_Had honor or applause and not the publick advantage of English Readers
been the design of this Undertaking, the consideration of the common Fate
of Translations had discouraged Me from permitting this even to have seen
the light; for meer Versions do alwayes carry with them this Property,
that if not well done they may much disgrace, but if well, not much
commend the doers._
_And certainly I might well have expected the same chance, had this
been the Translation of an History, Play or Romance; wherein there is
requisite not onely a bare version but a conformation of Idiom and
language, manner and customary expression; But the nature of this
present Work will not admit of the like liberty, and therefore, I hope,
amongst Judicious Readers it may be exempt from the common Fate of
Translations; for if we look upon it as a Philosophical or Metaphysical
Tract, or rather as (really it is) a Physico-Mathematical Argumentation,
we shall find that a great strictness of Expression is requisite to be
observed therein. So that had a Translator taken upon him to use his own
liberty of Phrase, he would thereby have endanger’d the sense and force
of the Arguments; for Politeness of language might as well be expected in
a Translation of ~Euclide~ as in this. And all that are acquainted with
this famous Authors design, do very well know, that it was his intention
in these Meditations ~Mathematically to demonstrate~, that there is a
~God~, and that mans ~mind~ is ~incorporeal~. And it was his opinion,
that metaphysicks may as clearly be demonstrated as mathematicks, as
witness his expression in the Dedicatory Epistle of this Work to the
~Sorbone~ Doctors, ~Eas~ (Rationes scilicet) ~quibus hic utor certitudine
& evidentiâ Geometricas æquare, vel etiam superare existimem~; That he
reputed his Arguments used in these Meditations, to equal if not excell
Geometrical certainty._
_And this, I suppose, is sufficient to make the Reader, not expect herein
any smoothness of phrase or quaintness of Expression; what is here
delivered in English is immediately taken, as it is naturally in the
Original. The words, we hope, may be apposite enough, and fit to express
what is here designed, and I think it a derogation from the Authors skill
to draw the Picture of his mind in any other Colours, than what his own
Copy expresses._
_Thus far in vindication of the Philosophical plain stile and rough
Language of the following Translation. I shall add a line or two, first
relating to the Readers, secondly of the Author, and lastly of the
Meditations themselves, together with the Motives which excited me to
this Work._
_As to the Readers, ’tis, I suppose, so evident that candour of mind,
and freedome from prejudice is requisite to all that desire to advantage
themselves by reading other mens notions, that it need not be here
insisted on with much earnestness; yet considering the Antiquity of this
subject, and the novelty of the Arguments here produced, it seems to be
more than ordinarily requisite for an impartial perusal of the ensuing
Tract. Neither are the following Meditations to be slightly passed over,
but with diligence and attention to be read; for as in mathematical
demonstration, the careless missing of any one single Position may
render the Conclusion obscure and sometimes inconsequent, so in these
metaphysical Demonstrations, which (as, before has been noted from
the illustrious Author thereof) for certainty do equal, if not excel
Geometrical Propositions, the slight attention to any one particular
Argument may frustrate the design of the whole discourse._
_The Reasoning therefore here being close and solid, and (as in
Mathematicks) the knowledge of the latter depending on the knowledge
of what went before, ’tis the duty of every Reader seriously to attend
the Particulars, as also the connexion of the whole. Let him weigh the
Arguments and perpend the Conclusions, and after a clear and distinct
Knowledge, lett him pass his judgement._
_And to this end I shall make it my request to every Reader, that he
would not be content with a single perusal of the following Discourses,
but that he would often repeat his reading them over; for by this means
the force of those Arguments, which at first may by chance escape the
most diligent and attentive Peruser, by a second or third Essay may
offer themselves more fully to his Consideration. This was the desire
of our Author in an other of his pieces, I mean his ~Principles of
Philosophy~, which I am sure do not require so strict an attention of
mind, as these abstracted speculations; and therefore if it were his
Request in that case, we may Reasonably think that ’twas no less his
desire in this._
_When we come to speak of the Incomparable Author of these Meditations,
we have reason to lament our own Ignorance, and to blame the Ingratitude
of the Age wherein he lived, for not transmitting to Posterity more
certain and ample Records of the Life and Conversation of this Excellent
Philosopher, all that has been Written in this kind gives us only so
much light into the Life of this Prodigious Man, as may make us wish for
more; imparting which, I shall recommend the Readers to a further enquiry
into the inward Thoughts, (largly discover’d in the Writings) of our
Famous Author, of whose outward actions and condition we have so small
knowledge._
_Renatus Des-Cartes was born on the last day of ~March~ in the year 1596.
at ~Tours~, or at ~Castrum Eraldum~ a Town near ~Tours~ in ~France~;
He came of an Antient and Noble Family, being by Descent ~Lord~ of
~Perron~, His Father was a Senator of his Country, and a Man of no mean
estate, leaving to this his only Son by a second Wife between six and
seven thousand pounds a year._
_He was Educated in his younger years according to the manner of his
Country (and as he himself recommends in one of his Epistles, ~viz.
