72 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



turning of mills and other engines ; and plants, and 

 animals of what kind soever, are useful either for 

 men s houses and places of shelter, or for raiment, or 

 for food, or medicine, or for ease of labour, or in a 

 word, for delight and solace ; so that all things seem 

 to work, not for themselves, but for man. 



Neither is it added without consideration that 

 certain particles were taken from divers living crea 

 tures, and mixed and tempered with that clayic mass, 

 because it is most true, that of all things compre 

 hended within the compass of the universe, man is a 

 thing most mixed and compounded, insomuch, that 

 he was well termed by the ancients a little world ; 

 for although the chemists do, with too much cu 

 riosity, take and wrest the elegancy of this word 

 Microcosm to the letter, contending to find in man 

 all minerals, all vegetables, and the rest, or any 

 thing that holds proportion with them ; yet this pro 

 position remains sound and whole, that the body of 

 man, of all material beings, is found to be most com 

 pounded and most organical, whereby it is endued 

 and furnished with most admirable virtues and fa 

 culties : and as for simple bodies, their powers are 

 not many, though certain and violent, as existing 

 without being weakened, diminished, or stinted 

 by mixture ; for the multiplicity and excellency of 

 operation have their residence in mixture and com 

 position, and yet, nevertheless, man in his originals 

 seems to be a thing unarmed and naked, and unable 

 to help itself, as needing the aid of many things ; 

 therefore Prometheus made haste to find out fire, 



