174 



A HISTORY OF 



therefore, while the body is vigorous and in- 

 creasing, it still gives way to its growth. But, 

 although it thus adapts itself to our increase, 

 it does not in the same manner conform to our 

 decay. The skin, which, in youth was filled 

 and glossy, when the body begins to decline 

 has not elasticity enough to shrink entirely 

 with its diminution. It hangs, therefore, in 

 wrinkles, which no art can remove. The 

 wrinkles of the body, in general, proceed 

 from this cause. But those of the face seem 

 to proceed from another; namely, from the 

 many varieties of positions into which it is put 

 by the speech, the food, or the passions. 

 Every grimace, and every passion, wrinkles 

 up the visage into different forms. These 

 are visible enough in young persons : but 

 what at first was accidental or transitory, be- 

 eomes unalterably fixed in the visage as it 

 grows older. " From hence we may conclude, 

 that a freedom from passions not only adds 

 to the happiness of the mind, but preserves 

 the beauty of the face; and the person that 

 has not felt their influence, is less strongly 

 marked by the decays of nature." 



Hence, therefore, as we advance in age, 

 the bones, the cartilages, the membranes, the 

 flesh, the skin, and every fibre of the body, 

 become more solid, more brittle, and more 

 dry. Every part shrinks, every motion be- 

 comes more slow : the circulation of the fluids 

 is performed with less freedom ; perspiration 

 diminishes ; the secretions alter ; the diges- 

 tion becomes slow and laborious ; and the 

 juices no longer serving to convey their ac- 

 customed nourishment, those parts may be 

 said to live no longer when the circulation 

 ceases. Thus the body dies by little and lit- 

 tle ; all its functions are diminished by de- 

 grees ; life is driven from one part of the frame 

 to another; universal rigidity prevails; and 

 death at last seizes upon the little that is left. 



As the bones, the cartilages, the muscles, 

 and all other parts of the body, are softer in 

 women than in men, these parts must, of con- 

 sequence, require a longer time to come to 

 that hardness which hastens death. Women, 

 therefore, ought to be a longer time in grow- 

 ing old than men; and this is actually the case. 

 If we consult the tables which have been 

 drawn up respecting human life, we shall find 

 that, after a certain age, they are more long- 



lived than men, all other circumstances the 

 same. A woman of sixty has a better chance 

 than a man of the same age to live till eighty. 

 Upon the whole, we may infer, that such per- 

 sons as have been slow in coming up to ma- 

 turity, will also be slow in growing old ; and 

 this holds as well with regard to other ani- 

 mals as to man. 



The whole duration of the life of either 

 vegetables or animals, may be, in some measure, 

 determined from their manner of coming to 

 maturity. The tree, or the animal, which 

 takes but a short time to increase to its utmost 

 pitch, perishes much sooner than such as are 

 less premature. In both the increase upwards 

 is first accomplished ; and not till they have 

 acquired their greatest degree of height do they 

 b<>gin to spread in bulk. Man grows in stature 

 till about the age of seventeen ; but his body is 

 not completely develovedtillabout thirty. Dogs, 

 on the other hand, are at their utmost size in 

 a year, and become as bulky as they usually 

 are in another. However, man, who is so long 

 in growing, continues to live fourscore, or a 

 hundred years; but the dog seldom above 

 twelve or thirteen. In general, also, it may be 

 said, that large animals live longer than little 

 ones, as they usually take a longer time to 

 grow. But in all animals, one thing is equally 

 certain, that they carry the cause of their own 

 decay about them ; and that their deaths are 

 necessary and inevitable. The prospects which 

 some visionaries have formed of perpetuating 

 life by remedies, have been often enough prov- 

 ed false by their own example. Such unac- 

 countable schemes would, therefore, have died 

 with them, had not the love of life always 

 augmented our credulity. 



When the body is naturally well formed, it 

 is possible to lengthen out the period of life for 

 some years by management. Temperance in 

 diet is often found conducive to this end. The 

 famous Cornaro, who lived to above a hundred 

 years, although his constitution was naturally 

 feeble, is a strong instance of the benefit of an 

 abstemious life. Moderation in the passions 

 also may contribute to extend the term of our 

 existence. " Fontenelle, the celebrated writer, 

 was naturally of a very weak and delicate 

 habit of body. He was affected by the small- 

 est irregularities ; and had frequently suffered 

 severe fits of illness from the slightest causes. 

 But the remarkable equality of his temper, and 



