his former perfection so farre as lyeth in the power and abilitie of man CHAP. 35 That the aliment or food that the Horseeand Mare do seede vppon before thâ—ction raiseth and maketh their seed THe learned Phisitions and Philosophers do holde that all aliment or foode is differing in qualitie after the disgestion and concoction in euery creature and hath a different and particular seed aswel in substance as in tâ—perature from which groud it is probable and without contradiction that the colt begotten pertaketh his temperature and quallitie of the meate which their Sires did feed vppon before the action for who is so much depriued of vnderstanding but knoweth that there are meates and drinks to increase or mittigate heat or drynes or moistute for though it be true that all meat that Horses eat whether in naturall quallitie the same are hot or colde dry or moiste turne to the nature of the Horse and of his substance whereof if any other creature doe eat it will doe the like yet such as the naturall quality of the meat is in his operation such wil be the naturall quallitie of the humors after the same is concocted and disgested in the bodie and according thereunto such wil be the blood the fleame the choler and the melancholy that commeth from the same for if the Horse be fed with grasse sorrell lettuce or other hearbes will any man doubt but that the blood and other humors that come thereof wil be in nature and qualitie colde and moist according to the naturall qualitie of that aliment or foode Then if the blood and other humors after the concoction of such food be colde and moyst will any man doubt that the seed of generation and the menstruall blood for so much therof as nature taketh from it but that the same wil be cold and moist acording to the natural quallitie thereof and that as the blood thereof is colde and moiste the wheyish blood thereof drawne from the liuer by the veynes wil be colde moist and the seed thereof cold moist because the humors do attaine the substances and qualities which the meate had before it was eaten that the brain of the colt being the seat of his sence hath his beginning maintenance from the purest part of the seede and measure of spirit which the Colt hath from the liuer heart and veines will be of like Nature and qualitie For if wee consider the Colt and sound the causes of his essence and nature and consider the causes which maketh him mooue you shall finde that it is his heate and moisture which are two principall qualities consisting in all liuing creatures nourishers of nature for so soone as heate and moisture faile in any liuing creature it can no more liue nor mooue streight is the body occupied with contrarie qualities coldnes and drynes the enemies of nature If you will mount ascend higher to know what is the cause of those two qualities heate and moisture you shal finde that it is because al liuing creatures are composed of the foure elements of fyer aier water earth in which the said foure qualities of heate moisture coldnesse and drinesse doe consist and while heate and moisture rain in the body it liueth but when cold and drynesse are predominate then dyeth it Againe if you consider the cause of the heate and moisture and the other qualities which wee see in the foure Elements and in the bodies made of them yee shall finde the sun the cause of the heat the moone the cause of the moisture let vs passe farther and seek the cause wherefore the Sunne is hot and the moone moiste and from whence these qualities come vnto them and we shall finde the soueraigne cause in God The due consideration heereof if without partialitie it be considered will moste apparantly condemne the practise of all breeders and the workes of all former writers and their knowledge of nature not to bee defended for if iudicially you consider that the power of all begetting doth onely appertaine to his naturall vertue called his vegetatiue soule the which if it haue bred and cherished a rawe colde and vnperfect seede how can it be defended but that the Colt begotten of that seede wil be of the same temperature and depriued of the good temperature which it ought to haue according whereunto his goodnes or badnes of action will be wherefore seeing all the learned and true experience teache vs that there are only two waies to come vnto the knowledge of thinges the one from the causes and maximes to the knowledge of the effects consequences the other when contrary by the effects consequences we know the causes and maximees For when we see the earth waxe greene and the trees gather leaues wee know by that effect that the Sunne which is the cause thereof approacheth nigh vnto vs and wee come to receiue this maximee that the Sunne giueth vigor and force to the earth to