CHAP. XXVI. The Spirit of Life.

I Have discoursed already before of the Archeus, as it were the Vulcan in the seed, and af∣ter what manner he may dispose of all things, as well in generation, as in the transmutations of meats, throughout the course of life; which office doth properly respect the inbred or implanted spirit: But now, how, and whence the spirit floating in the Arteries may be con∣stituted by occasion of the Blas of man already described; consequently I have undertaken to explain in this path, their Office, and Properties.

The Schools teach, That nourishments are first changed into Chyle, and then into digested juice and venal bloud, and so that a certain naturall spirit is made in the Liver, which afterward by [ 1] a repeated digestion of the heart, is changed into vital, and at length is in the Brain made animal or sensitive, so as that the natural spirit is ordained for nourishing of the parts, but the vital for the preserving of the same, and the animal for the functions of sense, motion, and the soul. But I think it hath been far otherwise Phylosophized, and farther proceeded: For they had known out of Hippocrates, That a certain spirit is that thing which causeth violence, or maketh the assaults. But it was not sufficient to know, that there is a certain Spirit to have told by what instru∣ments it should be made, or what it might act, unlesse they should explain also the disposi∣tion, substance, and properties of the same, together with the manner of its making.

I have elsewhere delivered, That of any plant, and fruit, a ferment being applyed, Aqua vitae or a water of life may be made; which thing seeing it is commonly known, while out [ 2] of Grains, Hydromel or Water and Honey, and juices, it frameth a water of life; The Proposition needs no demonstration.

Page  193 But Aqua vitae is a volatile Liquor, Oylie (as it is wholly enflamed) and wholly Salt (as being sharp, biting, as being detained the longer in the mouth, it burns the upper skin of the gums and lips) and is one and the same simple thing, and so it containeth two only, and not the three Chymical Beginnings: So indeed, That according to the will of the Artificer, the whole Aqua vitae may be made Salt, or Oyl, that is, That those Beginnings are not Beginnings not constant things, but changeable at the will of man.

But the Wine as to its Winie part, contains a spirit answering to Aqua vitae: For this is [ 4] searched through the Arteries of the stomack unto the head, without the maturities of other shops.

So that if more wine be in the stomack than is meet, drunkennesse follows, as the spirit of [ 5] the wine doth flow more largely into the head, than that by a fit space or interval, it can be changed by an individuating humane limitation: For from hence the changing, and likewise the operation of the ferment is manifest.

Notwithstanding, in Wine, that spirit is milder than Aqua vitae which is drawn forth by distillation: which thing appears from the like in Oyl of Olives: For the Oyl (which they [ 6] call Oyl of Tiles or Bricks, or Olem Phylosophorum) being distilled, doth far differ from the Oylinesse which is drawn out of simple Oyl, by digestion only with the circulated Salt of Paracelsus: for that circulated Salt is seperated the same in vertue, and weight, after it hath divided the oyl of Olives into its diversities of parts: For a sweet, and twofold Oyl is sepera∣ted out of oyl of Olives, even as a most sweet spirit out of wine, being far severed from the tartnesse of Aqua vitae.

Whence I have learned by consequence, That whatsoever is distilled only by fire, doth far [ 7] recede from the vertues of the composed body. But in us, although meat doth putrifie after [ 8] its own manner (to wit, if that putrefaction be a mean of transchanging a thing into a thing) yet in our digestions, by that putrefaction (I speak of the action of the ferment of the stomack) Aqua vitae is not extracted out of Potherbs, Graines, Apples, or Pulses: For truly, the in∣tention of nature is not then to procreate an Aqua vitae; and there is one ferment in us, whereby things are resolved into Chyle, and another whereby things do send forth an Aqua vitae or a water of Life out of themselves: For while herbs do putrifie in water through a ferment, the stalk, stumps or stocks, and leaves do remain whole in their antient figure and hardness for the extraction of Aqua vitae, which being eaten by us, are turned into Chyle and loose their first face.

Wherefore I have comprehended as many varieties of putrefactions, and as many dungs of one bread different in the particular kind, as there are particular kinds of living crea∣tures [ 9] nourished by bread: Yea, further, far more ferments of bread, because bread doth pu∣trifie as yet by more means as well of its own accord, as from an appointment: But what is spoken of bread, as much is said of other meats. The Schools indeed knew, That nothing doth profit us, which should not contain a Beginning or Essay of life in its root (and so therefore they do admit of the air for the increase of spirit, being deceiued by the Lessons of Poets, who call them Vitall airs) to wit, they would have in the venal bloud, a spirit of the Liver, natural∣ly actually to be, and to glister like air.

