'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎147] (818/1024)

Atoms and. the Mind of Man.
A Letter felt from Chinas in Verjia, June 10 th 1668.
To Monfieur Chape He ;
Concerning his Defign of repairing again to hx Studies y about fome Points re
lating to the Doclrme of Atoms, wci to the Nature of the Mind of
Man,
My dear Friend^
I Did always believe what Monfieur Luillkr, Laid, That it would only be a Tran-
fport of Youth, and that you would quit this kind of Life, fo much difpleafing
to your Friends, and at length return to your Studies with more vigour than ever.
I have been informed from Indoftan by the laft Letters of my Friends, that you are
now in good earneft, and are going to take a flight with Democritus and Epicurus, far be
yond the flaming Walls of the world, into their infinite Spaces, to fee and vidtorioufly
to report unto us what may, and what may not be done,
Et ultra procefftt longe flammantia, See.
to take a Review, and to fall upon a ferious meditation of the nature of thofc Spaces,
the general Place of things j upon thofe infinite Generations and Corruptions of their
pretended worlds by their alledged fatal Concourfe of Atoms , upon the Nature, Indi-
vifibility, and other Proprieties of their Atoms j upon Liberty, Fortune and Deftiny j
the Exiftence,Unity,and Providence of Godiupon theufeof the Parts of Animals*,
upon the Soul, and all the other fublime matters they have treated of.
For my part,! cannot condemn this Defign,the inclination we have to know,being na-
turakon the contrary I am bound to believe,that it belongs but to great Souls to elevr.te
themfelves to fuch high Enterprizes, in regard it is principally by this means, that a
tnan can make appear what he is, and the advantage he hath above other Animals. But
as the higheft Undertakings are commonly alfo the moft dangerous, this certainly is not
without much danger. For though we feem to have a peculiar inclination and affedH-
on tofruth j yet it feems alfo, that we have another very ftrongone to Liberty and In
dependency, not to acknowledge a Mafter above us, and to fay, to believe and to do all
according to our Phanfie, without the fear of any, and without an obligation to render
an account for any thing *, fo that if we be not upon our Guard, this latter Inclination
will carry away the Bell > and if we flay upon the Reafons that carry us to this liberty,
and content our felves with flightly confidering thofe that might take us off from it i
we (hall foon find our felves engaged in a flrange life, or at leaft be in fufpence between
both, and tofled up and down between a *Tmay be that this is fo, and 'Tlmay be that it is
notfi', lukewarm, or cold, flow, and indifferent to what concerns the End and Rule of
our life.
Moreover methinks, that moft Philofophers fuffer themfelves eafily to be carried a^
way to this vanity of believing, that to entertain Opinions beyond the vulgar, is the way
°( being reputed Rare and Excellent Wits, they taking pleafure even to vent fuch Opi
nions as fomething Myfterious, belonging to none but men of great Knowledge , and
grounded on deep and weighty Reafons i although they be not too much perfwaded
memfelvesofwhat they affirm. So that if fuch men do not take great care on that hand
a uo, they (hall not fail to be feized on by the aforementioned vanity,and whilft they go
jbout to perfwade others of what they are not perfwaded themfelves, they (hall iq-
fcufibly fall into that very Belief •, like a Liar, who after having often related one and t^e
j le fame Untruth, or at laft believes it to be a Truth i Or atleafl they fliall in the end
Jallintothofe unquietnefles, may be 3 s, and indiffercncies, which I have mention’d in-
. ^ of attaining that flateof folid tranquility and fublime knowledge, which they pro-
Iri ifed, and wherewith they flatter’d themfelves.
Laftly, there is no doubt, that though we have this inclination to learn, yet we are
withal very lazy j we defire indeed Knowledge and Truth, but we would have it very
v '• , cheap,