will endamage and impaire their healths infect the conduit pipes of their limpid spirits what will dull and stupefie their quicker intelligence nay disable all the faculties both of soule and body as instance mought be giuen of many to them that haue had but a meere glympse into the histories and ancient records of many dish moungers who running into excesse of riot haue like fatall Parcas cut in two the lines of their owne liues as Philoxenus the Dythirambiok poet of whome Athenaeus speaks Deipnos 8 who deuoured at Syracusa a whole Polypus of two cubits long saue onely the head of the fish at one meale whome being deadly sicke of the crudity the PhisicioÌ„ told that he could not possibly liue aboue seuen hours whose wouluish appetite not with standing would not stint it selfe euen in that extremety but he vttered these wordes the more to intimate his vultur-like insaciate paunch Since that Charon and Atropos are comd to call me away from my delicies I thinke it best to leaue nothing behind me wherefore let me eat the residue of the Polypus who hauing eaten it expir'd who had the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Chrysâ—ppus as Athenaeus records and of others he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Aristotle And what of others who although they did not so speedilie by ignorance of their estate curtaile their owne dayes by vntimely death yet notwithstanding they haue liu'd as deade vnto the world and their soules dead vnto them selues Dyonisyus Heracleota that rauenous gourmandyzing Harpy and insatiable draine of all pleasant liquors was growne so pursie that his farnes would not suffer him to set his breath beeing in continuall feare to bee stifeled although others affirme that hee easily could with the strong blast of his breath haue turned about the sayles of a winde-mill Whose soule by his selfe ignorance not knowing what repast was most conuenient for hiâ— body was pent vp and as it were fettred iâ— these his corps as in her dungeon So Alexander King of Aegypt was so grose and fat that hee was faine to be vpheld by two men And a many moe by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by excessiue eating drinking more vpon meere ignorance theâ— rebellion against nature physicall diet and discretion did make their soules like the fatned sheepe whereof Iohannes Leo relates which he see in Egypt some of whose tailes weighed 80. pound and some 150 pound by which waight their bodies were immoueable vnlesse their tailes like traines were caried vp in wheel-barrowes Or like the fatned hogs Scalliger mentions that could not moue for fat and were so senselesse that mise made nests in their buttocks they not once feeling them But those which I whilome named and millions besides neuer come to the full period of their daies dying soone because as Seneca saith they knowe not that they liue by deaths and are ignorant what receit of foode into the body whose constitution they are as ignorant of also will bring endammagement both to it and to the heauenly infused soule For the body this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is requisit that as the meager one is to be fed with spare diet so the massier and more gyantly body must be maintained with more large and lauish diet For it is not consonant to reason that Alexander Macedo Augustus Cesar who were but littlemen as Petrarch saith and so low-staur'd Vlâ—sses should haue equall diet in quantity with Milo Hercules Aiax and such as Atheneus makes mention of as Astâ—damas Herodorus the first of them being so capacious stomacht that hee eat as much alone as was prepared forix men and the latter Herodorus a strong-sided Trum peter who was 3. els and a halfe long and could blow in two trumpets at once of whome Atheneus speakes These might well farce and cram their mawes with far more alimente because their ventricles cels veines and other organons of their bodies were far more ample and spatious And aâ— aine it is soueraigne in this regard because in the ful streame of appetite or brauery many wil take vpon ignorance rather the sumtuous dish prepared for vitellius by his brother which one dish amounted to aboue seuen thousand eight hundred and xii pounds perchance a ranke poyson to their natures then Estur and 〈◊〉 2. sauoury and holsome hearbs which poorâ— Hecale set on the table as a sallet before hun gry Theseus the best dish of meat she could present vnto him a great deale peraduenture more conducible vnto their healtheâ— But they are as ignorant what they take as Cambles was who being giuen to Gastrimargisme as Athenaeus relates in the forementioned booke in the night did eat vp his owne wise and in the morning finding her hand in his deuouring iawes slew him selfe the fact being so hainous and not worthy as also they are pilgrims and strangers