face of those that laugh because in some perchance the parts of their Face by reason of their unequall contexture or constitution are not equally contracted nor swell for in laughter the Face swells for the whole Countenance is powred out and spread with the Spirits that then swell the Muscles there being a great concourse of Spirits and bloud unto the Face which bear a reatâ—gstroke in the Action So that the Muscles of the Face are filled with Spirits after the same manner as a certaine member directy opposite unto it which importunately sometimes lookes us in the Face which being filled with Spirits growes stiff and is extended yet although the analogy be very faire there is no contraction in that part but onely a great extension and that according to all its Dimensions which happens by reason of the Spungy and very loose flesh which is not so much in the Face and withall that Part is very free and at liberty whereas the Muscles of the Face on both sides and every where adhere most firmely to the bone and skin that when they cannot be extended every way according to all their Dimensions there are contracted Now this figure that compriseth the alterations of every part in the face follows as an effect and consequence of the movings of the Muscles that are proper to the parts or which being Common have by their conformation a Sympatheticall dependency one upon another But this is not all for that which is most remarkable and worthy observation is that this moving of the parts of the Face although very great is done undone on a sudden and almost in a moment that is a mans Face forthwith falls into the posture of laughing and while in that posture he laughes he incontinently leaves off the motion which as it suddenly comes so it goes when a man ceaseth from laughter although it be at the highest pitch and scrued up to the very Eela of mirth it vanisheth away and needes no time of interposition to abate by degrees to take out the tracts of the operations of so many and divers engaged Muscles which incontinently cease from their labour for as soone as the Conceite and jest is at an end the laughter being naturall the mouth and parts of the face returne to their former situation the motion being now over of which sudden begining and ending of so many concurring motions the Cause may be supposed the subtiltie of the Spirits in their motion when they ascend to the face But what kind of moving of the Muscles this should be is somewhat difficult to conjecture although it is so manifest and evident in appearance 'T is true we can conjecture a Muscle to move or to be moved for we know a Muscle hath moved its appointed moveable when contracted it appeares shorter and harder especially if it have a bonâ— under it as all the Muscles of the Face have But here all the parts of the Face except that perchance of the Forehead seeme to be contracted together and the whole face according to the constitution of its substance to grow stiff and hard wherefore it seemes most probable that all the Muscles of the face are moved together at once yet the controversie is somewhat intricate they that are for the Negative allege that the same thing cannot be moved by contrary motions at the same time as for example Some Muscles move the Lower-Iaw downwards and so open the mouth others by moving the Iaw upwards close it others move it outwards others inward others draw it to one side and drive it round wherefore all of them seeme not to Move at once To which is answer'd that things moving in Contraria in the same moveable if they be of equall virtue they either doe nothing or if they doe the moveable is distracted but if they be of unequall power and strength the weaker gives way to the motion of the stronger yet the prevailing Mover in the conflict or contention obtaines not the same vigour or as much as if it had not contended at all and had moved without opposition for if all Materiall Agents as the learned know in Doing Suffer also and after some manner abate of the Degree of their virtue â—ow much more will it happen when one hath an adversary although weaker yet openly endeavouring against him Wherfore it may be suppos'd it doth not move so perfectly as it would â—f it were not hinder'd by its Adversary The way to discover the manner of moving in this Conglobation of Muscles in laughter is to consider what Muscles of parts of the Face are effectivè more or fewer thicker or smaller for many moving together are not stronger than fewer if they be all equally qualified and the great and thick are stronger than the small and slender as may be made manifest by speciall example As first the Muscles that move the lower-Jaw drawing it upwards to close the Mouth are more and thick and therefore stronger than those that lead it downwards to open the Mouth as is well known out of the Anatomy of those Muscles Now because in Laughter the Mouth is neither too much closed nor yet gapes the Muscles that serve to shut and open the Mouth are moved together the Mouth not being exactly shut although the Muscles are more intense which are appointed to shut it but withall