fareth in a beaſt that is called Lamia,[1] that hath as the Gloſe ſaith Super Tre. an head as a maide, and bodie like a grimme beaſt. And it is ſayd that when theſe beaſts Lamie, will take any man, firſt they flatter with him with a womans face, and maketh him lye by them while he may indure, and when he may no more accompliſh their lecherie, then they rent & draw him with their téeth, and ſlaieth him, and eate him.
Of the Braine. Chap. 3.
AS Conſtantine ſayth in Pantegni. li. ſecundo. ca. 11.[2] the braine is a white bodie without bloud, and hath much of ſpirit and of marrowe, and is diſtinguiſhed and departed in thrée cels or dens, and is the beginning and principall of the ſinewes of all the bodie. And it is cloſed and conteined within two thinne ſkinnes, which be named the milde and harde mother: and is ſet in the higheſt place of the head, as in the moſt excellent place of the bodie. The braine is white by kinde, for to receiue the lykeneſſe of all coulour, and hath much of the ſpirit for to haue much mouing therein: and alſo hath much marrow, to temper and ſlake the ſharpneſſe of heat, that is bread and commeth of moouing. And hath but little of bloud, leaſt it ſhould be infected and ſmitten with the coulour therof: and ſo all things that is apprehended ſhould ſéeme redde. Alſo it is moiſt and without bloud, that it may ſoone be chaunged and likened to the kinde of féeling, as ſayth Conſtantine. And it is diuided in thrée celles or dens: For the braine hath thrée hollowe places, which Phiſitions call Ventriculos, ſmall wombes. In the formoſt cell and wombe imagination is conformed and made, in the middle, reaſon: in the hindermoſt, recordation & minde. The formoſt is called Prora in Latine, as it were a fore ſhippe. And the hindermoſt is called Puppis, as it were the after ſhip. This Puppis, the hinder part, is the leſſe part. For fewe ſinewes come thereof. And this Puppis is hard, that the ſinewes of mouing may moue the eaſilier and the ſooner. And is colde and drie, and hath little of ſpirit and of marrowe. Colde for it ſhould holde the better and the ſooner. It hath litle of ſpirit, to bréeding of reſt. It hath little of marrowe in compariſon to the formoſt parte, that it be meanely harde, that the printing of ſhapes and likeneſſe be therin the longer holden. Prora the formoſt part, is more ſoft, and hotter, and more floating. More, that the ſinewes of feeling may come thereof. Soft, that the ſinewes of féeling may be diſpoſed to receiue the ſooner the doing of féeling. Hotter, to bée the more able to receiue the ſhape and forme. More fléeting, & more moyſt ſomewhat, that the ſinewe of féeling be the eaſilyer moued. The cell & the wombe, in the middle betwéene Prora and Puppis, is hot and moyſt, & hath more of ſpirit and more of marrow then the other. More of ſpirit, that more perfect diſcreation be made therein by reaſon, as in other members by digeſtion cleane and pure, is departed from vncleane and vnpure. And hath much of ſpirit, to haue much moouing and much marrow, to temper the moouing of the ſoule, that it may the better deeme and know, what it conceiueth. In theſe three cells and wombes bée thrée principall workings. For in the firſt, ſhape & likenes of ye things be felt, is gendered in the fantaſie or in the imagination. Then the ſhape and lykeneſſe is ſent to the middle cell, and there[3] be domes made. And at the laſt after dome of reaſon, that ſhape and likeneſſe is ſent into the cell and wombe of Puppis, and betaken to the vertue of minde. The braine is round, to be the more able to receiue ſpirits, and alſo that it bée not lightly hurt. To defend the braine two garments bée néedfull, which be called the mothers of the braine: the one is great and is called the hard mother, and it is ſet vnder the ſkull: But in the middle braine, it waxeth greate, and is ſadde to haue the more ſtrength: and is not ioyned to the ſkull, but departed therefrom, and beclippeth the braine about: This harde mother is néedfull to defende the milde mother that is more tender, from the hardneſſe of the ſkull, and to binde togethers
- ↑ Lamie, a kinde of womē, by vvhoſe ſight infants are frighted, & becōe Elues, they be alſo thoſe taht bee called Ladies of ye Fairies, vvhich do allure yōg men to cōpany carnaly with them, & after thoe men are cōſumed by lechery, they deuour thē.
- ↑ Vitalia capitis, Cerebrii.
- ↑ The place of imagination.
