1. Of the humours in generall.

MAns body may be divided into such parts as are contained, or such as do containe them: those which be contained are of a fluid and liquid substance, the other may be called the subject or vessels wherein these are kept and do cohere, which otherwise would beas water spilt upon the ground. To omit the parts containing, those which be con∣tained are, humours, and spirits. Concerning spi∣rits let it suffice to know, that they are a thin, aieriall vapours substance, the chief instruments which our soul worketh withall, those which be inplanted and fixed in our solid partes from our first generation, be the seat of our native heat and the bond of soul and body: those which be after added to the for∣mer, are first naturall in the liver conveied in the vains to the habit of the body, secondly vital made in the lest cavity of the heart, partly of the naturall spirit and partly of the air which we suck in, and runneth by the Arteryes through the whole body. Thirdly. Animal, made of the vitals in the braine thence diffused by the sinewes into the body stir∣ring up sense and motion therein.

A humour is either Radicall or adventitious, that is necessary to the constitution of a thing, this to the preservation thereof. Here is a fat aieriall oyly sub∣stance inplanted, inbred an inherent in the body from the conformation thereof, this we call Radi∣call Page  91 call moisture, or naturall Balsome, and compare it to a candle: there is likewise an inbred and innate heate (which word does not signifie a naked quali∣ty but a substance indued with this quality which our most wise Creatour hath made sensible to our touch so long as the life lasteth) this heat is the in∣strument of the soul and is likened to the flame wasting the candle, the coexistence of these two in the heart chiefly is the beginning and continua∣tion of life, this is that perpetuall fire that conti∣nuall light (although it never flame) which hither∣to the Chymicks have in vain laboured to imitate and blow up or kindle, when nature saw this heat ever feeding upon, & consuming that moisture, she thought good to adde oyl to the lamp, and provi∣ded wayes to repaire what was spent, this she ap∣pointed should be done by the use of meat, drinke, &c. The humour thus generated is called Adventi∣tious, because it is added to the former, now whe∣ther the faculties flow with this humor or no, I will not here determine. All those humours which are continually made to renew so much of the Radi∣call moisture as is dayly spent, are first primairly, such as proceed from the second publique conco∣ction the liver of these, to be accounted alimentary or fit to nourish viz. blood and phlegm, the cast ex∣crementitious viz. Choller, melancholy and why, the matter of urine; as also those which be ex∣pelled from the third and private concoction viz. Teares and swet, secondarily such as proceed from the manifold concoction of the blood till it come to the most perfect degree of assimlation, viz. Ros, Gluten, Humour, Innoninatus, Caubis. The two last Page  92 are added without necessity, and therefore by some excluded without iniury.

The four humours, blood, phlegm, choler, an melaneholy be made in the liver all at one and the same time, all by one and the same heat. The dif∣ference of them is not to be imputed to this heat but to the condition and qualification of the sub∣iect matter, if they be mad, when which is the Chylus, that is the meat and drinke concocted in the stomack, resembling perhaps no colour & con∣sistence Almond-butter, now this though it seem to be one simple humour yet it never is, no not in the greatest disease. Fornelius, if this Chylus be temporate in a temporate body, then all these hu∣mours in that body are temporate in their kinde, if all, then choler does not alwayes proceed from an immoderate, but sometimes from a temporate, nay a weak heat. For what mans liver how cold soever it be is altogether without it. This Chylus is carried by the meseraick vains to the liver which encompasseth it with the same heat from all parts, and penetrates it equally, making of the temporate part thereof blood, of the hot part choler, of the crude phlegm, of the terrene melancholy, and all this at the same time. Obiect. But phlegm is cold and crude, the rudiment and shadow of the blood and and may by further, concoction be turned into blood. Ans. Tis true yet not therefore necessary that we should name all halfe-concocted-blood phlegm, or think it proceedes therefrom. For then we might call the Chylus our meat or whatsoever we are nourished withall, phlegm: which how dis∣sonant from reason let the obiector iudge: moreo∣ver Page  93 if the whole masse of blood were made of phlegm, and choler of that, and melancholy of this, and each thus of other successively; there should be but one humour in us, taking diverse names according to the degrees or continuence of heat working upon it: as a river is called now thus now otherwise, by the inhabitants of this or that towne as it passeth by it. It may here seem to be required what phlegm is, but of that hereafter, Thus much of the Galenists opinions, of the hu∣mours: the Chynicks laugh at these and their de∣fenders, calling them Humorists, &c. And count it folly to fetch the common internall causes of diseases from these supposed humours, but derive all from Suphur Salt, and Mercury, which three principles to speak properly, are not bodyes, but plainly spiritual (as they say) by reason of the influ∣ence from heaven with which they are filled, nor are they spirits because corporall; therefore of a mixed nature participating of both: and do bear anallagey and allusion as followes, viz.

• Salt
• Common Salt
• A cerbe and bitter
• The Body
• Matter
• Art
• Sulphur
• Salt peter
• Sweete
• The soul
• Forme
• Nature
• Mercury
• Salt Armoniack
• Acid
• The Spirit
• Idea
• Vnderstanding, &c.

And as they extract these third principles out of naturall bodies so they resolve them into the same, hence they argue that bodies are made of the same, and therefore must be well or ill as these shall stand affected, to say the truth, doubtles that Page  94 which being present in us makes us sicke▪ and being expelled from us we are well, was the cause of our sicknesse, but common experience saies a body full of corrupted humours, is sick, and freed from them is well, therefore here is no reason why we should not thinke those ill humours the causes of our malady: on the otherside I thinke Bertinus was de∣ceived, when he said that not a crum of salt lay hid in the body, which if any deny: I thinke he deserves to be served as Lots wife.

Concerning the temper of the body and every part: how the elements concur to their constitu∣tion, over ruling qualities result, how there is one equall temper where the qualities of the elements do not exceed each other in quality, nor their sub∣stance in quantity, how this is the rule of all the o∣ther eight: to speak of these things is too large a discourse, let it therfore suffice to know, that when a man aboundeth with blood, he is not therfore to be called of a sanguine complection, if with melan∣choly humors, of a melancholy tēper, &c. For the abundance of this or that excrement does not in∣stantly alter a mans perticular temper, & doubtles choler phlegm & melancholy, may abound in any nature: if in the liver be cold and dry blood a long time together; it may encline the body to cold∣nes & drines which is a melancholy temper. Astro∣logers refer the vari•ty of the constitutions to the severall natures of the seven Planets; and hereup∣on call some Ioviall, some Martiall, some venere∣all, &c. And from each Planet draw two constitu∣tions, as it shall be found well or ill disposed: as from Mars, well disposed, they conclude a man va∣liant Page  95 courragious fit to be an Emperour. If ill, they argue a man rash, and foolhardy, no better then a Tyrant. He that desires to know more of this, may have recourse to the learned treatise of M. Perkins, stiled a resolution to a country man: in the third volume of his works.