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WE observe the naturall Procre∣ation of man,* 1.1 to be altogether such, as we perceive the Gene∣ration & beginning of Plants, or Herbes, of every kinde to be. For as they, every one of them from the seede of his kinde, cast into the wombe of the earth, doe bud, or increase, and
doe naturally grow to the perfect forme of his proper Nature: So man also, being a reasonable creature, according to the quality of his body, doth naturally draw his originall & beginning from the Sperme, and Seede of man, projected and cast forth into the wombe of woman, as in∣to a field. But that matter of Generation, which we call Sperme or Seede,* 1.2 by his originall and na∣ture, is onely a superfluous humour, the residue and remainder, I say, of the nutriment and food, and the superfluity of the third concoction, or gestion in the body, derived and conveyed a∣long, through the hidden and secret organs, or instruments, from the chiefest members of the body, unto the generative parts, and serveth for Generation.
* 1.3And it hath his beginning and breeding, from the residues and remnants, of all the meats belonging to the nourishment of man, after they be altered, and transmuted, even to the third Concoction: of the superfluity of which con∣cocted food, collected and gathered together, in his proper and due manner, it is evident that the same is ingendred, according to the con∣stitution of the age and nature: For there is
made, a threefold concoction of any meat,* 1.4 alte∣red and converted into the nourishment of the living creature, even to generation of Seed, that concoction neverthelesse following, which is the purest of all concoctions: For the food be∣ing [Concoction. 1] sent downe into the stomacke by chewing, streight, way the pure nutriment, which is ordai∣ned to the other part (the dry excrement being driven downeward thorow the guts to the bel∣ly) through the sucking veines (named in La∣tine Meseraicae) carryed, as it were, to one gate, flowing out of innumerable chanels, is brought to the Liver. Where, to the disposition of the former concoction, made in the stomacke, there is forthwith made the second concoction, in the [Concoction. 2] Liver, of the food derived unto it, the superflu∣ous matter being separated, that is to say, both kinds of choler, and the waterish humor drawne and attracted by the emulgent vessels (in Latine Vasa emulgentia) that it being strained thorow the Kidnies, might descend down into the Blad∣der, then the remnant and residue refined and cleansed in the Liver by this concoction, that is to say, blood, is conveyed over to the heart to receive his vitall administration and office. In
[Concoction. 3] the heart againe is made the third concoction of the food, being received at one time: For there blood, having taken unto it vitall and lively Spirit, being diffused and sent abroad through∣out the severall members of the body, doth a∣gaine expel and void out that,* 1.5 which is superflu∣ous in it selfe, by the secret pores & passages. At length, here the Spirit changeth, and turneth the blood conveyed thorow the spermaticall, or seede-vessells (being branches of Vena cava) there also further concocted, into the Nature of Sperme or Seed, by the twined revolutions and backe-turnings of the smallest vessells for this purpose, and by the Glandulous, or kernelled substance of the testicles, and the seed passages (which they call Parastatae) availeable in that behalfe. So the blood exquisitly wrought, and laboured, and, for the most part, converted into vitall spirit, is streight-way conveyed by the Arterie, named Oborta, and branches thereof, to all the other members of the whole body. But [Concoction. 4] afterward in the fourth place (that we may adde this besides our purpose) there is made an alte∣raon of the food, into the like substance of the thing nourished, this juyce quickening and
strengthening life, which being the purest of all remained lastly with the vitall spirit; that thing in like sort being expelled, in sweat thorow the pores, if any impure thing shall be remaining, or ingendred.
