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CHAP. XVIII. The image of terrour sifted.

I Have hitherto produced the unheard, of poyson of the Pest: To wit, that the soul, and the vital Archeus thereof, are powerful in an imagination proper to themselves: But that that power of the a foresaid imagination, is to form Idea's; not indeed, those which may be any longer a Being of Reason, or a non-being; but that they have alto∣gether actually, the true Entity of a subsisting image: which imagination surely, see∣ing it is a work of the flesh, and also common to bruits, as to us; hence indeed, it is framed in the outward man, from which, nothing but [this somethings] being far dif∣ferent from a spiritual conception, proceedeth: But for-the obtainment of which subsisting entity, the Archeus himself so cloaths his own conception (which as yet, is a meer and abstracted mental Idea) in his own wrappery, or in a particle of his own air, that what he conceived in himself by an abstracted conception of imagination, that very thing the Archeus presently arraieth and cloatheth with the vital air; So as that afterwards, it is a subsisting Being, to wit, an image framed from imagination.

Moreover, as there are diverse unlikenesses of conceptions and passions, according to the liberty of that Protheus; so undoubtedly there are also, manifold varieties of those same images, far seperated from each other, and the Idea's of these, being cloathed with, engraven in, and having made use of the vital spirits, do diametrically utter forth unlike operations in us: And therefore the images of terrour are very poysonsom, and potent to defile the vital spirit bearing a co-resemblance with them, which unhabites as well in the heart and arteries, as in the very family of the solid parts it self; To wit, the which image, and most powerfull efficacy thereof, I have already before, and many times elsewhere demonstrated as much as I could: I have said also, and demonstrated, that the same image is the essential, formal, and immediate essential thinglinesse of the Pest: Because that the plague is not unfrequently framed, from a terrour of the plague only, although there fore-existed not a material cause from whence it might be drawn. I have afterwards treated by the way, of the preservation, and curing of the Pest by a Zenexton, and remedies in times past used in Hipocrates his time; yet ••here hath not as yet been enough spoken for the present age, in order to a cure: For truly, very many difficulties of∣fer themselves, which have not been sufficiently cleered up.

First of all, the image of terrour is only one indeed, in its own kind, and therefore it may be difficulty understood, that the Pest should be able by the one only and uniforme I∣dea of affrightment, to afflict so diverse things, and not only in distinct emunctories, but equally, so distinct parts throughout the whole body, at its pleasure.

Secondly, And then, that the same image of terrour should be able only by its beck,

to stamp products so different from each other: Such as are Carbuncles, Buboes, Escha••s, little bladders, Pustu••es, Tumours, Tokens, &c.

Thirdly, in that the one only Idea of terrour should invade and besiege, not only the external parts, but also the stomach, and likewise the head, &c.

Fourthly, that a unity of that Idea, should sometimes produce a most sharp disease; at another time, a disease that is slow, and twinkling by degrees; elsewhere, a disease by de∣grees decaying of its own accord; since such effects may seem to accuse, rather a diversity of the poyson, than an identity or sameliness thereof.

Fifthly, that the Archeus of man being sore afraid of the poysonous Idea of terrour, and as it were, a run-away, should have the power and courage of producing an Eschar in the skin, like unto a bright-burning iron.

Sixthly, because doatage, I say, and watching, seem not to bud from the same Beginning, with a deep sleepy drowsiness. But one only answer, easily blots out every such kind of perplexity: For indeed, every first conception, and the first assaults or violent motions of conceptions, do happen beneath the Di••phrag••a or midriff-partition, which there∣fore are denied to be subject to reason, or to be in our power: Wherefore that Hypo∣chondriacal passions do grow in the same place, every age hath already granted: and then, that the pest or plague is oftentimes immediately introduced from a pestilent ter∣rour, none doubteth; which terrour, as it is framed by the imagination of that place; So also, the image of terrour is stamped, from whence the imagination hath drawn an Ety∣mology to it self: But such an image is not idle, or without a faculty of operating; see∣ing none is ignorant, that most diseases have took their beginning from naked perturbati∣ons or disturbances.

In the next place, terrour is not only the dread of the Soul of man, and of Reason a∣lone; but also the Archeus himself is terrified, and wroth, with a certain natural ferven∣cy, and the illurements of passions. Furthermore, terrour stamps indeed an image, the Ef∣fectress of the plague, the Mother of confusion and terrour; but that image assumes not a poyson from an undistinct confusion of terrour, from a confused terrour, and from the fear or flight of the forsaking Archeus: But as every Serpent, and mad dog, produceth a poyson, by the conception of a furious anger; So also, the terrour of the Archeus is not sufficient for the producement of a pestilent image, unless the fury of the Archeus shall bring forth a poysonous image, which also pi••rceth and is married to the image of ter∣rour.

