^^6 The eleventh Booke of 



old age I and the fame in the botcome and lower part, fettlerh fatter and groffer than above, hi Q 

 bloud confifteth a great portion and treafure of life. When it is let out, itcarieth with ic much, 

 vitallfpirit : howbeit, fenccleffe it is^ and hath no feeling , The ftrongeft creatures be they which 

 have the thickeft bloud: but the wifeftj thofe that have thinneft: the more fearefull, that have 

 leaft : but dull and blockilli altogether which have none at all. Buls bbud of all others fooneft 

 Gongealeth and waxeth hard, and therefore poyfon it is, to be drunke efpecially. The bloud of 

 Bores^rcd and fallow Dccrc^Roe-buckesjand all BuffieSjwill notthicken.Afles bloud ismoftfat- 

 tic and grolTe : and contrarily,inans bloud is thinneft and fineft.Thofe beafts which have more 

 than fourefcetj are bloudleffe. Thofe that be fat have fmallftoreof blcAid, becaufeitisf|)ent in- 

 fatneflc.Manonelybleedeth atthenofeifome atone nofthrill alone, others at both: and fome 

 againc void blouddowneward by theHsemorrhoids. Many there bethatcaftup bloud at cer- n 

 tainc times ordinariejby the mouth : as not long fince Maermus Fjfim^zic Pretor of Rome ; and 

 ufually every yeare Folufm SamrniKm^Vto\Q{i6'i thecitie^who notwithftandinglivcduntillhe 

 was above fourefcorc and ten yeares of age.Bloud is the onely thing in the bodie that encreafcth 

 prefently. For fo we fee^that beafts killed tor facrifice will bleed molt frefhly and in greater abun- 

 dancejif they dranke a little before.Thofe creatures that lie hidden in the earth at certain times-j 

 (as wehavefaid before) have no bloud in all that while; unlefle it bee fome few, and rhote veric 

 fmall drops gathered about their hearts. A wonderfull workeof Natme,thatit ftiould be fo : as 

 alfojthat in a man it fhould alter and change ever and anon/o as it doth upon every foall occa- 

 fion : and the force and ftrength thereof variejnot only for defe^ and want of matter to d iiperfe 

 abroadjbut alfo for every little motion and paffion of the mindjasfliame,anger,aDd feare. for | 

 one while it fhewcth paIe,another whiles red,more or le0c,in much varietie of degrees. In cafe 

 of anger ic wil iliew one colour : of fhame and bathfulneife appearing in anothcr.In fearjdoubt- 

 lefic It retircch and flieth back,in fuch fort^as a man knoweth not what is become of it : fo as ma- 

 ny in that fit have ben ftabbed and run through, and yet bled not at all one drop :but this fud- 

 daine change of colour happeneth to men onely. For in other crcatures5which(3s we havefaid) 

 doe alter their hue^ it is an outward colour that they take from therefledionof certaine places 

 neare unto them,man alone hath this change from within himfelfe* To conclude, all maladies ^ 

 and death clpeciallyjconfume the bloud* 



Chap. XXXIX* |j 



Whither m Bloud refit ih the foveratgnetie or m ? Alfo.oftk nmnof Skitf^ 

 of Bam^ifidthePa^s^ ' ^ ' " 



SOmemeafure not the finenefleof fpirit and wit bythepuritic ofbloud:but fuppolethat 

 creatures are brucifh,more or lefle,according as their Skin is,thickcr or thinner : and as the 

 other covertures of their bodie be either groflc and hard, or thin and tender : as we fee for 

 example in Oifters and Tortoifes* They affirme moreover, that the thick hide in Kine and Oxen j 

 and thehardbriftlesin Swine^impeach the entrance offubtilc aire and fine fpirit intotheirbo- 

 dies : iin fuch wife, that nothing can pierce and patTc through,which is pure and fine, as it fhould 

 be. And hereto they bring men alfo,as a proofe,who are thicke skinncd,and more brawnie 5 for ^ 

 to be more grofle of fence and underftanding: as who would fay, that Crocodiles were notve- 

 ^ ry wittie and induftrious, and yet their skin is hard ynoiigh. And as for theRiver-horle, his hide 

 is fb thicke, that thereof javelines and fpeares are turned : and yet ib indtiftrious is that beaft, 

 that in fome cafe he is his owne Phy fician j and he hath taught us to open a veine, and let bloud. 

 The Elephants skin is fb tough and hard, that thereof be made targuets a nd fliieids,of fo good 

 proofe,that it is impoffible to pierce them through:and yet they are thought to be of all fourc- 

 footed beafts,rnoft ingenious and wittie. Wherefore, conclude wee may, that the skin it felfc is 

 fcncelefle, and hath no fellowfbip at all with the underftanding; and efpecially that of the head j 

 and whcrefoever ic is of it felfe naked and without flefli, be fure (if it be wounded) impoffible ic is 

 loconfblidatcthewoiindi and namely, in the eic-lids and the bals of the cheekes. All creatures M 

 that bring forth their young quicke.arc hairie ; thofe that lay egs, have either feathers, as birds : 

 skaleSjas fifhes : or elle bee covered with iliels, as Tor toiics : or laft of all, have a plaine skin and 

 nomorej asSerpents.Thequilsof all feathers bee hollow. Cut them, tliey will grow no more: 

 plucke thcflij they will come againe. Infects flie with thin and brittle pcliicks or membranes. 



The 