Epist. 90. partis secundæ~ to One for the Instruction of his Son) in the
Aristotelian principles of Philosophy, a whole course whereof he had
run through at the Age of seventeen in the Schools of ~Flexia~, or ~La
Flesche~ a Town in the Province of ~Anjou~, famous for the Colledge of
Jesuites there establish’d by ~Henry~ the ~4th~._
_But to this he did not Continue long devoted, giving early testimonies
of his dislike to the unsatisfactory Notions, and verbose emptiness of
the Peripatetick Philosophy; He used therefore his utmost endeavours (as
he himself testifies in his ~Dissertatio de Methodo~) to get loose from
those Chains and Fetters of Mind to which the weakness of his tender
years had subjected him._
_To this end he betook himself to a long course of Travel, that by the
variety of Objects, which he was likely to meet with in his journeys,
the memory of his past Notions might be blotted out; In his travel he
applied himself much to the study of the Art Military, and Mathematicks;
In the latter he has left the World large testimonies of his Excellence
in his ~Book of Geometry~; and in the former we have reason to believe
him most expert, for He was personally present at some Sieges and Battles
both in ~France~ and ~Germany~, as particularly at the Siege of ~Rochel~,
of ~Gava~ near ~Genoa~, of ~Breda~, at the Battle of ~Prague~, ~&c.~ so
that we may conclude that he had a Genius fitted (according to the Motto
of the noble ~Sir W. Raliegh~) ~Tam Marti, quam Mercurio~, For the Pike
as well as Pen. And as the Glorious Roman Emperour became a ~Cæsar~ by
his Book as well as Sword, by the Conquests of his mind as well as those
of his arm; so our Famous Author was ~Ex Utroque Clarus~._
_In his Travels he spent many years, in all which time he was not Idle,
but highly improved himself by his converse with the ~Beaux Esprits~,
which he met with in several Regions he visited; The first Place he
betook himself to, was ~Italy~, then he went into ~Denmark, Germany,
Hungary, &c.~ And after a Long but advantagious Peregrination he
return’d to ~Amsterdam~, where he intended to take up his Rest, had he
not been called by the French King upon very Honourable terms to ~Paris~;
During his Continuance there he so order’d his annual Revenue, that he
might be supplied by the hands of a Friend wherever he was. He staid at
~Paris~ three years, and then retired Himself to a solitary village in
~Holland~ called ~Egmond~, where he lived twenty five years, during which
time he apply’d himself wholly to the Restauration of true Philosophy,
wherein he gave the World such mighty testimonies of his Excellence,
that in a short time he became celebrated in the mouths of all Learned
Men. Neither were the Courts of Princes silent in his deserved Praises;
for after a Retirement of twenty five years he was Invited by ~Christina
Queen of Sweedland~ to her Court; Thither upon the intreaty of this brave
and Learned Princess he betook himself, where he had not continued Long
before he was struck with a Peripneumonia or Inflammation of the Lungs
(contracted, as it is thought by the long Discourses which he used to
hold bare headed with the Queen, continuing them sometimes till far in
the Night,) of which unhappy distemper he Died the seventh Day after he
sicken’d._
_Thus Expired this Wonder of his Own and succeeding Ages, desired and
lamented by all men, Æqual’d by none. He was buried in a costly Monument
consisting of four sides, upon which were inscribed Epitaphs; bestow’d
upon him by many Renown’d Persons._
_What shall we now say sufficient to express our Grief for the untimely
Decease of this Worthy Philosopher? But Especially what shall we now do
to recover our Loss? Let us endeavour to Redeem what we have lost by well
Husbanding and careful improvement of what is left; which may be done
in Part by a Diligent Perusal of the Works written by this Excellent
Author; This, This only is the way of Reviving him again, and of giving
him Immortality in spight of his untimely Fate. And so let him for ever
live celebrated by the Deserved Praises of all ingenious Enquirers after
truth, and Learning._
_Let us therefore cast our eye upon the Present Work of this
extroardinary Philosopher, and therein let us admire his profound
Judgment and vigorous Fancy, for if we seriously consider it, we shall
hardly find a more solid close piece of Reasoning either in this or
Foregoing ages; ~Here~, what was commonly asserted without proof, is not
only proved but ~Mathematically~ Demonstrated, ~viz.~ That ~God is the
Fountain and Original of Truth~; His sharp Wit, like ~Hannibals~ Vinegar,
hath eaten thro the Mazing and overtowring hills of Errors, a Plain and
Pleasant Way to the Divine seat of Knowledge._
_In fine, such is the Excellence of these six Meditations, that I cannot
resemble his Performance herein better than to the Six Days Work of the
Supream Architect; and certainly next to the Creation of All things out
