Chapter I: Front Matter

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcriber’s Note:

This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Superscripted characters are prefixed with ‘^’. Multiple characters are enclosed with ‘{ }’.

Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced.

Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE

ENGLISH WORKS

OF

THOMAS HOBBES

OF MALMESBURY;

NOW FIRST COLLECTED AND EDITED

BY

SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTH, BART.

-------

VOL. VII.

-------

LONDON:
LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.

--

MDCCCXLV.

LONDON:
RICHARDS, PRINTER, 100, ST. MARTIN’S LANE.

CONTENTS.

---

PAGE
SEVEN PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS 1

DECAMERON PHYSIOLOGICUM 69

PROPORTION OF A STRAIGHT LINE TO HALF THE ARC OF A QUADRANT 178

SIX LESSONS TO THE SAVILIAN PROFESSORS OF THE MATHEMATICS 181

ΣΤΙΓΜΑΙ, OR MARKS OF THE ABSURD GEOMETRY ETC. OF DR. WALLIS 357

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM HENRY STUBBE 401

THREE PAPERS PRESENTED TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY AGAINST DR. WALLIS 429

CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ANSWER OF DR. WALLIS 443

LETTERS AND OTHER PIECES 449

SEVEN
PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS
AND
TWO PROPOSITIONS OF GEOMETRY.

BY
THOMAS HOBBES
OF MALMESBURY.

WITH
AN APOLOGY FOR HIMSELF AND HIS WRITINGS.
DEDICATED TO THE KING IN THE YEAR 1662.

TO THE KING.

That which I do here most humbly present to your sacred Majesty, is the best part of my meditations upon the natural causes of events, both of such as are commonly known, and of such as have been of late artificially exhibited by the curious.

They are ranged under seven heads. 1. Problems of gravity. 2. Problems of tides. 3. Problems of vacuum. 4. Problems of heat. 5. Problems of hard and soft. 6. Problems of wind and weather. 7. Problems of motion perpendicular and oblique, &c. To which I have added two propositions of Geometry: one is, the duplication of the cube, hitherto sought in vain; the other, a detection of the absurd use of arithmetic, as it is now applied to geometry.

The doctrine of natural causes hath not infallible and evident principles. For there is no effect which the power of God cannot produce by many several ways.

But seeing all effects are produced by motion, he that supposing some one or more motions, can derive from them the necessity of that effect whose cause is required, has done all that is to be expected from natural reason. And though he prove not that the thing was thus produced, yet he proves that thus it may be produced when the materials and the power of moving are in our hands: which is as useful as if the causes themselves were known. And notwithstanding the absence of rigorous demonstration, this contemplation of nature (if not rendered obscure by empty terms) is the most noble employment of the mind that can be, to such as are at leisure from their necessary business.

This that I have done I know is an unworthy present to be offered to a king: though considered, as God considers offerings, together with the mind and fortune of the offerer, I hope will not be to your Majesty unacceptable.

But that which I chiefly consider in it is, that my writing should be tried by your Majesty’s excellent reason, untainted with the language that has been invented or made use of by men when they were puzzled; and who is acquainted with all the experiments of the time; and whose approbation, if I have the good fortune to obtain it, will protect my reasoning from the contempt of my adversaries.

I will not break the custom of joining to my offering a prayer; and it is, that your Majesty will be pleased to pardon this following short apology for my _Leviathan_ . Not that I rely upon apologies, but upon your Majesty’s most gracious general pardon.

That which is in it of theology, contrary to the general current of divines, is not put there as my opinion, but propounded with submission to those that have the power ecclesiastical.

I did never after, either in writing or discourse, maintain it.

There is nothing in it against episcopacy; I cannot therefore imagine what reason any episcopal man can have to speak of me, as I hear some of them do, as of an atheist, or man of no religion, unless it be for making the authority of the Church wholly upon the regal power; which I hope your Majesty will think is neither atheism nor heresy.

But what had I to do to meddle with matters of that nature, seeing religion is not philosophy, but law?

It was written in a time when the pretence of Christ’s kingdom was made use of for the most horrid actions that can be imagined; and it was in just indignation of that, that I desired to see the bottom of that doctrine of the kingdom of Christ, which divers ministers then preached for a pretence to their rebellion: which may reasonably extenuate, though not excuse the writing of it.

There is therefore no ground for so great a calumny in my writing. There is no sign of it in my life; and for my religion, when I was at the point of death at St. Germain’s, the Bishop of Durham can bear witness of it, if he be asked. Therefore I most humbly beseech your sacred Majesty not to believe so ill of me upon reports, that proceed often, and may do so now, from the displeasure which commonly ariseth from difference in opinion; nor to think the worse of me, if snatching up all the weapons to fight against your enemies, I lighted upon one that had a double edge.

Your Majesty’s poor and

most loyal subject,

THOMAS HOBBES.

==========

PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS.

---