Book XL

1. n-c.7-
The year 63. is danger oils for eld 'Men.
jL
Teems not to be fuperftiti- ou fly obferved . r/hy Qlimafte- ricall years are dangerous.
How to avoid the danger e/j the clim after* eaUyear,
CHAP. XXXII.
Of the Clima&erick or gradualiyear , namely the 7. and 9. in which years the bodies ofmenfuffer man if eft changes ; and of old CMen efpe- c tally , 6 3 is the mofi dangerous . Likemife of the reafon of Critical! ciayes , that is, of the judgments of difeafes , whereby phyfituns un¬ doubtedly for e\beup whether the ftek will live or dy .
AUgufhuC*far, as gellm faith, was glad, and hoped that he was like to live long, becaufe he had pafiedhis 6 3 year. For Old Men feldome pa lie that year, but they are in danger of their lives , and I have obferved in the Low-Countries almoft in¬ finite examples thereof. Now there are two years , the 7th, and dangers,; wherefore 6 3 , that containes both thefe numbers mul¬ tiplied together, comes not without heaps of dangers, for 9, times 7>0T 7 5 5?, arc 6 3 . And thereupon that is called the Climac-
tericall year, becaufe beginning from 7, it doth as it were by fteps finilL a mans Life. And therefore all thofe years that arife by 7, or 9, arc called decretory 'or judiciall , wherein menundergoe great mutations, foreithcr they ufe to be calumniated , or vexed with grievous difeafes , or be in great dangers, or dofuffer feme detriment or Ioffe, either of their goods or health : wherefore I ufg to obferve the revolutions of thefe years in all ages , fo that I have found young Boys and Children to be in danger about the fourth year , 7, yeare, are in danger about the, 14 , day , and then at 7, years, and after¬ wards about 14. years, when haire begins to come forth on the fe- crcts. I know many that were in danger at 2 1, and after that at 2 8. and were never free from lome dangerous difeafe after the re¬ volution of 7, or 9,ycars:which revolution of years, though it be not to be obferved too llri&ly or fuperftitioufly by Chriftians,er to be feared, yet we are not forbid about thofe times to be moderate and fparing in our diet , and courfe of Life , left humours fhould be heaped up in our bodies, that may in thefe years prove to be the* fuel! ,and matter of difeafes. But no man as yet hath explained the reafon, why difeafes in thefe revolutions of years fhou Id com¬ monly be more fierce. I think it comes fo. to paflfe , becaufe the body of Man in certain periods of years heaps up a great heap and collection of humours, by the motion and agitation whereof dif¬ eafes are caufed. For when Nature comes to immoderate reple¬ tion, and the YdTclls cannot endure the plenty of humours, they muft needs break out into a difeafe. Wherefore we rauft do all we can to evacuate the peccant matter that abounds, which al- waies in the Spring or Autumn , is to be done either by openinga Vein or Purging. For thus you fhall not need to fear any difeafe- after 7 years, or any other year that the clima&ericall year fails upon , or to be endanger’d by any mutation arifing thence. From
this
1
Chap.33*
Of the ClimaCterick and gradual! year.
*43
this observation 'of years there hath been a long cuftome in many
Countries , that the Lord of the Manor makes new Agreements
with his Tenant every 7, year. For the fame caufe woods of A faite from
Willow, Birch, Alder, white and Black Poplar, and all Trees that typing of Trees
are of foft moift wood, are wont to be cut down every fourth year ;
but fuch as are of hard wood, as Oaks, Holm, Timber, Elms, Aih ,
arc tobelopt and cut every 7, or 9, years.
In like manner Phyfitians obfervecriticall days, which, if a man Judicial days. (hall exactly obferve the accompt as Hippocrates hath fet it down , he lhallfeldome milfeorfail in his predictions. A Crifis is a TheCrifsor fudden change in thedifeafe,either to Life or Death, which is wont to be terminated eirher on the 4th, or 7th, or 9th,or nth, or 14th, day. S ome referr the decretory days to the operation of the Moon, fo Aftrologers judge of difeafes. When the Moon is in the degrees that are remote a quarter or halfe a great Circle that fhe was in when thedifeafe firft began. But fhe comes to thefe Radii , fom- stamdocon. times fooner , fomtimes later , as her courfe isfwifteror flower.
