Of the vertues of the soule, ca. 14.

NOw after we haue circumspectlye spoken of the properties of y^e 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 y^e 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 y^e 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,* the other is called vitall, or spiritall, & hath place in the heart,* the third is called Animal, & hath place in y^e brayn.* In beasts & in plants y^e working of the vertue y^t 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 y^e foure first qualities, y^t is to wit, hot,* colde,* wet,* and dry.* For by heate & wet she worketh y^e 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.

Page  [unnumbered]For this vertue ordeyneth and distin∣guisheth the forme and shape of things, that is gendred couenably in all y^e parts. For this vertue pearceth what shall be pearced, and holloweth what shalbe hol∣lowed, and smotheth what is rough, and the ouersmooth maketh rough, and sha∣peth and maketh perfect the vtmost side of euerye parte. These two vertues, Immutatiua and Informatiua work no longer then the thing that is ingendred, as beast or plant, be fully brought into being of kinde. And therefore it néedeth that the vertue Nutritiua follow anone to the same, and kéepe the thing that is engendred. For the vertue Nutritiua, is helper and seruaunt to the vertue Ge∣neratiua, and maketh the thing that is ingendred, growe and stretch in length, bredth and thicknesse. And the vertue Pascitiua helpeth and serueth to the ver∣tue Nutritiua. For she setteleth and ma∣keth lyke in the lims the meale that the beasts tooke: and repaireth and restoreth what that is dissolued & lost by strength of heat, or by any passion of y^e a••e. And therefore wonderfull kinde made this vertue of féeding, helper to the vertue of nourishing, and made both seruaunts to the vertue of gendring.* Wherefore to this vertue of féeding, foure particular vertues serue, that is to wit, the vertue of appetite, that draweth to the synmes kindly foode. And to the food of the flesh it draweth temperaunce of bloude, to the foode of the braine and of the lunges, temperaunce of sleame, and so of other. Also the vertue digestiue helpeth there∣vnto, and departeth in the foode kindlye from vnkindly, and deuideth pure from vnpure. Also the vertue holding, which kéepeth the food that is digested, & it that is now by worke of kinde concode or sodde, she sendeth to all the limmes, and incorporateth and maketh it lyke, & mo∣ueth it. Also the vertue Expulsiua, put∣teth off the superfluities, that the lyms draweth to them, and be not worthy to be knit to the lyms. And therefore as the vertue of appetite worketh with hot and drye, and the vertue digestiue with heat and wet, and the vertue retentiue with cold and dry: so the vertue expul∣siue worketh with cold and moyst.