_Of our Author's particular Studies and Profession; with an
Account of his Embarking, and his first Shipwreck on the Coast
of_ Spain.
The narrow Limits with which the Life of Man is circumscrib'd,
and the few Years he is capable of employing in cultivating and
perfecting the Arts and Sciences, glide away so soon, that no
wonder if the Progress he makes in either, turns to very little
Account. Nor is the Shortness of Life the only Obstacle which
thwarts our natural Desire of Universal Knowledge; the Loss of
Worldly Goods being another Bar equally insurmountable, the Truth
of which I learnt, to my Cost, long before I had finish'd my
Studies.
The Inclination I had from my Cradle to the _Belles Lettres_, to
Antiquity, and to the strange Rarities I saw brought home from
foreign Parts, made my Father resolve to put me early to School,
where I was such an apt Scholar that my Diligence and Memory got
me the Prize in all the Classes. The fine things my Masters said
in my Praise, and the Tenderness with which my Parents lov'd me,
redoubled my Emulation, insomuch that I gave my self no Respite,
and had made so good use of my Time that when I was but eighteen
Years old, I understood both _Latin_ and _Greek_, very well. In
short, I had gone thro' a Course of Philosophy, and was far
advanc'd in the Mathematics, when my Father _David Massey_, who
was Captain of a Ship, had the Misfortune to be blown up with his
Vessel by the Imprudence of a Sailor, who inadvertently set fire
to the Powder.
This fatal Blow happen'd to our Family in 1639, and of all the
Days in the Year, upon that very Day that our Army was beat by
the _Spaniards_ before _Thionville_; you must know that the good
Man was bound to the Factory at _Senegal_, and as the greatest
Part of the Lading was upon his own Account, my Mother was on a
sudden left a Widow with five Children, and scarce any thing to
maintain them. This Calamity however was so far from breaking her
Heart, that as soon as she receiv'd the News of it, she sent for
us, and said to us with a manly Air: 'Children, one of the worst
Misfortunes has happen'd to you that could fall out in humane
Life: One fatal Moment has not only robb'd me of my dear Husband,
but you of your Father, and all your fortunes. Nevertheless, be
not cast down, for the Divine Providence can work Miracles to
support his Creatures. Learn by this Fatality, not to place your
Trust in the Arm of Flesh; and be assur'd that God is a gracious
Being, who will not abandon you. Since I have not sufficient
Means left to bring you all up as we had intended, consider what
Professions each of you is most inclin'd to follow. For your
part, _James_, said she, I think you had best be a Surgeon,
which, since you seem to be fond of Travelling, like your Father,
is an Art that will favour your Design.' She likewise propos'd to
the biggest Children what Professions they should undertake; to
which every one of them consented with Tears, and apply'd with
Success.
My Mother, who was a Native of _Hedin_, where she had Relations
still living, left _Abbeville_, and went thither to settle. To my
very great joy, tho' contrary to my Expectation, I found many
People there who were sincerely concern'd for her Misfortune. One
of her Brothers took one of the Children off of her Hands; a
Father-in-law took another; and twenty People promis'd her that
they would never let her want. Nay, some would fain have
persuaded me to alter my Purpose, and pursue my Studies, in hopes
that in time I might have it in my Power to bring up the innocent
Children, who were not able to help themselves; but my
Resolution was form'd, and my Inclination fix'd.
I took Leave of my Family and my dearest Acquaintance, who were
sorry to part with me, and set out for _Paris_. The Grandeur,
Magnificence, and Variety, together with the vast Concourse of
People of all Ranks, which I saw on my Arrival at this fine
Place, did at the first Dash astonish me; every thing that
occur'd to my View, seem'd perfectly new to me; I thought my self
in another World; and M. _Rousseau_, the Surgeon, to whose
Tuition I had been recommended, had enough to do for near a
fortnight to answer the Questions I was continually putting to
him, to gratify my Curiosity. He likewise did me the Favour to
carry me to _Marli_, _Fontainbleu_, _St. Dennis_, _St. Germain_,
the _Louvre_, the _Tuilleries_, and many other Places, which are
the Admiration of foreigners. But as the Value of Things is
enhanc'd by their Rarity, and diminish'd by their Frequency, I
accustom'd my self at last to look upon all these Fineries with a
sort of Indifference, which by degrees turn'd to an Aversion; so
that I abandoned all those Curiosities to the Speculation of the
Idle and the Indolent, and began to apply my self carefully to
the Art I had purpos'd to study. M. _Rousseau_ had very good
Business, and great Experience, and the many Cures he perform'd,
open'd new Discoveries to me every Day.
