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 Breast. Cap. 23.

THe breast is the ouer bonie parte be∣twéene the paypes and teates, and is called Pectus,* 1.1 because it is next betwéene the head and the paps, as sayth Isidore. Isidore and Constantine say also, that the originall of the breast is set within the ridge and is very hollow, to kéepe and to saue, and to defend the inner members, as the heart and the lunges, with other spirituall members. The great hallow∣nesse of the breast is néedefull and profi∣table, that the lungs may close and open to coole the hot smoake of the heart. And it is bonie and full of sinewes, for the more strength and stronger defence of the members of lyfe. And the breast is compassed and defended within with skinnes, and a manner of fatnesse to nourish and to saue kindly heat, and to asswage the coldnesse of boanes of the breast plate. Constantine saith, That in the breast be two hollownesses departed in twaine with some manner skinnes: and this departing is néedfull to kéepe the breath in one part of the breast, if it happen that it were lost in the other: and so to saue and to kéepe the lyfe of

the beast in the other part. For if either hollownes were grieued, and the breath stopped, then the beast should soone dye. Also the heart and the lunges be bounde togethers with skinnes of the brest, and they be wrapped therein, that they pas••e not out of their place, as saith Constant. li. 2. ca. 15. Then the breast is the foun∣dation of the paps & nipples: and that is not onely for beautie and fairenesse, but also for néedfull helpe of the breast, with his fleshinesse, it healeth: and tempering the bonie coldnesse thereof, couereth and defendeth from outwarde hurte of colde aire. And so the breast is the most noble member of man: for it is the place and seate of wit and wisedome, & the house of heate of lyfe and of strength, & if the brest be wel disposed and in good poynt, with all that is therein, all the strength of y^e body is comforted in his working. And contrary, if the breast be grieued, al the making of the body is disgraced, and the breast is grieued many wayes. Som∣time by great colde, constraining the si∣newes & strings of the breast bone, they be grieued and hurt, and be let in theyr works and déeds. And somtime by great heate and drinesse, wasting the substaun∣tiall humour therof, and constraining or shrinking the sinewes of the breast, as it fareth in* 1.2 Ptisicis and Eti••is, that be spen∣ded & wasted with too great heat. Some∣time by too great moysture of bloud, ei∣ther of fleame,* 1.3 comming and fillyng the waies of y^e breast, & so somtime follow∣eth stifling, and somtime hoarcenes, and somtime withdrawing & léesing of voyce, as saith Const. Sometime of a corrupt humour gathered in the skinnes of the brest, that bréedeth a postume in y^e brest, and letteth the breath, and so sometime the beast is stiffeled. Somtime the brest is grieued by gathering of other mem∣bers that be grieued, for if the throte bée grieued, or the lungs, or the stomacke, needes must the breast be sore & sharply grieued, and the griefes of the breast bée most perillous, & namely they within, for the nighnesse of y^e hart, that is the place of life: and therefore a little pricking or pinching in the breast within, is more sore than a great wound in the arme or in the thigh without. Diuers dispositi∣ons of the breast is in men & in fowles, as sayth Aristotle. For men haue broad breastes and somewhat bending in the right side and left, and that hollow ben∣ding is token of ••oldnes and of strength, and no beast hath paps in the breast, but men and Elephants, as saith Aristotle lib. 2. And some beastes haue pappes in the side, or in the wombe, as Swine, Hounds, Asses, Bine, Sheepe, and other such. A beast that hath pappes in the wombe bringeth forth manye moe at a time, (as it fareth in Houndes and Swine) then those that haue teates in the breast, as it fareth in women and E∣lephants, that gendreth neuer but one, as saith he lib. 5. And Fowles haue ge∣nerally sharpe breastes, and namelye fowles of praye, with crooked billes and sharpe clawes, and little flesh, and good flight and sharpe sight: for they see their meate very farre off. And therefore such fowles flye vp in the ayre, much more higher than other Fowles, and that is for praye, as sayth Aristotle lib. 2. The sharpnesse of breast is a token of bolde∣nesse and of gentlenesse,* 1.4 as saith Isidore of a Goshauke, that is of more boldnesse in brest, than in bill or clawes, and more armed with the breast, than with bill or clawe. And therefore the Goshauke is bolde in the breast, and in the ayre hée smiteth his praye to the ground.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pectus.
• * 1.2

  Ptisis, the Greeke vvord.
• * 1.3

  Consūp∣tio. a con¦sumption or vvast∣ing in age Etica. Hec¦tica a con¦sumption in youth, not light∣ly cured.
• * 1.4

  the sowse or coun∣ter mu••e of the Ha••ke.