The man-mouse taken in a trap, and tortur'd to death for gnawing the margins of Eugenius Philalethes.

The man-mouse taken in a trap, and tortur'd to death for gnawing the margins of Eugenius Philalethes.

Table of contents

Title page

THE MAN-MOVSE.

To Eugenius Philalethes the Authour of Anthroposophia Theomagica, and Anima Magica Abscondita,

§

Observation 1.

Observation 2.

Observation 3.

Observation 4.

Observation 5.

Observation 6.

Observation 7.

Observation 8.

Observation 9.

Observation 10.

Observation 11.

Observation 12.

Observation 13.

Observation 14.

Observation 15.

Observation 16.

Observation 17.

Observation 18.

Observation 19.

Observation 20.

Observation 21.

Observation 22.

Observation 23.

Observation 24.

Observation 25.

Observation 26.

Observation 27.

Observation 28.

Observation 29.

Observation 30.

Observation 31.

Observation 32.

Observation 33.

Observation 34.

Observation 35.

Observation 36.

Observation 37.

Observation 38.

Observation 39.

Observation 40.

Observation 41.

Observation 42.

Observation 43.

Observation 44.

Observation 45.

Observation 46.

Observation 47.

Observation 48.

Observation 49.

§

Observation 1.

Observation 2.

Observation .3

Observation 4.

Observation 5.

Observation 6.

Observation 7.

Observation 8.

Observation 9.

Observation 10.

Observation 11. & 12.

Observation 13.

Observation 14,15,16,17,18,19.

Observation 20.

Observation 21.

Observation 22.

Observation 27.

§

[Page]

THE MAN-MOUSE Taken in a Trap, and tortur'd to death for gnawing the Margins of EUGENIUS PHILALETHES

—Et mecum confertur Vlysses?

Cor. 15. 32. After the manner of men I have fought with Beasts.

Anthrop: Theo-Mag. pag. 27. I know my reward is Calumnie.

Printed in LONDON, and Sold at the Castle in Corn-hill. 1650.

THE MAN-MOVSE.

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WHO is this that darkneth Counsel, by words without knowledge? Job 32. 2. Come thou pitifull Alaz:ver. 3. thou false Philalethes! Gird up thy loines like a Man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

But now I think upon it, I will allow thee some time for breath, after thy late scolding, and speak a few words to my Reader. Reader, I have met with a thing, a name and no thing, a Presbyterian: one that pleads the Translation of Tythes from Melchisedec to Brown, and in pure famin stands up for the Pig-plot. He is a Gudgeon of Cham; one that builds his Faith on the Classes, on a certain Order and Combination of Arses. [Page] There goes his Divinity, and now have at his Philosophy. Come Sirrah! Hast thou formed all these Apes and Monkies, in thy Blew Chaos, See his interpretation of hard words annexed to his Psychodia Platonica. as thou doest style it, & darst thou call them Observations? Could thy Alma Mater teach thee nothing but Anticks? I will whip thee into a serious posture, and make thee know he is the better man, who hath past the Ford, not the Bridge. But I must read first, and write afterwards. Here comes a Pistle from the son of Granta: 'Tis the Indorsement to the Packet, like a fine knot to a foule Bundle. Come, let's open: in the name of Sense what sayst?.

To Eugenius Philalethes the Authour of Anthroposophia Theomagica, and Anima Magica Abscondita,

SO far you are right, Sir Harry, but what's next? Here's a Bill of Complaint you put in against your self, you tell me of certain imperfections you are subject to; truly [Page] for my part, I can pity you. You are (you say) much more willing to learn, than able to teach. Verely, I believe it, and what is needlesse, you will prove it. Your Matrix you tell me, is barren; I think (though no Chimist ever call'd it so before you) you mean your Brain. This is no Newes to me, I knew it, since I first saw your Psychodia Platonica. Your next whine is one of Conscience. You cannot (you say) affirm in the presence of your glorious God, that affection and zeal to his Truth hath forced you to write. I am altogether of your Opinion, I dare swear you cannot. But oh me! this Abstinence is Religion in you. Come hither Piety! you cannot protest, you are such a deadly enemy to Protestants; But cannot your Brown faith for swear? you never took any Oath,

But the two Mustachos branching at your mouth. You know the Poet, be your own Interpreter. Come about again Iack-Ape, you must shew me another Friscal. Though you cannot protest, there is something you dare professe. You write (you say) out of an implacable Enimity to Immorality and Fooleerie, [Page] and this is true in the word of an honest man. Questionles your honesty breaks out at your Breech, for it appears not in your Book. It seems indeed your Ethicks are very sound, for you are such an Enemy to Immorality as the Devill was when he disputed about the Body of Moses. Jude 9. I will present you with a specimen (as you word it) of your own Civilities. See here the Courtship and addresses of your Pamphlet. Thou dost call me, (who am a Christian) one that is Simon Magus like, a heated nodle, a Mome, a Mimick, an Ape, a meere Animal, a Snail, a Philosophic Hog, a Nip-crust, a pick pocket, a niggard Tom fool with a Devills head, and horns, one that desires to be a Conjurer, more than a Christian, All these good and sober Moralities I find in your first part, which consists of one and twenty small pages, but is stuffed with fourteen intolerable, beastly notions, besides other infinite slights and Absurdities: But for all these Abuses you tell me in your Observations upon my Advertisement to to the Reader, That you have been very fair with me, and though provoked, you will continue[Page]the same Candor in your Oservations on my following piece. And dost thou think then in good earnest thou hast been very fair with me? I prethee tell me? what it is to be very foul. But I have provoked thee? How? wherein? was it thy Body I troubled, or the Ballad of thy soul? I will tell thee what this Provocation meanes. Thou didst fancy thy Psychodia for a rare profound piece, and that Timaeus was inferior to thy Coplas. This is true my friend: but when my Book came to thy hands, thy Ignorance and Insufficiency in the Platonic Philosophy appear'd. This was it that vexed thee, and though thou didst not understand me in one Position, thou didst conceive it glory enough to rail at my Person. But I passe over to thy second Ribaldry, where thou hast promised me some Candor, and truly, I shall find thee as Candid as a Black-Moore. Here thou dost call me a Fool in a play, a Iack-pndding, a thing wholly set in a posture to make the people laugh, a giddy phantastic Conjurer, a poore Kitling, a Calfs-head, a vanting Mountebank, a Pander, a sworn enemy of Reason, a shittle[Page]scull, no good Christian, an Otter, a waterrat, Will with the Wisp, and Meg with a Lanthorn, Tom fool in the play, and lastly, a naturall Fool. Now Readers take notice of the honest Man, and his Puritan profess, he made use of these Termes out of an implacable Enmity to immorality. Wil you believe him then in any other point, who hath lied so egregiously in this? he hath profest against had manners, to make you believe he hath good, and rails against my Philosophie, to perswade you to his Folly. Assure your selves his Ethics and his Physies are of a stamp. Cambridge! Cambridge! what a monstrons mother art thou! I never thought the same womb could labour with Moores and Christians. But enough of the Iakes, I am now sirrah mastix, thorough all your Dirt and dung, and Stable of Immoralities, come up to your Fooleries. You are (as you say) an implacable enemy to them also. Certainly, you would be thought a very wise man: but before we part I shall prove you the greatest friend to Foolerie in England, and leave you a pure Coxcomb upon Record. [Page] But how now Alaz, what ailes you? have you left me upon the sudden, to fall upon a whole Kingdome? you have observed an Epidemicall disease, and you will be an Epidemicall Physician; you will cure a Nation by Indignation. Be sure in your next to give me an Accompt of this Disease, in what Books or persons you have found it, or I shall think your long Observation in the Kingdom is like your short Observations on my Book, a Lie, and a Loud one. But you go on, you tell us of high swol [...] words of vanity, and I tell you, I have found them in your Ballad, and you did well to tayl it with an Interpretation. Now at last you begin to be morall, sure Alaz, you would instruct us, you to speak of sober Truths, motions, Cautions, purified minds, and improved Reasons. When was your mouth made clean Sirrah? Do you Live as you preach? No, you are a Wealthy Beggar, you have all this, and you want it. But you are grown a Prophet, you foresee you will be my Prisoner, and you Petition me for your freedome. Did I not tell you, you were a Beggar? But you present [Page] sent a Reason for your Liberty, you are (you say) near a kin to me, take heed saucinesle! no more kin than Cat, and Mouse. But you continue troublesome, and would fain get off fairly; you would have me to allow you in your Actings, and in that foolish Confidence you subscribe your self, A Chip of the same Block. Come hither Chip! What dost mean by this Block? the Philalethean family? In this Sense thou art no Blockhead.

Thus Sirrah, have I returned your Complement, I have consuted the Bulls of your Pistle, & here you may soresee the Destiny of your Observatious. They shall be winnowed and sisted into Atoms, that you, and your fellow-fool Des Chartes may mistake your grinded papyrs for your powder'd principles. This Correction Sir, will speak my Iustice, you shall have your [...], which shall stick unto you Mr. Mastix, [...]. you observed me first, now I shall make bold to observe you.

