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 should say, that perfons of quality always beget persons of quality. III. From the fingular premiffes follows only a fin, gular conclufion, that is, if the parents be only private people, the iflue must be so likewise.

IV. From particular propofitions nothing can be concluded, because the Individua vaga are (like whoremasters 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 iffue.

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

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

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 Enthymeme (quoth Cornelius)? Why, an Enthymeme (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 afide a buckler, or fome fuch defenfive weapon, so would Crambe promife 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 stroke. Their Thefes were picked out of Suarez, Thomas Aquinas, and other learned writers on thofe 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 fly? denied.

VII. If Angels pass 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 ftate of Innocence? Aquinas.

XIII. If the Creation was finished in fix days, because fix is the most perfect number; or if fix be the moft perfect number, because the Creation was finished in fix Days? Aquinas.

There

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 nobody should use any Compound or Decompound of the Subftantial 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, fubfiftentia, etc. there is an end of him.

He

Crambe regretted extremely, that Subftantial Ferms, a race of harmlefs 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. confidered that it had gone much harder with them than with Effences, which had retired from the Schools into the Apothecaries Shops, where fome of them had been advanced to the degree of Quintessences. He thought there fhould be a retreat for poor fubftantial forms, among the Gentlemanushers 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 should discover the Longitude.

CHA P.

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CHAP. VIII.

A NA TOM Y.

CORNELIUS, it is certain, had a moft superstitious veneration for the Antients; and if they contradicted each other, his Reafon was fo pliant and ductile that he was always of the opinion of the last he read. But he reckoned it a point of honour never to be vanquished in a dispute; from which quality he acquired the Title of the Invincible Doctor. While the Profeffor of Anatomy was demonftrating to his fon the feveral kinds of Inteftinës, Cornelius affirmed that there were only two, the Colon and the Aichos, according to Hippocrates, who it was impoffible could ever be mistaken. It was in vain to affure him this error proceeded from want of accuracy in dividing the whole Canal of the Guts Say what you please (he replied), this is both mine and Hippocrates's opinion. You may with equat reason (answered the Profeffor) affirm that a man's Liver hath five Lobes, and deny the Circulation of the blood. Ocular demonftration (faid Cornelius) feems to be on your fide, yet I fhall not give it up: Show me any vifcus of a human body, and I will bring you a monfter that differs from the common rule, in the structure of it. If Nature fhews fuch variety in the fame age, why may fhe not have extended it further in feveral ages? Produce me a man now of the age of an Antediluvian of the ftrength of Samfon, or the fize of the Giants. If in the whole, why not in parts of the body, may it not be poffible the present generation of men may differ from the Ancients? The moderns have perhaps lengthened the channel of the guts by Gluttony, and diminished the liver by hard drinking. Though it fhall be demonftrated that modern blood circulates, yet I will believe with Hippocrates, that the blood of the

Ancients