Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of the properties of members in generall. Chap. 1.

AVicen saith, that members are bo∣dyes made of the first meddlyng of humours. Either as it is sayde, Secun∣dum Iohannem, A member is a stedfast and sadde parte of a beast, composed of things that be lyke either vnlyke, and is ordayned to some speciall office: and by that it is called a stedfast parte, it is seperated from the part that is not sted∣fast, as a spirite. In that that it is sayd to be made of things that be lyke and vnlyke, it is vnderstoode, double di∣uersitie of members, simple or vnlyke: and compounded, or of office. For the members be called members lyke and simple, the whole parts be of the saure kinde with the whole, as euerye part of bloud is bloud, and so of other.

And such simple members, and lyke, are rather in kinde, than the members or lymmes of office: for the simple, be partes of the lymmes that are composed: And the simple partes are rather in kinde, than the

thing that is composed. The members and the lims be composed to sée, to féele, and to mooue, and bée instrmments of the soule, as hand, foote, and eien, & other such bée néedfull in diuerse qualities to the working of the soule, kinde maketh instrumentes of bodye couenable to the vertue of y^e soule. The soule hath diuers vertues, & therefore diuerse members & limmes be néedful, as it fareth in hands, in the which be manye fingers and di∣uerse in qualitie and quantie, that they may holde great things as well as smal. And for the soule hath thrée manner workinges, which be called Animalis, Naturalis, and Spiritualis, Feeling, Kindly, and Spirituall: the members and limmes bée néedfull to these work∣ings of the Soule: And so the members that followe the vertue Animall, be cal∣led Animata, which bée néedful to shape féeling and spéedie mouing in al beasts, as the braine, the sinewes, the eyen, and other instruments of féeling. The mem∣bers that be obedient to the vertue of liuing, be called spirituallye Vitalia, which bée made to draw breath and spi∣rituall lyfe, to slake heate, and saue the lyfe, as the heart, the lungs, and such other. The members y^t serue the vertue of kinde, be called Naturalia, & Nutriti∣ua, of y^e which some bée Nutratiue, the which change y^e meat into substance of members. As the stomacke, the liuer, and such other: and some serue to gen∣dering, and to kéepe & saue the things of kinde, that generally be distinguished by speciall, and speciall, by singulars. For when all the singulars shall be cor∣rupt, it néedeth that it be restored by the vertue of the gendering, and so sa∣ued in speciall béeing, that it be not all lost. Some other members serue to these members Generatiue, and helpe them, and members helpe eyther other. And of these members that serue and bée profitable in many manner wise, some make ready, some purge, and cleanse, and some defend, and some beare a∣bout. So the first bée they that make readye, as the limmes of wittes that serue the braine, the heart, the lungs, the liuer, the stomacke, and the limmes for meate. The second be they that beare, as the sinewes, the which receiue the spi∣rit Animall of the braine, and carrye it to euerye member to make moouing and féeling. Also the organe serueth the hart, the vaines, and the liuer, for the wosen taketh the spirit of the heart, and bea∣reth it forth to make the pulse: and the vaines take bloud of the liuer, to nou∣rish and to féede the bodie. The third be they that purge and cleanse, that is to wit, they that put off superfluities and things that grieue. As the holes of the nose in the head, and the waye by the which the heart sendeth out superfluitie of smoake to the lungs till it bée put all out. Also the case of the gall, and the splene cleanse and purge the liuer from superfluities of cholar and melancholy, as the reines cleanse from watry mat∣ters. The fourth be they that defend, as the two skinnes and the skul defend the braine from grieuing and hurting. Phi∣sitions furthermore call these two skins the hard Mother & the middle mother. Also the bones of the breast defend the heart, and the brawnes, and the snailes of the ribbes defend the liuer. Among the spirituall members, the heart is chiefe: for it is the principall well of all the life and foundation of kindly heate. The lunges, the skinne, the brawnes, and wosen, be helpers thereof, by whose mouing aire is drawne to coole the hart, and to remoue therefrom fumous super∣fluous heate. The defence whereof, are the thinne skinnes, that be within: of the midriefe and other such members of kinde, and of féeding, the liuer is chiefe, therein is digestion made, by the which all the bodye is fedde. To the seruice of the liuer, the members that be nigh ther∣to be ordeined. Héereof it followeth that some members be principall. For of other members they bée principles, rootes, and originalls: and some bée the members of office, that receiue of the foresayne members the influence, and working of vertue: and kéepeth the best, and also serueth euerye other. And some bée lyttle, that Constantinus calleth Onuomeria, that is simple part.