of Nothing, the Restauration of Truth out of Errors is the most Divine
Work; so that (with Reverence be it spoken) the Incomparable ~Des-Cartes~
does hereby deserve as it were the name of a Creatour. In the first
Meditation we are Presented with a Rude and Indigested Chaos of Errours
and Doubts, till the Divine spirit of the Noble ~Des-Cartes~ (pardon
the Boldness of the Expression) ~moves upon the confused face of these
Waters~, and thereout produces some ~clear~ and ~distinct Light~; by
which ~Sun-shine~ he proceeds to bring forth and cherish other ~Branches
of Truth~; Till at last by a six Days Labour he Establishes this Fair
Fabrick (as I may call it) of the ~Intellectual World~ on foundations
that shall never be shaken. Then sitting down with rest and satisfaction
he looks upon this his Off-spring and Pronounces it ~Good~._
_These Things Consider’d, I need not make any long Apologies for my
undertaking a translation thereof; The excellency of the Original is
sufficient to vindicate my endeavours to present the English World with
a Copy, and he that shall blame my Intentions of Communicating the
Methods of Truth to those that have only the English Tongue, may as well
find fault with those English that propagate the Christian Religion
among savage Indians, and translate the Scriptures into their Language,
because they have not the English Tongue. To understand Latin is no (or
at most a very small) part of Learning, and that which certainly every
Cobler in ~Rome~ was once endow’d with; and therefore must there then
be no translations out of Greek into Latin? I doubt not, but there are
many Persons in our Nations, who tho wanting Latin, are notwithstanding
very capable of the most abstracted speculations; the late disturbances
of our Kingdomes occasion’d many Youths, who were then in a fair way
of Instruction, to forsake their learning, and divert their intentions
from Literature to Arms, and yet many of these have afterwards become
Men of extraordinary nary abilities and qualifications for learning
notwithstanding their deficiency in the Roman Tongue. And I see no Reason
why it should not be the desire, and consequently the endeavour of
every true English man, to make his language as universal as is now the
~French~, into which the best Books in all sorts of Learning, both Poetry
and Prose, are daily translated out of all languages, but especially
out of Greek and Latine. Among which these Meditations are to be found,
entituled, ~Les Meditations Metaphysiques De Rene Des Cartes touchant
la Premiere Philosophie~. This was translated out of the Authors Latine
into French by ~Monsieur le D. D. L. N. S.~ The several Objections also,
which were made by divers learned Persons against these Meditations, with
the Authors Answers, were translated into French by ~M. B. L. R.~ And, I
hope, no one will assert, that the French are more fit to receive those
metaphysical Notions delivered herein than the English Nation._
_But ’twas none of the smallest motives I had to this undertaking, that
tho some famous English Authours have taken notice of the Arguments here
produced (for the proof of a ~Deity~ drawn from the ~Idea~ we have of
~God~ in our Mind, ~&c.~) Particularly the most excellent and learned
~Dr. Stillingfleet~ in the first Chapter of the third Book in his
~Origines Sacræ~, who refers his Readers to a further search into these
Meditations in the ~400 page~ of that Discourse; as also the Reverend Dr.
~Henry More~ in his ~Antidote against Atheism~, and more fully in his
~Appendix~ annex’d thereto, hath treated of our Authors demonstration;
and yet nothing of the genuine original from whence they have borrowed
all their Copies (tho some of them drawn in a larger size, yet I question
whether so expressive) nothing of our Authors proper management hath ever
appear’d in English. Those that assert these Arguments to have been long
before thought upon by some of the Fathers, I shall refer to our Authors
just vindication of himself in his several Answers to Objections made
against these Discourses._
_And here I shall dismiss the Reader detaining him no longer from
that satisfaction which he may reasonably expect from the perusal of
the following Meditations; this Translation is dedicated to no one in
particular, but is humbly submitted to the moderate censure of all candid
Readers, by_
Their humble servant
Will. Molyneux.
_Dublin Feb. 19. 1679/80._
The Contents.
Meditation 1. _Of Things Doubtful._ Pag. 1.
Meditat. 2. _Of the Nature of Mans Mind, and that ’tis easier
Proved to Be then our Body._ p. 11.
Meditat. 3. _Of God, and that there Is a God._ p. 27.
Meditat. 4. _Of Truth and Falshood._ p. 55.
Meditat. 5. _Of the Essence of Things Material, and herein
again of God, and that He does Exist._ p. 70.
Meditat. 6. _Of Corporeal Beings and their Existence, as also
of the Real Difference between Mind and Body._ p. 83.
_Objections and Answers._ p. 155.