is somewhat opened by reason of the repugnancy of the opening Muscles Hence it is that in over Laughter our Iawes ake so that they seeme to suffer a luxation by reason of the contrariety of moving and violent Conflict for the Ligaments Nerves and Fibres are after a manner distracted and drawn into factions And we may observe that the Masticatory Muscles which are better called Laterall from their use whose fibres by reason of their Divers Heads which respecting one another after a divers manner are inserted acrosse in manner of the Letter X do manifest their operation in this motion for by reason of their Fibres although they move to the Right hand and to the Left notwithstanding they can withall not a little move the lower-Iaw either outward and inward The Muscle called Adducens Pâ—erigoideum which puts the Chin out forward with the other Mansorie also which leads the Chin inwards and when it is produced recalls it back these by reason of the contrarietie of their movings which are done at the same time in Laughter are very remarkable Of whose Contraction we may make an experiment because the Mansorie Muscles being chiefly seated about the Cheekes do then appeare Contracted and somewhat hard the Chin being perchance somewhat drawn in because the Muscles are more valid which move the Iawes inward which perchance may not so exactly appeare alike in all men but may differ according to the divers Condition Composition or Commension of their parts The Contraction of the Temporall Muscle which is but small in Men is little observed nor that of the double-bellied Depriment which works contrary to the
instrument the Body was Dr. Floud being the first that in his peroration when hee was Praelector of Anatomy in the College of Physicians in London Anno 1620. exhibited such a kind of Method together with an Explanation of his Reason and an Example thereof which Forme he did not magisterially propound unto them but to declare that the Subject of an Anatomicall praeludium ought to be the Internall spirituall man which is rather to be dissected with living words than any knife how sharpe soever and so consequently to be discovered and explaned by a style of discourse The field of which subject as it is more ample and spacious than the rest So the Studious in Anatomy shall never find it barren but most fruitfull So that every one herein may hit of much variety of invention If then a Prologue onely of this nature is held so convenient by so great an Artist how much more advantageous and delightfull would a discourse interwoven throughout the Dissection Finding therefore that neither the great Parents of Physick nor their Learned Off-spring had pathologized the Muscles and thence bestowed significant names upon the most remarkable of them I resolved to attempt the Designe so to take away the blemish which hath fallen upon the Art by the slovenly and carelesse Denomination of some of them and the six-footed Barbarismes of those Greeke Conjuring names which are fit only for the bombasticall Anatomy of Paracelsus wherein I was encouraged by observing that half a dozen of Muscles named according to our new intended modell or the Species of their most significant motion and seeme to have been stumbled upon by the way of sport or a Rhetoricall Chance-medley of wit appeare so wonderfully pleasing to our moderne and most ingenious Anatomists that they are still borrowing from onâ— another those patheticall Apellations or 〈◊〉 Riolanus calls them Elegantissima nomina as if they were much affected with the felicity of that Pen from whence they first distiâ—led quae omne tulit punctum for Elegancy Memory Brevity and Perspicuity 'T is true many have exercized their pens in discourses of the muscles But an exact Description of the Discoursing motions of the Muscles none of the Great Professors of Anatomy have so much as thought on whereas the facility utility and delightsomenesse of such notions might have invited many for what is more easie than to discerne the parts manifest to Sense and the fidelity of an Ocular assurance that are so subject to our touch that in the semblances of those motions wrought in the parts by the endeavour of the Muscles we may not only see but as it were feele and touch the very inward motions of the Mind if you aske what delight will hence acrew to the understanding What is so delightfull as to know by what kind of movings those varying motions and expressions of the Head and Face are performed What Muscle doth accomplish this or that speaking motion To observe the scheme or outward figure of each Affection in the Countenance That is the situation of each in its motion as it is drawn by the Muscles and to read their significations couched in their names So that observing these accidents of the Head and Face the Types and representations of the Affections which are accidents of the Mind according to the nature of Correlatives we may find out one by the other And though it be but Negative ignorance not to be skill'd in such matters and so may be thought a needlesse Nicety or over-curious Inquisition to know every Muscle