And art thou come then Balthasar? welcome to the Lists. I see thou dost begin to [Page] bob, but I shall passe thorough thee with a bare point. Sure Alas, I shoud deal gently with thee, thou hast an affection to be thought my Brother. Content thy self, thou canst not be, there was never a FOOL of my Fathers house. I would now whisper thee in the eare, but that 'tis too late, for thou hast disgrac'd thy selfe by Proclamation. Tell me thou Woodcock, hast thou considered at any time what thou hast written for all Times? was there not a Censurer in Christs College to whom thou might'st submit thy Exercise, and request his Correction? Why how now Mastix? hast thou fronted thy Discourse with a Bull rampant, that by no shifts can be excused? see here: Let us begin to act according to the freenesse of our tempers, and play the Tom-Tell-Troths. And you indeed have done your part already. My course is next. Thou wouldst have me begin to Act, when thou thy self dost tell me, I have done already. But this is a flaw, to thy next Breach. Thou wouldest have us both play the Tell-Troths, and for my part I have, thou sayst: Thy course is next. What? [Page] both Tell-Troths, and our Tales Contradictories? Alaz, where is thy Logic? why this is a miracle more than all Magic. Assure thy self, one of both must lie. O that Gill lived in these Dayes! It were a just severity, to horse thee next time thou doest appear in Pauls Church-yard, and strip thy Buttocks of their skin. Thou pitifull, undon Thing! I will make thee curse the houre thou didst eyer take Pen and Ink in hand. I will render thee such a perfect Asse, that when posteritie would expresse any thing that's over ridiculous, they shall say, A Moore. But he proceeds, and to further his Ruine falls to again, though with some feare, for once more he calls me his Brother. 'Tis a Relation, Mastix, I can no way allow of: my Brothers were all White Boyes, there was not a Moore amongst them. Come on then Sir Bubo, for now your note is loose, and you begin to howle. I am you say, Simon Magus-like. Sirrah! you lie, and you must needs do so, for you never saw Simon nor my self. But I am very charitable, and wish the Conversion of the [Page] Moores, wherefore I shall rectifie your judgement in this point: I am indeed more like Simon Peter, for I am a true Christistian, and no Schismatic. But Alas, you have something to prove it, a Liquorsome Desire that I have to be thought some great man in the world. And why a Liquorsome Desire? doe I desire some Liquor, when I desire Greatnes? you did not learne this Epithet in Cambridge, she poures no such Liquor out of her pocula Sacra. But I passe by your foolings, and tell you plainly, I wil be as great, as Truth can possibly make me. I cannot indeed any further prosecute this desired Greatnes, but I must first thanke thee for thy Designs, whereby it seems, it is to be obtained. Prethee Mastix, let us heare them, for since the Projects are thine, I beleeve, I never studied them before. First then I must, but as you say, I Would be thought to have found out some new truths hitherto undiscovered. If it be thy mind, that I have found out Truths, never known to any whatsoever before me, it is a malicious wilfull slander, for nothing is mentioned [Page] in my Books, but I cite other authors for it, to confirme my self; but if thou sayst, I have only found some secrets of Nature, which are kept in the hands of a few, but were never publickly known, in this sense I owe the Designe, and I have found something that is hitherto undiscovered. The second Project is, to be more learned and knowing than Aristotle, that great Light (as thou doest blindly call him) of these European parts for these many hundred yeers together: and not only so, but to be so far above him, that I may be his Master, that I may lug him, and lash him, as Harry Moore's Breech should be lash'd. Pish! here is a Project indeed, to doe all this, is nothing. The Third Project is the same with the first, I would be thought skilfull in Art Magic, and what is this but to have found out new Truths? Sirrah! you have found, not a new Truth, but a new Trick in Arithmetic, How to divide two into three. To conclude, he ends his Projects with a whine, he sayes, That Hopkins the witchfinder is a troublesome fellow: if he hath [Page] been troublesome to thee, his office tells me wherefore. But now that we have defeated the Projector, let us put the scold againe in the Ducking-stoole, and plunge him well, it may be we shall wash the Moore cleane. The Clatter (saith he) of the Title of my Booke, Anthroposophia Theomagica, sounds not much unlike some Conjuration or Charme. Say you so Sir? I prethee tell me how many syllables more are there in Anthroposophia, then in Antipsychopannuchia, or in Theomagica, then in Antimonopsychia? I will not laugh in Print with thy foolish ha! ha! he! I will leave that to the Readers, who cannot choose but laugh at thee most heartily. But he hath left Eugenius, and falls upon Zoroaster, that old reputed Magician; he is angry with his Title too, and expounds his Oracle, like my Booke. Be pleased to reade what he did write. Audi Ignis Vocem. That is in plaine English, heare the Voice, or Noyse of fire. But what (saith he) can this voice of fire be? This is his Question, and I beseech you mark his Answer to it. It signifies [Page] (saith this Interpreter) Squibs and Crackers, such as the Cardinals are entertained with at Rome, for it does not meane Carabines and Canons. This he proves by the word [...], which is in the Context of this Oracle, and implies a subsultation, or skipping this way, and that way. And thus Reader, he concludes, that Zoroaster in this oracle did prognosticat of fire crackers and Squibs, rather then Canons or Carbines. Injoy thy owne sense thou Goose of Cham! for I hope thou art none of her Swans: much good may it doe thee; Thou hast spoken very wisely, and I am confuted no man knows how. I was about to dismisse him here, but come hither Sirrah, with your Fire-squirts, These fine Inventions have their Consequences. I wish the Elders to be at the Charge to stuffe your Breech with these Squibs and fire crackers, then procure you a Chariot such as you mention, and convey you invisibly to Scotland. This is a better Project than any of your Three. Iockey will place you in Front for some miraculous Mortar-peece of the Kirk, and [Page] 'tis but planting your Buttocks in the Canon-posture, you may squirt your sires (if you squirt not something else for feare) in the face of the English Armie, and demonstrat the Presbyterie â Posteriori. This is all the use I can find for you, and now you may fall to. But blesse us! the Squib is return'd, he hath left Zoroaster, and skips this way; have at you Eugenius! but you are a saucy boy, you feare him not, you know 'tis a meer Cracker. Well! he fals to, my Epistle sticks in his Chops, and now my Latine is under Correction. Orator is vestri implies a Solaecism, I am absurd, not apposit in my Expressions. And why thou Goblin? what was my Action in that Epistle? did I not request? did I not orare? and am I not then an Orator? may not the Action denominat the Person? Goe, read Quintilian, and he will tell thee Vim sermonis esse in Verbis, Materiam in Nominibus. But thou hast a Reason shall prove my Absurditie, the Length of my Letter is not sufficient. Is it then their Length or Breadth that qualisie speeches, or [Page] is it their Designe and Matter? miserable Ignorant! he cannot distinguish Rhetorie from Geometrie. But I had almost forgot amidst all this Barrennesse and Non sense, we have a full Banquet from the Clouds, Presbyterian Manna: hee fils his mouth with Sugar-plums, and Carva's. Sure hee hath a sweet tooth, and the Gale of the Beast is too bitter for it. Poore Alaz! this is a Bit, and a Bob. But why should I condemn him in this? his own Conscience hath accused him, and by his self [...]onfession it is Levitie. It seems then all his, performance hitherto was false fire, but now hee will shoote Bullets, he intends to fall more closely on my bones, but questionlesse he will spoile his Teeth. Deare Reader, if thou doest love me, pray for me, Poore young Eugenius! he was sometimes a notable wag, a saucie boy, but what will become of him now, I cannot tell. Sure this great O [...]k will eate him up. Come you Clod-pate, you Black-moore, what sayst thou to me? I fall upon the Peripatetics (you say) as superficiall Philosophasters. Why superficiciall [Page] and Philosophasters too? will not one of both serve? learn to speak sense for shame, you did not find this language in my Book. But you go on, & shew wherfore, Becaeuse they cannot lay open to me the very essence of the Soul. Prethee what is the Sense of this Essence? doest thou mean the very central, inscrutable Essence, or very- being of the Soul? or doest thou mean her substance and Nature? I am very confident thou doest speak thou doest not know what thy self. But thy Question is, Can I tell the very Essence of any substantiall Thing? to tell the Essence, is a barbarous form of speech, but I believe, thou wouldest ask me, if the Essence be intelligible or not? Thou art indeed a fine fellow. Doest thou presume to defend Aristotel, when thou doest not understand him? In good earnest, diddest thou ever read Logic? & hast thou not read then of a twofold Definition, Accidentall, and Essential? Come hither good-man fool! put on thy spectacles, and peruse my words once more. The Peripateties when they define the Soul, or some inferior Principle, describe it onely by outward circumstances, which every [Page]child can do, but they state nothing Essentially. Thus Eugenius. But Alaz denies that any thing can be stated Essentially. Tell me then to what purpose did Aristotel praescribe Essentiall Definitions? Get thee gone thou great Owle, put a Gag in thy Chops, and do not any more shame thy mother Vniversity. But now Mr. Mastix you are transformed, you cast your skin as Serpents do, but you are not wise, as Serpents are; you were lately a simple Philosopher, now you will be a splenetic spider. You spin your shallow brains into some thirty small lines, which you spend like poyson on my person. Bu [...] Philalethes is no Fly, to be ra [...] with Cobwebs: I will onely break thorough, and say nothing. Would you know what's next? Little do you think, I have the opportunity to be reveng'd on you. I have found you once more troublesome, & busie with my Mistris, I mean with Nature, & here will I kick you, & knock you as I please. Be sure I will strip you of Hide and Flesh, I will pick your bones, and bestow you afterwards on Cambridge for a Fool's Anatomie. I tax the Peripatetics (you say) because they [Page]fansy God to have made the world as a Carpenter, of Stone and Timber. Verely, If I tax them for any such fancy. I have done them an Injury. But in good earnest do I tell you, that God made the world of Stone & Timber, or that the Peripatetics say any such Thing? put on your spectacles again, and bring your Nose to the Book, my words are these. The Peripatetics look on God, as they do on Carpenters, who build with Stone and Timber, without any infusion of life. Who builds here with Stone & Timber think you? God, or the Carpenter? Fie upon you! You cannot understand Common Sense, though written in your own native English.

But there are some hopes of you, you speak something at last, and tell me very boldly, this is false. Doe you [...] know what I am, that you should be so saucy with me? well Sir, you shall be met withall. You tell me the Peripatetics give an inward principle of Motion to all Natural Bodies, and therefore look not on God, as on Carpenters, who build without any Infusion of Life. This must be your Consequence, if what I said is false, as you would [Page] make it. But Mr. Mastix, do they allow an inward principle of Motion to all naturall Bodies? are you sure of it? Hold, hold! if this be true, then there is in these Europaean parts (you know the Language) for these many hundred yeares together, an order of Philosophers, which no man knows how to name, but a certaine Mr. of Arts of Cambridge. Why sure you think that we at Oxford, understand the Peripatetics no better than you understand the Platonics. Tell me who are they, that so stiffely affirm the Heavens to bee moved by Intelligences, by outward assistent Spirits, not by inward informing Principles, and this for no other Reason, but to avoid their Animation? Be they not Peripatetics? Are you blind then Sirrah! and will you judge of Colours? Cobler, keep to thy Last. But you run on, and still blindly. The grand fault of the Peripatetics (say you) is, that they do not say the world is Animate. And what say you, I beseech you, for you are faultlesse; Is the World a meere Animal, (as you call me) or is it not? The Truth is, you durst not bee [Page] Positive, and Expresse in this point, but I will shew you what you have granted, and afterwards deny'd. I said the Peripatetics look'd on Gods works as on the work of a Carpenter made without Infusion of Life. You told me this was false, they did not look on the World, which is the work of God, as on a thing made without any Infusion of Life, for they granted an inward principle of Motion in all naturall Bodies. I take you at your word Mr. Mastix, and say, that if they look not on the World, as on the work of a Carpenter, they must look on it, as a Thing made with Infusion of Life, and by Consequence your inward principle of Motion inferres Animation. And now Blind Bayard, how can it be their grand fault to say the World is not Animate, when you answer so wisely for them, and prove they say it is Animate? Verely Sir, you that can rightly say nothing, must have the liberty to say any thing. Tell me thou Scribler, didst thou conceive I would not look on my Reproofs? or doest thou think any thing shall passe from thee hereafter without [Page] my Correction? Thou hast abus'd me basely, and assure thy self, I will persecute thee, as long as there is Ink or Papyr in England. But I have Positively pronounc'd the World an Animal, and now this Nonsense but scarce Animal, calls me to an Accompt for that Tenet. I come my friend, and if I do not make thee the most ridiculous Animal that ever was in the World, then the world is no Animal.

Here then he falls upon certain Similitudes and Analogies of mine, and positively makes Earth Flesh, and Flesh Earth. Surely he never saw the Vniversity, otherwise he had met with that trivial Topic, Omne Simile non est idem; but he strictly insists upon Metaphors, and mistakes Analogies for Positions. Prethee Mastix, go on, all these advantages shall not hinder thee to break thy Neck. This is as irrationall and incredible (saith he, speaking of Earth and VVater, which I compar'd to Flesh and Bloud) as if he should tell us a tale of a Beast, whose bloud and flesh put together beares not so great a proportion to the rest of the more fluid [Page]parts of the Animal, suppose his Vitall and Animal spirits, as a mite in a Cheese to the whole globe of the Earth. But hear me thou pitifull Alaz! What is all this to the purpose? for if such an Animal there be, then I tel thee no Tale, but a true History. This were enough to check such an impotent Adversary as thou art, but I will make thee ridiculous Mastix, I have thee by the Snout, and I will lug thy great Log. Come Sirrah! certainly you know those Weights and Proportions which God and Nature use in their Buildings, and Compositions. I have, I confesse, a weak faeminine brain, if compar'd to your strong Curds, but give me leave like the Queen of Sheba, to propose a few Questions, onely to try your profound Experience. Doth God then compose Anaticè, so much of each, or do his Scales admit of Imparities? Answer me Positively, either in Verse of Spencer, or in Prose of Moore. Suppose the Earth of Man were separated, and laid aside every grain by it self, what proportion would it bear doest thou think, to his fluid parts?

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—Quot Libras in duce summo

Invenies?—

Nay how many Handfulls would there be? tell me if thou canst. Most excellent was that Poetic fire in the Ashes of Hercules.

Anilis, heu me! caepit Alciden sinus.

But I will come nearer to you, I will take you by the Chops, and your owne foul mouth shall instruct you. Were you ever at the charge to take one Pipe of Tobacco? when it is cleanly burnt, and the moist parts all evaporated, what Quantity of Ashes, or Earth is there left? Surely not neer so much as will fill half the Bowl. How excessive then was the Proportion of the fluid parts, to this little dust, for they fill'd your mouth many times, for all you speak so broad? Now Sir, if you think there is too little Earth in the world, you must tell me where it is wanting. In the Interim here is no more Anasarca than in a Fat Elder.

But you have another Objection, and it proves you as wise as a Goose. How shall this water, which I call Bloud, be refreshed by the [Page]Aire that is warmer than it? Here is a Question indeed! Oh that I had the Lungs of Democritus, to laugh at thee! Art thou not refreshed, or restor'd by heate, when thou art oppressed with cold? and art thou not restor'd, or refreshed by cold, when thou art oppressed by heat? All the parts of the world mutually help one another, according to their severall Natures, and Qualities. But here comes a Third senselesse Exception, and to beare it companie, a Bull. That Bodie which we see between the stars, namely the Inter-stellar waters, is excessive in proportion; so thou say'st, but thou canst not say wherefore. Doest hear Mastix? Look up and see what a number of Bone-sires, Lamps, and Torches are Kindel'd in that miraculous, caelestiall water. I tell thee a little flame requires much Oyle. And now Sir comes in a point of your owne Philosophie, at least a flash of your wit, make it which you will; Coelum stellatum (say you) is the skin of this great Animal: what? his skin above the Sun, and his flesh here under thy feet? why thou hast stript, [Page] and stayd the World thou Moore's face! Indeed thy Buttocks should be so serv'd. O thou foole! when wilt thou understand? But he is at me againe, and flings another Caltrop in my way, but it will not prick, it is smooth, and plaine as a pad staffe. How improperly (saith he) is the aire said to be the outward refreshing spirit, when it is ever in the very middest of the world? Reader did'st thou ever see such a Bundle of simples? Come Sir Mastix, come neer that I may kick thee. Doest thou know what parts of the world the Aire is appointed to refresh? surely no, neither doest thou consider it. Lend me both thy Eares, I will not lug them at this Time, I will only instruct thee. Aire, and Heaven are incorruptible Essences. It is the office of the Aire to praeserve the two weak, passive Elements, out of which all things are made, namely Earth and Water. These two (I speak what I know) may be easily disordered by excessive heate, or by Excessive cold. But lest the piercing swift Action of the superior fires should distemper them, [Page] the Aire is commonly stirr'd with cold winds, and charg'd with clouds to allay the Influence of the Fire-world. On the Contrarie lest too much Cold should oppresse them, the same Aire doth reach to the stars, and immediatly receiving their heate conveys it down hither, but Qualified. This spirit floating and moving about the Earth and Water like a warme soft breath, doth pierce and passe thorough them, for he contains them in his silken Bosome, and is their outward refreshing spirit. Where art thou now Mastix? what a miserable Cacofogue art thou? But I march up to thy next Fort, and now have at thy Lunatic Argument. Here the Procupine shoots his last Quill, and tels me the Flux and Reflux cannot be the pulse of the Great World, because it proceeds from the Moon, not from the Sun. And is it so? It proceeds indeed from the Moon, as much as from Fromondus his Anti-Moone. But come hither thou Man in the Moone! I am an observator, and I observe thee quite disarm'd, thou art a bare Gentleman without sword or Buckler. In [Page] this naked posture I scorne to kill Thee, I will only trip up thy Heels, and leave Thee. You, and your Peripatetics (as you say) allow all Naturall Bodies an inward Principle of Motion. Is not the Sea then a naturall Body? If so, it hath an inward Principle of motion, and needs not to be rockt by the Moone, which is an outward one. But perhaps the Principle you allow the Sea, is a lame Principle, and takes hold of the Moone-beames for Crutches; or is it not seasick, tell me, lyes a bed of a Vomit, and cannot stir? O Mastix, Mastix! O portet Mendacem esse memorem.

