The Hartlib Papers

that if they would follow his advice he would make they should looke as well as he; they assuring him they would, he desired them to play together at Tennis, till they did swet abundantly, and to permit him to gather their swet. Which being done; he did mingle the swet of each other into his Antagonists broath, (clàm ipsis) after which they became very loving brothers together, as well when they were together as asunder.     I will let your philosophers devise [H underlines] <H: Can any of your Philosophical relations tell> the reason as well of the odd temper as the od succes of the odd cure thereof<H: ?>   If[H capitalises] Mr Clodius will not beleeue, that a man hath truly turned Mercury[H capitalises] into Gold, he will much lesse beleeue, that a woman, who is here at Paris hath the Art of turning<fixing> the mercury of Antimony, whom I shall endeauor to see and to inquire after the truth from herselfe <H: />        I haue <no> acquaintance at Collen (for when we were in Germany, our time would not permit us to goe [thither,? MS faded] else I should make inquiry <of> that Dr Nicols, you name for a catcher and condenser of the sun-beams. Monsieur Borreel, the Frenchman, that liues at Castres, writeth me word, he knows severall ways to performe it, but expresseth none as yet, seeming to be avaricious of his secret, if he hath it indeed. I am much pleased, that you haue got some more information concerning Maria Rante; I doubt not, but you will poursue our noble friends addresse to make further inquiry after her and her profecy, among those booksellers in Westm. hal, as ye are directed. I shall also not faile, God willing, to make search here whether no French philosofer hath the way of making saltpeter out of seasalt.        A friend of mine in the furthermost [H underlines] parts of France desireth me to inquire, whether any body in England knoweth a certain artificiall chymicall stone, [that? MS faded]

a magnes aquæ, that<which> being put vpon a syphon draweth vp the water sponte suâ: adding, he hath heard, there [is? MS faded] a Monke[H capitalises and underlines] at Tolouse, that knows the secret, but will not part with it. <H: #> From Castres I heare from my friends there, that Monsieur Balthasar is very assiduous in his the poursuit of writing against the great Goliah, and that, if God Allmighty be pleased to continue life and health vnto him, for some few years, he will be able to subvert the tour of Babel, hauing all the instruments necessary for its desolation, and nothing being wanting, but to employ them and to put every one in its place for the battery.   But this Engineer is to work secretly least the crafty malice of the concerned Iesuite doe not countermine him with calomnies at court or other tricks, which they want no store of. Wherefore we shall doe well to conceale his name (if we haue not published it too much already) and to desire our friends, whom we haue named him vnto, to hide him hereafter as much they can.      From My Languedocian friend I haue receaued no answer as yet, neither from Mr [Rhegius,.?] though an acquaintance of ours from Monpelier writeth me word, that he hath seen him write to me, and heard him say he would send his letter for me to Mr Holden, an English Dr of the Sorbon here at Paris, who is Sir Kenelm Digbies agent, and knowne to me also, to whom I haue spoken about it, but find he hath not as yet receaued that letter. I suppose, you[H underlines] haue heard, that there is another volume of Monsieur de Cartes his letters vnder the presse, which will be shortly finished; and after that a treatise of the same De

Animalibus, wherein he endeavors more particularly to proue, than[altered] [deletion] in his other writings, that all their actions [are? MS faded] meerly mechanicall. They are advanced by an admirer of his, called Monsieur Clerselier who is here at Paris, and of our acquaintance; by whom we saw the other day Monsieur Des Cartes his owne hand concerning that subject; and among other particulars a comparison of his, between the operations of the body of Animals and the Harmony of organs, affirming, that as this[altered from the said] harmony depends from 3. things, videlicet the Aire, that coms from the bellows, the pipes, that giue the sound; and the distribution of that air into these pipes, that just so the functions of an Animal, that is to say, the motions of its members, depend only, <1.> from the Animal-spirits, proceeding from the Heart, that are like to the aire coming from the bellows: 2. from the pores of the brain, through which [those? MS faded] spirits passe, and the nerues and muscles, into which they passe, resembling the pipes, that giue the sound; and 3. from the manner in which they are distributed into them: Insomuch, that, as our Church-organs is are thus disposed, that from the agitation and distribution of the wind into the pipes there follows necessarily a sound and harmony, which we heare; euen so an Animal is composed, that, from thence that <whereas> the animal-spirits are pressed into the [cauities? MS faded] of the braine, and thence conveighed through the nerues into the muscles, there must of necessity follow those motions in the members, which we see. <H: />      But, I beleeue, ye are by this time weary of reading: wherefore I shal ease you, after I haue added that, as all mens mouths here are full of peace, so I thinke, the [Cardinals? MS faded] heart is yet far from it: nor can I see, how it can be made, [as? MS faded] things stand now, supposing, England will persist to maintain their [present? MS faded] gouernment, in the opposition of the stuardian or any kingly [interest? MS faded] [left margin:] The reason, why its thought, France is inclined to peace, is, that if they should receaue any check in the next campagne, all the kingdom would be in a combustion, because of the general discontent, that is in it, for the excessif oppressions. But, tell me, I pray, what [reason? MS faded] you haue of fearing a dangerous revolution in England I haue scarce room to adde [that? MS faded] I am heartely your friend and servant H. O.