bring forth fruites And by the contrarie wee receiue this maxime to know the effect and to conclude the consequence that the Sunne comming nigh vs the earth bringeth forth her fruits and withdrawing from vs the earth leaueth to bring foorth CHAP. 36. The meanes to make theseede perfect for generation IT is graunted by all learned and vnderstanding men that the seede of the horse ought to be hot and drie and that all excessiue moisture of seede must bee abated and taken away 1 Labour Now the means to make hot and dry seede fit for generation is labour and spare dyet 2 Spare dyet by labour the moisture by reason of heate is exhausted by spare dyet the disgestion is made perfect and therefore through heate proceeding from labour the same is easily perfectly concocted and so be cometh fit for generation wherin also this consideration is to bee had that the meate that the horse and mare do feed vpon be in qualitie of Nature hot and dry and then moderately taken there is no doubt but that the seed which shall come thereof will be easily perfected because naturallie it partaketh of the qualitie and temperature of the meate as hath bin said and also the same meate that feedes both horse and Mare would be one and the same The cause why Colts are like their Syres because it will increase a vniforme seede and so the Colt be like vnto the Syers the meate would bee olde sweete hay or Wheate-strawe moderately giuen his prouender olde dryed cleane and sweete Oates wynowed or cleansed from all dust and filth mingled with olde dryed pease or beanes with a scattering of Baye salte and anniseedes their water sweet and pure and euery day early in the morning when they are both fastinge and emptie moderately excercised vntill they sweate and then painefully dressed rubbed dry and thorough cold before any meat be giuen vnto them the which doth not only perfect disgestioÌ„ exhausteth the moisture from their
wherein heate is prdominat more then Nature requireth Secondly when the humors are distempered by heat Thirdly when the firme parts of the bodie are continually hot so that the ague cōmeth either by excessiue heting the horse therupon a sudden cold or by fulnes of bad bumors which principally grovve from full foule or rawe feeding and great rest and for that reason it taketh the horse either hot ot colde now he cannot be cured but by the contrary viz. by spare feeding cleane feeding dry feeding moderate labour to this end the cure must bee ministred But to be curious in the destinctiō hauing sufficiently expressed the same in this tractat I purpose not it is sufficient to knowe that learning and practise acknowledge a horse to haue an ague as wel as man and to keepe due houres to make him shake and tremble as a man to knowe the same also appereth by the inflamations from the heat of the stomacke which scaldeth and maketh the tongue rawe CHAP. 65. The Cure FIrst when you perceiue his deicted countenance that hee beginneth to tremble or before enforce him into a heat giue him this purging drink Take a quart of white wine put therevnto one ounce of Alloes small beaten of Agarick halfe an ounce of licorish Anniseeds half a dram a little hony warme it a little on the fire and then ride him vntil he be hot put him into a sweat then haue him into the stable let him stand on the bitt cloath him stop his breast head and bodye verie warme so as hee may moderatelye sweate let him haue plentie of litter and so let him stand fiue or sixe houres then vncloathe him and rubbe him perfectlye drye and then cloathe him againe but not so hot and when hee is colde vnbit him and wash his tongue with Allome-water vinegar and sage and giue him sweete wheat straw to eate and a gallon of olde svveete and cleane oates and at night giue him a good mashe and the next day after let him blood a quart and if his blood be very thick black darke oryellowe let him bleed two quarts afterwards keepe him warme from the Ayre for 4. or 5. dayes and giue him vvarme vvater to drinke and a little sallet oyle in it if he vvill drinke it CHAP. 66. For the same LEt him blood in the necke and temple veines and before or vvhen he beginneth to tremble take three nevv laide egges and six or seauen spoonefull of Aqua-vite breake them beat them together giue it him and ride him vntill he svveate then clothe him very vvarme and make him svveat and after he is rubbed dry and colde giue him cleane foode as aforesaide moderately let him not drinke any colde vvater but vvarme vvherein hath bene boyled mallovves sorrell and purslaine of each three or foure handfuls and keep him vvarme probatum CHAP. 67. For the same LEt him blood take of Germander foure ounces of Gum Draganet and of Deade Roses of each an ounce of Oyle Oliffe foure ounces of Hony