"Three diff'rent streams, from fountains different, The first in single channels, sky-like blue, it rise, Yet passing through another greater fountain, Doth lose his former name and qualities: Through many a dale it flows, and many a More fiery light, and needful more than all; All froths his yellow streams, with many a sudden "The last, in all things diff'ring from the other, The coldest spring, yet nature, best they have; wave. "These with a thousand streams 10 through th' Bring tribute in the first gives nourishment; "The whole isle, parted in three regiments", By three metropolis's jointly sway'd; Ord'ring in peace and war their governments, With loving concord, and with mutual aid: "A vein is a vessel, long, round, hollow, rising from the liver, appointed to contain, concoct, and distribute the blood: it hath but one tunicle, and that thin; the colour of this blood is purple. An artery is a vessel, long, round, hollow, formed for conveyance of that more sprightly blood, which is elaborate in the heart-This blood is frothy, yellowish, full of spirits, therefore compassed with a double tunicle, that it might not exhale or sweat out by reason of the thinness. 9 A nerve is a spermatical part rising from the brain and the pith of the back-bone: the outside skin, the inside full of pith; carrying the animal spirits for sense and motion, and therefore doubly skinned, as the brain; none of them single, but run in couples. 10 The veins convey the nourishment from the liver; the arteries, life and heat from the heart; the nerves, sense and motion from the brain will commands, the nerve brings, and the part executes the mandate, all almost in an instant. The whole body may be parted into three regions: the lowest, or belly; the middle, or breast; the highest, or head. In the lowest the liver is sovereign, whose regiment is the widest, but meanest. In the middle, the heart reigns, most necessary. The brain obtains the highest place, and is, as the least in compass, so the greatest in dignity. The lowest hath the worst, but largest see; The highest least, but holds the greatest sov'reignty. 12 Deep in a vale doth that first province lie, Which still some other colour'd stream infecteth, If white, it argues wet, if purple, fire ; "The second rampier of a softer matter, : 12 The parts of the lower region, are either the contained or containing the containing either common or proper; the common are the skin, the fleshy panicle, and the fat; the proper are the muscles of the belly-piece, or the inner rim of the belly. 13 The skin is a membrane of all the rest the most large and thick, formed of the mixture of seed and blood; the covering and ornament of parts that are under it: the temper moderate, the proper organ of outward touching (say physicians.) 14 The native colour of the skin is white, but (as Hippocrates) changed into the same colour which is brought by the humour predominant. Where melancholy abounds, it is swarthy; where phlegm, it is white and pale; where choler reigns, it is red and fiery; but in sanguine, of a rosy colour. 15 The skin is covered with the cuticle, or flourishing of the skin; it is the mean of touching, without which we feel, but with pain. It polisheth the skin, which many times is changed, and (as it is with snakes) put off, and a new and more amiable brought in. 16 The fat cometh from the airy portion of the blood; which when it flows to the membranes, by their weak heat (which physicians account and call cold) grows thick and close. Sends back again to what confine it listeth; And outward enemies, by yielding, most resisteth. "The third more inward, firmer than the best, May seem at first, but thinly built, and slight; But yet of more defence than al: the rest; Of thick and stubborn substance strongly dight. These three (three common fences round imThis regiment, and all the other isle; [pile) And saving inward friends, their outward focs beguile. "Beside these three, two more appropriate guards, [ment: With constant watch compass this governThe first eight companies in several wards, (To each his station in this regiment) On each side four continual watch observe, And under one great captain jointly serve; Two fore-right stand, two cross, and four obliquely swerve. "The other 2 fram'd of common matter, all This lower region girts with strong defence; More long than round, with double-builded wall, Though single often seems to slighter sense; With many gates, whose strangest properties Protect this coast from all conspiracies; Admitting welcome friends, excluding enemies. 