hundreds of creditable Instances to prove? which consider'd, does fully (from the first presuppos'd consequence of Reminiscence,) destroy the Doctrine of Pre-existence.

—Well, I shall consider of it as soon as I have any leisure; in the mean time Farewel.

—Farewel.