in the knowledge of their bodily estate which euer or often is an occasion of ouer-cloying their ventricles with such meates as are an vtter ruin and downefall to their healthes as ill or worse then Toxicum for although they do not efâ—soones inforce the fatall end yet in a short progresse of time they are as sure pullies to draw on their inexpected destenies Without this knowledge of our bodily nature we are like to crasie barkes yet ballist with prizelesse marchandise which are tossed too and froo vpon the maine of ignorance so long till at length we bee shattered against the huge rocke of Intemperance and soe loose our richest fraught which is our soule This ought euer to controule and curbbe in our vnrulie appetites it ought to be like the Poets Automedon to raine our fond desires in which raigne in 〈◊〉 for as Seneca saith sunt quaedam noâ—itura impotranâ—ibus c. so wee may say sunt quaeâ— appetentibus as there be many thinges which are obnoxious to the asker if it chance he obtaine them so are there many nutriments as dangerous to man that babishly couets theÌ„ for if he square not his diet according to the temper of his body in choise of such fare as may banish and expell contagion and violency from nature or be a speciall preseruatiue in her spotlesse and vntainted perfection meats are soe far from holding on the race of his life as that will rather hasten it downe far sooner vnto the hemispheare of death theÌ„ he expected A cholericke man therefore by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing himselfe to be ouerpoizd with it predominancy na but euen foreseeing his corporall nature to haue a propension or inclination to this humour hee must wisely defeate and waine his appetite of all such dainty morsels though the more delicious and toothsome and delude his longing thirst of al such honey flowing meates and hote wines as are foison to his distemperature and which in tract of time will
vulgar sort tearmeâ— the night-mare or the riding of the witch which is nothing else but a disease proceeding of grosse phleume in the orifice of the stomach by long surfet which sends vp could vapors to the hinder cels of the moistened braine and there by his grosenesse hinders the passage of the spirits descending which also causes him that is affected to imagin hee sees something oppresse him and lie heauily vpon him when indeed the fault is in his braine in the hinder part only for if it were had possession of the middle part the fansie shoulde bee hindred froÌ„ imagining which also seemes to bee tainted with darkesome fumes because it formes and â—aignes to it selfe diuers visions of things which haue no existence in verity yet it is not altogether obscured and it may bee proued specially to lodge in that part I meane in the head because of the want of motion in that part cheifly This disease neuer takes any but while they lie vpon their backe There is an other diet for Venus we must not spend our selues vpon common curtizans wee must not be like Sparrowes which as the Philosopher saies goe to it eight times in an hower nor like Pigeons which twain are fained of the Poets to drawe the chariot of Cythâ—raea for their salacitie but rather like the stockdoue who is called palumbes quoniam pâ—rcit lumbis as contrariwise columba quippe colit lumbos because she is a venerous bird it were good to tread in Carnâ—ades his steps for chastity follow Xâ—â—crates example who as Frid. Millemanâ— reports was caused to lie with a curtezan all a night for the triall of his chastity whom the curtezan affirmed in the morning non vt hominem sed vt stipitem proptâ—r dormisse not to haue laide by her as a man but as a stocke For our exercise wherein a diet also is to be respected it must neither be too vehement nor too remisse adruboreÌ„ non adsudorem to he at not sweat There be two other the one of nutriment the other of attire which are in physick to be had in account which for breuity I passe ouer malleÌ„ eniÌ„ as he saith in minimâ— peccare quam non peccare in maxiâ— But note here that the first diet is not only in auoiding superfluity of meates and surfet of drincks but also in eschewing such as are not obnoxious and least agreable with our happy teÌ„perate state as for a cholericke man to abstaine from all salte scorched drye meates from mustard and such like things as will aggrauate his malignant humour al hot drincks enflaming wines for a sanguine to refraine from all wines because they engender superfluous blood which without euacuation will breed eyther the frenzie the hemoroihds sputam sanguiâ—s dulnes of the braine or any such disease for Phlegmaticke men to auoide all thinne rhumaticke liquors cold meat and slimy as fish and the like which may beget crudities in the ventricle the Lethargie Dropsies Cathars rhumes and such like for a