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 at this unexpected Sight, that they all trembled, and several dy'd with Fear. The most daring of them were willing, however, to see the Issue of it, and they were wonderfully surpris'd when, by and by, they saw Humane Creatures start all at once out of their Graves, and press in a Hurry thro' the Multitude, who made way for them by tumbling to the Ground, as if they were all going to take Possession of their Sepulchres. No one cou'd discern, added Michob, was he ever so attentive, of what Sex the risen Bodies were, for they seem'd to be all of the same Bigness, the same Age, and Complexion, and had no visible Mark by which they cou'd be distinguish'd from one another. They had not a Hair upon all their Bodies; their Bellies were flat, and seem'd as if they stuck to their Ribs; several held their Mouths open, but there were no Teeth to be seen; and their round and smooth Fingers seem'd to be intirely bare of Nails. This made him conclude, that all the Excremental Parts, and those which serve to grind, to swallow and digest Food while we are in a State of Mortality, will not accompany us to the other World, where, in short, they would be useless. In fine, according to his Discourse, it was never positively known what became of those Persons; but it was reported some Days after, that they were gone to Galilee, where they were to confer with Jesus Christ, and from thence to be carry'd to the Mansion of the Blessed. It may well be suppos'd that this curious Subject did not fail to occasion a tedious Conversation: 'Twas Midnight when our Guest left us, tho' my Master, notwithstanding the Conversation he had had with him elsewhere, wou'd fain have kept him till next Day. As the Magistrates look'd upon him to be a Visionary, they did not much mind what he said, consequently he was not a dangerous Person, and ask'd no favour of any Body; for the common People, and abundance of credulous and superstitious Gossips, who thought him a Prodigy, gave him what Necessaries he wanted; besides that he stay'd but a little while in a Place, and was no more than a Wanderer up and down in the World.
His Departure, added to all the fine Things I had heard him say of Foreign Countries, very much whetted my natural Desire to travel. I imparted my Design to M. La Croix, and as he had already been so good as to watch all Opportunities of publishing the Progress I had made in my Profession, it was not at all difficult for me to enter my self as a Surgeon on Board the Ship of Captain Le Sage, then preparing for a Voyage to Martinico. We sail'd therefore from Diep the 21st of May, 1643. Our Ship carry'd but four Guns, and the Crew consisted but of Fifty-two Persons. Tho' the Captain was a Huguenot, yet he was a perfect honest Man, strictly just, and extremely devout. He wou'd not suffer a Day to pass over his Head without Publick Prayers on Board, every Morning and Evening, which were perform'd with great Zeal and Edification by Peter du Quesne, a young Student in Divinity, with whom, I can truly say, for my own part, I was so affected, that I immediately conceiv'd an Esteem for him, and that I had not been in his Company a Fortnight, but the Veneration, which the Monks had impress'd me with for the holy Men and Women in Paradise, was very much abated; but as ill Luck would have it, the Benefit I receiv'd from the wholsom Lectures of this agreeable Companion, was of no long Duration.
Twenty-seven Days after our Departure, when we were off of Cape Finisterre, we perceiv'd that our Ship took in much more Water than ordinary. The Carpenters, who were never idle, were as diligent as possible to find out the Cause of this Disaster; but notwithstanding all their Care, and the plying of the Pumps Day and Night, they were never the nearer, and at the end of Thirty-six Hours the Water was risen to such a Height, that it run out at the Port-Holes. The Captain seeing there was no Remedy, order'd us to put to Sea in the two Long-Boats, without taking any thing with us but our Money, of which we had not much. M. Le Sage was still on Board, with the Master, the Pilots, and four other young Gentlemen, who were only making a Voyage of Pleasure, when the Ship sunk to the bottom like a Stone. Tho' they were prepar'd for the Event, yet they were intangled in one another; but as we were at hand, we gave them all the Assistance in our Power, and had only the Misfortune to lose one of those four Lads, Colombier, a young Gentleman of Picardy, who was scarce Fifteen Years of Age.
We were oblig'd to be as easy as possible under our Loss, and to consider what Course to steer next; for tho' we had try'd to make to Land for above two Days, yet the Wind, which was at S.E. hinder'd us. The most mortifying Circumstance of all was, that thro' a Misconstruction of the Captain's Meaning, and for want of Time to supply our selves, we had very little Provision, and no Compass to guide us. The Sky was serene, the Sea calm, and the Weather agreeable; but every one dreaded a Change. Mean time, with the Light of the Sun by Day, and of the Stars by Night, we us'd the utmost Diligence to get ashore, but cou'd not observe that we made any considerable Advance; so that we began to despair of our Lives, especially upon the third Day, when there fell so thick a Fog, that it was impossible to see the Distance of two Foot. At this very time, the little Long-Boat separated from ours, which the Captain perceiving by the Cries we made to one another, press'd the feeble Rowers to strain hard to rejoin us, which they did indeed, with a Vengeance; for falling foul upon our little Vessel, those on Board us were so alarm'd, that they all rose up at once, and gave such a Shock to theirs, that it turn'd Keel upwards. We had a great deal of Difficulty to save them, and much more to make room for them; for we all lay one upon another, and had not eat any thing for above Forty Eight Hours.
In short, it pleased God that about Noon, when the Sun had dispers'd the Fog, we discover'd several Sail coming towards us, which agreeable Sight gave us Joy inexpressible. We tack'd about immediately to meet them, and in three or four Hours time they came up with us, when Captain Davidson was so kind as to take us on Board his Ship. He was bound from Portsmouth, as Convoy to Seventeen English Merchant Ships, that were going to Lisbon. As our Bowels had been so much relax'd, and it being the Opinion of the Physicians (whom, however, we did not go to consult on purpose) that there was no danger in Eating and Drinking heartily, no sooner were the Provisions brought, but we were all glad to see our Beards wag. Every thing that was serv'd up to us was absorb'd as quick as if it had been thrown into a Well; but tho' our Bellies were full, we were not satisfy'd. We had no sooner granted a Respite to our Jaws, but we fell into a profound Sleep, and I question if there was one of us that did not sleep at least Twenty Hours before he was thoroughly awake. The Second Meal set us intirely to rights again. A Lieutenant of the Ship who spoke French, would needs have me give him the Particulars of our Misfortunes, some of which rais'd his Pity, and others his Laughter. At last we arriv'd at a good Harbour, and landed at Lisbon the first of July, without the Loss of one Man besides Colombier.
CHAP. II.
The Author's Stay at Lisbon, &c.