And now Sirrah! your Observations on my Epistle to the Reader, which your Ignorance calls a Praeface, are grinded into Powder. They are shatter'd and batter'd into Atoms, and you may look your scriblings in the Chaos of Democritus, and Des Chartes. Here is nothing more spoken, but a little dirtie Nonsense, which you freely fling at my Person; woe to thee, thou Man-mouse! now comes thy finall and fatall Ruine; Receive it from my mouth, [Page] for I am thy Destinie. Now art thou come from words to Matter. I have thee where I could wish Thee, in the Mysteries of my Theomagia. Here hadst thou hang'd thy self like a Monkie intangl'd in his Chaine, before ever I touch'd thee. What will become of thee now, when I shall put thee to the Torture? I am sorrie thou hast brought thy self to this unnecessarie Confusion; how dar'st thou ever looke Day in the face? Come, and appeare you Punie! Now will I take Thee by the Beard, pluck thee, and tuck thee, souse thee, and salt thee like a Freshman.

§

Reader, he hath upon my Anthroposophia Fourty nine Observations, for so he calls his Oversights. In what order I find them, in the very same will I take them. I will return him so many Knocks on the Coxcomb, and leave him a pitifull Death's-head without Eyes or Brains.

And now my great Pike of Cham, I am come up to your Observations, to your Spawn and Minoes, which shall no more [Page] escape my Net, than the Mouse my Trap. I will observe thee, and conserve thee, and lay thee up in Pickle for Posterity. But I must fall from words to blowes, my Observator opens, and speaks.

Observation 1.

BUt hear you me, &c. Mr. Mastix, I do heare thee, but I can heare no Sense. Art thou the hobling Poet, who sometimes

Psyehath. Arg. lib. 1.

— Prais'd with his Quill

Plato's Philosophie?

I believe thou hast heard of Plato, but how canst thou praise his Philosophie, when thou doest not know it? every triviall Latin Authour can tell thee of Platonicum Reminisci: that according to Plato's Doctrine, the Knowledge which Soules attaine to in the Body, is but a Remembrance of what they formerly knew, before they were imbodied. But thy Question is, Am I in good Earnest, that all Souls before their Entrance into the Body have an explicit, methodicall Knowledge? Assure thy self Mastix, I am very earnest, and I wish from my Soul thou [Page] hadst written something against this Truth, and not oppos'd thy bare Negative. Believe me, I should have gall'd thy sides for it, and set Spurs to a very Iade, but not a whit Theo-magicall.

Observation 2.

HEre Anthroposophus is turned herbalist for one whole Spring, &c. And why for one whole Spring? who told thee so? He confesses (say'st thou) it was the work of one whole Spring to find out, that the Earth, or seeds of Flowers are nothing like the Flowers. Sirrah! my words are these, I took to task the fruits of one Spring. This is all that I said of the Spring, either whole, or broken, and now I prethee where is my Confession? Sure it was an Auricular one, for it is no where to bee found in my Book. But Mastix, I will discover thy Logic. Eugenius observ'd the fruits of one Spring, Ergo one whole Spring was spent in the Observation. Certainly thou hast got the fool's Metaphysics, for Non-sense is naturall to thee. The fruits of a Spring cannot [Page] be studied for a whole Spring, for Nature before ever I can find them, spends a good part of the Spring in their production. How can I then be damned (thou doest speak devilishly) for one whole Spring to the fields? This is but thy Moorish malice to my Person, and indeed it is eminent, pag. 84. for elsewhere thou doest advise me to drown my self in the river Ysca, which is the right way to be damned. I am beholding to thee, wherefore I will teach thee a Cure for Disgrace. Thou hast already done something which Achitophel did. When thou didst Scrible thy Notes, thou didst saddle thy Asse, and I shall not fail to ride him, and spur him for thee. Now to prevent thy future shame, thou mayst imitate him in the rest, dispose of what thou hast, set thy house in order and hang thy self. But before you be hang'd, I will Shrieve you, you must come to Confession of your Non-sense. Mr. Mastix, I have met with a very strange expression of yours, to find out that the Earth or seeds of Flowers, are nothing like the Flowers. Doe you think then that the Earth is the seed of [Page] Flowers, or that the seeds of Flowers are Earth? thou monstrous Ignorant! There's not any old Garden-weeder in all London, but can tell thee thou art a fool in this, and no Philosopher. But I am forc'd (you say) to turn about, and confesse a Principle of Aristotel (for Matter Sirrah! is a principle of Nature) Namely Privation. My Book is extant, any man may read it, if I have but named Privation there, much lesse acknowledge it for a Principle, I will freely yield thee the Cudgells. Privation Sirrah! is a Whim and a VVham, it is a Puritan Princiciple, something like a Corner-conveniencie, when you kisse a Sister, & no Protestant present to see you. Now sir you leave your privy businesse, and fall on the first matter. He sayes (say you) and it is the wisest word he has spoken yet, he knowes it not. Indeed for all you think the word so wise, he is so humble, he will not own it. Did I tell thee Mastix, I do not know it? there was a time indeed when I knew it not; but assure thy self, I know the first Matter very well. But Alaz, you will prove my Ignorance, it [Page] is Invisible, and therefore cannot be known. I should rather think thou art blind, the first Matter is both Visible, and Tangible, I have seen it, and felt it ten thousand times. But the Moore replies, Why, Eugenius are you so sharp sighted, that you can see a substance? You are all in Abstractions sir, you speak precisely, as a Puritan should speak, you fansy a substance without Quality or Quantity, a Thing robb'd of all Acccidents, as the School-men call them. This is a pure Chimaera, and to be found no where, but in a Peripatetic's Brains. But I have frighted my Moore, I have amaz'd him with a vital, coelestiall breath. It is a Breath too sweet for his foul mouth, and therefore he bids me speak no more of it, but keep my breath to cool (I know notwhat) Pottage. No Sirrah! that must not be, I will speak on, and spend my Breath to cool your Courage.

Observation 3.

HEre is a fit of Devotion has taken him, &c. A Fit doest thou call it? it seems then Devotion is a Disease with Thee; indeed [Page] my opinion is not very wide of thee, and I shall shortly prove thy Devotion is not very wholesome. Truth (say you) is not to be had of God Almighty for an old song, no nor yet for a new one. I am sory you did not know that stripling the son of Iesse, had you lived in his dayes, you had corrected him for his Psalms. I beseech you Sir, what hath put you out of Tune in my Book, for in your own you do Hymn it thus.

Lord stretch thy Tent in my strait, Breast

Enlarge it downward, that sure rest

May there be pight; for that pure fire

Wherewith thou wontest to inspire

All self-dead Souls. My life is gone,

Sad Solitude is my irksome wonne.

Is this an old Song, or a new? forgive me Sir! now at last I apprehend the mysterie; You are neither a Modern singer, nor yet an Ancient one; You live in our dayes, but you imitate Spencer, so that your song is both old and new, and Truth perhaps may be had for it. But you proceed Mr. Mastix, and [Page] more like a Tailour, than a Scholar shew me a certain Yard whereby to measure Wisedom Wisdome (say you) is to be measured by unpraejudicat Reason. I think you mean right reason, and that is very VVisdome it self, but you make them two different Things, and the One the Rule to the other. But in such stuffe you are very rich, wherefore you present me with another Line to fathome Wisdom by. Measure it (say you) not by Devotion, but by Humility and purity of mind. I prethee what is true Devotion but Humility and purity of mind? wherein consists it Mastix? Sure thy Devotion excludes these two, and as I told thee formerly, is not very wholesome. Well! go thy wayes for a wealthy Gentleman; how many Bulls hast thou? It would puzzle a Lawyer to make an Inventory of thy Cattel. I charge the Readers to take notice of this reverend Non-sense, which he hath propos'd to me for very fine Maxims. Measure thy Wisedome by unpraejudicat reason, not by Devotion, but by Humilitie v nd puritie of mind. Moore, Moore! art thou a Master of Arts of Cambridge? [Page] I knew the Time when Oxford had better Vnder-graduats. But you are full of Precepts, and bestow them them so freely, I am afraid it wil cost you something at last. You tell me that no man is wiser, by making others seem more contemptibly foolish. A very good rule I protest, and your self Mr Mastix, for Example. But what do I heare? Poore Aristotel and his Orthodox Disciples. Mark Reader, I beseech thee.peg. 88. The Disciples of Arristotel are orthodox, but the Philosophie of Des Chartes is the most admirable that ever yet appear'd in these Europaean parts since Noah's Floud. Sure then Aristotel was before the Floud. B [...]t this not all. In his Prose Aristotel is Orthodox, but in his Verse he doth

—Praise with his Quill

Plato's Philosophie.

Sure he hath perus'd the Posthumes of Picus which Ficinus could not read, or Leo Hebraeus hath cheated him with a few loving Formalities. Indeed he may well reconcile all Sects, since he was able at first to make Eugenius and himself both Tell-Troths. [Page]Troths. But I must not take Sanctuary at Moses his Text; before I may prove any thing thence, I must first make good, that Scripture is intended for naturall Philosophie, as well as a divine life. In good earnest Mr. Mastix, I must take you by the Nose, you hold so fair for me. If I may not use a Text of Scripture to establish my Philosophie, how may you and Scaliger make use of Aristotel to furnish your selves with a Trinitie? you must first prove, that his Scriblings were intended for the Church, as well as for the Schools. Thou Block-head! Thou Chubshead of Cham!

Observation 4.

WHat an Aristotelean would dispatch in a word or two, &c. I cannot think this Fellow hath read over any one of the Schoolemen, he makes them so nimble, and compendious, a word or two, and they have done. I tell thee Mastix, they are fumbling, drayling, taedious Scriblers, and not a whit mysterious. But he goes on, and tels me of Life, and a naturall warmth. Reader [Page] the pages he observes, are my eighth, and my ninth; here I mention'd no Life but the Second person, who is the true life and Light, neither did I speak of any heate, but the Divine aeternall spirit, and both these I mention'd expressely; marke then his Observation, wherein he makes me more Lazie than his Aristotelean. To reduce us both to the same Principles, hee makes the Holy Ghost a naturall warmth, and so clearly denies the third Person. See the Religion of a Presbyterian! Prophane Villaine! wilt thou abuse thy God, because of thy malice to Man?

Observation 5.

THis compar'd with what is at the Bottome of the fourth page, &c. Here Master Mastix, you conclude me absurd, because I tell you the Matter is an horrible emptie Darknesse, but why are you angry with my Prose, when you call it so in your own Verse?

[Page]

See his Psychozoia, pag. 19. Lib. 2.

The last Extream the fardest off from Light,

That's Natur's deadly shadow, Hyle's cell.

O Horrid Cave, and womb of dredded Night.