foure ounces put them into a quart of strong Ale and giue it warme to the horse to drinke then ride him vntill hee sweate and cloath him and keepe him warme as aforesaide CHAP. 68. Ache in the head THe cause of this disease commeth eyther of colde takan after a great heate or of a rawe or vnperfect digestion of stomack proceeding principally from full and foule feeding and betwixt the stomacke and the braine is such affinitie as they doe equally communicate their damages the signes are these the hanging downe of his head his eyes will swell and runne of water and will forsake his meate CHAP. 69. The Cure LEt him blood in the pallat of his mouth and rub it with Salt to make it bleede well then take a sticke with a linnen cloath fastned at the end therof well annointed with oyle of Bay thrust it vp and dovvne his nostrils therby to open and purge his head also perfume him vvith the smoake of Garlick stalkes broken into smal peaces also aire him with the smoke of Frankinsence holding the same in a chafingdish vnder his Nostrils with a great cloath cast ouer his head and let it be done morning and euening keepe him vvith spare dyet moderate exercise the which wil clense his stomack make it so cleane emptie as his braine wil not be disquieted afterwards let him bloud giue him good mashes to drinke for two daies after and no colde water CHAP. 70 Of the sudden sicknes of a horse THe cause is for that the heart which is the chariot of his life wherein the soule of the horse liueth wanting the vse of the veines and Arteries to carrie the vitall spirit of heate to all the parts of the body to giue the horse feeling abilitie to operation by reason of some obstruction of humors or colde which for want of heate cannot be dissolued for that the nature of colde is to binde and conglutinate together and to keepe them from their natural course proceeding from some violent exercise or immoderate feeding and rest by reason whereof there is great iarre discord amongst the qualities of the elements the motion of the vitall spirit wherby the horse liueth and mooueth is imprisoned for that time and so seemeth taken as a dead horse without action The signe is the sudden deiecting of his countenance CHAP. 71. The cure LEt him blood on both sides the brest next the heart whereby the veines and Arteries being euacuated and emptied they may begin to doe that office whereunto nature hath appointed them and let him bleede the quantitie of two quarts then giue him a comfortable drinke to stirre vp the vital spirits to action viz take a quart of the best sack burne it with Graines Cloues and Sinamon and a quarter of a pound of the best Sugar and burne it well together with halfe a pinte of Sallet Oyle foure penny worth of the best Triacle then ride him verie gently vntill hee beginne to sweat and so haue him into the Stable keepe his head and heart verie warme and cloath him stuffe his body with sweet straw and keep the stable close and so let him stand 6. houres meatles but beware you cloath him not too much for the drinke vvill thoroughlye warme him and make him sweat let his drinke be warme water wherein boyle Mallowes a handfull water Cresses a handfull of fennell and parsly seed of each an ounce and twice a day morning and euening when he is most fasting ride him gently a mile or two let his meat be sweete wheat strawe olde cleane dry oates mingled with wheat and sometime with olde pease and sparingly giuen and often but not much vntill you see him waxe very hungry and let him be well rubbed and all his litter cleane and sweete CHAP. 72. Staggers THe cause of this disease is for that as I haue formerly saide the braine and the
dyeth and is annihilated according vnto that rule by the corruption of the subiect the forme perisheth the matter remaineth CHAP. 37 Obseruations for better direction in breeding 1. FIrst it is to bee obserued that which most importeth generation is that the meates which the horse and Mare that are to beget and bring forth do feede vpon bee in qualitie hot and drye because the seedes and matter whereof the Colt is framed must be tarte and biting growing from the saltnesse therof so become hot and dry where through the seede vessels are stirred to generation and doe according to their weight and measure enter into the composition of the Colt and so are alwaies to endure in the mixture 2. Secondly if the braine be pure the sencible soule of the colte goeth alwaies vnited with the disposition thereof which directeth the bodie to euery action and nothing offendeth the sensitiue soule so much as to make his abode in a heauie bodie surcharged with great bones and heauy flesh and that is the reason which Plato yeeldeth that the best and finest mettle Horses are of thin bone but if the