But that the reason of this generation,* 1.6 and be∣ginning may be made more plaine, and evident unto us: we will declare by a briefe demonstrati∣on hereunto added, that there is the same begin∣ning of Plants, and herbes, and of other things, which fall under the same consideration, that Plants and Herbs do. Therefore as in the seeds of every kinde, the graine it selfe cast into the ground is the food, and, as it were, the first sub∣ject of all the alteration following, whereby it budds & springs, is augmented, and growes up into a Nature like unto it: so meat being taken, affordeth in mans body, the first, matter to vari∣able concoction. And as there in Plants, we observe a most certaine separation of the pure from the impure, and of the remnant from the superfluous matter; so here we perceive a natu∣rall separation and sequestration of that which is unprofitable from that which is profitable, by their certaine degrees. For, first the seed being [ 1]
commited to the earth, by and by swelling with moisture of the same, strippeth it selfe from that little skin, in which it was inclosed, and spring∣ing upward, casteth forth the same being empty, as a dry excrement, the graine in the meane time budding and sprouting forth, that it may pro∣ceed [ 2] forward to the increase. Afterward the in∣crease and growing, stretching even to the fruit disrobed and bereaved of the flower; the second purging casteth downe the flower sprung up in the top of the bough, but preserveth the hope of the fruit, being stripped of his flower, as that thing which remaineth pure and profitable, by the second purging. Afterward, the fruit being [ 3] growne to his just quantity, the third alteration casteth downe the leaves, as the superfluity of this degree, but ordaineth the fruit, being now so often cleansed and purged, for the utility of the naurishm nt of men, maturity and ripenesse be∣ing [ 4] granted unto it. But now either the seede breaketh the fruit, lying hid in it, or else it sen∣deth it out by putrefaction, and being cast into the ground, it hastenth againe into the property of its owne nature, not tending towards it selfe, which is remaing, but to the likenesse of his first
originall, from whence it had his beginning: that in the same it is altogether true.* 1.7 That Na∣ture doth ingender things like unto it selfe: For every thing doth naturally covet, and desire the forme and likenesse of that, from whence it is bred: whereby thou canst not see apples, to grow from a peare, nor peares from an apple, unlesse it be otherwise procured by the meanes of grafting, and planting. Wherefore the same thing remaineth, to be acknowledged in the Generation of man and woman, which is to be confessed in the growing of Plants and Herbes, that because wee see bodies well distinguish∣ed by members, to be ingendred of seede, wee may also beleeve that the same seed doth pro∣ceed from the distinct,* 1.8 and severall parts of the body; wherefore let them looke what and how well they speake which doe affirme, the seed of Generation to be ingendred of the braine onely, when as it is not so agreeable to the considera∣tion of the concoctions,* 1.9 nor to the constitution of the bodies. Truely, it is certaine that some, neither also a small part, is derived from the braine, but the chiefest part is collected and ga∣thered together from the chiefest parts of the
whole body. For if wee say, that this should be ingendred of one, or two parts onely: every man shall perceive that this consequence would follow by an infallible reason,* 1.10 to wit, that those same parts only, should be ingendred againe. Therefore wee say rightly, that besides that be∣ginning, which it draweth from the braine, it is ingendred from the whole body, and the most especiall parts of the same, the effect it selfe ma∣nifesting the cause, most especially when wee see distinct members, and perfectly finished, according to the due forme of the body, in things procreated and brought forth. We have on our side,* 1.11 against the opinion of others, Hippocrates himselfe, being the Prince of all Physicians; who also himselfe doth affirme, that the seed is collected from the whole body, and so truely, that the thing begotten, doth an∣swer and agree to the constitution of the thing begetting, of feeble seed, I say, a weake man be∣ing borne,* 1.12 but of strong seed, a strong and lusty man being borne. By which things it hapneth, that also many times we see the infirmities, and ill-favoured markes of the body in the children, wch are remaining in the parents, which we doe
constantly believe, to have passed into them, by the corruption of the seed. Therfore, these things being certainly determined, concerning the be∣ginning and matter of ingendring seed, let it suf∣fice to have spoken these things in the first place.
The procreati∣on of man, such as the gene∣ration and be∣ginning of Plants or Herbes.
What the be∣getting seed is.
From whence it hath its be∣ginning.
Three Conco∣ctions.
How seede is it gendred.
The like rea∣son of seeds in Plants.
Nature ingen∣ders things like unto it selfe.
Whether the ingendring-seed be from the braine.
A good part of the seed deri∣ved from the braine; but the greatest part is from the chief∣est parts of the whole body.
What the cōse∣quence would be, if the seede should be in∣gendred of one or two parts alone.
Hippocrates af∣firmeth, the seed to be col∣lected from the whole body.
The infirmi∣ties and ill-fa∣voured markes in children proceeds from the corruption of the seed in parents.