76 NATURAL HISTORY. 



of ordnance will do as much, which moveth in a small 

 compass ? whereas those woods and heaths are of vast 

 spaces ; besides, we see that smells do adhere to hard 

 bodies ; as in perfuming of gloves, &c. ; which show- 

 eth them corporeal ; and do last a great while, which 

 sounds and light do not. 



Experiment solitary touching fetid and fragrant 

 odours. 



835. The excrements of most creatures smell ill ; 

 chiefly to the same creature that voideth them : for we 

 see, besides that of man, that pigeons and horses thrive 

 best, if their houses and stables be kept sweet : and so 

 of cage birds : and the cat burieth that which she void 

 eth : and it holdeth chiefly in those beasts which feed 

 upon flesh. Dogs (almost) only of beasts delight in 

 fetid odours ; which showeth there is somewhat in their 

 sense of smell differing from the smells of other beasts. 

 But the cause why excrements smell ill, is manifest ; 

 for that the body itself rejecteth them ; much more the 

 spirits : and we see that those excrements that are of 

 the first digestion, smell the worst ; as the excrements 

 from the belly ; those that are from the second digestion 

 less ill ; as urine : and those that are from the third, yet 

 less ; for sweat is not so bad as the other two ; especially 

 of some persons, that are full of heat. Likewise most 

 putrefactions are of an odious smell : for they smell 

 either- fetid or mouldy. The cause may be, for that 

 putrefaction doth bring forth such a consistence, as is 

 most contrary to the consistence of the body whilst it 

 is sound : for it is a mere dissolution of that form. 

 Besides, there is another reason, which is profound : 

 and it is, that the objects that please any of the senses 



