CHAPTER XIV.
_Of the_ Original _of All Things; of Atomes_; _and of the Operation of theSenses_.
I prayed him, since he had shew'd so much goodness, and that the Townwas not to part[1] till next day, that he would tell me somewhat ofthat Original of the World, which he had mentioned not long before;"and I promise you," said I, "that in requital, so soon as I am gotback to the Moon, from whence my Governour (pointing to my Spirit) willtell you that I am come, I'll spread your Renown there, by relating therare things you shall tell me: I perceive you Laugh at that promise,because you do not believe that the Moon I speak of is a World, andthat I am an Inhabitant of it; but I can assure you also, that thePeople of that World, who take this only for a Moon, will Laugh at mewhen I tell them that your Moon is a World, and that there are Fieldsand Inhabitants in it:"
He answered only with a smile, and spake in this manner:
"Since in Ascending to the Original of this Great A L L, we are forcedto run into three or four Absurdities; it is but reasonable we shouldfollow the way wherein we may be least apt to stumble. I say then, thatthe first Obstacle that stops us short is the Eternity of the World;and the minds of men, not being able enough to conceive it, and beingno more able to imagine, that this great Universe, so lovely and sowell ordered, could have made it self, they have had their recourseto Creation: But like to him that would leap into a River for fear ofbeing wet with Rain, they save themselves out of the Clutches of aDwarf, by running into the Arms of a Giant; and yet they are not safefor all that: For that Eternity which they deny the World, becausethey cannot comprehend it, they attribute it to God, as if he stood inneed of that Present, and as if it were easier to imagine it in theone than in the other; for tell me, pray, was it ever yet conceived inNature, how Something can be made of Nothing? Alas! Betwixt Nothingand an Atome only, there are such infinite Disproportions, that thesharpest Wit could never dive into them; therefore to get out of thisinextricable Labyrinth, you must admit of a Matter Eternal with God:But you'll say to me, grant I should allow you that Eternal Matter; howcould that Chaos dispose and order it self? That's the thing I am aboutto explain to you.
"My little Animal, after you have mentally divided every little VisibleBody, into an infinite many little invisible Bodies; you must imagine,That the infinite Universe consists only of these Atomes, which aremost solid, most incorruptible, and most simple; whose Figures arepartly Cubical, partly Parallelograms, partly Angular, partly Round,partly Sharp-pointed, partly Pyramidal, partly Six-cornered, and partlyOval; which act all severally, according to their Various Figures: Andto shew that it is so, put a very round Ivory Bowl upon a very smoothplace, and with the least touch you give it will be half a quarter ofan hour before it rest: Now I say, that if it were perfectly round,as some of the Atomes I speak of are, and the Surface on which it isput perfectly smooth, it would never rest. If Art then be capable ofinclining a Body to a perpetual Motion, why may we not believe thatNature can do it? It's the same with the other Figures, of which theSquare requires a perpetual Rest, others an oblique Motion, others ahalf Motion, as Trepidation; and the Round, whose Nature is to move,joyning a Pyramidal, makes that, perhaps, which we call Fire; becausenot only Fire is in continual Agitation, but also because it easilypenetrates: Besides, the Fire hath different effects, according tothe openings and quality of the Angles, when the round Figure isjoyned; for Example, The Fire of Pepper is another thing than the Fireof Sugar, the Fire of Sugar differs from that of Cinnamon; that ofCinnamon, from that of the Clove; and this from the Fire of a Faggot.Now the Fire, which is the Architect of the parts and whole of theUniverse, hath driven together, and Congregated into an Oak, thequantity of Figures which are necessary for the Composition of that Oak.
