University of Virginia Library

Sannazar.

Bartas.

Spencer.

Delos.

The foundation of the body is the bones. Bones are a similar part of the body, most dry, or cold; made by the vertue generative, through heat of the thicker portion of seed, which is most earthy and fat for the establishment and figure of the whole.

A cartilage, or grisle, is of a middle nature betwixt bones, and ligaments or sinews, made of the same matter, and in the same manner as bones, for variety and safetie in motion.

Some of these (even as bones) sustain and uphold some parts.

Upon the bones as the foundation, is built the flesh. Flesh is a similar part of the body, soft, ruddy, made of bloud indifferently dried, covered with the common membrane or skinne.

The whole body is as it were watered with great plenty of rivers, veins, arteries, and nerves.

An arterie is a vessel long, round, hollow, formed for conveyance of that more spritely bloud, which is elaborate in the heart. This bloud is frothy, yellowish, full of spirits, therefore compast with a double tunicle, that it might not exhale or sweat out by reason of the thinnesse.

A nerve is a spermaticall part rising from the brain and the pith of the backbone, the outside skinne, the inside full of pith, carrying the animall spirits for sense and motion and therefore doubly skinned as the brain: none of them single, but runne in couples.

The veins convey nourishment from the liver, the arteries life and heat from the heart, the nerves sense and motion from the brain. The will commands, the nerve brings, and the part executes the mandate; all almost in an instant.

The whole body may be parted into three regions: the lowest, or belly; the middle, or breast; the highest, or head. In the lowest the liver is sovereigne, whose regiment is the widest, but meanest. In the middle the heart reignes, most necessarie. The brain obtains the highest place, and is as the least in compasse, so the greatest in dignitie.

The skinne is a membrane of all the rest the most large, and thick, formed of the mixture of seed and bloud; the covering, and ornament of parts that are under it: the temper moderate, the proper organ of outward touching (say Physicians.)

The native colour of the skinne is white but (as Hippo-crates) changed into the same colour which is brought by the humour predominant. Where melancholie abounds, it is swarthy; where flegme, it is white, and pale; where choler reignes, it is red and firy; but in sanguine of a rosie colour.

The skinne is covered with the cuticle, or flourishing of the skinne, it is the mean of touching, without which we feel, but with pain. It polisheth the skinne, which many times is hanged, and (as it is with snakes) put off, and a new, and more amiable brought in.

The fat cometh from the airy portion of the bloud; which when it flows to the membranes, by their weak heat (which Physicians account, & call cold) grows thick, and close.

The fleshie pannicle is a membrane very thick, sinewy, woven in with little veins.

The proper parts infolding this lower region are two, the first the muscles of the belly-peece, which are eight, foure side-long, two right, and two crosse.

Peritonæum (which we call the rimme of the belly) is a thinne membrane taking his name from compassing the bowels; round, but longer: every where double, yet so thinne, that it may seem but single. It hath many holes, that the veins, arteries, and other needfull vessels might have passage both in, & out.

The double tunicle of the rimme is plainly parted into a large space, that with a double wall it might fence the bladder, where the vessels of the navil are contained. These are foure: first, the nurse; which is a vein nourishing the infant in the wombe: 2, two arteries in which the infant breaths: the fourth, the Ourachos, a pipe whereby (while the childe is in the wombe) the urine is carried into the Allantoid, or rather Amnion; which is a membrane receiving the sweat and urine.

The passages carrying the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Some affirm that in the passage stands a curious lid, or cover.

The bladder endeth in a neck of flesh, and is girded with a muscle which is called Sphincter: which holds in the urine lest it flow away without our permission. If this be loosened, or cold, the urine goes away from us of it self without any feeling.

Hence the urine is conveyed through the ordinary passages and cast out.

Beside the bladder there are six speciall parts contained in this lower region: the liver, stomack, with the guts; the gall, the splene, or milt; the kidneys, and parts for generation.

The stomack (or Koilia) is the first in order though not in dignitie.

Koilia, or the stomack is long & round, like a bag-pipe, made to receive and concoct the meat, and to perfect the Chyle or white juice, which riseth from thee meat concocted.

Gustus, the taste, is the caterer, or steward to the stomack, which hath his place in Cephal, that is, the head.

In either chap are sixteen teeth; foure cutters, two dog-teeth, or breakers, ten grinders.

The tongue with great agilitie delivers up the meat (well chewed) to the instruments of swallowing: eight muscles serving to this purpose which instantly send the meat through the Oesophagus or meat-pipe into the stomack.