of our Head and Face Yet certainly it cannot but be some disparagement to one that pretends to any ingenuous Education or Reading to be as a meere Puppet or Mathematicall motion and not to understand why or after what manner the Muscles of his Head move in obedience to the Command of his Will and so to have no better a Head-piece than that which counterfeiting the naturall motions of Speech uttered its mind to Thomas Aquine and â—he Learned Frier Bacon And who â— pray you that is well versed in â—hilosophy does affect to behold the â—old effects of common Actionâ—â—ithout a Discourse of their Causes â—nd intrinsicall Agents the Soule â—nd the Muscles Since that is faâ—iliar to Sense and so by consâ—â—uence to Beasts But this is subjeâ—ted to the Intellect to wit the Inâ—ernall Principle of man whereâ—ore we will think it a thing worthy â—o be corrected with the whip of Igâ—orance if any rashly plunge himself into the Muscular Sea of corpoâ—al Anatomy or of the outward man without any mention of the Interâ—all man since the Soule only is the â—pifex of all the movings of the Musâ—les whose invisible Acts are made â—anifest by their operations in those â—arts into which they are inserted Not that any perfection or exact knowledge of this nature can be acquired since the wisedome of thâ— Creator in the fearefull and wonderfull structure of the Head is noâ— yet fully found out although it haâ— beâ—ne sought after by illustriouâ— men with much piety and Diligenceâ— and therefore that which is most probable and has the countenance of Authority must passe for truthâ— To those also that shall hereafter Physically and Ethically handle the Doctrine of humane Affections this may serve as a Mercurius Ethicus to give intelligence to all Athenian Pathologists of the motions of the Muscles which beare the greatest sway in matter of Affection whereas heretofore Pathology hath beene confined as it were to Aristotleâ— Muscle to wit that principle of inbred Heate or ever movable substance of Spirit and bloud which seemes to frame the severall images of all the affections of the Mind and has had little or no entercourse with the Muscles of the Affections wherby she has been deprived of a great part of this ornament whereof shee is capable But perchance the modernes have bin frighted with the difficulty of such a Designe as supposing such a Muscular Philosophie not fecible or reduceable into an Art or else if it ever came into their Heades they thought it a kind of impudence after Galen that glorious light of Anatomy to endeâ—vour any thing in this kind Yet Galen in his Booke de motu Musculorum seemes to have given any one a faire occasion of daring where he writes Whereas wee have partly found out many things and partly also intend diligently to make a thorow search after other things and some other may find out what is wanting With his leave therefore I shall endeavour by a light Essay to take notice of the figure and signatures of those Muscles that belong unto the Head and are the Authors of the speaking motions thereof and of the Superficiall parts comprized in it by the way raising Allegoricall inferences from them and adapting and imposing new names upon them according to their Physiognomicall significations which shall be as the Keyes of their important aâ—tions Describing the rising and insertion together with the fibres which modify the
their substance if they should be compelled to give any thing away which was in their possession from which most Emphaticall operation of this Muscle to thâ—â— signification of the Mind the Muscâ—â— might be properly called Musculâ—â— illiberalis the Illiberall Negative or the Niggard Muscle So much shal suffice as to the Denominations of this Muscle which is principall in the Action which thâ— Mind enters visibly in the Head and Shoulders as for the other Muscles which are but Accessories they are like to retaine their old names unlesse some charitable Myotomist be pleased to take pitty of their private Condition and think good to bestow the other significations of this Action as nominall favors severally upon them Memb. II. Of the Muscles serving to the generall expressions or most important motions of the Face or Countenance MAny are the affections of the Mind that appeare in the signifiâ—ant motions of the Face even when â—he Bones are at rest for whereas some â—arts of our skin are altogether immoâ—â—able and pertinacious in their circumâ—uction over the subjacent parts other â—arts thereof versatile indeed but they are not actuated with any voluntary motion the skin of the whole Face participates of motion which being voluntary does necessarily imply the use of Muscles by whose benefit those motions should be orderly and significantly performed Galen was the first who observed that Broad Muscle which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The broad Mouse-Muscle and was unknown to the ancient Anatomists arising from the top of the Sternon and the whole Channell Bone the upper Spine of the Shoulder-blade the Spine of the Vertebres of the Neck and inserted into all the parts of the