taketh the aire, that is ſmit all about, and not ſtraight and forthright. Alſo this wit, like as the other wits be, is grieued and deſtroyed with too great noyſe, and is pleaſed and preſerued with temperate ſowndes. Wherefore in Examiron, Ambroſe ſayth, that men of the Country where the riuer Nylus ariſeth, are voyd of hearing, through the horrible roaring and noyſe: becauſe that the Riuer falling downe from the top of the high hill, ſmiteth into the eares of the men of the Countrey, & ſo maketh them aſtonied & deafe. This wit as the other wits haue, hath ofte many griefes. For ſometime it is all loſt, and is then called deafeneſſe: & ſomtime it is diminiſhed, and is then called heauineſſe of hearing: and ſometime it paſſeth out of courſe. The cauſe of the griefe commeth ſometime of default of the brayne, or of a ſinewe that is the waye of the hearing: and if that ſinew be ſtopped or grieued with ſome euill, that letteth the office thereof. And alſo of default of the eares, for ſometime they be corrupt and grieued with diuers humors, and ſometime rotten filth therein, ſtoppeth the hollownes thereof. And ſometime grauell and powder falleth therein, and letteth the paſſage of the aire, that it may not come to the ſpirite of hearing. And ſometime the ſinewes of hearing be grieued by itching and fretting of wormes. And ſometime the inſtruments and lyms of hearing, be infected and grieued with corrupt ayre, hot or colde. And ſometime it is let by winde and great ventoſitie cloſed in the pores of ye ſinewes of hearing: as appereth in them that ſéeme that they heare pipes, hornes, or belles. By all which things, the hearing is diminiſhed or loſt: as it ſhall be ſayd after in the treatiſe of the eares.
¶Of ſmelling. Cap. 19.
THe wit of ſmellyng[1], perceiueth and knoweth ſmelles. And to make this wit perfect, the ſpirite Animalis is néedfull, as the cauſe Efficiens, dooing. And it néedeth to haue the lymme expedient, that is to wit, perfect diſpoſition of the noſethrills. In the which are ſmall péeces as it were of fleſh hanging downewarde, and ſhapen as teates, the which be the proper lymmes of the ſmellyng, and receiue the ſpirite Animalis, by certaine ſinewes that come downewarde from the brayne. The noſethrills be not properly ye inſtruments of ſmellyng, the which are griſtly, and therefore they be inſenſible, as appeareth by them yt haue the noſethrills cut away: For though it be cut off, the beaſt léeſeth not his ſmel. Likewiſe if we paſſe by ſtinking places, and holde ſtill our breath, we féele not the ſtinking aire, yt commeth in at ye noſthrils: & that is becauſe thoſe ſmal péeces ſtopped as it were by a quicke mouing, they be ſtrained, and theſe péeces be hollow, & full of hoales as a ſpounge. They be hollow, that in their hollowneſſe and holes, they may take in the ſmoake that is reſolued, and commeth from the thing that is ſmelled. And they are full of holes as a ſpounge, that the vertue that draweth may be ſtrong in them: and therfore the vtter working of ye ayre, is néedfull, for to take lykenſſe of the aire, that commeth from the thing that ſhall be ſmelled, the which lykeneſſe the aire hath of the ſame thing that ſhall bée ſmelled. And that lykeneſſe the aire hath of the ſmoke, that commeth of that thing that ſhall be ſmelled, and ſo the ſmell is made in this manner. The ſpirite that is called Animall, is ſent from the brain to theſe péeces ſhapen as teates, and commeth thereto by certaine ſinewes, that are called Nerus odorabiles. And the ſmoake of the body or ſwéete ſmellyng thing being reſolued, is meddeled with the ayre: the which the ſmall chambers of the brain draw to them by thoſe two ſmall teates, & change & turne it into their owne lykeneſſe. And ſo by that chaunge and likenes made in that manner by working of the ſpirite Animalis, the effect of the ſmell is made. The fumous ſmelling belongeth to the kinde or matter: for therby it commeth: ye ſmell is nought els but a ſubſtance airie or fumous that commeth of a body. This fumous aire or vapor, the braine draweth to it ſelfe, as néedefull and liking, as
- ↑ Olfactu
