deſtroyed. And ſo it appeareth, that the vertue of touching, is the grounde and the foundation of all the other vertues. Alſo when the other foure powers, each hath his ſingular and proper ſenſe, and obiect, that is to wit, that falleth in one ſenſe and not in another, as the ſight knoweth hiew and colour, and the taaſt knoweth ſauour, &c. The touching alone is the vertue, whereto all the other lims of the vertues, imprinteth their paſſions. It is common to all wittes to haue proper obiect things and ſenſate, in the which they erre not by hap. For a perticular wit may erre for ſome thing that falleth. For as Ariſtotle ſayth, Such a thing maketh the fantaſie in doubt oft, as appeareth in ye ſight, yt déemeth a great ſtar but ſmall & little, for the farnes of place of & like And the taſt yt ſuppoſeth bitter to be ſwéete, through infection of the roofe of the mouth, and ſo it happeneth of the other. It is common and generall, that all the perticular vtter wits, that come from the inner moouing, that is called, Senſus communis, Common moouing, procéede as it were lynes out of the middle thereof, to euery ſingular vtter power, and maketh it perfect, and the inſtruments thereof, by diuers diſpoſitions that belong thereto, and bringeth the lykeneſſe thereof to the full mouing. Through ye which agréeing vertues, all the properties of touching, and the working that belongeth thereto, they iudge of and diſcerne. And this that is ſayd of the properties of the vertues of this inwarde working of the ſenſes ſufficeth at this time.
¶Of thoſe things that are required to the perfection of nature. Cap. 22.
AS wits and vertues are néedfull to the ruling of kinde, ſo to the perfection thereof, it muſt not be without ſome ſpirits: by whoſe benefite & contuiuall mouing, both wits and vertues in man and beaſts be ruled to worke & do their offices. For we ſpeake héere of a ſpirit, A ſpirit is called a certain ſubſtance, ſubtill, and airie, that ſtirreth & exciteth the vertues of the body to their doings and workes: or as it is written in the booke Spiritus & Animae, A ſpirit is a ſubtil body, by the ſtrength of heate multiplyeng in mans body, giuing lyfe by the veynes of the body & by the veynes and pulſes, giueth to beaſts, breath, life & pulſes, and working voluntary mouing and vertue, by the meanes of finewes & muſcles, in bodies that haue ſoules. Phyſitions ſay, that this ſpirit is gendered in this manner wiſe. While by heat working in the bloud, in the lyuer is cauſed ſtrong boyling and ſéething, and thereof commeth a ſmoke, the which is pured & made ſubtil of the veynes of the lyuer, & turneth into a ſubtill ſpirituall ſubſtance and airely kinde: and that is called, Spiritus animalis. For kindly by the might thereof, it maketh the bloud ſubtill. And by lyghtneſſe thereof it moueth ye bloud, and ſendeth it about into all the lyms. And therefore this ſpirite properlye ruleth and gouerneth the kindly vertue of lyfe, as ſayth Conſtant. And this ſame ſpirit tourneth toward the heart by certaine veynes. And there by mouing & smiting togethers of the parts of ye hart, the ſpirit is more pured, and turned into a more ſubtill kinde. And then it is called of phiſitions Spiritus vitalis, becauſe that from ye hart, by the organe & veyns, & ſmall wayes, it ſpreadeth it ſelfe into all ye lims of the body, & increſeth ye vertues ſpiritual, & ruleth & kéepeth ye works thereof. For out of a hollownes of ye left ſide of ye hart commeth an arterie veyne, & in his mouing is parted in two bronches: the one thereof goeth downward, & ſpredeth in many boughs & ſprayes. By meane of the which ye ſpirit Vitalis, is brought to giue ye life, to al ye nether lims of the body. The other bough goeth vpward, & is again parted in thrée branches: the right bough therof, goeth to the right arme, & the left bough to ye left arme egaly, & ſpreadeth into diuers ſprayes: & ſo the ſpirit Vitalis is ſpred into all ye body. & worketh in the arterie veynes the pulſes of life. The middle bough extendeth it ſelfe to the braine, & other higher parts, & giueth life, and ſpreadeth the ſpirite Vitalis in all the parts about.
