Pray in what fence wou'd Mr. Cowley bave him understood, or how did Epicurus himself and bis Followers understand it, for the pleasure of the Body, or the Mind? God, because he deliver'd them from the flavifh fear of all other Gods, and the intolerable Clog of Religion, was yet so afraid of fuffering for his Opinion, that he difown'd it in publick and went to the Temples as devoutly, and facrific'd as conftantly as Hobbs himfelf wou'd have done, if then living; thereby encouraging the World in that Superftition from which his Followers pretend he came to deliver them. Whereas not the pooreft moft illiterate Christian Slave cou'd be brought by the moft terrible Death to any fuch mean compliance; who may yet be fuppos'd to have had the fame natural Love for Life, and averfion for pain, as other men. And as that was one great Iftance of the Epicurean prevarication, fo is this another which we have in Hand, for let them work up this their beloved notion as fine, and drefs it as clean as they can, 'twill always be nauseous and odi ous to a reasonable, and virtuous Man. No, 'tis not, they tell you, the very pleafure it felf, of eating and the like, wherein they place their fupreme happiness, but in that Indolence which they find on the fatisfaction of their defires, joyn'd with Enjoyments. the former whereof, bare Indolence, if taken without the latter, 'tis no more than what a stone, or good fubftantial Log, according to them their Brother-Lumps of matter, much be confeft to enjoy in a much greater perfection; at beft 'tis but a Lubberly happiness, exactly the fame which Beafts en A. Doubtlefs Mr. Cowley underftood the Pieafures of the Mind; but if we believe Epicurus him telf, or his Friend's Letters, he meant no other than thofe of the Body,nmaking the Belly the Seat of pleafure, and confequently of happiness: We know fome of his Followers plead for him that thefe Paffages were foifted into his Writings by the Stoicks, and others his Enemies, but they ought to prove this, as well as affirm it; and if they can't produce any Copies without thefe pretended Interpolations, there's few impartial Judges but wou'd ftill conclude them genuine, as well as thofe Scandalous Letters which bear his name, and are fo very like their Father. But we are yet more certain from his own avow'd Prinples and undoubted works,that he neither did, nor cou'd mean any other but the Pleasures of the Body, because he believ'd nothing but Body, and he only banters his Reader, and all Mankind, when he pretends he plac'd Supreme Fe licity in the Pleasures of the Mind, nay gives his Gods themselves a Quafi Corpus, moulds them only of a little finer fort of matter than their Worshippers. And here once for all, let it be obferv'd to the Eternal Honour both of ancient and modern Epicureans that their feet were ever the vileft Co. wards, as well as the bafeft Hypo-joy when they chew the Cud,orthat crites, This great Genius, Epicurus himfelf whom his Followers can scarce forbear making a For of a well fed Swine,when stretcht and at ease on his warm Dughil. That true Epicurean Animal, though (though Cowley gives the Graf bopper that Honour) wanting nothing of the happiness of his Mafter, or of his Bodily God either, but only that his ease is not undifturb'd and Everlasting. proceeds from the Action and Reflection infinitely higher and fuller, as well as more durable and lafting, than any which the moft happy Epicurean cou'd ever pretend to. And fo have thofe few perfons acknowledg'd who have had experience of both. QPray give me leave to ask ye this question, Whether or no the Air is corruptible. or infect eth? The reafon why I trouble you with this is, becaufe Feltham fays of it in his Refolves, fol. 52. Nor is it corruptible: We Speak falfely, when we say, the Air "infecteth. They are unwhol fome Vapours and Exhalations, "that putrid things breathe out; "and thefe being carried by the "motive Air, fly about, and in fect, through their rarity and "thinnefs. The Air it self ever Clarifies, and is always work. ing out that taint, which wou'd mix with it. And befides, either this Reflection prefents the object more lively than when 'twas actually Poffefs'd, and then the height of their Felicity is no more than the pleasure of a Dream, a meer impofition on their Fancy,and a grofs cheat, which they put on their own Imagination, or elfe 'tis lefs, and more dead, and vapid than the thing it felf, as Copies generally fall short of their Originals, and the second or third Rainbow is not fo bright as the first; and this almost always happens in fenfual pleafures, which are not only a pain and fhame and torment in the Reflexion, either because they come fo fhort of that Idea which Men had fram'd to themselves concerning them. Befides, how true happiness can confift in that which the more 'tis enjoy'd the lefs A. The nearest Subftance to delight it gives, we confefs we Air doubtless, is the Water, can't