infallible nor otherwise can they resolve me wherefore children of the seventh moneth live and those of the eight not if it be not as they say in Egypt because of the serenity of the Ayre which is in that Region Briefly there is an infinite number of other effects of whom the neighbour cause is hidden from us to the end that wee shall acknowledge our weakenesse and that wee should not grow proud upon our sufficiency so short in many things but that we should praise God and that otherwise marking the infinite desire to learne which is innated in our Soules the Engine of Divinity and which cannot be satisfied in this life drawing from us a certaine proofe of its Immortality and that it is in another place where shee ought to be made all-knowing and all accomplished by the enioying of the soveraigne good in the contemplation of her Creatour the most cleare Mirrour representing and teaching all things which shall bee to her eternally in view For the questions contayned in this Treatise I perswade my selfe that they shall here finde solution pleasant and not vulgar being for the most part drawne from the Problemes of Aristotle of Alexander Aphrodisea and from the workes of the most excellent Physitians Naturalists and other grave Authours which I have gleaned and beene choise in them having also contributed much of my owne as well in the invention disposition and facilitating the reasons of others so that those which though they have but little iudgement may resolve an infinite of other questions by the understanding of these here Also it is my principall ayme and marke to profit by my labours all sorts of studious persons and that the glory may be to God by whose grace and bounty we hold all sorts of goodnesse which appeare by so much the more great as we communicate his gifts to others for unhappy are those who hide or bury their treasures be it riches of spirit or other communicable blessings THE TABLE OF ALL the chiefest heads that are contained in this Booke AYre page 11 Animals p. 25 Ascending and descending p. 2â—0 A Gouty question p. 226 Age. p. 393 B Bitternesse and love p. 16 Blindnesse p. 22 Basili ke p. 33 Bastards p. 34 Beasts p. 36 Baldnesse p. 64 Bells p. 94 Bow-strings p. 103 Breathing p. 232 Birds p. 310 Blood p. 340 C Crooked Persons p. 40 Callus p. 41 Camelion p. 44 Calxes p. 46 Cocks p. 100 Cold. p. 208 Cause of the Hic-up p. 237 D Dogs p. 83 Dropsie p. 248 Drinking and Eating p. 273 Dumb folkes p. 289 Drowning p. 298 Death p. 403 E Egges p. 58 Eccho and of the Element p. 156 Excrements p. 183 Extremities p. 184 Eating and drinking p. 273 Eares p. 314 Earth p. 362 F Flesh p. 4â— Flame of a candle p. 44 Fingers p. 12â— Face p. 186 Females p. 189 Fire p. 194 Fevers p. 19â— Forme p. 20â— Fruit. p. 21â— Frost p. 214 Fatnesse p. 226 Fasting p. 252 Feare or fright p. 327 Fishes p. 333 G Gravell or stone in the bladder or raines p. 42 Gelded folkes p. 45 Grainesse p. 71 Gaping or choking p. 177 Generation p. 218 Gold p. 313 Gunpowder p. 336 H Heate p. 63 Heaven p. 83 Heart p. 93 Hornâ—s p. 107 Habitation p. 227 I Infancy and Increase p. 1 Infants p. 157. Images p. 249 Ioy excessive p. 25 L Lamenesse p. 39. Lightning p. 207 Letuce p. 258 Laurel or Bayes p. 264 Looking-glasses or Mirours p. 284 Life and to live p. 389 Lice p. 402 M Manginesse p. 113 Milke p. 256 Moone p. 266 Morning p. 276 Moores or Ethiopians p. 287 Musick p. 291 Mice p. 403 O Of Oyle p. 244 P Pissing and breaking Winde backward p. 172 Q Quicksilver p. 28 R Running p. 11 Right hand or side p. 138 Resounding and Retaining p. 337 Rats p. 403 S Sharpenesse p. 10 Stamerers p. 35 Speaking p. 38 Sneezing p. 59 Sleep p. 129. Sweetnesse p. 136 Shame p. 242 Swearers p. â—55 Sicknesse p. 269 Snow p. 294 Smelling p. 304 Sobriety p. 342 Spittle of maÌ„ p. 343 Salt p. 344 Sunne of the Firmament p. 347 Sorcery p. 350 Sweating p. 352 Spots p. â—59 Sight or seeing p. 367 T Tooth-ake p. 9 Tickling p. 62 Teeth p. 115 Tasting p. 223 Tongue p. â—60 Teares p. 162 V Vrine p. 387 W VVayes p. 70 VVater p. 141 VVomen p. 191 VVashing of hands p. 263 Winde p. 364 VVormes p. 402 Courteous Reader I intreat you to adde these 4 words to the latter end of the last line of page 205 common to all formes The Resolver OR CURIOSITIES OF NATVRE Of Infancy and Encrease QUESTION WHerefore is it that during our Infancy and the first yeare after our Birth our bodies increase much more and more hastily then in our Youth Answer Because that Nature being farre from her perfection hasteth as much as she may and troopeth up all the forces of naturall heat which is then fervent and boyling to turne great quantity of food into the increase of the body Que. Wherefore is it that Females are sooner perfect in their growth then Males Ans Because as in things Artificiall those which are done in most haste are the worst accomplished so Nature imployeth lesse time to the increase of Females as being lesse perfect then Males which have much more of naturall heate and are more vigorous strong and robust then they are It is also the cause wherefore Daughters are deemed by right of Law capable of Marriage at 12 yeares of age and Males onely at 14 which age is called Pubertie or Youth as also that Nature is so free to men that shee maketh them gaine twenty yeares above women for