Grounds of Natural Philosophy: Divided into Thirteen Parts: The Second Edition, much altered from the First, which went under the Name of Philosophical and Physical OpinionsNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Grounds of Natural Philosophy: Divided into Thirteen Parts: The Second Edition, much altered from the First, which went under the Name of Philosophical and Physical Opinions
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Physics -- Early works to 1800
Considering that your Conclusion was as improbable, if not as
impossible, as the Chymical _Philosophers-Stone_, or _Elixir_; We
desire you (being Parts of one and the same Society) not to trouble the
whole Society, in the search of that, which, if it was in Nature, will
never be found. But to prevent, that your painful Studies, and witty
Arguments, be not buried in Oblivion; We advise you, To perswade the
Sensitive Parts of our Society, to record them, so that they may be
divulged to all the Societies of our own Kind or Sort of Creatures; as
_Chymists_ do, who, after they have wasted their Times and Estates, to
gain the _Philosophers-Stone_, or _Elixir_; write Books to teach it to
the Sons of Art: which is impossible, at least, very improbable, ever
to be learn'd, there being no such Art in Nature: but, were it possible
such an Art was to be obtained; yet, when obtained, the Artist would
never divulge it in Print. But, those great Practitioners, finding,
after much Loss and Pains, nothing but Despair, write Books of that
Art; which, instead of the _Elixir_, did produce _Despair_; which
again, though produced by Art, did produce, naturally, that Vice,
named _Malice_; and _Malice_, being a Pregnant Seed, sowed upon the
Fertile Ground of their Writings, produces so much Mischief, that many
men of good Estates, have been undone, in following their Rules in
_Chymistry_: And if your Books should be as succesful as _Chymistry_
hath been (I dare not say, among _Fools_; but) amongst Credulous Men;
your Books will cause as much Mischief as theirs have done; not by the
ways of _Fire_, but by the ways of _Water_: for, your Books send men
to Sea, a much Cooler Element than _Fire_; but, more Dangerous than
_Chymical Fire_, unless _Chymical Fire_ be _Hell-Fire_.
Upon which Discourse, the rest of my Thoughts were very angry, and
pull'd them out of their Pulpit, the _Glandula_; and not only so, but
put them out of their Society, believing they were a Factious Party,
which, in time, might cause the Society's Dissolution.
FINIS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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