FOURTH BOOK 



CHAPTER I 



Division of the Knowledge of Man into Human and Civil Philosophy. 

 Human Philosophy divided into the Doctrine of the Body and Soul. 

 The Construction of one General Science, including the Nature and 

 State of Man. The latter divided into the Doctrine of the Human 

 Person and the Connection of the Soul with the Body. Division of 

 the Doctrine of the Person of Man into that of his Miseries and Pre- 

 rogatives. Division of the Relations between the Soul and the 

 Body into the Doctrines of Indications and Impressions. Physiog- 

 nomy and the Interpretation of Dreams assigned to the Doctrine 

 of Indications 



IF any man, excellent King, shall assault or wound me for 

 any of these precepts, let him know that he infringes the 

 code of military honor ; for in addition to being under the 

 gracious protection of your Majesty, I do not begin the fight, 

 but am only one of those trumpeters of whom Homer speaks 



Xalptrf KJjpvKfS Albs &yyt\ot, ^5} co) tu&p&vQ 



who pass inviolate even between enraged armies. Nor does 

 our trumpet summon men to tear one another in frenzied com- 

 bat, but rather to conclude a peace, that they who are now di- 

 vided may direct their united forces against nature herself ; and 

 by taking her high towers and dismantling her fortified holds, 

 enlarge as far as God will permit the borders of man's domin- 

 ion. We now come to the knowledge of ourselves, whither we 

 are directed by the ancients,^ which merits a closer examination, 

 since the knowledge of himself is to man the end and time of the 

 sciences, of which nature only forms a portion. And here we 

 must admonish mankind, that all divisions of the sciences are 

 to be understood and employed, so as only to mark out and 

 distinguish, not tear, separate, or make any solution of contin- 

 uity in their body ; f the contrary practice having rendered par- 

 ticular sciences barren, empty, and erroneous, whilst they are 



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