the two they went before them by increase in their childe-hood for women decline and decrease and cease to conceive about the 50 yeares of their age and men are capable of generation at 70 years and wee read of some that have begotten children after fourescore yeares as Cato the Censor and the King Massinissa although he had attained to the age of Foure-score and sixe yeares Q. Wherefore is it that the vitall Faculty exerciseth not so well its functions in the increase of the body to the end of the life as it doth to move the appetite to eate and drinke to concoct digest and dispense the victuals by all the members of the body to thrust out the excrements and briefly to nourish and sustaine the body Ans Because that all naturall bodies are determined to a certaine quantity otherwise they would increase unmeasurably being then arrived to that regular quantity for then Nature increaseth no more the bodily masse the which having remayned sometimes in his perfection beginneth in the contrary to decline and decrease So as it is not necessary to the life that the body should still increase without end but it is above all necessary that the other functions of the vitall faculty should be exercised because that without them we know not how to live Qu. But wherefore
beards on their chinnes Q. How comes it that Eunuches are so extreamly moyst A. In that their seed which they cannot thrust out or consume by naturall heat so well as perfect men spreads through all their bodies and are moyst excessively by which they have their cheeks blowne up and their Paps great even as women Q. But since the excessive humidity is the cause that they have no beard from whence comes it that they have hayre as well as entire men and besides become not too much bald A. Because that this excessive himidity which is in them falls by his weight below upon the other parts of the body hindreth not the haire from being thrust out besides the neighbourhood to the brayne which is temperate and besides the aboundance of the Spirits which are in the head moderateth it very much neverthelesse because that it remaines alwaies to nourish the haire more then in ful men that become seldome or rarely bald Q. Wherefore is it that their legges are feeble and crooked A. Because they are very moist and by consequence fleshy and weak and besides they make a great weight upon the body which is the much more heavy and more charged with humours then that of perfect men even as green wood is lesse proper to serve the bearing up and portage of a great burthen because it stoopes under the burthen by the same cause also great drinkers and bathers are lesse strong Q Wherefore is it that the Eunuches become more gray hayrd then those which have all their peeces A. Because they cannot discharge the moyst humours by the Venerian act or that they cannot consume it as well as others because they have the lesse heate and this white humidity blancheth also sooner their haires whereas others become white in their Age which aboundeth then in that humour if it be not by accident as we shall declare in its place Q. Wherefore is it that the Evnuches cannot swallow the splean of any Animal A. Because that the spleane is extreamly spungeous and swells alwaies more and more being chewed so that the gelded having the throat pipe narrow because of their greace of their moysture cannot swallow a morcell great or spongeous Q. Wherefore is it that they have the voyce whining and sharp A. Because as I intend to say the grease and the humidity stopping the conduit or pipe of the voice and narrowing it it must of necessity make the voice sharpe and small as the Oaten pipes the more smaller they are yeeld the most smallest sound together with having the respiration more weak then full man and mooving by that cause lesse ayre their voyces are more close and sharpe and so it is with sick folkes Q. But wherfore is it then that Oxen low more grosly then Bulls and Capons have their voyce more bascthen Cocks A. It is because that Bulls do bellw and Cockes do not sing but with great strength and contention of voyce the cause wherefore their voyce is more sharp and high as also more strong the which we may prove in our selves for when we would cry the most strongliest wee lift up our voyces as we doe in the most base song grave and low Q. From whence comes it that gelded men are not afflicted with the gout and Capons are extreamly subiect to it A. It is because that pullen is extreamly lascivious and aâ—oundant in sperm so that Capons being too much moyst by their retention of the same seed become gouty being that Capons also excessivly eat seeing that heat is little in them but gelded men according to the proportion of their bodies are not so moyst so as the Capons â—re not so subject to the gout in the contrary those which have all their peeces and that play too much with women and too often become gouty by the to much emission of their seed and so the perfect man is gouty too by the Evacuation of the genitall humour and the Capon by the retention of the same seed in the contrary the gelded man is not subject to the Goute because of the retention of the same humour and the Cocke because of the evacuation of the same and this in all is because that Pullen is of a nature much more