Yet for all this, scarce a Day pass'd but I exercis'd my self
several Hours in those Languages and Sciences, in which I had
before spent all my Time. I was the more encourag'd to do so,
because Philosophy and the Mathematics seem'd to be much in
vogue, by the Application of all Gentlemen to them, of what Age
and Rank soever. At the same time there came out a Treatise of
Conic Sections, said to be written by the Son of M. _Pascal_, the
Intendant of Justice at _Roan_, at which, many Persons of
Learning were really surpris'd. I had the Curiosity to run it
over, but I found things in it which I thought above the Reach of
a Lad of Sixteen Years of Age, for in several Places it surpass'd
_Apollonius_. Many People were of my Opinion, especially when
they consider'd, that the Father of this pretended young Author
was a thorough Proficient in this Science, from whence the
Generality imagin'd, that he had a mind to give the Son the
Credit of it, to usher him into the World with the better Grace.
Be this as it will, 'tis certain that the Junior _Pascal_ was a
Man of a lively Imagination, and a great deal of Penetration and
Judgment, as it afterwards fully appear'd. M. _Morin_, whom I
took the Liberty to apply to, and who receiv'd me with
extraordinary Civility, procur'd me also the Acquaintance of M.
_Des Argues_, M. _Midorge_, and several other Mathematicians, who
sav'd me a great deal of Labour by the curious MSS. they put into
my Hands, and the clear and concise Methods they were pleas'd to
make me acquainted with. By means of these learned Personages, I
had Access likewise to the Reverend Father _Mercenne_. This
ingenious Gentleman was a great Help to me for the understanding
of several Questions in Natural Philosophy, and the
Metaphysics. As he was intimate with M. _Descartes_, who
was then in _Holland_, I propos'd nothing of Difficulty to him,
but he explain'd to me at one time or other; and he was the first
Man that ever put into my Hand the Six Meditations of that
celebrated Philosopher. I was so desirous of learning how to
demonstrate the Exigence of a God, the Immateriality of the Soul,
and its real Distinction from the Body, that I read them with all
the Attention I was capable of; but I frankly own that I was not
satisfy'd with them. His Method for the due conducting of Reason,
and finding out the Truth in the Sciences, his Dioptricks, his
Meteors, his Theory of the World, and every thing in general that
I had seen of his, charm'd me; but for his Metaphysics, as I said
before, I lik'd no Part of 'em, but the Subtilty of his
Arguments. This made me conclude, that we ought never to wade
above the Depth of our shallow Understandings, and that we should
confine our selves to Bodies, to explain their Nature, Form,
Number, Properties, the Alterations occasion'd by Motion, and
what may be most remarkable in them for our own Use, for the Good
of Society, and for the Understanding and Advancement of Humane
Knowledge, without pretending to make manifest and visible, as it
were, to the naked Eye, such things as are in their own Nature
_Arcana's_, and are, in all Probability, design'd to be for ever
the Objects of our Faith and Admiration. It appear'd in a very
little while, that I was not the only Person of that Opinion for
an anonymous Book was publish'd at the _Hague_, by an unknown
Author, with a View to explode the Philosophy of _Descartes_: At
the same time Father _Bourdin_ attack'd it in his public
_Theses_; and then came out the Objections of Messieurs _Hobbes_,
_Gassendi_, _Arnaud_, and others, to his Metaphysics. I was so
taken with that Author, that I was curious to see all his
Disputes, which cost me so much Time, that my Master often
reproach'd me for it, and said that I neglected the main Point,
for the sake of applying to things which cou'd be of no great Use
to me, and which, as to several of them, were not universally
approv'd of. He even went so far as to tell me one Day, that I
was in the high Road to Atheism, for that I had already embrac'd
an Opinion which had been lately condemn'd by the Tribunal of the
_Inquisition_, in the Person of _Galileo_, whom they had confin'd
in the Prisons of the _Holy Office_, after having caus'd his
Treatise of the _Circular Motion of the Earth_, according to the
Principles of _Copernicus_, to be burnt by the common Hangman.
But left these Reproaches might entirely discourage me, he took
care to season them with Commendations of my considerable Talents
for Surgery, and the Knowledge I had acquir'd in it,
notwithstanding the Time I devoted to other Occupations.
At length, when he found that all he could say did not put me out
of conceit with those fine Sciences, he resolv'd to enter me into
the State of Matrimony. He talk'd to me incessantly of a very
pretty Niece of his, who, after her Mother's Death, would have a
considerable Estate. He often gave me to understand, that he
shou'd not be sorry if I was marry'd to her; and that as he was
advanc'd in Years, it would be in his Power to put me into the
intire Possession of his Shop, which was well accustom'd: But
this was not the Mark I aim'd at. When he perceiv'd my
Indifference, he became more cold to me than before, insomuch
that he began to neglect me, and to conceal several things from
me, which I could not well learn without him; so that after
having serv'd two Years Apprenticeship, I went to _Diep_, where I
stay'd one Year more with M. _La Croix_, who was without Dispute
a very able Master.
