An Account of Two Books

Sometimes the Pots are taken up all dry, and so sometimes prove best; sometimes again they are taken up wet. Whether this ariseth from the Vapors coming from below, or the moisture that is squeezed out by the weight of the Pots, we cannot discern. This we observe, That the Plates that cover the Pots, yield better and thicker Flakes, than do the Rolls within. And the outsides, next to the Planks, bigger and better than the insides, next to the Rolls, and the Spirits that first arise out of the Vinegar. We therefore question much, Whether the strongest bodied Vinegar, or the quickest and sharpest, be the most effectual? The Accidents to the Workmen are, Immediate pain in the Stomack, with exceeding Contorsions in the Guts, and Costiveness that yields not to Catharticks, hardly to often repeated Clysters: best to Lenitives, Oil of Olives, or Strong new Wort. It brings them also to acute Fevers, and great Asthma's or Shortness of Breath. And these we find effected principally by the Mineral Steams in the casting of the Plates of Lead, and by the Dust of the Flakes. Also by the Steams coming from out of the Heaps, when the Pots are taking up. Next, a Vertigo, or dizziness in the Head, with continual great pain in the Brows, Blindness, Stupidity, and Paralytick Affections; loss of Appetite, Sickness, and frequent Vomitings, generally of sincere Phlegm, sometimes mixed with Choler, to the extremeest weakening of the Body. And these chiefly in them that have the charge of Grinding, and over the Drying Place. An Account of Two Books. I. The True Intellectual System of the Universe. The First Part. Wherein all the Reason and Philosophy of Atheism is confuted, and its impossibility demonstrated: By R. Cudworth, DD. London, printed for Rich. Royston, 1678. in fol. The Reverend and Learned Author acquaints us in his Preface with his whole Design, it being to demonstrate these three Things: 1. That there is an Omnipotent Understanding Being, presiding over All. 2. That this Being hath an Essential Goodness and Justice: the differences of Moral Good and Evil, not being by Will and Law only, but also by Nature; according according to which the Deity acts and governs Mankind. 3. That Necessity not being Intrinsic to the Nature of every thing, but Men having such a Power over their own Actions, as to render them accountable for the same; there is therefore a Distributive Justice running through the World. The first of these (against Atheism) taketh up this whole Book: which is divided into five Chapters. Whereof, the first is an account of the Atomick Physiology, as made the foundation of the Democritick Fate, that is, the Atomick Atheism, or Material necessity of All things without a God. Of the Atomick Physiology he discourseth principally two things: 1. That it was not the Invention of Democritus or Leucippus; but of much greater Antiquity. Proved from the Tradition transmitted by Posidonius, &c. that it was derived from Moschus a Phoenician, living before the Trojan Wars, and probably the same with Moschus, mentioned in Jamblichus. From Aristotle's Testimony herof. And in that Pythagoras, Empedocles, and most of the Ancient Physiologers, were Atomists. And by other Arguments. And that therefore, all that was true of Democritus and Leucippus, is only, that they were the first Atheizers of the Ancient Atomick Physiology. 2. That this Atomick Physiology, rightly understood, is no Nurse to Atheism, but the greatest defence against it: being founded upon this Principle, That Nothing can be caused by Nothing. From whence it was concluded, That in Natural Generations there was no New real Entity produced: And consequently, That the qualities and forms of Inanimate Bodies, are no Entities really distinct from the Magnitude, Figure, Site, and Motion of Parts. And, that Souls are substances Incorporeal, not generated out of Matter. Affirmed by Pythagoras, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, and all the best of the Ancients. That upon the same Principle was founded, the Pythagoric Doctrines of the Preexistence and Transmigration of Souls. And, that whoever admits and understands the Atomick Physiology, must also acknowledge Incorporeal Substance: which is the overthrow of Atheism. From these Premisses he concludes, That the ancient Moschical Physiology consisted, of Atomical Physiology and Pneumatology. And was mangled by Democritus, who superseded their Pneumatology: and by Plato and Aristotle, who superseded their