to cure; a young man's wounds soon close, an old man's later; a young man's cheeks are of a fresh colour, an old man's pale, or with a black blood; a young man is less troubled with rheums, an old man more. Neither do we know in what things old men do improve, as touching their body, save only sometimes in fatness; whereof the reason is soon given, because old men's bodies do neither perspire well nor assimilate well. Now, fatness is nothing else but exuberance of nourishment above that which is voided by excrement, or which is perfectly assimilated. Also, some old men improve in the appetite of feeding, by reason of the acid humours, though old men digest worst. And all these things which we have said, physicians negligently enough will refer to the diminution of the natural heat and radical moisture, which are things of no worth for use. This is certain, dryness in the coming on of years doth forego coldness; and bodies, when they come to the top and strength of heat, do decline in dryness, and after that follows coldness.

man more grave and constant; a young man is given to liberality, and beneficence, and humanity, an old man to covetousness, wisdom for his own self, and seeking his own ends; a young man is confident and full of hope, an old man diffident, and given to suspect most things; a young man is gentle and obsequions, an old man froward and disdainful; a young man is sincere and openhearted, an old man cautelous and close; a young man is given to desire great things, an old man to regard things necessary; a young man thinks well of the present times, an old man preferreth times past before them; a young man reverenceth his superiors, an old man is more forward to tax them; and many other things, which pertain rather to manners than the present inquisition. Notwithstanding, old men, as in some things they improve in their bodies, so also in their minds, unless they be altogether out of date; namely, that as they are less apt for invention, so they excel in judgment, and prefer safe things, and sound things, before specious. Also, they improve in garrulity and ostentation, for they seek the fruit of speech while they are less able for action. So as it was not absurd that the poets feigned old Tython to be turned into a grasshopper.

OF LIFE AND FORM OF DEATH.

CANON I.

Consumption is not caused, unless that which is departed with by one body passeth into another.

THE EXPLICATION.

3. Now we are to consider the affections of the mind. I remember when I was a young man. at Poictiers in France, I conversed familiarly with a certain Frenchman, a witty young man, but something talkative, who afterwards grew to be a very eminent man; he was wont to inveigh MOVABLE CANONS OF THE DURATION against the manners of old men, and would say, that if their minds could be seen as their bodies are, they would appear no less deformed. Besides, being in love with his own wit, he would maintain, that the vices of old men's minds have some correspondence, and were parallel to the putrefactions of their bodies: for the dryness of their skin, he would bring in impudence; for the There is in nature no annihilating, or reducing hardness of their bowels, unmercifulness; for the to nothing. Therefore, that which is consumed lippitude of their eyes, an evil eye, and envy; for is either resolved into air, or turned into some the casting down of their eyes, and bowing their body adjacent. So we see a spider, or fly, or ant body towards the earth, atheism; (for, saith he, in amber, entombed in a more stately monument they look no more up to heaven as they are wont ;) than kings are; to be laid up for eternity, for the trembling of their members, irresolutions although they be but tender things, and soon disof their decrees and light inconstancy; for the sipated. But the matter is this, that there is no bending of their fingers, as it were to catch, rapa-air by, into which they should be resolved, and city and covetousness; for the buckling of their knees, fearfulness; for their wrinkles, craftiness and obliquity; and other things which I have forgotten. But, to be serious, a young man is modest and shamefaced, an old man's forehead is hardened; a young man is full of bounty and mercy, an old man's heart is brawny; a young nian is affected with a laudable emulation, an old man with a malignant envy; a young man is inclined to religion and devotion, by reason of his fervency and inexperience of evil, an old man cooleth in piety through the coldness of his charity, and long conversation in evil, and likewise through the difficulty of his belief; a young man's desires are vehement, an old man's mode- No body known unto us here in the upper part rate; a young man is light and movable, an old of the earth is without a spirit, either by attenua

the substance of the amber is so heterogeneous, that it receives nothing of them. The like we conceive would be if a stick, or root, or some such thing were buried in quicksilver; also wax, and honey, and gums, have the same operation. but in part only.

CANON II.

There is in every tangible body a spirit, covered and encompassed with the grosser parts of the body, and from it all consumption and dissolution Astå the beginning.

