The Blazing World

asked them, whether their vehicles were living bodies? They are self-moving bodies, answered they, and therefore they must needs be living; for nothing can move itself, without it hath life. Then, said she, it must necessarily follow, that this living, self-moving body gives motion to the spirit, and not the spirit motion to the body, as its vehicle. You say very true, answered they, and we told you this before. Then the Empress asked them, of what forms of matter those vehicles were? They said they were of several different forms; some gross and dense, and others more pure, rare, and subtle. If you be not material, said the Empress, how can you be generators of all creatures? We are no more, answered they, the generators of material creatures, than they are the generators of us spirits. Then she asked, whether they did leave their vehicles? No, answered they; for we being incorporeal, cannot leave or quit them: but our vehicles do change into several forms and figures, according as occasion requires. Then the Empress desired the spirits to tell her, whether Man was a little world? They answered, that if a fly or worm was a little world, then Man was so too. She asked again, whether our forefathers had been as wise, as men were at present, and had understood sense and reason, as well as they did now? They answered, that in former ages they had been as wise as they are in this present, nay, wiser; for, said they, many in this age do think their forefathers have been fools, by which they prove themselves to be such. The Empress asked further, whether there was any plastick power in nature? Truly, said the spirits, plastick power is a hard word, and signifies no more than the power of the corporeal, figurative motions of nature. After this, the Empress desired the spirits to inform her where the Paradise was, whether it was in the midst of the world as a centre of pleasure? or, whether it was the whole world; or a peculiar world by itself, as a world of life, and not of matter; or whether it was mixed, as a world of living animal creatures? They answered, that Paradise was not in the world she came from, but in that world she lived in at present; and that it was the very same place where she kept her court, and where her palace stood, in the midst of the imperial city. The Empress asked further, whether in the beginning and creation of the world, all beasts could speak? They answered, that no beasts could speak, but only those sorts of creatures which were Fish-men, Bear-men, Worm-men, and the like, which could speak in the first age, as well as they do now. She asked again, whether they were none of those spirits that frighted Adam out of the Paradise, at least caused him not to return thither again? They answered they were not. Then she desired to be informed, whither Adam fled when he was driven out of the Paradise? Out of this world, said they, you are now Empress of, into the world you came from. If this be so, replied the Empress, then surely those Cabbalists are much out of their story, who believe the Paradise to be a world of life only, without matter; for this world, though it be most pleasant and fruitful, yet it is not a world of mere immaterial life, but a world of living, material creatures. Without question, they are, answered the spirits; for not all Cabbalas are true. Then the Empress asked, that since it is mentioned in the story of the creation of the world, that Eve was tempted by the Serpent, whether the Devil was within the Serpent, or, whether the Serpent tempted her without the Devil? They answered, that the Devil was within the Serpent. But how came it then, replied she, that the Serpent was cursed? They answered, because the Devil was in him; for are not those men in danger of damnation which have the Devil within them, who persuades them to believe and act wickedly? The Empress asked further, whether light and the heavens were all one? They answered, that that region which contains the lucid natural orbs, was by mortals named Heaven; but the Beatifical Heaven, which is the habitation of the blessed angels and souls, was so far beyond it, that it could not be compared to any natural creature. Then the Empress asked them, whether all matter was fluid at first? They answered, that matter was always as it is; and that some parts of matter were rare, some dense, some fluid, some solid, etc. Neither was God bound to make all matter fluid at first. She asked further, whether matter was immovable in itself? We have answered you before, said they, that there is no motion but in matter; and were it not for the motion of matter, we spirits, could not move, nor give you any answer to your several questions. After this, the Empress asked the spirits, whether the universe was made within the space of six days, or, whether by those six days, were meant so many decrees or commands of God? They answered her, that the world was made by the all-powerful decree and command of God; but whether there were six decrees or commands, or fewer, or more, no creature was able to tell.

Then she enquired, whether there was no mystery in numbers? No other mystery, answered the spirits, but reckoning or counting; for numbers are only marks of remembrance. But what do you think of the number of four, said she, which Cabbalists make such ado withal, and of the number of ten, when they say that ten is all, and that all numbers are virtually comprehended in four? We think, answered they, that Cabbalists have nothing else to do but to trouble their heads with such useless fancies;