The upper mouth of the stomack hath little veins, or strings circular, to shut in the meat, and keep it from returning.

Vas breve, or the short vessel, which sending in a melancholy humour, sharpens the appetite.

In the bottome of the stomack (which is placed in the midst of the belly) is concoction perfected.

The concoction of meats in the stomack is perfected, as by an innate propertie, and speciall vertue, so also by the outward heat of parts adjoyning. For it is on every side compassed with hotter parts, which as fire to a caldron helps to seethe, and concoct; and the hot steams within it do not a little further digestion

The lower orifice, or mouth of the stomack, is not placed at the very bottome, but at the side, and is called the (Janitor or) Porter, as sending out the food now concocted through the entrails, which are knotty, and full of windings, lest the meat too suddenly passing through the body should make it too subject to appetite and greedinesse.

The first is straight without any winding, that the chyle might not return; and most narrow, that it might not finde too hasty a passage. It takes in a little passage from the gall, which there purges his choler, to provoke the entrails (when they are slow) to cast out the excrements. This is called Duodenum (or twelve finger) from his length.

The second is called the lank or hungry gut, as being more emptie then the rest: for the liver being neare it sucks out his juice, or cream: it is known from the rest by the red colour.

The first of the baser is called blinde: at whose end is an appendant, where if any of the thinner chyle do chance to escape, it is stopt, and by the veins of the midriffe suckt out.

The last called Rectum, or straight, hath no windings, short, larger toward the end; that the excrement may more easily be ejected, and retained also upon occasion.

The thinne entrails serve for the carrying, & through-concocting of the chyle: the thicker for the gathering, and containing the excrements.

Epiploon (or Overswimmer, descends below the navill; and ascends above the highest entrails, of skinny substance all interlaced with fat.

The Mesenterium (or midst amongst the entrails, whence it takes the name) ties and knits the entrails together: it hath a double tunicle.

Of all this lower region the Hepar, or liver, is the principall. The situation strong and safe, walled in by the ribs.

It is covered with one single tunicle; & that very thinne, and slight.

The liver is tied to the heart by arteries, to the head by nerves, and to both by veins dispersed to both.

The livers upper part rises & swells gently; is very smooth, and even; the lower in the outside like to an hollow rock, rugged & craggy.

The steward of the whole Isle is here fitly placed, because as all (that is brought in) is here fitted, and disposed, so from hence returned, and dispensed.

Here Plato disposed the seat of love. And certainly though lust (which some perversly call love) be otherwhere seated, yet that affection whereby we wish, and do well to others, may seem to be better fitted in the liver, then in the heart, (where most do place it) because this moderate heat appeares more apt for this affection; and fires of the heart where (as a Salamander) anger lives, seem not so fit to entertain it.

Hence rise the two great rivers of bloud, of which all the rest are lesser streams: The first is Porta, or the gate-vein, issuing from the hollow part and is shed toward the stomack, splene, guts, and the Epiploon. The second is Cava, the hollow vein, spreading his river over all the body.

The chyle, or juice of meats concocted in the stomack could not all be turned into sweet bloud by reason of the divers kindes of humours in it: Therefore there are three kinds of excrementall liquors suckt away by little vessels, and carried to their appointed places: one too light, and fiery; an other too earthy, and heavy; a third wheyish and watery.

Famous the controversie between the Peripateticks, and Physicians: one holding the heart, the other the liver to be first. That the liver is first in time and making, is manifest; because the Nurse (the vein that feeds the infant yet in the wombe) empties it self upon the liver.

The first excrement drawn from the liver to the gall is cholerick, bitter, like flame in colour; which were it not removed, and kept in due place, would fill all the body with bitternesse, and gnawing.

Choledochus or the Gall, is of a membranous substance, having but one, yet that a strong tunicle. It hath two passages, one drawing the humour from the liver, another conveying the overplus into the first gut, and so emptying the gall. And this fence hath a double gate to keep the liquour from returning.

The second ill humour is earthy, and heavy, which is drawn from the liver by little vessels unto the splene, the native seat of melancholie, here some have placed laughter: but the splene seems rather the seat of malice and heavinesse.

If the splene should fail in this office, the whole body would be filled with melancholy fanices, and vain terrours.

Where the splene flourishes, all the body decayes, and withers; where the splene is kept down, the body flourishes. Hence Stratonicus merrily said, that in Crete dead men walked, because they were so splenitive, and palecoloured.

