332 HISTORY OF 



livers, and creatures feeding upon flesh, or seeds, or fruits, 

 long livers, as some birds are. As for harts, which are long 

 lived, they take the one half of their meat (as men use to 

 say) from above their heads, and the goose, besides grass, 

 findeth something in the water, and stubble to feed upon. 



6. We suppose that a good clothing of the body maketh 

 much to long life ; for it fenceth and armeth against the in 

 temperances of the air, which do wonderfully assail and decay 

 the body ; which benefit birds especially have. Now that 

 sheep, which have so good fleeces, should be so short lived, 

 that is to be imputed to diseases, whereof that creature is 

 full, and to the bare eating of grass. 



7. The seat of the spirits, without doubt, is principally 

 the head, which though it be usually understood of the 

 animal spirits only, yet this is all in all. Again, it is not 

 to be doubted but the spirits do most of all waste and prey 

 upon the body, so that when they are either in greater 

 plenty, or in greater inflammation and acrimony, there the 

 life is much shortened. And, therefore, I conceive a great 

 cause of long life in birds to be the smallness of their heads 

 in comparison of their bodies ; for even men, which have 

 very great heads, I suppose to be the shorter livers. 



8. I am of opinion, that carriage is of all other motions 

 the most helpful to long life, which I also noted before. 

 Now there are carried waterfowls upon the water, as swans ; 

 all birds in their flying, but with a strong endeavour of 

 their limbs; and fishes, of the length of whose lives we 

 have no certainty. 



9. Those creatures which are long before they come to 

 their perfection (not speaking of growth in stature only, but 

 of other steps to maturity, as man puts forth, first, his 

 teeth, next, the signs of puberty, then his beard, and so 

 forward) are long lived, for it shows that nature finished 

 her periods by larger circles. 



10. Milder creatures are not long lived, as the sheep 

 and dove ; for choler is as the whetstone and spur to many 

 functions in the body. 



11. Creatures, whose flesh is more duskish, are longer 

 lived than those that have white flesh ; for it showeth that 

 the juice of the body is more firm, and less apt to dis 

 sipate. 



12. In every corruptible body quantity maketh much to 

 the conservation of the whole ; for a great fire is longer in 

 quenching, a small portion of water is sooner evaporated, 

 the body of a tree withereth not so fast as a twig. And, 



