Of the vertues of the soule, ca. 14.
NOw after we haue circumspectlye spoken of the properties of ye soule, in it selfe and in hir body: there remai∣neth to sée and to treate of the vertues, by the which she is mightie to vse wor∣king in ye body. This vertue is a might of the soule essentially giuen to worke and doe hir déedes in the body. For by this vertue she giueth ye body lyfe, draw∣eth togethers, and openeth the heart, the organe, and small wayes in the bodye alway, and giueth to the body that hath a soule, féelyng and skilfull mouing, as Con. saith lib. 13. Also this vertue hath thrée parts: one is called naturall, and is in the lyner,* 1.1 the other is called vitall, or spiritall, & hath place in the heart,* 1.2 the third is called Animal, & hath place in ye brayn.* 1.3 In beasts & in plants ye working of the vertue yt is called naturall is the common working, that ingendereth, fée∣deth, and maketh to growe, as Con∣stant saith, and hir ingendring or gene∣ration (as it is heere taken) is the chaunging and tourning of the substance of the humour, or the séede into the sub∣staunce of a beast or of a plant, done by worke of kinde. And this vertue begin∣neth to worke from the time of ingen∣dring to the perfecting of the plant or beast. But to this kindly generation, two vertues serue, that is to wit, Immuta∣tiue and Informatiue: For the vertue Immutatiue is she, that turneth & chan∣geth the substaunce of the séede, into the substaunce of all the partes of the plant or of the beast. And this vertue maketh this chaunging and turning, by meanes of ye foure first qualities, yt is to wit, hot,* 1.4 colde,* 1.5 wet,* 1.6 and dry.* 1.7 For by heate & wet she worketh ye softer substance, as flesh in beasts, flowers and say in trées: by hot and drye, she worketh the rootes in plants, and the heart in the beastes: by wet and colde, she worketh leaues in plantes, and haire in beastes: by colde and drye, she worketh in sinewes and boanes of beastes, and in stockes and ryudes of trees and of plantes. But the seconde vertue that is named Informa∣tiua, is néedfull to the kindly working in generations.