conceive; and we appeal to which cleans it felf by Fermentaany Epicurean, if they have yet tion and other ways, as well as any Ingenuity left, whether they the Air; yet none queftions but cou'd chufe any fenfual Pleasure that may be infected it self, any the frequent Repetition whereof more than that it infects those who wou'd not induce Satiety and use it,though not from its own NaLoathing? And what then be- ture, but thofe mixtures which comes of their boafted Reflection? it receives. The fame cafe it is Or will they pretend to find with the Air, which is really in that Satisfaction there, which they fected with noxious Vapours, as mift in the Enjoyment; nay found much as the Body of Man is by the very contrary in it? It muft fucking in both together, fo extherefore be acknowledg'd by all quilitely mixt that there's no diwho are not quite funk in fenfe,viding 'em, and yet the Body enthat the pleasures which Vertue deavours to throw 'em off, as well affords are much more rational, as the Air; as in the Plague, by as well as of Religion, more Di-Boils,in the Small Pox by Puftles, vine, and the Satisfaction which and the like in other cafes. 46 Q. QWhether a Man in Holy Orders that cannot procure a Benefice, may, for a comfortable Subfiftence in the World, lay afide" bis Calling, and betake himself to the Affairs of this Life. A. In the first place, if the Canon ftrictly were obferv'd, and the abufe of Sham-Titles regulated (wherein we are fatisfy'd, as much care has been taken of late, as is poffible) we fee not how any fuch cafe cou'd well happen: For 'tis exprefly provided by Canon XXXIII. and that with mention made of the Decrees of the atcient Fathers, conformable there"That no Perfon fhou'd be admitted into Holy Orders, except he fhall at that time exhibit to the Bishop, of whom he defires Impofition of Hands, a Prefentation of himself to fome Ecclefiaftical Preferment then void in that Diocefs, or fhall bring a true and undoubted Cer"tificate, that either he's provided of fome Church within the "faid Diocefs, or fome Minifters "Place vacant,&c. or is a Conduct or Chaplain in fome Colledge of Oxford or Cambridge, or be a "Master of Arts, of five Years ftanding, living at his own "Charges in either of the Univer"fities, or except by the Bishop ་་ 66 fuppos'd in the LXXVI Canon, the Title of which is, Minifters at no time to forfake their Calling, wherein 'tis accordingly required, That no Man being "admitted a Deacon or Minifter, "fhall from thenceforth volunta cr rily relinquifh the fame, nor "afterwards ufe himself in the "Courfe of Life as a Layman on pain of Excommunication. Tho' this cannot, we think, be extended to hinder a Minifter from exercifing any honeft Employment to keep himself and Family from extreme want, which drove St. Paul himself to Tent-making. Which yet does not oblige to renounce the Miniftry, though it may fufpend the Execution of it. Q. From the fame Perfon. What is the Reason that several of our English Towns end in Wick, as Barwick, Alnwick, &c. A. The reafon of thofe Names is little elfe than their Signification, which be known in many of our English Towns, as in as many others perhaps 'tis quite loft, and in a third fort, only to be gueft at ; as indeed a lucky guess goes a good way in Etymologies. Wic, or Wich is taken in feveral fenfes; in the old Saxon, fometimes for a Creek, Bay or winding, either of Sea or River, as B. Rhenanus interprets it. Sometimes for a fecure Station, where the Houfes are clofe to each other, in which fenfe Hadrianus Junius underftands it. Thirdly, for a Caftle, as 'tis taken by Alfric the Saxon. In the last place Wich, in old English,fignifies a Salt-Pit. An inftance of the first kind we have in Greenwich, a Green Creek, where is one of the most confiderable Fluxures the Thames any where where makes, and the like in Wool-fince; the reafon of my being in wich, &c. And perhaps Wickbams, not far off, have the fame Original, and Alnwick is a Creek on the River Aln. And the Dabuni, of Glocestershire and Oxfordshire, were afterwards call'd Wiccij by the Saxons, who liv'd about the Severn mouth, full of Creeks and Angles, as the Vignones, a German People, from their inhabiting on the Banks of Creeks and Rivers. Warwick is an inftance of the fecond, Norwich of the third kind, from a Castle to the North. as Nant wich and Droitwich of the laft. But for Berwick Cambden has a nother account of it, he fays it fig nifies a fmall Town, dependent on another, as Totthil is call'd the Berwick of Westminster. Q. Gentlemen, I being dull and melancholly, defire you will be so kind as to give me your Opinion; It has happened that I have fall'n in Love twice in my Life, and the trouble of the last is not over yet: The first was pretty and witty, and no Money; it was alone an odious Love; he fhewing unkind,mada me to break off; I offered her a Prefent which She would not take, and when I was making the intended Prefent, there