through the Microscope appear'd so terrible to her sight, that they had
almost put her into a swoon; the description of all their parts would be
very tedious to relate, and therefore I'le forbear it at this present.
The Empress, after the view of those strangely-shaped Creatures, pitied
much those that are molested with them, especially poor Beggars, which
although they have nothing to live on themselves, are yet necessitated
to maintain and feed of their own flesh and blood, a company of such
terrible Creatures called Lice; who, instead of thanks, do reward them
with pains, and torment them for giving them nourishment and food. But
after the Empress had seen the shapes of these monstrous Creatures, she
desir'd to know, Whether their Microscopes could hinder their biting, or
at least shew some means how to avoid them? To which they answered, That
such Arts were mechanical and below the noble study of Microscopical
observations. Then the Empress asked them, Whether they had not such
sorts of Glasses that could enlarge and magnifie the shapes of great
Bodies as well as they had done of little ones? Whereupon they took one
of their best and largest Microscopes, and endeavoured to view a Whale
thorow it; but alas! the shape of the Whale was so big, that its
Circumference went beyond the magnifying quality of the Glass; whether
the error proceeded from the Glass, or from a wrong position of the
Whale against the reflection of light, I cannot certainly tell. The
Empress seeing the insufficiency of those Magnifying-Glasses, that they
were not able to enlarge all sorts of Objects, asked the Bear-men,
whether they could not make Glasses of a contrary nature to those they
had shewed her, to wit, such as instead of enlarging or magnifying the
shape or figure of an Object, could contract it beneath its natural
proportion: Which, in obedience to her Majesties Commands, they did; and
viewing through one of the best of them, a huge and mighty Whale
appear'd no bigger then a Sprat; nay, through some no bigger then a
Vinegar-Eele; and through their ordinary ones, an Elephant seemed no
bigger then a Flea; a Camel no bigger then a Lowse; and an Ostrich no
bigger then a Mite. To relate all their Optick observations through the
several sorts of their Glasses, would be a tedious work, and tire even
the most patient Reader, wherefore I'le pass them by; onely this was
very remarkable and worthy to be taken notice of, that notwithstanding
their great skil, industry and ingenuity in Experimental Philosophy,
they could yet by no means contrive such Glasses, by the help of which
they could spy out a Vacuum, with all its dimensions, nor Immaterial
substances, Non-beings, and Mixt-beings, or such as are between
something and nothing; which they were very much troubled at, hoping
that yet, in time, by long study and practice, they might perhaps attain
to it.
The Bird- and Bear-men being dismissed, the Empress called both the
Syrens- or Fish-men, and the Worm-men, to deliver their Observations
which they had made, both within the Seas, and the Earth. First, she
enquired of the Fish-men whence the saltness of the Sea did proceed? To
which they answered, That there was a volatile salt in those parts of
the Earth, which as a bosom contain the Waters of the Sea, which Salt
being imbibed by the Sea, became fixt; and this imbibing motion was that
they call'd the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea; for, said they, the
rising and swelling of the Water, is caused by those parts of the
volatile Salt as are not so easily imbibed, which striving to ascend
above the Water, bear it up with such a motion, as Man, or some other
Animal Creature, in a violent exercise uses to take breath. This they
affirmed to be the true cause both of the saltness, and the ebbing and
flowing-motion of the Sea, and not the jogging of the Earth, or the
secret influence of the Moon, as some others had made the World believe.