The Crifis is not to all men alike , becaufe mens Natures are diffe- /£. ***"
rent , and their ages, and the conftitutions of their bodies, and the AfpeCts of the other Stars to the Moon. If on the judiciail day, the Moon be in her Houfe , or Exaltation with Jupiter and F" ?nw, that are gentle and heath full Planets, it forefhews a good Crrfs. If the difeafe con lifts in plenty of humours ; it is good if the Moonde- creafc in a quartile or oppofite AfpeCt. But if at the fame times the Moon be in Conjunction with the Sun, or Saturn , it is no good omen, and ihews the difeafe will be dangerous or Chronicall. But if the Moon decreafing accompany Saturn, when the difeafe begins,- it {hews it will be Chronicall or Mortall: But if that happen when the Moon increafeth, it is a fign thedifeafe will foon be gon, and is hoc dangerous. But as I would not have the bealthfull and hurt full fignes of the Stars, to be neglected , fol think it not good to be fuperftitioufly tied unto them 5 but rather to build on Hippo- Crates hisobfervations , which feemed tome to be alwaies more certainc, and notfodoubtfull and deceitfull , if fo be a man ex¬ actly confidcr all things. Therefore I referr this reafon of criti- call days, not fo much to the Starrs, as to the nature of the difeafes and bodies , with the qualities and plenty of humours. For Na¬ ture wrcftles with the difeafe, and labours to caft iroff: And if fhebedullor weak in refilling thefury ofic, tbe conflict ends the firft time , eitheron the 7th, or 9th, or attheiitmoft on the 1,4th, day. For the like hapneth to thofe bodies, as doth to a City that A fade from a is molt ftraightly befieged , which being not well provided with cty befieged. all things need full , and fuch things as fhouldferve to keep off the Enemies, cannot endure the leaft oppofition, but after one or two batterings, fails, and is taken by the adverfary. And as fomtimes the; battering of .it is ftaid , by a parley or time to breathe in, and then'the enemy comes on again with greater force , fo it falls out commonly in acute difeafes, wherein we obferve the force of the difeafe, like tempefts and great winds to be ftill awhile , blit it
comes
144
How a Loekjng-glajfe reprefentetb objeBs, Book II.
— _ _ , - - -- - - _
comes again with fuch violence , that Nature can hardly endure, nor life continue until! 7 days beexpired.
But fince the force of the 7th, number is obferved in many natu- rall things, and Divines are perfwaded of the great vertue of it? Phyfitians have principal l caufe accurately to obferve it, for daily experience (hews that in health and {kknefle, in the revolution of The ithjiuTnbtf days, months and yeares , and for the judgment of difeafcs,ic iso£ sacred, great concernment. So that fuch as dye of hunger, dye the 7 th day, or if they do lick or fwallow down fomthing , they can hard¬ ly hold out till the 9th day; their Spirits, their heat and moifture being extinguished and put our..'
CHAP. XXXIII.
How a Loolcing-glafie reprefents objects , and what good the policed fmoothneffe , of a Looking-glajje , can do to Students and fuch as tire their eyes in reading , and how it may refiore a dull fight.