For they thought it to be a vapour; being ignorant that a vapour is never made an uncoagu∣lable [ 10] Gas, an air, sky, or wild exhalation, but that it alwayes remains water. Therefore they thought a vapour exhaling from the venal bloud, hunted outwards (even as out of a cer∣tain luke-warm Liquor) should be that spirit of the venal bloud, whence vital spirit should be materially framed. But surely the venal bloud, as long as it flowes in the vessels of the Mesenterie and Port vein, is void of spirit; Wherefore it being also called out by laaxtive Medicines, it is voided forth stinking, without any notable token of weaknesse, which comes not so to passe, if it hath once well touched at the hollow vein: Because then the venal bloud is Homogeneally or after one and the same kind sealed in its entrance, that it may be made the bloud of the Artery, and spirit; and therefore it is in the Holy Scriptures indifferently with the Arterial blood, called a Red spirit, in which the Soul inhabits:

Although that be properly understood of the Arterial bloud; Because the Scripture is [ 11] there speaking of men stabbed or slain, whose venal bloud is poured out, together with their arterial bloud. I shall at sometime teach concerning digestions, that whatsoever is made or composed in the stomack, that doth wax soure there by a ferment, (also Sugar it self, not in∣deed with a sournesse or sharpness of Vinegar, Oyl of unripe Olives, Citron, or Vitriol, but by its own like ferment, and with a specifical sowrenesse, although it symbolizeth or co∣agreeth with other sowre things, in that which is sowre: Yet the sharpnesse is diverse from them all by an internall power. And that sowreness of meats is perfectly volatile: Neither doth that hinder, that the Chyle in Youths doth assume the fixednesse of a bone, as also in the Page  194 fractures of bones: For the Chyle of the stomack is the same after growth, as it was in a Youth: But all that is at length discussed without any remainder of it self: it again retakes the nature of a bone in a callous concretion in the solidness of fractures: And therefore for that very cause all Chyle is volatile, and thus far it sometimes doth assume the disposition of spirit in the venal bloud: Not indeed because there is a natural spirit in it, and diverse from the ve∣nal bloud; but rather because the whole venal bloud hath obtained a spiritual Character in the promise, John 5. The water, the bloud, and the spirit are one.

But I will teach concerning digestions, after what sort that sowreness in the Chyle may be [ 12] transchanged into a volatile Salt, whose excrementitious part is banished with Urine and Sweats. But the very Masse of venal bloud, through the fermental virtue of the heart, and assistance of the Pulses, doth passe over into Arterial bloud, of yellow, looking reddish; whence it is made vital spirit; And so, is not the air or vapour of the venal bloud, but the venal bloud it self is brought into arterial bloud, and from thence at length into vital spirit. For the Office of the Liver is univocal, and is called Sanguification, but not the creation of spirit, which do differ far from each other. For neither do so many, and so diverse Offices belong to one bowel, especially because the rude heap of venal bloud, is not yet a fit seminary for the spirits: For it is sufficient for the Liver being enriched with so few Arteries, and a com∣munion of life, that it performeth a true transmutation of the Chyle into venal bloud, and a true generation of a new Being. But in the heart, as it were the fountain of life, it is first of all meditated concerning vital Beginnings: For the Venal bloud is there extenuated into Arterial bloud, and vital air: which two are wholly perfected by one only action, according to the more ready, and slow obedience of the venal bloud: For the venal bloud is made with the in-thickning of the Chyle or Cream, therefore by the separation of the liquid excrement, or urine: But the spirit is made with the attenuating or making thin of that which is in-thick∣ned: Both which actions so opposite, do not therefore agree with one Liver. But if the Schools will have a natural spirit to have fore-existed in meats, but to have received a perfe∣ction in the Liver: But yet it easily expires in things boyled, cocted and roasted: And if any doth by chance remain, that spirit is not the hepatical or Liverie one of our Family Go∣verment.

I confesse indeed, that the Spirit of wine is the spirit of Vegetables, and is easily snatched into the Arteries, as it were a simple Resembler, previously disposed, that it may easily passe over into vital spirit: But from thence the Schools do frame nothing for their spirit of the Liver: For the Spirit of wine is immediately snatched into the Arteries, out of the sto∣mack, without digestion: Neither is it taken as a vital companion by the degree of venal bloud; it is also easily from thence gathered, that the vital spirit doth not presuppose a natural one: And what I have said is manifest: For truly, they which suffer fainting or trembling of the heart, do presently and immediately feel the spirit of wine to be admitted into the fel∣lowship of life, for neither then also are they made drunk by much wine abundantly drun∣ken.

