A TREATISE 



, 



Concerning 

 the five fenfes 



rides ofali which motions, we remit to Phyfitians and to Ana- 

 tomilts : adverdilng onely 3 that the fume of pleasure , and' 

 theheavinefleofgriete, doe plainly mew , that the firft mo- 

 tions dee participate of dictation, and the latter of com- 

 prelfion. 



Thus you fee, how by the fenfes , a. living creature becommeth 

 judge of what is good, and of what is baa for him : which ope- 

 pation, is performed more>perfe6tly in beafts ; and e/pecially in 



tn k> vv h ^ ve m c ^ e f ree a y re > remoc e from humane conver- 

 fation (for their fenfes are Freili and untaynted, as nature made 

 them) then in men. Yet without doubt nature hath heen as fa- 

 vourable in this particular to men , as unto them : were it not, 

 that with difbrderand excefle, we corrupt and opprefle our 

 fenfes : as appeareth evidently by the ftory we have recorded of 

 John of Leige:as alfb by the ordinary practice of feme Hermites 

 in the deferts,who by their tafte or frnell, would presently be in- 

 formed whether the herbes, and roots,and fruits they met with- 

 all.were good or hurtful for them^though they never before had 

 had triall of them. 



Of which excellency of the fenfes, there remaineth in us one- 

 ly fome dimme fparkes , in thofe qualities which we call fym- 

 pathies and antipathic J : whereof the reafcns are plaine, out of 

 our late difccur/e: and are nothingelfe, but a conformity or 

 oppofitioriof a living ireature, by fome individual! property 

 of it, unto fbme body without it : in fuchfort,as its conformity 

 or oppo/ition unto things by its fpecifiall qualities^is termed na 

 turall or] againfi uature. But of this we lhall difcourfe more at 

 large hereafter. 



Thus it appeareth , how the fenfes are feated in jus, principally 

 for the end of moving us to, or from obje^s, that are good for 

 lister hurtfull to us. But though our Reader be content to al- 

 low this intent of nature, in our three inferiour fenfes ; yet he 

 may perad venture not be fatisfied, ho\v the two more noble 

 ones ("the hearing and the feeing) doe caufe fuch motions to, or 

 fromob/e&s, asarerequifiteto be in living creatures fbr the 

 prefervation of them : for (may he fayThow can a man.by onely 

 feeing an object , or by hearing the found of it, tell what quali- 

 ties it is imbued withall ? Or what motion of liJcingor difli- 

 king^an be caufcd in hi heart, by his meere receiving the vifi- 



ble 