"But you'll say, how could Hazard congregate into one place all theFigures that are necessary for the production of that Oak? I answer,That it is no wonder that Matter so disposed should form an Oak, butthe wonder would have been greater, if the Matter being so disposed theOak had not been produced; had there been a few less of some Figures,it would have been an Elm, a Poplar, a Willow; and fewer of 'em still,it would have been the Sensitive Plant, an Oyster, a Worm, a Flie, aFrog, a Sparrow, an Ape, a Man. If three Dice being flung upon a Table,there happen a Raffle of two, or all;[2] a three, a four, and a five;or two sixes, and a third in the bottom;[3] would you say, O strange!that each Die should turn up such a chance, when there were so manyothers. A Sequence of three hath happened, O strange! Two sixes turnedup, and the bottom of the third, O strange! I am sure that being a manof Sense, you'll never make such Exclamations; for since there is buta certain quantity of Numbers upon the Dice, it's impossible but someof them must turn up; and you wonder, after that, how matter shuffledtogether Pell-Mell, as Chance pleases, should make a Man, seeing somany things were necessary for the Construction of his Being. Youknow not then, that this Matter tending to the Fabrick of a Man hathbeen a Million of times stopt in it's Progress for forming sometimesa Stone, sometimes Lead, sometimes Coral, sometimes Flower, sometimesa Comet; and all because of more or less Figures, that were requiredfor the framing of a Man: So that it is no greater wonder, if amongstinfinite Matters, which incessantly change and stir, some have hit uponthe construction of the few Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals whichwe see, than if in a Hundred Casts of the Dice, one should throw aRaffle: Nay, indeed, it is impossible, that in this hurling of things,nothing should be produced; and yet this will be always admired[4] bya Blockhead, who little knows how small a matter would have made itto have been otherwise. When the great River of [Illustration bar 3]makes a Mill to Grind, or guides the Wheels of a Clock, and the Brookof bar 4] only runs, and sometimes absconds, you willnot say that that River hath a great deal of Wit, because you know thatit hath met with things disposed for producing such rare Feats; forhad not the Mill stood in the way, it would not have ground the Corn;had it not met the Clock, it would not have marked the Hours: and ifthe little Rivulet I speak of had met with the same Opportunities, itwould have wrought the very same Miracles. Just so it is with the Firethat moves of it self; for finding Organs fit for the Act of Reasoning,it Reasons; when it finds only such as are proper for Sensation, itSensates; and when such as are fit for Vegetation, it Vegetates. And toprove it is so, put out but the Eyes of a Man, the Fire of whose Soulmakes him to see, and he will cease to see; just as our great Clockwill leave off to make the Hours, if the Movements of it be broken.
"In fine, these Primary and indivisible Atomes make a Circle, whereonwithout difficulty move the most perplexed Difficulties of NaturalPhilosophy; not so much as even the very Operation of the Senses, whichno Body hitherto hath been able to conceive, but I will easily explainby these little Bodies. Let us begin with the Sight. It deserves, asbeing the most incomprehensible, our first Essay.
[Sidenote: Operation of the Senses]
[5]"It is performed then, as I imagine, when the Tunicles of the Eye,whose Pores resemble those of Glass, transmitting that fiery Dust whichis called Visual Rays, the same is stopt by some opacous Matter whichmakes it recoil; and then, meeting in its retreat the Image of theObject that forced it back, and that Image being but an infinite numberof little Bodies exhaled in an equal Superfice from the Object beheld,it pursues it to our Eye: You'll not fail to Object, I know, that Glassis an Opacous Body, and very Compact; and that nevertheless, instead ofreflecting other Bodies, it lets them pass through: But I answer, thatthe Pores of Glass are shaped in the same Figure as those Atomes arewhich pass through it; and as a Wheat-Sieve is not proper for Siftingof Oats, nor an Oat-Sieve to Sift Wheat; so a Box of Deal-Board,though it be thin and lets a sound go through it, is impenetrable tothe Sight; and a piece of Chrystal, though transparent and pervious tothe Eye, is not penetrable to the Touch."
I could not here forbear to interrupt him: "A great Poet andPhilosopher[6] of our World," said I, "hath after _Epicurus_ and_Democritus_[7] spoken of these little Bodies, in the same manneralmost as you do; and therefore, you don't at all surprise me by that
Discourse: Only tell me, I pray, as you proceed, how, according to yourPrinciples, you'll explain to me the manner of drawing your Picture ina Looking-Glass."
"That's very easie," replied he, "for imagine with your self, thatthose Fires of our Eyes, having passed through the Glass and meetingbehind it an Opacous Body that reverberates them, they come back theway they went; and finding those little Bodies marching in equalSuperfices upon the Glass, they repel them to our Eyes; and ourImagination, hotter than the other Faculties of our Soul, attracts themore subtile, wherewith it draws our Picture in little.
"It is as easie to conceive the Act of Hearing, and for _Brevities_sake, let us only consider it in the Harmony of a Lute, touched by theHand of a Master. You'll ask me, How can it be, that I perceive at sogreat a distance a thing which I do not see? Does there a Sponge goout of my Ears, that drinks up that Musick, and brings it back with itagain? Or does the Player beget in my Head another little Musician,with another little Lute, who has Orders like an Eccho to sing overto me the same Airs? No; But that Miracle proceeds from this, thatthe String touched, striking those little Bodies of which the Air iscomposed, drives it gently into my Brain, with those little CorporealNothings that sweetly pierce into it; and according as the String isstretched, the Sound is high, because it more vigorously drives theAtomes; and the Organ being thus penetrated, furnisheth the Fancywherewith to make a Representation; if too little, then our Memory nothaving as yet finished its Image, we are forced to repeat the samesound to it again; to the end it may take enough of Materials, which,for Instance, the Measures of a _Saraband_[8] furnish it with, forfinishing the Picture of that _Saraband_; but that Operation is nothingnear so wonderful as those others, which by the help of the same Organexcite us sometimes to Joy, sometimes to Anger.
