if the body of gold could be opened with these corrosive waters, or by these corrosive waters (so the venemous quality were wanting) well washed, we conceive it would be no unprofitable medicine.

were good for lengthening of life; such were though this secret be wholly suppressed. Now, those of Democritus, Philolaus, Xenophanes, the astrologians and stoics. Also those which had no profound speculation in them, but discoursed calmly on both sides, out of common sense and the received opinions, without any sharp inquisitions, were likewise good; such were those of Carneades and the academics, also of the rhetoricians and grammarians. But, contrary, philosophies conversant in perplexing subtilties, and which pronounced peremptorily, and which examined and wrested all things to the scale of principles. Lastly, which were thorny and narrow were evil; such were those commonly of the peripatetics, and of the schoolmen.

49. The country life also is well fitted for long 'life; it is much abroad, and in the open air; it is not slothful, but ever in employment; it feedeth upon fresh cates, and unbought; it is without cares and envy.

2. Pearls are taken either in a fine powder, or in a certain mass or dissolution, by the juice of four and new lemons, and they are given sometimes in aromatical confections, sometimes in liquor. The pearl, no doubt, hath some affinity with the shell in which it groweth, and may be of the same quality with the shells of crawfishes.

3. Amongst the transparent precious stones, two only are accounted cordial, the emerald and the jacinth, which are given under the same forms that the pearls are; save only, that the dissolutions of them, as far as we know, are not in use. But we suspect these glassy jewels, lest they should be cutting.

Of these which we have mentioned, how far and in what manner they are helpful, shall be

4. Bezoar stone is of approved virtue for refreshing the spirits and procuring a gentle sweat. As for the unicorn's horn, it hath lost the credit with us; yet so as it may keep rank with hartshorn, and the bone in the heart of a hart, and ivory, and such like.

50. For the military life, we have a good opinion of that whilst a man is young. Certainly many excellent warriors have been long-lived; Corvi-spoken hereafter. nus, Camillus, Xenophon, Agesilaus, with others, both ancient and modern. No doubt it furthereth long life, to have all things from our youth to our elder age mend, and grow to the better, that a youth full of crosses may minister sweetness to our old age. We conceive also, that military affections, inflamed with a desire of fighting, and hope of victory, do infuse such a heat into the spirits, as may be profitable for long life.

Medicines for Long Life.

To the tenth article.

Ambergris is one of the best to appease and comfort the spirits.

5. Hereafter, follow the names only of the simple cordials, seeing their virtues are sufficiently known.

Hot.-Saffron, folium indum, lignum aloes, citron pill or rind, balm, basil, clove-gilly flowers, orange flowers, rosemary, mint, betony, carduus benedictus.

The art of physic, which we now have, looks no further commonly than to conservation of health, and cure of diseases. As for those things which tend properly to long life, there is but Cold.-Nitre, roses, violets, strawberry leaves, slight mention, and by the way only. Notwith-strawberries, juice of sweet lemons, juice of standing, we will propound those medicines sweet oranges, juice of pearmains, borage, buwhich are notable in this kind, I mean those gloss, burnet, sanders, camphire. which are cordials. For it is consonant to reason, that those things which being taken in cures do defend and fortify the heart, or, more truly, the spirits, against poisons and diseases being transferred with judgment and choice into diet, should have a good effect, in some sort, towards the prolonging of life. This we will do, not heaping them promiscuously together, (as the manner is,) but selecting the best.

1. Gold is given in three forms, either in that which they call aurum potabile, or in wine wherein gold hath been quenched, or in gold in the substance, such as are leaf-gold, and the filings of gold. As for aurum potabile, it is used to be given in desperate or dangerous discases, and that not without good success. But we suppose that the spirits of the salt, by which the gold is dissolved, do rather minister that virtue which is found in it. than the gold itself,

Seeing our speech now is of those things which may be transferred into diet, all hot waters and chymical oils, (which, as a certain trifler saith, are under the planet Mars, and have a furious and destructive force,) as, also, all hot and biting spices are to be rejected, and a consideration to be had how waters and liquors may be made of the former simples; not those phlegmatic distilled waters, nor again those burning waters or spirits of wine, but such as may be more temperate, and yet lively, and sending forth a benign vapour.

6. I make some question touching the frequent letting of blood, whether it conduceth to long life or not; and I am rather in the opinion that it doth, if it be turned into a habit, and other things be well disposed, for it letteth out the old juice of the body and bringeth in new.

I suppose also, that some emaciating diseases, well cured, do profit to long life, for they yield

new juice, the old being consumed, and as (he prehensions. But mine intentions do both come saith) to recover a sickness, is to renew youth. Therefore it were good to make some artificial diseases, which is done by strict and emaciating diets, of which I shall speak hereafter.

