Book II.

Ltfvinus Lemnim0a Phy Titian o/Zirizga.
CONCERNING
Hidden and Natural Queflions.
The Second Took.
CHAP. i.
■■ . .
That humours and not bad Angels caufe difeafes , yet the aereal f pints do mix themf elves therewith, and increafe the difeafes , by adding fire unto them .
Here are Tome among!! us that are but moderately verfed in the Works of Nature, and know not the caufes of difeafes, their original, progrdle, and fymptoms that fol¬ low, or accidents, and becaufe they cannot attain to the reafon of them, they refer all to evil Angels, and fay they are be- witcht, fince the Devils do conftantly employ themfclves to hurt us. So they that are Tick of a Tertian Ague, the humours entring the veins every third day, are faid to be troubled with an evil Ipi- rit ; and the like is faid for quartans, and continent leavers, as quotidians, diurnals, and all burning Feavers. But how unreafen- able and abfurd this is, any man can tell that is moderately verfed in the Secrets of Nature. For fince man’s body confifts of the mixture of the four Elements, and hath as many humours which from the faculty of the feed partake of four qualities, hot, moyft, cold, dry; what can be faid more, than that difeafes arife from the diftemper of thefe, by defeat, or excefie, and from thence they take their original > It is proved, becaufe we fee they grow mild and quiet by vomit, fweat, opening a vein, cupping-glalfcs fet to the part affe&ed, by the opening of the Terms and Emrods, al- fo by the giving of Glyfters and Suppofitaries. But God for his ineftimable Wifdome hath appointed orderly motions in the na¬ ture of things, and would have nothing done ralhly or by chance,
but
lignity of hu¬ mours • is the beginning of difeafes.
T
87
Chap. t. ■That Hu)noufiy and not bad Angels eaufed/feafes.
but'aU things in a decent order and continued ferics. So the Stan, the Elements, the Sea, the;times of the year , and the Skies of Hidven have the^r motions1,1 and changes, and move by a certain r “ /7' Order, humours arcundcr the lik£J law, for they have err- tiih motions, and effeds and periods ih mans body, that every huiiiauf keeps it^rurrt accbrding to the variety of the four parrs of the year, and cxercifes it faculties -and- '(drees on mans body, fo it is that the blood in the fpring is in force, and breeds feaver anddi- feafes of its own nature ; fo choler every other day in fummer with cholerick burning caufeth a tertian Flcgm, corrupting in the win- The hmms ter quarter, caulcth a quotidian intermitting, and melancholly k"p their ieh-cif Auturnh coiTtes, makes a quartan. So a diary ends in one Umes' day or a little more, becaufe that confifts not in the putrefaction of humours, but with an acrealfpirit enflamed. And all thefe are- effected by the fame law as the rifing and fetting of Stars are, as al- fois the flux and reflux of the Sea, and the pleafant change of hearbs and plants fpring ing forth. But that is admirable that the rht mt-m of four humours make choile of certain hours and times of the day, the four hu- and divide the artificial day, and night amongft them by twelve heko'
temporal hours, which to be true I have found by experience; for * by observing them ; I ufe to pronounce certainly when the feaver will come. iFor the blood is vigorous, as Sortnut Sphejim certifies, Math: which like the Evangclifts mealure the times and fpaces of day and night by equal hours, from nine at night, till three in the mor- Mans mind ning, in which time the blood is conceded and elaborated in th e more lively i* Liver, Hence it is that the mind before day break is more chear- f^thew- full, and all people both found and Tick, are more light-hearted pour of blond* by reafon oftheiweet vapour of the blood, but yellow choller hath its turn from three in the morning, till nine in the morning, in which time the natural faculty doth part the cholicr from the blood, and fends it to the Gall bladder, hence it is that a man is then more prone to anger, and will be eafily offended, but black choler, or melancholique juice doth its office from nine in the mor- ni g till three in the afternoon, and fits at helm. In this time the Liver iscleanfed of this grofle humour which is lent to the ‘Milt by nature ; hence it is that in thofe hours the underhand ing of man is clowded, and his mind is fad, by the dark groffe fumes • 9
that at ife from thence; “Flegme moves from three at night, till m/JuriJui. nine at night ; for then fupper being ended, concodion begins in the ftomach to be perfected, and the meat to be boyled and turned to juice. Hence it is that flegme fwimming on the ftomach, and carried to the brain, makes a man fleepy. Now if you exadly count the manner of all thefe, you fhall find that the very hours that the fcvcral humours take their turns. Feavers begin to af- fault the f ck, and as the fpaces are ended that lerve for the fevc- ral humours, if they be fimpleand without mixture, the difeafes are terminated alfo. So continent Feavers, and as many as pro¬ ceed from blood, come upon us in the morning : tertians about nout noon, that is, at the fixth hour, which is to us the twelfth
hour
88
That Humours and not bad Angels caufe difeafes, Book II.
JEntid. *.
Ovid- Metam.