214 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
that which gives virtue to all the particular 
-senses, and knits and unites them together 
within the Pia Mater. It is regulated by 
Mercury, (perhaps this is one reason why 
men are so fickle-headed) and its office is 
to preserve a harmony among the senses. 
_ Particular senses are five, viz. seeing, 
hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. 
These senses are united in one, in the 
brain, by the common sense, but are oper- 
atively distinguished into their several 
seats, and places of residence. 
The sight resides in the eyes, and par- 
ticularly in the christaline humour. It is 
in quality cold and moist, and governed by 
the luminaries. They who have them weak 
in their genesis, have always weak sights; 
“if one of them be so, the weakness possesses 
but one eye. 
The hearing resides in the ears; is in 
quality, cold and dry, melancholy, and 
under the dominion of Saturn. 
The smelling resides in the nose, is in 
quality hot and dry, choleric, and that is 
the reason choleric creatures have so good 
smells, as dogs. It is under the influence of 
Mars. 
The taste resides in the palate, which is 
_ placed at the root of the tongue on purpose 
to discern what food is congruous for the 
stomach, and what not; as the meseraik 
veins are placed to discern what nourish- 
ment is proper for the liver to convert into 
blood. In some very few men, and but a 
few, and in those few, but in few instances 
these two tasters agree not, and that is the 
reason some men covet meats that make 
them sick, viz. the taste craves them, and 
the meseraik veins reject them: In quality 
hot and moist, and is ruled by Jupiter. 
The feeling is deputed to no particular 
organ, but is spread abroad, over the whole 
body; is of all qualities, hot, cold, dry, and 
moist, and is the index of all tangible 
Shines; —— it could 
so might be spoken of other qualities. It is 
under the dominion of Venus, some say, 
Mercury: A thousand to one, but it is under 
Mercury. 
The four ADMINISTERING VIRTUES are, 
attractive, digestive, retentive, and expul- 
sive, 
The attractive virtue is hot and dry, hot 
by quality, active, or principal, and that 
appears because the fountain of all heat is 
attractive, viz. the sun. Dry by a quality 
passive, or an effect of its heat; its office 
is to remain in the body, and call for what 
nature ‘wants. 
It is under the influence of the Sun, say 
authors, and not under Mars, because he is 
of a corrupting nature, yet if we cast an 
impartial eye upon experience, we shall 
find, that martial men call for meat none of 
the least, and for drink the most of all other 
men, although many times they corrupt the 
body by it, and therefore I see no reason 
why Mars being of the same quality with 
the Sun, should not have a share in the 
dominion. It is in vain to object, that the 
influence of Mars is evil, and therefore he 
should have no dominion over this virtue; 
for then. 
1. By the same rule, he should have n0 
dominion at all in the body of man. 
2. All the virtues in man are naturally 
evil, and corrupted by Adam’s fall. 
This attractive virtue ought to be forti- 
fied when the Moon is in fiery signs, ™4 
Aries and Sagitary, but not in Leo, for the 
sign is so violent, that no physic ought to 
be given when the Moon is there: (and why 
not Leo, seeing that is the most attractive 
sign of all? and that’s the reason such a5 
have it ascending in their genesis, are such 
greedy eaters.) If you cannot stay to the 
Moon be in one of them, let one of them 
ascend when you administer the medicine. 
The digestive virtue is hot and moist, and 
eS ek 
