7. We suppose, also, that some emaciating diseases, well cured, do profit to long life; for they yield new juice, the old being consumed; and, as he saith, "To recover a sickness, is to renew youth; therefore, it were good to make some artificial diseases, which is done by strict and emaciating diets; of which we shall speak hereafter.

The Intentions.

HAVING finished the inquisition according to the subjects; as, namely, of inanimate bodies, vegetables, living creatures, man; we will now come nearer to the matter, and order our inquisition by certain intentions; such as are true and proper, as we are wholly persuaded, and which are the very paths to mortal life. For in this part, nothing that is of worth hath hitherto been inquired; but the contemplations of men have been but simple, and non-proficients. For when we hear men, on the one side, speak of comforting natural heat, and the radical moisture, and of meats which breed good blood, such as may neither be burnt nor phlegmatic; and of the cheering and recreating of the spirits; we suppose them to be no bad men which speak these things; but none of these worketh effectually towards the end. But when, on the other side, we hear several discourse's touching medicines made of gold, because gold is not subject to corruption; and touching precious stones, to refresh the spirits by their hidden properties and lustre; and that, if they could be taken and retained in vessels, the balsams and quintessences of living creatures would make men conceive a proud hope of immortality; and that the flesh of serpents and harts, by a certain con

sent,

ent, are powerful to the renovation of life; because the ne casteth his skin, the other his horns; they should also have added, the flesh of eagles, because the eagle changeth his bill: and that a certain man, when he had found an intment hidden under the ground, and had anointed him<if therewith from head to foot, excepting only the soles of his feet, did, by this anointing, live three hundred years, without any disease, save only some tumours in the oles of his feet: And of Artefius, who, when he found his spirit ready to depart, drew into his body the spirit of a certain young man, and thereby made him breathless; but imself lived many years by another man's spirit: And of fortunate hours, according to the figures of Heaven, in which medicines are to be gathered and compounded for the prolongation of life: and of the seals of planets, by Thich virtues may be drawn and fetched down from heaven to prolong life; and such like fabulous and superstiboas vanities, we wonder exceedingly that men should so much dote, as to suffer themselves to be deluded with these hings. And again, we do pity mankind, that they should have the hard fortune to be besieged with such frivolous add senseless apprehensions. But our intentions do both come home to the matter, and are far from vain and credulous imaginations: being also such as we conceive postety may add much to the matters which satisfy those inentions; but to the intentions themselves but a little. Notwithstanding, there are a few things, and those of very great moment, of which we would have men to be forewarned.

First, we are of that opinion, that we esteem the offices of life to be more worthy than life itself. Therefore, if here be any thing of that kind, that may indeed exactly answer our intentions, yet so that the offices and duties of Sfe be thereby hindered, whatsoever it be of this kind, we reject it. Perhaps we may make some light mention of Vor. IV.

L

such

such things, but we insist not upon them. For we make no serious nor diligent discourse, either of leading the life in caves, where the sun-beams, and several changes of the air pierce not, like Epimenides's cave, or of perpetual baths, made of liquors prepared, or of shirts and sear-clothes so applied, that the body should be always as it were in a box, or of thick paintings of the body, after the manner of some barbarous nations; or of an exact ordering of our life and diet, which aimeth only at this, and mindeth nothing else, but that a man live, as was that of Herodicus amongst the antients, and of Cornarus the Venetian in our days, but with greater moderation; or of any such prodigy, tediousness, or inconvenience; but we propound such remedies and precepts by which the offices of life may neither be deserted, nor receive any great interruptions or molestations.

Secondly, on the other side, we denounce unto men, that they would give over trifling, and not imagine that so great a work, as the stopping and turning back the powerful course of nature, can be brought to pass by some morning draught, or the taking of some precious drug; but that they would be assured, that it must needs be that this is a work of labour, and consisteth of many remedies, and a fit connexion of them amongst themselves; for no man can be so stupid, as to imagine that what was never yet done, can be done but by such ways as were never yet attempted.

Thirdly, we ingenuously profess, that some of those things which we shall propound, have not been tried by us by way of experiment, for our course of life doth not permit that, but are derived, as we suppose, upon good reason, out of our principles and grounds, of which, some we set down, others we reserve in our mind, and are, as it were, cut and digged out of the rock and mine of nature herself. Nevertheless, we have been careful, and that with all providence and circumspection, (seeing the scripture saith of

the

the body of man, That it is more worth than raiment), to gropound such remedies as may at least be safe, if peradventure they be not fruitful.

Fourthly, we would have men rightly to observe and distinguish, that those things which are good for an healthfal life, are not always good for a long life. For there are some things which do further the alacrity of the spirits, and the strength and vigour of the functions, which, notwithstanding, do cut off from the sum of life. And there are ther things which are profitable to prolongation of life, which are not without some peril of health, unless this matter be salved by fit remedies; of which, notwithstandng, as occasion shall be offered, we will not omit to give same cautions and monitions.

Lastly, we have thought good to propound sundry res zedies, according to the several intentions; but the choice of those remedies, and the order of them, to leave to discretion. For to set down exactly which of them agreeth best with which constitution of body; which, with the several courses of life; which, with each man's particular age; and how they are to be taken, one after another; and how the whole practice of these things is to be administered and governed; would both be too long, neither is it fit to be published.

In the topics, we propounded three intentions: The prohibiting of consumption; The perfecting of reparation; and, The renewing of oldness. But seeing those things which shall be said are nothing less than words, we will deduce those three intentions to ten operations.

1. The first is, the operation upon the spirits, that they may renew their vigour.

2. The second operation is upon the exclusion of air. 3. The third operation is upon the blood and the sanguifying heat.

4. The fourth operation is upon the juices of the body.

5. The fifth operation is upon the bowels, for their extrusion of aliment.

6. The sixth operation is upon the outward parts, for their attraction of aliment.

7. The seventh operation is upon the aliment itself, for the insinuation thereof.

8. The eighth operation is upon the last act of assimilation.

9. The ninth operation is upon the inteneration of the parts after they begin to be dried.

10. The tenth operation is upon the purging away of old juice, and supplying of new juice.

Of these operations, the four first belong to the first intention; the four next, to the second intention; and the the two last, to the third intention.

But because this part touching the intentions doth tend to practice, under the name of history, we will not only comprise experiments and observations, but also counsels, remedies, explications of causes, assumptions, and whatsoever hath reference hereunto.

The Operation upon the Spirits, that they may remain youthful, and renew their Vigour.

The History.

1. THE spirits are the master-workmen of all effects in the body. This is manifest by consent, and by infinite instances.

2. If any man could procure that a young man's spirits ould be conveyed into an old man's body, it is not unlike

ly,