melancholicke man in like maner to abandon from himselfe all dry and heauy meates which may bring an accrument vnto his sad humour so a man may in time change and alter his bad complection into a better Wee will therefore conclude that it is excellent for euery complection to obserue a diet that thereby the soule this heauenly created forme seing it hath a sympathie with the body may execute her functions freely being not molested by this terrestriall masâ—e which otherwise will bee a burthen ready to surpresse the soule Cap. 5. How man derogates from his excellency by surfet and of his vntimely death AS natures workemanship is not little in the greatest soe it may bee great in the least thinges there is not the abiectest nor smallest creature vnder the firmament but would astonish and amaze the beholder if he duly consider in it the diuine finger of the vniuersall nature admirable are the works of art euen in leâ—er things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little workes shewâ— forth great Artificers The image of Alexander mounted vpon his courser was so wonderfully portrayed out that being no bigger theÌ„ mote wel be couered with the naile of a finger hee seemed both to iercke the steede and to strike a terrour and an amazemeÌ„t into the beholder The whole 〈◊〉 ades of Homer were comprized into a compendious nutshell as the OratormeÌ„tions and Martiall in the second of his distichs The Rhodes did câ—rue out a ship in euery point absolute and yet so little that the wings of a flie might easily hide the whole ship Phydias merited great praise for his Scarabee his Grashop his Bee of which saith Iulian euery one though it were framed of brasse by nature yet his art did add a life and soule vnto it None of all these workes though admirable in the eye of cunning it selfe may enter into the lists of compare with the least liuing thing much lesse with that heauenly worke of works natures surquedry and pride that little world the true pattern of the diuine image man who if hee could hold himselfe in that perfection of soule and temprature of body in which he was framed and should by right preserue himselfe excels all creatures of the inferiour orbs from the highest vnto the lowest yet by distempering his soule and misdietting his body inordinatly by surfet luxury he far comes behind many of the greatest which are more abstinent and some of the lesse creatures that are lesse continent Who doth more excell in wisedom then he who 's more beau tified with the ornaments of nature more adorn'd with the adiuments of art indowed with a greater summe of wit who can better presage of things to come by naturall causes whoe hath a more filed iudgement a soule more actiue so furnisht with all the gifts of contemplation whoe hath a deper infight of knowledg both for the creator and creature whoe hath a body more sound and perfect who can vse soe speciall meanes to prolong his daies in this our earthly Paradise and yet we see that for all this excellency and supereminence through a distemperate life want of good aduice and circumspection by imbracing such things as proue his bane yea sometimes in a brauery hee abridges his owne daies pulling downe vntimely death vpon his owne head he neuer bends his study and endeauor to keepe his bodie in the same model and temper that it shold be in Mans life saith Aristotle is vpheld by two staffs the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natiue heate the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 radicall moisture now if a man do not with all care seke to obserue an equall portion mixture of them both so to manage them that the one orecome not the other the body is like an instrument of musicke that wheÌ„ it hath a discordancy in the strings is wont to iarre and yeelds no melodious sweete harmony to go vnto the
Tongilianus habet nasum scio non nego sed iam Nil prater nasum Tongilianus habet Tongilian has a goodly nose I wisâ—e But naught besides a nose Tongilian Tongilianiâ— And no doubts it will be liker the latter then the former Venus had her mole Helena her staine Cynthia her spots the Swan her ieaty feete the clearest day some clowd nay there is nothing but if we once eye it ouer so absolutely perfect not the smoothest writer of all which at lest a Critick perusing of him for some blemish and imperfection merites not either Aristarchus his blacke pile or Momus his sponge If in the fairest thinges be such deformitie how many more staines may then be found in this ofspring of my brain which dare not scarcely make compare with the fowlest Looke for better and more generous wine of the old vinetree for as Plinie sayth vetustioribus semper vitibus vinum melius nouellis copiosius would I coulde either arrogate the former or chalenge the latter vnto my selfe but howsoeuer I could not