The optick glasse of humors. Or The touchstone of a golden temperature, or the Philosophers stone to make a golden temper wherein the foure complections sanguine, cholericke, phlegmaticke, melancholicke are succinctly painted forth, and their externall intimates laide open to the purblind eye of ignorance it selfe, by which euery one may iudge of what complection he is, and answerably learne what is most sutable to his nature. Lately pend by T.W. Master of Artes.

Cap. X. Of a sanguine temperature.

THe purple rose whose hi•• encomium that witty Poe∣tresse Sappho in a sweete Od∣••nce sang, did not meri•• to bee adornd, with such beau∣teous titles of wordes, to be lim'd out in so liuely colours of Rhetorick, nor to be in∣vested with such a gorgeous and gallant sute of poetry, as this goldē crasis, this hap∣py temperature, and choise complection, this sanguine humor, is worthy of a pane∣gyrical toung and to be lim'd out with the hand of art it selfe, Sappho thus speaketh of the rose.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c.

Which we may turne and change for our vse, on this manner: if there were a mo narch or prince to be constituted ouer all temperatures, this purple sanguine com∣plection should, no doubts, aspire to that hie preheminence of bearing rule: for this is the ornament of the body, the pride of humors, the paragon of complections, the prince of all temperatures, for blood is the oile of the lampe of our life. If we doe but view the princely scarlet robes he vsually is inuested with, his kingly throne seated in the mids of our earthly citty, like the Sun amid the wandring Planets: his offi∣cers (I mean the veines and arteries) which are spred throughout this whole Politeia, yea disperst in euery angle to execute his command, and carry the liuely influence of his goodnesse, reuiuing those remote parts, which without his influence woulde otherwise be frettish with a chilnes, and in a short time be mortified: If we do but cast our eies vpon these glorious mansions, the sumptuous pallaces wherein he doth inha∣bit: the Dadalian costly Labyrinths where in he takes his turnes: If wee consider his wise subtle counsailours which dayly con∣sort with him for the good estate of his

whole kingdome, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spirits, the ve∣ry seate of diuine reason it selfe the foun∣taines of pollicy: If we marke this that his departing is the procurer of a ciuill muti∣nie and dissension between our soule and body, and that his meere absence bringe•• in a dissolution of our temperate political state: if we waigh his excellent qualities he is endowed with, wherein consists the vni∣on of the parts of the whole, I meane hea•• and moisture: If we note his delicat viand, his delicious fare he feedes vpon in his pu∣rity: his maiesty in aspiring so hie, his hum∣litie in, as it were, debasing himselfe so low, as to take notice of his lowest subiect, the most inferiour part, to kisse euen our to•• (as it is in the prouerbe) to do vs good: If we note the mighty potentates that rebe•• and wage warre against him, to ruinate his kingdome: as Acrasia, Angor, Inedi••: all in•• continence and intemperance of Bacch••, Cer••s and Venus, Care, Famine, and the like. If we poise all these together & many m••e we cannot but imagin that the blood is ei∣ther a caelestiall maiesty, or a terrestriall dei∣ty, that among all the humors it doth farre excell all, and that hee which is possessed with a sanguine pure complection is gra∣ced

with the princeliest and best of all. For the externall habit of body, for rare fea∣ture they go beyond al that haue this tem∣per, being most deckt with beautie which consists in a sweet mixture of these two co∣lours white and redde, and for the gifts of the minde it is apparent likewise to our vn¦derstāding that they do surpasse al, hauing such pure tempered & refined spirits: nei∣ther do I thinke that either melancholick men according to Aristotle, or cholericke men according to the opinion of Petrus Crinitus are inriched with a greater treasu∣ry of wit, for if the soule do follow the tē∣perature of the body, as certainely it doth, they then must needs excell for inuention who haue this best complectiō. Their spi∣rits sure haue the most exact temper of all, wherwith the soule as being in a paradise is cheefly delighted. Among all the humors the sanguine is to be preferd saith the Anti¦qu••ry: first because it coms nearest vnto the principles & groūd works of our life which stands in an attempered heat & moisture. Secondly because it is the matter of the spi¦rits, where of chiefly dependes our life, the operation of our vegetatiue & animall ver¦tue, yea it is the chiefe instrument where∣with

our reasonable soule doth operate: for this is the philosophers climax. In the ele∣ments consists the body, in the body the blood, in the blood the spirits, in the spirits soule. Thirdly because it is a nutriment for all and singular parts of what qualities so∣euer. It is tearmed in Hebrue 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sanguis for his nutrition, and sure it is, as it were, the dam or nurse from whose teats the whole body doth suck out and draw life.

