214 . THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



together within the Pia Mater. It is regu- j It is under the dominion of Venus, some say, 

 lated by Mercury, (perhaps this is one rea- \ Mercury : A thousand to one, hut it "is 

 son why men are so fickle-headed) and its i under Mercury. 



office is to preserve a harmony among the | mi. c 



Ihe four ADMINISTERING VIRTUES are. 



Scllaca. . , , . 



Particular senses are five, vtz. seeing, \ attract > digestive, retentive, and expulsive, 

 hearing, smelling^ tasting^ and feeling. The attractive virtue is hot and dry, hot 



These senses are united in one, in the 1 by quality, active, or principal, and that 

 brain, by the common sense, but are ope- \ appears because the fountain of all heat is 

 ratively distinguished into their several j attractive, viz. the sun. Dry by a quality 

 seats, and places of residence. ; passive, or an effect of its heat ; its office 



The sight resides in the eyes, and par- 1 is to remain in the body, and call for what 

 ticularly in the christaline humour. It is } nature wants. 



in quality cold and moist, and governed by 1 It is under the influence of the Sun, say 

 the luminaries. They who have them weak | authors, and not under Mars, because he is 

 in their genesis, have always weak sights;! of a corrupting nature, yet if we cast an 

 if one of them be so, the weakness pos- j impartial eye upon experience, we shall 

 sesses but one eye. jfind, that martial men call for meat none of 



The hearing resides in the ears; is in j the least, and for drink the most of all other 

 quality, cold and dry, melancholy, and j men, although many times they corrupt the 

 under the dominion of Saturn. t body by it, and therefore I see no reason 



The smelling resides in the nose, is in 5 why Mars being of the same quality with 

 quality hot and dry, choleric, and that is \ the Sun, should not have a share in the 

 the reason choleric creatures have so good j dominion. It is in vain to object, that the 

 smells, as dogs. It is under the influence j influence of Mars is evil, and therefore he 

 of Mars. should have no dominion over this virtue ; 



The taste resides in the palate, which is 



placed at the root of the tongue on purpose; 1. By the same rule, he should have no 



to discern what food is congruous for the 



for then, 



dominion at all in the body of man. 



stomach, and what not ; as the meseraik i 2. All the virtues in man are naturally 

 veins are placed to discern what nourish- 1 evil, and corrupted by Adam's fall, 

 inent is proper for the liver to convert into 5 This attractive virtue ought to be forti- 

 blood. In some very few men, and but ? fied when the Moon is in fiery signs, viz. 

 a few, and in those few, but in few instances | Aries and Sagitary, but not in Leo, for the 

 these two tasters agree not, and that is the j sign is so violent, that no physic ought to 

 reason some men covet meats that make J be given when the Moon is there : (and 

 them sick, viz. the taste craves them, and j why not Leo, seeing that is the most attrac- 

 the meseraik veins reject them : In quality 5 live sign of all ; and that's the reason such 

 hot and moist, and is ruled by Jupiter. j as have it ascending in their genesis, are 



The feeling is deputed to no particular 

 organ, but is spread abroad, over the whole 

 body ; is of all qualities, hot, cold, dry, and 



such greedy eaters.) If you connot stay till 

 the Moon be in one of them, let one of them 

 ascend when you administer the medicine. 



moist, and is the index of all tangible j The digestive virtue is hot and moist, and 

 things ; for if it were only hot alone, it j is the principal of them all, the other like 

 could not feel a quality contrary, viz. cold, * handmaids attend it. 

 and this might be spoken of other qualities. J The attractive virtue draws that which it 



