of the same.. For though sleep doth strengthen and advance the actions of the parts, and of the lifeless spirits, and all that motion which is to the circumference of the body; yet it doth in great part quiet and still the proper motion of the living spirit. Now sleep, regularly, is due unto human nature once within four-and-twenty hours, and that for six, or five hours, at the least; though there are, even in this kind, sometimes miracles of nature; as it is recorded of Mæcenas, that he slept not for a long time before his death. And as touching the want of refrigeration, for conserving of the spirit, thus much. 22. As concerning the third indigence, namely, of aliment, it seems to pertain rather to the parts, than to the living spirit. For a man may easily believe that the living spirit subsisteth in identity, not by succession or renovation. And as for the reasonable soul in man, it is above all question, that it is not engendered of the soul of the parents, nor is repaired, nor can die. They speak of the natural spirit of living creatures, and also of vegetables, which differs from that other soul essentially and formally. For out of the confusion of these, that same transmigration of souls, and innumerable other devices of heathens and he-retics, have proceeded. 23. The body of man doth regularly require renovation, by aliment, every day. And a body in health can scarce endure fasting three days together; notwithstanding, use and custom will do much even in this case; but in sickness, fasting is less grievous to the body. Also, sleep doth supply somewhat to nourishment; and, on the other side, exercise doth require it more abundantly. Likewise, there have some been found, who have sustained themselves, almost to a miracle in nature, a very long time with out meat or drink. 24. Dead bodies, if they be not intercepted by putrefac tion, will subsist a long time without any notable absump fion; but living bodies not above three days, as we said, unless they be repaired by nourishment; which sheweth that quick absumption to be the work of the living spirit, which either repairs itself, or puts the parts into a necessity of being repaired, or both. This is testified by that also which was noted a little before; namely, that living creatures may subsist somewhat the longer without aliment, if they sleep. Now sleep is nothing else but a reception and retirement of the living spirit into itself. 25. An abundant and continual effluxion of blood, which sometimes happeneth in the hemorrhoides, sometimes in vomiting of blood, the inward veins being unlocked or broken, sometimes by wounds, causeth sudden death; in regard, that the blood of the veins ministereth to the arteries, and the blood of the arteries to the spirit. 26. The quantity of meat and drink which a man, eating two meals a day, receiveth into his body, is not small, much more than he voideth again, either by stool, or by urine, or by sweating; you will say, no marvel, seeing the remainder goeth into the juices and substance of the body : It is true; but consider, then, that this addition is made rwice a day, and yet the body aboundeth not much: In like manner, though the spirit be repaired, yet it grows not excessively in the quantity. 27. It doth no good, to have the aliment ready in a degree removed; but to have it of that kind, and so prepared and supplied, that the spirit may work upon it; for the staff of a torch alone will not maintain the flame, unless it be fed with wax; neither can men live upon herbs alone. And from thence comes the inconcoction of old age, that though there be flesh and blood, yet the spirit is become so penurious and thin, and the juices and blood so heartless and obstinate, that they hold no proportion to alimenta tion. P 2 28. Let 28. Let us now cast up the accounts of the needs ar Eigences, according to the ordinary and usual course o ture: the spirit hath need of opening and moving its the ventricles of the brain and nerves, even continu of the motion of the heart every third part of a mon of breathing, every moment; of sleep and nourishr once within three days; of the power of nourishing, < monly till eighty years be past. And if any of these gences be neglected, death ensueth. So there are pla three porches of death: destitution of the spirit, in the tion, in the refrigeration, in the aliment. It is an error, to think that the living spirit is perpet ly generated and extinguished, as flame is, and abideth any notable time. For even flame itself is not thus ou his own proper nature, but because it liveth amongst e mies. For flame within flame endureth. Now the liv spirit liveth amongst friends and all due obsequiousn So, then, as flame is a momentary substance, air a fi substance, the living spirit is betwixt both. Touching the extinguishing of the spirit by the destr tion of the organs, which is caused by diseases and violen we inquire not now, as we foretold in the beginning, though that also endeth in the same three porches. A touching the form of death itself thus much. 29. There are two great forerunners of death; the o sent from the head, the other from the heart; convulsio and the extreme labour of the pulse. For as for the dea ly hiccough, it is a kind of convulsion. But the deadl labour of the pulse hath that unusual swiftness, because th heart, at the point of death, doth so tremble, that the sys tole and diastole thereof are almost confounded. There i also conjoined in the pulse, a weakness, and lowness, and oftentimes a great intermission; because the motion of the heart faileth, and is not able to rise against the assault stout 1TH constantly. 30. The ON LIFE AND DEATH. 30. The immediate preceding signs cf dez... zn. quietness and tossing in the bed, fumbin; wo hands; catching and grasping hard, guasting th; speaking hollow; trembling of the nether in of the face; the memory confuse, st fold sweats; the body shooting in iengi.. intr white of the eye; changing of the who. VISS sharp, eyes hollow, cheek; fallen comm aling of the tongue: colanes i to: Exce body; in some, shedding of bioa. er s g; breathing thick and short. falu ct ter mci like. 11. There follow death, min, as well of the heart and are and junts; an inabiny of the Dor a a night; stiffness of the nerves and pare 32. Eels, serpents, and the inserts, vil man a long in every part after they are car, msomuch, cantry people think that the part strove u jom lage again. Also, birds will fiate ag wille atter heir heads are pulled off; and the heat of being crea will pant a long time after they a pincked out. I member to have seen the hear of me that was bowelled, as suffering for high treason, fiat, being cast into the fire, ed at the first . least a four and a half in heighth, and de, by degrees lower and lower, for the space, as we 10. ember, of seven or eight minutes. There is also an anent and credible tradition, of an ox lowing after the bowben, of a man, who, being under the executioner's hand tor plucked out. But there is a more certain tradi high treason, after his heart was plucked out, and m the There ecutioner's hand, was heard to utter three or four words prayer; which, therefore, we said to be more credible, aising hink at his riend › He fore saw ea em si d S than that of the ox in sacrifice; because the friends of the party suffering do usually give a reward to the executioner to dispatch his office with the more speed, that they may the sooner be rid of their pain; but in sacrifices, we see no cause why the priest should be so speedy in his office. 33. For reviving those again which fall into sudden swoonings, and catalepsies, or astonishments, (in which fits, many, without present help, would utterly expire), these things are used; putting into their mouths water dis, tilled of wine, which they call hot waters and cordial waters; bending the body forwards; stopping the mouth and nostrils hard; bending or wringing the fingers; pulling the hairs of the beard or head; rubbing of the parts, especially the face and legs; sudden casting of cold water upon face; shrieking out aloud and suddenly; putting rose-water to the nostrils, with vinegar, in faintings; burning of feathers, or cloth, in the suffocation of the mother; but especially, a frying-pan, heated red hot, is good in apoplexies; also, a close embracing of the body hath helped some. the 34. There have been many examples of men, in shew, dead, either laid out upon the cold floor, or carried forth to burial; nay, of some buried in the earth, which, notwithstanding, have lived again; which hath been found in those that were buried, (the earth being afterwards opened), by the bruising and wounding of their head, through the struggling of the body within the coffin; whereof, the most recent and memorable example was that of Ioannes Scotus, called the Subtil, and a schoolman, who, being digged up again by his servant, unfortunately absent at his burial, (and who knew his master's manner in such fits), was found in that state. And the like happened in our days, in the person of a player buried at Cambridge. I remember to have heard of a certain gentleman that would needs make trial, in curiosity, what men did feel that were 3 hanged; |