Thoſe holes be ſet in a ſtonie bone, in yt which ſinewes be faſtened that come frō the braine, and bringeth to the eares féelyng and mouing, and bringeth lykenes of the voyce that is receiued in the holes to the iudgement of the ſoule. And theſe holes be wreathed and wound as a ſpindle of a preſſe or vice: and that is, that colde aire ſhould not enter too ſwiftlye, to grieue the inward celles or ye ſinews, and to kéep that nothing hurtful fall in, to let the inſtrument or lymine of hearing, as it is ſayd in Pantegni. lib. 4. ca. 16. The eare is grieued in many manners. For ſometime by a poſtume, that is therein,[1] and ſo commeth Quitter out of the eare. Alſo by wormes that créepe into the holes of the eares, & by worms bred therein of corrupt humours and rotted: the token whereof, is itching within the eares and tickelyng, and the mouing of ſuch wormes is felte. Alſo, the eare is grieued by a Wormes, lyke Malſhaue, and by ſuperfluitie of fleſh, when euill humours be gathered therin, Alſo it is grieued by euill diſpoſition of the ſinewe that commeth and entereth into the eares, as it fareth of ſounding, ringing, and ſuch things that fall and come of wind in the ſkins of the brain, and be cloſed in part of the ſinew Auricularis. Alſo it is grieued by thicke humours that moue therein, and then the head is grieued with ſound and noyſe in the eares. Alſo the hering faileth, for defalt of vertue of hering, or by riueling & ſhrinking of ye ſinew of feelyng, as it fareth in old men. Alſo ſomtime hapneth deafeneſſe, when the childe is bred in the mothers wombe, when kinde is wanting and not ſufficient to pearce an hoale in the lymme of hearing: and that is for default of it ſelfe, or els for that the matter is not aunſwerable to kinde. Alſo it is grieued by ſharpe ſickneſſe, when cholaricke humours going vp to the braine, letteth the hearing. It helpeth ſuch, if Cholera be purged by digeſtion. Wherefore it is ſayd in Aphoriſm. If Cholera be waſted in deafe men, deafeneſſe is taken away. Huc vsq; Conſtātinus. Alſo lib. 11. Ariſtotle ſayeth. The lymme of hearing is full of the kindly ſpirite. For lyke as the kindlye ſpirite maketh the mouing of the pulſe in the veynes, ſo it maketh in the eare the vertue of hearing. And for that all thinges bée learned by the power of hearing. And it is ſayd there, that the making of the eares is an open knowen web and containeth things, and is ſlender, and that for the ſubtiltie of the ſelfe hearing. Alſo the hearing is feebled in time of moyſt complection: & namely in them, that ofte ſerue Venus. And that through the diſturbaunce of the ſpirites, yt maketh the hearing perfect. For as Ariſtotle ſayth, too oft ſeruice of Venus grieueth the body and the hart: Haly ſaith the ſame. Ariſtotle ſaith lib. 12. in a man the eares be kindlye ſet in the middle of the round head: for the eare heareth not onely ſtraight one wayes, but rather all about on euery ſide. In foure footed beaſts that haue ye head hanging downward to the earth, and body not reared vpright: the eares be in the ouerpart of the head, as it fareth in Oxen, Aſſes, and Horſes: and the eares of ſuch beaſts moue greatly, & that for the high place. And for yt they moue much toward diuers places, they take ſownd & noiſe by much reboūding. Alſo Ari. ſaith there, that no beaſt that layeth egs, hath eares growing vpright without: But yet ſuch beaſts haue ſome priuy wayes. And alſo birds & fowles, which fly, haue none eares outward: neuertheleſſe they haue a meane hole, and an open way, by the which they heare perfectly. Alſo[2] among all theſe beaſtes a mans eares moue leaſt, and alſo be ſhorteſt in dimention of ſeituation and place: but to heare they be moſt: able and liuely: as it is ſayd lib. pri, and that is through goodneſſe of complection. Wherefore if there be great exceſſe in the greatneſſe of the eares of a man, with other ſignes and tokens agreeing thereto: it is a token of dulneſſe, and of ſlow wit and vnderſtanding, as Ariſtotle ſaith.
¶Of the Noſe. cap. 13.
ISidore ſaith, that the Noſe is the inſtrument of ſmellyng, & hath the
