It is moyſt, that it maye helpe to the diſſolution of things receiued. As if any things that are put too the tongue, either to the roofe of the mouth, be hard or drye, by the moyſture of the tongue, they ſhall be the eaſilier tempered, to be apte and couenable to all manner digeſtion and reſolution. The tongue alſo is ſauourleſſe, that it maye the better take all manner ſauour of things, as the water, the which if it had a determined ſauour, it might not take the ſauour of another thing. Taſt is made in this manner: Two ſinewes be placed in the middle of the tongue, ye which are ſpread into manye boughes called Radices, and braunches to the vttermoſt ſides and parts of the tongue: and by theſe ſinewes the ſpirite that is called, Animalis, is brought into the tongue. Therefore when the thing that muſt be taſted, entereth into the tongue, either into poores & holes of the ſinewes, ye ſpirite that is named Animalis, that is therein, taketh a lykeneſſe of the properties thereof, the which afterwarde it preſenteth to the high perſeueraunce of the ſoule. The taaſt is more boyſtous & thicke than the ſmell, as much as fumoſitie is more ſubtill than water. For the ſmell, of kinde is ſmoakie: but the féelyng of taaſt, is a moyſt waterneſſe, as ſayth Conſtantine. This ſenſe is néedfull to ſaue the body and the lyfe of a beaſt. For if the taſt be corrupt or faile: the vertue of féeding fayleth. And ſo the ſubſtaunce of the beaſt fayleth by lyttle and lyttle. The taaſt is corrupt, when his inſtrumentes are hurt and grieued, or when corrupt humours haue maſtrie in them, and that is, when it féeleth not the ſauour of things, either when it féeleth not that ſauour as it is. And that falleth, if a ſingular humour hath maſterie in the ſubſtaunce of the tongue. As by example: If red cholar haue maſterie, all ſéemeth bitter: & if ſalt fleme hath maſterie, all thing ſéemeth ſalt: and ſo of other. As it fareth of them that haue the feauers, in whom the maſterie of a corrupt humour, corrupteth and deſtroyeth the taaſt. Alſo it is chaunged, and hurte by the mallyce of the thing that is taſted: as it fareth in the taaſt of an Aloe, and other things that be paſſing bitter, for by the force or vnſauerineſſe thereof, the taaſt is very much grieued. The taaſt hath lyking in ſwéete things, for that lykeneſſe that it hath with ſwéeteneſſe. For that ſwéetneſſe that ſtandeth in hot and moyſt, is like to all the members yt be moſt ſpecially fed with ſwéete foode. For ſwéete foode nouriſheth much, and is lyghtly lykened to the members and lims, as ſaith Iſaac. in Det.
¶Of touching. Cap. 21.
TOuching is the wit of knowing diuers things,[1] that are to be touched, for by the vertue of touching, the ſoule knoweth hot and wet, colde and dry, ſoft and hard, ſmooth and rough. Or as Auicen ſayth, The touching is a vertue, ordeyned in the ſinewes of all the body, to knowe what he toucheth. Though this vertue be in all the parts of the body, yet it is principally in the palme of the handes, and in the ſoles of the féete, the which kinde temperately for this reſon hath ordained, that they ſhould the lyghtlyer perceiue and féele things colde and hot. Theſe partes be hollowe, that things to be felt may the better be perceiued, and that things to be helde, maye the better and more ſtrongly be holden. They féele temperately, that they maye take the lightlyer the lykenes of a thing that is temperate. Things that maye be fealt, may be called the compoſition of the firſt qualyties, and certaine conueniences to them, as rough and ſmoothe, harde and ſofte. In the vttermoſt héerof, the vertue of féelyng is grieued and hurte, as in the thing that is eyther too hot or too colde: for kinde hath lyking in the meane, as luke warme. To make this vertue perfect, theſe things néedeth to the cauſe efficient dooing, and that is the deriuation of the ſpirite Animall to the inſtrumentes of féelyng: alſo a conuenient inſtrument, and that is in two manners. One is the ſinewes that commeth from the braine, and bringeth the ſpirite Animall, to all the lymmes.
- ↑ Tactus.
