Because that having knowledge of the subtilties and humane tromperies and deceits they are alwayes in distrust fearing to be surprised they are doubtfull saith the Philosopher because they are incredulous and incredulous because they have much experience of humane things in which they have proved much deceit Q. VVherefore is it that old persons take a singular pleasure to lie with young children and the young children on the contrary love not that A. It is because that the heat of little children that are fat and pretty bulchins heateth sweetly the old folkes the which is their proper want The little children on the contrary feeling themselves infected with their vapours and corrupt humours and smelling them stinke they fly their imbraces also it is certaine that little children which have beene accustomed to lye with old folkes impaire much and yet much more with old women because of the corrupt vapours which goe out of them being not able otherwise to discharge their naturall purgations Q. VVherefore is it that old folkes are so covetous and holding and the young on the contrary are so prodigall A. Because that old folkes know by experience how difficult and hard a thing it is to get wealth and therefore are spaning further the desire they have to end their dayes in rest feeling themselves weake and uncapable of travel makes them covetous but the young folkes on the contrary feeling themselves strong and robust and sturdy promise themselves all things happily and ignorant of the difficulty to get and obtaine wealth and meanes all things are good cheape with them and use and abuse wealth with an excessive profusion Q. Wherefore is it that old folkes feele lesse dolour and lesse paine travelling to death then the young A. Because that naturall heat being very little and weake in old folkes it is easily extinct by reason whereof they dye sweetly as we see a Lampe extinct when there is no more oyle or a Candle goe out when there is no more Tallow but young folkes being more sturdy and robust because of their naturall heate which is in them great and strong resist much more vigorously and more long the assaults of Death and are also much more and more long travelling and laboring in the combate For as Apples that are very ripe fall From the Tree with the least Thake and the greene ones â—n the contrary hold firme and cannot bee pluck't off but with force and violence likewise men being arrived to the maturity and ripenesse of their age are easily carried and borne by death and the green youth in the contrary resists him and suffers by the same meanes more long and more great convulsions and dolours Wormes and Lice Q. WHerefore is it that the Physitians hold that it is a presage of death when living wormes comes out of the body of man by the conduits above or below of themselves without being forced by any drugs or medicines A. Because that they feele an extreame inflamation of humours or a putrifactioÌ„ or a mortall weaknesse which gives them the way of flight by the conduits be it by the fundiment bee 〈◊〉 by the mouth or by the nostrils knowing that by a certaine naturall instinct that they cannot expect from that body any good nourishment likewise Lice abounding opon the sick shew they are neare death Rats and Mice Q. WHerfore is it that Rats and Mice abandon ruinous and falling houses A. It is by a certaine naturall instinct they finde and knowthe walls to shake the posts to bee unjoynted and their little holes to be in another estate then customeable they then presage some neare ruine which makes them dislodge Lastly Death Q. VVHerefore is it that all Animals flie death A. Because that death is the privation of the present being and all things desire naturally to conserve their being Q. VVherefore is it that dead folks waigh more then the living A. It is because that the vital or animal spirits which beare up the body being extinct with the naturall heate becomes like to a heavy lump of earth and waighes all downe even to the earth or grave Q. How is it that the nayles or haires grow from the dead A. It is not as some have supposed that the parts covered with flesh being uncovered and unfleshed that thereby it seemes that the nailes and haires should grow but it is that the nailes and haires being no part of the body but meerely excrements serving for ornament and entertainers of the humidity by meanswhereof they yet grow after the separation of the soule Q. How comes it that death is so frightfull horrid and fearefull to some rich men and criminall delinquents A. Because some rich looking then into the glasse of their consciences and seeing then almost too late the ugly formes of their wrongs done to many and undone people they had to deale with as also the uncertainety of their soules journy before that Dreadfull Tribunall where Justice it selfe sits holding the scales of equity with a terrible hand the executioners ready about him with all the exquisite torments of a gehenna moreover thinking how many goodly houses pleasant gardens and orchards with aboundance of utensels gold silver