68 A TR& ATI8E 



they being now growne heavy , doe fall ( by their natural! 

 courfe) into that pare or proccfle of the braine, which is called 

 mt4ttli4$i**lij, or the marrow of the back bone : which being 

 all befet by the nerves that run through the body, it cannct hap- 

 pen otherwifc, but that thefe thickened and defending fpirits, 

 muft either fall thcmfelves into thofe nerves, relfepreflc into 

 them other fpirits which are before them, that without fuch 

 new force to drive them-violently forwards,, would have flided 

 downe more leifiirely. Now, this motion being downwards, 

 and meeting with no oblttcle till it arrive unto its utmoft pe- 

 riode that way,the loweft nerves are thefe, which naturally doe 

 feele the communication of thefe fpirits firft. 



But it is true,ir~ the flowing tide of them be great andplemi- 

 full, all the other nerves will alfo be fb fuddenly filled, upon the 

 filling of the lowermoft, that the fucceflion of their fuellings, 

 will hardly be perceptible: as a fiidden and violent inundation 

 of water, feemeth to rife on the fides of the channell, as it doth 

 at the miil-damme; though reafbn afTureth us k maft beginne 

 tliere, becaufe there it isfirft flopped. 



On the contrary fide,iCthe fpirits be few,thcy may be in fuch 

 a proportion, as to fill only the lower nerves, and to communL- 

 cate little of themfelves to any of the others. And this is the 

 cafe in the paflion of fear : which being ftored with fewer /pints, 

 then any other paflion that cauieth a motionin the bodyjt mo- 

 veth the legges moil; and fb carrieth the animal that is aftrayd, 

 with violence from the object that aftrighteth him. Although 

 fn truthjt is a faiat hope of elcaping,mingled with fear, which 

 begetteth this motion : for when fear is fmgle^and at its height, 

 it Soppeth all motion by contracting the fpirits-, and thence is 

 called///'; as well as grief/or the fame reafomandaccording- 

 ly we feeextreame cowardes in the extremity of their fear,have 

 not the courage to runne away, no more then. to defend or help 

 themfelves by any other motions. . 



But if there be more abundance of fpiricsrthen the upper- 

 pacts are alfbmoved, as well as the legges ; whofe motion eojn. 

 tributeth to defenfcrbut the brain it ielf, and the fenfes which are 

 in ; the head , being the firft in the courfe of this flood of fpirits, 

 it har is fent from the heart to the head ; it is impoflible but that 

 , (hould be preflcd imo the nerve* of thofe 