Atomology. In the Second Chapter are contained, all the pretended grounds of Reason (except those peculiar to the Hylozoick form, directly contrary to the Atomick) for the Atheistick Hypothesis. As, That there is no Idea of God. Nothing can be created out of Nothing. The Universe can consist of nothing but Space and Body. Assertion of a Deity, arising merely from the abstract Names and Notions of things. No Being essentially Incorruptible, because Corporeal. The first Principle, no Understanding Nature. Soul and Mind begot of Senseless Atoms Nothing Immortal. No unmoved first Mover. All Knowledge and Idea's, junior to the World. The World Ill made. No Providence: nor would it consist with the Deity. Theism inconsistent with Civil Government. Therefore all sprung from Nature and Chance. All which he lays down fairly, and to the greatest advantage of the Atheist. The Third Chapter is an Introduction to the confutation of Atheism: containing a particular account of all the several forms of Atheism. And first of the Hylozoick, not noted by any Modern. First started by Strato, in opposition to the Democritick Hypothesis: and reviv'd of late by some, so sagacious as to see that Hypothesis indefensible. Next, That before Democritus the most ancient Atheistick Hypothesis was, the Eduction of all things, Life and Understanding itself, out of Matter, in the way of generable and corruptible Qualities; which he styleth the Hylopathian or Anaximandrian; Anaximander being the Author of it, whose supreme Deity was Infinite Matter: and who was the first Atheistick Philosopher. Here also of the Atheistick Theogonism; which, though it asserted Many Gods, and also One Supreme, yet, that all were generated out of Night and Chaos, and thereinto corruptible. Besides these, of a fourth, which seemeth to be but the corruption of Stoicism; and which he styleth, the Cosmoplaystick Form. This concluded the whole World, not to be an Animal (as the Pagan Theists generally supposed) but to be One huge Plant, having an Artificial, Plastick and Vegetable Nature, as its highest Principle. All the said Forms agreeing in this, That all Animality conscious Life and Understanding is generated out of Senseless Matter, and corruptible into it. Whereto he subjoyns a digression of an Artificial Plastick Nature; asserting, that it is the Instrument of the Deity. Agreeable to the sense of best Philosophers, 'Tis no Occult quality. The Divine Art embodied, bodied. Its Opificer. Without Consciousness. As Fatally and Sympathetically. Incorporeal. Lodg'd in the Souls of Animals. A Censure of R. Des Cartes's Philosophy. In the fourth Chapter the Idea of God is declared, in answer to the first Atheistic Argument. A large account of the Pagan Polytheism; to remove a grand Objection that lay in the Authors way from thence, against the Naturality of the Idea of God, as including Unity or Onlyness in it. The rather by him thus fully given, because he had not met with it sufficiently performed before. Eugubinus, who hath laboured most in this Subject, having, besides other things, given no account of the many Pagan Poetical and Political Gods, what they were; yet a great part of the Authors performance, to prove them really to have been, but the Polyonymy of One God. The Author also largely insisteth upon the Trinity, in order to the giving a full account of the Pagan Theology: it being certain, that the Pythagoreans and Platonicks, if not others, had their Trinity. Of all which, most of the principal Heads discoursed, are these that follow, viz. That there must be some unmade Substance, the principle of Things made. The Asserters of two unmade Principles, God and the Matter. Omnipotence included in the Divine Idea. Knowledge and Power alone, make not up a God. A Good superior to Knowledge. Morality in the Nature of God. Onlyness, contained in the Divine Idea: Against which, the Pagan Polytheism the grand Objection. The Ditheistic Doctrine. Of the Platonic Origin of Evils, Pagans, not generally Ditheists. Things of Nature personated and Deified, but several Names of God. All the Pagan gods derived from one Supreme. The Pagan Theogonia the same with the Cosmogonia. The Pagans Eternal gods derived from one Supreme. This, denoted by Appellatives, as Διόνυσος, ἡ Θεᾶ, Ὑπερβολή, taken only for the Inferiors. Champions for Paganism assert one Supreme, as Apollonius Tyaneus, &c. Of the Sibylline Oracles. The Triplastic Mithras of the Persians. The Chaldaick Trinity, and Oracles. History of Orpheus, no