moist then man Q. Wherefore is it that gelded Animals as the Wether Sheepe or gelded sheepe and the Capon are better and more tender then those that have all their pieces A. Because that the gelded lose not their better humours with females and are more delicate and more fat Q. Wherefore is it that the gelded Animals are sooner tamed and easily brought more gentle then those which have their genitall parts A. Because they are deprived of their heat and of the abundance of spirit that is ingendred in the spongious vessels the which heate and spirits amove and lift up the courage and embolden those which have all their parts Q. Wherefore is it that gelded Animals become more fat then others A. Because they lose not their better humours and doe not runafter the Females For the like reason the Hornes increase more in Animals that are horned Q. From whence comes it that the Hornes of gelded Deere fall not as of the others nor the feathers of Capons as those of Cocks A. Inasmuch as the Deere amongst all other horned Animals having onely their hornes solide and massive it is needfull they have a great quantity of humidity to entertaine their branches as also to fill moisten and nourish the feathers of the Pullen Now the gelded Deere and Capons being more moist then those which are perfect Animals because of the retention of their seed have by the same meanes wherewith better to moisten and entertaine the one their Hornes the other their Feathers and by the same cause gelded men seldome become bald as I have said before Q. From whence comes it that we are sometimes benumb'd and asleepe in our members but principally in our feete and our hands by gouts crampes or otherwise A. This proceeds of the cold which infinuateth into the body by the absence of the blood which is retired and forasmuch as the feete and the hands are parts of the body most farre from the heart where the source and siege and as it were the spring of the naturall heate is and that those exterior parts are least fleshy they are the most apt to be seized on by the cold to be benumb'd and asleepe Q. How is it possible that the fish called a Torpedo benumbeth so the armes of the Fisher without touching him so as he is not able to helpe himselfe but seemes as it were insensible A. It is because this Fish exhales a certaine humour and vapour the which hath this naturall vertue to benumbe but Pliny in a few words saith that it is by his odour and a certaine winde or vapour of his body which so affecteth the members of man Q. From whence comes it that we desiring to rest our selves and fall asleepe and
and digest their victuals better then those which are sluggish and given too much to their ease A. It comes that Exercise moves the naturall heate concocteth and digesteth better then if the victuals were asoped and crude like a drown'd toast so as the digestion and former repast not put over but laying load upon load against the Faulconers rule Extremities Q. WHerefore is it that the extreame parts of the body as the feete the hands the nose the eares are more chilly and cold then the others A. It is because they are more nervy lesse fleshy and by consequent more sencible and besides that they have the lesse of blood so they have lesse heate to resist the cold moreover that they are farther from the heart which is the fire and heater of the body Q. Wherefore is it that they esteeme it a signe of good health if there be no other sinister accident to be cold in the extremities of the members farthest from the heart after repast A. Because it shewes that the naturall heate is shot within the body Q. Wherefore is it to those extreame sicke they often apply extreame remedies A. Because it must bee that the remedy bee proportioned and answerable to the sicknesse being for a certaine that a sharpe and violent malady cannot bee healed by benigne and gentle remedies in as much that they cannot vanquish neither more nor lesse then as a Fort well amunitioned and defended by couragious men cannot bee wonne without great and strong forces Of the Face Q. WHerefore is it that Nature hath made Man with a Face upright and looking towards heaven A. To the end that he should ordinarily contemplate celestiall things the originall of his Soule and the eternall seate that he ought to ayme at after the passage from this life which the Pagan Poets themselves have knowne Vpreared lookes God onely granted man The other Animals he curbed downe But he to judge the earth heaven to scan Ha h only power besides to smile orfrown To laugh and weepe and all this in the face The high Creator plac't to mans high grace Q. Wherefore is it that wee sweate more in the face then in any other part of the body being that the face is uncovered A. Because that it is more humid as its hairinesse shews which is nourished by humidity and that the braine which is very moist being within the head dischargeth it selfe on all sides by divers conduits as also that the humidity is descending and mounteth not as in the parts below Q. Wherefore is it that the face is not cold although it is uncover'd and that other parts of the body although they are well cover'd are cold and chilly A. Because that the face being ordinarily bare the cold stopps the pores which is more the head being full of spirits