The Travels and Adventures of James Massey. Simon Tyssot de Patot

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СКАЧАТЬ and pursue my Studies, in hopes that in time I might have it in my Power to bring up the innocent Children, who were not able to help themselves; but my Resolution was form'd, and my Inclination fix'd.

      I took Leave of my Family and my dearest Acquaintance, who were sorry to part with me, and set out for Paris. The Grandeur, Magnificence, and Variety, together with the vast Concourse of People of all Ranks, which I saw on my Arrival at this fine Place, did at the first Dash astonish me; every thing that occur'd to my View, seem'd perfectly new to me; I thought my self in another World; and M. Rousseau, the Surgeon, to whose Tuition I had been recommended, had enough to do for near a fortnight to answer the Questions I was continually putting to him, to gratify my Curiosity. He likewise did me the Favour to carry me to Marli, Fontainbleu, St. Dennis, St. Germain, the Louvre, the Tuilleries, and many other Places, which are the Admiration of foreigners. But as the Value of Things is enhanc'd by their Rarity, and diminish'd by their Frequency, I accustom'd my self at last to look upon all these Fineries with a sort of Indifference, which by degrees turn'd to an Aversion; so that I abandoned all those Curiosities to the Speculation of the Idle and the Indolent, and began to apply my self carefully to the Art I had purpos'd to study. M. Rousseau had very good Business, and great Experience, and the many Cures he perform'd, open'd new Discoveries to me every Day.

      Yet for all this, scarce a Day pass'd but I exercis'd my self several Hours in those Languages and Sciences, in which I had before spent all my Time. I was the more encourag'd to do so, because Philosophy and the Mathematics seem'd to be much in vogue, by the Application of all Gentlemen to them, of what Age and Rank soever. At the same time there came out a Treatise of Conic Sections, said to be written by the Son of M. Pascal, the Intendant of Justice at Roan, at which, many Persons of Learning were really surpris'd. I had the Curiosity to run it over, but I found things in it which I thought above the Reach of a Lad of Sixteen Years of Age, for in several Places it surpass'd Apollonius. Many People were of my Opinion, especially when they consider'd, that the Father of this pretended young Author was a thorough Proficient in this Science, from whence the Generality imagin'd, that he had a mind to give the Son the Credit of it, to usher him into the World with the better Grace. Be this as it will, 'tis certain that the Junior Pascal was a Man of a lively Imagination, and a great deal of Penetration and Judgment, as it afterwards fully appear'd. M. Morin, whom I took the Liberty to apply to, and who receiv'd me with extraordinary Civility, procur'd me also the Acquaintance of M. Des Argues, M. Midorge, and several other Mathematicians, who sav'd me a great deal of Labour by the curious MSS. they put into my Hands, and the clear and concise Methods they were pleas'd to make me acquainted with. By means of these learned Personages, I had Access likewise to the Reverend Father Mercenne. This ingenious Gentleman was a great Help to me for the understanding of several Questions in Natural Philosophy, and the Metaphysics. As he was intimate with M. Descartes, who was then in Holland, I propos'd nothing of Difficulty to him, but he explain'd to me at one time or other; and he was the first Man that ever put into my Hand the Six Meditations of that celebrated Philosopher. I was so desirous of learning how to demonstrate the Exigence of a God, the Immateriality of the Soul, and its real Distinction from the Body, that I read them with all the Attention I was capable of; but I frankly own that I was not satisfy'd with them. His Method for the due conducting of Reason, and finding out the Truth in the Sciences, his Dioptricks, his Meteors, his Theory of the World, and every thing in general that I had seen of his, charm'd me; but for his Metaphysics, as I said before, I lik'd no Part of 'em, but the Subtilty of his Arguments. This made me conclude, that we ought never to wade above the Depth of our shallow Understandings, and that we should confine our selves to Bodies, to explain their Nature, Form, Number, Properties, the Alterations occasion'd by Motion, and what may be most remarkable in them for our own Use, for the Good of Society, and for the Understanding and Advancement of Humane Knowledge, without pretending to make manifest and visible, as it were, to the naked Eye, such things as are in their own Nature Arcana's, and are, in all Probability, design'd to be for ever the Objects of our Faith and Admiration. It appear'd in a very little while, that I was not the only Person of that Opinion for an anonymous Book was publish'd at the Hague, by an unknown Author, with a View to explode the Philosophy of Descartes: At the same time Father Bourdin attack'd it in his public Theses; and then came out the Objections of Messieurs Hobbes, Gassendi, Arnaud, and others, to his Metaphysics. I was so taken with that Author, that I was curious to see all his Disputes, which cost me so much Time, that my Master often reproach'd me for it, and said that I neglected the main Point, for the sake of applying to things which cou'd be of no great Use to me, and which, as to several of them, were not universally approv'd of. He even went so far as to tell me one Day, that I was in the high Road to Atheism, for that I had already embrac'd an Opinion which had been lately condemn'd by the Tribunal of the Inquisition, in the Person of Galileo, whom they had confin'd in the Prisons of the Holy Office, after having caus'd his Treatise of the Circular Motion of the Earth, according to the Principles of Copernicus, to be burnt by the common Hangman. But left these Reproaches might entirely discourage me, he took care to season them with Commendations of my considerable Talents for Surgery, and the Knowledge I had acquir'd in it, notwithstanding the Time I devoted to other Occupations.

