Will, which fince it cannot be neuter between Love and Hatred, when it does not encounter any fubject of Hatred for its Object, this is fufficient to attract its Love, or not encountring any thing amiable, this is enough to raise its hatred.

Queft. May not we say that this Love of Inclination is performed by a Draining, and by a Tranfpiration of the Mind going out of the Body of the beloved, as fome would fay?

Anfw. No, for this Love of Inclination is as well caused at the fight of a Portraiture, whence no Spirits can go out, as on the fight of Perfons endowed with a Soul. Queft. Why have you faid in an Anfwer above, if we can love without Knowledge, why do you doubt that there is a Love purely of Inclination, fince of two Players which are unknown to you, you defire that the one should win rather than the other.

Anfw. I am perfwaded that we cannot love one better than another without knowing why, without fancying in this Perfon fomething agreeable to us, as Beauty, Air, Motion, Manner of going, and other Things. The reafon of this is, because there is the fame Reason of Actions as of their Principles; if Defire supposeth the Principle of Knowledge, as all the World ackowledge, the Action of Defire, which is Love, fuppofeth a clear Knowledge, and fo one can't love without knowing.

Whether the Lean are healthier or longer-lived than others?

Queft. Are fat People longer lived than lean?

Anfw. No, on the contrary, the lean live longeft.

Queft. Give me a Reafon. Anfw. Because the lean have larger Veffels, and especially Veins, and by confequence more Blood and Spirits, which are the Architects and principal Organs of Life. Befides, the Life will be longeft where there is moft Heat, which is found in lean Perfons.

Queft. Why are not the Fat fo healthy as the Lean?

Anfw. Because in fat Bodies the Pores are ftopped by the coldness of Phlegmatick Humours, which hinder the free Evaporation of fuliginous Excrements, that make a Reflux, and fuffocate the Natural Heat, which is extinguifh'd after the fame manner as Fire when it cannot have a free Transpiration. Befides, the Fat imbibe a great many Humours; but cannot perfectly concoct and affimilate them, through want of fufficient Heat, whereby a great quantity of Crude and Phlegmatick Excrements are produced; fo that they become whitifh and puffed up.

Queft. Are the Lean more live ly than the Fat?

Anfw. Yes, by reason of the Difpofition of the Organs that are more pure, and less charged with thick Vapours and excrementitious Humidities, which render the Fat more heavy both in Mind and Body.

Quest. Whence comes it that Some are fatter than others, when they do not eat more?

Anfw. 'Tis hence, that they have not Heat enough to confume the Superfluities; by rea

fon

fon whereof, their Flesh attracts a great quantity of Excrements and Phlegm, which fwells them and makes them white.

Whether 'tis better to Dine or Sup?

Queft. Is it better to eat more at Dinner, or at Supper?

Anfw. Suppofing the Perfons of a found Health, I think it is better to fup a little more largely, because the time of Digeftion is longer from Supper to Dinner, than from Dinner to Supper.

Queft. Are the Night and Sleep proper for promoting Digeftion? An/w. Yes, and more proper than the Day, because the Heat, being more re-united during the Night and Sleep, is much more vigorous, and performs its natural Functions better, viz. Concoction, Diftribution, Appofition and Affimilation.

Queft. Why is the Heat fronger and more re-united in the Night and in Sleep than in the Day time?

Anfw. Becaufe in the Day time the Heat is diverted from without, being imployed about the Senfations and Motions of the Body and Soul, whereas all being fuppreffed by Sleep, the Hear is altogether taken up within on the Concoction. Befides, the Night ferveth much more to concenter the Heat within, by its coldnefs, which driveth the Spirits and Heat inwardly. Whence it comes to pafs that we have the best Stomach in the Winter.

Queft. What hurt is there in eating little at Supper?

Anfw. There is this, that the Heat being greater after Supper, as I have faid, and ftronger and more active, it will concoct in a little time that fmall Portion of Food that it hath taken ; and fince the Heat always acts by a neceffity of Nature, and cannot be idle, when it has not foreign Matter whereon to work, it will neceffarily confume the Radical Moisture, and dry us in Sleep.

Queft. Whence cometh the Proverb that faith, He that fleepeth eateth? It seems that Sleep nourifheth, so that'twill not be neceffary to eat much in the Evening.

Anfw. This Proverb is true when the Stomach is filled with fufficient Nourishment; for, for that time, during the Sleep, the Heat that is ftrongeft, raileth and draweth from all parts the pureft of the Juices and Vapours, that it difperfeth every where as a fweet Dew, which it cannot do when the Stomach is void ; 'tis therefore in this Senfe that the Proverb is true, He that fleepeth eateth.

Queft. Whence comes it then, that many find themselves very ill when they have eat much in the Evening, and against their Cufrom?

