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 Eye lyddes. Cap. 8.

THe Eye lyddes be couerings of the eyen, and are called in Latine Cilia, and hath that name of Celare to couer; For they hele & couer the eyen in saue∣gard, as saith Isidore lib. 11. cap. 2. The eye lyddes be in substaunce ••nowie and thinne, for easie mouing. For by theyr continuall mouing they put awaye the aire: and so they kéepe and defende the eyen without from grieuing and hurting of the aire. These eye lyddes are called Cilia in Latine, and Palpebre also: for Palpitando, as it were ofte féelyng: they moue alway: for they close vnselye to∣gethers, to féede the busie mouing, as saith Constantine and Isidore also. The eye lyddes be warded and kepte with rowes of hayre, to put off if anye thing fail or chaunce to come neere the eyen, when the eyen be open: and to sléepe the more quietly and surelye, while the eyen be closed therein. Also that they meanly may, cutting the ayre, quicken, kéepe, and saue the sight cleere & bright. Hetherto speake Isidore. cap. sup. Con∣stantine saith that the eye lyddes haue haire, not all straight, but somewhat bent and crooked. And that kinde hath wisely ordayned, to make them more a∣ble & stronger to close themselues, and to put off more mightely griefe & hurt if a∣ny fall. Also in growing, these eye lyds haue of kinde a certaine quantitie: and thereof the haire of them spreadeth not, neither wareth not, as the heate of the head, but they haue a certaine poynted proportion. And therefore Constantine sayth, that the eye lyds be not soft, ney∣ther full of poores, but rather harde, that the hayre that groweth thereon: may be hard and somewhat crooked and bend. And that they shoulde not growe too soone in length, as an hearbe y^t grow∣eth in harde lande, is lyttle and vp∣right, and not as that hearbe y^t grow∣eth within softe lande. Kinde giueth these eye liddes the beautye of the bo∣dye, and to helpe the eyen. And there∣fore Libe. 12. Aristotle sayth. That eue∣rye beast that gendereth onelye, hath haire on the eye liddes, and euerye foure footed beast, closeth the eye with the ouer lidde.

A bird in stéede of an eye lydde, hath a heler to couer and kéepe the sight:* 1.1 and closeth y^e eye with a web, ordained ther∣fore in the vttermost parts of the eye: & for that the kinde of the eye is watrie & moyst, therefore it néedeth such a keep∣ing. Also euery bird closeth the eye with the nether lydde. Also euery foure footed beast that wanteth eye lyddes, is féeble of sight, as it fareth in Fish, Hares, and such other, as Aristotle saith li. 4. &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A cōtrary closing of the eye.