The Intentions.

To the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth articles.

Having finished the inquisition according to the subjects, as, namely, of inanimate bodies, vegetables, living creatures, man, I will come now nearer to the matter, and order mine inquisitions by certain intentions, such as are true and proper (as I am wholly persuaded,) and which are the very paths to mortal life. For in this part, nothing that is of worth hath hitherto been inquired, but the contemplations of men have been but simple and non-proficients. For when I hear men on the one side speak of comforting natural heat, and the radical moisture, and of meats which breed good blood, such as may neither be burnt nor phlegmatic, and of the cheering and recreating the spirits, I suppose them to be no bad men which speak these things; but none of these worketh effectually towards the end. But when, on the other side, I hear several discourses touching medicines made of gold, because gold is not subject to corruption; and touching precious stones, to refresh the spirits by their hidden properties and lustre, and that if they could be taken and retained in vessels, the balsams and quintessences of living creatures would make men conceive a proud hope of immortality. And that the flesh of serpents and harts, by a certain consent, are powerful to the renovation of life, because the one casteth his skin, the other his horns; (they should also have added the flesh of eagles, because the eagle changes his bill.) And that a certain man, when he had found an ointment hidden under the ground, and had anointed himself there with from head to foot, (excepting only the soles of his feet) did, by his anointing, live three hundred years without any disease, save only some tumours in the soles of his feet. And of Artesius, who, when he found his spirit ready to depart, drew into his body the spirit of a certain young man, and thereby made him breathless, but himself lived many years by another man's spirit. And of fortunate hours, according to the figures of heaven, in which medicines are to be gathered and compounded for the prolongation of life; and of the seals of planets, by which virtues may be drawn and fetched down from heaven to prolong life; and such like fabulous and superstitious vanities. I wonder exceedingly that men should so much dote as to suffer themselves to be deluded with these things. And, again, I do pity mankind that they should have the hard fortune to be besieged with such frivolous and senseless apVOL. III.-62

home to the matter, and are far from vain and credulous imaginations; being also such, as 1 conceive, posterity may add much to the matters which satisfy these intentions; but to the intentions themselves, but a little. Notwithstanding there are a few things, and those of very great moment, of which I would have men to be forewarned.

First, We are of that opinion, that we esteem the offices of life to be more worthy than life itself. Therefore, if there be any thing of that kind that may indeed exactly answer our intentions, yet so that the offices and duties of life be thereby hindered, whatsoever it be of this kind, we reject it. Perhaps we may make some light mention of some things, but we insist not upon them. For we make no serious nor diligent discourse, either of leading the life in caves, where the sunbeams and several changes of the air pierce not, like Epimenides his cave; or of perpetual baths, made of liquors prepared; or of shirts and searcloths, so applied, that the body should be always, as it were, in a box; or of thick paintings of the body, after the manner of some barbarous nations; or of an exact ordering of our life and diet, which aimeth only at this, and mindeth nothing else but that a man live, (as was that of Herodicus amongst the ancients, and of Cornarus the Venetian in our days, but with greater moderation,) or of any such prodigy, tediousness, or inconvenience; but we propound such remedies and precepts, by which the offices of life may neither be deserted nor receive any great interruptions or molestations.

Secondly, On the other side, we denounce unto men that they will give over trifling, and not imagine that so great a work as the stopping and turning back the powerful course of nature can be brought to pass by some morning draught, or the taking of some precious drug, but that they would be assured that it must needs be, that this is a work of labour, and consisteth of many remedies, and a fit connexion of them amongst themselves; for no man can be so stupid as to imagine that what was never yet done can be done, but by such ways as were never yet attempted.

Thirdly, We ingeniously profess that some of those things which we shall propound, have not been tried by us by way of experiment, (for our course of life doth not permit that,) but are derived (as we suppose) upon good reasons, out of our principles and grounds, (of which some we set down, others we reserve in our mind,) and are, as it were, cut and digged out of the rock and mine of nature herself. Nevertheless, we have been careful, and that with all providence and circumspection, (seeing the Scripture saith of the body of man, that it is more worth than raiment,) to propound such remedies as may at least be safe, if peradventure they be not fruitful.

Fourthly, We would have men rightly to ob- | I. The Operation upon the Spirits, that they may

serve and distinguish that those things which are good for a healthful life, are not always good for a long life; for there are some things which do further the alacrity of the spirits, and the strength and vigour of the functions, which, notwithstanding, do cut off from the sum of life: and there are other things which are profitable to prolongation of life, which, are not without some peril of health, unless this matter be salved by fit remedies; of which, notwithstanding, as occasion shall be offered, we will not omit to give some cautions and monitions.