Head which 〈◊〉 without haire and the lower jaw beâ—yond which it goes not according 〈◊〉 whose variety of originals and the proâ—ductions of divers fibres it proves 〈◊〉 Author of so many voluntary motioâ— as appeare in the Face for it so ends 〈◊〉 the Face that it covers it within as 〈◊〉 a Visard Sylvius makes it a Horsemaâ— Cap or a Riding-Hood if you take 〈◊〉 so much of it as is covered with the 〈◊〉 Theophilus compares it to a womans 〈◊〉 which the Greekes vulgarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is nothing else but a notable fleshie Membrane a medium between a skin and a Muscle which encloseth the Head and Face no lesse than the Skin therefore called fleshie because besides the nature of other Membranes in some places it is thicker and degenerates as it were into a Muscle as appeares in most parts of the Face where the skin conveyed along with the Membrane is the cause why the skin is there moveable hence Creatures who have all their skin moveable for the greatest part have this Membrane growing to â—heir skin But although the Ancients â—hought the whole Face was moved in â—ll its significations by the operation of â—his broad Muscle yet latter Anatomists â—ave found out the Muscles that lye unâ—er it whose opportune subjection â—oncurs to the advancement of the â—eaking motions and voluntary disâ—urses of the Countenance there 〈◊〉 for these purposes of the Mind as 〈◊〉 reckon forty sixe to wit to the â—otion of the Eyes and Eye-brows â—enty foure to the motion of the 〈◊〉 twelve and to the rest of the parts ten These Muscles by the effect of their action are beheld in the motion of the Face while they move the skin together with them the parts wherein they are inserted varying according to the variety of the parts This difference being as Galen speaks between the skin and the eyes and lips that under the skin there is a Musculous thin Nature the Eyes are moved by Muscles and the Lips by a Nature mixt of a skin and a Muscle So that the parts of the Face have their significant motions either from the administration of their propeâ— Muscles as the Forehead Eye-lids and Lips or by reason of the vicinity oâ— the skin as the Balls of the Cheeke which being destitute of Muscles 〈◊〉 moved together with the next skin 〈◊〉 that indeed one motion often times folâ—lows upon another by reason of 〈◊〉 common broad Muscle out of whicâ— the Muscles that move the parts of 〈◊〉 Face are made there being some 〈◊〉 are common to two Members as 〈◊〉 of the Nose and upper Lip and the 〈◊〉 and Cheeks whose Muscles are 〈◊〉 to each other Indeed the Professe of Dissection assigne not any action to the skin in generall because it is a simple and similar part not organicall and instrumentall which must be understood of common and visible actions for private it hath as nourishing it selfe by attraction of aliment though indeed in regard of Tact it hath a common action But in the Face it hath a publique and locall motion that is most Emphatically significant wherein the perturbations of the Mind discover themselves being moved in the Face by the streight annexion to Muscles which are the organs of voluntary motion for Nature would have it so ordered â—hat by the benefit of certaine Muscles working under the skin and affecting â—he parts of the Face being all of them furnished in their originals with Nerves from the third Conjugation of Nerves â—hat come from the Braine Man with â—is very Countenance alone should â—xpresse all his Will Mind and Desire when at any time it happened â—o be inconvenient or unlawfull to open 〈◊〉 in words at length The reason why â—he Face doth so naturally follow the motions of the Mind and is an Index of the Affections is as Baldus thinks That Affections being Passions in matter and in the Body they are the forms of a certaine Body to wit of the Mass of Bloud and insooth a certaine passion requireth a certaine matter as Anger Choller Joy pure Bloud Sadnesse Melancholly Astonishment Phlegme which humors conteyned in their Naturall Vessels and mixt together furnish the Affections with matter which while it remaineth about the Heart and the first sensitory from the image perceived and adjudged to have the cause or matter of molestation or placencie excited by Heat and Spirits it is drawn into Act and is made such in act from thence the altered Spirits or vapours with the Spirits are elevated which by the Arteries coming to the Braine the Principle of the Nerves which bring the Commands for motion to the Muscles into which they are inserted so making them the Instruments of Voluntary motion pluck and pull it after diverâ— manners according to their quality Affecting Contracting Dilating Heating Refrigerating more or lesse drying or moystening And any the least mutation made in a Principle there followes a change in those things that depend upon that Principle Wherefore the Arteries and Nerves that follow the Heart and Braine are changed and because the Face is nigher the Braine the chiefe organ of the Sense made remarkable by the Cognizanze of the greatest Arteries and endued with Nerves such varietie of proper and common Muscles which entertaine them Hence it comes to