I will not stop here to relate the minute Adventures which I had
in both those Towns, because I think them too inconsiderable; but
I cannot pass over in Silence, that while I was at this Port, a
Man arriv'd there whom the Vulgar call'd, _The Wandering Jew_. My
Master, who was a curious Man, and very courteous, after having
talk'd with him several times occasionally, invited him to Dinner
one Day, that he might have the Opportunity of hearing him
discourse. The first Thing he told us was, That he was
Cotemporary with Jesus Christ, and that he saw him crucify'd. My
Name, said he, is _Michob_, and I was one of _Pontius Pilate's_
Domestics. When that _Roman_ Judge pronounc'd Sentence against
Jesus, I stept up to this pretended Criminal (continued he) and
said to him, _What makes you stay here so long? Han't you heard
your Condemnation? Get off! Why do you delay?_ To which the Holy
Man reply'd to me, _I'll be gone, but you shall stay till I
return._ 'This is now above 1600 Years ago (said he) which I hope
is the greatest Part of the Time that I am to wander upon the
Earth. Most People are fond of Life, and few there are but wou'd
be glad to add an Age to the Years they have liv'd already, if it
were in their Power, but for my own part, I wish with all my
Heart I had dy'd a thousand Years ago.' As the Droll talk'd all
manner of Languages, had by consequence a happy Memory, and had
been a Traveller all his Life-time, it was a Pleasure to hear him
relate a thousand Stories, as clear and evident Truths, which
past Ages have transmitted to us in a very confused Light, and
after a very uncertain manner. There is no Corner of the World
but he affirm'd he had visited. He nam'd several Kingdoms and
Republics to us, that lie about the two Poles, which we had never
heard the mention of. All the Courts in the World were known to
him. He was not ignorant of the minutest Circumstance of the most
remarkable Revolutions of Empires, since he came into the World.
In short, the remotest Incidents seem'd to him as recent as if
they had just happen'd. But the Passage at which we all prick'd
up our Ears, was where he began to entertain us with an Account
of the Saints that rose again at the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
All _Jerusalem_, said he, was alarm'd when it was reported that
the People at the Burial-Places had seen the Earth move in
several Parts, the Graves open of themselves, and naked Bodies
appear, and make a thousand different Motions. The Spectators,
continued he, were so astonish'd at this unexpected Sight, that
they all trembled, and several dy'd with Fear. The most daring of
them were willing, however, to see the Issue of it, and they were
wonderfully surpris'd when, by and by, they saw Humane Creatures
start all at once out of their Graves, and press in a Hurry thro'
the Multitude, who made way for them by tumbling to the Ground,
as if they were all going to take Possession of their Sepulchres.
No one cou'd discern, added _Michob_, was he ever so attentive,
of what Sex the risen Bodies were, for they seem'd to be all of
the same Bigness, the same Age, and Complexion, and had no
visible Mark by which they cou'd be distinguish'd from one
another. They had not a Hair upon all their Bodies; their Bellies
were flat, and seem'd as if they stuck to their Ribs; several
held their Mouths open, but there were no Teeth to be seen; and
their round and smooth Fingers seem'd to be intirely bare of
Nails. This made him conclude, that all the Excremental Parts,
and those which serve to grind, to swallow and digest Food while
we are in a State of Mortality, will not accompany us to the
other World, where, in short, they would be useless. In fine,
according to his Discourse, it was never positively known what
became of those Persons; but it was reported some Days after,
that they were gone to _Galilee_, where they were to confer with
Jesus Christ, and from thence to be carry'd to the Mansion of the
Blessed. It may well be suppos'd that this curious Subject did
not fail to occasion a tedious Conversation: 'Twas Midnight when
our Guest left us, tho' my Master, notwithstanding the
Conversation he had had with him elsewhere, wou'd fain have kept
him till next Day. As the Magistrates look'd upon him to be a
Visionary, they did not much mind what he said, consequently he
was not a dangerous Person, and ask'd no favour of any Body; for
the common People, and abundance of credulous and superstitious
Gossips, who thought him a Prodigy, gave him what Necessaries he
wanted; besides that he stay'd but a little while in a Place, and
was no more than a Wanderer up and down in the World.
His Departure, added to all the fine Things I had heard him say
of Foreign Countries, very much whetted my natural Desire to
travel. I imparted my Design to M. _La Croix_, and as he had
already been so good as to watch all Opportunities of publishing
the Progress I had made in my Profession, it was not at all
difficult for me to enter my self as a Surgeon on Board the Ship
of Captain _Le Sage_, then preparing for a Voyage to _Martinico_.