asalso worldly respects for having these things which they then of force most part with these are the stings of that Serpent Death so piercing through an evill conscience and not unjustly intituled the worme of conscience grievously then gnawing as also their thinking how they shall at the blowing of that dreadfull Trumpe in vaine desire the hills to fall upon them and with Dives be denied a small drop of water to coole their flaming tongues Let them therefore while they have time and before their corporall animall sences are benumb'd with this Torpedo Death confesse their wrongs to God and the wronged make hearty contrition and by all humble praiers desire Gods gracious mercy And because they can yeeld him nothing let them restore and make satisfaction to those they have of their Christian brethren brought into misery and not thinke it enough to builde an Almes-house for twelve idle beggers as for the delinquents be they murderers perjurers theeves and such wicked and ungodly persons I leave them to the judgement and mercy of God and advise them from the sin of presumption And to conclude oh how happy is he that in the feare and love of God puts off this mortality and puts on immortality which the Creatour of Heaven and Earth that hath made all things visible and invisible with so infinite wisedome and hath pleased to grant man a measure thereof to discerne the things that are here formerly spoken of grant us this gracious God that still humbly with all thankfulnesse wee may acknowledge this thy great bounty which thou hast given us above all other Animals and grant us by thy mercy and for the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ that wee may discerne the invisible things of thy Kingdome and prayse thee among thy Saints saying honour glory and power bee ascribed to God on high AMEN FINIS
and the heate hindereth the superfluous matter to extend it selfe now the nose is a Cartilage and a Cartilage is a kind of bone and a bone is a superfluous and insensible matter Q. Wherefore is it that little children have more heate and fire and naturall humidity then perfect men A. Because they are newly composed and formed of a matter hot and very moist to wit of seed and of blood Q. Wherefore is it that the little tenderling children have their haire very cleare and thinne A. Because that they have not yet the pores of the skinne open for to give passage to the humidity and likewise they have yet little or no smoaky exhalations which are matter of the haire Q. Wherefore is it that little Infants have their voyces small and sharpe A. It is because they have the Artery and pipe of the voyce more â—â—raite then perfect men together that having much humidity the conduit of the voice is stopped and the voyce by the same meanes is more sharpe For as the pipes of winde instruments expresse the sound more sharpe if they be straite and small so is it of the Arteries Organs and conduits of the voyce Q. From whence comes it that rocking provokes sleepe in little children A. Because as I have said before they being very moist this agitation and moving them up and downe moves also the humours which mount to the braine and provoke sleepe which comes not so to aged persons because they have not so much humidity Q. VVherefore is it that little children falling to the earth by stumbling against some stone or other hard or solid body takes no such bruises and hurts as great and old folkes that are strong and robust A. If they fall onely all along the reason is easie for being little and low they cannot hurt themselves so much as if they fell from an high but besides it may be sayd that they are more soft tender and flexible so that stumbling against any hard and solid body their flesh resists not as it doth with bigge folkes but yeelds and gives place the knocke and stumble is not so rude even as it is in a sponge that will not breake against the stone as another stone will or as the reeds which yeeld and wave up and downe are not so easily overthrowne by a violent and forcible storme as the Trees which refist it Q. Wherefore is it that the little Infants have their vitall functions so strong and vigorous and their animall functions so weake I call vitall functions their eating concocting digesting nourishing increasing and growing and the animal functions as their mooving and holding fast A. Because that the naturall functions exercise themselves by the meanes of the naturall heat which is in them aboundant and boyling and the Animal functions exercise not themselves but by the meanes of the Animal spirits which proceed from the braiee the which being yet very feeble and the grisly bones which incomposeth and covereth them being yet tender and fraile it is no marvaile that the Animal spirits have their effects lesse vigorous untill the braine bee fortified with age Q. From whence comes it that little children which have more of iudgement and use of reason then their age will beare or ordinarily pernut or promise which wee commonly call too forward children live not long or being too fat and too great