Hence indeed it comes to pass, that the Pest is for the most part bred about the sto∣mach, and doth there manifest it self by loathings, vomiting, lack of appetite, pain of the head, a Fever, drowsie evils, and at length Deliriums or doating delusions: For truly, I have amply enough demonstrated elsewhere, concerning Fevers, and in the Treatise of the Duumvirate, that this houshold-stuff is conversant about the stomach: For an Eschar is not made in a dead body, but only in live ones; and so, from the life, and Archeus himself (even as concerning sensations elsewhere) who being wroth, brings forth the i∣mage of fury, which was bred to change its self, and the whole spirit of the Archeus, and the inflowing spirit of the Arterial blood it self, into a corroding Alcali: For the vi∣tal spirit, which in its first rise, was in the digestion of the stomach, materially sharp, and which in the succeeding digestions, is made salt, and volatile, doth formally degenerate, and is made a corrosive salt, and a volatile Alcali, the efficient of the Corrosion and Eschar: For, for the madness of so strange and forreign a transmutation (to wit, produ∣ced from a strange and forreign image) whatsoever is vital in the very solid substance of the parts it self, all that, through the wrothful vital principle being angry and enra∣ged, is enflamed, and brings forth divers diseases (which are plain to be seen in the burn∣ing coal, in the Persick fire, in a Gangren, in an Erisipelas, &c.) It is manifest therefore, that from the same Beginning of the Archeus being sore affrighted, and enraged into a dog-like madness, it happens, that the plague is ••iversly stirred up, sometimes in the sto∣mach, sometimes in the skin, Glandules, Emunctory places, and also, now and then, in the very solid family it self, of ••e similar parts, or bowels; from whence mortal spots, Es∣chars, and combustions do happen, according to the diversity of the parts, whereunto the Archeus being full of fury; and full of terrour, shall divert himself: But that the Archeus being terrified, and a run-away, and returning as half in a rage, is made so ho∣stile unto the parts his Clients, over which he alone is president, the confirmation thereof is not elsewhere to be fetched, than that a thorn is thrust into the finger, which by the fat or grease of an Ha••e, is safely expelled without discommodities, as that remedy as∣swageth the fury of the Archeus: which thorn doth otherwise, stir up a great Tragedy of

fury: For the Archeus brings forth a poyson in his Clients, by his own fury, the which otherwise, a simple small wound would willingly be ignorant of. Conceive thou, how unlike is the wound of phlebotomy, and the sting of a Bee: And likewise the stroak of phlebotomy that is clean, how far doth it differ from the prick of unclean phlebotomy. Its no wonder therefore that the seat where the image of the conceived terrour, and piercing of the combined image of fury shall first happen, is hostilely disturbed, is furi∣ously scorched; yet oftentimes poysonous, tempests, are transmitted and chased unto the more outward habit of the body, by the implanted spirit of life, unto places I say, whi∣ther the Latex or liquor of the veins tendeth of its own free accord, in time of health, or they are dismissed unto the external habit of the body: And therefore, whatsoever is to be done in the Pest, that is to be cured with speed: For sometimes the image of the Pest, is cloathed only with the inflowing spirit, and then medicines that provoke sweat do readily succour: But where the inhering and in-bred Archeus conceiveth the image of his terrour, and fury in the solid parts, unless he presently resign up and lay aside the con∣ceived image, unto and in the spermatick nourishment (I have called that corrupt nou∣rishment the Tartar of the blood) and produce a tumour, there is danger least it pre∣sently pass over into the very substance of the solid parts, which contains an unexcusable detriment of death: And therefore, that the plague may not take up for it self a tough Inn within the body, we must procure, that the pestilent image do not long float within; but that the whole houshold-stuff be allured forth, and fall out by sweat: For the Carline Thistle, is said to have been in times past, shewn unto an Emperour, by an Angel, for the plague of his Army (perhaps therefore called Angel-Thistle) because the first rise of the image of the Pest, stirs up drowsie evils, loathings, a Fever, vomiting, and head-aches a∣bout the stomach; but the herb Ixia or Chamilion, drives away sleep, and much more deep drowsinesses against Nature; and therefore they hope, that the extraction of fresh Carline Thistle, should not be unfruitful for the plague that is newly begun.