Chap. 24. tsfTreAtife 0/BODIES. 



ferves for the generation of a new living creature,can begather- 

 cd from every part& member of the parent; fo to carry with it in 

 little the complete nature of it. The meaning hereof muft be, 

 that this fuperfluous aliment, either pafTeth through all and eve- 

 ry little part and particle of the parents body, and in irs pafTagc 

 receivcch fomething from them : or elfe, that it recciveth onely 

 from all fimilar and great parts. 



The former feemeth impoffible, for how can one imagine 

 that fiich j'uycc fhould circulate the whole body of an animali, 

 and vifit every atome of it, and retire to the refervc where it is 

 kept for generation; and no part of ic remain abfolutely behind, 

 flicking to the flefh or bones that it bedeweth; bat that ftill 

 fbmepart rcturneth back from every part of the animal ? Be- 

 /ides, confider how thofe parts that are moft remote from the 

 channels which convey this juyce; when they are fuller of noti- 

 rifhment then they need , the /uyce which overflowed from 

 them, cometh to the next part, and fettling there and ferving it 

 for its due nourifliment , driveth back into the channell, that 

 which was betwixt the channell and itfelf ; fb that here there is 

 no return at all from fbme of the remote partsjand much of that 

 juyce which is rejected, never went far from the channell itfelf. 

 We may therefore fafely conclude, that it is impoffiblc every 

 little part of the whole body fliould remit fomething impregna- 

 ted and imbued with the nature of it. 



But then you may peradventure fay, that every fimilar part 

 doth. If fo,l would ask, how it is poffible that by fermentation 

 onely, every part fhould regularly go to a determinate place r to 

 make that kind of animal;5n which every fimilar part isdiffufed 

 to fo great an extent ? How fhould the nature of flefh here be- 

 come broad, there round,and take juft the figure of the pare it is 

 to cover ? How fhould a bone here be hollow, there be blady, 

 and in another part take the form of a rib, and thofe many fi- 

 gures which we fee of bones ? And the like we might ask of 

 every other fimilar part, as of the veins and the reft. Again, fee- 

 ing it rnuft of ncceflity happen, that at one time more i* remitted 

 from one part then from another;how coraeth it to pa-fTe 3 that in 

 the coIleSion the due proportion of nature is fo punctually ob- 

 ferved? Shall we fay that this is done by fome cunning artificer, 

 vvhofc work it is to fet all thefe parts in their due pofture; which 



Ariftotle 



