A Trtatife ^/BODIES. Chap. 2 6. 



found it capable of receiving new breath ; and fo they would 

 proceed en, undll their bladder were as full as by ufe they knew 

 it could be made. Now ((aith he) nature doth the like, by fil- 

 ling our flefh and other parts with bloud; that is to fay , it 

 itreccheth the fibers r'but fhe hath over and above a power 

 .ichthcboyes had not; namely t make the fibers as ftrong 

 ar'rcr they fire ltre:ched to their utmoft extcnfion, as they were 

 before they were extended : whence it happenech that {he can 

 extend them again as well as at the firft; and this without end, 

 as far as concemech that part. 



The reafon whereof is, becaufe flic extendeth them by means 

 ofa liqueur which is of the fame nature, as that whereof they 

 were macie at the fir ft: and from thence it folioweth, that by 

 concoction that liquour (cttlech in the parts of the fibers which 

 have moft need;and ib matath thofe parts as great in the length 

 they are extended umo, as they were in their ffiorrncffe before 

 they were drawn out. Whereby the whole part of the animal, 

 wherein this happencth,groweth grearer.-and the like being done 

 in every part, as well as in any one fingle one, the whole ani- 

 mal becomcth b'gger; and is in fuch fort aU^Tienred. 

 10> Out of all which difcourfe, we may collect that in the cfien- 



^ a ^ compolition of living creatures, there may pcradventure be 

 a phyficall poffibility for them to continue alwayes without de- 

 cay; and (b become immortall, even in their bodies, ifall hurt- 

 full accidents coming from without might be prevented. For 

 feeing that a man, bcfides the encrcafe which he makcth ofhim- 

 felf, can alfb impart unto his children a virtue, by which they 

 are able to do the like, and to give again unto theirs as much as 

 they received from their fathers: it is clear , that what maketh 

 him die, is no more the want of any radicall power in him, to 

 encreafe or nourish himlelf; then in fire, it is the want of power 

 to burn, which maketh it go out. But it muft be fomc accidcn- 

 tall want, which Galen attributed! chiefly to the drincfleofour 

 bones, and finews, &c. as you may in him fee more at large; 

 for drinefTe with denfity allowcth not eafrc admittance un- 

 to moyfture : and therefore it caufeth the heat which is in the 

 dry body, either to evaporate, or to be extinguished : and 

 Want of heat is that from whence the failing of life procecd- 



eth 