LOoking- glaffes that in our dayes are abufed for luxury , und by which fome womcn'flrive to make tnemfelvcs beautifull , when they kemb and dreffe themfelves by them , and paint their, cheeks and eyes with Stibium and other paints; the induilry of wife nature invented for better ufes , namely that we might deli- Dmnkardsand gently contemplate the dignity of the form of Man, andtheex- affdZkinto cellency of the Divine workmanfhip : wherefore Plate gave good Looking gtafles. Counfel that Drunkards and angry-people ihould look upon the glafle ; for when they faw their ill favour, there, they would the loner leave off their folace. And Socrates was wont to advife young men to do the like, that if they were of a beautifull and no¬ ble countenance they fhould not defile it with vices: but if they were ugly , and not fo comely of ftature, they fhould recompence that with good Ornaments of witt and honeft behaviour. Wherc- Natur.quafl. fore Seneca faith that Glafles were invented, that by them , a man might know himfelfe. For many from thefe came to know them- rhe chiefe ufe Selves , and howto lead an excellent courfe of Life. A beauti- of a Looking full Man, to avoid infamy 5 an ill favoured man, tole&mtore- gitfe. compence the defers of his body by virtues: A yong man, to know that by age his beauty will decay, and therefore he ihould provide ^ himfelf with fueh things that old age cannot waff, but augment.An old man and wrinkled woman, to leave off the allurements of the fiefh , and remember that death is neere. Wherefore from a Glafle Nature hath obtained a faculty , to fee and to contemplate herfelfe, and that by looking on a Mans face, and countenance inaGlafle, which arc the fignes of many things, a man might wedifetm ed* contemplate himfelfe and confider his own inclinations. Forfo inaGiatfe, wejsecome Phypognomers, and looxcrs into our own conditions, and to fqe what vices we are given to , by what we difeern on our bo¬ dies
women very carefull to dreffe them¬ felves.
Cliap.3 3 .
Of the virtue ofGlafles,
145
die’s lineaments , and we may* endeavour to amend them. So ^ Plautus fpeaks wifely in Epidicus.
Men have not Glares for to fee their faces ,
But rather for to fee their minds graces : z/tndwhen their Heart they behold ,
To think what they did of old ,
Alfothisis the profit, the ufe ofa Glafle may make unto us, that it may fhatpen our eyes, that are grown dull by continuall poring, and help to recover and refrefh our weary fight. For the vifuali Spirits are gathered together , and are recreated by new Spirits that rcfult from the brain ; But many doubt how it is that a Glafle nhatteod a fhould reprefent the image of that Bands over agaihlt it. For may d fome chink the images are in the Glafle , that is, the figures of our e)eu bodies lent forth from our bodies : others think the images are not in the glaffc , but chat we fee them in the reflected fight , that is beat back again upon it felfe.WhereforcGiafles Chew many things
crate diredly through them. But the oppofite body appeares, be- °f what is over caufe that part of the radius that moves the eye, is directed to the a^aln^ lt% oppofite body; wherefore the whole radius is received as ftretch- ed out unto that part,, and thence it follows, that the thing is re¬ ceived by the eye. But they reprefent the Images with that part that is againft one , and not with that which is turn’d from us ; hecaufe the fpccies which pafleth from a foiid body to the fuperfi- cics of the Glafle through the Aire, is pure and ficnplc : where- ^
fore the images fhine in the Glafle, when as light radii are rege« nerated from it ; for they being beat back, come home to the eye, in which it fees it felfe, and every one doth behold his image clearly. For we do not fee through the Glafle , nor is the image formed in the Glafle, but in the eye, but the Glafle helps by * firiking back the fight. And this is the reafon why, when we rife in the night , we behold the light at firft looking on it , as if the rays went from us , and looked towards themfelves , and re¬ flecting upon themfelves. Hence you may colled why the right A»milerrom parts ofjbe body are made the left in the Glafle , and cue left the seats! fight frof it fallsour as it doth with Tables of Wax or Clay, upon which , if you ftamp the print of your Seal in the taking Agm\Ufrm off, the parts ftand contrary. The fame wefee inPrinting-Prel- tbcPrinteu fes,and in places that are calf with rawepi£tures,\vithout diftindi- letters, on of colours or painting , for there the right parts alwaies an- fwer to theleft of the mole. But how it fhould be that the Sun _ lhould appear double , being feen in a Glafle under the water, which alfo is wont to be feen in the Clouds, as a figne of fome fu¬ ture ill as fome ignorant people judge , many have not obferved* p fome think that the dogg-Srarr or fome other Starr ncere it is feen,
Y
when
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