Romance. A Polytheist, yet asserter of one Supreme. A Trinity, part of the Orphic Cabala. Grand Arcanum of the Orphic Theology, that God is All. This a ground of Polytheism amongst as well the Egyptians, as Greeks and other Nations. Names of Greekish gods from the Egyptians. Who were yet constant asserters of the Cosmogonia: and of Incorporeal Substance. Some Trismegistic Books counterfeit; not all. all. The ancient Egyptian Theology, that God is All, ἀπό πάντων. Pan, God diffus’d through all. Eileon, Emeph, and Phtha, the Egyptian Trinity. Poets, depravers of the Pagan Theology. Hesiod’s Theogonia, meant of the Inferior gods. Sophocles, Euripides &c., asserters of one Supreme Consent of the Latin Poets herein. Epicurus, the only Philosopher asserting many Independent gods. Pythagoras’s Monad. His Tetradys, the Tetragrammaton or Hebrew Name of God consisting of four letters. Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Parmenides, Melissus, Zeno Eleates, Empedocles, Timaeus Locrus, Euclides, Antisthenes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Speusippus, Xenocrates, Theophrastus, Cleanthes, Cicero, asserters of One Supreme. So, Symmachus, Seneca, Plutarch, Galen, Maximus Tyrius, Plotinus, &c. Varro’s Natural Theology, distinct from the Mythical and Civil. Vulgar Pagans acknowledged also Many gods, yet One Supreme. The Roman and Samothracian Trinity or Cabiri. Ὅρκεια ἐν Κούρῳ, the Pagan Litany to the Supreme God. Pagans held the World to be one Animal. Not cut off from the Deity. Their knowledge of One Supreme asserted by the Hebrews. Testified in Scripture. They worshipped the rest as Mediators. The Supreme God Polyonymous amongst them. Pan, Janus, Genius, Saturn, &c., all Names of the Supreme God. More popular and Poetick Gods, the same. The Philosophick and Physiologick Theology different. Apuleius’s reduction of the Pagan Gods to Plato’s Idea’s. God, according to the Pagan Theology, pervadeth all things. A higher strain of the Pagan Theology, that God is all things. The parts of the World personated and Deify’d, their Physiological Theology. This, not Varro’s Natural. They hence approve of worshiping God in his Works. Accidents and Affections by them personated and Deify’d. Of those Pagan Theologers, who made God the Soul of the World. To these, the parts of the World, the parts of God. This Mundane Animal worshipped in its several parts. Of the Platonists supermundane and Eternal Gods, ἐν, Νῦσις, & Ἀρχῇ. This Trinity of the Pagans derived from a divine Cabala. A Trinity of Gods, Homousian. Yet dependent and subordinate. The agreement and disagreement of this, and the Christian. The Tritheistic Trinity of some of the Fathers. The true Notion of ὁμοούσιον. The Cabala of the Trinity, altered by Junior Platonists. Proclus’s Monad, before the Trinity, &c. The last Chapter confutes all the Atheistic Grounds; demonstrates monstrates the Impossibility of Atheism; and by necessary Inference from undeniable Principles, the actual Existence of a God. Together with the perfection of the Creation. Of which, most of the principal Heads are these following, viz. Sense, not Knowledge. Thoughts of what is not in sense, an evidence of things not sensible. God, not unconceivable. Certain, that Never Nothing. Eternity a Philosophick Attribute of the Deity. The sense of τὸ ἀείναι, ἀειδέναι. Atheism founded in distrust and ignorance of Causes. Atheists ignorant of the cause of themselves: of Morion: of the Mundane Regularity. Things made for Ends. Nature, Mechanical and Vital. Chance, not Artificial. God, not Αὐτοκράτωρ ἀμαρτίας. The Mechanical Theist confuted. Idea of God, not from amplification of Imperfect things, or other feigning power of the Soul. Atheism confuted by apparitions, Witches, and Demoniacs. By Miracles. How they confirm a Prophet. By Oracles. Scripture triumphing over Pagan Oracles. Sense, phantastical and relative. Mind, reaches absolute Truth. The Cartesian, and other demonstrations of a God, from his Idea. Intellecition, not the Image of Sensibles. Eternal truths and Intelligibles. In what sense, Nothing out of Nothing. Atheists make more out of Nothing, than Theists. Matter, not necessarily existent. Arguments against an Incorporeal Deity, confuted. Extension and Entity, not the same. Sense and Imagination, not the Measures of things. Souls always united to some Body, the old Philosophick Cabala. The Souls Spirituous body (supposed) after Death. The 'Auriculæ', third, or Heavenly Body. Mystery of the Resurrection, a