You will tell me perhaps, you mind not the matter, but something else, you know not what? I shall expect your Interpretation by the next, no doubt but you will give me a very faire occasion to whip you. But you goe on, and I will follow. This Description (say you) is an hideous emptie fansie; and why so? is it more hideous than your horrid Cave, and womb of dredded Night? It seems you were in a bodily feare when you pen'd this Verse. But there is another fault, it conveys not so much to the understanding as Aristotle's Description of the Matter, for he describes it to be the first subject out of which every thing is. But Prethee Mastix, what is that subject? Nec Quid, nec Quale, nec Quantum? why, this conveyes a just Nothing to the understanding. Sirrah! Aristotle's Matter, which is nothing to the Matter, is not in Nature [Page] [...], neither is it [...]: and Prethee what is it then? I shall rack you for this, when you come to your answer. But you proceed, and tell me: To call this Matter Primitive waters, is but Metaphors and Poetrie; if I call'd it so, I grant thy Argument; but what doest thou understand by Primitive waters? I believe the Darknesse formerly mention'd. I never call'd it water, Mastix, and yet if I had, it had been no Rhetoric, but Philosophie with Aristotle, it was Water in Potentiâ, but a Cloud Actu. Had you read my Book with Attention, as you tell me you did in your Pistle, you had found there a first Matter, which was an horrible emptie Darknesse, and after that a second, which is a primitive water into which that Darknesse was condens'd. This second matter is it, who's bosome the Divine Light pierced, and now I will see what Darknesse you can find in this Light. But Mastix, you avoid the Light, for your works are not Good, and fall into your horrid Cave againe. You tell me they must be Waters and Dark. I hope thou doest not conceive the world [Page] was made of Ink, like thy Observations. I cannot indeed suppose thee so mad, but I will tell thee what thou doest conceive. Thou doest fansie that by Primitive waters, I understand the Primitive Darknesse, and so thou doest comment, where thou doest not understand. But this Mistake is necessary, they must be dark waters, that the Light may Shine in them. Doth not the Light shine then in clear waters, and that more distinctly than in Puddle? Indeed thou mayst well think not, for thy Moores face, nay thy mind may be better seen in thy Ink, than in thy Glasse. But some on Sirrah! the Holy Spirit (say you) was not able to see before the Light shin'd upon the waters. How then did he find the water out, and move upon it, when there was darknesse (and no light) upon the face of the Deep, as the Scripture it self tels thee. Blasphemous wretch! Doest thou make the Spirit of God blind? He that made the Eye, shall not he see? But this is not all your Blasphemie, your boldnesse to make Observations upon Theo-Magic, hath discover'd your [Page] Close Impieties, and taught me what the Religion of a Presbyterian is. Was the matter (say you) so stiffe, and clammy dark, as to be able to keep out the Divine Light? Truly the Matter was not stiffe, and what Clammie signifies, I know: but Clammie-dark is a hard word, which you must put in the Rere of your Psychodia. But heare me thou Asse, with thy long Eares! Doest thou aske me, if the Matter was able to keep out the Divine Light, when thou doest make thy Observations on these very words of mine, The Divine Light pierced the Bosome of the Matter? I have been told that Cambridge is an Vniversitie, but at this passe I know not what to think of it. But here comes an Inference will pay me for all. If the matter could not exclude the Divine Light, then (say you) the Idea's shin'd in the water as soon as God was. Why how now Villaine! assoon as God was? Prethee how soon was that, doest thou thinke? was there a Time when he was not? but I haste to answer thy Objection. The divine Idea's could not shine in the water assoon as God [Page]was, for God was ab aeterno, but the Water was not so. Lastly, if the Water (as thou would'st have it) had been ab AEterno, yet the Divine Idea's could not shine in it ab AEterno: for the Light was not manfested, till God pronounc'd his sit Lux. This you might have found in my Booke, but you were blind, and this Light did not shine in your Eyes.

Observation 6.

IF Anthroposophus had such a Device as this in a Glasse, &c. Here you tell me Master Mastix, that if I had such an appearance in a Glasse, as that of Doctor Marci, what a fine Gew-gaw would it be for the lad! Well! since you will needs be at the Charge to provide Rattles for me, I shal be sure to pay you for them, the Lad is resolv'd to make a meer Gew-gaw of you, & to shew you to al the world for twelve pence a Man. But at last you open your mouth, and speak of Rationes seminales, though you question whither there be any such things, or no. Take heed Sirrah, what you [Page] say; if you doe but straine at these high speculations, I shall so excoriat your Breech, you shall not be able to sit for a good time, but move a very formall Peripatetic.

Observation 7.

YOur naturall Plea, is but an Idea of your owne Braine, &c. I beseech thee Reader mark the Injustice, and basenesse of this man. The words he excepts at, are these. But you are to be admonished there is a two-fold Idea, Divine, and Naturall. The Naturall, is a fierie, invisible, created spirit, and properly a meer Inclosure, or Vestiment of the true one. Here I my self make the naturall Idea no Idea at all, but properly a meer Inclosure of the true Idea. Now my Adversarie questions me for making it an absolute Idea, which is false, and so contrarie to his owne promise, makes a Flaw, where he finds none. Lastly, Mastix, thou doest envie me the glorie of the Text, that I have found an Argument in Moses to prove the Divine Idea, which no man ever observed before me. But this Learning (say you) [Page] I got from Philo Iudaeus. Cite him then and produce his words, if thou darest.

Observation 8.

ANd the reason why the world is beholden to this Gentleman, &c. Here comes a sweet breath amidst all your Vomits, you call me a Gentleman, Mastix. Truly if I am one, thou art none, for thou hast not us'd me like a Gentleman. But you quickly lose your Civilities, and begin to jest at me. O brave Anthroposophus! O base Negro! Theomagic is no Quibble. But now your Wit is spent, you would fain make use of your Reason. I know not (say you) whether the Chaos be created, or uncreated. Why! Sirrah will you presume to censure me in those things whereof you are ignorant! doest thou know what it is to create? Was the Creation a Direct, or a Reflexive Action? Be Positive if thou dar'st, and I will so hoise thy Bumme, it shall be apparent to all England, without the help of Galileo's Tube.

Observation 9.

[Page]

A Rare expression! This Magician has turned nature into a fish by his Art, &c. Reader in this place I describ'd the Primitive Darknesse Metaphorically, call'd it the fuliginous spawn of Nature. This blunt Tool argues from the Figure, and because I said spawn, mistakes the first matter for a fish. Thou art a meere Iack-a-lent, a lean, thin, Philosopher; but Sirrah, if it be a fish, it is one that cannot be taken with the Hooks of Des Chartes.

Observation 10.

BEfore the matter was in an hazzard of not being created, &c. Here I said the Matter was created, which is truth, if it be understood sano sensu. But Mastix is ready to hang himself, because I have distinguished between God and the Creature.

Observation 11.

HEre Nature like a Child-bearing woman has a Qualm comes over her stomach, [Page] &c. I told thee once before that Magic is no Quibble, and therefore cannot be confuted by Quibbles. But for all this Qualm he tells me that Nature will escape well enough. And I knew it Mastix well enough, for she hath been delivered of a fair world, but thy mother Margret of a foul Beast. Here again he is in a Relaps, Mastix is delivered of a Bull. Heat and siccity (saith he) are Aqua-vitae-Bottles. This is an Aqua sirrah, that would burn your fingers, it is all heat and siccity, but no moisture.

Observation 12.

THis page is spent, &c. Here Mr Mastix intends to besiege me, he brings about his Line, and threatens extremely. Sirrah, take heed how you approach, sap by the yard, and place your Baskets before you, I have here small and great shot, sure enough I shall knock you in the Coxcomb. Here (say you) I have so hedged you in Mr. Anthroposophus, that you will hardly extricate your self in this Question. The Empyreall substance encompassing all, how could there be morning and[Page]evening till the fourth day? for the Masse was alike illumined round about at once. Here is a hedge indeed! a Goose with a yoke would break thorough it. I told thee Mastix, that the Bodies of Angels, and the Empyreall Heaven, were made of that pure, sincere, innoxious Fire, which thou doest call an Empyreall substance. But the Empyreall heaven (sayst thou) encompassing all, (for there was no other substance that could compasse all) and illuminating the masse round about, how could there be evening and morning till the fourth day? For on the fourth day the Sun was made of the Empyreall Heaven, was it not Mastix? and ever afterwards there was no Empyreall Heaven to encompasse all. Here I must put my ha! ha! he! Doest thou read then, and not understand? and when thou doest not understand, doest thou Censure? Had you observed my Advertisement to the Reader, this had not been. The Light which God called Day, was not the Empyreall substance, for for (though the substance did contribute to the first Day, before God interpos'd the Body of the visible Heaven) [Page] the Empyreall substance was a fire which had borrowed his Tincture from the Light, but not so much that it could illuminate the masse of it self. Tell me now Mastix, as thou art an honest man, is not this to make flawes, not to find them? But since you are so pragmaticall as to speak of Things you do not understand, I will tell you somewhat of those Evenings and Mornings you look after. The first Nights and Dayes of the Creation Week, were not such as you see now, nor was that week, any thing like those weeks you live in. They were terrible mysterious Radiations of God upon the Chaos, and dark Evaporations of the Chaos towards God. To be short, (for we would not talk much of these things) the Hebrew Hagiographi will tell you, those Nights and Dayes consisted ex Vespere Materiae, & Mane Formae. Now Mr. Mastix, your Hedge is quite broken, come on again, and make up the Gap. But this is not all, you except at my Interstellar waters, and I can neuer prove (say you) that Moses drives at any thing higher, in the letter of his Text, than those hanging Bottles of water, the [Page]Clouds. Alas poore Ignorant! thou talkest of Moses as if he were thy fellow, but his Text proves him thy Master. Thus speaks that Philosopher, who was skill'd in all the Learning of the AEgyptians. And God said, let there be a Firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. This was done Mastix, on the Second day, and doest thou think there were any Clouds, or hanging Bottles then? but because thou doest insist on the Letter of the Text, doth not the letter say, it was to divide waters from waters, not waters from Clouds? I have crack'd thy neck Mastix, and now I will chop it quite off, because thou shalt never speak Non-sense in this point again. Consider these words of the subsequent Text. And God made the Firmament, and divided the waters which were under the Firmament, from the waters which were above the Firmament, and it was so. This Firmament Mastix, is the Aire, and the Clouds are in the Aire, not above it; but the waters whereof Moses speaks, are above the Firment, that is above the Aire; Ergo my Interstellar[Page]waters. Thou hast shipwrackt thy self my friend in these waters, from a very drie Mouse, thou art become a drown'd Rat,

Observation 13.

I Suppose you mean a rumbling Wheel-Barrow, &c. Here I call'd the Ptolomaick System, a Rumbling confused Labyrinth. But tell me Mastix, if the Heavens be solids as thou doest make them, for thou deniest my Interstellar waters, could they once move, or stir without Penetration of Bodies, or breaking one another to a thousand pieces, if the fabric of Ptolomie be admitted. Certainly at this Accompt the skie would fall, and then Moore might catch Larks. One Orb Mastix intercepts another, so that there is no passage to a free, outright Motion, and is not this [...]? is it not as I said a Labyrinth? But now I will come to thy Wheel Barrow. I prethee What is there in a Wheel Barrow that can hinder its Motion? doe the Wheeles intercept, crosse, and knock one another? in what Sense canst [Page] thou say a Confused Wheel-Barrow? It is a Bull Mastix, but not thy first, nor thy last. But here comes a new Question, and a very simple one. Why small diminutive Epicycles? Prethee Mastix, where hast been thus sublim'd? art thou he that bestrid the Colt-staffe, and was translated by the Gansa's to the Moon? Come Domingo, let me heare thee speak. They ar too big to be true, sayst thou, so say I too, but they are Diminutives Sirrah, in Comparison to those greater unmeasurable Orbs that support them. But I wish thee to go to Mr. Lilie, or to Mr. Booker, they are both Learned Artists, and can instruct thee in these Things. I dare say they will answer thee in thy own Phrase, and tell thee that Epicycles in this respect are but a mite in a Cheese.

Observation 14.

[...], &c. Here he doth abuse the Creture, & make God an Idol. The Aire (saith he) is a Sive through which Iupiter doth pisse. This he proves out of Aristophanes, [Page] a heathenish [...]omoedian; sure Mastix, thou art one of his Frogs.

Observation 15.

See Observation the 11. THerefore again I ask thee O Eugenius, &c. I have formerly answered to what you ask, and I will not whip you twice for the same fault.

Observation 16.

POeticall Eugenius, &c. Thou Moore of [...]!

Observation 17.

I Tell thee Eugenius, &c. He is a professed enemy to all Elegancies, a [...]lownish Scribler, that will admit of no Metaphors. But why dost thou speak Mastix, of a Lady in a Black-bag? Thou art a Presbyterian, and doest look a Tythe-pig in a Bag, not a Lady.

Observation 18.

[Page]

HOw the man is frighted into Devotion, &c. Thou canst not speak of my Devotion, but thou doest mistake it for thy own, which as I proved formerly, is not very wholsome.

Observation 19.

TIS no new-sprung Truth, &c. If there be but two Elements, namely Earth and Water, you tell me Mr. Mastix, it is no new-sprung truth. I know it man, better than thy self, it is a truth as ancient as the Creation. But now Doctour Moore will confute his Hypothesis, though with some mercy on me. Seeing (saith he) that AEthereall vigor, and Coelestiall heat, which is egregious Non-sense, as if he had said Coelestiall heat, and Coelestiall heat: for [...] is a burning, heating spirit, and it comes not from [...] and [...], as your Aristotel dreams, but from [...] ardeo, Lib de Mundo. as Anaxagoras would have it. The Originall is [...] adar, and signifies bright or shining, for the Fire which [Page] is inclos'd in the moyst spirit, makes it to shine. Now Sir Mastix, I beseech you tell me, what is the vigor of heaven, but the heat thereof? Certainly here is one Bull more, and I charge the Reader to drop a Counter for it. But you proceed, and tell me, that if heaven and Aire passe thorough all things (and I freely grant you that they are in all things) then there are more Elements than two. A mad sequel my friend, and in which you say, you will not severely tug with me, lest you should foyl me. Your meaning is Mastix, lest you should be foil'd, for you dare not say, that heaven and Aire are Elements. Get thee gone, thou hast disgrac'd Cambridge for ever.

