Grounds of Natural Philosophy: Divided into Thirteen Parts / The Second Edition, much altered from the First, which went under the Name of Philosophical and Physical Opinions

by Duchess of Margaret Cavendish Newcastle

IV.

After the former Discourse, the Parts of my Mind were a little sad: but, after many and frequent Disputes and Arguments, they all agreed, That there are Restoring Beds, or Wombs, in Nature: but that to describe their Conceptions of those Restoring Beds, was only to describe Opinions, but not known Truths: and their Opinions were, That those Beds are as lasting as Gold, or Quick-silver: for, though they may be occasioned to alter their Exterior Form; yet, not their Interior or Innate Nature. But, mistake not my Mind's Opinion: for, their Opinion is not, That those Beds are Gold, or Quicksilver: for, their Opinion was, That neither Gold, or Quicksilver, were Restorers of Life: but, if they were Restorers, they could restore no other Creatures, but only dead Metals, by reason several Creatures require several Restoring Beds proper to their Sorts or Kinds: so that a Mineral Kind or Sort, could not restore an Animal Kind or Sort; because there was no such thing in Nature, as the Elixir, or Philosophers-Stone, which the Chymists believe to be some Deity, that can restore all Sorts and Kinds.

V.

As it has formerly been declared, The Parts of my Mind were generally of opinion, That it was, at least, probable, there were such things in Nature as Restoring-Beds, or Wombs. The next Opinion was, That these Beds were of several Kinds or Sorts, viz. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, and Elemental: so that every Kind or Sort, is a general Restorer of the Lives of their Kind or Sort. As for example, An Animal Restoring-Bed, may restore any dead Animal, to his former Animal Life, in case the Animal Roots or Seeds, (which we name, the Vital Parts) were not divided and dispersed, but inclosed, or inurned, so that no other Animal could come to feed on those Roots and Seeds of the dead Animal Body; and in case the Body was so closely kept, though dead many years, if it was put into a Restoring-Bed, that Animal Creature would reunite to the former Animal Life and Form.

But then there arose this Argument, That if the Bodies of the dead Animals, did corrupt and dissolve of themselves, as most dead Animal Bodies do; Whether, after their Dissolution, they could be Restored?

The Minor Part's Opinion was, That those dissolved Bodies, being dissolved, or divided, and their Parts out of their places, could not be restored.

The Major Part's Opinion, was, They might be restored; first, Because, though the Parts may be divided; yet, they were not annihilated. The next, That those divided Parts were not so separated and dispersed, as to be united to other Societies: Wherefore, if all those dead Animal Parts were put into a Restoring-Womb, or Bed; the Bed would occasion those Parts to place themselves into their proper Order and Form.

VI.

After the former Discourse, some of the Parts of my Mind were sad, to think, that those that had been embowelled, were made incapable of ever being restored; and, that it was a greater cruelty to murder a dead man, and to rob him of his Interior Parts; than to murder a living man, and yet suffer his whole Body to lye peaceably in the Urn, or Grave.

But, the other Parts endeavouring to comfort those sad Parts, made this Argument, viz. Whether it might not probably be, that the Bones or Carcase of a Human Creature, were the Root of Human Life? and if so, then if all the Parts were dissolved, and none were left undissolved, but the bare Carcase; they might be restored to life.