spiritual and heavenly Body. To the majority of Fathers, Demons, and Angels Bodied. Reasons for unextended Substance. A First Mover, demonstrated. Thoughts, not action of Objects. Scale of Entity, asserted. Grand Objection against the Substantiality of all Souls, answer'd. Divine Goodness asserted. Inclination of the Earth's Axis, argueth Providence. Evils, from the necessity of Imperfect Beings. Providence in the Oeconomy of Humane affairs. Not parts of the World alone, but the whole to be consider'd. The Vastness of it. Future and past, with present. Providence, not laborious and distractive to the Deity. Atheists Queries, answer'd. Atheists Politicks, unravel'd. Founded in the Villanizing of Humane Nature, &c. The whole Work abounds with variety of good Reading, nd Judicious Discourse thereupon. II. The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne, through Turkey into Persia and the East-Indies. In English. London 1678. in fol. Although there have been formerly some Observations recited out of this Book; yet being a Work so full of Natural, as well as other History; it doth therefore justly merit the following Account. The whole Work is divided into Two Parts. The first, into Five Books: whereof the three former describe the Roads from Paris to Ispaham, the Capital City of Persia. The two latter are an History of Persia. Of the Roads, he gives an account of no less than 21 considerable ones; with the several conveniencies and inconveniencies, times and stations, and ways of Travelling in them all. Particularly of Caravansera's and Government of the Caravans. As he passeth, he sets down whatever he saw observable of the Ground, Waters, or Air of the Countrey. As for Example, a Plain of 12 hours Riding all pure Salt, p.31. Another Salt Plain of 2 Leagues broad, and 10 long, p.39. Ararat and other Mountains hid in the Clouds for three months together. Mountains of Salt, p.143. Description of the Persian Gulph, Lake of Antioch, Black Sea, Tigris, Euphrates. That Water is scarce throughout Persia. That there is no River in it able to carry a Boat, except Aras. Seldom rains about Ispaham, but in April. About Lar, sometimes not of 3 years together. The Air of Bandor and Gomron most unwholesom by the West-Southwest Winds after March. He notes the extent and divisions of the Empire of Persia. Describes the Countries, Cities, and People of Georgia; where the best Souldiers, and the Women the fairest in all Asia. Mengrelia, Comania, Circassia. The Gaurs, Kalmouchs, Lesser Tartars, Christians of St. John. Of Cyprus, Santorini, Chio, Ormus, Malta, Cyclades, Milo, Paros. Of the principal Cities about the Black-Sea: Of Ispahan, Oufa, the capital City of Mesopotamia; Smyrna; Aleppo, the capital City of Syria; Syracuse, Messina, Nineveh, Balsara, Bagdat, Corinth, Athens, Ephesus, Antioch, Sardis Philadelphia, and many others. Of these he observeth sometimes the original and number of Inhabitants. Usually their Buildings, as the great Piazza in Ispaham, the Mosque at Tauris, Churches, Colleges, Inns, Private Houses, Houses, Ruines of the Temple of Diana, Funeral Monuments, Bridge of Zulpha, Halicacars a great Town, the Houses whereof built all Underground. Chamber, Bedstead, Table, and Cupboard, all hew'd out of the Rock, &c. Some people dwelling only in Hollow Rocks. Others only in Tents and Wagons. Hazardgerib, the fairest Garden in all Asia, &c. Their Habits, Games. Hawks taught to fly at the Wild Boar, Ass and Goat. Of their Race-Footmen. Most exact Shooting, Customs, Languages, Writing, and Seals. Their Feasts, and Diet. How Potage made. Acorn-Bread the only food of the Poor people near Sherazoul. People of Circassia make drink of Millet, and choose their Bread of that rather than Wheat. Lesser Tartars drink no Water by their good will, but only Milk; refuse no Diet but Swine's flesh; never eat Salt, yet live long. How they feed their Cattle, &c. Of their Diseases, Physicians, and Cures, some account. Gangrene in the Throat and Mouth a disease common about Erivan. Worms bred in the Limbs of a wonderful length. How the people of Comania and Circassia treat the sick, and cure the Head-ach, &c. Commodities, Trades, and Coins. Tauris the Mart for Turkey, Muscovy the Indies, and Persia. The Trade of Candy, and the chief Isles of the Archipelago, and of Smyrna, &c. They are excellent Damaskers. Have curious Manufactures of Gold, Silver and Silk, the best whereof from Cachan. Tells from whence Coring, Sallet-Oyl, Silks, the best Glue, the finest