Observation 20.

WHy? did you ever sneak in Eugenius, and take them, &c. Here he hath got two Greek Phrases, which he doth use to good purpose, He leads me to the Bawdie house, and asks me, if I did ever see Rem in re, as the Lawyer speaks? Fie! fie! some Rose-water for his mouth. [Page] Sure this filthy dreamer thought of a Puritan Conventicle. I believe if you had so much clean language Mastix, you would ask me, if I did ever see the Fire of Nature united to his moyst foeminine Principle? I did Sirrah, and now your Mouth is muzzled.

Observation 21.

NOw as you are Philalethes, tel me truly, &c. In this place Reader, I cited Sendivow, and my Adversary asks me if I understand the Citation. I doe Mastix, I doe: I am not of thy humor to speak that which I doe not know.

Observation 22.

HEre I cannot but take notice, &c. You take notice Mastix, of a Back-doore, but why an ordinary man's Back-doore? It seems an Extraordinary mans Back-doore hath a more precious Aire. Sure your Nose hath been there, you are so well skill'd in the Differences. This is Cambridge Philosophie, it is not worth—

Observation 23.

[Page]

NOw Eugenius! you are so good natur'd as to give Aristotel one of his two Elements again, &c. Here I said the Aire was our Animal Oile, the fuell of the Vital, sensual, Fire; But Mastix concludes I call'd it an Element, because I call'd it Oile and Fuell, Thou illiterate, insipid Thing! it had been more tolerable in thee, to think it a Compound made of Elements, for such are Oile and Fuell.

Observation 24.

AN excellent performance, &c. My words are these, I have now in some measure performed that which at first I promised, an Exposition of the world, and the parts thereof. Here my Observator recapitulates, and brings his routed Pultrons to a Rally; Mastix, Mastix, I will charge quite thorough, thou art no way able to stand me. The first thing he observes in my performance, is a dark Masse, and that's a clear Bull: For how can darknesse, (be it [Page] never so deeply dark) be call'd a Masse, when in truth it is a thin vaporous Matter? Mastix this Masse out of which God extracted the fierie and Airie substances, was a thick ponderous water, or sperm, into which the darknes was condens'd: it was not dark, but very white and clear. But you go on, and accuse me of Contradiction. I make as if the Masse did contain in a farre lesse Compasse, all that was after extracted. It is very true Sir, but where is the Contradiction? Hear me thou Asse! didst ever see any common distillations? A Glasse full of Water whiles it is Water, fills but a very narrow place, but if it be rarified into Clouds, then it requires more Roome. All Substances in the Chaos were condens'd, but in the Act of Separation they were rarifi'd. In this sense the Firmament is called in the Scripture expansū, for in the Masse it was contracted by condensation, but being separated afterwards, it was extended by Rarefaction, and fill'd all that space wch thou doest now see. Art thou then a Master of Arts, and canst [Page] not distinguish between Condensation and Penetration of Dimensions? Canst thou not admit of pure naturall extractions, but presently there must follow an unnaturall Vacuum in thy Braines? Doth not the Sun from the Earth (which is the very subsidence of the Chaos) extract Clouds every day? And doth there any Vacuum succeed therefore? Hast not thou thy self formerly granted, that Heaven and Aire fill all Things. How then can there be a Vacuity? or if thou say'st there is, tell me Where? if it be not in thy Noddle? Thou great ridiculous Owle! Assure thy self, I will so handle thee for thy Malice to me, and to Magic, that I shall make thee stink, and tremble at the very name of a Magician. This is all you could except at, in my performance, and now you begin to rail at my Person. You make use of me in this place, that you may abuse the Independents whom you correct here, but very closely, and cowardly. You tell us Magisteriall stories of Larks, and I know not what else, to no purpose. [Page] This is it Mastix, which I certainely know; Noise was no part of my Booke, and to answer thy Noise were impertinent.

Observation 25.

HE exhorts us in the foregoing page, &c. Here Mr Mastix, you fall upon the Fundamentalls of Science, and instruct me how they should be qualified. What a learned Tutor have I got? I have read of a Maid, that was taught by a Crow, But I am a young Boy, and must be taught by an Owle. The Fundamentalls of Science, (say you) should be certain, plain, real, & perspicuous to Reason. Now Sirrah! that you have presumed to teach me, you shall find me a troublesome, waggish Pupil. I will not believe your [...], you have Mr Mastix taken one in hand,

—Qui fiet non sine pane satur.

I desire to know what is the Difference between plain, and perspicuous to Reason, between a thing that is certaine, and a thing that is reall, for otherwise I shall [Page] never be able to observe these Qualifications. But I will take your Sense, and leave your Non-sense. My Fundamentalls are plain, for have I not written in plain English? Sure I have not been barbarous in my Notions like Paracelsus, neither have I fansied any new Term, like Aristotel's [...]. As for my Principles, (because I will passe from words to matter) they are not meere Discourse, and Logic, they are the Principles of Nature, as well as Science, and so farre have I been from concealing them, that I have told you what Natures and Substances they are. It is your malice, Sir, not your Reason that persecutes me, and blinds you; You are unjust to my Person, as well as to my Learning, for here you call me a Dog, and afterwards ask me, where are my manners?

Observation 26.

YET you tell it us in this Page, &c. That which I tell him of in this Page, Reader, is the magnet of Nature, [Page] the mysterie of Vnion; namely, rhe secret middle Spirit. Here he condemnes it, but offers not to confute it, for he knowes well enough, that he cannot. But come Mr. Mastix! you are Prince of the Gypsies as well as my self, you know this magnet too, at lest you would be thought to know it. Truly Anthroposophus! (say you in your Observations on my 46,47,48, & 49 Pages) These Pages are of that Nature, that though you are so unkind to Aristotel, as to acknowledge nothing good in him, yet I am not so inveterate a revengeful Assertor of him but I will allow you your lucida Intervalla. Here Sir, you approve all that I have spoken in these Pages, bateing some Rhetoric and Figures, to which you have been an Enemie all the way. Now Mr. Mastix, in the 48th Page, Thus I deliver my self concerning the Soule. I omit to speak of her Magnet, wherewith she can attract all Things as well spirituall as naturall. O the Ambition of this Fox! He is a Platonic (Reader) but a pitifull one, and there is nothing that concerns the [Page] Soule, but he would seem to know it. Here he allowes of the Magnet, and elsewhere he condemnes it, as if it were his faculty to make the same Thing both false and true. But Sirrah, your malice to this Magnet which you would seem to know, hath number'd me amongst Pick-pockets. You tell me they are my fellows, as if I were of the Trade, and to make a drie jest, you prophane the Scripture in your abuse of Iacobs Ladder. Can this be any thing els but Malice? Didd'st thou ever heare, or know, that I was a Pick-Pocket? I thank thee Presbyterian! thy Pickpockets have help'd me to very good Company, Isa. 53. 12. for I know Another who was number'd amongst the Transgressors.

Observation 27.

THis Page is filled with like Gypsie gibberish, &c. If my Page be fill'd with Gibbrish, yours is fill'd with Blasphemy, learned Mr. Mastix! you condemne me because I call the Sun and Moon the great Luminaries. Did not [Page] the Spirit of that God which made them, style them so by the Pen of Moses? And God made two great Lights, saith the Secretary of God. Sure Mr. Moore, you would correct the holy Ghost, for you have made him blind already. God forgive you, if it be his blessed will. The rest of your Page Mr. Mastix, is not fill'd with Reasons, but with Monkies, and their faces very strange, ridiculous Creatures, but proper to you, for they are not to be found but amongst Moores. And here you ask me, if I did ever look at a Galileo's Tube? Prethee why a Galileo's Tube? Were there more Galileo's than one that invented the Telescop? Learn for shame to speak English. Doest thou think in good earnest, I never saw these Spectacles, these Trunks and Tricks which are grown the very Hackneys and Prostitutions of Art? How proud the fool is of his Mathematicall Bo-peep? Clap your Antlet to your Brow, and injoy it.

Observation 28.

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COme out Tom-fool, &c. My words are, Recipe Limi Coelestis partes decem, &c. Here he is angry with me, because he knows not what the first matter is, out of which Nature makes all Things. I have so describ'd it in this place, and in other passages of my Book, that nothing more can be said; but this Ignorant apprehends nothing, and that brings him to an Absurdity, for he condemnes me for his own faults. Your Hangings, Mr. Mastix. are your Psycodia, in consideration of that simple Ballad some weak braines thought you a Philosopher, but now you are come out from behind the Hangings, and your Blaspbemies have discover'd your Devils Head and Hornes. Believe it, Eugenius will pluck off your Vizard, and shew you to all the world for a plain, pure, Tom-fool. But you would have me publish the subject of the Philosophicall medicine, you would have me Mastix, to be a very Villain, and do that which I dare not doe, [Page] for I feare God. Be pleas'd to allow me that Liberty which your Aristotel had, suffer me to dispose of my Magic, as he did of his Acroamatics, Edidi, & non edidi.

Observation 29.

IN this Page Magicus Prophesies, &c. So doth Saint Iohn prophesie too, as well as Magicus; he tells you of a New heaven, and a new earth, both which parts he doth reduce afterwards into one Building, namely the new Ierusalem. And Here Mr. Mastix, he tells you that the streets of this Ierusalem, which can signify no part, but what is inferior to his New Heaven, c. 21. namely his new Earth, v. 21. were like transparent Glasse. But you ask me to what end is this Alteration? it is Sir, to make things without end, a Building aeternall and Incorruptible. Now comes in another Question of yours, and such as becomes your profound Puritanism. Whether the Angels shall play at Bo-peep or no, in the world to come? Let this be debated Mastix, in your next Conventicle, or els [Page] desire Des Chartes to put it in his Metaphysics, for he hath rare imaginations in his Noddle

Observation 30.

AT the end of this Page, &c. Here you tell me that I must learn to know my self, before I explain the knowledge of man. You shall find my knowledge, and your Ignorance, before I have done with you. I will teach you Mastix, your Nosce teipsum, and your Tecum habita.

Observation 31.

THis is the Philosphers stone, &c. Here he cries out for help, Ho! Dr. H. Dr. P. Dr. R. Dr. T! and presently takes these Doctors by the stones. Sure Mastix thou hast put them into a bodily fear, for thy Ho sounds like the noise of a Sowgelder.

Observation 32.

THis thirtieth Page teacheth, that the Soul of man consists of two parts, Ruach, [Page]& Nephesh, &c. It is true Mr. Mastix, but you tell me it doth not teach how these two differ. What mean you then by my Application of the conceit unto marriage? Did I not tell you the one was masculine, and the other foeminine, and can there be a greater difference? It may be it is your Custome to put Males together, for your Sodomit Patron Aristotel allowes of it in his Politics. But I am tickl'd (say you) with this conceit of marriage very feelingly and savourly. These Adverbs speak thee a very beast, I cannot mention marriage honestly, but presenly thou doest bawd in thy Construction, and apply it to the base multiplicamini of a Puritan Conventicle.

Observation 33.

THis Page has the same Legend that the Alcoran has, &c. And what then? Doest thou not know that the Alcoran is an Olla of Sergius, and Mahomet? a thing brew'd and compos'd of all Religions, out of a policy to please all Factions? There are in the Alcoran [Page] many Articles of our Paith: namely that there is a God, That Christ Iesus was upon Earth, nay it grants he was a good man, and a great Prophet. That there is a Iudgement to come, that there is a Paradise, and Rewards according to their severall wayes, to the Just, and to the Vnjust. Shall I then believe none of these things, because the Compilers of the Alcoran stole them from the Christians? God forbid! I have as good a Title Mastix, to any Truth in the Alcoran, as ever Godfrey of Bulloign had to Ierusalem.

Observation 34.

