Epicurus modeftly vators in the empire of reafon. hoped, that one time or other, a certain fortuitous concourfe of all mens opinions, after perpetual juftlings, the fharp with the smooth, the light and the heavy, the round and the fquare, would, by certain clinamina, unite in the notions of atoms and void, as thefe did in the originals of all things. Cartefius reckoned to fee before he died, the fentiments of all philofophers, like fo many leffer ftars in his romantic fyftem, wrapt and drawn within his own vortex. Now, I would gladly be informed, how it is poffible to account for fuch imagina tions as these in particular men, without recourse to my phænomenon of vapours, afcending from the lower facul ties to overfhadow the brain, and their diftilling into conceptions, for which the narrowness of our mothertongue has not yet affigned any other name befides that of madness or phrenzy. Let us therefore now conjecture how it comes to pass, that none of these great prefcribers do ever fail providing themselves and their notions with a number of implicit difciples. And I think the reason is easy to be affigned: for there is a peculiar ftring in the harmony of human understanding, which in feveral individuals is exactly of the fame meaning. This if you can dexterously fcrew up to its right key, and then ftrike gently upon it; whenever you have the good fortune to light among thofe of the fame pitch, they will, by a fecret neceffary fympathy, ftrike exactly at the fame time. And in this one circumftance lies all the fkill or luck of the matter: for if you chance to jar the ftring among those who are either above or below your own height; inftead of fubfcribing to your doctrine, they will tie you faft, call you mad, and feed you with bread and water. It is therefore a point of the nicest conduct, to distinguish and adapt this noble talent, with refpect to the differences of perfons and of times. Cicero understood this very well, when writing to a friend in England, with a caution, among other matters, to beware of being cheated by our hackney-coachmen, who, it feems, in thofe days, were as arrant rafcals as they are now, has M 2 thefe thefe remarkable words: Eft quod gaudeas te in ifta loca veniffe, ubi aliquid fapere viderere*. For, to fpeak a bold truth, it is a fatal miscarriage, so ill to order affairs, as to pafs for a fool in one company, when in another you might be treated as a philofopher. Which I defire fome certain gentlemen of my acquaintance to lay up in their hearts, as a very feasonable inuendo. This indeed was the fatal mistake of that worthy Gentleman, my moft ingenious friend, Mr. W-tt-n, a perfon, in appearance ordained for great defigns, as well as performances, whether you will confider his notions or his looks. Surely no man ever advanced into the public with fitter qualifications of body and mind for the propagation of a new religion. Oh! had thofe happy talents, mifapplied to vain philofophy, been turned into their proper channels of dreams and vifions, where diftortion of mind and countenance are of fuch fovereign ufe, the bafe detracting world would not then have dared to report, that fomething is amifs, that his brain hath undergone an unlucky fhake; which even his brother modernists themselves, like ungrates, do whisper fo loud, that it reaches up to the very garret I am now writing in. Laftly, Whofoever pleases to look into the fountains of enthufiafm, from whence in all ages, have eternally proceeded fuch fattening ftreams, will find the fpringhead to have been as troubled and muddy as the current. Of fuch great emolument is a tincture of this vapour, which the world calls madness, that, without its help,the world would not only be deprived of those two great bleffings, conquefts and fyftems, but even all mankind would unhappily be reduced to the fame belief in things invifible. Now, the former poftulatum being held, that it is of no import from what originals this vapour proceeds, but either in what angles it ftrikes, and fpreads over the understanding, or upon what species of brain it afcends; it will be a very delicate point, to cut the [ Epift. ad Fam. Trebatio.] feather, feather, and divide the feveral reafons to a nice and curious reader, how this numerical difference in the brain can produce effects of fo vaft a difference from the fame vapour, as to be the fole point of individuation between Alexander the Great, Jack of Leyden, and Monsieur Des Cartes. The prefent argument is the most abstracted that ever I engaged in it ftrains my faculties to their highest stretch and Į defire the reader to attend with utmost perpenfity; for now I proceed to unravel this knotty point. : There is in mankind a certain * tion of the matter. (*). And this I take to be a clear folu Having therefore fo narrowly paffed through this intricate difficulty, the reader will, I am fure, agree with me in the conclufion, that, if the