_MADAM,_
In my last, I hope, I have sufficiently declared my opinion, That to
one body belongs but one place, and that no body can leave a place
behind it, but wheresoever is body, there is place also. Now give me
leave to examine this question: when a bodies figure is printed on
snow, or any other fluid or soft matter, as air, water, and the like;
whether it be the body, that prints its own figure upon the snow, or
whether it be the snow, that patterns the figure of the body? My answer
is, That it is not the body, which prints its figure upon the snow,
but the snow that patterns out the figure of the body; for if a seal
be printed upon wax, 'tis true, it is the figure of the seal, which is
printed on the wax, but yet the seal doth not give the wax the print
of its own figure, but it is the wax that takes the print or pattern
from the seal, and patterns or copies it out in its own substance,
just as the sensitive motions in the eye do pattern out the figure of
an object, as I have declared heretofore. But you will say, perhaps, A
body being printed upon snow, as it leaves its print, so it leaves also
its place with the print in the snow. I answer, That doth not follow;
For the place remains still the bodies place, and when the body removes
out of the snow, it takes its place along with it: Just like a man,
whose picture is drawn by a Painter, when he goes away, he leaves not
his place with his picture, but his place goes with his body; and as
the place of the picture is the place of the colour or paint, and the
place of the copie of an exterior object patterned out by the sensitive
corporeal motions is the place of the sensitive organ, so the place
of the print in snow, is the snows place; or else, if the print were
the bodies place that is printed, and not the snow's, it might as well
be said, that the motion and shape of a watch were not the motion and
shape of the watch, but of the hand of him that made it. And as it is
with snow, so it is with air, for a mans figure is patterned out by the
parts and motions of the air, wheresoever he moveth; the difference is
onely, that air being a fluid body doth not retain the print so long,
as snow or a harder body doth, but when the body removes, the print
is presently dissolved. But I wonder much, your _Author_ denies, that
there can be two bodies in one place, and yet makes two places for one
body, when all is but the motions of one body: Wherefore a man sailing
in a Ship, cannot be said to keep place, and to change his place; for
it is not place he changes, but onely the adjoyning parts, as leaving
some, and joyning to others; and it is very improper, to attribute
that to place which belongs to parts, and to make a change of place
out of change of parts. I conclude, repeating once again, that figure
and place are still remaining the same with body; For example; let
a stone be beat to dust, and this dust be severally dispersed, nay,
changed into numerous figures; I say, as long as the substance of the
stone remains in the power of those dispersed and changed parts, and
their corporeal motions, the place of it continues also; and as the
corporeal motions change and vary, so doth place, magnitude and figure,
together with their parts or bodies, for they are but one thing. And so
I conclude, and rest,
Madam,
_Your Faithful Friend_
_and Servant._