Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi, upon questions of all sorts; for the improving of 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, Gent. & J. Davies of Kidwelly, Gent. [from T. and E. Renaudot].

  • Théophraste Renaudot
Date:
1665
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi, upon questions of all sorts; for the improving of 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, Gent. & J. Davies of Kidwelly, Gent. [from T. and E. Renaudot]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    mal Spirits, which remain immovable till they be deliver’d from the importunity of thofe vapours} which moreover more eafily afcending, when the Body is at reft, it happens that Sleep is frequently caus’d, not only by watchings, cares, labour, bath¬ ing, heat, and other things which difiipate the Spirits 5 but alfo by founds, gentle murmurs of water, fri&ions, and motions, fi- lence, and darknefs } unlefs we had rather fay. That the animal Spirits, being moft fubtle and luminous bodies, retire inwards during the darknefs, which is contrary to them. The Sixth faid. That Sleep being not only a depravation but a total privation of aftions, fince a thing exifts but fo far as it atts 5 at the fame proportion that we love our own Being, we ought to hate Sleep, and love Watching. The great George Ca- firiot, the Icourge of the Turks, never dept more then two hours} and the Poets had reafon to term Sleep, The Image of Deaths which the Scripture alfo expredes by Sleeping. As there¬ fore Death is to be avoided as much as poflible, fo alio ought Sleep, were it not that both of them,being inevitable evils, all we can do is to keep as far off them, and fuffer our felves to be led as little to them, as may be. The Poets themfelves feem willing to imprint in us a horror of Sleep, when they feign it the Son of Hell or Erebus, and Night, the brother of Death, the father of Morpheus, and that his Palace was amidft the dark¬ nefs of the Cimmerians. Moreover, the moft imperfeft Animals lleep more then others, which is the reafon Zoophytgs^ or Plant- animals, as the Sponge, Coral, and Oifters, deep continually 5 Snails, and foine Flys, three or four months 5 Bears, longer then other Animals y and amongft thdfe. Birds, as partaking more of the nature of Heaven, lleep lefs then four-footed Beafts: A Child, fo long as it approaches a beftial life in its Mothers belly, and for the firft years, deeps more than when ’tis grown to Man¬ hood 5 and being again become by Age a Child, deeps more than formerly, till he comes to the laft deep of death, which reduces him to nothing. Women, phlegmatick perfons, drunkards, and block-heads,deep more then Men,iober, and witty perfons. For we are no more to refer to the abufe of thefe Times in deeping very much, then to other Vices of the Age} amongft the'reft, Idlenefs, Eating and Drinking, wherein there is none fober at this day but exceed their juft meafure. 11. Upon the Second point it was faid, That Strength, as well as Which is the moft other things in the World, hath not an abfolute but only a JlrongeJi relative Being, a thing being called ftrong, in comparifon of i]wni?the others wh5ch are lefs Thus AnUus was ftron? in refPea of all other men } but weak, compared to Hercules: And as Achil¬ les was invulnerable in every other part laving the heel} lo Na¬ ture leems to have left in us a certain weaknefs and defedt in fome parts, wherein fome are more tender then others: So that ’tis hard to find one thing alike powerful towards all men, fince by