After this, the Empress enquired, Whether they had observed, that all
Animal Creatures within the Seas and other waters, had blood? They
answered, That some had blood, more or less, but some had none. In
Crea-fishes and Lobsters, said they, we perceive but little blood; but
in Crabs, Oysters, Cockles, &c. none at all. Then the Empress asked
them, in what part of their Bodies that little blood did reside? They
answered, in a small vein, which in Lobsters went through the middle of
their tails, but in Crea-fishes was found in their backs: as for other
sorts of Fishes, some, said they, had onely blood about their Gills, and
others in some other places of their Bodies; but they had not as yet
observed any whose veins did spread all over their Bodies. The Empress
wondring that there could be living Animals without Blood, to be better
satisfied, desired the Worm-men to inform her, whether they had observed
Blood in all sorts of Worms? They answered, That, as much as they could
perceive, some had Blood, and some not; a Moth, said they, had no Blood
at all, and a Lowse had, but like a Lobster, a little Vein along her
back: Also Nits, Snails, and Maggots, as well as those that are
generated out of Cheese and Fruits, as those that are produced out of
Flesh, had no blood: But, replied the Empress, If those mentioned
creatures have no blood, how is it possible they can live? for it is
commonly said, That the life of an Animal consists in the blood, which
is the seat of the Animal spirits. They answered, That blood was not a
necessary propriety to the life of an Animal; and that that which was
commonly called Animal spirits, was nothing else but corporeal motions
proper to the nature and figure of an Animal. Then she asked both the
Fish- and Worm-men, whether all those Creatures that have blood, had a
circulation of blood in their veins and arteries? But they answered,
That it was impossible to give her Majesty an exact account thereof, by
reason the circulation of blood was an interior motion, which their
senses, neither of themselves, nor by the help of any Optick Instrument
could perceive; but as soon as they had dissected an Animal Creature, to
find out the truth thereof, the interior corporeal motions proper to
that particular figure or creature, were altered. Then said the Empress,
If all Animal Creatures have not blood, it is certain, they all have
neither Muscles, tendons, nerves, &c. But, said she, Have you ever
observed Animal Creatures that are neither flesh, nor Fish, but of an
intermediate degree between both? Truly, answered both the Fish- and
Worm-men, We have observed several Animal Creatures that live both in
Water, and on the Earth, indifferently, and if any, certainly those may
be said to be of such a mixt nature, that is, partly Flesh, and partly
Fish: But how is it possible, replied the Empress, that they should live
both in Water, and on the Earth, since those Animals that live by the
respiration of Air, cannot live within Water; and those that live in
Water, cannot live by the respiration of Air, as Experience doth
sufficiently witness. They answered her Majesty, That as there were
different sorts of Creatures, so they had also different ways of
Respirations; for Respiration, said they, is nothing else but a
composition and division of parts, and the motions of nature being
infinitely various, it is impossible that all Creatures should have the
like motions; wherefore it was not necessary, that all Animal Creatures
should be bound to live either by the Air, or by Water onely, but
according as Nature had ordered it convenient to their Species. The
Empress seem'd very well satisfied with their answer, and desired to be
further informed, Whether all Animal Creatures did continue their
Species by a successive propogation of particulars, and whether in every
Species the off-springs did always resemble their Generator or Producer,
both in their interior and exterior Figures? They answered, her Majesty,
That some Species or sorts of Creatures, were kept up by a successive
propagation of an off-spring that was like the producer, but some were
not. Of the first rank, said they, are all those Animals that are of
different sexes, besides several others; but of the second rank are for
the most part those we call Insects, whose production proceds from such
causes as have no conformity or likeness with their produced Effects; as
for example, Maggots bred out of Cheese, and several others generated
out of Earth, Water, and the like. But said the Empress, there is some
likeness between Maggots and Cheese; for Cheese has no blood, nor
Maggots neither; besides, they have almost the same taste which Cheese
has. This proves nothing, answered they; for Maggots have a visible,
local, progressive motion, which Cheese hath not. The Empress replied,
That when all the Cheese was turned into Maggots, it might be said to
have local, progressive motion. They answered, That when the Cheese by
its own figurative motions was changed into Maggots, it was no more
Cheese. The Empress confessed that she observed Nature was infinitely
various in her works, and that though the species of Creatures did
continue, yet their particulars were subject to infinite changes. But
since you have informed me, said she, of the various sorts and
productions of Animal Creatures, I desire you to tell me what you have
observed of their sensitive perceptions? Truly, answered they, Your
Majesty puts a very hard question to us, and we shall hardly be able to
give a satisfactory answer to it; for there are many different sorts of
Creatures, which as they have all different perceptions, so they have
also different organs, which our senses are not able to discover, onely
in an Oystershell we have with admiration observed, that the common
sensorium of the Oyster lies just as the closing of the shells, where
the pressure and re-action may be perceived by the opening and shutting
of the shells every tide.