The watery humour with some good bloud (which is spent for the nourishment of those parts) is drawn by the kidneys.

The kidneys are both alike; the left somewhat higher: both have a double skinne, and both compassed with fat.

The heart is the seat of heat and life; therefore walled about with the ribs, for more safety.

The breasts, or paps, are given to men for strength, and ornament; to women, for milk and nurserie also.

When the infant grows big, he so oppresseth the vessels of bloud, that partly through the readinesse of the passage, but especially by the providence of God, the bloud turns back to the breast, & there by an innate but wonderfull facultie is turned into milk.

The breasts are in figure hemisphericall; whose tops are crowned with the teats, about which are reddish circles, called (Areolæ, or) little altars.

In the Thorax or breast, are sixty five muscles for respiration, or breathing, which is either free, or forced: The instruments of forced breathing are sixtie foure, whereof thirtie two distend, and as many contract it.

The instrument of the free breathing is the Diazome or Diaphragma, which we call the midriffe, as a wall parting the heart and liver: Plato affirms it a partition between the seats of desire, and anger: Aristotle, a barre to keep the noisome odour of the stomack from the heart.

The midriffe dilates it self when it draws in, contracts it self when it puffes out the aire.

The midriffe consists of two circles, one skinny, the other fleshie. It hath two tunicles, as many veins and arteries, and foure nerves.

Here most men have placed the seat of laughter: It hath much sympathie with the brain; so that if the midriffe be inflamed, present madnes ensues it.

Within, the Pleura (or skinne which clotheth the ribs on the inside) compasses this middle region.

The chiefest part of this middle region is the Heart, placed in the midst of this province, and of the whole bodie: fitly was it placed in the midst of all, as being of all the most needfull.

The Heart is immured partly by a membrane going round about it, (and thence receiving his name) and a peculiar tunicle; partly with an humour like whey or urine, as well to cool the heart, as to lighten the body.

The flesh of the heart is proper and peculiar to it self, not like other muscles; of a figure pyramicall. The point of the heart is (as with a diademe) girt with two arteries, and a vein, called the crowns.

Though the heart be an entire body, yet it is severed into two partitions, the right, and left; of which the left is more excellent and noble.

The right receives into his hollownesse the bloud flowing from the liver, and concocts it.

This right side sends down to the lungs that part of this bloud which is lesse laboured, and thicker; but the thinner part it sweats through a fleshie partition into the left side.

Two skinny additions (from their likenesse called the ears) receive, the one the thicker bloud, (that called the right) the other (called the left) takes in the aire sent by the lungs.

The left side of the heart takes in this aire, and bloud; and concocting them both in his hollow bosome, sends them out by the great arterie into the whole body.

In the heart are foure great vessels: the first is the hollow vein bringing in the bloud from the liver; at whose mouth stand three little folding doores, with three forks giving passage, but no return to the bloud.

The second vessel is called the arterie-vein, which rising from the right side of the heart, carries down the bloud here prepared to the lungs for their nourishment. Here also is the like three-folding doore, made like half-circles; giving passage from the heart, but not backward.

The fourth is the great arterie. This hath also a floudgate made of three semicircular membranes, to give out load to the vitall spirits, and stop their regresse.

The Heart is the fountain of life and heat to the whole bodie, and the seat of passions.

The Pneumon (or lungs) is nearest the heart, whose flesh is light, and spongie, very large. It is the instrument of breathing, and speaking, divided into many parcels, yet all united into one bodie.

The Lungs are covered with a light & very thinne tunicle, lest it might be an hinderance to the motion.

The Larynx, or covering of the winde-pipe, is a grisly substance, parted into foure grisles of which the first is ever unmoved, and in women often double.

Adjoyning to it is the Oesophagus, or meat-pipe: conveying meats and drinks to the stomack.

At whose end is the Epiglottis, or cover of the throat, the principall instrument of tuning, and apting the voice; & therefore grisly, that it might sooner fall when we swallow, and rise when we breathe.

The head of these three regions is the least, but nobles in frame, and office: most like to heaven as well in site, being highest in this little world, as also in figure, being round.

The Brain is the seat of the minde, and senses.

The head is divided into the Citie, and Suburbs; the brain within the wall of the skull, and the face without.

Beside the common tunicles of the whole body, the brain is covered first with the bone of the skull, secondly with the Pericranium, or skin covering the skull, & thirdly with two inward skinnes.

