Of wisdom three books / written originally in French by the Sieur de Charron ; with an account of the author, made English by George Stanhope ...

CHAP. IV.

[unspec 1] THE Body of Man hath several very particular and distinguishing Qualities, which are Ex∣cellencies peculiar to himself, and such as Beasts have no share at all in. The first and most re∣markable seem to be these that follow: Speech, an Erect Stature, that Form and Port which hath been in so high Esteem among wise Men, nay, even with the Stoicks, the Rigidest and most Abstracted of all Philosophers, that they declar'd it more eligible to be a Fool in Human Shape, than to be Wise in the Form of a Brute; So preferring the advantage of this Frame of Ours, before even Wisdom it self, and all the Beauties of the Soul without it: The Hand, which is a Prodigy in Nature, and no other Creature, not even the Ape it self, hath any thing comparable to it; the Natural Nakedness and Smooth∣ness of our Skin; Laughing and Crying; the Sense of being Tickled; the Eye-Lash upon the lower Lid of the Eye; a visible Navel; the Point of the Heart inclining toward the Left-Side; the Knee, which is said to stand forward in no other Creature what∣soever; the Palpitation of the Heart; Bleeding at the Nose, which you will think very odd, when you recollect that Men carry their Heads upright, and Beasts hang theirs down toward the Ground; Blush∣ing

for Shame; Looking Pale for Fear; Multiplying at all times indifferently; not moving their Ears, which in other Animals is a signification of their inward Passions: But These are sufficiently disco∣vered in Mankind by looking Red or Pale; and particular Motions of the Eyes and Nose. [unspec 2]

Others, tho' they are not altogether his own, and incommunicable, yet may be styl'd Peculiar, in re∣spect of the Degree, and the Advantage he hath above others which partake of them: Such are the Number of his Muscles, and vast Quantity of Hair upon his Head; the Nimbleness and wonderful Variety of Motions in his Limbs and Joynts; the great Abundance of the Brain; the Largeness of his Bladder; the Form of the Foot, so very long for∣ward, and so short a Heel behind; the vast Quan∣tity, the Clearness, and the Fineness of the Blood; the Easiness and Agility of the Tongue; the Multi∣tude, and unspeakable Variety of his Dreams, so extremely above all other Animals, that Man a∣lone deserves the Name of a Dreaming Creature; the Faculty of Sneezing: And, to be short, the in∣numerable different Motions of his Eyes, and Nose, and Lips.

[unspec 3]

Some there are that have particular Countenan∣ces and Looks, Gestures and Motions, which Art and Affectation have accustom'd them to; and sonle others who have these from Nature: They are particular indeed, and so distinguish them from other Men; but yet they are so Natural, that the Persons are not at all sensible of them when they do them; as leaning the Head on one side, blowing the Nose, and a hundred other such Gestures. But some again there are common to all Mankind, such as Reason and Contrivance hath nothing to do in, but they are the effect of meer Natural Impulse; as for Instance, that of put∣ting our Hands before us when we are falling;

which all do without thinking; and some do it we see at a time when they cannot think at all.