and on Corporeality and Incorporeality, and to make it self Something and Nothing as often as it has occasion; but if this _Proteus_ have such power, it may well be named the Magick of Nature. Your _Author_ saith, it is not the Devil, nor any effect thereof: but certainly, in my opinion, according to its description, and the effects laid to its performance, it must be more then the Devil; wherefore, in my Reason, I cannot conceive it, neither am I able to understand his _Phantastick Activity, Fancy of Forms, the Souls acting by an insensible way,_ and many more such like expressions. But I conceive that all these can be nothing else but the several motions of the sensitive and rational matter, which is the Active, Ingenious, Distinguishing, Knowing, Wise and Understanding part of Infinite corporeal Nature; and though Infinite Matter hath Infinite parts in general, yet there is a finiteness in every part considered by it self: not that I think a Part can really subsist single and by it self, but it is onely considered so in the manner of our Conception, by reason of the difference and variousness of natural Creatures: for these being different from each other in their figures, and not all alike, so that we can make a distinction betwixt them; this difference and distinction causes us to conceive every part of a different figure by it self: but properly and according to the Truth of Nature, there is no part by it self subsisting; for all parts are to be considered, not onely as parts of the whole, but as parts of other parts, all parts being joyned in Infinite Nature, and tied by an inseparable tie one way or other, although we do not altogether perceive it. But to return to _Ideas_: I had almost forgot to tell you, _Madam_, of another kind of _Ideas_, by your _Author_ named, _Bewitching_ or _Inchanting Ideas_,[11] which are for the most part found in Women, against which I cannot but take exception in the behalf of our Sex: For, says he, _Women stamp Ideas on themselves, whereby they, no otherwise then Witches driven about with a malignant spirit of despair, are oftentimes governed or snatched away unto those things, which otherwise they would not, and do bewail unto us their own and unvoluntary Madness: These Ideas are hurtful to themselves, and do, as it were, Inchant, Infatuate, and weaken themselves; for so (as_ Plutarch _witnesses) a desire of death by hanging took hold of all the young Maids in the Island_ Chios. By this it appears, that your _Author_ has never been in Love, or else he would have found, that Men have as well bewitching _Ideas_ as Women, and that they are as hurtful to Men, as to Women. Neither can I be perswaded to believe, that men should not have as well Mad _Ideas_ as Women; for to mention no other example, some, (I will not speak of your _Author_) their Writings and strange Opinions in Philosophy do sufficiently witness it; but whence those Ideas do proceed, whether