The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

CENT. VIII. NATURAL HISTORY. 97
astonishment, it is caused by the fixing of the rous parts: in fear and anger to the heart: in shame
mind upon one object of cogitation, whereby it to the face: and in light dislikes to the head.
doth not spatiate and transcur, as it useth; for in
wonder the spirits fly not, as in fear; but only Experiments in consort touclhdng drunkenness.
settle, and are made less apt to move. As for 723. It hath been observed by the ancients, and
the casting up of the eyes, and lifting up of the is yet believed, that the sperm of drunken men is
hands, it is a kind of appeal to the Deity, which unfruitful. The cause is, for that it is over-moistis the author, by power and providence, of ened, and wanteth spissitude: and we have a
strange wonders. merry saying, that they that go drunk to bed get
721. Laughing causeth a dilatation of the mouth daughters.
and lips; a continual expulsion of the breath, 724. Drunken men are taken with a plain dewith the loud noise, which maketh the interjec- fect, or destitution in voluntary motion. They
tion of laughing; shaking of the breast and sides; reel; they tremble; they cannot stand nor speak
running of the eyes with water, if it be violent strongly. The cause is, for that the spirits of the
and continued. Wherein first it is to be under- wine oppress the spirits animal, and occupy part
stood, that laughing is scarce properly a pas- of the place where they are, and so make them
sion, but hath its source from the intellect; weak to move. And therefore drunken men are
for in laughing there ever precedeth a conceit of apt to fall asleep: and opiates, and stupefactives,
somewhat ridiculous, and therefore it is proper to as poppy, henbane, hemlock, &c., induce a kind
man. Secondly, that the cause of laughing is of drunkenness, by the grossness of their vapour,
but a light touch of the spirits. And not so deep as wine doth by the quantity of the vapour. Bean impression as in other passions. And there- sides, they rob the spirits animal of their matter,
fore, that which hath no affinity with the pas- whereby they are nourished: for the spirits of the
sions of the mind, it is moved, and that in great wine prey upon it as well as they: and so they
venlemency, only by tickling some parts of the make the spirits less supple and apt to move.
body: and we see that men even in a grieved 725. Drunken men imagine every thing turnstate of mind, yet cannot sometimes forbear laugh- eth round: they imagine also that things come
ing. Thirdly, it is ever joined with some degree upon them: they see not well things afar off;
of delight: and therefore exhilaration hath some those things that they see near hand, they see
affinity with joy, though it be a much lighter mo- out of their place; and sometimes they see things
tion: "res severaestverumgaudium." Fourthly, double. The cause of the imagination that
that the object of it is deformity; absurdity, things turn round is, for that the spirits themshrewd turns, and the like. Now to speak of the selves turn, being compressed by the vapour of
causes of the effects before mentioned whereunto the wine, for any liquid body upon compression
these general notes give some light. For the di- turneth, as we see in water, and it is all one to
latation of the mouth and lips, continued expul- the sight, whether the visual spirits move, or the
sion of the breath and voice, and shaking of the object moveth, or the medium moveth. And we
breast and sides, they proceed, all, from the dila- see that long turning round breedeth the same
tation of the spirits; especially being sudden. imagination. The cause of the imagination that
So likewise, the running of the eyes with water, things come upon them is, for that the spirits
as hath been formerly touched, where we spake visual themselves draw back; which maketh the
of the tears of joy and grief, is an effect of dilata- object seem to come on; and besides, when they
tion of the spirits. And for suddenness, it is a see things turn round and move, fear maketh them
great part of the matter: for we see, that any think they come upon them. The cause that they
shrewd turn that lighteth upon another; or any cannot see things afar off, is the weakness of the
deformity, &c., moveth laughter in the instant, spirits; for in every megrim or vertigo there is an
which after a little time it doth not. So we can- obtenebration joined with a semblance of turning
not laugh at any thing after it is stale, but whilst round; which we see also in the lighter sort of
it is new: and even in tickling, if you tickle the swoonings. The cause of seeing things out of
sides, and give warning, or give a hard or conti- their place, is the refraction of the spirits visual;
nued touch, it doth not move laughter so much. for the vapour is as an unequal medium; and it
722. Lust causeth a flagrancy in the eyes, and is as the sight of things outof place in water. The
priapism. The cause of both these is, for that cause of seeing things double, is the swift and
in lust, the sight and the touch are the things unquiet motion of the spirits, being oppressed, to
desired, and therefore the spirits resort to those and fro; for, as was said before, the motion of
parts which are most affected. And note well the spirits visual, and the motion of the object,
in general, for that great use may be made of the make the same appearances; ant for the swift
observation, that, evermore, the spirits in all pas- motion of the object, we see that if you fillip a
sions, resort most to the parts that labour most, lute-string, it showeth double or treble.
or are most affected. As in th6-last which hath 726. Men are sooner drunk with small draught,
been mentioned, they resort to the eyes and.vene- than with great. And again, wine sugared in.eVOL. II.-13 I