which are hot and heateth therefore it is lesse cold but I beleeve that custome of keeping the face uncover'd doth more then all for we see in the like that those which goe commonly bare legged feele no cold and an ancient Hermite that went all naked was used to say that he was all face to shew that custome and the habitude of going naked was the cause that he fear'd no more cold unto the other parts of the body then to the face Q. Wherefore is it that little swellings and pimples come out more in the face then in any other part of the body A. In as much as there is more humidity in the Head then other where and that these little pimples and pushes are no other thing then an evacuation of a crude and undigested humour Females Q. WHerefore is it that amongst all the kinds of Animals the females are ordinarily the most subtil scape more cunningly and craftily from mens ambusbes then the males A. It is that being for the most part more weak then the males nature to repaire that defect hath given them more wily craft for the conservation of their lives Q. But wherefore then amongst the Serpents the fishes the be ares the Tigers the Panthers and such other kindes of Animals the females are commonly more great and furious then the males A. It is that nature so pleaseth her selfe with diversity for the ornament of the world as also that it was expedient for the good of humane kinde that the males of some of the foresaid kindes should bee something gentler for if they were ful as furious as the females they should be well neere all invincible Women Q. WHerefore is it that women have no beards and arâ— not so hairy or downy as men A. Because that they are of a nature cold and moist and the cold which restrains is the cause that the pores of the flesh being shut up the haire cannot peirce nor get out but onely in some parts of their bodies where there is a particular heat also their too great moystnesse likewise hinders that their haire cannot spring out as it is in the gelded and in children and no otherwise then a ground too moyst becomes infertile Q. Wherefore is it that women become sooner gray haird then men A. Because as I intend to say they are naturally cold and ordinarily more idle and lesse given to labour and violent exercises by which reason they gather together great quantities of evil humours the which whiten their haire Q. Wherefore is it that they beare more easily cold then men for ordinarily they are thinner cloathed in winter then men A. Because that they being cold they feele cold the lesse for every like is least affected to his like in example he which hath his hands cold feeles not so well the coldnesse of a nother by as if they were hot Q. But how blood being alwayes accompanied with heat and women having much more blood then men as their natural purgations make proofe doth it not follow then that they should have more blo od then men A. No for on the contrary leaving to speake further of that blood with my modesty in the rest they have lesse good blood then men for not the crude blood but the good is accompanied with heat Q. VVherefore is it that Women are sooner capable of conceiving then begetting because the lawes permit them marriage at twelve and men at foureteene and not before these ages A. It is certaine that women increase in all things sooner then men because that nature striveth to conduce sooner to perfection things of least lust recompencing in that course what shee tooke away in the other so then men being still capable of generation at threescore ten women ceasing at fifty it is no great marvaile though nature advanced women in the beginning since shee sooner failes them then men in the end Fire Q. FRom whence comes it that fyre doth yeeld lesse heat in Summer then in winter seeing that in Summer it seemes that its heate were ioyned to that which comes from the double reflection oâ— stroke of the Sunnes â—ayes it should
lifted up unto the middle region of the Ayre which as wee have formerly sayd is cold in Summer by reason whereof the Snow is there conserved which falls not so to the lower parts where in in Summer the heate is predominant Q. How can it bee that hot water cover'd with strawe conserves and retaines his heate and that Snow covered also with straw in a fresh place remaines inâ—ire without resolving or melting retaining his coldnesse seeing that heat and cold are two qualities diametrally contrary A. It is because the straw is not properly of himselfe neither hot nor cold nor dry nor moyst and for this cause it is called of the Greeeks Apoion that 's to say exempt of quality and neverthelesse is susceptible of qualities of the subject to which it is applied to in as much more easily that if it participates of any of them it is therefore it conserves and entertaines hot things in their heate and cold things in their coldnesse from thence comes it also that it is very proper to conserve the fruits and to keepe them from corruption and rottennesse Drowning Q. WHerefore is it that the bodies of drowned folkes come againe to swimme upon the water after few dayes and notedly as they have observed upon the ninth day A. Some say that nine dayes after the body is drown'd and sunke under the water the gall splits and breakes and the bitter liquor which was therein