THis Page ridiculously placeth Peter Ramus amongst the Schoolmen, against all Logic and method. &c. Here I cannot forbear from a Ha! Ha! He! Sure he hath some od Criticism or a Distinction that would turn the stomach of Keckerman. Sirrrah! there is more difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter, than between Ramus and a Schoolman. But prethee why not amongst the Schoolmen? [Page] because he agrees with them in his matter, or because he differs in his Method? What other Learning hath he, than what the Schools afford? Thou art an Owl, and I tell thee so. Now Mr. Mastix, you are in a new humor, seeing that you cannot confute my Doctrine, you will undervalue it, make it Triviall and Common. My Theorie (say you) is so far from being new, that it is a thousand years old. Did I not tell you it was in Trismegistus, and that the AEgyptians had it from the Hebrews, which imports a farre more Reverend Antiquity? But the Truth is, your malice would make men believe, that I claim these Doctrines for my own, as if I made them my inventions, and concluded all the world ignorant besides my self. This is one of your three Designes Mr. Mastix, which you falsely father upon me in the Beginning of your Book. But This Theorie (say you) is every where in the Christian Platonists, and in Origen. Why this Distinction between Origen and the Christian Platonists? [Page] was not he also a Christian? was not he the Disciple of Ammonius? Certainly you should give him too the title of Christian to distinguish his Principles from those of his School-fellow Plotinus. But preethee Mastix what Platonist did ever tell thee that Anima Mundi was the forbidden fruit? They knew not what to make of that sensitive Gust thou doest talke of, neither didst thou, till my Book came to thy hands.

Observation 35.

WHy is Anima Mundi a thing divisible into parts, and parcells, &c. There is a wide difference Mastix, between division and multiplication of Parts. Thou art such an absolute Block-head, thou doest thinke the Anima may be cut with a knife, or clipt like thy Mustachoes with Scissors. No Sirrah, this cannot be, but she can multiply her self, as the flame of one Candle can light a thousand Candles more.

Observation 36.

[Page]

VVHat impudence is this O Magicus! &c. In this very place Mastix, you have fitted your selfe with an Answer. This is to rail at pleasure, not to confute.

Observation 37.

BLind men see in their sleepe it seemes, &c. Bid adieu to thy Reputation Mastix! I shall prove thee the most ridiculous, malicious Foole, that ever was in Christendom. Moore and a good-name will never meet againe. It is a thing mastix, not to be found hereafter by thee, no more than modestie when she parted from the Aire and the water. Malicious Carp! my words are these. But I beseech you, are not the faculties of this spirit supprest in man also, when the Organs are corrupted, as it appeares in those that are blind? But notwithstanding the eye onely is destroyed, and not the visible power, for that remaines, as it is plaine in their Dreames. [Page] Here I affirme, that though the outward Sense, or rather the Act of Sensation be lost, yet the inward facultie, or Energie of the Soul remaines. This mastix thou doest deny, because it is in my Booke. Come then my friend, let me see what thou doest propose in thy owne writings. In thy Preface to thy Antipsychopannuchia, thou doest affirme that the outward Sense is the very Energy of the Soul, & that the inward sense can be but the very Energie of the Soule. From this Position you frame this Argument against your selfe; Seeing that these two are but one and the same, why is there not the same Degree of Energie in Both? To this Knot Mr. Mastix, you apply my Wedge, for you answer with that very Truth, which you make an Errour in me. Be judged by your owne words, for here they are. I say there is, (saith Harry Moore) as appeares plainly in sleep, where we find all as cleare, and Energeticall, as when we wake. Thou Slave to Spleen! Have I said any thing more than this comes to? Canst thou [Page] make that a Truth in thy self, which thou doest make an Error in me? It was thy Malice thou Moore! that made thee indeavour the Ruine of my Principles, to prefer the Whimzies of thy own Psycodia. I leave thee and thy basenesse to the Iudgements of honest men, but for my Book it sticks in thy Throat, and there it will remain thy perpetuall Choke-pear.

Observation 38.

HOw fansifull, and Poeticall are you Mr. Eugenius, &c. I cannot say Mastix, that thou art Philosophicall. Doest thou make the mysterious Signatures, and Symbols of Nature, to be but fansies, aud Poetry? Thou art indeed a Platonist by thy self.

Observation 39.

DOes not this see and heare too in man? &c. Reader hee questions me concerning the rationall spirit, and truly it is an od Question, whether the Rationall spirit be a sensitive spirit or not? [Page] To this Quaere he addes his own scruple, namely how the Rationall spirit can judge of what is done, if he doth not see it. Mastix I dare swear this is a Probleme, all thy skill in the Platonic Philosophy hath fail'd to answer, and now thou doest propose it to me for satisfaction. You must know Sirrah, that the Rationall Spirit hath his objects as well as the Sensitive, and by Consequence he hath a sense proportionable to those objects, otherwise he could not appehehend them. The sense of the Animal spirit is grosse, for so are his Objects, and Nature makes all Things agree by proportion. Now this Animal or sensitive Spirit doth sentire objecta, namely the Bodies themselves, but the Species of the Bodies he doth convey, and like a Glasse presents them to the Rationall spirit; This done, the Rationall spirit by a more subtil sense doth sentire speciem, which is a more subtil Object, and by that species he doth judge of the grosse object, whose species it is. Thus it must be Mr. Mastix, and no otherwise, for Reason is [Page] nothing else but a Iudgement past upon sensation. But you let fly your fools Bolt. If this be true, then there are two hearing, and seeing Souls in a man. Ha! Ha! He! The objects are different, and therefore the Senses must be different; besides I must tell you that every Superior spirit hath in him the faculties of the Inferior, but Eminenter, as it is here, in a more excellent way. I could Mastix, teach thee a higher Truth, That the Soul may understand al. Things whatsoever sine Conversione ad Phantasmata, for what she understands from without, doth no way conduce to her perfection. But this Speculation is so high, it would quite distract and destroy thy Coxcomb.

Observation 40.

TRuly Anthroposophus, these Pages are of that Nature, &c. Here you acknowledge & would seem to know) the Magnet which you formerly deni'd. Then you set up your Chaire, and begin to censure me Magisterially, as if you had overthrown [Page] me Horse and Foot. But Sirrah! you are not Cock of the game, but a Coxcomb, and therefore do not you Crow.

Observation 41.

ANd quarrell again with the Peripatetics, &c. Here he tells me the Peripatetics, and School Divines will not refute such crazy discourses, as mine is, onely he moved with pity towards me, will correct me. Indeed Mastix, thou hast had a faire time to correct me, three Quarters of a year hast thou spent in providing six sheets of Papyr for the Presse. Here was Time enough to come forth an Elephant, but thou doest enter the Stage a meere Mouse. I will not much threaten thee with Correction, onely the Trap I say is dangerous.

Observation 42.

IN this heat all that Philalethes writes, &c. Three Designes Mastix you observed in the very Beginning of your Pamphlet, and now you present me with [Page] a fourth. I write mysteries (say you) to get my Book established jure Divino. This Project you suppose is feasible, because Episcopacy, and Presbytery cannot be settled. Have at you my friends, the Independents! Here is a jerk for you, as well as for me. Well Sirrah Presbyter! if they rank my Books in the Canon, then woe to thy Brown Tribe! I will punish every false Glosse with the stool of Repentance.

Observation 43.

WHat more then to the prophets and Apostles, &c. Here I said, I ow'd al the Philosophy, I had next to God, to Agrippa. What (saith he) more then to the Prophets and Apostles? Mastix you deni'd formerly that Scripture was intended for Philosophie, but now you will have me to learn my Philosophie of the Prophets and the Apostles. There is reason indeed for your Contradiction, He must needs lye who resists the Truth.

Observation 44.

[Page]

A Piping hot papyr of verses indeed, &c. Here is nothing but a stoic Pompous severity, a Brow and no Braine. He asks me indeed a few Natural, ordinarie Questions, but if he had understood my Book, which he hath proudly undertaken to censure, he had not been to seek in such Punctilio's. But seeing his very Quaeries are so many Acknowledgements of his Ignorance in Nature, with what face (if you bate a Moore's face) can hee judge of Nature? One thing I cannot choose but take notice of. He asks mee, If I can rule and counsell States? Reader, he mistakes my Physics for Politics. Sure enough he would have me to rule the Parliament, and settle the Presbyterie.

Observation 45.

FRom this Page to the 62. &c. Here he sayes, I did bid fair for Purgatorie, because I oppos'd it in my Exposition of Saint Peter, then he tells me I had rather [Page] style my self a Protestant, than a Christian. Mastix would gladly put those asunder whom God hath put together. It is an office that well becomes a Schismatic. He goes on, and sayes my Industrie will but vex Nature and make her appear something els than what she really is. No Violence can do it Mastix, much lesse a true Physicall Processe. Thou doest speak Impossibilities, Bables, and Fables. This is all Sir, and now you break off your Discourse, and fall both from Generalls and Particulars, because you know not what to say next. For a Close, I should say for Custome, you fall on my Person, and tell me I am a very unnaturall son to my mother Oxford. Do not thou prophane her name with thy rude, illiterate Chops. I am thou know'st Mastix, a notable wag and a saucy Boy, whom she hath sometimes dandl'd on her Knees. She hath commanded me to be an enemie to Thee, because thou art an enemie to Truth, but to my Mother I am a very naturall loving Child. If thou canst but read, here [Page] are a few sighes I breath'd over her when thy Father Presbyter destroy'd her.

Drie Pumic Statues! Can you have an Eye,

And have no Teares, to see your Mother dye?

Were you not taught such Numbers to rehearse,

Might make the Marble weep, to bear your Verse?

Or those lesse polish'd Quarries, where each part

Acts by infused Malice of the Heart?

She heav'd your fansies higher than the Pride

Of all her Pinnacles, and would have dy'd

Blest in her Martyrdome, had you but shed

A Teare to prove her Children were not dead.

Such Drops & pearls, had sent her sparkling hence

A Constellation, and your Influence

To all her woes had been a just Relief,

Because your Life was argu'd by your Grief.

But you keep back those Joyes, which even Fate

In all her Malice thought not to translate;

You spend not one poore sigh for her last breath,

That we may say she liv'd before her Death.

Yet hath she Comforts, which proceed from thence

Where Grief hath lost the Tyrannie of Sense,

When on those Reliques he doth cast an Eye,

Whom Death hath lodg'd where her Foundations lye,

Their Dust (when all is gone) remains within,

Onely to tell, how fertil she hath been,

But I forbeare: perhaps you have new Arts,

Not to spend Eyes at Funeralls, but Hearts.

[Page]Who in the wash of Teares sets Oxford forth,

Mourns at a rate, and circumscribes her worth,

Such Lay-resents become not this her Day.

Twere Malice to lament the common way,

Unlesse we could place Knowledge in the Eye,

And thence distill it to an E [...]eg [...]e.

Who threds his teares into such learned Reads,

Is a Professor when he weeps, not reades,

Nor would our Oxford grieve to dye could shee

In such a Bracelet weare her Heptarchie.

But since (Deare Mother!) I cannot expresse

Thy Desolations in their own sad Dresse,

Give my Soul leave to studie a Degree

Of Sorrow, that may fit thy Fate and thee,

And till my Eyes can weep what I can think,

Spare my fond Teares, and here accept my Ink.

Observation 46.

VErely, nothing at all Philalethes, &c. Here he tells me, I have done nothing at all to my own praejudice, because I have met with him who hath impartially set out my follies and faults; and so (saith he) for shame amend. Why then Mr. Mastix, you hold it no praejudice to your self, to have committed all these faults and follies, and to have them set out to the [Page] world, by Engenius Pilalethes. I thought indeed your Notes wou [...]d not end without another Bull, and now verely you have spoken so many, you may well leave off, and as you say, for shame amend.

Observation 47.

HOw modest you are grown, &c. Here you tell me that Rhetoric is the most conspicuous thing in my Book, for it shines as orienty as false gold, Why Sirrah if my Rhetoric be like false gold, then it is as I said, not good. But you Bull it once more, and that very naturally. False gold (say you) shines oriently. Doest thou know Mastix, what Lustre Orient is? Sure thou art not well acquainted with gold, thou art not a man as such Metall.

Observation 48.

SOme young man certainly, &c. Here Mr. Mastix, you tell me, and adde withall it is certain, I had a Brother who kill'd himself by studying of Aristotel. Who told thee so, thou Negro, thou Mouse, thou Moore? He did not kill himself, [Page] and his death came not by studying of Aristotel, b [...]t by a far more glorious imployment. But Philalethes (say you) writ this Book, to revenge his death. Truly this is as much to my Confutation as any thing els thou hast spoken.

Observation 49.

SEe the man affects, &c. You pronounce me Mastix, an absolute Tyrant in Philosophie, because I expos'd my Book not to the mercy of man, but of God. Prethee what reason hast thou for thy Inference. I excluded not thy censure, but thy Mercie, and art thou such an Asse thou canst not distinguish between those two? I tell thee again Sirrah! I scorn thy favours, but for thy Iudgement, if thou hast any, spend it, and spare not.

I am now Mr. Mastix, come up to your Observations on my Advertisement, and the first thing those Avertisements bind you to, is a plain positive Exposition of all the passages in my Book, without [Page]any Injurie to the sense of their Authour. In lieu of this performance you skud like a Dog by Nilus,

Et bibit, & fugit—

The Crocodile you know is under water, and you are afraid to be taken by the snout. This makes you run along, and lap onely where you think you may with security. You skip, and frisk, and fly as if you did tread on fire-ordeall, and you have purposely deserted the very Fundamentalls of my Discourse. As for those few Observations you have made, they are altogether injurious to my Sense, and you have clearly mistaken me in every place. But to be even with me, you say that to expound my Book, is more assuredly, than I my self can doe. Are you sure of this? Do you know it is true? or can you think your Readers will believe you? For my part, I can easily neglect your Aspersions, but certainly your Praesumption to observe and condemn a Book, which you do not understand, can be no satisfaction to the Learned.