After all this, the Empress desired the Worm men to give her a true
Relation how frost was made upon the Earth? To which they answered, That
it was made much after the manner and description of the Fish- and
Bird-men, concerning the Congelation of Water into Ice and Snow, by a
commixture of saline and acid particles; which relation added a great
light to the Ape-men, who were the Chymists, concerning their Chymical
principles, Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury. But, said the Empress, if it be
so, it will require an infinite multitude of saline particles to produce
such a great quantity of Ice, Frost and Snow: besides, said she, when
Snow, Ice and Frost, turn again into their former principle, I would
fain know what becomes of those saline particles? But neither the
Worm-men, nor the Fish- and Bird-men, could give her an answer to it.
Then the Empress enquired of them the reason, Why Springs were not as
salt as the Sea is? also, why some did ebb and flow? To which it was
answered, That the ebbing and flowing of some Springs, was caused by
hollow Caverns within the Earth, where the Seawater crowding thorow, did
thrust forward, and drew backward the Spring-water, according to its own
way of ebbing and flowing; but others said, That it proceeded from a
small proportion of saline and acid particles, which the Spring-water
imbibed from the Earth; and although it was not so much as to be
perceived by the sense of Taste; yet it was enough to cause an ebbing
and flowing-motion. And as for the Spring- water being fresh, they gave,
according to their Observation, this following reason: There is, said
they, a certain heat within the Bowels of the Earth, proceeding from its
swift circular motion, upon its own axe, which heat distills the rarest
parts of the Earth into a fresh and insipid water, which water being
through the pores of the Earth, conveighed into a place where it may
break forth without resistance or obstruction, causes Springs and
Fountains; and these distilled Waters within the Earth, do nourish and
refresh the grosser and drier parts thereof. This Relation confirmed the
Empress in the opinion concerning the motion of the Earth, and the
fixedness of the Sun, as the Bird-men had informed her; and then she
asked the Worm-men, whether Minerals and Vegetables were generated by
the same heat that is within the Bowels of the Earth? To which they
could give her no positive answer; onely this they affirmed, That heat
and cold were not the primary producing causes of either Vegetables or
Minerals, or other sorts of Creatures, but onely effects; and to prove
this our assertion, said they, we have observed, that by change of some
sorts of Corporeal motions, that which is now hot, will become cold; and
what is now cold, will grow hot; but the hottest place of all, we find
to be the Center of the Earth: Neither do we observe, that the Torrid
Zone does contain so much Gold and Silver as the Temperate; nor is there
great store of Iron and Lead wheresoever there is Gold; for these Metals
are most found in colder Climates towards either of the Poles. This
Observation, the Empress commanded them to confer with her Chymists, the
Ape-men; to let them know that Gold was not produced by a violent, but a
temperate degree of heat. She asked further, Whether Gold could not be
made by Art? They answered, That they could not certainly tell her
Majesty, but if it was possible to be done, they thought Tin, Lead,
Brass, Iron and Silver, to be the fittest Metals for such an Artificial
Transmutation. Then she asked them, Whether Art could produce Iron, Tin,
Lead, or Silver? They answered, Not, in their opinion. Then I perceive,
replyed the Empress, that your judgments are very irregular, since you
believe that Gold, which is so fixt a Metal, that nothing has been found
as yet which could occasion a dissolution of its interior figure, may be
made by Art, and not Tin, Lead, Iron, Copper or Silver, which yet are so
far weaker, and meaner Metals then Gold is. But the Worm-men excused
themselves, that they were ignorant in that Art, and that such questions
belonged more properly to the Ape-men, which were Her Majesties Chymists.
Then the Empress asked them, Whether by their Sensitive perceptions they
could observe the interior corporeal, figurative Motions both of
Vegetables and Minerals? They answer'd, That their Senses could perceive
them after they were produced, but not before; Nevertheless, said they,
although the interior, figurative motions of Natural Creatures are not
subject to the exterior, animal, sensitive perceptions, yet by their
Rational perception they may judg of them, and of their productions if
they be regular: Whereupon the Empress commanded the Bear-men to lend
them some of their best Microscopes. At which the Bear- men smilingly
answered her Majesty, that their Glasses would do them but little
service in the bowels of the Earth, because there was no light; for,
said they, our Glasses do onely represent exterior objects, according to
the various reflections and positions of light; and wheresoever light is
wanting, the glasses wil do no good. To which the Worm-men replied, that
although they could not say much of refractions, reflections,
inflections, and the like; yet were they not blind, even in the bowels
of the Earth: for they could see the several sorts of Minerals, as also
minute Animals, that lived there; which minute Animal Creatures were not
blind neither, but had some kind of sensitive perception that was as
serviceable to them, as sight, taste, smell, touch, hearing, &c. was to
other Animal Creatures: By which it is evident, That Nature has been as
bountiful to those Creatures that live underground, or in the bowels of
the Earth, as to those that live upon the surface of the Earth, or in
the Air, or in Water. But howsoever, proceeded the Worm-men, although
there is light in the bowels of the Earth, yet your Microscopes will do
but little good there, by reason those Creatures that live under ground
have not such an optick sense as those that live on the surface of the
Earth: wherefore, unless you had such Glasses as are proper for their
perception, your Microscopes will not be any ways advantagious to them.
