Arcana microcosmi, or, The hid secrets of man's body discovered in an anatomical duel between Aristotle and Galen concerning the parts thereof : as also, by a discovery of the strange and marveilous diseases, symptomes & accidents of man's body : with a refutation of Doctor Brown's Vulgar errors, the Lord Bacon's natural history, and Doctor Harvy's book, De generatione, Comenius, and others : whereto is annexed a letter from Doctor Pr. to the author, and his answer thereto, touching Doctor Harvy's book De Generatione / by A.R.

CHAP. XV.

1. Heavy bodies swim in the dead sea: and the Ancients in this point defended. 2. Crassus had reason to laugh at the Ass eating Thi∣s••tles: Laughter defined: in laughter there is sorrow; in weep∣ing, joy. 3. That Christ never laughed, proved. 4. Fluctus De∣cumans, what?

THat heavie bodies will not sink in the Lake Asphaltites, or dead sea of Sodome, is affirmed by Aristotle, Solinus, Diodorus, Iustin, Strabo, Plutarch, Iosephus, and others, and confirmed by the practice of Vespasian, casting into that lake captives bound, vvho sloated and sunk not: Besides that, it stands with reason; for salt vvater will support heavie burthens, much more will that vvater which is thickned with a forcible ebullition of Sul∣phur and Bi••umen; yet the Doctor (Book 7. c. 15.) will not be∣lieve but that heavy bodies doe sink there, though not so easily as in o∣ther waters. Therefore rejects Pliny's swimming of Bricks, Man∣devils Iron, and Munsters burning Candle, which sinks not there, as fabulous; yet all this may be true: for the ebullition may be so forcible, the water so thickned with the Bitumen, the sul∣phurous vapours and spirits ••o violently tending upward, that they may waft up Bricks and Iron, and not suffer them to sink. A greater wonder then this may be seen in those that write of AEtna, Vesuvius, the burning hills of Island and America, whence are belched out and elevated into the air, great stones by those fiery vapours which issue out of those Vulcans. Within these twenty years Vesuvius cast out great stones above twenty miles distance. And therefore it is no such wonder for a burn∣ing Candle to swim, which being extinguished, sinketh; for the flame adds levity to it. But let us see the Doctors reasons, 1. Iosephus (saith he) affirms that onely living bodies float, not per∣emptorily averring they cannot sink, but that they doe not easily de∣scend.

Answ. The words of Iosephus are these (de bel. Iud. l. 5. c. 5.) The most heavy bodies that are being cast into this Lake, float upon it, neither can any man be ••asily drowned there, though he would. Here Iosephus speaks both of living bodies, that though they vvould, they cannot sink easily; they may force themselves per∣haps to dive under the water, but not vvithout difficulty, and he speaks also of the heaviest things in generall. Aristotle (saith he) speaks lightly thereof,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and esteemeth thereof as a Fable. Answ. Aristotle speaks not lightly but se∣riously of this Lake; for from the quality of supporting heavy bodies, he deduceth one of his prime Arguments to prove the salsedinous quality of the Sea. But the Doctor deceiveth himselfe in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as if this did still signifie a fabulous relation; whereas in that place, and elsewhere, it signifieth a serious narration. So confabulari in Latin doth sig∣nifie conference of serious matters for the most part: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to speak, not to tell Fables, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a word or speech. In Homer, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifieth a grave and serious speech made by Agamemnon. So in the same Poet, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to speak and discourse. The like in Phocylides, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to be moderat in eating, drinking, & speaking. Andrew Thevet (saith he) saw an Asse cast therein and drowned. Answ. So saith Camerarius indeed, and I will not question the truth of Thevets narration; there may be diuers reasons of this, the violent hurling of the Asse with his burden under the vvater. 2. His sudden suffocation by the sulphurous exhalations. 3. The Lake in all places thereof, and at all times, hath not the same violent ebullitions, but sometimes there is remission. The Asse then might sink in such a place, and at such a time when and where the boiling was remiss, the vapours weak, and the water thinner then in other parts of the same Lake. But hence it will not follow, that in other parts, and at o∣her times, the heaviest bodies may not swim there.

