CHAP. XXV. Of Eggs and their proprieties.AS at Creation, so our book proceeds,Hens before Eggs, perfection's in the deedsOf the best best Opificer; he madeNothing potentiall, perfect 'twas when said,That Protoplastes the first species fram'dEntire, nothing was impotent or maim'dIn its own essence, then he vertues gave,Prolifick and conservative, to saveAnd propagate, which hid in seminall power,Traduces the first work unto this hour;The parent, not the chick, oviparous,The mothers labour hatch'd in feather'd houseOf her own body, yet 't doth safer dwell,And hath a cottage of its own, a shell:Our subject is this Embrion in's cradle,Both possible to live and to be adle,Or damn'd to be devour'd before a tastOf life, and into various coquery cast▪Bred of D. Harvey's opinion. contagion of Sir Chanticlers,Upon the bag prolifick, the case cleer,And setled now in plain Anatomy,'A spiritiz'd flavour gets, and egge, and me,So that the cock-tread and the grosser sperm(Which our old Philosophy affirmDid generation raise) are onely hereThe conduct and the warm conveyancerOf this brave Monsieur, and Grand Signiour spright,Whose warm Afflation does the work o'th' night:This Egge I set before you, (Madam) slothMakes this poor Book Trencher and Table-cloth,0