LIFE AND DEATH. 373 



97. Lastly : the same action, endeavour and labour, un 

 dertaken cheerfully and with a good will, doth refresh the 

 spirits, but with an aversation and unwillingness, doth fret 

 and deject them; and therefore it conferreth to long life, 

 either that a man hath the art to institute his life so as it 

 may be free and suitable to his own humour, or else to lay 

 such a command upon his mind, that whatsoever is imposed 

 by fortune, it may rather lead him than drag him. 



98. Neither is that to be omitted towards the govern 

 ment of the affections, that especial care be taken of the 

 mouth of the stomach, especially that it be not too much 

 relaxed ; for that part hath a greater dominion over the 

 affections, especially the daily affections, than either the 

 heart or brain, only those things excepted which are 

 wrought by potent vapours, as in drunkenness and melan 

 choly. 



99. Touching the operation upon the spirits, that they 

 may remain youthful, and renew their vigour thus much, 

 which we have done more accurately, for that there is for 

 the most part amongst physicians, and other authors, touch 

 ing these operations, a deep silence; ^but especially, because 

 the operation upon the spirits, and their waxing green 

 again, is the most ready and compendious way to long life, 

 and that for a twofold compendiousness ; one, because the 

 spirits work compendiously upon the body ; the other, 

 because vapours and the affections work compendiously 

 upon the spirits, so as these attain the end, as it were, in a 

 right line, other things rather in lines circular. 



ii. The Operation upon the Exclusion of the Air. 



The History. 



1. The exclusion of the air ambient tendeth to length 

 of life two ways ; first, for that the external air, next unto 

 the native spirits, howsoever the air may be said to ani 

 mate the spirit of man, and conferreth not a little to health, 

 doth most of all prey upon the juices of the body, and 

 hasten the desiccation thereof; and therefore the exclusion 

 of it is effectual to length of life. 



2. Another effect which followeth the exclusion of air is 

 much more subtile and profound : namely, that the body 

 closed up, and not perspiring by the pores, detaineth the 

 spirits within, and turneth it upon the harder parts of the 

 body, whereby the spirit mollifies and intenerates them. 



3. Of this thing, the reason is explained in the desicca 

 tion of inanimate bodies, and it is an axiom almost infal- 