Lastly, We have thought good to propound sundry remedies according to the several intentions, but the choice of those remedies, and the order of them, to leave to discretion; for to set down exactly which of them agreeth best, with which constitution of body, which with the several courses of life, which with each man's particular age, and how they are to be taken one after another, and how the whole practique of these things is to be administered and governed, would be too long, neither is it fit to be published.

remain youthful, and renew their Vigour.

The history.

1. The spirits are the master workmen of all effects in the body. This is manifest by consent, and by infinite instances.

2. If any man could procure that a young man's spirit could be conveyed into an old man's body, it is not unlikely but this great wheel of the spirits might turn about the lesser wheels of the parts, and so the course of nature become retrograde.

3. In every consumption, whether it be by fire or by age, the more the spirit of the body, or the heat, preyeth upon the moisture, the lesser is the duration of that thing. This occurs everywhere, and is manifest.

4. The spirits are to be put into such a temperament and degree of activity, that they should not (as he saith) drink and guzzle the juices of the body, but sip them only.

5. There are two kinds of flames, the one eager and weak, which consumes slight substances, but hath little power over the harder, as the flame of straw or small sticks: the other strong and constant, which converts hard and obstinate substances; as the flame of hard wood, and such

In the topics we propounded three intentions; the prohibiting of consumption, the perfecting of reparation, and the renewing of oldness. But seeing those things which shall be said are no-like. thing less than words, we will deduce these three intentions to ten operations.

6. The eager flames, and yet less robust, do dry bodies, and render them exhaust and sapless;

1. The first is the operation upon the spirits, but the stronger flames do intenerate and melt that they may renew their vigour.

2. The second operation is upon the exclusion of the air.

them.

7. Also in dissipating medicines, some vapour forth the thin part of the tumours or swellings,

3. The third operation is upon the blood, and and these harden the tumour; others potently disthe sanguifying heat.

4. The fourth operation is upon the juices of the body.

5. The fifth operation is upon the bowels, for their extrusion of aliment.

cuss, and these soften it.

8. Also in purging and absterging medicines, some carry away the fluid humours violently, others draw the more obstinate and viscous.

9. The spirits ought to be invested and armed 6. The sixth operation is upon the outer parts, with such a heat, that they may choose rather to for their attraction of aliment. stir and undermine hard and obstinate matters,

7 The seventh operation is upon the aliment than to discharge and carry away the thin and itself, for the insinuation thereof. prepared for by that means the body becomes

8. The eighth operation is upon the last act of green and solid. assimilation.

9. The ninth operation is upon the inteneration of the parts, after they begin to be dried.

10. The tenth operation is upon the purging away of old juice, and supplying of new juice. Of these operations, the four first belong to the first intention, the four next to the second intention, and the two last to the third intention.

But because this part touching the intentions doth tend to practice, under the name of history, we will not only comprise experiments and observations, but also counsels, remedies, explications of causes, assumptions, and whatsoever hath reference hereunto.

10. The spirits are so to be wrought and tempered, that they may be in substance dense, not rare; in heat strong, not eager; in quantity sufficient for the offices of life, not redundant or turgid; in motion appeased, not dancing or unequal.

11. That vapours work powerfully upon the spirits it is manifest by sleep, by drunkenness, by melancholic passions, by letificant medicines, by odours, calling the spirits back again in swoonings and faintings.

12. The spirits are condensed four ways; either by putting them to flight, or by refrigerating and cooling them, or by stroking them, or by quieting them. And first of their condensation, by putting them to flight.

13. Whatsoever putteth to flight on all parts little sharpen them both in their courage and in driveth the body into his centre, and so con- their wits; notwithstanding, if it be taken in a denseth. large quantity, it affects and disturbs the mind; whereby it is manifest, that it is of the same nature with opiates.

26. There is a root much renowned in all the eastern parts which they call betel, which the In15. The force of opium to the condensation of dians and others use to carry in their mouths, and the spirits is exceeding strong, when as perhaps to champ it, and by that champing they are wonthree grains thereof will in a short time so coagu-derfully enabled both to endure labours, and to late the spirits, that they return no more, but are overcome sicknesses, and to the act of carnal extinguished, and become immovable. copulation: it seems to be a kind of stupefactive, because it exceedingly blacks the teeth.

36. Medicines, in order to opiates, are princi-ness thereof, without acrimony, it helpeth perspipally saffron, next folium indum, ambergris, ration and inflammations. coriander seed prepared, amomum, pseuda momum, lignum rhodium, orange-flower water, and much more the infusion of the same flowers new gathered in the oil of almonds, nutmegs pricked full of holes and macerated in rosewater.