possibly please all for as the Poet speaks to one Ledotus Qui possis rogo te placere cunctis Cum iam displiceas tibi velvns T' is sure that at least I should not please my selfe I might better fit a many humors in sif ting out some more pleased poeticall subiect more correspondent to their fancy and my facultie as intreating merily of some new discouered Isle with Lucian to inuent with him some such hyperbolicall lies as that of Hercules 〈◊〉 whose footsteps were found to be the bignes of an aker of ground to tell with him of flyes and pismires as big as twelue Elephants to fraight some pamphlet de lapsu vulcani who as Homer writes was falling out of heauen into the Isle Lemnos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a whole day to make some mery prognostication of strange wonders that are to ensue as them of Ioachimus Fortius Ringelbergius capitulated in that chapter whose title is Ridicula quaedam iucunda not to plunge my selfe in these grand phisicall matters I know these are appertinent to the Muses also Ouid his Nux the Culex Maro writ Erasmus did in folly dye his wit The Frog fight Homer made and of daâ—e Mouse And Ianus Dousa praisd Pediculus Hubaldus on baldmen did verâ—ifie Each of whose numbers words began with C. Beza praisd 〈◊〉 Apuleius th' Asse Plutarch Grillus who by Circe changed was A quartaâ—e ague Fauorine did commend His darlings sparrow so Catullus pend To which the Poet Sunt etiam Musissua ludicra mista Camanis Otâ—a c. Tragicall Melpomene her selfe wil now and then put on the comicall start vp Sage Apollo laughes once yearly at his own beard lesse naked face the modest Muses haue their maddest reuils the darkesomst water has his gildy streames wise men will sometimes play with childrens rattles But I haue already imployed some imbeziled howrs takeÌ„ from the treasury of the Muses golden time to the gilding ouer of the like rotten subiects as they that haue bin intimate with mâ— are not igmorant as in my Tetligomurmomachia a centurie of latin Epigrams an Echo and some other trifles which I durst not let come abroad in the chill Criticall aire lest hap they mought haue been frettisht for want of learninges true cloathing Now haue I chosen to mingle my delight with more vtilitie aiming not onely at witte but wisedome I know the Paracelsian will vtterly condemne my endeauour for bringing the foure Humours on the stage again they ha uing hist them off so long ago the rather be cause I once treat not of their three minerals Sal Surphur and Mercurius the Tria omnia of their quicksiluer wits which they say haue chiefe dominion in the body it consisting of them and are the causes of each disease and cure all againe by their Arcana extracted out of them but I waigh it not since the tongue of an aduersary cannot detract from verity If any the like Carpfish whatsoeuer chaunce to nibble at my credite hee may perchaunce swallow downe the sharp hook of reproach and infamie ere he be aware which hee cannot like the Scolaopendra cast vp againe at his pleasure I doubt not but to haue him in a string Reader thine eyes are to take their turnes in a gardin wherein are growing many weedes yet some flowers passe by the former with kind silence cull out and gather the latter for thine owne science and perhaps thou maist distill the sweetest wa ter from the bitterest wormewood as Maro built his walls by Ennius his rubbish If thou thy selfe hast better Candidus imperti si non his vtere mecum Idem qui pridem Thine if mine T. W. THE Titles and Contents of the seuerall Chapters as they are handled in in this present booke 1 OF Selfe knowledge cap. 1. 2 That the soule sympathizeth with the body and followeth her crâ—sis and temperature cap. 2. 3 Whether the internall faculty may bee knowne by the externall phisiognomy and visage cap. 3. 4 That a dyet is to bee obserued of euery one cap. 4. 5 How man derogates from his excellency by surfeit of his vntimely death C. 5 6 Of Temperaments Cap. 6. 7 Of diuersitie of witts according to the diuerse temperature of the body cap. 7. 8 Of the spirits cap. 8. 9 Of a cholericke complexion cap. 9. 10 Of a sanguine temperature cap. 10. 11 Of the phlegmatiâ— humor cap. 11 12 Of a melanche â—ick complection C. 12. 13 Of the coÌ„ceits of melancholy cap 13. 14 Of the dreames which accompany each complection cap 14. 