II. That Crassus never laughed but once, and that was at an Asse eating Thistles, seems strange to the Doctor, yet he gives no reason for this, but only that the object was unridiculous, & that laughter is not meerly voluntary. But these are no reasons: For a more ridiculous ••bject there cannot ••e, then to see such a med∣ley o•• pleasure and pain in the Asses eating of Thistles; for whilst he bites them, they prick him, so that his tongue must needs be pricked, though perhaps his lips may be hard, and not so easily pen••trable; whence arose the Proverb, Like lips, like ••••tice. But there was somthing else in this that moved Crassus to

laugh: For he saw here the vanity both of most men taking pleasure in those things which are accompanied vvith much pain and sorrow: Besides, he saw here the folly of the Roman rich men, who held Thistles such a dainty dish, that they would not suffer poor men to eat thereof, engrossing them vvith great summes of money to themselves, vvhich notwithstanding the Asses did eat on free cost. Was it not then a ridiculous thing to see rich men pay so dear for Asses food, and to debarre poore men from that meat which they permitted to Asses? Pliny could not but laugh at the consideration of this folly. 2. When he saith, that Laughter is not meerly voluntary, he can inferre no∣thing from hence, except this, That it was as naturall for Crassus to laugh, as for others; which I deny: For some are more naturally inclined to it then others; all have not the like temper and constitution of body, some have hard and so∣lid hearts, heavie and pensive spirits, which no ridiculous ob∣ject can move to laugh; these are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. There be others again who can never be moved to weep. But he gives us here a lame definition of laughter, when he sayes, It is a sweet contraction of the Muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocall organs. These are but the effects of laughter, the cause is the softnesse and agility of the heart, the cheerfulnesse and levity of the spirits, moving first the Diaphragma, and by them the Muscles. Again, there is a laughter called Sardonius, which is accompanied vvith a contraction of the Muscles, but this is not sweet, yet it is laughter; and in finging, vvhich is not laugh∣ter, there is an agitation of the vocall organs, accompanied vvith pleasure. Lastly, whereas he condemneth Heraclitus, who by his weeping made a hell on earth; he is deceived: For often∣times there is hell in laughing, and a heaven in weeping; in tears there is often delight, and in laughing pain, and as Solo∣mon saith, Madnesse. Aristotle saith (1. Rhet.) That there is in sorrow and tears a certain sense of pleasure; and as Prudentius saith,

Gaudia concipiunt lachrymas, dant gaudia fletum.

This is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Teares (saith St. Ambrose) feed the mind, and ease the heart, vvhich David found vvhen he said, My tears have been my meat day and night. Good men therefore found not the uncomfortable attendments of hell in weeping, but rather the comfortable enjoyments of heaven.

