212 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
is the Virtue Procreative; for natural re- 
gards not only the conservation of itself, 
but to begetits like,and conserve in Species. 
The seat of this is the Member of Gene- 
ration, and is governed principally by the 
influence of Venus. 
It is augmented and encreased by the 
strength of Venus, by her Herbs, Roots, 
Trees, Minerals, &c. 
It is diminished and purged by those of 
Mars, and quite extinguished by those of 
Saturn. 
Observe the hour and Medicines of 
Venus, to fortify; of Mars; to cleanse this 
virtue; of Saturn, to extinguish it. 
Conservative.| The Conservative virtue 
is, Vital, Natural, Animal. 
Vital.| The- Vital spirit hath its resi- 
dence in the heart, and is dispersed from it 
by the Arteries; and is governed by the in- 
fluence of the Sun. And it is to the body, 
as the Sun is to the Creation; as the heart is 
in the Microcosm,so is the Sun in the Mega- 
cosm: for as the Sun gives life, light, and 
motion to the Creation, so doth the heart to 
the body ; therefore it is called Sol Corporis, 
as the Sun is called Cor Celi, because their 
operations are similar. 
Inimical and destructive to this virtue, 
are Saturn and Mars. 
The Herbs and Plants of Sol, wonder- 
fully fortify it. 
Natural.| The natural faculty or virtue, 
resides in the liver, and is generally gov- 
erned by Jupiter, Quasi Juvans Pater; its 
office is to nourish the body, and is dis- 
persed through the body by the veins. 
From this are bred four particular 
humours, Blood, Choler, Flegm, and Mel- 
ancholy. 
Blood is made of meat perfectly con- 
cocted, in quality hot and moist, governed 
by Jupiter: It is by a third concoction 
_ transmuted into flesh, the superfluity of it 
_ into seed, and its receptacle is the veins, by 
_ which it is dispersed through the body. 
ae 
Choler is made of meat more than per- 
fectly concocted; and it is the spume or 
froth of blood: it clarifies all the humours, 
heats the body, nourishes the apprehension, 
as blood doth the judgment: It is in quality 
hot and dry; fortifies the attractive faculty, 
as blood doth the digestive; moves man to 
activity and valour: its receptacle is the 
gall, and it is under the influence of Mars. 
Flegm is made of meat not perfectly di- 
gested; it fortifies the virtue expulsive, 
makes the body slippery, fit for ejection; 
it fortifies the brain by its consimilitude 
with it; yet it spoils apprehension by its 
antipathy to it: It qualifies choler, cools 
and moistens the heart, thereby sustaining 
it, and the whole body, from the fiery ef- — 
fects, which continual motion would pro- | 
duce. Its receptacle is the lungs, and is 
governed by Venus, some say by the Moon, 
perhaps it may be governed by them both, 
it is cold and moist in quality. | 
Melancholy, is the sediment of blood, — 
cold and dry in quality, fortifying the re- — 
tentive faculty, and memory; makes men © 
sober, solid, and staid, fit for study; stays | 
the unbridled toys of lustful blood, stays — 
the wandering thoughts, and reduces them 
home to the centre: its receptacle is in the — 
spleen, and it is governed by Saturn. 
Of all these humours blood is the chief, 
all the rest are superfluities of blood; yet 
are they necessary superfluities, for with- 
out any of them, man cannot live. 
Namely; choler is the fiery superfluities; 
Flegm, the Watery; Melancholy, the — 
Earthly. 
Animal.| The third principal virtue Te — 
mains, which is Animal; its residence is iM — 
'] the brain, and Mercury is the general sig- 
nificator of it. Ptolomy held the Moon sig- — 
nified the Animal virtue; and I am of © 
opinion, both Mercury and the Moon dis- 
pose it; and my reason is, 1. Because | 
of them in nativities, either fortify, or i” 
pedite it. 2. Ill directions to either, or fro? 