15 Of the exactest temperature of all whereof Lemnius speaketh cap 15. The close to the whole worke in verse FINIS Of Selfe knoweledge Chap. 1. AS Hesiod in his Theogonie saith that the â—gly night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begat two fowle monsters Somnum somnium So we may not vnfitly say that the inueloped and deformed night of ignorance for the want of that coelestiall Nosce teipsum begettes two mishapen monsters which as the Sepia's inkie humor doe make turbulent the cristallinest fountaine in man Somatalgia and Psychalgia the one the dyscrafie of the body the other the malady and distemperature of the soule For he that is incanoped and intrenched in this darkesome misty cloud of ignorance being like the one-footed Indian people Sciopodes whose foote is so big that it shades them from the rayes of the Sunne or rather like the Cyclops when Vlisses had be rest him of his one eye he hath no true lampe of discretion as a polestar to direct the shippe of his life by in respect either of his mortall or immortall part from being hurried vpon the shelues masâ—y rockes of infelicity Of what hie esteeme and prizelesse value this rare selfeknowledge is euer was it is very conspicuous and appareÌ„t vnto the dimmest apprehension of all if it doe but iustly ballance in the scoale of com mon reason wisdome
of our earthly bodies Plato in whose mouth the Bees as in their hiues did make their hunny combs as foreintimating his sweete flowing eloquence he weighing with himselfe that thraldome the soul was in being in the body and how it was affected and as it were infected with the contagion therof in his Phaedrus as I remember disputing of the Idaeaes of the mind said that our bodies were the prisons and bridewels of our soules wherein they lay as manicled and fettered in Giues Yea further hee could auouch in his Cratylus and also in his Georgias Socrates hauing brought forth a speach to Callides out of Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to liue is to die and to dye is to liue he saith there that our body is the very graue of the soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And sure it is that whiles this mind of ours hath his abode in this darkesome dungeoÌ„ this vile mansion of our body it can neuer act his part well till it step vpon the heauenly stage it will be like â—o in Ouid whoe being turned into a heeâ—er when shee could not expresse her minde to Inacus her father in words Littera-pro verbis quampes in puluere duxit Corporis indicium mutati triste peregit Her foot did speake as on the sand she ranged How she poore soule was froÌ„ her selfe estraÌ„ged Our soule in the bodie though it be not so blind as a Batt yet is it like an Owle or Batt before the rayes of Phaebus al dimmed and dazeled it sees as through a lattissewindow Being freed from this prison once hauing flitted from this ruinous â—ennament this mud-wald cottage it is a Linceus within a Molewarpe without it is an allâ—eyde Argus within an one-â—y de Cyclops without a beautifull Nireus within an Aethiopian Thersites without a hie soaring Egle within a heauy Struthio Camelus an Aestridge who hath winges as hee in the Hieroglyphicks witnesseth non propter volatuÌ„ sed cursum not for flying but to helpe her running yea as sparkles hid in embers do not cast forth their radiant light and the sunne invelloped in a thicke mistie cloud doth not illuminate the center with his goulden Tresses so this coelestiall fire our soule whiles it remaines in the lap of our earthly Prometheus this masse of ours it must needs be curtained and ouer-shadowed with a palpable darkenesse which doth ouer-cast a sable night ouer our vnderstanding especially when in the bodie there is a current of infectious humours which doe flow ouer the veines and ingrosse the limpid spirites in their arteries the minde must needes bee as it were ore-flowne with a Deucalions floode and bee quirkened as a sillie toyling Leander in the Hellespout What made the minde of Orestes so out of temper that he kild his owne mother but the bodily Crasis what made Heracleitus die of a dropsie hauing rowlde himselfe in beastes ordure what made Socrates hauing drunke the Cicuta at Athens to giue his vltimum vale to the world but that what caus'd that redoubted famous captaine Themistocles hauing drunke Bulls blood to take as we say his long iourney to the Elysian feilds and many others to haue com'd vnto their long home as may be seene in the ancient registers of time and many to haue beene distraught and frantick the distemperature no doubt the euill habit of the bodie where-with the soule hath copulatioÌ„ Plotin the great platonist he blushed often that his soule did harbour in so base an â—nne as his body was so Porphyry affirmes in his life because as he said in an other place his soule must needes bee affected with the contagious qualities incident vnto his bodiâ— The cunningst swimmer that euer was Delius himselfe could not shew his art nor his equal stroke in the mud a caÌ„dle in the lanterne can yeld but a glimmering light through an impure and darksome horne the warelike Steed cannot fet his friskes take his carreers and shew his curuets being pent vp in a narrow room so it is with the princely soule while the bodie is her mansion said he but this belongs to an