little downward for explication by reason of the somewhat more prevalent fibres The whole Countenance is poured out and spread with the Spirits that swell the Muscles there being a great concourse of Spirits and bloud unto the Face which beare a great stroake in this action Now this broad and high laughter is the measure and rule of the essence of other and by its defect the others may be measured and pondered for in low laughter although the motions of the Face are even then very remarkable and great yet they are more remisse in moderat laughter they are more intense for these motions of the Muscles have â—ndicible and distinct degrees or an â—utterable latitude of consideration here being no Muscle or part in the whole Body that is out of action if a â—an laugh but a little for although â—aughter be more especially a motion â—f all the Muscles of the Face at one time â—nd together yet it is withall a motion â—ommon to most of the parts of the â—ody This Dance of the Muscles beâ—â—g like that which is called the Cushion 〈◊〉 or Joane Sanderson which brings in all that have ability of motion for the whole Head is moved now cast backward and by and by inclined to the Right or Left Shoulder because the Muscles that move the Head and Neck arise partly out of the Breast-bone and the Channell Bones and partly also out of the joynts of the Breast wherefore it necessarily followes that in violent laughter and the agitation of the Diaphragma and pectorall Muscles the Head should also together be moved The whole Neck is contracted and made a little shorter this you may either call the motion of the Head drawn down by its contracted Muâ—cles or the working of the Levator of the Scapula which causes that shugging of the Shoulders so emphaticall in fat-folkes but what it is is not very apparent or worthy of so great observation and seemes to accompany the inordinate motions of the whole Head The Throate seemes not a little to tremble by reason of the Breast being much suddenly and often moved for the Rough Artery being placed in the internall Region thereof the great and often respiration shakes the Throate For since the Midriff is therefore contracted taking this motion from the dilatation of the Heart and to beare up against the moving of the Sense and Spirit lest it should to the great endangering of life be emptied and vanish away or because it behov'd these parts so to endeavour for the strength of the motion to bee made which is at hand Hence also the Musclâ—s of the whole Throat and Face endeavour together with them for they so consent with the Muscles of the Larynx that unlesse they bee together drawn in the other can no way be contracted But what manner of motions these and the rest which follow downe to the feete should be is hard to say or from what denomination to define them for we cannot according to Aristotle a termino ad quem for these motions of the whole Head Body seeme Carere termino certo and cannot be describ'd but after that manner as men are shooke together are gestient tremble or cannot abide in a place but leap start out ly downe and seeme wholy dissolv'd and impotent And because there are so many movings of Muscles and those indeed contrary those tensions and contractions if they continue and are daily used are very hurtfull for the Muscles of the Face being fill'd with subtile vapours causing them to streine for the avoidance as in Skreaking the Muscles are contracted to avoid a vapourous excrement the Spirits are thereby much evapourated and spent As for the rest of the motions let Democritus looke to it Upon this manifâ—st sight of the motion of the Breast wherein the Midriffe is moved and the Lungs even up to the Muscleâ— which move the Cheeks the variouâ— movings from whence some infer as manifold differences of laughter and because Respiration which is a moving of the breathing parts is as it were the matter of laughter out of which it is produced whence comes that succussation of the Lungs and agitation of the Midriff no man e're doubted that laughter was a motion and to be refer'd to the motive virtue But upon what principle this motion should depend since it is done before we are well aware of it and besides our will whereas a motion that depends upon Appetite is Spontaneous as laughter is concluded to be and that Faculty being Animall is no way proper to man That hath bin somewhat doubted of upon which occasion some have unnecessarily multiplyed many Entities But They state the caâ—e best who say that laughter is an operation proceeding from an effect of the Intellective virtue which in the first place is the cause of it and the chiefe roote for in all laughter the Intellect is as the first Radix after a manner susteining the perturbation and dilation of the sense but the motive power is that by whose commendation it is last of all perfected We may not therefore when we see men Laughing to be affected with a certaine moving of 〈◊〉 Lungs the Midriff and the Muscles moving the Cheekes thinke men laugh when according to their arbitriment or any