LIFE AND DEATH. 411 



dried through perspiration; for neither all that which is 

 issued forth was spirit when the body was ponderous, neither 

 was it not spirit when it issued forth. 



CANON III. 



The spirit issuing forth dryeth ; detained arid working 

 within either melteth, or putrejieth, or vivifieth. 



THE EXPLICATION. 



There are four processes of the spirit ; to arefaction, to 

 colloquation, putrefaction, to generation of bodies. Arefac 

 tion is not the proper work of the spirit, but of the grosser 

 parts after the spirit issued forth ; for then they contract 

 themselves partly by their flight of vacuum, partly by the 

 union of the homogeneals ; as appears in all things which 

 are arefied by age, and in the drier sort of bodies which 

 have passed the fire ; as bricks, charcoal, bread. Collo 

 quation is the mere work of the spirit ; neither is it done, 

 but when they are excited by heat; for when the spirits 

 dilating themselves, yet not getting forth, do insinuate and 

 disperse themselves among the grosser parts, and so make 

 them soft and apt to run, as it is in metals and wax ; for 

 metals, and all tenacious things, are apt to inhibit the 

 spirit; that being excited, it issueth not forth. Putrefac 

 tion is a mixed work of the spirits, and of the grosser parts ; 

 for the spirit (which before restrained and bridled the parts 

 of the thing) being partly issued forth, and partly enfeebled, 

 all things in the body do dissolve and return to their ho 

 mogeneities, or (if you will) to their elements; that which 

 was spirit in it is congregated to itself, whereby things putre 

 fied begin to have an ill savour; the oily parts to them 

 selves, whereby things putrefied have that slipperiness and 

 unctuosity ; the watery parts also to themselves, the dregs 

 to themselves ; whence followeth that confusion in bodies 

 putrefied. But generation or vivification is a work also 

 mixed of the spirit and grosser parts, but in a far different 

 manner; for the spirit is totally detained, but it swelleth 

 and moveth locally ; and the grosser parts are not dissolved, 

 but follow the motion of the spirit ; and are, as it were, 

 blown out by it, and extruded into divers figures, from 

 whence cometh that generation and organization; and, 

 therefore, vivification is always done in a matter tenacious 

 and clammy, and again yielding and soft, that there may 

 be both a detention of the spirit, and also a gentle cession 

 of the parts, according as the spirit forms them. And this 

 is seen in the matter, as well of all vegetables, as of living 