"And this happens, when in that motion these little Bodies meet withother little Bodies within us moving in the same manner, or whoseFigure renders them susceptible of the same Agitation; for then theseNewcomers stir up their Landlords to move as they do; & thus, whena violent Air meets with the Fire of our Blood, it inclines it to thesame Motion, and animates it to a Sally, which is the thing we callHeat of Courage; if the Sound be softer, and have only force enoughto raise a less Flame in greater Agitation, by leading it along theNerves, Membranes, and through the interstices of our Flesh it excitesthat Tickling which is called Joy: And so it happens in the Ebullitionof the other Passions, according as these little Bodies are more orless violently tossed upon us, according to the Motion they receiveby the rencounter of other Agitations, and according as they findDispositions in us for motion. So much for Hearing.
"Now, I think the Demonstration of Touching will be every whit aseasie, if we conceive that out of all palpable Matter there is aperpetual Emission of little Bodies, and that the more we touch them,the more evaporates; because we press them out of the Subject it self,as Water out of a Sponge when we squeez it. The Hard make a report tothe Organ of their Hardness; the Soft, of their Softness; the Rough,&c. And since this is so, we are not so quaint in Feeling withHands used to Labour, because of the Thickness of the Skin, whichbeing neither porous, nor animated, with difficulty transmits theEvaporations of Matter. Some, perhaps, may desire to know where theOrgan of Touching has its Residence. For my part, I think it is spreadover all the Surface of the Body, seeing in all parts it feels: YetI imagine, that the nearer the Member, wherewith we touch, be to theHead, the sooner we distinguish; which Experience convinces us of, whenwith shut Eyes we handle any thing, for then we'll more easily guesswhat it is; and if on the contrary we feel it with our hinder Feet,it will be harder for us to know it: And the Reason is, because ourSkin being all over perforated, our Nerves, which are of no compacterMatter, lose by the way a great many of those little Atomes through thelittle Holes of their Contexture, before they reach the Brain, whichis their Journeys end: It remains, that I speak of the Smelling andTasting.
"Pray tell me, when I taste a Fruit, is it not because the Heat of myMouth melts it? Confess to me then, that there being Salts in a Pear,and that they being separated by Dissolution into little Bodies of adifferent Figure from those which make the Taste of an Apple, they mustneeds pierce our Pallate in a very different manner: Just so as thethrust of a Pike, that passes through me, is not like the Wound whicha Pistol-Bullet makes me feel with a sudden start; and as that PistolBullet makes me suffer another sort of Pain than that of a Slug ofSteel.
"I have nothing to say, as to the Smelling, seeing the Philosophersthemselves confess, that it is performed by a continual Emission oflittle Bodies.
"Now upon the same Principle will I explain to you the Creation,Harmony, and Influence of the Celestial Globes, with the immutableVariety of Meteors."
He was about to proceed; but the Old Landlord coming in, made ourPhilosopher think of withdrawing: He brought in Christals full ofGlow-worms, to light the Parlour; but seeing those little fiery Insectslose much of their Light, when they are not fresh gathered, these whichwere ten days old had hardly any at all. My Spirit stayed not till theCompany should complain of it, but went up to his Chamber, and cameimmediately back again with two Bowls of Fire so Sparkling that allwondred he burnt not his Fingers. "These incombustible Tapers," saidhe, "will serve us better than your Week[9] of Worms. They are Rays ofthe Sun, which I have purged from their Heat; otherwise, the corrosivequalities of their Fire would have dazzled and offended your Eyes;I have fixed their Light, and inclosed it within these transparentBowls.[10] That ought not to afford you any great Cause of Admiration;for it is not harder for me, who am a Native of the Sun, to condensehis Beams, which are the Dust of that World, than it is for you togather the Atomes of the pulveriz'd Earth of this World."
Thereupon our Landlord sent a Servant to wait upon the Philosophershome, it being then Night, with a dozen Globes of Glowworms hangingat his four Legs. As for my Preceptor and my self, we went to rest,by order of the Phisiognomist. He laid me that Night in a Chamber ofViolets and Lillies, [and] ordered me to be tickled after the usualmanner.
[1] _Part_ and _depart_ were interchangeable in the seventeenthcentury. _Cf_. Shakspere, _Two Gentlemen of Verona_:
"But now he parted hence "; and, on the other hand, _King John_:
"Hath willingly departed with a part" (= _given up_ a part).
[2] Two alike, or all three alike.
[3] Two sixes and a one.
[4] Wondered at.
[5] Notice that the basis of this discussion is the supposition thatthe visual rays _start from the eye_.
[6] Lucretius.
[7] Democritus was the originator of the atomic theory.
[8] A lively Spanish dance-measure.
[9] Wick (_cf_. the Standard Dictionary). Some modern French editionshave "pelotons de verre," meaning "glass bulbs," but this is evidentlya mistake, since the seventeenth-century editions have _verres_, whichis their form, in all cases, for the modern _vers_. See also the firstmeaning of _peloton_ in Littre.
[10] The incandescent electric light?
Histoire comique des états et empires de la lune. English Page 17