otherwise they accommodate themselves to the motions of these parts Or when we see a more remisse laughter out of the moving alone of those Muscles and a little retraction of the Midriffe without the manifest act of Gurgulation we should therefore beleeve either that Laughter of it self is such a motion or that this at least for the greatest part is its Nature since all these may be counterfeited and may be rather an Image of Laughter therefore there must somewhat precede in the Soule and the first Sensitive that Laughter may be absolute and accomplished in all its numbers And indeed that manifest motion dâ—th presuppose a certaine affection of the first Sensitive and Rationall part of the Soule so that perfect Laughter is not only that manifest motion nor that inchoat motion as they speake in the first Sensitive and its Spirits for this is often done and yet Laughter is suppressed that it truly seemes to be done by halves and intercepted as it were in the midst But true Laughter hath both the effects of the intellectuall part as the Principle upon which the dilation of the Heart and contraction of the Countenance ensue it being not only an affection of the Body but totius conjuncti of the whole Man So that it is manifest that Laughter is a certaine vibration of the Midriffe and of the Muscles of the Mouth and the whole Face c. And that when we laugh the motion of our Face aimes at some end that is to signifie some motion of the Mind and followeth upon the Connexion of those Muscles that draw the Face in such a sort to some inward parts that are moved by the passion out of which Laughter proceedeth the Genus whereof occupying
the place of the Forme is Motus the matter or Subject are all the parts of the Face especially the Muscles together the finall Cause is to bring forth Laughter which by a kind of magneticall virtue it doth even in another But Laughter being no affection but an outward act proceeding from some inward motion of the Mind the question is what affection of the Mind this Jubilee and vibrations of so many Muscles should signifie Fracostorius judgeth Laughter to be a sign of two Passions Joy and Admiration Valeriola and Laurentinus take away Admiration supposing that profuse Laughter is the issue only of Joy Vallesius states the Controversie The opinion of Fracostoreus whatever Bartholinus and others object to the contrary seemes to me most probable that it is a compounded motion because in Laughter there are certaine contranitencies for Admiration makes a kind of suspension in the Head and Joy a kind of expansion in the Heart Yet both motions are so sudden that they are done together whereby 〈◊〉 comes to passe that when Laughter 〈◊〉 produced it is not done without somâ— molestation And that which seeme to confirme this opinion is that theâ— are most apt to Laughter who are easily drawn to admire as Children Women and the Common-people where as Grave men and Philosophers are lefâ— prone to Laughter Another thinâ— that seemes to confirme this opinioâ— is a new thought of my own that 〈◊〉 suspension of the Eye and expansioâ— of the Forehead seeme to be Symbolicâ—â— effects of this mixt Passion But here the grand Quaere how Joy that is motion and passion of the Heart shoulâ— move the Muscles for how so maâ—â— Muscles that are the Instruments of thâ— Animal Faculty should be moved by a passion of the Heart is worth the scanning For you would verily think that the Heart were a Muscle and the grand Principle that set all the other Muscles in Motion whereas it is known well enough that the Heart is neither a Muscle nor of it self can move the Muscles for that moves only the Arteries yet though Joy be a passion of the Heart Laughter indeed which proceeds not only from Joy but Admiration is a passion of the Rationable part for otherwise Beasts might laugh no wonder therefore that the Instruments of the Animal Faculty are moved to discover and bring forth the Admiration conjoyned with Ioy nor is it a marvell that Ioy should be expressed by an Animal motion the Heart not moving the Muscles but the Animal Faculty consenting with the Vitall So that hereby it is made manifest that naturall Laughter is a free motion because it is Animal yet it can hardly be held in sometimes because although it be Animal yet it is in the number of them that serve the Naturall And this is the reason why Laughter is originally from the Head and not from the Heart that notion intelligence or imagination which are functions of the Mind and accounted among those faculties that reside in the Braine are brought forth by the Soule for who ever unlesse a Parasite laughed before he knew wherefore he laughed So that Hippocrates Lib. de morbo Sacro with very good reason deduceth Laughter from the Head as having its originall from thence for that the first motions begiâ— there and from thence are communicated to all the subject parts drawing thâ— whole Body into Consort and witâ— its universall moving and agitation declares the Sympathy it has with thâ— Mind and the Braine as if the Minâ— sitting enthroned in a high Tower denounceth so to her Subjects to