Horse be not of a iust and true proportion of temperature then vndoubtedly there is not any such perfection in that Horse 3. Thirdly the seede is meere vegetatiue and not capable of the sence but only followeth the motions of the tēperature therfore if the seed be perfect it possesseth such force that after the meate is disgested and altered it maketh them though bad and grosse to turne to his owne temperature and substance and yet cannot vtterly depriue the same of the inherent qualitie for the humors do attaine the qualitie which the meat had before it was eaten 4. Fourthly there must be great discretion vsed in feeding of the Mare vntill shee haue foaled leaste by long vse of ouerbad meates The meanes to preserue the colte in the wombe the Colte in the wombe bee impayred of that qualitie of temperature it had from the seede for otherwise it little auaileth to haue begotten a Colte of perfect seede if you make no reckoning of the meat which afterward the Mare feedeth vppon and therefore the Mare may not so far eat of contrarie meats as the Colt shall lose those good qualities which it receiueth of the seede whereof it was made And the reason heerof is cleere but neuer obserued by any for at the beginning the same being made of delicate seede and that the colte groweth euery day impayring and consuming and is to be repaired by the aliment foode it taketh it is certaine that if they be bad and of euill temperature that the continuall vse of them being in the wombe will make great alteration in nature and therfore to continue the colt in the excellency of his tēperature it behoueth that the sustenance it taketh be endowed with the same qualities as the colde doe not exceed the heat nor the moiste the dry 5. Fiftly it appeareth that colts begotten when the Horse and Mare go to grasse whereof all our practise is witnesse cannot be begotten but of colde and moist seede how excellent soeuer the horse and Mare were neither can the same colts after they are foaled by any possibilitie be restored to perfection of temperature by the best keeping in the worlde because they take the qualities of their temperature at the time of their framing Nam alteratio propria est mutatio et progressus a qualitate sensibili in aliam sensibilem qualitatem contrariorum vt albo in nigrum for a proper and true alteration is a change and going forward from one sensible qualitie into another sensible qualitie of contraries and therefore can neuer be vtterly depriued and taken from them againe no more then that which is naturally white turne naturally into blacke 6. Sixtly the meate that Horses and Mares doe eat ought specially to be regarded least their braines bee thereby distempered because the braine and the stomack are vnited and chained together with certaine sinewes whereby they enterchangeably communicate their damages and we see that some Horses are Iadish in qualitie and some good in qualitie which groweth from hauing their braine well or euill instrumentalized And if any do affirme that horses haue no braines I would haue them answere from whence he hath his sence and what is the cause of staggers in a Horse if it be not the oppression of the braine and the liuer the heart and the braine being first created and truly said the vitall spirits and arteriall blood from whence the sensitiue and motiue sinewes haue their being which go wandring thorough the whole bodie and their office is to stirre vp the powers of the horse to giue him force and vigor to worke CHAP. 38. Obiections against the former propositions IT is saide that the good qualitie of the meat that the Horse and Mare eate before the action is the cause of the good or bad temperature of the seede that the good or bad temperature of the seed maketh the goodnesse or badnesse of the Colte which beeing admitted then it is demaunded wherefore Horses and Mares that are Iades beeing so dyeted and kept should not haue a perfect temperate seede aswell as the best Horses and by consequent of the proposition as perfect and as good coltes if the perfection of generation consist onely in the temperature I answere that Iades by good direction and order with continuance therein may greatly amend better their seede but they neuer can haue a true perfect and temperate seede as the excellent Horse and Mare haue of whome my proposition is and the reason is apparant for the seede whereof the Iade was sormed was originally bad and vnperfect in temperature otherwise he had not bene a Iade and the nature of all seed is of such force that what meat soeuer the Horse and Mare eat and disgest although the naturall qualitie therof be most excellent to increase a perfect seed yet it incorporateth that substance of seed which commeth of that perfect seede into the