Mikrokosmographia a description of the body of man. Together vvith the controuersies thereto belonging. Collected and translated out of all the best authors of anatomy, especially out of Gasper Bauhinus and Andreas Laurentius. By Helkiah Crooke Doctor of Physicke, physitian to His Maiestie, and his Highnesse professor in anatomy and chyrurgerie. Published by the Kings Maiesties especiall direction and warrant according to the first integrity, as it was originally written by the author.

What the Body of Man differeth from other Creatures, and what it hath proper and peculiar in the composition and frame thereof. Chap. IIII.

ANd now, least those that are skilfull and learned, should want any thing in our discourse that belongeth to the dignity of Man, and his admirable and wonderfull frame and composition; let vs proceede vnto such other things, as the diuine wisedome, the Mother and Gouernor of all things hath vouchsafed only to man, and see in what and how much the body of man differeth from the rest of the creatures. As in man & other creatures there is the same manner of life and nourishment, so the frame and structure of the vitall & naturall organes or instruments is not vnlike in them both; but as for the sences and power of motion, wherein the Nature of the Animality (you must giue leaue to a Philosopher to vse his owne tearmes) or liuelyhood consisteth, forasmuch as in man they do attend vpon, and serue a more noble Forme, and are prepared to more diuine vses, then for the auoiding of euill, and such other obiects of the appetite; it was therefore requisite, that they should haue Organs framed and made with more curious and exquisite workemanship. There are therefore in man, ouer and besides those things that are already handled, namely, his vp∣right figure, and his Hands, which no other creatures haue; there are I say, many things in * 1.1 the structure and composition of the animall organes, proper and peculiar to man, which do yet more demonstratiuely prooue, yea and expresse also the dignity of his bodie. For to run through all, from the head to the feet. First, of al liuing creatures, only man hath a head made into a round and circular forme, as it were turned on a wheele, both that it might be * 1.2 the more capeable to receiue a greater quantity of braynes, and lesse apt to be ouer-taken with danger either from without or within; as also, for the more ease in moouing and tur∣ning about; and lastly, because it was to be the mansion house of Reason, that is, the soule. Now we know, that the Soule was infused into vs from Heauen, which euen to our sence is round and circular: seeing then her heauenly habitation is round before shee be infused, it was likewise requisite, that her mansion heere below should bee orbicular also; yet is the head of man not exquisitely round as a Bowle is, but after a sort somewhat long also, rising vp in the two crownes, and on the sides it becommeth depressed and flatted. Onely Man of all liuing creatures, hath for his bignesse, a braine very large and spacious, and also very * 1.3 moyst and watery, the better to performe the varietie of the Animal functions and offices; for the Soule doth not execute hir offices without the helpe of the Spirits: the matter and the substance of the Spirits is blood, now plenty of blood is not conteyned, nor cannot be concluded within a little and small body.

The face is saide also to bee proper vnto man alone, whereupon the Greekes call it * 1.4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by a name deriued from the thing it selfe, because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it seeth and is seene a farre off; to other creatures Nature hath giuen onely a mouth or a beake: but in the face of man, courage, shamefastnesse, and maiesty, haue their abode, and therefore man alone is bashfull & shamefast. At the beholding of this face, all creatures are affrigh∣ted, because in it there shine foorth more beames of the diuine Nature, then in all the bo∣dy besides.

Furthermore, this one thing is admirable therein, that whereas in our face and coun∣tenance there are ten particles, or not many moe, yet you shall not finde any two among many thousands of men, that haue their countenance in all parts alike, but there is some diuersity, both in the lines, and in the proportion. * 1.5

Man alone hath his eyes enamelled with diuers colours, & that in great variety; where∣as other Creatures (the horse excepted) are in their kinds alwayes alike; so shall you finde oxen to haue all blacke eyes, Sheepe watry, other creatures red.

The eyes of Man are distant one from the other but a very little space, in respect of * 1.6 our proportion of magnitude with other creatures, that so the spirits might bee the more nimble, and more speedily transmitted from one eye to another.

Man alone of all creatures (saith Pliny) hath his eyes vitiated and corrupted, yea and * 1.7 sometimes one or both wanting; whereupon came the names or nick-names of Strabo, one that is squint-eyed or goggle-eyed, and Paetus for one that hath rouling eyes, or squinted vpward.

The haires of the eye-lids are in four-footed Beasts only on the vpper lid, in Birds on * 1.8 the neather; Man onely (the Estrich excepted) hath haires on both sides, both on the vp∣per and neather lid. * 1.9

The nose of a man is higher, and standeth further out then the rest of his face for de∣cency and comelinesse; in other creatures it is not so, but is flatted with the scull.

Onely in man the eares are fixed and immooueable, and placed on either side in a * 1.10 right line with the eyes: only in Man (except it be Apes, which are neerest to the proporti∣on of mans body) are those bones we call Clauiculae or Cannell bones, which serue to esta∣blish the arme, that in the diuers and sudden motions thereof, it might not be dislocated.