become sots an d lubbers A. Truely Cato the Censor said very well that we could not looke for any other then a hasty death of children that are hastily prudent that is to say when it comes too much before the due time of mature age and the reason is taken from this that it is a certaine argument that such children have their braine dry out of measure and beyond the temperature of their age for the too much humidity which is ordinary in all little children hinders as a cloud that their interiour senses should not stretch so farre so clearely and so openly their functions as in persons of perfect age and the unmeasureable drinesse which is in some one extraordinarily is the cause that within a little time the body drieth alwayes more and more with the age so that the Organs of the Sences yea all the body dissolves and deth then follows or at least the Sences are so ill affected that the soule cannot worthily exercise his function neither more nor lesse then the best artificers can make no master-piece of worke with evill tooles though instruments of their Art Q. Wherefore is it that little children are ordinarily slavering and sniveling and have their heads all of a dandering scurfe A. Because their naturall heat exhales from their stomacke great quantity of vapours to the braine the which dischargeth himselfe by all his meanes as head mouth and nose Q. How comes it that children pisse their beds in sleeping without feeling it which comes not much to those which are arrived to the youthfull age A. It is because that children are very hot and moist as is above said and therefore they are very laske and discharge their bladders more easily as also being in a profound sleepe the bladder dischargeth it selfe without any feeling of it Q. But wherefore is it that they have no seed A. Because that they being farre from their perfection all their good nourishments turne into the increase of the corporal masse Pissing and sneezing and farting Q. FRom whence comes it that sometimes wee shake and tremble after we have pissed A. Because as sayes Alex. A. phrodiseus that there is a sharpe and biting humour which pricking the bladder moveth all the body by a strong convulsion to the end it should more forcibly thrust out this ill humour which fals most commonly to children because of their much and often eating and because they abound in excrements or better according to Aristotle it proceeds of this that although the bladder being full of urine which is hot it then feeles not the cold but on the contrary it being discharged for nothing can remaine void the ayre then filling it which being cold or fresh makes us to shake tremble the same happens to us sneezing when the veines void themselves of some humours or hot spirits and that the fresh ayre enters into their place Q. VVherefore is it that ordinarily we let fly winde in pissing A. It is because that as long as the bladder is full the great gut or Colon is stretched and that in voiding the bladder one holds his breath so as the bladder being after released and avoided of his measure the intestins which were banded and filled with ayre and winde are released alwayes by the same meanes and so voided Q. Wherefore is it that horses and many other kind of Animals and even men themselves pisse for company A. It is by the Sympathy of the Animal spirits or rather that the one thinkes of the other Q. Wherefore is it that in rubbing our eyes we cease to sneeze A. Because by that
hee is seated in such a hidden place A. Nature hath done the like with all the noble parts as with the Braine with the Liver with the Lungs to the end that they should not be easily offended hurt or wronged seeing that these parts cannot be grieviously offended without losse and death of the Animal Q. Wherefore is it that the heart of some Animals being torne with force out of the body wil pant and moove still A. This panting and mooving comes from the fervor of the blood of the spirits from the heart as sparkes and flames from the naturall heat which are not suddenly extincted after the death of the Animals no otherwise then a snuffe or a meske of a lighted Lampe looseth not suddenly all his fire nor all his light although separated from the Oyle Q Wherefore is it that in Animals the most couragious as in Lyons and in Tigers they have their hearts very little and in those which are the most fearfull as the Deere the Asse and the Hare they should have the most great considering the proportion of their Bodies and neverthelesse to signifie a valiant man they commonly say heâ— is a man of a great heart A. The Animals that have little hearts are commonly the most hardy because that the force of the heat amassed together in a little place are more vigorous and doe greater deeds then being dispersed neither more nor lesse then an ordinary fire heats not so easily a great hall as a little chamber and whereas they commonly say a hardy man hath a great heart the same ought to be understood of quality not of quantity that is to say of courage it selfe of valour it selfe of hardinesse it selfe not