Part V.

PLATO.
189
CHAP. XIX.
Of the red of the Serif es.
H Earing is given for the perception of Voice, it arileth from a Motion made about the Head, and letteth in the Liver. Voice is that which pafleth through the Ear, Brain, and Blood to the Soul. A fliarp Voice is -that which is moved fwiftly, deep which llowly, great which much, Imall which little.
Next fblloweth the Senfe proper to the No- ftrils, perceptible of Odour. Odour is an af- feftion which pafleth from the Veins of the Nollrils to the parts of the Navel. The Spe¬ cies thereof have no name , except tlte two that are moft common, plealant, and unpleafant, commonly called fweet and ftinking. All O- dour is more thick than Air, more thin than Waterjfor Odour is properly faid to beofthofe things which l\^ve not yet received perfefl Mutation, but confift of a communion of Air and Water, as fmoke and mills. For, by the refolution of thefe into one another, the fenfe of Smelling is made.
Tafte was made by the Gods to be judge of different favours. Hence are Veins extend¬ ed to the Heart, by which feveral favours are examined. Thefe Veins by dilating or con- trafling themfelves feverally according to the Sapors prefented to them, difcern the differen¬ ces. The differences of Sapors are feven, fweet, fharp, four, picquant, fait, acid, bitter j the nature of fweet Sapor is contrary to all the reft, for by its Power it fpotheth and pleat eth the moifture of the Tongue, whereas of the reft fome difturb and dilpel it, as acute Sapoik ; fome heat, and fly upwards, as the hot j others being abfterlive, dilTohe it ; as the bitter -, others are by degrees purgative and abfterfive, as the Salt. Of thefe fome contraft the paf fages i they which do it more roughly, are called acid, they which raoregently, auftere.
The fenfh of Touching was formed by the Gods, to difcern hot^and cold, foft and hard, light and heavy, fmooth and rough, and to Judge the differences of each of thefr •, Tield- ing Bodies, we call thole which yield to the touch , reftfing thofe which yield not •, this proceedeth from the bafes of Bodies*. Thofe which have large Bafes, are firm and folid , thefe which have narrow Bafes are yielding , fbft and ealily changed. Rough is that >ihich is uneven and hard, fmooth, that which is pl&in and thick .* As warm and cold qualities are moft oppofite, fo they proceed from the moft different caufes. That which cutteth by the acutenefs and roughiiefs of its parts, begetteth a hot affeffton, that which is more thick, in pe¬ netration, a cold,whitft the more rare are expeli led, and the more denfe compelled to penetrate into their room. Thence arifeth a Concuffion and trepidation, and ( an affe£lion which is from hence b^otten in Bodies,), rigor.
C H A P. XX.
Of Heavy and Light.
HEavy and Light ought nor to be defined by higher or lower place, nothing is high or low 5 for Heaven being ablblutely round,and its convex extremity even, we cannot term any thing higher or lower , yet may we call that heavy, which is hardly drawn to a place diffe¬ rent from its Nature^ light which ealily • or, hea¬ vy is that which conlifteth of moft parts, light of feweft.
CHAP. XXL Of Refpration.
WE breathe after this manner.The external Air compafleth us round about, and pafleth in at our Mouth, Noftrils, and invifible Pores of the Body,where being warmed, it flow- eth back again to the external air, by that part out of which it flowed, it again thrulteth the ex¬ ternal Air to the interiour.Thus there is an unm- termitted fuccellion ofinfpirationand expiration.
CHAP. XXII.
■ Of the Caufes of Difeafes.
OF Difeafes F/ato alledgeth many caufes” The firft is defeft, or excels of the Ele¬ ments, and a change of places which agree not with their Nature. The fecond a prepo- fterous generation of homogeneal parts, as when of Flefh is made Blood, or Choler^ or Flegm ^ for all thefe are .nothing but colliquation , or putrefaflion. Flegm is a new colliquation of Flefti j fwet and tears are a kind of Serum of Flegm. Flegm intercepted in the outward parts , begetteth fcurf and leprofie,in the inward being mingled with Melancholy, it caufeth the falling ficknefs. Sharp and fait Flegm engen¬ der thofe affeEfions which confift in rigour, for all Bodies that are inflamed with Choler muft fuffer that. A World of various Difeafes are engendred by Choler and Flegm. As concern¬ ing Fevers j P/ato conceived that a continu¬ al Fever proceedeth frorri excels of Fire , a quotidian from excels of Air, a Titian from excels of Water, a Quartan from excefs of Earth. It remaineth that we here begin tofpeak of the Soul, though not without fome danger , ^f repeating the lame things.
CHAP. XXIII.
Of the three principal Povcers of the Soul.
TH E Gods, the makers of Mortal Crea¬ tures, having received from the jfirft God the Soul of Man Immortal, added unto it two Mortal Parts 5 yet left the Immortal Divine part might be infefted with Mortal Extravagances^ they feated as Ptince of all in the Tower, as it were of the Body^ the Head,
190
PLATO.