箱 Between this fence's double-walled sides 21, Four slender brooks run creeping o'er the lea; The first is call'd the nurse, and rising slides From this low region's metropolie : Two from th' heart-city bend their silent pace; In the allantoid sea empties his flowing race. "The fat increaseth inward heat, by keeping it from outward parts; and defends the parts subject to it from bruises. The fleshy panicle, is a membrane very thick, sinewy, woven in with little veins. "The proper parts in folding this lower region, are two; the first, the muscles of the belly-piece, which are eight; four side-long, two right, and two across. "Peritoneum (called the rim of the belly) is a thin membrane, taking his name from compassing the bowels; round, but longer: every where double, yet so thin that it seems but single. It hath many holes, that the veins, arteries, and other needful vessels might have passage both in and out. "The double tunicle of the rim, is plainly parted into a large space, that with a double wall it might fence the bladder, where the vessels of the navel are contained. These are four, first the nurse, which is a vein nourishing the infant in the womb: second, two arteries, in which the infant breathes; the fourth, the ourachos, a pipe whereby (while the child is in the womb) the urine is carried into the allantoid, or rather amnion, which is a membrane receiving the sweat and urine. "The passages carrying the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Some affirm that in the passage stands a curious lid or cover. Into a lake the urine-river falls, Which at the nephros hill begins his race: way: Thereto some say, was built a curious framed bay. "The urine lake 23 drinking his colour'd brook, By little swells, and fills his stretching sides: But when the stream the brink 'gins overlook, A sturdy groom empties the swelling tides; Sphincter some call; who if he loosed be, Or stiff with cold, out flows the senseless sea, And, rushing unawares, covers the drowned lea. "From thence with blinder passage (Alying name) 24 These noisome streams a secret pipe conveys; On that by sovereign Hepar's large commands, To both these join'd in league, and never failing "The form (as when with breath our bagpipes rise 27, [more; And swell) round-wise, and long, yet long-wise Fram'd to the most capacious figure's guise; For 'tis the island's garner: here its store Lies treasur'd up, which well prepar'd, it sends By secret path, that to the arch-city bends; Which, making it more fit, to all the isle dispends. "But hence at foot of rocky Cephal's hills, This city's steward 2 dwells in vaulted stone; Aloft he fitly dwells in arched cave, wave. 23 The bladder endeth in a neck of flesh, and is girded with a muscle which is called sphincter: which holds in the urine, lest it flow away without our permission. If this be loosened, or cold, the urin goes away from us, of itself, without any feeling. 24 Hence the urine is conveyed through the ordinary passages, and cast out. 25 Besides the bladder there are six special parts contained in this lower region; the liver, the stomach, with the guts; the gall, the spleen, or milt; the kidneys and parts for generation. 26 The stomach (or Koilia) is the first in order, though not in dignity. 27 Koila, or the stomach, is long and round like a bagpipe, made to receive and concoct the meat, and to perfect the chyle, or white juice which riseth from the meat concocted. 23 Gustus, the taste, is the caterer, or steward to the stomach, which has its place in Cephal, that is, the head. At that cave's mouth, twice sixteen porters stand 2, On each side four (the foremost of the band) Straight other four break it in picces small; And at each hand twice five, which grinding Fit it for convoy, and this city's arsenal. [all, "From thence a groom 30 of wondrous volubility Delivers all unto near officers, Of nature like himself, and like agility; At each side four, that are the governors To see the victuals shipp'd at fittest tide: Which straight from thence with prosp❜rous channel slide, And in Koilia's port with nimble oars glide. "The haven" fram'd with wondrous sense and art, Opens itself to all that entrance seek; Yet if ought back would turn, and thence depart, With thousand wrinkles shuts the ready creek: But when the rent is slack, it rages rife, And mut'nies in itself with civil strife: [knife. Thereto a little groom it with sharpest eggs "Below dwells 33 in this city's market-place, The island's common cook, concoction; Common to all, therefore in middle space Is quarter'd fit in just proportion; 32 Whence never from his labour be retires, No rest he asks, or better change requires: Both night and day he works, ne'er sleeps, nor sleep desires. "That heat, which in his furnace ever fumeth, Is nothing like to our hot parching fire; Which all consuming, self at length consumeth; But moist'ning flames, a gentle heat inspire; Which sure some inborn neighbour to him lendeth ; And oft the bord'ring coast fit fuel sendeth, And oft the rising fume, which down again descendeth: "Like to a pot, where under hovering Divided flames, the iren sides entwining, Above is stopp'd with close laid covering. Exhaling fumes to narrow straights confining: 29 In either chap, are sixteen teeth, four cutters, two dog-teeth, or breakers, and ten grinders. 30 The tongue with great agility delivers up the meat (well chewed) to the instruments of swallowing eight muscles serving to this purpose. which instantly send the meat through the œsophagus or meat-pipe into the stomach. "The upper mouth of the stonach hath little veins, or circular strings, to shut in the meat, and keep it from returning. s2 Vas breve, or the short vessel, which, sending in a melancholy humour, sharpens the appetite. 