substance of their seede and naturall qualitie thereof which neuer was of perfect temperature and then pertaking of the naturall qualitie of the iades seede it is tainted with the corruption of the intemperature thereof and so remaineth still vnperfect seede and yet the naturall qualitie of the goodnes of the meat which the Iades cat is not vtterly depriued or taken away although the predominate qualitie as to the action and operation of goodnes is carryed and transported by the seede of the Iades whose qualitie and power cannot be taken from it no more then Art out of an Artificer therfore such wil be the qualitie of the iades colt that is begotten also of vnperfect shape because that the vegetatiue sensible soule are material and corporall in the seede with the discent of the Sires which fashioneth the colte in the wombe and the perfection of shape concerneth onely the vertue of the bodie that begetteth
qualities moisture and drought for too much moisture oppresseth the naturall heate as wee see greene wood quench an vnequall quantitie of fire so that the good and iust proportion of temperate mixture are true causes of long life for all mixture of superstuities is against these three 1. Nature 2. Enemie to good digestion 3. And found Nutrition The first cause Temperature is a firme and standing habit of the body Now if it be demaunded what this iust proportion is and when they are truelye tempered so as may be best auaileable for long life the answere is that heate and moisture are then well proportioned when neither the moisture with his too greate quantitie deuoureth the heate nor the ouermuch heat too suddenly consumeth and eateth vp the moisture yet must the heate haue a kinde of dominion ouer the moisture else it cannot bee able to nourish the body For in nutrition the thing nourished by reason of the instrument ordained for that purpose must actually work vpon that wherby it is nourished because that euerie agent must be proportioned vnto the patient in the equalitie of excesse therefore must the heate being the vegetatiue soules actiue instrument of Nutrition haue dominion ouer the moisture the subiect matter of that facultie The second cause The second cause of long life is the moderation of their naturall appetite of eating being auaileable either in excesse to kill or in moderation to saue by which moderation the horse shal daily repaire the decay of his humidity by supply of moderate nourishment and neuer ouerwhelme his heat with aboundance of moisture neither mingle his radicall moisture with too much superfluous impurities for the extreames are dangerous both excesse defect to much eating hindering good digestion and ingendering crudities to little eating giuing occasion of the heats too suddaine preuailing ouer the moisture both which are friends to sicknes and death The third cause The third cause of long life is moderate labour a thing very auaileable to digestion dispersing the nourishment into the parts of the bodie and as a bellowes to kindle and reuiue their natural heat for ouerâ—â—â—h rest by excesse of humors cooleth the bodie And as the elementish fires which wee vse vnlesse it be sometime blowne and fed as it were with aire which in naturall qualitie is moist is extinguished so their naturall heat without moderate labour and excercise is after a sort cast a sleepe or rather benummed whence proceedeth that other daughter of dulnes collection of excrementall superfluities their heat not being able to digest their receiued nourishment and thence commeth their many corruptions and sincke of vnnatural humors as we see standing water soonest putrifie and gather filth And therefore beware to trauell Horses before they haue thoroughly digested their meat for thereby they clog their stomackes and make them vnfit after concoction and withall fill their bodies with ouer rawe humors which by excercise are dispersed thorough the veines into all the partes of the bodie And therefore neither too much labour neither to vehement nor yet continual for these by consuming of the spirits are like hurtfull neither too little for continued rest and idlenes engender putrifaction The fourth cause of long life The fourth cause of long life is moderate vse of sleepe and waking for they are the maintenance of life in their mediocritie and both hurtful if beyond measure for the immoderat watching wasteth the spirits and consumeth the vitall iuice causes leannes hindereth the operation of the sence and dryeth the marrowe the braine and the moderate sleepe hindereth health dulleth the naturall heate and consumeth the moisture and sleepe is but a vapour ascending from the stomacke to the braine which benummeth the braine for a time and keepeth the bodie sencelesse and the sooner