For they be of one kinde with their parties touching nature: For euery part of visible flesh is flesh, and euery parte of fatnesse is fatnesse, and so of other. Then gather thou of those foresayde things, that the membes of kinde, ordei∣ned by crafte, make the bodye that hath soule perfect, and they take of the soule, the influence of vertue. Also they be ioi∣ned together in a wonderfull proporti∣on, that is called Armonica, for y^e more be coupled to y^e lesse, & so the lesse to the more, with the sinewes and other bands. Also these members serue each other, & know their works and vertues. For the ouer giue influence and gouernaunce to the neather: and the neather holde vp the vpper: The middle and the ineane couple, and ioyne the ouer and the nea∣ther in working For the eye ruleth the neather members: the féete and the thighs helde and beare vp the waight of the other members: and the hands and the armes helpe & defend both the head and the feete, the ouer and the neather. Also as long as the members be ruled by the soule, they be profitable & whole, to perfect working and perfection of the bodie: but if they loose the gouernance of the spirits, they be grieuous to the other part of the bodie. Also the members of cleane and pure complection be more a∣ble to be obedient to the working of the spirites. Therefore Liber 18. Aristotle sayth. That the head hath little flesh, and little fatnesse, to haue the better wit and vnderstanding. And that one cause is, because the spirit in the sinews of ••e••∣ling is much let in his passing by hard∣nesse and greatnesse of flesh. Also the members be so set togethers, that for their binding and ••••••ting togethers, euery hath compassiō of other. And ther∣fore the member that is lesse grieued, hath compassion of the member that is more grieued. And therfore if one mem∣ber be hurt, the humour of the other members runne and come to the sore place: as it is sayd in Aphori. The grea∣ter sore and ach that chaunceth in one member, swageth the ach of another member, and taketh away most part of the ach thereof, as it faceth in them that haue the phrensie, in y^e which if y^t thighs and armes be hard wrong, the ach of the head ceaseth. For y^e spirites & humours runne and come to the member y^t is hard wrong whereby the head is eased. Also the more noble y^e members be of sub∣staunce, and of making, y^e more grieuous∣ly, and the sooner they féele the griese of any hurt: As it fareth in y^e eye y^t is more grieued with a little dust, then the hand or the foote is with a great wound. And y^t is for the nobilitie and preciousnesse of the eie. For the spirite of feeling hath more masterie in the eie then in other members. And so a very litle hurt in y^e ioyntes of the members, in the sinewes of féeling, is most grieuous. For by let∣ting of such members, the vertue of fée∣ling and moouing is principally and most hastely let. And the armonie, accorde, or ioyning of all the bodie is dissolued: Al∣so by errour of kinde ingendering of members, sometime it happeneth, y^e su∣perflueus and monstrous members are made, as is said, Li. Animal. 17. and that oft time beasts are séene with one body and many heads, nor that is no wonder but because it is seldome seene. Also som∣time in the Egge be two yolks, that bée diuided in two, and one webbe and call. And that happeneth through comming togethers of two séedes, that drawe ey∣ther to other in diuerse ••imes not long a sunder. He sayth also that it happeneth oft of such an Egge commeth a member wonderfully shapen, as a chicken w^t one bodie, and one head, and foure féete and foure wings, as Aristotle saith ther. And this wonderfull errour happeneth most in shéepe and Goates, and in beastes of many broodes: And therfore he saith, that in old 〈…〉〈…〉 & Goat Buck was seene w^t bornes in the thighs. This wonderfull shape in members superfluous, falleth generally of superfluitie of matter, and default of the vertue informatiue, as hée saith in the same booke. Wherefore wée ought to esteeme, y^t this wōderful shape in members cōmeth of y^e matter: when the vertue of working is strong, and the matter is little, and by some occassion di∣minished, then it happeneth that manye members be seene, and in all his default

and lacke: for the vertue, through the default of kinde, might not at the full worke, as it intended, as saith the same authour. The vertue operatiue strongly working, worketh nothing perfectly, or at the full. Augustinus. liber. 16. de Ci∣uitate Dei. chap. 8. speaketh of men, that be called Cenocephalos, and be wonder∣fully shaped, and haue hounds heads, and, barking in stéed of voice: And of other without nowles and neckes, and with eien in the shoulders. Also he sayth that in his time was a childe borne, that was two in the ouer part, and one in the neather parte. For he had two heads, two breasts, and foure hands, and one bellye, and two féete. And manye such things Austen there rehearseth, in all which is assigned errour of kinde. Also among the members is great diuersitye in dignitie and in order. For some giue of themselues, and take not of other, as the heart that taketh not of other, as A∣ristotle saith. Neuerthelesse the heart giueth to other liuing and moouing. And some giue and take as the liuer and the braine taketh strength of the heart, and be principles of vertues: For they giue vertues to the other members. And some mēbers neither giue vertues nor take, but stand in their owne vertue by the skill of Phisitions, as the members of one kinde. And some members take and giue not, as the members that bée instrumentes, the which take of the braine the vertue of féeling or of moo∣uing, and sometime of either. But the vertue that they take, they sendeth not to the other members: For the eye can∣not giue the vertue of sight, that it re∣ceiueth of the braine, to the féete, or handes, or other member: neyther the care the hearing. And neuerthelesse these members bée most néedfull to the bo∣dye. For by their proper office they rule all the other members of the bo∣dye: excepte perchaunce by some mis∣hap they be lette in theyr working, as hurt, or when they bée corrupt. It is proper to all the members of office, to put themselues in perill for the princi∣pall members, as sometime the hande putteth it selfe kindlye without all ad∣uisement for the defence of the head or heart. Also a member that is in good health, helpeth the member that is sicke and sore, and drawing the matter of the disease to it selfe, is wont to cleanse and ease the member that is sick, and so oft the whole member is hurt for the sore member. If a member bée rotted, either dead •• it is grieuous to it selfe and to all the bodie. And there∣fore is there none other remedie, but cut it off, that it destroye not nor cor∣rupt all the bodie. And this that is spo∣ken of members in generall shall suffice at this time.