Otherwise, Wine being as yet corporally existing within the stomack, drunkenness doth not from elsewhere proceed, than because the winie spirit is abundantly snatched into the heart, [ 13] and head, and there breeds a confusion of the fore-existing spirits, it self being a stranger, not yet polished in the shop of the heart. Therefore the venal blood it selfe, let it be the spirit of the Liver, corporal, coagulated into a matter, and subjected to a vital Goverment: with me it may be so; so that we understand it Rhetorically: to wit, the venal bloud it self to be an object capable, and a matter that it may thereby be made Spirit. And in speaking Phyloso∣phically, or properly, there is no spirit in the venal bloud made for it self by the Liver, be∣cause the labour of Sanguification, seperation of the Liquor Latex, Urine, and Sweat doth employ the Liver: to wit, while those do most swiftly pass thorow the slender Flood-gates of small veins. For the venal bloud although it received an entrance of it self in the Mese∣raick veins, yet the true generation of the same is made, also the endowments of small threds, and coagulation, under the most swift passage, together with its Whey, through the small Trunks of a hairy slendernesse. But if also the generation of spirit, doth moreover employ the Liver: Truly, besides the vain generation of the same, the Liver is to prostrate it self like an Asse, with too much fardle, and plurality of offices: And it is sufficient for the venal bloud, that being made a Citizen of the veins, it doth partake of life, and be illustrated with a vital light. Therefore even as by the ferment, and labour of the heart, the venal bloud is made arterial bloud, and volatile spirit; So a ferment the Vicar of the heart, being drawn from the arteries, they are also made so volatile, that after their consumings they leave no Page  195 remaining lees that do go forth with a totall transpiration of themselves. Therefore the heart doth frame out of the venal bloud, arterial bloud, which it fitteth and extenuateth by the [ 14] same endeavour, and makes so much vital Spirit in the arterial bloud, as the groseness of the venal bloud, and the resisting substance of the same doth permit in so little a space, wherein it is agitated and shaken together within the bosoms of the heart: yea indeed, neither is it enough to have known the venal bloud to be Spirit, also to be brought over into arterial bloud, and to grant a vital Spirit, by whose favour it may be informed by the minde, and be made animate; and from hence at length to be translated into the bosoms, or stomachs of the Brain, there to receive the various limitation of Characters; So that it is made mo∣tive in the thorny marrow or Spina Medullae, as we have seen in the Shops optical or of the sight, which if they are through some errour brought to the tongue, they are plainly un∣profitable for tasting: Wherefore it comes to passe, that oft-times the fingers are benum∣med, some moveable part, looseth (its sense being left) either feeling or motion, for that the parts are bedewed with a strange, and wandring Spirit:

For the Authours of touchings are unfit for motion, and those of this likewise for them; [ 15] But moreover, it behoveth to have known the disposition of the vital Spirit: For truly, it will sometime sufficiently appear, that of soure Chyle, partly venal bloud, and partly salt Urine, and the excrements are made: But that, that excrementitious saltness is a volatile, and salt Spirit, which being co-fermented with Earth, doth at length in part assume the nature of Salt-peter.

The venal bloud also, doth by distillation afford this salt spirit, plainly volatile, and not any thing distinguishable from the spirit of Urine: Yet I have considered that they both do differ [ 16] in this essential property, that the spirit of the Salt of venal bloud doth cure the falling-evill, even of those of ripe age, the spirit of the salt of Urine not so: Therefore it is manifest that in the Venal blood, a salt and volatile spirit is contained: But after what manner all the venal bloud may be transchanged by the ferment of the heart, into spirit, without a diversity of kind, as much as may be said, I have explained in the Treatise of Long Life: Because otherwise, Natures are not to be demonstrated from a former Cause, as neither the opera∣tions of Ferments, because they are essentiall causes for the transmutations of things.

Therefore the vital spirit is saltish, and therefore Balsamical, and a preserver from corrup∣tion, and that not so much by reason of the salt, as in respect of a light conceived in its own [ 17] Salt: And so, neither can air be made the addition or nourishment thereof: For although the Aqua vitae be easily assumed into vital spirit, yet this is not oylie and combustible, but the spirit of wine onely by the touching of a ferment, doth easily ascend wholly into a saltish volatile nature, forthwith assoon as it looseth its oylie or enflamable property.