33 In the bottom of the stomach (which is placed in the middle of the belly) is concoction perfected. 34 The concoction of meats in the stomach is perfected as by an inmate property and special virtue; so also by the outward heat of parts adjoining, for it is on every side compassed with hotter parts, which, as fire to a cauldron, helps to seethe, and concoct; and the hot steams within it do not a little further digestion. So doubling heat, his duty doubly speedeth: Such is the fire concoction's vessel necdeth, Who daily all the isle with fit provision feedeth. "There many a groom, the busy cook attends Another garbage, which the kitchen cloys; "So Erisicthon, once fir'd (as men say) With hungry rage, fed never, ever feeding; Ten thousand dishes sever'd in ev'ry day, Yet in ten thousand thousand dishes necding; In vain his daughter hundred shapes assum'd: A whole camp's meat he in his gorge inhuan'd: And all consum'd, his hunger yet was unconsum'd. "Such would the state of this whole island be, If those pipes windings (passage quick delaying) Should not refrain too much edacity, With longer stay fierce appetite allaying. These pipes are seven-fold longer than the isle, 36 Yet all are folded in a little pile, Whercof three noble are, and thio; three thick, and vile. "The first" is narrow'st, and down-right doth look, [tire; Lest that his charge discharg'd, might back reAnd by the way takes in a bitter brook, That when the channel's stopt with stifling mire, Through th' idle pipe, with piercing waters soaking; [ing, His tender sides with sharpest stream provokThrusts out the muddy parts, and rids the miry choaking. *The second" lean and lank, still pil'd, and harBy mighty bord'rers oft his baras invading: [ried Away his food, and new-inn'd store is carried; Therefore an angry colour, never fading, Purples his cheek: the third " for length exceeds [leads: And down his stream in hundred turnings These three most noble are, adorned with silken threads. "The foremost of the base half blind appears; And where his broad way in an isthmus ends, There he examines all his passengers, And those who ought not 'scape, he backward selds: [ing, The second" Flo's court, where tempests ragShut close within a cave the winds encaging, With earthquakes shakes the island, thunders sad presaging. "The last downright falls to port Esquiline, More straight above, beneath still broader growing, Soon as the gate opes by the king's assign, Empties itself, far thence the filth out-throwing: This gate endow'd with many properties, Yet for his office, sight, and naming, flies: Therefore between two hills in darkest valley lies. "To that arch-city" of this government, The three first pipes the ready feast convoy : The other three in baser office spent, Fling out the dregs, which else the kitchen cloy. In every one the Hepar keeps his spies, Who if ought good, with evil blended lies; Thence bring it back again to Hepar's treasuries. "Two several covers fence these twice three pipes: The first from over swimming" takes his name, Like cobweb-lawn woven with hundred stripes: The second strengthen'd with a double frame, The second, is called the lank, or hungry gut, as being more empty than the rest; for the liver being near, it sucks out his juice, or cream; it is known from the rest by the red colour. "The third is called Ilion for winding) from his many folds and turnings, is of all the longest. The first, of the baser sort, is called blind, at whose end is an appendant, where if any of the thinner chyle do chance to escape, it is stopped, and by the veins of the midriff suckt out. The second is Colon (or the tormentor) because of the wind there staying, and vexing the body. The last, called Rectum (or straight) hath Do windings, short, larger towards the end, that the excrement may more easily be ejected, and retained also upon occasion. 4 The thin entrails serve for the carrying and the thorough concocting the chyle; the thicker for the gathering, and containing the excrements. They are all sprinkled with numberless little veins, that no part of the chyle might escape, till all be brought to the liver Epiploon (or over-swimmer) descends below the navel, and ascends above the highest entrails; of skinny substance, all inter aced with fat. "The Mesenterium (or midst amongst the entrails) whence it takes the name, ties and knits the entrails together: it hath a double tunicle. "Next Hepar, chief of all these lower parts, Now bie we home; the pearled dew ere long Will wet the mothers and their tender young, To morrow with the day we may renew our song." 47 Pancreas (or all flesh) for so it seems, is laid as a pillow under the stomach, and sustains the veins, that are dispread from the gate vein. CANTO III. THE morning fresh, dappling her horse with roses, Which bites the grass, and which his meat refuses; herd-swains, "You gentle shepherds, and you snowy sires, That sit around, my rugged rhymes attending; How may I hope to quit your strong desires, In verse uncoun'd, such wonders comprehending? Too well I know my rudeness, all unfit To frame this curious isle, whose framing yet Was never throughly known