Occasional Reflections upon Several Subjects

Robert Boyle — EEBO-TCP A29010, keyed from the 1665 edition.

Meditations made out of whatever happened to be in front of him, with the discourse defending the practice printed before them. The six sections are of different kinds: the second is written to his sister during a fit of the ague, and the fourth is a day’s fishing with Eusebius and Lindamor, in which every accident of the river is turned to account. Swift parodied the whole in A Meditation upon a Broomstick, which has kept the book better known by its mockery than by itself.

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Contents (97)

1. To Sophronia
2. An Introductory Preface
3. An Advertisement Touching the Fourth Section
4. The Discourse, Section 1, Chapter 1
5. The Discourse, Section 1, Chapter 2
6. The Discourse, Section 1, Chapter 3
7. The Discourse, Section 2, Chapter 1
8. The Discourse, Section 2, Chapter 2
9. The Discourse, Section 2, Chapter 3
10. The Discourse, Section 2, Chapter 4
11. The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 1
12. The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 2
13. The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 3
14. The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 4
15. The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 5
16. The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 6
17. The Discourse, Section 4, Chapter 1
18. The Discourse, Section 4, Chapter 2
19. The Discourse, Section 4, Chapter 3
20. The Discourse, Section 4, Chapter 4
21. The Discourse, Section 4, Chapter 5
22. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 1. Upon his manner of giving Meat to his Dogg
23. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 2. Upon his distilling Spirit of Roses in a Limbick
24. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 3. Upon his being in great Danger wandring, on Mendip Hills, among cover’d Lead Mines that he knew not of
25. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 4. His Horse stumbling in a very fair way
26. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 5. Upon two very miserable Beggars, begging together by the High-way
27. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 6. Sitting at ease in a Coach that went very fast
28. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 7. Upon the Sight of a Wind-mill standing still
29. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 8. Upon his Paring of a rare Summer Apple
30. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 9. Upon his Coaches being stopt in a narrow Lane
31. Reflections, Section 1, Reflection 10. Looking through a Perspective Glass upon a Vessel we suspected to give us Chase, and to be a Pyrat
32. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 1. Upon the first Invasion of the Disease
33. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 2. Upon the immoderate Heat and Cold of the Aguish Fit
34. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 3. Upon the Succession of the Cold and Hot Fit
35. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 4. Upon the being let Blood
36. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 5. Upon the Taking of Physick
37. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 6. Upon the Sirrups and other sweet things sent him by the Doctor
38. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 7. Upon the want of Sleep
39. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 8. Upon telling the Strokes of an ill-going Clock in the Night
40. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 9. Upon comparing the Clock and his Watch
41. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 10. Upon a Thief in a Candle
42. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 11. Upon the being in danger of Death
43. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 12. Upon the same Subject
44. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 13. A further Continuation
45. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 14. Upon the Apprehensions of a Relapse
46. Reflections, Section 2: Upon the Accidents of an Ague, Meditation 15. Upon his Reviewing and Tacking together the several Bills fil’d up in the Apothecary’s Shop
47. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 1. Upon the sight of some variously Colour’d Clouds
48. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 2. Upon his making of a Fire
49. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 3. Upon my Spaniel’s Carefulness not to lose me in a strange place
50. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 4. Upon the prodigiously wet Weather, which happen’d the Summer that Colchester was Besieg’d. (1648.)
51. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 5. Upon his being Carv’d to at a Feast
52. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 6. Upon the sight of a Looking-glass, with a rich Frame
53. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 7. Upon my Spaniel’s fetching me my Glove
54. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 8. Upon the taking up his Horses from Grass, and giving them Oats before they were to be Ridden a Journey
55. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 9. Upon the making of a Fire with Charcoal
56. Reflections, Section 3, Reflection 10. Looking through a Prismatical or Triangular Glass
57. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 1. Upon the being call’d upon to rise early on a very fair Morning
58. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 2. Upon the Mounting, Singing, and Lighting of Larks
59. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 3. Upon the Sight of a fair Milk-maid singing to her Cow
60. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 4. Upon Fishing with a counterfeit Fly
61. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 5. Upon a Fishes strugling after having swallow’d the Hook
62. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 6. Upon the sight of ones Shadow cast upon the face of a River
63. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 7. Upon a Fall occasion’d by coming too near the Rivers Brink
64. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 8. Upon the Good and Mischief that Rivers do
65. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 9. Upon the comparing of Lands, seated at differing distances from the River
66. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 10. Upon a Fishes running away with the Bait
67. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 11. Upon a Danger springing from an unseasonable Contest with the Steersman
68. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 12. Upon Clouds rising out of the Sea, and falling down in Rain not Brackish
69. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 13. Upon drawing the Boat to the Shore
70. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 14. Upon Catching store of Fish at a Baited place
71. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 15. Upon the Magnetical Needle of a Sun-Dyal
72. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 16. Upon the Quenching of Quick-lime
73. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 17. Upon ones Talking to an Eccho
74. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 18. Upon a Giddiness occasion’d by looking attentively on a rapid Stream
75. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 19. Upon ones Drinking water out of the Brims of his Hat
76. Reflections, Section 4: Upon a Fishing Voyage, Discourse 20. On seeing Boys swim with Bladders
77. Reflections, Section 4: The Transition
78. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 1. Upon the sight of N. N. making of Syrup of Violets
79. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 2. Upon the sight of a Paper-Kite in a windy day
80. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 3. Killing a Crow (out of a window) in a Hog’s-trough, and immediately tracing the ensuing Reflection with a Pen made of one of his Quills
81. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 4. Upon a Glow-worm that he kept included in a Crystal Viol
82. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 5. Upon a Courts being put into Mourning
83. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 6. Upon hearing of a Lute first tun’d, and then excellently play’d on
84. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 7. Upon being presented with a rare Nosegay by a Gardener
85. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 8. Upon a Child that cri’d for the Stars
86. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 9. Upon my Lady D. R. Her fine Closet
87. Reflections, Section 5, Reflection 10. Upon his seeing a Lark stoop to, and caught with, Day-nets
88. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 1. Seeing a Child picking the Plums out of a piece of Cake his Mother had given him for his Breakfast
89. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 2. Upon the sight of Sweet-meats, very artificially counterfeited in Wax
90. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 3. Upon the eating of Oysters
91. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 4. Upon a Lanthorn and Candle carri’d by, on a windy night
92. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 5. Upon the first Audience of the Russian Extraordinary Embassadour, at which he made his Emperour’s Presents
93. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 6. Upon the sight of Roses and Tulips growing near one another
94. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 7. (Taken out of the 2d Book of the Martyrdom of Theodora, and turn’d into an Occasional Meditation.)
95. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 8. Upon the sight of the effects of a Burning-glass
96. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 9. Upon the finding a Horse-shoe in the High-way
97. Reflections, Section 6, Reflection 10. Upon the Shop of an ugly Painter rarely well stor’d with Pictures, of very handsome Ladies