These two are called the hard, and tender mother.

The outside of the brain is softer, and of ashie colour; the inward part white, and harder, framed of seed.

Almost in the midst of the brain are two hollow places, like half moons, of much use for preparing the spirits, emptying rheugme, receiving odours, &c.

Here is a knot of veins and arteries weaved together; by which the animall spirits are concocted, thinned and fitted for service: and close by are two little bunches like teats, the instruments of smelling.

Next is that Septum lucidum, or bright wall, severing these hollow caverns.

The third cavitie is nothing else but a meeting of the two former.

By the third cavitie are two passages; and at the end of the first is the (Infundibulum or) tunnell, under which is (Glans Pituitaria or) the Rheugmkernell, as a spunge sucking the rheugms, & distilling them into the palate.

The other passage reaches to the fourth cavitie, which yeelds a safe way for the spirits.

All the nerves imparting all sense and motion to the whole body have their root partly from the brain, and partly from the back bone.

The pith of the back bone springeth from the brain, whence by foure passages it is conveyed into the back; and there all foure joyn in one, and again are thence divided into divers others.

The first part of the face is the forehead, at whose base are the eyes.

The eyes are the index of the minde, discovering every affection.

Orpheus called the eyes the looking glasse of nature.

Visus, or the Sight, is the most noble above all the senses.

There are six muscles moving the eye, thus termed by Anatomists.

Above are the eyebrowskeeping off the sweat that it fall not into the eyes.

The eyelids shutting the eye are two; the lower ever unmoved in man: and hairs keeping off dust, flies, &c.

There are three humours in the eye: the first the Watrie, breaking the too vehement light, and stopping the spirits from going out too fast.

The second is the Crystalline, and most noble, seated and compast between the other two, and being altered by the entring shapes, is the chief instrument of sight.

The third from the likenesse is called the glassie humour.

There are six tunicles belonging to the eye: The first called the conjunctive, solid, thick, compassing the whole eye, but onely the black window.

The second is Cornea or, hornie tunicle, transparent, and made of the hard mother.

The third is (Uvea or) grapie; made of the tender mother, thinne, and pervious by a little and round window: it is diversly coloured without, but exceeding black within.

The fourth is more thinne then any cobweb (and thence so called) immediately compassing the Crystalline humour.

The eye hath two nerves, the Optick or seeing nerve, and moving. The optick, separate in their root, in the midst of their progresse meet, and strengthen one the other.

Hearing is the second sense, lesse noble then the eye, more needfull.

The outward eare is of a grisly matter, covered with the common tunicle. It is framed with many crooks, lest the aire should enter too forcibly.

The inward eare consists of foure passages: the first is steepie, lest any thing should creep in.

If the Drum be wet with falling of rheugm, we are hard of hearing; but if it grow thick, we are irrecoverably deaf.

The Drumme parteth the first and second passage. To it are joyned three little bones, the instruments of hearing, which never grow, or decrease in childehood or age: they are all in the second passage.

The first of these bones is called the Hammer, the second the Stithe, the third the Stirrup; all taking their names from their likenesse: all tied to the Drumme by a little string.

These are two small passages, admitting the sounds into the head, and cleansing the aire.

The last passage is called the Cochlea, snail, or Periwincle; where the nerves of hearing plainlyappeare.

These are those two little bunches like paps, or teats, spoken of the 15 Stanz. of this Cant.

Gustus, or the taste is in the palate, which in the Greek is called the heaven.

Tactus, or the sense of touching.

The Tongue is held with a ligament, ordinarily called the bridle.

The Tongue is guarded with thirtie two teeth, and with the lips; all which do not a little help the speech, and sweeten the voice.

See that sweet poem entituled Christs victorie and triumph. part. 1. stan. 18.

The five senses

The common sense.

The fancie.

The understanding.

Conscience.

The Turk.

Revel. 5. 5.

The flesh.

The fruits of the flesh are described Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. and may be ranked into foure companies, 1. of Unchastitie. 2. of Irreligion. 3. of Unrighteous[n]esse. 4. of Intemperance.

Adulterie. Gal. 5. 19.

Fornication.

Sodomie. Rom. 1. 26, 27. Levit. 20. 15, 16.

Lasciviousnesse.

Idolatrie, either by worshipping the true God by false worship; as by images, against the second commandment: or giving away his worship to any thing that is not God, against the first.

Witchcraft and curious arts.

Heresie.

Hatred.