was two or three drops of blood drop'd from my Nofe, upon the intended Prefent, which Startled me; about the fame time I had a Brother who fick ned and died, which till that time I thought I must have died with him, when he died, I loved him So well; but being in Love, I was not furprized or concerned at his Death, till about twelve Months after, and then it troubled me much; just now it is seven Years Love now is, the Perfons good humour and ingenuity, the worst of it is, her Fortune is too great for me, and the deferves better than I, which is the reason of our parting; for he has carried is very ingeniously to me. I have also offered her a Present, which he would not accept; there was Several remarkable accidents in the making this intended Prefent, but not so remarkable as the other, but it has occafioned me to shed blood twice or thrice, by cutting of me in the making of the intended Prefent, so as to bloody it; Just now I have beard of one of my Sifters Death, which startles me very much, to think that I should not fall in Love, but that either a Brother or Sifter should die; our Family has been unfortunate in their marrying, which occafioned me to be very much warned how I marry, and particularly by this Sifter's which is now dead. I am much surprized at my Relations dying at thefe Functures, which feems to me to be a fate upon me, and that it fheweth that I should not marry one without Money, nor one with Money; I defire you will be fo kind as to give me your Opinion, whether you would advife me to marry or not, and your Reafons (if in process of time I foould fall in Love with another, and he would have me,) or if by chance through process of time, I should get either of the abovementioned in the mind to have me, (though there is no probability of fuch a thing) whether you would advise me to have them or not. Gentlemen, I defire your Speedy Answer in which it will be very very much to my content, and Phall always be obliged to you. 4. The thing feems odd, but we believe 'tis no more than accidental, perhaps from an over great Intention of Spirits, and ought not to hinder you from any thing that rationally appears for your advantage. Q. How is it that feveral Ani mals, as Bears, Dormice, Swallows, &c. fleep all the Winter, without receiving any (upplies of Food, and have all the fold parts of their Body as large and firm when they wake again in the Spring, as when they first betook themselves to their Dens? A. Nay, fome Natural Hifto rians tell us, That they grow Fat in this time, notwithstanding their Abftinence from Food; the Reason of which may doubtless be afcribed to this, That the Flame in their Heart, during that time, being but gently moved, and burning quietly, confumes very little of their Spirits and Blood. For the matter of Subftance con ceived to be the fluid parts of the Body, efpecially the Blood and Spirits; which having in them fomething of the Nature of Sulphur, are the principal Fuel of the Vital Fame, and not the fubftance of the folid Parts, as is commonly fuppofed. And therefore their Spirits being but little wafted, their Bodies remain in their former good difpofition. lous and falfe to affert it; and the poor Gentleman, who lives in the Country, is very much diffa tisfy'd about it, left it should be occafioned by some unperceived Distemper, although he has hither to had his health well; and Says nothing could fatisfe him fo much as inftances of the fame Nature, of which, if you know any, and will be pleas'd to give them, you will at once both redeem my Credit, and fecure bis Quiet. A. We have had feveral Relations of Matters of this Nature, and the effect no ways prejudicial to the Perfon. Schenchius tells us he knew a Man who from his Youth to the Fiftieth Year of his Age had Milk in a great quantity flowing from his Nipples every Day; Walleus fays the fame of a Dutchman: likewife Benedictus, Cardan, Aquapendens, and fereral other credible Authors affirm as much. And fome Hiftorians alfo tell us, that there are whole Nations in America wherein the Men have commonly a great quantity of Milk, and often fuckle their Children. Q. what may we properly un derstand by Metal; what are the Properties of it; has there not been feveral ways of finding it; which do you think the beft to dif cover it, and the easiest way to get at it when found? A. Metal is conceived to be a perfectly mixt Body, generated Q. I have lately met with a in the Veins of the Earth, out of Man who at feveral times has Sulphur and Quick-filver,by virtue bad Milk in his Breafts, which I of the Heavens and Elements. Its have been an Eye-witness of; and Properties are fenfible and ductile, have accordingly related it to fe- from the first of which it may be veral of my Acquaintance here, caft, and from the last beaten inwho, because the thing is not com- to any Form; the more Quickmon, look upon me as very ridicu-filver any Metal has in its Compo fition, |