      At length, when he found that all he could say did not put me out of conceit with those fine Sciences, he resolv'd to enter me into the State of Matrimony. He talk'd to me incessantly of a very pretty Niece of his, who, after her Mother's Death, would have a considerable Estate. He often gave me to understand, that he shou'd not be sorry if I was marry'd to her; and that as he was advanc'd in Years, it would be in his Power to put me into the intire Possession of his Shop, which was well accustom'd: But this was not the Mark I aim'd at. When he perceiv'd my Indifference, he became more cold to me than before, insomuch that he began to neglect me, and to conceal several things from me, which I could not well learn without him; so that after having serv'd two Years Apprenticeship, I went to Diep, where I stay'd one Year more with M. La Croix, who was without Dispute a very able Master.

      I will not stop here to relate the minute Adventures which I had in both those Towns, because I think them too inconsiderable; but I cannot pass over in Silence, that while I was at this Port, a Man arriv'd there whom the Vulgar call'd, The Wandering Jew. My Master, who was a curious Man, and very courteous, after having talk'd with him several times occasionally, invited him to Dinner one Day, that he might have the Opportunity of hearing him discourse. The first Thing he told us was, That he was Cotemporary with Jesus Christ, and that he saw him crucify'd. My Name, said he, is Michob, and I was one of Pontius Pilate's Domestics. When that Roman Judge pronounc'd Sentence against Jesus, I stept up to this pretended Criminal (continued he) and said to him, What makes you stay here so long? Han't you heard your Condemnation? Get off! Why do you delay? To which the Holy Man reply'd to me, I'll be gone, but you shall stay till I return. 'This is now above 1600 Years ago (said he) which I hope is the greatest Part of the Time that I am to wander upon the Earth. Most People are fond of Life, and few there are but wou'd be glad to add an Age to the Years they have liv'd already, if it were in their Power, but for my own part, I wish with all my Heart I had dy'd a thousand Years ago.' As the Droll talk'd all manner of Languages, had by consequence a happy Memory, and had been a Traveller all his Life-time, it was a Pleasure to hear him relate a thousand Stories, as clear and evident Truths, which past Ages have transmitted to us in a very confused Light, and after a very uncertain manner. There is no Corner of the World but he affirm'd he had visited. He nam'd several Kingdoms and Republics to us, that lie about the two Poles, which we had never heard the mention of. All the Courts in the World were known to him. He was not ignorant of the minutest Circumstance of the most remarkable Revolutions of Empires, since he came into the World. In short, the remotest Incidents seem'd to him as recent as if they had just happen'd. But the Passage at which we all prick'd up our Ears, was where he began to entertain us with an Account of the Saints that rose again at the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. All Jerusalem, said he, was alarm'd when it was reported that the People at the Burial-Places had seen the Earth move in several Parts, the Graves open of themselves, and naked Bodies appear, and make a thousand different Motions. The Spectators, continued he, were so astonish'd СКАЧАТЬ