The Hi/lory of Life and Death. 



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The quantity or' meat and drink, which a man, eating to meals a day , receiveYh 

 inro his body, is not Irrull ; much more than he voideth again either by ftool or by 

 urine,or by lweatin[. You will fay, No marvel, feeing the remainder goeih into the 

 Juices and SubHancc of the body: It is true; but conlider then, that this addition is 

 made twice a day^ and yet the body aboundeth much. In like manner, though the 

 Spirit be repaired, yet isgrowes not excellively in the quantity. 



It doth no good to have the Aliment ready, in a degree removed; but to have it of 

 that kind ; and fo prepared and ftnplyed, that the Spirit may work upon it • For the 

 Staffs of a Torch alone will not maintain the flame, unletVe it be fed with wax- Nei- 

 ther can men live upon Herbs alone. And from thence comes the Inconcotthn of old j 

 Age, that though there be flefh and blood, yet the Spiru is become fo penurious and 

 ihin, and the Juices and blood foheartlelie and oblUnate, that they hold no propor- 

 tion to Alimentation, 



Let us now calf up the Accounts ot the Needs and Indigences, according to the ordi- 

 nary and ufualcourfe of Nature : The Spirit hath need ot opening and moving it (elf 

 in the Ventricles of the brain and nerves even continually; Of the motion of the Heart 

 every third part of a moment ; of breathing every moment; offleepand nourifhme_ 

 once within three dayes; of the power of nourifhment commonly till eighty years be 

 pall. And if any of thefe Indigences be neglected, Death enfueth. So there are plainly 

 three Torches of Death ; Dellitution of the Spirit; In the Motion, in the Refrigeration 

 in the Aliment. 



It is an error to thinly that the Living Spirit is perpetually generated and Extinguifhed, 

 Flame is ; and abideth not my notable lime. For even Flame it felf is not thus, out of his 

 own proper Nature; But becaufeit Uveth amonft enemies.For Flame within Flame endureth 

 No.v the Living Spirit Uveth amonfi Friends , and all due Objequioufnejfe : So then 

 as Flame U a moment any Substance, Air ts a fixed Subfiance } the Li ving Spirit is betwixt 

 both. 



Touching the Extinguifhing of the Spirit by the Defiru&ion of the Organs, ( which is 

 caufed by Dsfeafes and Violence, ) we enquire not now, as we foretold in the beginnings Al 

 hough that alfo endeth inthe fame three Porches. And touching the Form e/Death/V felf 

 hits much. 



. There are two great Fore-runners of Death , the one fent from the Head, the other 

 rom the Heart Convulfton and the extreme labonr of the Pulfc. For as for the deadly 

 Hiccough, it is a kind of But the deadly labour of the Pu/fe hath that 



anufua: fwiftnefl'e; becaule the Heart at the point ofDeath , doth To tremble , that 

 ibzSyftele, and Diaficle thereof, are almolf confounded. There is alio conjoyned 

 in the Pulfe, a weaknefle and lownefte , and oftentimes a great Intermiffion; becaufe 

 themoiion of the heart f,uleih, and isnot alletorife againtUhe atfaulc ftoutly, or 

 conftari'tlyi 



The immediate preceding figns of Death are, great unquietneffe, and toffinginthe 

 bed fumbling with the hands^catching and gralpmghard, gnafhing with the Teeth? 

 i peaking hollow, trembling of the neather lip, paleneiie of the face, the mem ory con 

 fuled, lpeechiefndVe, cold fweats,the bopv fhooting in length,lifting up the white of 

 he eye changing of the whole vifage, (as the Nofe fharp, eyes hollow, cheeks fallen) 

 contraction and doubling of the coldnetle in the Extream parts of the body ; in tome, 

 Inedding of bloud , or I perm , fhriking, breathing thick and fhort , falling of the ne- 

 ther chap, and luch like. 



There folio v Death, a privation of all fenfe and motion, as well of the Heart and 

 Arteries, as of the Nerves and Joynts; and inability of the body to fupport it felf up 

 right, liifnefs of the Nerves ana Parts.extreamcoldnefsof the whole boJjjifter a lit- 

 tle while, putrefaction and (linking. 



Eles, Serpents, and the Iafetta,w'i\i move a long time in every part after they are cut 

 afunder ; inlomuch that Countrey people think, that the parts drive to joyn together 

 again. AllbBirds will flurer a great while aiter their heads are pulled off- And the 

 Heansof living Creatures will pant a long time afcerthey are plucked out. I remem- 

 ber 1 have feen the heart of one that was bowelled, as fufferingfor high Treafon , that 

 being cart into the fire, lea ped at the firrt, at lead a foot and half in height ; and after 

 by degrees lower and lower, for the fpace,as we remember ,of (even or eight minutes. 

 There is alio an ancient and credible tradition, of an Ox Lowing after his bowels were 

 plucked out. But there is a more certain tradition ol a Man , who being under the 



Execu- 