preparâ— themselves for Laughter for there waâ— something which they knew not 〈◊〉 which yet she only saw and knew to 〈◊〉 worthy of Laughter upon this admoâ—nition presently the inferiour principaâ— parts Contiguous and Connatives tâ— their High Prince bestirring themselves do sollicite the other lower parts also subject unto them And first the Braine commands the Nerves these stir up the Muscles and they agitate the parts annexed unto them untill the whole Body as it were to gratifie the Mind as a King signifies its conceived Joy in all the waies and officious demonstration of triumphant gesture it possibly can and as every part is nigher to its Principle so much the sooner and vehemently it is moved And although to speak according to the modesty of Caesars Speech in Tully we are ignorant how Laughter exists where it is and from what place it so suddenly breaks out into the Countenance yet the manner and order of the generation of Laughter may be supposed to be after this manner When some pleasant queint novel and conceited object offers it self to the Senses there is an impression thereof made in the Braine the Object thus come into the Braine the Mind is filled with Ioy this by the first branch of those Nerves of the sixt Conjugation which goeth into the Heart is carryed unto the Heart with which the Heart affected impatient of delay dilates it self the Heart impetuously moved the Cawle thereof by consequence is carried from one part unto the other and contracted and because the Cawle is fastened to the Mediastenum and Diaphragma there is a necessity also that the very Diaphragma should be violently moved agitated and heated by the diffusion of Bloud and Spirits that are then encreased about that part Thâ— passion or motion by the object thus raised in the Heart such is the consent between the Heart and Braine is by the other branches of the Nerves of the sixt Conjugation called Nervi pâ—renici which bring the motive Spirits from the Braine into the Diaphragma and by virtue whereof it is very sensible carried back to the Braine So that the change of motion in the Heart caused by this Passion and imprinted ecchoed and expressed in the Diaphragma and thence conveyed unto the Braine is as the Ground and the motion commanded the Muscles by the Braine is as the voluntary Descant upon it Concerning the chiefe corporall Principle and materiall Instrument wherewith Laughter is performed the Learned differ in their Judgments Democritus thought that that first part and chiefe Principle was the Spleene and that the other parts were but as Instruments aâ—â—â—rwards subservient to the perfect finishing of the work Which opinion to others hath justly seemed absurd because Laughter is performed by the ministeriall assistance of certaine motion but the Spleene is beheld neither to be moved nor to be the Principle of any kind of moving yet we see those parts to be moved which are in the Breast and middle venter besides it is not accounted the prime seat of any faculty of the Soule much lesse of the Cognoscent or Animal therefore it cannot be the prime Principle of Laughter Others have beleeved the prime Part by which Laughter is begotten to be the Diaphragma for that is a certaine Muscle somewhat broad placed neere the Mind excelling in alacrity of Sense agile to motions of it self in the first place subordinate to Respiration being of such
the Jaw which sometimes is drawne so neere the Eare that it toucheth it But indeede the Muscles whose action is motion and the Nerves which are commonly observed about the Eares doe declare it to be true that the motive virtue doth flow into the Eares And Vesalius the great Anatomist affirmes that they are moved by reason of their Muscles Indeede as Casserius wel argues Although the energeticall force of moving be only deprehended by the senses as apparent now then in a few certaine men yet the influence of motion is generall into the Eares of al men which makes them partakers of voluntary motion for unlesse it were so wee must protest against the Doctrine of all Anatomists now from many ages confirmed by most certaine infallible and frequent observations That motion is not the essentiall action of a Muscle seeing there is no auricle but hath its proper Muscles Neither doth the Sensuall immobility of all auricles almost perswade this very thing for it is an Elenchus Consequentiae The motion of the auricles appeares not to sence Ergo they have none For although we are to yield to reasons when the effect appeares to the senses yet where the sense proves defective and reasons may prevaile the effect is not to bee denied for if as Galen witnesseth there concurre to an Agent a fit situation a due space of time a valid force of the Agent and a disposition of matter to receive what should hinder the effect these for the most part to be present in the accomplishing the motion of the Eares even Sense doth teach wherefore although the motions of the Eares are not made manifest yet it is not to be denyed but some motion at least and lesse perspicuous to sense is performed by them The cause why men doe not ordinarily