Even as I have taught by Handicraft operation in the Treatise of Duelech: To wit, after what manner, at one onely instant, Aqua vitae may be truly changed into a yellow gobbet or [ 18] lump, not inflamable; which thing doth more evidently happen to Aqua vitae, by a saltish vital Ferment.

Therefore the Spirit of Wine, is straightway snatched into the heart without delay, or by a further digestion, through the Arteries of the stomach, and restoreth the strength, because it [ 19] is by small labour perfected in the heart: yet we must not think that the vital Spirit is soure, because the Spirit of Salt-peter is pleasingly sharp, and is made at length of the Spirit of Urine: Because the Spirit from whence Salt-peter is coagulated in the Earth, was not soure or sharp while it was the Spirit of Urine: Therefore the vitall Spirit is Salt, not soure (for that which is sharp out of the stomach, is an enemy to the whole Body) being nearer to the Spirit of Urine than to Salt-peter, and it is as yet much more divers from the Spirit of Salt-peter, by the adustion, and co-mingling of the adjunct with the thing extracted: But they do easily perceive the saltness of the vital Spirit, who have had some stupid member, which by degrees receiving touching, doth suffer pricking and stingings, which are the true tokens of saltness. Indeed the saltness of the Spirit may be known, but the light of the same pro∣ceeding immediately and fountainously from the Father of Lights, doth drive away all further search of mortall men.

Furthermore, that the whole venal bloud is a meer Salt, it desires not more strongly to be proved, than because the whole venal bloud is in Ulcers, the dropsie Ascites, &c. homoge∣neally [ 20] made a Liquor, by an immediate degeneration: For the venal bloud is intensly red, but it growes yellow while it is made arterial bloud; because redness waxeth yellow when it is as it were dissolved by a volatile Salt. It is as yet a dead thing, whatsoever I have spo∣ken of hitherto.

Page  196 The vital Spirit performs the offices of life: But the famous top of life is not proper to a Liquor, or exhalation, as they are Salt things: And that the life of things may live, it ought of [ 21] necessity, to have a Light from the Father of Lights: Therefore it behoveth, that the Spirit, or vital Skie or Air, be enlightned with a Light simply vital, not indeed universal, but specifi∣cal and individuating: Nor also with a fiery, burning, enfiaming light, and conspicuous by con∣centred beames; But it is a formal light of the condition of a sensitive Soul. In which word, the descriptions, and further diligent searches of mortal men are stayed: to which end, imagi∣ne thou, that Glow-worms have a light in their belly a little before night, (as also bubbles of the Sea have a night brightness, and very many things, which through purrifying, do pro∣ceed into the last matter of Salts) yet vital, and that which is extinguished together with their life. Suppose thou a certain a like light to be in the spirit of life, which as long as it liveth, shineth, and when it forsaketh the eyes of one dying, they appear horny, and made clean.

And that light is now and then extinguished, the material vital Spirit being as yet safe, in [ 22] the Plague, poyson, sounding, &c. yet thou mayst not think, that the like essence of light is in us, and Glow-worms, that indeed lights do differ onely in the tone or tenor of degrees:

But in very deed, there are as many particular kindes of vital lights, as there are of Crea∣tures that have life. And that is an abundant token of divine bounty, that there are as many [ 23] particular kindes of Lights, which are comprehended in us under one onely notion and word, and that there are as many vital differences as there are Species of vital things: because that those lights are the very lives, Souls and Forms of vital things themselves (yet I except the immortal minde, while I treat of frail lights, although it self also be a certain incomprehen∣sible light) and so by the same Lights themselves, is the alone and every distinction of parti∣cular kindes: Therefore the Father of Lights delighteth in the unutterable abundance of ge∣nerall kindes of Lights, with a far greater bounty, than in fashioning almost infinite varieties in one onely humane countenance: For there is with himself, a certain Common-wealth of Lights, and a Legion of unmemorable Citizens, a certain likeness whereof he expresseth by the Forms of vital things, in the sublunary World.

Therefore the vitall Spirit is arterial bloud resolved by the Ferment of the heart, into a [ 24] salt Air, and enlightned by life: which light is in us hot, of the nature of the Sun, and is cold in a Fish, neither doth it ever aspire unto any power of heat, wherefore our heat is not a con∣sumer of the Original moisture (even as concerning long life) seeing fishes have not hi∣therto escaped death.