of the masse or piece of the heart Q. Wherefore is it that hurting of the heart is mortall A. Because as saith the Philosopher that it being the principall and beginning of the life if it bee wounded there is nothing that can sustaine or snccour the other parts that depends on it neverthelesse it hath beene found of Animals that although wounded in the heart they have not dyed of the hurt judging by that that after they have made dissection and cure they have found the Iron head of an arrow or the bullet of a Hargubusse sticking in their hearts Q. From whence comes it that some renowned personages have their hearts hairy and have bin approved wonderfull valiant and couragious as Leonidas the Lacedemonian and Aristomenes the Argien A. Because that it testified an extraordinary calour or heate neverthelesse naturall in them the which excited smoaky exhalations in their hearts and such fumes are the matter of the haire and naturall heate is accompanied with vigour and courage Cockes Q. BY what vertue is it that the crowing of the Cocke so affrights the Lyon A. There is no Animall whatsoever is so fierce and couragious as the Cocke which combats most valiantly even to the death his crow is also very penetrating so as the Lyon knowing by instinct his invincible courage and fierce hardinesse in so little an Animall hearing him sing is astonished and retyres himselfe so writeth Pliny Q. What is it that induceth him to crow every third houre and so iustly at midnight A. One may ordinarily prove that he croweth not every third houre although it hath pleased Pliny to say so that tooke up much by heare-say but for his crowing at mid-night they give divers Reasons as some hold that the Cocke is an Animall wholly solarie because whereof the Ancients consecrated him to Aesculapius Sonne to the Sunne so that resenting about mid-night that the Planet predominating upon his nature is remounting upon our Horizon hee awaketh hee rejoyceth and sings for joy Others attribute the same to his Venerian desire for hee is an Animall which is very lascivious and why having his Hennes about him and otherwise hee is accustomed to sing rather after then before his treading and therefore this reason seemeth to mee nothing probable Democritus as Cicero reporteth held that the Cocke satisfied with sleepe after hee had perfected his digestion as hee hath in him much naturall heate to well concoct and digest his food hee awaketh all joyfull and proclaimes his joy with his owne Trumpet but that great Iulius Scaliger durst resolve nothing of this question but I dare say that there is some apparance in the first opinion but more in the last of Democritus Strings Q. WHerefore is it that the string of a long bow or a crosse-bowe breakes sooner when one dischargeth them without an arrow then when they shoote with an arrow A. It is because the Arrow abates and moderateth the violence of the motion but when one disbandeth the violence of the motion which findeth not an encounter nor stayeth makes a strength against the cord it selfe and is the cause it breakes and sometimes the Bow it selfe Q. Wherefore is it that the strings of a long Instrument breakes sooner and will not stretch so high as those of a short Instrument A. Because that those of the long stretch longer then the others have a more long space from the middle are more further from their center that is to say from the place where they are tied and that which is further from their center is most weake wherof we see divers examples from these words light waight Q. Wherefore is it that two strung Lutes or other like instruments being reached up and tuned in one and the selfe same tune if one soundeth or play eth upon the one neare to the other that which is not touched shall sound and moove also upon her Harmonious cordes and the dissonant not moove astraw being laid upon the string of the untouched Lute or such like strung instrument A. This is caused by the Sympathy and consonance of the instrument the strings of the one being touched the Ayre which is affected with the harmony makes to resound affect and stir the same strings of the other and by the same cause if one strike a string of a Lute which is accorded in the unison or in the octave it will shake also the other which one may prove by putting a litle straw upon that which is not touched and which is agreeing to the unison or to the octave of that which is struck and better yet to Philosop hize upon this subject wee will adjoyne that wee may observe a double mooving in the strings of an instrument the one is it which beats the Ayre then before is string is struck the other then behinde when it retyres after that it is struck the shake makes him to resound but encountering other strings streatched into another tune and out of the unison or the Octave they shall not finde the like disposition of mooving because of the dissonance and disproportion of tunes so as they will not resound at all Q. From whence comes it that the harmony and Systeme of the voice or of instruments well accorded is so agreeable to the hearing