Anfw. I fuppofe from the be ginning a perfon in good Health. But a Perfon fubject to Defluxions, and of a weak Stomach, is not in perfect Health. If the Queftion be of Perfons in good Health, I answer, that these Perfons will be accuftom'd to fup but little, founding on this bad Principle, that they muft

cat

eat little at Night; this being fo, they weaken their Stomach, that it cannot take much Food at Night, fo thefe Perfons become fo delicate that the leaft things hurt them. Whence we may conclude, that 'tis better to accuftom one's felf to eat much at Night.

Whether it be better to marry or

not to marry?

Queft. Who are they that can' beft judge in this Question?

Anfw. I know not whom we can believe as Arbitrers of this Queftion; for it must either be Maids, married People, or those that are about to marry; all are interested. The first pre

tend to hate Marriage; the fecond will be loth to blame it, left they fhould reflect on their Judgement that made them enter into this State; and the other cannot judge for want of Experience.

Queft. Whether do you judge it better to marry or no?

Anfw. Since there is in Man a great defire to perpetuate himfelf and to be immortal, there is no other Means to acquire it in this World but Marriage, which maketh him revive in his Children. Befides, Marriage is the Foundation of a State, fince it raises Families, and Families make up a State and preserve it; those that are married are more interested in the prefervation of a State than those that are not; fo that 'tis better to marry.

Queft. Can Amity be kept up by continual Converfe?

4nfw. Yes, and is even aug

mented by the Offices which are mutually performed with a Franknefs and Confidence which is not to be found in any other State, whatever it be, where Diffimulation and Hypocryfie are most univerfal: In Marriage alone is Freedom and Liberty to be found; and therefore it is moft to be defir'd.

Queft. Whence comes it that many Evils are to be endured in Marriage?

Anfw. If any be croffed by it, that does not proceed from Marriage, but from the fault of the Perfons who know not how to use it as it becomes.

Of Heat; whether it be better to heat one by Fire or Exercise?

Queft. Whether is it better to warm us by Fire or by Exercife?

Anfw. I think it is better to warm us by Exercife; for the Heat of Fire deftroys the Natu~ ral Heat, corrupteth the Humours, or drieth the Parts. Therefore those who feek no other Heat than that of the Fire, are almost always chilly, and impatient of the leaft inju ry of the Air.

Queft. How does Exercife warm us?

Anfw. Exercife stirreth up the Internal Heat, and it goeth out at the Pores, which are opened by Exercife, and fo it communicates it felf to all the parts of the Body.

Queft. Does not Fire the fame by opening the Pores of our Body?

Anfw. Fire openeth the Pores, and maketh the Natural Heat go out; but at the fame time it diffipates it, which happens

not

not in point of Exercife, that on the contrary carries the Spirits, the Blood and Heat every where.

Queft. Many Perfons are not accustomed to Exercife; would it not be troublefome to them to use it in order to warm themselves? Anfw. Bodies that are not accuftomed to Exercise receive at first prejudice by it, but they may inure themselves to it by degrees, and rid themselves of this Evil Cuftom, to change it for a good one, which even cureth many Diseases that proceed from Intemperance and Reple

tion.

Whether Wine promotes Digeftion or hinders it?

Queft. Does Wine help Digeftion?

Anfw. There are different Opinions about it. Those that maintain the Affirmative, fay, That having a great deal of Spirits, it furnifheth more Matter to ours; fo it helps Digestion.

Queft. On what Reafons do they build, that maintain that Wine hindreth Digeftion?

Anfw. They fay, that Wine being receiv'd by a Hot Stomach will caufe an Intemperature, becaufe the Spirits of Wine abounding, fuffocate the Spirits employed in Concoction. Queft. Can Wine be undigested? Anfw. Yes, for those who are troubled with Indigeftions, feel

that Wine is laft digefted. It retains after all Aliments, its colour, tafte and smell, or a little altered.

Queft. How can it be undigested, fince it is hot?

Anfw. Because Digeftion is performed by a proper Phyfical Action and a true Alteration ; now there is no Action but by contrariety: therefore Nature being Hot and Moist, and Wine having the fame Qualities, it cannot be altered nor digefted, because of the likeness that is between them, which must be done in order to the promoting Digeftion, and being it felf digefted.

Queft. Muft we not use Wine then?

Anfw. We must take it in a fmall quantity, that the Spirits of Wine may not domineer over ours, and ours may be fortified by thofe of Wine; befides the Heat of the Wine will be much cafilier altered by our Natural Heat, which is very ftrong. Therefore it is that St. Paul counfelled Timothy to drink a little Wine for these two Rea

fons.

Queft. Does Wine quench Thirst? Anfw. If we receive that Definition of Thirft, that 'tis a defire of Cold and Moift; Wine cannot be proper to quench Thirft, fince it is Hot.

Queft. 3. Pray the meaning of these two Verfes in Virgil, 11 Æneid.

A nfw.