The eleventh Booke of 



^ forme they have of eics to be leenCjif a man take off the skin that lieth over the placcMorcover Q : 

 among foules of the aitjthofe of the Herons kind^which are called Leiici/or that they be whiic^ 

 Want(by rcport)one eici And for certaine, in cafe of Augutieiif thefe birds flie either into the 

 South or Northjit is holdcn for an excellent good prcfage/otthey aiTure men thatperillispaft 

 and promife fecuritic. ISligidiui affirmeth^That neither Locufts nor yet Graflioppers have eies. 

 AstorSnailesand fuch likejthe two little horncs that they put forth/erve them in fteadofc'-s, 

 as they found or trie the way before them.The earth-mads and all the fort of wormcs and grubs, 

 are without eics.Mcn alone of all living creatures have eies of divers colours, foine of onCj and 

 fome of another.For all other creatures of one and the fame kind, arc eied alikcHowbei t/bme 

 horfes there be that extraordinarily havc^rcd cies.But in men it is hard to fet downe the infinite 

 varictie and difference in them: for fome have great glaring eies rotliers againeas litdc and as 

 pinking. Others alio there be that have them of amoderatcand' reafonablcbignefle. Some bc 

 goggle-eied^asif they would ftart out of their hcadsjand thofearefuppofedto be dim-fighted : 

 Others be hollow eiedjand they arc thought to have the bell: and cleared fight ; like astbey who 

 for colour have Goats eien.Moreoverjyefliall have fome men, who can difcernc afar off:others 

 againethatfeenotbutneereat hand. Manythcre arc^whofeeiefight deperideth of theSunnes 

 light : for let the day be overcaft and cloudie,or the Sun gone downe^theyieejuft nothing. And 

 others concrariwife there bcjthat al the day time have buta bad fight:yetin rhenight fcafonjthey 

 fee better than any others. As concerning two bals or apples in one cie, as alfo who they be that 

 can bewitch and hurtfolkc with their very eie/ufficient hath been faid alreadie.:"^Gray eics com- 

 monly in the darke Ice more clearc than others. It is reported of Tibmm C£far the Emperour {• 

 to have had thispropertie by himfelfe^that if he were awakened in thenight/ora while he could 

 fee every thing as well as in the clearc day Ught 5 but foone aficr^by little and little^ the darkncffe 

 would ovcrcatt and fhaddow all againc : a gitt that no man in the world was ever knownc to have 

 but h.\mk\k,Augujlm Cfifar of famous memorie, had "^red eieslike to fome horfcs : and indeed 

 walleicd he was, for the white thereof was much bigger than in other men : which alfo was the 

 eaufcjthat if a man looked earncftly upon him^and beheld them vviftly (aftd a man could not an- 

 ijim worfe)he would be dilplcafed, & highly offcndediC/4«^«AJ Cdcfar had a Bcfliic fubftancc 

 abv>ut the corners of his cics^that tooke up a good part of the white, and many times they were 

 ■ very red and bloudlliottcn. C, Caligula the Emperour jhis eies were ever fetin his head, and ihffc 

 againe.iVi?r(? had a very (bort fight 3 for unlcfie he winked (as it were) and looked narrow with his ]^ 

 cies,he could not well fee oughtjwer c it never fo neare.Twcntie couple of profcffed maiilers of 

 fence and fword'plaiers there wcrcinthefenfe-fchoolCi that C.CiJ%tf/4 the Emperour maintai- 

 ned : & among the reftjtwo there were & nomore^whom a man could not make to wink, or ones 

 to twinckle wiih their eies: prefent before them what weapon he wouldjOr make offer to fttike, fo 

 fteadic and firme were they : and therefore they evermore caried the prize, and were invincible. 

 So hard a matter is it for a man to keepe hi s eics from twiring. And many men naturally cannot 

 chufe but be evermore winking and twinckling with their eies : but fiich are holden for feareful! 

 and timorous peifohs. None have their eies ail of one colour :for the ball or apple in themid- 

 defi is ordinarily of another colour than the white about it. Neither in any one part of the bo- 

 die are morcfignes and tokens to be gathered of theaffcdionanddifpofitionof theheart,than £- 

 in the Eie: of manefpccially above all other creatures. By it we may know whether one bee mo- 

 deft^ ftaied, fober, gendc, mild, pittifull , or no. It fheweth mailicc, hatrcd^lovCjheavinefiejfor- 

 rowjand joy. In the calf alfo of tlicEie there is as much varietie: for fome have a furious, cru- 

 cll, terrible, fierce, {fernCjand firie looke: others fhew gravitie and confiancie in their Eie. Some 

 have an overthwart regard with them, others looke askew and a wrie. One while a man iookes 

 atone- fide, and hath a wanton fheepes eie :ao.dther while he cafleth his eie downe, and lookes 

 heavily : and when hec lifl; againe, he can give one a pleafantand merrie looke. In brecfe,th9 

 Eics are the verie feat and habitation of the mind and affedion. For one while they bee ardent 

 and fieric;otherwhiles they bee bent and fixed upon a thing: one time they twincke, another 

 time they winke clofe and ice nothing. From them proceed the teares of compalTion : when we ^ 

 kifle the eie, wee thinke that wee touch the very heart and foulc. From hence commeth our wee- 

 ping : from hence gufh out thofc ftreamcs of water that drench and run downe the cheekes. But 

 what might this water and humour bee, that in hearts greefcifiiieth in fuch plentie, and is fo 

 rcadie to flow ? where may it lie at other times, when wee are in joy, in minh^ and rcpofe ? It 



cannot • • 