Neither could the first men who before the floud, saw a thousand Solar years, have had more [ 25] radical moisture by ten fold, than us, unless they had had all things ten fold more extended; which is an impertinent thing: For truly, it is probable, that Adam being formed by the hand of God, obtained the most exceeding perfect Stature of the Lord Jesus Christ, neither to have exceeded the same. Lastly, Fishes should naturally be immortall, under the frozen Sea, seeing their radical moisture should not there evaporate by heat. Some of our Religi∣ous Country-men are almost for a whole year so cold from the Foot even to the Belly, that they do not feel that they have feet: wherefore they should likewise be longer lived than us, yea and their Legs should be like young mens, when as their whole Breast is crisped with old wrinckles, if primogeneal moisture being consumed by heat, should afford an unavoidable necessity of death. And likewise, as well Fishes as those Religious men, ought to refuse the daily refreshments of nourishment, because scarce any thing doth exspire thorow the pores: or if heat should be of the essence of our life, certainly the part languishing with continual cold, should either die, or at least should be changed into a Fish.

Whence it is plain, that heat is onely an adjacent to our life, and its concomitant token, but [ 26] not the primary foundation thereof.

Therefore the Schools may see, how unfitly they have hitherto circumscribed the whole constitutive temperature of nature in heat: For far be it hereafter so blockishly to phyloso∣phize, [ 27] and not to know, that the consuming of moisture by heat, which is terminated with in-thickning, is one thing; and that which is wholly moved forward to transpiration by an ex∣tenuating Ferment, is by far another: For this leaveth no residence behinde it, but that a Sandy Stone, or Coal.

But if an increased heat doth sometimes rise up in us, so that it is that which doth as it were burn the members, gangrene them, and like fire make an Eschar, or now and then doth [ 28] eat into the flesh like a Dormouse, those indeed are the works of corrosive, degenerating, lawless Salts, that are banished from the vital Common-wealth: So also by laxative poysons, and Fluxes, the whole venal bloud is resolved into putrefaction, and the venal bloud being re∣solve by other poysons into a liquor Sunovie or Gleary water, poyson, jaundous excrement, &c. Page  197 doth flow sorth, oft-times most sharp, and oft-times raging without a Corrosive; For such kind of errors do happen in the life (for therefore in a dead carcasse they do cease) as they by a proper Blas, do put on the animosity of nature corrupted by the Life, and the life doth en∣flame a sword, whereby it doth manifoldly hurt it selfe, even as sometimes concerning diseases.

At length, whether there be any Animal spirit to be distinguished in the Species from the [ 29] Vital, or whether the disputation thereof be a true brawling about a name. I have shewn what a thing is in it self, whereunto a name adds nothing, or can take away nothing. The vi∣tal spirit doth climb through the chief Arteries into the head: But in the heart or middle of the Brain, there is one onely bosom, which being beheld above, seemeth double; but its Vault being lifted upwards, it sheweth a onenesse. Moreover in this bosom the Arteries do end into a certain wrinckled vessel, plainly of another weaving or texture, than is the other compaction of Arteries. Hereby indeed, the vital spirit flowes abroad, and exspireth into the bosom of the Brain, for the service of the chief faculties, to wit, of the imagination, judge∣ment, and memory. Hereby also it proceeds to be distributed into the small mouths of the Sinews, beginning from the Brain: So that, if it be to be called Animal, as receiving or un∣der-going in the Brain, a limitation of the part, it doth obtain the properties fit for an appoin∣ted function, yet it doth not therefore seem diverse from the vital, by its matter, and efficient cause.

For truly, in the largeness of its own vital light, it is capable of all those Properties with∣out the thorow changing of its native essence: For that Spirit which is thrust forth unto the tongue, doth exercise the tasting, but that same doth not tast in the fingers, but doth every where receive a particular Character of Organs or Instruments, and puts on a particular property: The which if thy mind carry thee to distinguish from the vital spirit, there shall again be as many essential divisions of the spirit, as there are offices, and as many as there are services divided by the pluralities of offices.

In the mean time, understand the thing, and call it as thou listest: For I am not contradi∣ctory to the Schools out of a stomackful passion: for I being admonished by a superiour Autho∣rity, ought only to have laid open their errours, and to teach things unknown. Let they them∣selves likewise disclose my errours or mistakes with an equal mind, surely I shall rejoyce, if so be that onely my neighbour do obtain the profit, which I wish.