THE EXPLICATION.

tion and concoction from the heat of the heaven- eth that confusion in bodies putrefied. But ly bodies, or by some other way; for the concavi- generation or vivification is a work also mixed of

ties of tangible things receive not vacuum, but either air, or the proper spirit of the thing. And this spirit whereof we speak, is not from virtue, or energy, or act, or a trifle, but plainly a body, rare and invisible; notwithstanding, circumscribed by place, quantitative, real. Neither, again, is that spirit air, (no more than wine is water,) but a body rarefied, of kin to air, though much different from it. Now, the grosser parts of bodies (being dull things, and not apt for motion) would last a long time; but the spirit is that which troubleth, and plucketh, and undermineth them, and converteth the moisture of the body, and whatsoever it is able to digest, into new spirit; and then as well the pre-existing spirit of the body, as that newly made, fly away together by degrees. This is best seen by the diminution of the weight in bodies dried through perspiration; for neither all that which is issued forth was spirit when the body was ponderous, neither was it not spirit when it issued forth.

CANON III.

The spirit issuing forth drieth; detained and working within either melteth, or putrefieth, or vivifieth.

THE EXPLICATION.

the spirit and grosser parts, but in a far different manner; for the spirit is totally detained, but it swelleth and moveth locally; and the grosser parts are not dissolved, but follow the motion of the spirit; and are, as it were, blown out by it, and extruded into divers figures, from whence cometh that generation and organization; and, therefore, vivification is always done in a matter tenacious and clammy, and again yielding and soft, that there may be both a detention of the spirit, and also a gentle cession of the parts, according as the spirit forms them. And this is seen in the matter, as well of all vegetables, as of living creatures, whether they be engendered of putrefaction, or of sperm, for in all these things there is manifestly seen a matter hard to break through, easy to yield.

CANON IV.

In all living creatures there are two kinds of spirits: liveless spirits, such as are in bodies inanimate; and a vital spirit superadded.

THE EXPLICATION.

It was said before, that to procure long life, the body of man must be considered; first, as inanimate, and not repaired by nourishment; secondly, as animate, and repaired by nourishment. For the former, consideration gives laws touching consumption, the latter touching repara tion. Therefore we must know, that there are in human flesh bones, membranes, organs; finally, in all the parts such spirits diffused in the substance of them while they are alive, as there are

There are four processes of the spirit; to arefaction, to colloquation, putrefaction, to generation of bodies. Arefaction is not the proper work of the spirit, but of the grosser parts after the spirit issued forth; for then they contract themselves partly by their flight of vacuum, part-in the same things (flesh, bones, membranes, and ly by the union of the homogeneals; as appears the rest) separated and dead, such as also remain in all things which are arefied by age, and in the in a carcass; but the vital spirit, although it drier sort of bodies which have passed the fire; ruleth them, and hath some consent with them, as bricks, charcoal, bread. Colloquation is the yet it is far differing from them, being integral, mere work of the spirit; neither is it done, but and subsisting by itself. Now, there are two when they are excited by heat; for when the special differences betwixt the liveless spirits and spirits, dilating themselves, yet not getting forth, the vital spirits. The one, that the liveless spirits do insinuate and disperse themselves among the are not continued to themselves, but are, as it grosser parts, and so make them soft and apt to were, cut off and encompassed with a gross body, run, as it is in the metals and wax; for metals, which intercepts them, as air is mixed with snow and all tenacious things, are apt to inhibit the or froth; but the vital spirit is all continued to itself spirit; that being excited, it issueth not forth. by certain conduit pipes through which it passeth, Putrefaction is a mixed work of the spirits, and and is not totally intercepted. And this spirit is of the grosser parts; for the spirit (which before twofold also; the one branched, only passing restrained and bridled the parts of the thing) through small pipes, and, as it were, strings, the being partly issued forth, and partly enfeebled, other hath a cellar also, so as it is not only conall things in the body do dissolve and return to tinued to itself, but also congregated in a hollow their homogeneities, or (if you will) to their ele- space in reasonable good quantity, according to ments; that which was spirit in it is congregated the analogy of the body; and in that cell is the to itself, whereby things putrefied begin to have fountain of the rivulets which branch from thence. an ill savour; the oily parts to themselves, The cell is chiefly in the ventricles of the brain, whereby things putrefied have that slipperiness which in the ignobler sort of creatures are but and unctuosity; the watery parts also to them- narrow, insomuch that the spirits in them seem selves, the dregs to themselves; whence follow- scattered over their whole body, rather than celled; VOL. III.-65