The Empress seem'd well pleased with this answer of the Worm-men; and
asked them further, Whether Minerals and all other Creatures within the
Earth were colourless? At which question they could not forbear
laughing; and when the Empress asked the reason why they laught? We most
humbly beg your Majesties pardon, replied they; for we could not chuse
but laugh, when we heard of a colourless Body. Why, said the Empress,
Colour is onely an accident, which is an immaterial thing, and has no
being of it self, but in another body. Those, replied they, that
informed your Majesty thus, surely their rational motions were very
irregular; For how is it possible, that a Natural nothing can have a
being in Nature? If it be no substance, it cannot have a being, and if
no being, it is nothing; Wherefore the distinction between subsisting of
it self, and subsisting in another body, is a meer nicety, and
non-sense, for there is nothing in Nature that can subsist of, or by it
self, (I mean singly) by reason all parts of Nature are composed in one
body, and though they may be infinitely divided, commixed, and changed
in their particular, yet in general, parts cannot be separated from
parts as long as Nature lasts; nay, we might as probably affirm, that
Infinite Nature would be as soon destroyed, as that one Atom could
perish; and therefore your Majesty may firmly believe, that there is no
Body without colour, nor no Colour without body; for colour, figure,
place, magnitude, and body, are all but one thing, without any
separation or abstraction from each other.
The Empress was so wonderfully taken with this Discourse of the
Worm-men, that she not only pardoned the rudeness they committed in
laughing at first at her question, but yielded a full assent to their
opinion, which she thought the most rational that ever she had heard
yet; and then proceeding in her questions, enquired further, whether
they had observed any seminal principles within the Earth free from all
dimensions and qualities, which produced Vegetables, Minerals, and the
like? To which they answered, That concerning the seeds of Minerals,
their sensitive perceptions had never observed any; but Vegetables had
certain seeds out of which they were produced. Then she asked, whether
those seeds of Vegetables lost their Species, that is, were annihilated
in the production of their off-spring? To which they answered, That by
an Annihilation, nothing could be produced, and that the seeds of
Vegetables were so far from being annihilated in their productions, that
they did rather numerously increase and multiply; for the division of
one seed, said they, does produce numbers of seeds out of it self. But
repli'd the Empress, A particular part cannot increase of it self. 'Tis
true, answer'd they: but they increase not barely of themselves, but by
joining and commixing with other parts, which do assist them in their
productions, and by way of imitation form or figure their own parts into
such or such particulars. Then, I pray inform me, said the Empress, what
disguise those seeds put on, and how they do conceal themselves in their
Transmutations? They answered, That seeds did no ways disguise or
conceal, but rather divulge themselves in the multiplication of their
off-spring; onely they did hide and conceal themselves from their
sensitive perceptions so, that their figurative and productive motions
were not perceptible by Animal Creatures. Again, the Empress asked them,
whether there were any Non-beings within the Earth? To which they
answered, That they never heard of any such thing; and that, if her
Majesty would know the truth thereof, she must ask those Creatures that
are called Immaterial spirits, which had a great affinity with
Non-beings, and perhaps could give her a satisfactory answer to this
question. Then she desired to be informed, What opinion they had of the
beginning of Forms? They told her Majesty, That they did not understand
what she meant by this expression; For, said they, there is no beginning
in Nature, no not of Particulars; by reason Nature is Eternal and
Infinite, and her particulars are subject to infinite changes and
transmutations by vertue of their own Corporeal, figurative
self-motions; so that there's nothing new in Nature, not properly a
beginning of any thing. The Empress seem'd well satisfied with all those
answers, and enquired further, Whether there was no Art used by those
Creatures that live within the Earth? Yes, answered they: for the
several parts of the Earth do join and assist each other in composition
or framing of such or such particulars; and many times, there are
factions and divisions; which cause productions of mixt Species; as, for
example, weeds, instead of sweet flowres and useful fruits; but
