A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

The PRAYER.

O Most Good and Great Heavenly Mind, how fearfully and wonderfully are we made! Thou hast covered our Bones with Flesh, and our Flesh with Skin (being a Contexture of many Nervous Filaments, curiously Interwoven) as with a fine Rayment.

Thou speakest thy high Attributes of Wisdom, Power, and Good∣ness in the Creation and Government of the Greater World, by rendring the various ranks of inferior Creatures subordinate to the use and dominion of the superior, and the superior again make their grateful returns in the management, improvement, and protection of the Inferior.

The Earth, as a common Parent, giveth birth and growth to Plants, and Plants afford Aliment to Animals, and Animals to Man; Wherefore we most humbly beseech Thee the Almighty and most Gracious Creator, to make the beauteous Oeconomy of Nature (expressed in the subjection of lower to higher Entities) a Monitor to us; That we, the Work of thy Hands, may pay our most humble Duty of Thanks and Obedience to Thee our most Glorious Maker; and thou being our Supreme Lord, be pleased to bless us thy Crea∣tures with the Gracious Dispensations of thy Providence and Pro∣tection.

And in the lesser world of Man, the Epitome of the Creation, thou hast constituted in an admirable Order, the Faculties of the Soul, and Members of the Body, whose apartiments (being beau∣tified with a curious Frame) are Ministerial to each other, the lower to the middle, and both to the highest. In the lower the most Wise Architect hath formed the Stomach, Intestines, Spleen, Liver, and Kidneys, which being Contextures of many Vessels, are so many Elaboratories of Chyle, and Colatories of the Blood, wherein Secre∣tions are made of its impure from the more pure parts.

In the middle Story, Thou hast laid the Chambers of the Heart in Waters, and hast outwardly Enameled it with divers branches of Blood-vessels, and more inwardly Embroidered it with various ranks of Muscular Fibres (after the manner of Network) as so many Organs to give motion, life, and refinement to the Blood, the Foun∣tain Life.

Thou hast formed the Lungs (as an Organ of Respiration) a Systeme of divers Pipes and Vessels of Air to improve the Blood by

its Nitrous and Elastick Particles, and to fan and refresh the Vital Flame by its cold Atomes.

Thou hast outwardly encircled the highest Apartiments with many common Integuments, and chiefly with the Tables of the Skull, as with Walls of Ivory, and within with finer Membranes, stretched out as Curtains, and Vails to cover and overshade the bright intelli∣gent Orb of the Brain, a white pulpy substance consisting of many Processes, beset with many streaks (which are a Contexture of many Fibrils) resembling rays of Light, through which the Emanations of Animal Spirits are diffused.

In the lower Story of a Humane Body, Thou turnest Aliment into Milk, in the middle, Milk into Blood, in the highest, its Cri∣stalline part into Animal Liquor, enobled by choice Spirits. Grant O holy Jesus, the Great Physician of Soul and Body, that as our natural Life is preserved by these several changes, so our spiritual may be raised up by more noble Transmutations, that our Reason may be converted into Religion, and our Nature into Grace in this World, and our Grace into Glory in the World to come through the Lord of Life and Glory; To whom with the Father and holy Ghost be all Praise, Dominion, Eucharist, Adoration, and Obedience, now and for ever. Amen.