contained being runne out the body lifteth it selfe upon the water Others hold that the gall crackes not for all that but that all the parts of the body being attenuated and thinned by the moisture of the water and the grosse humours being evacuated it is then more suple and comes againe upon the water some dayes after it is drowned But it seemes to me that it is rather because of windes which ingender within the caules filmes or membranes which cover the intestines and the belly called of the Physitians Omentum peritonium as an excessive swelling of the belly shews us for all corruption and rottennesse is ingender'd of heate and heate dissolves humidity and it ingenders winde the which reason is subtilly brought forth by Cardan Q. Wherefore is it that the bodyes of drowned men comming up upon the water swim upon their backs and those of women upon their bellies A. To attribute this as some have doe to the prudence of nature which hath a will to cover the secret partes of the one Sexe more then of the other seemeth to mee a reason too light and I will like better to say that it is because of the difference of the parts of the one and of the other for women have the vessells of before more ample large and capable then the men as the naturall parts the matrixe and the conduits of the Urine which is the cause that they are lesse subject to the stone and beare their children in their flancks besides that their breasts are spungeous and drink up a great quantity of water which weigheth and heavieth much more the fore parts of their bodyes and by consequent drawes it downeward for it is certaine that the most heaviest parts still incline downeward on the contrary men have their shoulders more grosse and large then the women and the bones and ligatures of the vertebres or back bones more strong great and firme by reason whereof those parts incline downeward as also that they have the organes and conduits of the voyce and of their respiration and breathing more ample as it appeares in this that they have the voyce more grosse and more strong which being filled with ayre lifts their bodies upward and the face towards the Heaven and the back upon the water Night Q. WHerfore is it that in the night time griefes wounds and other of our maladies gather together and increase A. Because that in the day we see heare breath smell taste runne and have many other divertments which allayeth our griefes and in the night the sence of the touch is onely busied and is also more affected with griefes together the excessive cold and moysture of the night aydes to it also very much Q. Wherefore is it that wee heare better and more further in the night then in the day A. Because that the noyse of Animals and an infinite of such like things ceaseth in the night and all beeing still in silence and in rest the hearing peirceth better upon his objects and moreover our other sences and especially the sight distracts us much in the day not exercising then their functions the hearing being then the most sharp Q. Wherefore is it that we rest sooner and better in the night then in the day A. The reason politick is that the day is more proper to us for travell and labour because of the light but the reason naturall is that the night is more cold and moyst then the day and the cold and the humidity provokes sleepe as also that having travelled hither and thither in the day we repose and rest better in the night Smells and Smelling Q. WHerfore is it that man excels not in smelling as many other Animals doe A. Because that man in regard of his corporall masse having much more of braine then any other Animal and the braine being cold and moyst and the Odours on the contrary holding more of hot and dry is the cause that the smelling of men is weakned by the neighbourhood of the braine for the faculty of smelling lies principally in certaine little bosses or rundells of flesh which the Physitians call Mamelles which are above the nares or nostrills joyning to the braine Q. Wherfore is it that those which have the braine tempered with hot and dry excell in smelling above others A. Because the odours are of the temperament of the hot and of the dry Q. Wherefore is it that those which excel in smelling have also ordinarily spirits good and subtile A. Because that their brain being of the above said temper the heat serves them to the prompt conception of the objects and the dry to retaine them which are the qualities of a faire spirit Q. Wherefore is it that they have seldome a good sight A. Because that the instrument of the sight is watrish and moyst and that of the smell is of the contrary temperature by reason whereof they cannot much excell in both the two together Q. Wherefore is it that Arabia Felix Africa and other hot regions are very aboundant and plant plentifull in all Oderiferous and Aromatick things A. Because that being hot and dry they have the same temperature as the odours are of Q. Wherefore is it that the flowers which grow neere to Oignions have a more violent smell then otherwise they would have A. Because that the Onyon dry and heate the earth and communicate by that meanes those two qualities to the flowers the which qualities fortifie the odours Q. Wherefore is it that those which are Rheumatick smell very little or