We sail'd therefore from _Diep_ the 21st of _May_, 1643. Our Ship
carry'd but four Guns, and the Crew consisted but of Fifty-two
Persons. Tho' the Captain was a _Huguenot_, yet he was a perfect
honest Man, strictly just, and extremely devout. He wou'd not
suffer a Day to pass over his Head without Publick Prayers on
Board, every Morning and Evening, which were perform'd with great
Zeal and Edification by _Peter du Quesne_, a young Student in
Divinity, with whom, I can truly say, for my own part, I was so
affected, that I immediately conceiv'd an Esteem for him, and
that I had not been in his Company a Fortnight, but the
Veneration, which the Monks had impress'd me with for the holy
Men and Women in Paradise, was very much abated; but as ill Luck
would have it, the Benefit I receiv'd from the wholsom Lectures
of this agreeable Companion, was of no long Duration.
Twenty-seven Days after our Departure, when we were off of _Cape
Finisterre_, we perceiv'd that our Ship took in much more Water
than ordinary. The Carpenters, who were never idle, were as
diligent as possible to find out the Cause of this Disaster; but
notwithstanding all their Care, and the plying of the Pumps Day
and Night, they were never the nearer, and at the end of
Thirty-six Hours the Water was risen to such a Height, that it
run out at the Port-Holes. The Captain seeing there was no
Remedy, order'd us to put to Sea in the two Long-Boats, without
taking any thing with us but our Money, of which we had not much.
M. _Le Sage_ was still on Board, with the Master, the Pilots, and
four other young Gentlemen, who were only making a Voyage of
Pleasure, when the Ship sunk to the bottom like a Stone. Tho'
they were prepar'd for the Event, yet they were intangled in one
another; but as we were at hand, we gave them all the Assistance
in our Power, and had only the Misfortune to lose one of those
four Lads, _Colombier_, a young Gentleman of _Picardy_, who was
scarce Fifteen Years of Age.
We were oblig'd to be as easy as possible under our Loss, and to
consider what Course to steer next; for tho' we had try'd to make
to Land for above two Days, yet the Wind, which was at S.E.
hinder'd us. The most mortifying Circumstance of all was, that
thro' a Misconstruction of the Captain's Meaning, and for want of
Time to supply our selves, we had very little Provision, and no
Compass to guide us. The Sky was serene, the Sea calm, and the
Weather agreeable; but every one dreaded a Change. Mean time,
with the Light of the Sun by Day, and of the Stars by Night, we
us'd the utmost Diligence to get ashore, but cou'd not observe
that we made any considerable Advance; so that we began to
despair of our Lives, especially upon the third Day, when there
fell so thick a Fog, that it was impossible to see the Distance
of two Foot. At this very time, the little Long-Boat separated
from ours, which the Captain perceiving by the Cries we made to
one another, press'd the feeble Rowers to strain hard to rejoin
us, which they did indeed, with a Vengeance; for falling foul
upon our little Vessel, those on Board us were so alarm'd, that
they all rose up at once, and gave such a Shock to theirs, that
it turn'd Keel upwards. We had a great deal of Difficulty to save
them, and much more to make room for them; for we all lay one
upon another, and had not eat any thing for above Forty Eight
Hours.
In short, it pleased God that about Noon, when the Sun had
dispers'd the Fog, we discover'd several Sail coming towards us,
which agreeable Sight gave us Joy inexpressible. We tack'd about
immediately to meet them, and in three or four Hours time they
came up with us, when Captain _Davidson_ was so kind as to take
us on Board his Ship. He was bound from _Portsmouth_, as Convoy
to Seventeen _English_ Merchant Ships, that were going to
_Lisbon_. As our Bowels had been so much relax'd, and it being
the Opinion of the Physicians (whom, however, we did not go to
consult on purpose) that there was no danger in Eating and
Drinking heartily, no sooner were the Provisions brought, but we
were all glad to see our Beards wag. Every thing that was serv'd
up to us was absorb'd as quick as if it had been thrown into a
Well; but tho' our Bellies were full, we were not satisfy'd. We
had no sooner granted a Respite to our Jaws, but we fell into a
profound Sleep, and I question if there was one of us that did
not sleep at least Twenty Hours before he was thoroughly awake.
The Second Meal set us intirely to rights again. A Lieutenant of
the Ship who spoke _French_, would needs have me give him the
Particulars of our Misfortunes, some of which rais'd his Pity,
and others his Laughter. At last we arriv'd at a good Harbour,
and landed at _Lisbon_ the first of _July_, without the Loss of
one Man besides _Colombier_.