and more prouoked by full feeding The fift cause The fift cause of long life is to keep a Horse from excessiue spending himselfe vppon Mares for it is deaths best harbinger for it wasteth the spirits weakeneth the stomacke and dryeth vp the braine and marrowe and therefore the reason why a Mule being a mixt creature begotten betwixt a Horse and an Asse is longer liued then either of them is for that his iusting in that kinde is but once onely in the whole course of his life The sixt cause of long life The sixt cause is moderate riding in loÌ„g iournies for by the immoderat emission of heat into the outward parts of the body it kindleth the fire of cholor which being vehement is an horror vnto nature and inflameth the blood so as if the Horse at that instance be not very empty and cleane in the body the blood and humors being mingled together are through the violence thereof dispersed into all the parts of the bodie and then a suden colde taken vppon it which seldome escapeth the same dooth presently putrifie the blood and congealeth it to the inâ—uitable danger of the Horse The seuenth cause The seauenth cause is wholesomnesse of ayre and soile cleane keeping the stable sweete cleane olde and dry meat when he is in the stable dressing him in some shed out of the stable that the filth of his bodie do not come neere his manger neither stinking litter lying vnder the manger continually fuming vp to his head neither euill sauour neere to the stable The eight cause is The eight cause not to trauell or labour a Horse that is taken from grasse vntill he be purged and clensed from his superfluous humors which he hath gathered at grasse in the time of his rest and full feeding the which being many by his trauell and heat will by the veynes be dispersed into all the parts of the bodie which afterwards cannot be taken away without great perrill and when hee is made cleane he will draw his breath long and be cleane and empty betwixt his Iawes without any impostumation The ninth cause knob or kirnell The ninth cause is to keepe the Horse whiles hee feedeth in the stable from all rawe and greene meat the mother of many vnnatural humors and the nurse of many inward diseases proceeding from the aboundance thereof and the corruption of blood The tenth cause is The tenth cause to keeep the Horse from eating and drinking whiles he is hotte for that weakeneth the hearte and spirits hindereth appetite and maketh digestion vnperfect and often times present death The cleuenth cause is neither to wash nor walke him after trauell and labour The eleuenth cause but to set him in the stable warme clothed and painefully rubbed and dryed and if necessitie inforce to wash his legs with beere and butter or dish water or beefe broth made warme and clense cleere and rub them thoroughly both cleane and dry and litter him with plenty of sweete strawe and if he haue not drunke in the time of his trauell then when he is colde and has well eaten giue him warme water to
operation of the stones whose qualities are hot dry thereby doe make a perfect seed requisite for such a creature the which two veines nature planted one in the reines in the right side which endeth in the right cod and another in the left both which take their issue from either of the cods accordingly Moreouer nature hath giuen to the right cod much heat and drines to the left cod much colde and moisture so that the right side of the reines yeeld matter hot dry to the right cod for the generation of the male the contrary for the female in the like maner it is with the female as with the male but much more colder moister the liuer in which the naturall lust of the beast resideth hath for his naturall temperature heat and moisture to predominate from these it neuer altereth if the creature be in perfection of health and temperature The heart And as touching the hart being formed with the liuer brain maintained with the purest bloud hauing greate quantitie therof from the liuer still to preserue the same then is the heart so hot as that while the creture liueth if you put your finger into his hollownes therof it is vnpossible to hold the same there without burning hereupon it followeth that the liuer beeing the fountaine of all blood haue greate store of pure and perfect blood to maintain the whole body What is a vital spirit And the vitall spirit of the Colt is no other then a bodily fume or vapor verie pure and subtil begun in the heart by the operation of the naturall heate spred by the Arteries and veines to recreate and comfort the whole body which stirring cōfortable spirit proceeding from the heart vittal spirits being a perpetuall agent and euermore in action because motion agitation is the true life therof and so euermore remaineth in all