[Page]My second Advertisement was, that you should not judge of Art magic, unlesse you had a knowing familiarity therewith, and could by experience prove all the secrets thereof to be false. To this you reply as formerly, that 'tis more than I can doe my self, and this indeed is partly true, for I cannot say that any one Magicall secret is false. Tell me O Harry Moore, thou Master of Arts! Dost thou not think thou art grown extremely ridiculous?

My third Admonition was, Not to mangle and discompose my Book with a scatter of Observations (as you have done Sir Mastix) but to proceed methodically to the Censure of each part. This is ridiculous (sayst thou) as if I should request my enemy to smite softly, or to strike after such a fashion, and at such a part as I will appoint him. Did I then appoint thee to strike at any one part? did I not bid thee proceed to the Censure of each part, which is to take the whole Body, and spare no part at all? This was it which thou durst no more doe, than hang, and indeed it [Page] had been good Discretion in thee to doe nothing. This is all you have said to my Advertisements, and now you fall agaiu to your Iests and Censures, onely you speak seriously of one Aristotel, and call him your Grandevall Patriarch. I prethee Mastix, what is Grandevall? Is it the same with Grandaevus? I must have thy English translated into Latin, that I may understand it.

§

[Page]ANd now my Moore, I am come to the second part of your Morisco, to your Observations on my Anima Magica Abscondita. Here indeed I shall have but small dealings with you, you act like a Spanniel over hot pottage, you would gladly lick, but you dare not. This Soul Mastix is not thine, she is too profound for thee, and thy Ignorance puts thee to a soul course, thou doest supply thy want of Iudgement, with excesse of Spleen. My Epistle to the Reader receives his first Charge, and here he doth accuse me of Levity and boyish humors. This is right Puritane severity. First he condemned me for being Melancholy, and now it is unlawfull to be merry. Prethee Sir Iohn, what Humor wilt thou allow me? But he goes on, and since hee cannot dash me with his penne, he will fright me with his Club. He tells us of an Assembly of Divines, but if they have any thing to tell me Mastix, I shall answer them, as well as you. But what [Page] strange newes comes next? The Moore is turned Christian, I have here under his hand his absolute Confeffion, and Conversion. He tells me, he will busy himself to little purpose in the Perusall of my Anima Magica Abscondita. Readers I beseech you take notice of it, let not his goodnesse be lost, it is the onely Truth in all his Book.

Observation 1.

ANd here Philalethes, &c. In this your Threshold Mr. Mastix, you thresh the Aire, and lay about you like a blind Beggar, till at last you knock your beloved Aristotel on the Coxcomb. I did not (say you) cite his whole definition of Nature, and therefore you conclude me unskilful. Be pleas'd then to take it at large, as he himself delivers it in his second Book of Physics. Natura est principium, & causa motus & quietis ejus in quo inest primo & per se, & non per Accidens. Now Sir, I beseech you what is there more in this Desinition, than in that [Page] which I cited? A Principle and a Cause are one and the same thing. In this Text, but if you insist upon the Difference here added, namely that Nature is an inward Principle of Motion, this I say, is but a meere Restriction to regulate such weak Intellects as mistake Nature for an outward Accidentall Principle, which I did not. It is plain then that the Body and Substance of the Definition is contained in these few words Principium Motus, & Quietis. But you are very mercifull to my Errors, you will wink at them Mr. Mastix. Indeed you have got a fine Trick to wink when you are stark blind.

Observation 2.

HEre you cavil, &c. Here Mr. Mastix you go on with the Definition, and tell me I am a pitifull Logician, I know not so much Logic as every Freshman doth in your Vniversity. I believe Sir you mean Cambridge, and you may believe me again, there is not any man there, either fresh or stale, but I scorn to learn [Page] of him. In the interim Sirrah I will teach you, and now that you have taken your degree of Master in Cambridge, you shall have the honor to be a Pupill to Oxford. You say Mastix, I have not consider'd the Difference added in the Definition of Nature, but [...]you say afterwards my Allegation against the Difference is Childish. Why how now man? whence comes this Faculty? Sure there is a Science more than seven in Cambridge, namely, a Science of Bulls, and Non-sense. But you proceed, and tell me a Form cannot be known otherwise than by what it can do or operate. I tell thee Mastix, it is salse, her substance and Nature may be known, wherefore provide thee a Willow garland, for Phyllis is mine.

Observation .3

WHy! Philalethes! as I said before, &c. Here he talks as he said before, of a naked substance, for so he calls it, a Thing without Quantity, or Quality, in plain English a Nothing.

Observation 4.

[Page]

HEre in the third place, &c. Here in the third place Mastix, I wish Gill alive to box thy Buttocks. I have (sayst thou) Smother'd the fitnesse of Aristotels sense by my barbarous translating of his term [...], Come then my friend, let us appeal to the Principles, whereof thou doest compound it. It is compounded say you, of [...]. Tell me now Mastix, what is [...] but finis, [...] but habere? and for your [...] or in, you may put it in your pocket, till you have use for it. Is not all this in plain termes, Finem habere? Is not [...] Finihabia, or the having of the end, as I most fitly translated it. Now then Reader, if thou wouldstst study Aristotel, to know what thy Soul is, he will tell thee, It is the Having of the End, which is such absolute[?], perfect, inscrutable Non-sense, that Herm [...]laus Barbarus puzzl'd the Devil with it. But Moore is more cunning than the Devill at Non-sense, and therefore he can [Page] make it sense [...] (saith he) singnifies these two Hemisticks of Virgil,

—totosque infusa per artus

Mens agit [...]t molem—

Thou illiterate, in sipid, irrational scribler! How can [...] signify any such thing? If thou shouldst shake the Letters thereof in a Bag (as Cicero said of the Greek Alphabet) they would assoon settle to Homers Iliads, as to this Sense. But he is asham'd of himself, and now he runs to Cicero, and picks another Derivation out of his Tusculans. I can tell thee Mastix, it is controverted amongst the Peripatetics, whether this monstrous Term be written with a Tau or a Delta, but for my part I will allow of thy shifts, and after all here is no News of the Sub [...]ance of the Soul. To this you reply like an Owle in a Bush, for you love not the light your self, which makes you wish there were none. A Substance (say you) is a Thing impossible to be known. Away! Away! Let me not hear any more of this Non-sence. Go now I prethee, to any Plowman in the [Page] Land, and he can tell thee, he lives, and moves and understands because of his soul, though he never was told any such thing at Oxford. I tell thee mastix, no man can live, but he must know what his Soule doth, and for my Aunt, she knowes no more than mother Bunch did know, if she knowes not what the Soule is.

Observation 5.

HEre Anthroposophus &c. Here Mastix barks, and baits, scolds and squabbles. It is a meere Invective, and no Reason, a certain scurvy, rude Philippic, but Marc-Antony will pay him at last.

Observation 6.

THat the Heavens are, &c. Here againe he shewes his teeth, he railes at a position which he doth acknowledge a very Trueth, But the Fault is, I must not write any thing that is true; who knowes it not? saith mastix. Not you Sirrah! For if their Motion prodeeds from an inward principle, in what sense doest thou deny their Animation.

Observation 7.

[Page]

GOod Philalethes, &c. Here hee Chews the Cud, it is the same railing vomit which he mouthes over and over.

Observation 8.

A Similitude I Suppose, &c. This is still stuffe of the stomach, his spleen comes up all the way. But God be praised amongst! these mad tricks, comes a sober Philosophicall Question. Tell me, I pray thee (saith he) how so subtill a thing as this anima is, can be either barrel'd up, or bottl'd up, or tide up in a Bag, like a Pig in a Poke (sure this is a Tythe-Pig) when as the first materiall rudiments of life be so lax, and so fluid, how can they possibly hopple, or incarcerate so thin, and agil a Substance as a Soul? He [...]e is Language Reader! Doest thou not think I said amisse when I said this was a sober Question? Mastix it seems you place the difficulty in the Rudiments or Sperms, because [Page] they are lax and fluid. I must tell you Sirah, if they were not lax and fluid, they could never retaine nor receive the Anima, for a drie substance can retain no flame, but a moist Oylie substance can. In the Center of every sperm there is a pure, aethereall oleous moisture, which is near of complexion to the Fire of the Anima, by this the Anima is retain'd, and she is united to it, like a flame to a Candle. But Mr Mastix, had you perus'd my Book with Attention, as you falsely say you did, you had not been to seek in this point. I will give you my own words, which you have not observed as yet, yet may be you will hereafter. There is (saith my Anima Magica) in Nature a certain Chain, or subordinate Propinquity of Complexions between Visibles, and Invisibles, and this is it by which the Superior Spirituall Essences descend, and converse here below with the Matter! Here you have your Question answer'd without Barrel, Bottle, Bag, or Poke, but your Pig I cannot help you to, it is the Parliament must do it.

Observation 9.

[Page]

HEre Anthroposophus tells us rare my [...]eries, &c. Here Goodman Mastix tells me I have abus'd the Authority of Virgil, as you did in your Exposition of [...], to decide this, we will appeal to the Poet himself.

Donec longa dies, perfecto Temporis Orbe,

Concretam exemit labem, purum (que) reliquit

AEthereū sensū, at (que) aurâi simplicis ignem.

To satisfie the ordinary Reader, I will put these Verses verbatim into English.

Till many a day, the wheel of time being turn'd,

Cleares the contracted spot, makes pure and fair

Th' AEthereall sense, and Fire of simple Aire.

Here the Poet if we take him in the Letter, speaks of the Purgation of the Soul after Death. Now Mr. Mastix tells me that this AEthereal sense and Fire of simple Aire (both which he makes to be one and the same thing) signifie the Vehiculum, as the Platonici call it, or Vestiment of the Soul. What intolerable palpable Non-sense is this? He makes [Page] the Sense of the Soul to be the Vestiment of the Soul, to be her outside, her smock and Pettycoat wherein she wraps her self. What honour have I done to this Master of Bulls, not of Arts?

—mecum certasse feretur.

But now he hath got an Eel the by tail, he asks me if I doe make the Soul to be a Light or no? I do Mastix, and I grant it to be a Bodily substance that hath Dimensions too. I know thou art in a Dream, thou doest think that spirits are so many Peripatecicall Atoms, things that are in puncto Metaphysico. I tell thee it is false, they are an intelligent Fire or Light, and if ever thou doest see this Divine created Fire, then prick up thy Puritane Eares, [...], Audi Ignis Vocem.

Now Reader, he quits my Discourse, and runs to the Globe Tavern for Sack. Truly, Mastix, it is a fit School for thy Philosophie, I do not think but thy scriblings were fansied there in sot-pot-humor.

Observation 10.

[Page]

IN this Page you are curiously imploy'd &c. Here Reader, this blind, barbarous Bungler praesumes to censure tha Chain which I describ'd in the twelfth Page of my Anima Magica. Sure hee thinks his pretended Platonic title is Authority enough to condemn the Rings of Plato, and his mysterious Catena Aurea. He conceives that divine Philosopher had no Guide but Logic; but he is extremely mistaken, Plato discover'd the world in another Glasse. But let us see what this Quack can say, I believe he will be intangl'd in this Chain, and I shall lead him about like a Prisoner in shackles. Is it not farre more reasonable (saith he) that three Links of a Chain should sway down two, and two or five one, than that one should sway two or five, or two three? I beseech thee Reader, observe. This Cambridge Master of Arts, is such a downright Block-head, that he thinks the Light to be a heavy Body [...] Mastix, had you read [Page] Aristotel, he would have told you the Aire was a Light Body, and then you might have judged the Light to be so a Fortiori. My Book also informs you that this Descent of Light proceeds not from any weight, but from a Similitude and Symbol of Natures; But you go on, and to establish your weighty Absurdity, you bring in another argument. Do we find (say you) when we fling up a Clod of earth, that the whole Ball of the Earth leaps up after that Clod, &c. Reader, he would confute my descent of Light, by an impossible ascent of the Earth. I speak of that which is Light, and he argues from that which is heavy. I speak of the Soul, and he argues from the Body. I speak of Principles, and he argues from Compounds. Did ever any man read such Superlative, brutish Non-sense? This it is Mastix to deal with those things which you do not understand, to measure Theo-Magic by your skill in the strain of Spencer. Had you observ'd my Advertisement to the Reader, you had not brought your self to [Page] this extreme shame, and Confusion.

Observation 11. & 12.

IN both these Observations he railes at my person, and indeed he mistakes me commonly for my Doctrine, so right and absolute a Clod-pate is he, that he cannot distinguish the Worke from the Author.

Observation 13.

