A general collection of discourses of the virtuosi of France, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy, and other natural knowledg / Made in the assembly of the beaux esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation ; Render'd into English by G. Havers.

Bureau d'adresse et de rencontre (Paris, France)

Date:: 1664

Credit: A general collection of discourses of the virtuosi of France, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy, and other natural knowledg / Made in the assembly of the beaux esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation ; Render'd into English by G. Havers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

578/612 (page 552)

$lities, is to make a fpiritua] effed, as the adion of the Under- {landing is, depend upon a corporeal caufe, between which there is no proportion. And ’twere lefs abfurd to afcribe thefe efleds to the divers afpeds of the ftars, whofe influences and celeftial qualities-are never altogether alike. The Fifth faid, That wit is a dexterity or power of the foul, feated in the Cognofcitive rational faculty, not in the Appeti¬ tive or Senfitive. ‘Tis a certain capacity of the Underftanding to know things, which is done either by invention or inftrudion of others. Invention requires acutenefs of wit and judgement. Learning, docility, and likewife judgement. Memory ferves as well to invent as to learn. And thus three things are requi- fite to Wit, namely. Memory, Acutenefs, and Judgement. The firft furniflies matter and fundry things, without fupply whereof ’tis impoffible to have a good wit. The Judgement difpofes things in order, refolving the whole into its parts when ’tis requifite to learn or teach, and reducing the parts to their whole when ’tis requir’d to invent, which is the more difficult $ our mind finding it of more facility to divide things then to compound them. Whence Inventors of Arts, and things nece£ fary to life, have been plac’d in the number of the gods. But, becaufe each of thefe three faculties require a contrary tempera¬ ture 5 Memory a hot and moift, as in children $ Acutenefs of wit, a temper hot and dry, as that of Poets and Magicians 5 Judgement, a cold and dry, proper to old men 5 hence it is that a perfect Wit which excells in all three is rarely found. 11. Upon the fécond Point ’twas faid. That the Poet who (aid. Of New- that he who begins a work well hath already done half of it, years Gifts. fpa^e no judicioufly of humane adions then thofe who ad- vifetohave regard to the end. For, as this crowns the work, fo ’tis not to be doubted but a good beginning makes half of this wreath, and that both joyn’d together perfed the circle, the Hieroglyphick of the revolution of years. Hence we fee anti¬ quity contriv’d to begin them with fome feftival folemnities, with intent thereby to confecrate their firft actions to the Deity. The Hebrews had their moft remarkable feafts in the moneth • Nifan, the firft of the year, anfwering to our March j and amongft others that lolemn Pafsover, when they invited their Neighbours to the feaft of the Lamb. The Greeks began their Olympiads with Games and Sacrifices to Jupiter $ and the fuper- ftitious Egyptians not only took omens from what they firft met every day, but made it their god for that day. And being next the divine afliftance men value nothing more then the favour and good will of .their friends, ’tis no wonder if after facrifices and publick ceremonies they have been fo careful to continue this mutual friendlhip by feafts and prefents at the beginning of the year, which fome extended to the beginnings of moneths, which are Lunar years, as the Turks do at the beginning of each$