liuing creatures but not in plants or trees where only the vegetatiue soule that is his naturall vertue hath his working and the vitall spirit onely in the Arteries and Veines as they are seuerally dispersed in the whole parts of the body For as in the middest of heauen there is scituated the Sun that enlightneth all thinges with his rayes and cherisheth the world the things therin cōtained with his life keeping heate so the heart the fountaine of life heate hath affigned to it by nature the middle part of the body for his habitation from whence proceedeth life heat vnto all the parts of the body as it were vnto riuers wherby they be preserued enabled to performe their naturall and proper function Furthermore if the liuer be not ful of pure blood it cānot perfectly disgest the meat neither can the Cods bee hot wherin if there be defect of heat Cods the seede of the horse cannot be perfectly concocted and so the horse is impotent without power of begetting for when God said increase and multiplye Note you must vnderstand that he gaue them an able power for procreation which could not bee accomplished without aboundance of heate and no lesse heate did he bestow vpon the facultie nutritiue with which he is to restore his consumed substance and to renew another in lew thereof so as no one thing can bee more apparant then that pure and cleane blood giueth greate heate and that heate is the cause of ioy mirth which giueth viuacitie courage boldnes and fulnesse of spirit to euerie action CHAP. 33. Of what age the Horse and Mare ought to be that beget and bring foorth HAuing shewed the principall rules of nature touching the beginning of creation Obserue this discourse and the naturall meanes of their bodily composition it resteth to shewe what Horses and Mares are to be chosen to beget and bring forth but because I haue largely spoken of the most excellent and perfect shape and of the perfections of their qualities actions which I onely admit and no other it now resteth to begin and to expresse the onely fit age when such beautifull Horses and Mares are to beget and bring foorth and thereof to come to a plaine and true vnderstanding I thinke fit first to looke backe vnto the time they were created of God in their primary creation and to follow his example therein which was when they were in all perfection and not in their imperfection for when he created them they were in all parts most absolute and perfect and then God blessed them saying bring foorth and multiply by which example man being a reasonable creature hauing committed vnto him from God the rule and gouernment of all his creatures for his onely vse and comfort cannot now in the naturall generation without the neglect of his example hauing reason for his rule and prescript but consider nature in the greatest and moste perfection of strength and to aproach nearest to the intire and perfectest constitution when he enioyeth al his forces of youth neither in the corruption or depriuation thereof and therfore without all doubting the same is in the middle age beeing the center of all vertue and perfection for farther demonstration to confirme in you this proposition I pray you obserue that euery horse vntil he be 5. yeres old is a Colt but neuer after that is his first age if after that time he lose any of his teeth it commeth not againe because the excesse of his moisture doth then begin to abate being vntill then predominate in moisture from 5. yeres of age vntil he be 10. is counted his middle youthfull perfect age both in vigor spirit action because hee is then more hot lesse moist frō ten yeares of age vnto 15. yeres is his declyning age because then heate moisture doe much decay frō 15. yeres of age vnto 20. his old age because that then he is cold drie if he do continue aboue those yeres yet is the same with great imperfection Now for asmuch as all works of generation do only appertaine to the natural power vertue of his body which is tearmed his vegetatiue soule whose faculty is to nourish for the conseruation of his body wherunto doe also serue the attractiue of the meat the cōcoctiue the disgestiue seperating the good from the bad the retentiue the expulsiue of superfluities The second is the increasing growing facultie for the perfection and due quantitie of the body and the third is the generatiue for the conseruation and preseruation of the kinde whereby wee see the Wisdome of the God of nature where the two first are for the body or indiuiduum and worke within the body and the third for the kinde and that hath it effect and oparation in another body and therfore more worthy then the other hath in it a greate height of perfection to make another like it selfe but not vntill there bee a perfect and able body and in