one of the Provinces of France, the Inhabitants whereof hoped by that means to be restored to their Ancient Priviledges; and that he defigned thereby to free the United Provinces from the oppreffion they were under, by giving fo much work to the King of France in his own Country, as to oblige him to keep a great part of his Forces in that Kingdom. That in order to facilitate the Execution of that defign, fome Ships were fitted out, but that they arrived too late. However it be, Vanden Ende was Executed, but if he had attempted upon the Dauphin's Life, 'tis likely that he wou'd have expiated his crime in another manner, and by a more rigorous Punishment.

He applies Himfelf to the Study of Divinity, and then to Natural Philofophy.

Spinofa having learn'd the Latin Tongue

well, applied himself to the Study of

Divinity for fome years. In the mean time

his Wit and Jugdment encreased every day: So that finding himself more difpofed to enquire into Natural Caufes, he gave over Divinity, and betook himself altogether to the Study of Natural Philofophy. He did for a long time deliberate about the choice he fhou'd make of a Master, whose Writing might ferve him a Guide in his defign. At laft, having light upon the Works of Defcartes, he read them greedily; and afterwards he often declared that he had all his Philofophical Knowledge from him. He was charmed with that Maxim of Descartes, Which fays, That nothing ought to admitted as True, but what has been proved by good and folid Reafons. From whence he drew this Consequence that the ridiculous Doctrine aud Principles of the Rabbins cou'd not be admitted by a Man of Senfe; because they are only built upon the Authority of the Rabbins themselves, and because what they teach, does not proceed from God, as they pretend with

out any ground for it, and without the least appearance of Reason.

From that time he began to be very much referved amongst the Jewish Doctors, whom he fhunned as much as he cou'd: He was seldom seen in their Synagogues, whither he went only perfunctorily, which exafperated them against him to the highest degree; for they did not doubt but that he woud'd foon leave them, and make himself a Chriftian. Yet, to 1peak the truth, he never embraced Christianity, nor received the Holy Baptism: And tho he had frequent Conversations with fome learn'd Mennonites, as well as with the most eminent Divines of other Chriftian Sects, yet he never declared for, nor profeft himself to be a Member of any of them.

Francis Halma fays, in the Account of Spinofa, which he published in Dutch, that the Jews offered him a Penfion a little while before his Desertion, to engage him to remain amongst 'em, and to appear now and then in

their Synagogues. This Spinofa himself affirmed several times to the Sieur Van der Spyck, his Landlord, and to fome other Perfons; adding, that the Penfion, which the Rabbins defign'd to give him, amounted to 1000 Florins. But he protested at the fame time, that if they had offered him ten times as much, he wou'd not have accepted of it, nor frequented their Affemblies out of fuch a motive; because he was not a Hypocrite, and minded nothing but Truth. Monfieur Bayle tells us, That he happen'd one day to be affaulted by a Jew, as he was coming out of the Playhouse, who wounded him in the Face with a Knife, and that Spinofa knew that the Jew defign'd to kill him, tho his wound was not dangerous. But Spinofa's Landlord and his Wife, who are ftill living, give me quite another account of it. They had it from Spinofa himself, who did often tell them, that one Evening as he was coming out of the Old Portuguese Synagogue, he

faw a Man by him with a Dagger in his Hand; whereupon ftanding upon his guard, and going backwards, avoided the blow, which reached no farther than his Cloaths. He kept ftill the Coat that was run thro' with the Dagger, as a Memorial of that event. Afterwards, not thinking himself to be safe at Amfterdam, he refolved to retire somewhere elfe with the first opportunity. Befides, he was defirouts to go on with his Studies and Phyfical Meditations in a quiet Retreat.

He was Excomunicated by the Jews.

Hof

had no fooner left the Communion

of the Jews, but they profecuted him Juridically according to their Ecclefiaftical Laws, and Excommunicated him. He himself did very often own that he was Excommunicated by them, and declared, that from that time he broke all Friendship and Correspondence with them. Some Jews of Amsterdam, who knew Spinofa very well, have also confirmed