it, but only in this Direction; yet does he himself confefs, that because these two Motions of the Earth, the Annual and Diurnal, would be much more conveniently made upon parallel Axes, therefore, according to the Laws of Mechanism, they fhould be perpetuately brought nearer and nearer together, 'till at length the Equator and Ecliptick come to have their Axes parallel, which, as it hath not yet come to pafs, fo neither hath there been for these last two Thousand Years (according to the best Obfervations and Judgments of Aftronomers) any nearer Approach made of them one to another. Wherefore the Cortinuation of these two Motions of the Earth, the Annual and Diurnal, upon Axes not parallel, is refolvable into nothing but a final and mental Caufe, or the TO BEAT50, because it was beft it fhould be fo, the Variety of the Seasons of the Year depending thereupon. But the greatest of all the particular Phanomena, is the Formation and Organization of the Bodies of Animals, confifting of fuch Variety and Curiofity, that these mechanick Philofophers being no Way able to give an Account thereof from the neceffary Motion of Matter, unguided by Mind for Ends, prudently therefore break off their System there, when they should come to Animals, and so leave it altogether untouch'd.We acknowledge indeed there is a Posthumous Piece extant, imputed to Cartes, and entitled, De la formation du Fætur, wherein there is fome Pretence made to falve all this fortuitous Mechanifm. But as the Thethereof is built wholly upon a falfe Suppo

ory

fition,

any

of

fition, fufficiently confuted by our Harvey in his Book of Generation, that the Seed doth materially enter into the Compofition of the Egg; fo is it all along precarious and exceptionable: Nor doth it extend at all to Differences that are in feveral Animals, nor offer the leaft Reason why an Animal of one Species might not be form'd out of the Seed of another. Thus far the Dr. with whom for the main I do confent. I fhall only add, that Natural Philofophers, when they endeavour to give an Account of the Works of Nature by preconceiv'd Principles of their own, are for the moft Part grofly mistaken and confuted by Experience; as Des Cartes in a Matter that lay before him, obvious to Senfe, and infinitely more eafie to find out the Cause of, than to give an Account of the Formation of the World; that is, the Pulfe of the Heart, which he attributes to an Ebullition and fudden Expanfion of the Blood in its Ventricles, after the Manner of the Milk, which being heated to fuch a Degree, doth fuddenly, and as it were all at once, flush up and run over the Veffel. Whether this Ebullition be caus'd by a Nitro-Sulphureous Ferment lodg'd especially in the left Ventricle of the Heart, which mingling with the Blood, excites fuch an Ebullition, as we fee made by the Mixture of fome Chymical Liquors, viz. Oil of Vitriol, and deliquated Salt of Tartar; or by the vital Flame warming and boiling the Blood. But this Conceit of his is contrary both to Reafon and Experience: For, firft, it is altogether

unrea

unreasonable to imagine and affirm that the cool venal Blood should be heated to fo high a Degree in fo fhort a Time as the Interval of two Pulfes, which is less than the fixth Part of a Minute. Secondly, in cold Animals, as for Example, Eels, the Heart will beat for many Hours after it is taken out of the Body, yea, tho' the Ventricle be open'd, and all the Blood fqueez'd out. Thirdly, The Process of the Fibres which compound the Sides of the Ventricles running in Spiral Lines from the Tip to the Base of the Heart, fome one Way, and fome the contrary, do clearly fhew that the Systole of the Heart is nothing but a Mufcular Conftriction, as a Purse is fhut by drawing the Strings contrary ways: Which is alfo confirm'd by Experience; for if the Vertex of the Heart be cut off, and a Finger thrust up into one of the Ventricles, in every Syftole the Finger will be fenfibly and manifeftly pinch'd by the Sides of the Ventricle. But for a full Confutation of this Fancy, I refer the Reader to Dr. Lower's Treatife de Corde, Chap. 2. and Des Cartes's Rules concerning the transferring of Motion from one Body in Motion to another in Motion or in Reft, are the most of them by Experience found to be false as they affirm who have made Trial of them.

This Pulfe of the Heart Dr. Cudworth would have to be no Mechanical, but a Vital Motion, which to me seems probable, because it is not under the Command of the Will; nor are we confcious of any Power to cause or to restrain it, but it is carried on and continued without our Knowledge

Knowledge or Notice; neither can it be caused by the Impulse of any external Movent, unless it be Heat. But how can the Spirit, agitated by Heat, unguided by a vital Principle, produce fucha regular reciprocal Motion? If that Site which the Heart and its Fibres have in the Diastole be most natural to them, (as it seems to be) why doth it again contract itself, and not reft in that Pofture? If it be oncé contracted in a Systole by the Influx of the Spirits, why, the Spirits continually flowing in without Let, doth it not always remain fo? [for the Systole seems to resemble the forcible Bending of a Spring, and the Diaf tole its flying out again to its natural Site.] What is the Spring and principal Efficient of this Reciprocation? What directs and moderates the Motions of the Spirits? They being but stupid and senseless Matter, cannot of themselves continue any regular and constant Motion, without the Guidance and Regulation of fome intelligent Being. You will fay, What Agent is it which you would have to effect this? The fenfitive Soul it cannot be, because, that is indivifible, but the Heart when separated wholly from the Body in fome Animals, continues ftill to pulfe for a confiderable Time; nay, when it hath quite ceas'd, it may be brought to beat a-new by the Application of warm Spittle, or by pricking it gently with a Pin or Needle. I anfwer, it may be in thefe Inftances, the fcattering Spirits remaining in the Heart, may for a Time, being agitated by Heat, cause these faint Pulfations; tho' I fhould rather attribute them to a plastick Nature

Nature or Vital Principle, as the Vegetation of
Plants must also be.

СС

But, to proceed, neither can I wholly acquiefce in the Hypothesis of that Honourable and defervedly Famous Author, I formerly had Occafion to mention, which I find in his free Inquiry into the Vulgar Notion of Nature, p. 77, 78. deliver'd in these Words. "I think it probable, "that the great and wife Author of Things did, "when he first form'd the Universe and undi"ftinguish'd Matter into the World, put its Parts "into various Motions, whereby they were ne"ceffarily divided into numberless Portions of differing Bulks, Figures and Situations, in Refpect of each other: And that by his infinite "Wisdom and Power he did fo guide and over"rule the Motions of these Parts, at the Begin"ning of Things, as that (whether in a fhorter "or a longer Time Reafon cannot determine) they were finally dispos'd into that beautiful "and orderly Frame that we call the World; among whose Parts fome were fo curiously "contriv'd, as to be fit to become the Seeds or "feminal Principles of Plants and Animals. "And I further conceive, that he settled such "Laws or Rules of local Motion among the "Parts of the Univerfal Matter, that by his or"dinary and preferving Concourse, the several "Parts of the Univerfe thus once compleated, "fhould be able to maintain the great Con"struction or System and Oeconomy of the "Mundane Bodies, and propagate the Species "of living Creatures." The fame Hypothefis he

repeats