, and hurling stones at it, some Juyce from the bruised
Toad chanced to light upon his Lips, whereupon they swell'd, each to the
thickness of about two Thumbs: And he neglecting to use, what might be
proper to restore them, they have continued in that mishapen size ever
since; the ugliness whereof, when the Relator saw, gave him occasion to
inquire after the cause of it, which thereupon he understood to be, as has
been recited.

On this occasion, the same Gentleman relates, that once seeing a Spider
bruised into a small Glass of Water, and that it tinged {392} it somewhat
of a Sky-colour, he was, upon owning his surprise thereat, informed, that a
dozen of them being put in, they would dye it to almost a full _Azure_.
Which is touch't here, that, the Experiment being so easie to make, it may
be tried, when the season furnishes those Insects; meantime, it seems not
more incredible, that this Creature should yield a Sky-colour, when put in
water, than that _Cochineel_, which also is but an Insect, should afford a
fine _red_, when steep'd in the same Liquor.

* * * * *

_An Account Of Some Books._

_I._ Le Tome troisieme et dernier des Lettres de _M. DES-CARTES_.

As the two first _Tomes_ of M. _Des-Cartes_ his Letters, contain Questions,
for the most part of a _Moral_ and _Physiological_ Nature, proposed to, and
answer'd by him; so _this_ consists of the Contests, he had upon several
Subjects with divers Men eminent in his time.

To pass by that sharp Contest, he was engaged in by some Professors of
Divinity at _Utrecht_, who endeavoured to discredit his Philosophy, as
leading to Libertinisme and Atheisme, notwithstanding he made it so much
his business, as to assert the Existence of a Deity, and the Immortality of
a Soul: We shall take notice of what is more to our purpose, _vid._ the
Differences, he had touching his _Dioptricks_ and _Geometry_.

As for his _Dioptricks_, though a great part of the Learned World have much
esteem'd that Treatise, as leaving little to be said after him upon that
Subject; yet there have not been wanting Mathematicians, who have declared
their disagreement from his Principles in that Doctrine. The first of them
was the Jesuit _Bourdin_, Mathematick Professor in the Colledg of
_Clermont_ at _Paris_; but this difference was soon at an end. A second was
Mr. _Hobbs_, upon whose account he wrote several Letters to _Mersennus_,
containing many remarks conducing t