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.

QVEST. VIII. How the faculty is wrought in the Sense.

SEeing that (as Galen in the 6. Chapter of his second booke de Placitis witnes∣seth) * 1.1 Sense is not an alteration, but a discerning or knowing of the alteration; because the sensatiue faculty is not affected with the Obiect, but onely the Or∣gan: it may therefore heere worthily be doubted, how the faculty can attayne to the knowledge of the Obiect, seeing it suffereth nothing from it, neither doth the Ob∣iect Act before the faculty perceiue. For the Action of the sensatiue faculty is a knowing and diiudication of the sensible thing: but it seemeth not to be possible, that the sensatiue faculty can come to the knowledge of the Obiect, except that either the faculty be some way affected by the Obiect, or the Obiect by the faculty, but neither of these can be. For first, the Obiect cannot work vpon the faculty, because an incorporeall thing, is not affec∣ted * 1.2 by that which is corporeall. But the faculty is incorporeall, and the Obiect corporeall. Beside, the Soule is not capable of Passion, and therefore neither are her faculties capa∣ble. Neither can the sensatiue faculty alter or change the Obiect. And this is playne, as * 1.3 by many other reasons, so also because her sole and onely Action is Sensation. I say therefore, how comes it to the knowledge of his Obiect? And what is the efficient cause of the diiudication or iudgement, which the faculty giues of the sensible Obiect, which we perceiue to arise from the motion of the Organ.

I answere: that the sensatiue faculty doth suffer, and is changed by the Obiect, not by * 1.4 it selfe but by accident, to wit, as the organ whose formall part & Essence the faculty is, is changed by it. For seeing the faculty is as it were the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or forme from whence the

Action of the organ doth proceede, when this corporeall Instrument is changed by the sensible obiect, it remaineth that the Faculty itselfe (which together with his sensible in∣strument doth grow vp into one bodie, and do both conspire vnto the same action) is al∣tred by accident and doth perceiue the alteration of his Organ. For all Organs of sensati∣on do suffer by reason of their bodye, but in respect of their Sensatiue Faculty they per∣forme an Acte.

Passion doth affect the Facultie as it depends vpon the organ; Action is the diiudi∣cation of iudgement, which is the office of the sensitiue Facultie, or of the whole organ in respect of that Faculty wherewith it is endowed: not that the Faculty itselfe is altered or doth suffer, but because it Perceyueth the alteration of the organ.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Question. Sense is no alteration, but a know∣ledge of the alteration.
• * 1.2

  The Obiect cannot worke vpon the fa∣culty.
• * 1.3

  The faculty cānot change the Obiect. Solution.
• * 1.4

  The Organ is changed by it selfe, the fa∣culty as it is in the Organ.