HE is so lavish, &c. Here Sirrah Mastix, must I lug thee by the Nose, and it were not amiss if thy Noddle were squees'd in a Press, it may be thy sense would come out at thy snout. I think (say you) to dash out that long and rationall dogma in Philosophie, of the particular Rationes seminales. A long Dogma is very improper Mastix, bate me the Relation to thy selfe, for indeed thou art short of it. But doest thou think I will permit thee to prate in Platonic Notions, and not call thee to an accompt for them? What are the Rationes seminales? From what Fount do they originally proceed? [Page] In what Principle or Limbus is their generall Secondary residence? How do they apply to the matter, and by what means? Are they Instrumentall or Principall Agents? Are they Faculties, or are they Substances? By what Light do they act, by their owne, or by a borrowed one? In what sence are they stiled [...] Are they the Forme it selfe, or things different from the Forme? Are they specificall or Generall Essences? If Generall how do they conduce to Individuation? If Specificall, by what Principle are they specified? Answer if thou dar'st, to any one of these Questions. You would be taken for a Platonic, would you not? you are indeed a Platonic with an impudent broad face, not with a broad Breast. Your Heart and your Apprehensions are too narrow for that Philosophie. But the reasons (say you) which I produce, to prove the inward Artificer of Bodies a knowing principle, are very slight. It is your slight mastix, to say so, but the reasons are invincible. I am ready to justifie them against all the [Page] world, and I would gladly see his Indeavours, who dares contradict them. I shall present them here in their Order to your Review, be pleas'd to toote at them through Galileo's Tube, perhaps your Sight of it self is as weak as your Reason.

I said it was impossible for the Agent to make so many severall Shapes and Features out of one and the same matter, unless he had severall different Conceptions answerable to his different Effects, or productions. Reason for it was this: without different inward Notions, he could not distinguish his different intentions, but might mistake the one for the other, and so make a mouse for a man, or a man for a mouse. Againe, if he did not apprehend, and understand his work, before he went about it, I concluded he could not worke at all, at least he work'd he knew not what, nor how, nor wherefore, and by consequence all Generations were but blind Casualties. Thirdly I urg'd the knowledge of this agent from the method, and infallibility of his Actions, from the severall [Page] various Transmutations he produceth in the matter, from his Numerating and proportioning of parts to parts. All these Actions are acknowledg'd for profound Sciences in Man, but in the Spirit that works in Nature, work he never so wisely, they must be something els; and verely Mr. Mastix you know not what. Lastly I said, that if he did not know his work, and foresee the very End of it, then there was nothing could perswade him to work, for the End being not seen, the Agent can not desire it, and by Consequence it can be no Impulsive Cause, as the Peripatetics would have it. To all these solid convincing Reasons, you have answer'd with a Lie, It is onely said, not proved. The Truth is, it was so soundly proved, you durst not attempt to disprove it. You left your malicious Lie behind you, and like an ignorant Coward fled from the face of my Arguments.

Observation 14,15,16,17,18,19.

[Page]

I Told thee Reader, I should have but small Dealings with Mastix, in my Anima Magica. From this fourteenth Observation to his Nineteenth, he rails without Reason: But because I think it fit to passe nothing over, wherein hee would but seem to oppose my Principles, I will givee thee a Taste of his Logic, and thus he argues against my Clavis of Magic in his sixteenth Observation.

If a ripe Apple (saith he) dropt into a hollow Tree,

Then the Clavis of Magic is false:

But a ripe Apple did drop into a hollow Tree;

Ergo the Clavis, &c.

This is his Argument, and I scorn to answer it. But to this squib he hath a Dragoon, which he fires at the Philosopher's Mercury, and thus he proves it to be no Virgin.

[Page]

If Aries and Capricorn have Hornes,

Then the Philosophers Mercury is no Virgin:

But Aries and Capricorn have hornes;

Ergo, &c.

Did ever any man scrible such ridiculous impertinencies? I tell thee Mastix, the Philosophers Mercury is a foeminine passive moisture, and as I said in my Anima Macgica, it moves here in shades and Tiffanies, neither is there any thing in Nature expos'd to such a public prostitution as this is, for it passeth thorough all hands, and there is not any Creature but hath the use thereof. This is my Description of it, and there is no man living can describe it more truly and fully, notwithstanding all thy Flouts. Now the star-fire, which is one and the same in all the Lights of the Firmament, impraegnats this moysture with a Masculine seed, but not without the Concurrence of God almighty, who is the true Universall cause. The Philosophers Mastix, call'd not this water a Virgin, in reference to its Impraegnation by the starres, but because it is a Chaos, a [Page] white, Universall Nature, out of which no particular creature hath been generated. Now for your Platonic Commonwealth, and the Horns you attribute to the Coelestiall signes, because of their subordination to God, In this you are Blasphemous. The Heathen Poets made their God Iupiter an Adulterer, and a Fornicator, but if you araign the God of Israel for sin, look you to it. It may be this is Presbyterian Divinity, but I wish you to consider this Divinity of Iob, He that reproves God let him answer it. Cap. 40. v. 2.

Now Sirrah, I come to your Nineteenth Observation, where you tap your Hogs-head, and present us with another Cup full of Abominations and Blasphemies. VVhat profane boldnesse is this (say you) to distort that high Majesty of the holy Scripture to such poore and pitifull services, as to decide the controversies of the world and Nature? Take notice Reader that he makes the world a pitifull contemptible thing, but God himself did so love the [Page]world, that he gave his only begotten son to redeem it. Ioh. 3.16. I Prethee wherein was the VVisedome and Power of God manifested, but in his Creation of the world? Thou doest scorn and contemne Nature, but was the Bloud of Christ Iesus shed to any other end, 1. Cor. 15.44 but to make a Naturall Body a Spirituall Body? Read the five last Chapters of Iob, & thou shalt find, that God, when he would prove the Transcendency of his Wisedome, makes use of no other Argument but the controversies of the world & Nature, which thou dost blasphemously call pitifull services. It is no wonder indeed thou doest condemne my work, when thou doest slight and scorn the works of God. Truly, if thy severall horrible Blasphemies meet not with a Christian reproof and correction, I shall say of England, as Abraham said of Gerar, Gen. 20. 11. Surely the fear of God is not in this place.

After this Blasphemy Mr. Mastix, you make me the stalking horse to your malice, you fall upon the Independents, and shoot [Page] at them thorough my sides. You tell us of strange pretences to inspirations, which can no way concern me, for I have told you in my Book, that I am a man of no such faculties, and your Observation upon those words is this; I warrant you Anthroposophus! I am not so easily deceived in you. But since you preach so fiercely against inspirations, why do you your self praetend to them? How dare you be so impudent, as to professe publickly, and that in a serious Philosophical discuss of the Soul, wherein you would have us to believe you, that you have received Supernaturall instructions? Thus I read Mastix in the Argument to your Psycathanasia.

Orewhelm'd with grief and piteous woe

For fading lifes decayes,

How no Souls die from Lunar bow

A nympth to me displayes.

Prethee Moore, what was this Nympth, a good or a bad spirit? What did she display to thee from Lunar Bow? Did she display her Coat of Arms or her Petticoat? get thee gone, and trouble us no more with such Impostures.

Observation 20.

[Page]

IN the former Page, &c. Here I said that in this Elementall world, and in every star there was Uxor Solis, which is true enough, for otherwise the stars could not receive any Light or Influence from the Sun, which is repugnant to all the best Astrologers and Philosophers in the world. Besides this Substance which I call Uxor Solis, is a secret naturall Principle, and it is in every Compound whatsoever, for nothing can be made without it. To confute this, he tells me a story of some men who are very inclinable to think, that every star is a Sun, but what he thinks himself he dares not tell me.

Observation 21.

BUt if you tell us not what this Light is, &c. Here he asks me whether Light be Corpus or Spiritus, Substance or Accident? I told thee formerly Mastix, it is a Substance, and a bodily one.

Observation 22.

[Page]

FRom this Observation to his twenty sixth, his mouth is troubled with a Lax, as if his Doctor had put the Suppositorie at the wrong end, he spawls and spues, and Vomits all the way. In his twenty sixth Notable Thing he tells me the Nature of the Medicine is not to rectifie a Visible Body, but to destroy it. This he gathers, because the more materiall, obscure parts are turn'd inwards, and the Light or Spirit appears and shines outwardly, so that the Body is exalted to a spirituall glorified Condition. But if the Body be not destroy'd when the matter rules and praevails, how can it be said to be destroy'd, when the very Spirit and life of it praevails? Now at last Reader, he perceives his Error, and grants it is not Death, but a Change. But presently springs up another Absurdity, which he calls an Argument. Then (saith he) it is no medicine, but spiritus medicus. I say Mastix you [Page] are so blind you cannot distinguish between an absolute spirit, and a spirituall body.

Observation 27.

FRom this Observation to his two and fortieth, he is very cholerick and Rampant, he is growne stark mad, and hath quite lost his Reason, for I cannot find any. Here is nothing all the way but the Scold and his Scandalls, he spends his mouth, indeed, very well, but runs counter to his Game. In his two and fortieth Note, he sayes, the River Ysca must run under the AEquator, or somwhere between the Tropics, for otherwise Grasse could not grow on the banks of it all the yeare long. Ha! Ha! He! But the best jest comes at last, he thinks Ysca runs to Heaven, though I tell him in plaine English, it runs to the Sea. Take both my Verse, and the River, Mastix, and let them runne together for thy direction.

[Page]

I see thy course anticipates my Plea,

I'le haste to God as thou dost to the Sea.

Is this to Heaven my friend, or to some place that is upon Earth? Thou hast discover'd such a Blockish Ignorance, it would become thee to runne to the Sea-side, where taking up these words of thy Aristotle to Euripus, si ego non possum capere te, tu capies me, thou should'st condemn thy selfe to the Flouds, and rather make a drown'd Rat by water, than an intrapt mouse by Land. From this note, Reader, to the very last line, there is not one Reason brought against me, he railes and roares, and rattles, and askes me if I did ever read Des Chartes? Why mastix! is this Author so hard to come by? didst thou ever read a Horn book Sirrah? I tell thee Des Charles is a whim and a wham, without one why or wherefore. A fellow that invented ridiculous principles of his own, but hath cast them into such a method, that they have a seeming dependency, and thou doest mistake his Knavery for his Reason. But I have done, and now [Page] Mounsieur mastix, I have nothing to confute, unless I fall on your friend I. T. your plagiarie, and Pick-poet. This is your ape, that shews knacks in Verse in obedience to your Prose. Poor gaffer with his Sunday-suite! Such a thredbare Thing cannot be found in London all the week. His verse is baresoot, and himselfe starv'd, which made him run to Cleaveland and the Gibeonites, to borrow clouted shooes, and mouldy bread. But I scorn to handle this mondongo, this simple cacatura which hangs at the posteriors of a Moor. This is all I shall say to this Versing Thing. But my pitifull sneaking Observator! my Alaz! and no mastix, what think you of your self? where is the Glory you expected from your scriblings? prostravi temi pugil! I have tript up your heeles Sir,

—et pronus in ipso

Concidis immundo (que) fimo, spurco (que) cruore.

You are gone Sir Bevis! and now it is time to rere up my Trophies, and looke what I have overthrowne. A Colossus in good earnest! A thing of nine Acres! see [Page] how this Title lies stretch'd along like Og of Basan! Harry Moore, master of Arts, Fellow of Christ-Colledge in Cambridge, and author of the Ballad of the Soul, which must be sung to the tune of sole Flying, for Eugenius hath taken away the Fame. Take him Readers, take him. I present you the Mouse in the Trap, with his taile out between the wyers. Hold him fast by it, and fear not, he will make rate sport. Here you may somtimes fright him with Catts, sometimes you may singe his Mustachos with Candles, till you have acted over that Comaedie, which I prophesied of in my Anima Magica.

Thus Mr. Moore, I commit you to the world, and to the Censures you shall find in it. If you think, I have here us'd my Improperia, you must thank your self for it. It is an Absurdity deriv'd from you, for in this scurvie language you were my Schoolemaster. Suffer me then to be your Glass at the next Dressing, and if you hate this Humour in Me, learn also for my sake to hate it in your self.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The man-mouse taken in a trap, and tortur'd to death for gnawing the margins of Eugenius Philalethes.

Vaughan, Thomas, 1622-1666.

Edition statement

1650

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

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2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A64770

ID [STC]

Wing V153A

ID [STC]

ESTC R203907

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99863688

ID [PROQUEST]

99863688

ID [VID]

115899

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A64770)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 115899)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 174:E1299[2])

Source

— The man-mouse taken in a trap, and tortur'd to death for gnawing the margins of Eugenius Philalethes., Vaughan, Thomas, 1622-1666..

Extent

[12], 116 p.

and sold at the Castle in Corn-hill,. Printed in London :: 1650.. (Eugenius Philalethes = Thomas Vaughan.) (A reply to: More, Henry. Observations upon Anthroposophia theomagica, and Anima magica abscondita.) (With an errata leaf for this work and "Magia Adamica" (Wing V151). The two works may have been intended to be issued together.) (Thomason copy is bound with Magia Adamica.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.