other Thesis and some thing before concerning the souls excellency hauing taken her flight from this darksome cage more neare vnto the scope at which wee must aime Heare what the Poet sayth in his xv of the Metamorphos Quolque magis 〈◊〉 sunt qui non corpora tantum Verum anâ—mos etiam valeant mutare liquoâ—es u◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 Salmacis vndâ— A Ethiâ—pesque 〈◊〉 quos 〈◊〉 faâ—cibus hausit 〈◊〉 furis aut patitur mirum grauitate soporem It is a wonderment that waters 〈◊〉 Transsorme the members and the mind of man Who kenneth not th'vncleane Salmacian well The 〈◊〉 where sun-burnt Mauritanians dwell Which cause a frensie being gulped downe Or strike the senses with a sleeping swoone Wee must not imagine the mind to bee passible beeing altogether immateriall that it selfe is affected with any of these corporall thinges but onely in respect of the instruments which are the haÌ„d-maids of the soule as if the spirits bee inflamed the passages of the humours daÌ„med vp the braine stuffed with smoakie fumes or any phlegmaticke matter the blood too hote and too thicke as is vsuall in the Seythians and those in the septeÌ„trionall parts who are of all men endowed with the least portion of witt and pollicy and because these kind of people doe as it were crosse the hie way of my invention I will treat a little of them neither beeside that which we haue in hand because it will confirme the fore-writen words of Xenophon concerning wine Whom doe wee euer reade of more to quaffe and carouse more to vse strong drinkes then the Scythians and who more blockish and deuoide of witt and reason nay there was neuer any learned man but onely Anacharsis was an inbred there which want no doubt is caused by their great intemperance For all writers well nie agree in this that they will as the Poet saith ad diurnam stellam or strenué pro 〈◊〉 potare drinke till their eyes stare like two blazing starres as we say in our prouerbe Athenaeâ—s that singular scholler of so manifold reading after hee had rehearsed Herod his history of Cleomeâ—ns saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the Lacâ—demoniaÌ„s when they wold drink in lauish cups extraordinarily they did vse this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to imitate the Scythians which also he notes out of Chaemeleon Heracleotes in his booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when also they should haue said to the Pincerna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 powre in they vsed this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Howsoeuer we read of some particulars it is manifest if we peruse the histories that the most of them are the greatest bouzers and bussards in the world they had rather drinke out their eyes then that the wormes shoulde eate them out after their death as Sir Thomas More iâ—asts
vpon Fuscus in his Epigrames of all men they haue most leadeÌ„ conceits and drossy wits caused especially by their excessiue intemperance which thickneth their blood corrupteth their spirites and other organons wherein the soule shoulde cheefely shew her operation Giue mee leaue to speake a little of the ayre how it receaued into the body doth either greately aduantage or little availe the mind It is certaine that the excellency of the soule followes the purity of the heauens the temperature of the ayre therefore because Boeotâ—a had aâ—ery * rennish soyle a grosse and vnrefined ayre the ancient writers to decypher and shaddow out a dull witt in any one were wont to say Boeoticum hic habit ingeâ—ium this man is as wise as a woodcock his wits in a consumption his conceit is as lancke as a shotten Herrin I doe not coÌ„cord with the Poet in that triuial verse but I doe carry the comma a little further and say Câ—lum non 〈◊〉 mutant qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At least if I must needes take coelum for aire I will say The aire to vary is not onely found But wit 's a forreiner in fâ—rreine ground The ayre hath his etymologie from the greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to breath it consistes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the learned say that it is the beeginning and ending of mans life for when wee begin to liue wee are sayd to inspire when we die to expire as the priuation of the aire deprives vs of our being and the aire being purged and clensed from his pestilent qualities causeth our well-beeing so the infection of the aire as in the extinguishing of some blazing comet the eructation of noysome vapours from the bosome of the earth the disastrous constellation or bad aspect of some maleuolent planet the vamping fumes that the Sun eleuates from boggs and fennish grounds the inflammation of the ayre by the intense heate of the sunne as when in Homers Iliad Phaebus is