Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural PhilosophyNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676; Philosophy
that fire cannot alter the actions of several bodies to its own blas;
and therefore, since a living and a dead Body (as they call them) are
not the same, (for the actions or motions of life, by their change or
alteration, have altered the nature or figure of the body) the effects
cannot be the same; for a Carcass has neither the interior nor exterior
motions of that figure which it was before it was a Carcass, and so the
figure is quite alter'd from what it was, by the change and alteration
of the motions. But to conclude, the motions of the exterior Agent,
and the motions of the Patient, do sometimes joyn and unite, as in one
action, or to one effect, and sometimes the motions of the Agent are
onely an occasion, but not a co-workman in the production of such or
such an effect, as the motions of the Patient do work; neither can the
motions of the Agent work totally and meerly of themselves, such or
such effects, without the assistance or concurrence of the motions
of the Patient, but the motions of the Patient can; and there is
nothing that can prove more evidently that Matter moves it self, and
that exterior agents or bodies are onely an occasion to such or such
a motion in another body, then to see how several things put into one
and the same fire, do alter after several modes; which shews, it is not
the onely action of fire, but the interior motions of the body thrown
into the fire, which do alter its exterior form or figure. And thus, I
think I have said enough to make my opinions clear, that they may be
the better understood: which is the onely aim and desire of,
Madam,
_Your humble and_
_faithful Servant._
[1] Of the disease of the Stone, _Ch._ 9.
XIX.
_MADAM,_
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