as may be seen in serpents, eels, and flies, whereof the liveless spirits, not that they are more flamy every of their parts move along after they are cut than air. asunder. Birds also leap a good while after their heads are pulled off, because they have little heads and little cells. But the nobler sort of creatures

dust will not go into, and air which water will not go into; nay, flame and spirit which air will not go into. Notwithstanding, of this thing there are some bounds, for the spirit is not so much trans■ ported with the desire of going forth, that it will suffer itself to be too much discontinued, or be driven into over-straight pores and passages; and, therefore, if the spirit be encompassed with a hard body, or else with an unctuous and tenacious, (which is not easily divided,) it is plainly bound, and, as I may say, imprisoned, and layeth down the appetite of going out; wherefore we see that metals and stones require a long time for their spirit to go forth, unless either the spirit be excited by the fire, or the grosser parts be dissevered with corroding and strong waters. The like reason is there of tenacious bodies, such as are gums, save only that they are melted by a more gentle heat; and therefore the juices of the body hard, a close and compact skin, and the like, (which are procured by the dryness of the aliment, and by exercise, and by the coldness of the air,) are good for long life, because they detain the spirit in close prison, that it goeth not forth.

CANON XVI.

CANON XVIII.

Air excluded conferreth to long life, if other in conveniences be avoided.

THE EXPLICATION.

We said a little before, that the flying forth of the spirit is a redoubled action, from the appetite of the spirit, and of the air; and, therefore, if either of these be taken out of the way, there is not a little gained. Notwithstanding, divers inconveniences follow hereupon, which how they may be prevented we have showed in the second of our operations.

CANON XIX.

Youthful spirits inserted into an old body, might soon turn nature's course back again.

THE EXPLICATION.

The nature of the spirits is as the uppermost wheel, which turneth about the other wheels in the body of man; and therefore in the intention of long life, that ought to be first placed. Here unto may be added, that there is an easier and more expedite way to alter the spirits, than to other operations. For the operation upon the

In oily and fat things the spirit is detained wil- spirits is twofold; the one by aliments, which is lingly, though they be not tenacious.

THE EXPLICATION.

The spirit, if it be not irritated by the antipathy of the body enclosing it, nor fed by the over-much likeness of that body, nor solicited nor invited by the external body, it makes no great stir to get out; all which are wanting to oily bodies, for they are neither so pressing upon the spirits as hard bodies, nor so near as watery bodies, neither have they any good agreement with the air am

bient.

CANON XVII.

The speedy flying forth of the watery humour conserves the oily the longer in his being.

THE EXPLICATION.

slow, and as it were, about; the other, (and tha twofold,) which is sudden, and goeth directly to the spirits, namely, by vapours, or by the affec tions.

CANON XX.

Juices of the body hard and roscid are good for long life.

THE EXPLICATION.

The reason is plain, seeing we showed before, that hard things, and oily or roscid, are hardly dissipated; notwithstanding, there is difference, (as we also noted in the tenth operation,) that juice somewhat hard is indeed less dissipable, but then it is withal less reparable; therefore, a convenience is interlaced with an inconvenience, and for this cause no wonderful matter will be achieved by this. But roscid juice will admit both operations; therefore this would be princi pally endeavoured.

CANON XXI.

Whatsoever is of thin parts to penetrate, and yet hath no acrimony to bite, begetteth roseid juices.

We said before, that the watery humours, as being consubstantial to the air, fly forth soonest; the oily later, as having small agreement with the air. Now, whereas these two humours are in most bodies, it comes to pass that the watery doth in a sort betray the oily, for that issuing forth insensibly carrieth this together with it. Therefore, there is nothing more furthereth the conservation of bodies, than a gentle drying of them, which causeth the watery humour to expire, and inviteth This canon is more hard to practise than to not the oily; for then the oily enjoyeth the proper understand. For it is manifest, whatsoever penenature. And this tendeth not only to the inhibit-trateth well, but yet with a sting or tooth, (as do ing of putrefaction, (though that also followeth,) all sharp and sour things,) it leaveth behind it. but to the conservation of greenness. Hence it is, that gentle frications, and moderate exercises, causing rather perspiration than sweating, conduce much to long life.

THE EXPLICATION.

wheresoever it goeth, some mark or print of dryness and cleaving, so that it hardeneth the juices, and chappeth the parts; contrarily, whatsoever things penetrate through their thinness merely,