moderns mean by madnefs only a difturbance or tranfpofition of the brain, by force of certain vapours iffuing up from the lower faculties, then has this madness been the parent of all thofe mighty revolutions that have happened in empire, in philofophy, and in religion. For the brain, in its natural pofition and fate of ferenity, difpofeth its owner to pass his life in the common forms, without any thoughts of fubduing multitudes to his own power, his reafons, or his vifions and the more he fhapes his understanding by the pattern of human learning, the lefs he is inclined to form parties after his particular notions; because that instructs him in his private infirmities, as well as in the : *Here is another defect in the manufcript; but I think the author did wifely, and that the matter which thus ftrained his faculties, was not worth a folution; and it were well if all metaphyfical cobweb problems were no otherwife anfwered. M 3 ftubborn that the farther we proceeded, we found the defects increafe upon us in number and bulk. From all which I justly formed this conclufion to myfelf, That whatever philofopher or projector can find out an art to folder and patch up the flaws and imperfections of nature, will deferve much better of mankind, and teach us a more useful fcience, than that fo much in prefent efteem, of widening and expofing them, (like him who held anatomy to be the ultimate end of phyfic). And he whofe fortunes and difpofitions have placed him in a convenient station to enjoy the fruits of this noble art; he that can, with Epicurus, content his ideas with the films and images that fly off upon his fenfes from the fuperficies of things; fuch a man, truly wife, creams off nature, leaving the four and the dregs for philofophy and reafon to lap up. This is the fublime and refined point of felicity, called the poffeffion of being well deceived; the ferene peace, ful ftate of being a fool among knaves. But to return to madness: It is certain, that, according to the fyftem I have above deduced, every species thereof proceeds from a redundancy of vapour; therefore, as fome kinds of phrenzy give double ftrength to the finews, fo there are other fpecies, which add vigour, and life, and fpirit, to the brain. Now, it ufually happens, that thefe active fpirits, getting poffeffion of the brain, resemble thofe that haunt other wafte and empty dwellings, which, for want of bufinefs, either vanish, and carry away a piece of the house, or elfe ftay at home, and fling it all out of the windows. By which are myftically difplayed the two principle branches of madnefs; and which fome philofophers, not confidering fo well as I, have miftook to be different in their caufes; over haftily affigning the first to deficiency, and the other to redundance. I think it therefore manifeft, from what I have here advanced, that the main point of skill and addrefs, is, to furnith employment for this redundancy of vapour, and prudently to adjust the feafons of it; by which means it may certainly become of cardinal and catholic emolu ment ment in a commonwealth. Thus one man, chufing a proper juncture, leaps into a gulph, from thence proceeds a hero, and is called the faviour of his country: another atchieves the fame enterprize; but unluckily timing it, has left the brand of madnefs fixed as a reproach upon his memory. Upon fo nice a diftinction are we taught to repeat the name of Curtius with reverence and love; that of Empedocles, with hatred and contempt. Thus alfo it is ufually conceived, that the elder Brutus only perfonated the fool and madman for the good of the public. But this was nothing else than a redun dancy of the fame vapour, long mifapplied, called by the Latins, ingenium par negotiis; or, (to tranflate it as nearly as I can), a fort of phrenzy, never in its right element till you take it up in the business of the ftate. Upon all which, and many other reafons of equal weight, though not equally curious, I do here gladly embrace an opportunity I have long fought for, of recommending it as a very noble undertaking, to Sir E- d Sr, Sir Cr M -ve, Sir -- B―――ls, Jn H---w, Efq; and other patriots concerned, that they would move for leave to bring in a bill, for appointing commiffioners to infpect into Bedlam, and the parts adjacent; who shall be impowered to fend for perfons, papers, and records; to examine into the merits and qualifications of every ftudent and profeffor; to obferve with the utmost exactnefs their several difpofitions and behaviour; by which means, duly diftinguishing and adapting their talents, they might produce admirable inftruments for the feveral offices in a state†, civil and military; proceeding in fuch methods as I shall here humbly propofe. And I hope the gentle reader will give fome allowance to my great folicitudes in this important affair, upon account of that high esteem I have ever [* Tacit.] † Ecclefiaftical, borne |