and evidently move the exterior Cartilages of their Eares as other Animalls doe which have them is as Baubinus and others conjecture because those principalls of motion are very small So that Galen ealls them certaine Delineaments of Muscles and they have little threads of Nerves So that the motive Spirits cannot in sufficient quantity flow into them and the Eares are too little and Cartilagineous whereby the little Branches of the Muscles and Nerves cannot be expanded whence their motions are so rare and so little perspicuous and obvious to sense which are greater in such men whose Eares are perspicuously moved And where the occipitiall Muscles are found these of the Eares are manifestly discover'd Hence it may be Columbus had this knack of moving his Eares and he St. Augustine speakes of both which could move the whole skin of their Heads by virtue of those Muscles and having them if Fallopius and Riolanus his affirmation hold had these Muscles of the Eares manifestly obedient to their wills Another reason why the Eares in men are not ordinarily at least not evidently seene to move is lest the Sense oâ— Discipline should be depraved especially since the eares of man are small wherefore they are moved every way to receive sounds by the most swift motion of the Head and therefore in Brutes who want that expeditious mobility of the Head they are greater to be more capable of sounds from all parts and to drive away flyes which man can doe with his hands So that to prevent a greater inconveniency and undecency than their ordinary employment could recompence they are usually suspended from preceptible actions in most men yet this is not without a Tacite elogie of the Pleropheria of motion which the face enjoyes by its Muscles to which the surplusage of auricular motion might seeme unnecessarily redundant for the Face of man is so sufficiently provided of Muscles the Organs of voluntary motion which are ever ready to expresse any motion his will is pleased to concurre unto and make a significant declaration by that he needes no such additaments as the Muscles of the Eares would make if they were ordinarily reduced to manifest action yet such who have these Muscles large enough for apparent action seeme to have a Patent for excellent Pantomimicall utterance such additionall helpes in all probability giving advantage of supernumerary gestures Now although to men that can expresse their affections not onely in wordes but also by speaking motions especially in their Faces which are open and discovered Nature hath seem'd to have thought it undecent and unprofitable to have any great volubility or flexibility for so we must speake for want of better wordes in the motion of their Eares as other Animalls the flexibility of his Head and Neck serving the Eares to all such intents and purposes yet since these Auricular Muscles the invention whereof are due to Fallopius were appositely conspicuous in them by whom they were manifestly moved while they lived and are not onely described by him but most Anatomists we will first describe them and then see whether any thing can be made of their motions They are usually number'd foure Common and Proper Attollens or the lifter up Deprimens or the pulleâ— down Adducens ad interiora the To-leader Abducens the Fro-leader The Attollent seated in the anterior part of the Face placed upon the Temporall Muscle the Attollent of the Jaw From the externall end of the Frontall Muscle where it is contiguous to the Temporal is inserted into the upper part of the Auricle The Detrahent seated in the hinder part of the Head fetching its originall from the Mammillary processe of the Tempils and ends in a Tendon which embraceth the whole roote oâ— the Cartilage of the Eare so that one portion of it toucheth the upper part the other the middle the third the lower part The forward Adducent or To-leader is a Common Muscle to wit a particle of that which they usually call Quadratus or the Detraâ—ent of the Cheekes this ascending with its fibres is implanted into the roote of the Auricle The backward Aâ—ducent is placed in the Nowle arising from the Covers of the Muscles of the Nowle is implanted into the hinder part of the Eare. Since therefore Nature laid not in these Muscles as intending them for any 〈◊〉 of Hearing for we heare against our will some other use they have since noâ—hing appeares in the Body that was made in vaine or hath not some office â—â—signed But our Anatomists that acâ—nowledge name and describe these Muscles nay appoint their very actiâ—ns expresse not what those Actions â—ay aime at or are usefull unto no â—ention of any advantage to the Head 〈◊〉 their moving why should these â—uscles passe thus by tradition from â—and to Hand and yet remaine as non â—â—gnificants they had as good be non Liâ—ets I confesse so novell a thought which for all I can find was never enâ—â—rtained or scand by any Head would 〈◊〉 a curious Fantsie and such a one 〈◊〉 is whose Motto is In nova fert â—â—imus tentata relinquere pernox to â—â—tempt a Comment upon this concealâ—ent and the great silence of preteriâ—â—â—n