III. The Scripture witnesseth, that Christ wept thrice, but never that he laughed. The Doctor thinks there is no danger

to affirm the act and performance of that, whereof we acknowledge the power and essentiall property, and whereby he convinced the doubt of his humanity. Answ. We deny not but there was in Christ, by reason of his humanity, the faculty of risibility; yet it will not follow that therefore he did actually laugh: For this act is rather a property of levity and folly, then of reason and humanity; therefore we see women more inclined to laughing then men, childhood then old age, and fools then wise men. Neither needed Christ to prove his humanity by laughing, he proved it sufficiently by weeping, which is the first demon∣strative act of our humanity as soon as we are born; onely Zo∣roastres the author of Magick, came like a fool laughing into the World. Again, he saith, We need not fear to adscribe that to the in∣carnat Sun, which is sometimes attributed to the uncarnat Father. Answ. From a metaphoricall laughing which is adscribed to the Father, to a naturall and reall laughing in the Son, can be no consequence. God laughs figuratively, therefore Christ laughs really, is as good a consequence, as if I should infer, that man flieth naturally, because God is said to flie tropically. Last∣ly, he saith, It is not reasonable to conclude from Scripture negatively, in points which are not matters of Faith. Answ. It is true, vvhere the Scripture speaks superficially, and by the way of any thing, divers circumstances are omitted, in which regard we may not conclude negatively; but where the Scripture speaks exactly, as it doth of our Saviour, vve may reason from the negative. For no lesse then four Evangelists write the story of Christ so fully, that they mention all his passions and affections, as his anger, joy, sorrow, pity, hunger, thirst, feare, wearisomnesse, &c. They speak that he mourned three severall times. So when the Prophets describe him, they set him out as a man of sorrowes, acquainted with griefes, smitten of God, and afflicted, woun∣ded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and stric∣ken for our sins. It is strange then, that neither Prophet, Hi∣storian, Apostle, nor Evangelist, should speak a word of his laughing, and yet so punctually mention to us his griefs, sor∣rows, and weeping: therefore not without cause did Chryso∣stome, Austin, Basil, Bernard, and others, conclude negatively, That Christ never laughed, and yet he did not for this cease to be a Man. For the like is recorded of Crassus, Grand-father to that Crassus who was killed in the Parthian war; who (as is said) never laughed but once. It is also recorded of Anaxago∣ras, Aristoxenes, Socrates, Cato, Nerva the Emperour, and others, that they were never seen to laugh. Besides, seldome or never

is laughing in Scripture taken in a good sense; it is called mad∣nesse, and like the cracking of thorns: laughing is threatned to end in sorrow, and woe is denounced to those that laugh; but a blessing to the mourners. As for the priority of the heart above the brain, whereof the Doctor speaks here, I have already proved out of Aristotle, and it is plain that in the Scripture it is of greater account then the brain, because this is never men∣tioned, but still the heart, let Physitians say what they wil for the brains principality.

IV. That Fluctus decumanus, or the tenth wave, is greater or more dangerous then any other, &c. is evidently false. Here the Doctor troubles himself to no purpose, in refuting the great∣nesse of the tenth wave, and tenth egge: For the tenth of any thing was not counted the greatest, but the greatest of any things was called by the name of Tenth; because that is the first perfect number, as consisting of 1, 2, 3 and 4. It was also held a sacred number; therefore the tenth of spoils was dedicated to Hercules, and from him called Herculan, the tenth of fruits was paid by the Corinthians to Cyphelus their King, by Cyrus to Iupiter, by the Arabians to Sabis, and long before by Abra∣ham and Iacob to the true God. When there was yet no po∣sitive law, but the law of Nature. In the number then of Ten, the Ancients conceived there was perfection and excellencie: For Nature perfects man, and brings him into the world the tenth moneth; she hath parted his hands into ten fingers, his feet into ten toes: she hath given him ten passages for evacua∣tion, in three ten dayes the male child is formed in the womb, in foure ten dayes the female: there be ten Heavens; they made up their musick of ten strings, their year of ten moneths, Apol∣lo with the nine Muses made up the full consort, they used to drink but ten times in their Feasts, the womans Dowry anci∣ently was ten Sestertia at least; and the greatest ordinarily de∣cies Sestertium, that is ten hundred thousand pounds, of our money 7812. l. 10. s. Many other observations may be made of this number; therefore any thing that was greater then ano∣ther, was called Decumanum. Porta decumana was the great gate of the Camp. Limes decumanus in grounds, was from East to West; decumana pyra in Pliny, are great Pears; Decumatio was the calling forth of every tenth delinquent in an Army for pu∣nishment: And Lipsius thinks that from them the great gate of the Camp out of which they went, was called Decumana. This number also of Ten is musical in Scripture, as may be seen in divers passages thereof. Now whereas he saith, That the Greeks

expresse the greatest wave by the number of three, as their word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 shewes. This he hath from Erasm us in his Adagies: but I think the word is not from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, three, but from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I fear; so this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is not the third wave, but the most terrible & greatest wave. Hence the Latin Decumanus should be rendred 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.