The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

516 HISTORY OF LIFE AND DEATH.
dust will not go into, and air which water will not CANON XVIII.
go into; nay, flame and spirit which air will not S.ir excluded conferreth to long life, if other ingo into. Notwithstanding, of this thing there are conveniences be avoided.
some bounds, for the spirit is not so much transported with the desire of going forth, that it will THE EXPLICATION,
suffer itself to be too much discontinued, or be We said a little before, that the flying forth of
driven into over-straight pores and passages; and, the spirit is a redoubled action, from the appetite
therefore, if the spirit be encompassed with a of the spirit, and of the air; and, therefore, it
hard body, or else with an unctuous and tenacious, either of these be taken out of the way, there is
(which is not easily divided,) it is plainly bound, not a little gained. Notwithstanding, divers in
and, as I may say, imprisoned, and layeth down conveniences follow hereupon, which how the)
the appetite of going out; wherefore we see that may be prevented we have showed in the second
metals and stones require a long time for their of our operations.
spirit to go forth, unless either the spirit be excited
by the fire, or the grosser parts be dissevered CANON XIX.
with corroding and strong waters. The like rea- Youtlhful spirits inserted into an old body, might
son is there of tenacious bodies, such as are gums, soon turn nature's course back again.
save only that they are melted by a more gentle
heat; and therefore the juices of the body hard, a THE EXPLICATION.
close and compact skin, and the like, (which are The nature of the spirits is as the uppermost
procured by the dryness of the aliment, and by wheel, which turneth about the other wheels in
exercise, and by the coldness of the air,) are good the body of man; and therefore in the intention
for long life, because they detain the spirit in of long life, that ought to be first placed. Hereclose prison, that it goeth not forth. unto may be added, that there is an easier and
more expedite way to alter the spirits, than to
CANON XVI. other operations. For the operation upon the
In oily and fat things the spirit is detained wil- spirits is twofold; the one by aliments, which is
lingly, though they be not tenacious. slow, and as it were, about; the other, (and that
twofold,) which is sudden, and goeth directly to
THE EXPLICATION. the spirits, namely, by vapours, or by the affecThe spirit, if it be not irritated by the antipathy tions.
of the body enclosing it, nor fed by the over-much CANON XX.
likeness of that body, nor solicited nor invited by Juices of the body hard and roscid are good for
the external body, it makes no great stir to get long life.
out; all which are wanting to oily bodies, for
THE EXPLICATION.
they are neither so pressing upon the spirits as ThIE EXPLICATION.
hard bodies, nor so near as watery bodies, neither The reason is plain, seeing we showed before,
have they any good agreement with the air am- that hard things, and oily or roscid, are hardly
bient. dissipated; notwithstanding, there is difference,
CANON XVII. (as we also noted in the tenth operation,) that
juice somewhat hard is indeed less dissipable,
The speedy flying forth of the watery humozur but then it is withal less reparable; therefore, a
conserves the oily the longer in his being.
)conserves the oily the o. convenience is interlaced with an inconvenience,
THE EXPLICATION. and for this cause no wonderful matter will be
We said before, that the watery humours, as achieved by this. But roscid juice will admit
being consubstantial to the air, fly forth soonest; both operations; therefore this would be princithe oily later, as having small agreement with pally endeavoured.
the air. Now, whereas these two humours are in
most bodies, it comes to pass that the watery doth CANON XXI.
in a sort betray the oily, for that issuing forth in- Whatsoever is of thin parts to penetrate, and yet
sensibly carrieth this together with it. Therefore, hath no acrimony to bite, begetteth roscid juices.
there is nothing more furthereth the conservation
of bodies, than a gentle drying of them, which THE EXPLICATION.
causeth the watery humour to expire, and inviteth This canon is more hard to practise than to
not the oily; for then the oily enjoyeth the proper understand. For it is manifest, whatsoever penenature. And this tendeth not only to the inhibit- trateth well, but yet with a sting or tooth, (as do
ing of putrefaction, (though that also followeth,) all sharp and sour things,) it leaveth behind it,
but to the conservation of greenness. Hence it wheresoever it goeth, some mark or print of dryis, that gentle frications, and moderate exercises, ness and cleaving, so that it hardeneth the juices,
causing rather perspiration than sweating, con- and chappeth the parts; contrarily, whatsoever
duce much to long life. things penetrate through their thinness merely,