fained to send forth his direfull arrowes among the Grecians and â—o bring in the pestilence vppon them this infection causeth our bodyes first to bee badly qualified and tainted with a spice of corruption and so by consequent our very soules to be ill affected AEneas Syluius in his Cosmography writing of the lesser Asia records a strange thing concerning the ayre beeing putrified hee sayes that hard by the cittie Hierapolis there is a place tearmed Os PLVTONIVM in the vally of a certaine mountaine where Strabo witnesseth that he sent sparrowes in which forth with as soone as they drew in the venemous noysome ayre they fel downe dead no doubt but the corrupted ayre would haue had his operation vppon other more excellent creatures theÌ„ were those little birds if they durst haue attempted the entrance in But to a question what reason can be alleag'd that those who won vnder the pole neare the frozen zone and in the septentrionall climate should haue such gyantly bodies and yet dwarfish wits as many authors doe report os them and wee fee by experience in trauaile the rudenes and simplicitie of the people that are seated far north which no doubt is intimated by a vulgar speach when wee say such a man hath a borrell wit as if wee said boreale ingenium Whereof that old-english prophet of famous memory whome one fondly â—earm'd Albionâ— ballade maker the cunnicatcher of time and the second dish for fooles to feede their splenes vpon G. Chaucer tooke notice when in his prolog to the Frankleines taile he saies But Sirâ— because I am a â—orrell man At my beginning first I yow beseach Haue me excusd of my rude speach The Philosophers to this question haue excogitated this reason to wit the exceeding chilnes of the aire which doth possesse the animall spirits the chiefe attendants of the soule to exequute the function of the agent vnderstanding with contrary qualities the first being cold and drie the last hote and moiste though this reason most auaile for our purpose speaking how the minde can bee affected with the ayre yet I must needs say I thinke they are beside the cushian others affirme and with more reason that they are dul-witted especially by the vehement heat which is included in their bodies which doth inflame their spirits thickâ—n their blood and therby is a cause of a new grosse more then ayry substance conioynd with the spirits for extreame heat doth generate a grosse adust choler which comes to be mixed with the blood in the veines and that brings a condensation and a coagulation to the blood for their extraordinary heat it is apparant by their speedy concoction and by the externall frigidity of the ayre that dams vp the pores of their bodies so greatly that hardly any heat can euaporate this also by deep wels which in winter time be lukâ— warme and in summer season exceeding cold now to proue that where the blood is thickned and the spirits inflamed there vsually is a want of wit the great peripateâ— him selfe affirmeth it to bee a truth where he saith that buls such creatures as haue this humor thick are commonly deuoid of wit yet haue great strength and such liuing thinges as haue an attenuated blood and very fluid doe excell in wit and pollicy as instance is giuen in Aristotle of bees We must note here that this is spoke of the remoter parts neare vnto the pole lest we derogate any thing from the praise of this our happy Ileland another blisfull Eden for pleasure all which by a true diuision of the climes is situated in the septentrional part of the world wherein there are and euer haue beene as praegnant wits as surpassing politicians as iudicious vnderstandings as any clime euer yet afforded vnder the cope of heauen But I doe here passe the limits of laconisme where as I should in wisdome imitate the Aegyptian dogs in this whole tractate who doe drinke at the riuer Nilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in haste and by stealth lest the Crocodile should pray on them and who doth fitly cary the name and conditions of the Crocodile no writer is ignorant of I will therefore end with the iteration of the Thesis that the soule followes the temper of the body and that whiles it is inherent in the body it can nâ—uer partake so pure a light of vnderstaÌ„ding as when it is segregated and made a free denizen in the heauenly citty and free holde of the saintes Corporis in gremiâ— dâ—m spiritus c. when our imprisoned soule once more being free Gins scale the turret of eternitie From whence it once was raught captiue 〈◊〉 By this vsurping tyrant corps heâ— bane Which subiugates her vnto sâ—ttish will And schooles her vnder passions want of skill Then shall our soulâ— now chock't with fenny care With Angelâ— frollicke in apâ—rer aire This low NADIR of darknes must it sheâ—de Till is aloft toth'radiant ZENITH wende Cap. 3.