Gardeners and Husbandmen use often to decide their quarrels, and cause
them to agree; which though it shews a kindness to the differing parties,
yet 'tis a great prejudice to the Worms, and other Animal-Creatures
that live under ground; for it most commonly causes their dissolution
and ruine, at best they are driven out of their habitations. What, said
the Empress, are not Worms produced out of the Earth? Their production
in general, answered they, is like the production of all other Natural
Creatures, proceeding from the corporeal figurative motions of Nature;
but as for their particular productions, they are according to the
nature of their Species; some are produced out of flowers, some out
of roots, some out of fruits, some out of ordinary Earth. Then they
are very ungrateful Children, replied the Empress, that they feed on
their own Parents which gave them life. Their life, answered they, is
their own, and not their Parents; for no part or creature of Nature can
either give or take away life; but parts do onely assist and join with
parts, either in dissolution or production of other Parts and Creatures.
After this, and several other Conferences, which the Empress held with
the Worm-men, she dismissed them; and having taken much satisfaction in
several of their Answers, encouraged them in their Studies and
Observations. Then she made a Convocation of her Chymists, the Ape-men;
and commanded them to give her an account of the several Transmutations
which their Art was able to produce. They begun first with a long and
tedious Discourse concerning the Primitive Ingredients of Natural
bodies; and how, by their Art, they had found out the principles out of
which they consist. But they did not all agree in their opinions; for
some said, That the Principles of all Natural Bodies were the four
Elements, Fire, Air, Water, Earth, out of which they were composed:
Others rejected this Elementary commixture, and said, There were many
Bodies out of which none of the four Elements could be extracted by any
degree of Fire whatsoever; and that, on the other side, there were
divers Bodies, whose resolution by Fire reduced them into more then four
different Ingredients; and these affirmed, That the only principles of
Natural Bodies were Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury: Others again declared,
That none of the forementioned could be called the True Principles of
Natural Bodies; but that by their industry and pains which they had
taken in the Art of Chymistry, they had discovered, that all Natural
Bodies were produced but from one Principle, which was Water; for all
Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals, said they, are nothing else, but
simple Water distinguished into various figures by the vertue of their
Seeds. But after a great many debates and contentions about this
Subject, the Empress being so much tired that she was not able to hear
them any longer, imposed a general silence upon them, and then declared
her self in this following Discourse.
I am too sensible of the pains you have taken in the Art of Chymistry,
to discover the Principles of Natural Bodies, and wish they had been
more profitably bestowed upon some other, then such experiments; for
both by my own Contemplation, and the Observations which I have made by
my rational & sensitive perception upon Nature, and her works, I find,
that Nature is but one Infinite Self-moving Body, which by the vertue of
its self-motion, is divided into Infinite parts, which parts being
restless, undergo perpetual changes and transmutations by their infinite
compositions and divisions. Now, if this be so, as surely, according to
regular Sense and Reason, it appears no otherwise; it is in vain to look
for primary Ingredients, or constitutive principles of Natural Bodies,
since there is no more but one Universal Principle of Nature, to wit,
self-moving Matter, which is the onely cause of all natural effects.
Next, I desire you to consider, that Fire is but a particular Creature,
or effect of Nature, and occasions not onely different effects in
several Bodies, but on some Bodies has no power at all; witness Gold,
which never could be brought yet to change its interior figure by the
art of Fire; and if this be so, Why should you be so simple as to
believe that Fire can shew you the Principles of Nature? and that either
the Four Elements, or Water onely, or Salt Sulphur and Mercury, all
which are no more but particular effects and Creatures of Nature, should
be the Primitive Ingredients or Principles of all Natural Bodies?
Wherefore, I will not have you to take more pains, and waste your time
in such fruitless attempts, but be wiser hereafter, and busie your
selves with such Experiments as may be beneficial to the publick.