tife of Syllogifms. He fuppofed, that a Philofopher's brain was like a great Foreft, where Ideas ranged like animals of feveral kinds; that thofe Ideas copulated, and engendered Conclufions; that when thofe of different Species copulate, they bring forth monsters or abfurdities; that the Major is the male, the Minor the female, which copulate by the Middle Term, and engender the Conclufion. Hence they are called the praemiffa, or Predeceffors of the Conclufion; and it is properly faid by the Logicians quod pariant fcientiam, opinionem, they beget fcience, opinion, etc. Univerfal Propofitions are Perfons of quality; and therefore in Logick they are faid to be of the firft Figure. Singular Propofitions are private perfons, and therefore placed in the third or laft figure, or rank. From those principles all the rules of Syllogifms naturally follow.

I. That there are only three Terms, neither more nor lefs; for to a child there can be only one father and one mother.

II. From univerfal premiffes there follows an univerfal conclufion, as if one fhould fay, that perfons of quality always beget perfons of quality. III. From the fingular premiffes follows only a fingular conclufion; that is, if the parents be only private people, the iffue must be fo

likewife.

IV. From particular propofitions nothing can be concluded, becaufe the Individua vaga are

(like whoremafters and common ftrumpets)

barren.

V. There cannot be more in the conclufion than was in the premiffes, that is, children can only inherit from their parents.

VI. The conclufion follows the weaker part, that is, children inherit the diseases of their parents.

VII. From two negatives nothing can be concluded, for from divorce or feparation there can come no issue.

VIII. The medium cannot enter the conclufion, that being logical incest.

IX. An hypothetical propofition is only a contract, or a promise of marriage; from fuch therefore there can spring no real issue.

X. When the premiffes or parents are neceffarily joined (or in lawful wedlock) they beget lawful iffue; but contingently joined, they . beget baftards.

So much for the Affirmative propofitions; the Negative must be deferred to another occafion.

Crambe used to value himself upon this Syftem, from whence he faid one might fee the propriety of the expreffion, fuch a one has a barren imagination; and how common is it for fuch people to adopt conclufions that are not the iffue of their premiffes? therefore as an Abfurdity is a Monster, a Falfity is a Baftard; and a true conclufion that followeth not from the premiffes, may properly be faid to be adopted. But then

what is an Enthymem? (quoth Cornelius.) Why, an Enthymem (replied Crambe) is when the Major is indeed married to the Minor, but the Marriage kept fecret.

METAPHYSICKS were a large field in which to exercise the Weapons Logick had put into their hands. Here Martin and Crambe used to engage like any prize-fighters, before their Father and his other Learned Companions of the Sympofiacks. And as Prize-fighters will agree to lay aside a buckler, or fome fuch defensive weapon, fo would Crambe promise not to ufe fimpliciter et fecundum quid, provided Martin would part with materialiter et formaliter: But it was found, that without the help of the defenfive armour of thofe Diftinctions, the arguments cut fo deep, that they fetched blood at every ftroke. Their Thefes were picked out of Suarez, Thomas Aquinas, and other learned writers on those fubjects. I fhall give the Reader a taste of some of them.

I. If the Innate Defire of the knowledge of Metaphyficks was the cause of the Fall of Adam; and the Arbor Porphyriana, the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil? affirmed.

II. If tranfcendental goodness could be truly predicated of the Devil? affirmed.

III. Whether one, or many be first? or if one doth not suppose the notion of many? Suarez.

IV. If the defire of news in mankind be appetitus innatus, not elicitus? affirmed.

V. Whether there is in human understandings potential falfities? affirmed.

VI. Whether God loves a poffible Angel better than an actually-exiftent flye? denied.

VII. If Angels pafs from one extreme to another without going through the middle? Aquinas.

VIII. If Angels know things more clearly in a morning? Aquinas.

IX. Whether every Angel hears what one Angel fays to another? denied. Aquinas.

X. If temptation be proprium quarto modo of the Devil? denied. Aquinas.

XI. Whether one Devil can illuminate another? Aquinas.

XII. If there would have been any females born in the state of Innocence? Aquinas. XIII. If the Creation was finished in fix days, because fix is the most perfect number; or if fix be the most perfect number, because the Creation was finished in fix days? Aquinas.

There were feveral others, of which in the course of the life of this learned Perfon we may have occafion to treat; and one particularly that remains undecided to this day; it was taken from the learned Suarez. XIV. An præter effe reale actualis effentiæ fit aliud effe neceffarium quo res actualiter exiftat? In English thus. Whether befides the real

being of actual being, there be any other being neceffary to caufe a thing to be?

This brings into my mind a Project to banish Metaphyficks out of Spain, which it was fuppofed might be effectuated by this method: That no-body should use any Compound or Decompound of the Substantial Verbs, but as they are read in the common conjugations: for every body will allow, that if you debar a Metaphyfician from ens, effentia, entitas, fubftantia, &c. there is an end of him.

Crambe regretted extremely, that Subftantial Forms, a race of harmless beings, which had lafted for many years, and afforded a comfortable fubfiftence to many poor Philofophers, fhould be now hunted down like fo many Wolves, without the poffibility of a retreat. He confidered that it had gone much harder with them than with Effences, which had retired from the Schools into the Apothecaries Shops, where some of them had been advanced into the degree of Quinteffences. He thought there should be a retreat for poor fubftantial forms, amongst the Gentlemen-ufhers at court; and that there were indeed fubftantial forms, fuch as forms of Prayer, and forms of Government, without which the things themselves could never long fubfift. He also used to wonder that there was not a reward for fuch as could find out a fourth Figure in Logick, as well as for those who fhould discover the Longitude.