Fourthly in that this humor being spēt our life also must needs vanish away: ther∣fore some philosophers, as it is wel known to the learned, did not onely surmise, but constantly auer that the soule was blood, because it being effused, the soule also doth flit from the body: but that was a madde dreame, & no doubts if the sound of iudge ment had awoke them they woulde haue confessed themselues to haue been enwrap ped in a clowdy errour. They also that af∣firme men of this constitution to be dul∣lards and fooles to haue a pound of folly to an ounce of pollicy, they themselues do seeme not to haue so much as a dram of discretion: and do erre the whole hea∣uens. I confesse a sanguine complection may be so, as any other in their discrasie,

yet not as it is a pure sanguine complecti∣on, but as there is mixed with the blood either the grosse sediments of melancholy or the lenta materies pituitae, tough phleume, when the blood is also ouerheated by rea∣son of hot choler, or any other accidenta∣ry cause that generates a surplussage of blood, or endues the spirits with a grose∣nes and too hot a qualitie more then their nature can well sustaine with keeping their perfection and puritie.

From whence the blood hath his ori∣ginall, it is apparently knowne, especially to them which are skild in the autopsie of Anatomie, the seat or fountaine head of it, is vena caua a great hollow veine, which strikes through the liuer, from whence it is conueighed by many cesterns, passages, and conduit pipes, throughout the whole body: like spraies and branches from the stemme of a tree. It hath his essēce from the chymus or juice of our aliment concocted: his rednesse is caused by the vertue of the liuer, assimilating it vnto his owne colour.

To speake more of the externall habit and demeanour of man that hath this com∣plection: he euer hath an amiable looke,

a flourishing fresh visage, a beautiful color which as the poet saith doth greatly com∣mend one, if all other thinges be wanting▪

N••e minor his aderat subli••is gratia, formae, Quae vel, si desint coetera cuncta, placet.

With vertues grac'd full debonaire was I, Which (all defac'd) more highly dignifie.

They that are of this complection ar•• very affable in speach, and haue a graci∣ous faculty in their deliuery, much addi∣cted to witty conceits, to a scholerlike 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, being fac••tosi not ac••tosi: quip∣ping without bitter taunting: hardly ta∣king any thing in dogeon, except they be greatly moued, with disgrace especially: wisely seeming eyther to take a thing some times more offensiuely, or lesse greiuous∣ly then they do, ••loaking their true pas∣sion: they bee liberally minded; they carry a constant louing affection to them chief∣ly vnto whom they be endeared, and with whom they are intimate, and chained in the links of true amitie, neuer giuing o∣uer till death such a conuerst freind, ex∣cept on a capitall discontent: they are very

hairy: their head is commonly a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or amber-coloured, so their ••eards, they are much delighted with a musicall con∣sent and harmony, hauing so sw••e a s••pathy themselues of soule and body. And but for one fault they are ••ainted with, they more well be tearmed Heroe•• ho∣minum, and that is (〈◊〉〈◊〉 reason of that liue∣ly abounding humour) they are somewhat too prone to Venery, which greatly al∣ters their blessed state of cōstitutiō, drinks vp their hu••dum rad••le, enfeebleth the diuinest powers, consumes their pith, and spends the substance of the braine for sper∣ma is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as many philosohhers, not without great reason affeuere: not ter ••ncoctus sanguis, therefore as Macrobius saith, Hippocrates cals 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that coitus est paruus morbus comitia∣lis, and but for this they were supereminēt aboue all men, but their rare qualities and admirable vertues, do more then coūter∣poize this naturall fault. For his resolutiō he is like the center, immoueable, neuer caried away with the heady streame of a∣ny base affection, but lies at the anchor of confidence and boldnes: he is neuer light∣ly variable: but beeing proudly harnest

with a steely hart, he wil run vpō the push of great danger, yea, hazard his life against all the affronts of death it selfe: if it stand ether with the honour of his soueraigne, the welfare and quiet of his own country, the after fame and renowne of himselfe: els is he chary and wary to lay himselfe o∣pen to any daunger, if the finall end of his endeauour and ••oile bee not plausible in his demur ring judgement.

Notes

• Coelius Rhodigi¦nus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Cornelius Gallus of him selfe.
• Stillicidium cerebri. Macrobius lib. 1. Saturnal. at the end.