There is no creature but Man hath Dugges in the forepart of his body, the Elephants * 1.11 haue indeed two dugs or paps, but not in their breast.

Those parts which in Man are foremost, that is, on the forepart, as the breast, the bel∣ly, * 1.12 the wezon, &c. foure-footed Beasts haue them below next vnto the ground, and those that man hath on the hinder part, as the backe, the loynes, and the buttockes, Beasts haue them in their vpper part.

Man of all creatures is couered with the fewest haires, vnlesse it be in his head, which * 1.13 as it is the moystest part of his body, so also it is the most replenished with haires.

Againe, in creatures that are couered with haires, those parts are most hairy that bend downward toward the ground, the rest are either smooth without haire, or not so full of * 1.14 them. On the contrary, Man is most hairy on the forepart, because haires were made for a couering; the prone or bending parts of Beasts, stand in need to be couered, yet the fore∣parts are indeede more noble, but they are cherished and in some sort couered by the bow∣ing and bending of the body: But in Man by reason of his lofty and vpright frame & com∣position of bodye, the forepart is alike exposed to outward iniury as the hinder part, and therefore it was meete the more noble part should bee couered, and (as it were) defended * 1.15 with haires.

Onely Man hath haires growing vnder the arme-holes, and about the priuie members.

Man alone growes hoarie haired, and bald-headed. * 1.16

The legs or haunches of all foure-footed Beastes, are abundantly full of bones and sin∣newes, but very scantie of flesh; on the contrary, Man hath almost no part of his bodie, * 1.17 more fleshy then his hips, legs, and thighes.

Four-footed beasts do bow both their fore-legs and their hinder legs contrary to man, for he bowes his armes backward, and his legs forward. * 1.18

Man, when he is come to his full growth hath his vpper part lesser then his nether part; but before hee bee growne, his vpper part is the greater; so is it not with the rest of the creatures; and therefore his manner of going is not at all times alike, but at first in his in∣fancy he creepes on all foure, afterwards by little and little hee raiseth vp himselfe, and at

length goes vpon his two feete.

In other creatures there is no difference of the bones, but they doe all appeare perfect, * 1.19 euen from their beginning; but in Children the fore-part of the head is soft and tender, & long before it be hardned. And whereas all other creatures come toothed into the world, Man begins not to haue teeth till the seauenth month after his birth.

Furthermore, of all creatures (excepting birds) that liue vpon the land, Man alone is * 1.20 two-footed, which mooued Plato to define him, Animal bipes implume; which definition Diogenes worthily derided, when hee flung a Cocke whose feathers he had pluckt off, into the Schoole, and cried out, Behold Platoes Man. * 1.21

Onely Man by the straitnesse of his legges goes exactly vpright.

Onely Man vseth to sit, both because he cannot stand long, as the brute beastes may, * 1.22 which haue foure feete, and besides do lye vsually to rest themselues, prostrate vppon the ground; for that two feet cannot long beare the weight of the whole body: as also because it is necessary for more noble and excellent vses, to wit, for the practising and exercising of Arts, and for contemplation.

Onely Man hath a skin polished, smooth, cleare, and very temperate; other creatures * 1.23 haue either a shelly or scaly skin, or altogether hairy, or els too soft, because Touching is the ground and foundation of all the sences; and therefore the more simple and pure the touching is, the clearer also and the purer is the sence, and the phantasmes or imaginations the more subtle: by meanes whereof, the operation of the soule, is so much the more lof∣ty and profound. And for this cause, Aristotle in his second Booke De Anima, is of opi∣nion, that the strength and vigor of the wit and vnderstanding, are to bee iudged of by the * 1.24 coursenesse or finenesse of the touch.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What there is in mans bo∣dy, proper & peculiar to Man.
• * 1.2

  1. A round head
• * 1.3

  2. A large brain
• * 1.4

  3. Man onely hath a face.
• * 1.5

  4. Eyes of diuers colours.
• * 1.6

  5. The distance of the eyes.
• * 1.7

  6. The depraua∣tion of the eyes. Plin. lib. 11. ca. 37.
• * 1.8

  7. Hairs on both sides the eies.
• * 1.9

  8. A nose stand∣ing out.
• * 1.10

  9. Eares imoue∣able. Cānell bones.
• * 1.11

  10. Dugges.
• * 1.12

  11 The diuersity of scituation of the parts.
• * 1.13

  12 Fewes haires.
• * 1.14

  13 A difference in those parts that are coue∣red with hairs
• * 1.15

  14 Haire vnder the arm holes
• * 1.16

  15 Man alone hoary hayred.
• * 1.17

  16 Hips, legs, & thighes full of flesh.
• * 1.18

  17 The maner of bowing of the parts vnlike to other crea∣tures.
• * 1.19

  19 The difference of the bones.
• * 1.20

  20 Man alone two sooted. Plato derided by Diogenes.
• * 1.21

  21 Man alone go eth vpright.
• * 1.22

  22 Man alone sitteth.
• * 1.23

  23 Man alone hath a smooth and slick skin
• * 1.24

  Aristotle.