Wool, the Shagrin skin, fine blue Goat-Leather skins, Valanede for dying of Leather, &c. Nothing sold by Measure, but all by Weight. They have no Gold Coin currant, but only Silver and Copper, whereof the Author gives several Figures; and tells at what rates the exchange of Money is made, &c. The Government of the Empire, Justice, and manner of Executions. The Exchequer. Officers of the Custome-Houses. Division of Time. Genealogies of the Persian Kings. How their Children bred. Their Revenues. Ecclesiastical Government and Revenues. Marriages, Christenings, and Burials, &c. Of Animals; as of the breeding, nature, and sorts of Camels, Buffalo's, Arabian Horses, Jackals, a kind of Foxes. Pigeons as big as Hens. Hawks, how bred. A Lake 6 Leagues off Tauris full of red Ducks. Locusts. Grand fishery for Sturgeon near Queli, &c. Of Plants; as a particular sort of Quince Peppin. Some Orange trees as tall as Walnut, and thicker than 2 men can fathom. How they order their Vines, and keep their Wines. Blue Lillies. Best Gauls near Tauris. Best Water-Melons at Canverstan, &c. Of their Pearls: the Island Babron the great fishery and Market for them. A transparent Pearl. Large piece of Crystal containing a good quantity of water in the centre. The Stone called Amianthus in Cyprus. Great transparent Stones found near Tauris, wherewith they adorn their Houses: and in which sometimes Animals, as in Amber. With a great number of particulars more, reducible to the Classes above specified. The Second Part consists of 3 Books, whereunto is premised a discourse of of Coyns currant over all Asia, being Gold, Silver, Copper, several sorts of Shells & Almonds: of all which he gives the descriptions, value, & figures. The first Book contains the descriptions of 11 or 12 great Roads from Ispahan and Gehanabat (where the Great Mogul resides,) and to divers other considerable places in the Indies. The 2d Book is the History of the Empire & Court of the G. Mogul. The third Book, an Account of the Religion of the Mahometan Indians, Of the Faquirs, and their Penances. Of the Idolatrous Indians, and their Pagods, Pilgrimages, Burning the Women with their deceased Husbands; and divers other Customes. In these Books there are many things observable, both Natural, Moral and Civil, like to those above-mentioned out of the first Part: As of their Custom-Houses and Customes, Exchange, Weights, Measures, &c. Descriptions of Gehanabad, Amadabad, Baroche, and the Mountebanks there; Cambaya, Bengala, Bantam, Goa, and the famous Hospital there; Cape of good Hope, who cut out the right Testicles of all their Males. Of Boutan, the wonderful reverence the people have for their King. Of the Bramins and Camocks. The people of Saba, who never live above 40 years. The Bannians, who never kill any thing. Kingdom of Eipra, where the people have oftentimes great Wens under their Throats, especially the Women. Of Asim, Siam and Golconda, Macassar & their Poysons, Borneo, governed not by Kings, but Queens. He tells from whence Musk, Bezoar, with other medicinal Stones of Animals; the best Ivory. How they whiten Silk; whence the best painted Calico's, and how whitened. Whence Cinnamon, the best Cardamoms, Pepper, Indigo, Opium, Gum-Lak, Wormseed, Cassia fistularis, Ambergrise, Coral, Agats, Borax, Salt Armoniack, Salt Peter, &c. and the cheats used about them, &c. He informs us how Lions are tam'd; how Elephants taken, &c. Of the hooded Serpent of Melinde; of Siam with 2 heads, &c. How long since, and by whom Coffee brought into use. Nutmeg-Tree never planted. An Emetic Root, which the Augurs use. Tari, the sweet juice of a Tree. A purging Sorrel at St. Helius. At Nasapourz, a pure white Rice having the smell of Musk. The Cinnamon-Tree describ'd, &c. Of the Diamond Mines; whereof there are 4 describ'd. The places, ground, manner of working, &c. The Weights, Money, and Rules to prize the Stones, used at the Mines. Of Pearls, how bred; as also how, and where fished for, &c. To these Two Parts are added, his Relation of the Inner part of the Grand Seignor's Seraglio; never before expos'd to publick view. To which is subjoyn'd (by another Hand) a short description of all the Kingdoms which encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas; delivered by the Author after above 20 years Travel. Together with a Preface containing several remarkable Observations of the abovesaid Countries. IMPRIMATUR, Jonas Moore, R.S.Vice-Praefex. London, Printed for John Martyn, Printer to the R. Society, 1678.