to any human wit. "Thou shepherd-god, who only know'st it right, And hid'st that art from all the world beside; Shed in my misty breast thy sparkling light, And in this fog, my erring footsteps guide: [it. Thon who first mad'st, and never wilt forsake El-e how shall my weak hand dare undertake it, [it. When thou thyself ask'st counsel of thyself to make "Next to Koilia, on the right side stands, The arch city Hepar', stretching her commands, Fairly dispread in large dominion, To all within this lower region; Fene'd with sure bars, and strongest situation; So never fearing foreigners' invasion: Hence are the walls', slight, thin; built but for sight and fashion. Of all this lower region, the Hepar, or liver, is the principal. The situation strong and safe, walled in by the ribs. 2 It is covered with one single tunicle, and that very thin and slight To th' heart, and to th' head city surely tied 3 Built all alike, seeming like rubies sheen, As over all the world, may no where else be seen. The upper parts all smooth as slipp'ry glass: Here first the purple fountain making.vent, And though the rent he daily, duly pay, Yet doth his flowing substance ne'er decay; All day he rent receives, returns it all the day. "And like that golden star, which cuts his way Through Saturn's ice, and Mars his fiery ball; Temp'ring their strife with his more kindly ray: So 'tween the Splenion's frost, and th' angry gall, The jovial Hepar sits; with great expence Cheering the isle by his sweet influence; So slakes their envious rage, and endless difference. "Within, some say, Love hath his habitation, Not Cupid's self, but Cupid's better brother; For Cupid's self dwells with a lower nation, But this, more sure, much chaster than the other; By whose command, we either love our kind, Or with most perfect love affect the mind; With such a diamond knot, he often souls can bind. "Two purple streams', here raise their boiling [ing, heads; The first, and least, in th' hollow cavern breed. The liver is tied to the heart by arteries, to the head by nerves, and to both by veins, dispersed to both. 4 The liver consists of no ordinary fesh, but of a kind proper to itself. His wave on divers neighbour grounds dispreads: The next fair river all the rest exceeding, Topping the hill, breaks forth in fierce evasion, "Yet lest these streams 10 might hap to be infected, ing, An hundred pipes unto that end employing; Thence ron to fitter place, their noisome load convoying. [sion "Such is fair Hepar", which with great dissen- But sure the Hepar was the elder bore; Rise with the native streams 12; the first like fire All flaming hot, red, furious, and fell; The spring of dire debate, anfl civil ire; Which, wer't not surely held with strong retention, Would stir domestic strife, and fierce contention, [sension. And waste the weary isle with never ceas'd dis"Therefore close by, a little conduit stands, Choledochus, that drags this poison hence, 10 The chyle, or juice of meats, concocted in the stomach, could not all be turned into sweet The liver's upper part rises, and swells gent-blood, by reason of the divers kinds of humours in ly; is very smooth and even; the lower in the outside like to an hollow rock, rugged and craggy. From it rise all the springs of blood which runs in the veins. The steward of the whole isle, is here fitly placed, because as all (that is brought in) is here fitted and disposed, so from hence returned and dispensed. Here Plato disposed the seat of love. And certainly though lust (which some perversely call love) be otherwhere seated, yet that affection whereby we wish, and do well to others, may seem to be better fitted in the liver, than in the heart, (where most do place it) because this moderate heat appears more apt for this affection; and fires of the heart where (as a salamander) anger lives, seems not so fit to entertain it. Hence rise the two great rivers of blood, of which all the rest are lesser streams; the first is Porta, or the gate vein issuing from the hollow part, and is shed toward the stomach, spleen, guts, and the epiploon. The second is Cava, the hollow vein, spreading his river over all the body. it; therefore there are three kinds of excremental liquors suckt away by little vessels, and carried to their appointed places; one too light and fiery; another too earthy, and heavy; a third wheyish and watery. Famous is the controversy between the peripatetics and physicians; one holding the heart the other the liver to be first. That the liver is first in time, and making, is manifest; because the nurse (the vein that feeds the infant yet in the womb) empties itself upon the liver. 12 The first excrement drawn from the liver to the gall, is choleric, bitter, like flame in colour; which, were it not removed, and kept in due place, would fill all the body with bitterness and gnawing. 13 Choledochus, or the gall, is of a membraneous substance, having but one, yet that a strong tunicle. It hath two passages, one drawing the humour from the liver, another conveying the overplus into the first gut, and so emptying the gall; and this fence hath a double gate, to keep the liquor from returning. |