29113The Hiſtory of Life and Death.
Alimentation, or Nouriſhment: and the way of Nouriſhing.
The History.
N Ouriſhment ought to be of an inferiour nature, and more ſimple ſubſtance
11To the
fourth Ar-
ticle. than the thing nouriſhed. Plants are nouriſhed with the Earth and Water,
Living Creatures with Plants, Man with living Creatures. There are alſo
certain Creatures feeding upon Fleſh, and Man himſelf takes Plants into
221. a part of his Nouriſhment; but Man and Creatures feeding upon Fleſh are ſcarcely nou-
riſhed with Plants alone: perhaps Fruit or Grains, baked or boiled, may, with long
uſe, nouriſh them; but Leaves or Plants or Herbs will not do it, as the Order of the Fo-
liatanes ſhewed by Experience.
11To the
fourth Ar-
ticle. than the thing nouriſhed. Plants are nouriſhed with the Earth and Water,
Living Creatures with Plants, Man with living Creatures. There are alſo
certain Creatures feeding upon Fleſh, and Man himſelf takes Plants into
221. a part of his Nouriſhment; but Man and Creatures feeding upon Fleſh are ſcarcely nou-
riſhed with Plants alone: perhaps Fruit or Grains, baked or boiled, may, with long
uſe, nouriſh them; but Leaves or Plants or Herbs will not do it, as the Order of the Fo-
liatanes ſhewed by Experience.
Over-great Affinity or Conſubſtantiality of the Nouriſhment to the thing nouriſhed
332. proveth not well: Creatures feeding upon Herbs touch no Fleſh; and of Creatures
feeding upon Fleſh, few of them eat their own kind: Asfor Men, which are Cannibals,
they feed not ordinarily upon Mens fleſh, but reſerve it as a Dainty, either to ſerve
their reveng upon their enemies, or to ſatisfie their appetite at ſome times. So the
Ground is beſt ſown with Seed growing elſewhere, and Men do not uſe to Graft or Ino
culate upon the ſame Stock.
332. proveth not well: Creatures feeding upon Herbs touch no Fleſh; and of Creatures
feeding upon Fleſh, few of them eat their own kind: Asfor Men, which are Cannibals,
they feed not ordinarily upon Mens fleſh, but reſerve it as a Dainty, either to ſerve
their reveng upon their enemies, or to ſatisfie their appetite at ſome times. So the
Ground is beſt ſown with Seed growing elſewhere, and Men do not uſe to Graft or Ino
culate upon the ſame Stock.
By how much the more the Nouriſhment is better prepared, and approacheth Hearer in
443. likeneſs to the thing nouriſhed, by ſo much the more are Plants more fruitful, and living
Creatures in better liking and plight: for a young Slip or cion is not ſo well nouriſhed
if it be pricked into the ground, as if it be grafted into a Stock agreeing with it in
Nature, and where it finds the nouriſhment already digeſted and prepared: neither (as
is reported, will the Seed of an Onion, or ſome ſuch like, ſown in the bare earth, bring
forth ſo large a fruit as if it be put into another Onion, which is a new kind of Grafting,
into the root, or under ground. Again, it hath been found out lately, that a Slip of a
Wild Tree, as of an Elm, Oak, Aſh, or ſuch like, grafted into a Stock of the ſame kind,
will bring forth larger leaves then thoſe that grow without grafting: Alſo Men are not
nouriſhed ſo well with raw fleſh as with that which hath paſſed the fire.
443. likeneſs to the thing nouriſhed, by ſo much the more are Plants more fruitful, and living
Creatures in better liking and plight: for a young Slip or cion is not ſo well nouriſhed
if it be pricked into the ground, as if it be grafted into a Stock agreeing with it in
Nature, and where it finds the nouriſhment already digeſted and prepared: neither (as
is reported, will the Seed of an Onion, or ſome ſuch like, ſown in the bare earth, bring
forth ſo large a fruit as if it be put into another Onion, which is a new kind of Grafting,
into the root, or under ground. Again, it hath been found out lately, that a Slip of a
Wild Tree, as of an Elm, Oak, Aſh, or ſuch like, grafted into a Stock of the ſame kind,
will bring forth larger leaves then thoſe that grow without grafting: Alſo Men are not
nouriſhed ſo well with raw fleſh as with that which hath paſſed the fire.
Living Creatures are nouriſhed by the Mouth, Plants by the Root, γoung ones in
554. the womb by the Navel: Birds for a while are nouriſhed with the rolk in the Egge,
whereof ſome is found in their Crops after they are hatched.
554. the womb by the Navel: Birds for a while are nouriſhed with the rolk in the Egge,
whereof ſome is found in their Crops after they are hatched.
All Nouriſh ment moveth from the centre to the Circumference, or from the Inward
665. to the utward: yet it is to be noted, that in Trees and Plants the Nouriſhment paſ-
ſeth rather by the Bark and Outward parts then by the Pith and Inward parts; for if the
Bark be pilled off, though but for a ſmall breadth, round, they live no more: and the
Bloud in the Veins of living Creatures doth no leſs nouriſh the Fleſh beneath it then the
Fleſh above it.
665. to the utward: yet it is to be noted, that in Trees and Plants the Nouriſhment paſ-
ſeth rather by the Bark and Outward parts then by the Pith and Inward parts; for if the
Bark be pilled off, though but for a ſmall breadth, round, they live no more: and the
Bloud in the Veins of living Creatures doth no leſs nouriſh the Fleſh beneath it then the
Fleſh above it.
In all Alimentation or Nouriſhment there is a two-fold Action, Extuſion and At-
776. traction; whereof the former proceeds from the In ward Function, the latter from the
Outward.
776. traction; whereof the former proceeds from the In ward Function, the latter from the
Outward.
Vegetables aſſimulate their Nouriſhment ſimply, without Excerning:
For Gums and
887. Tears of Trees are rather Exuberances then Excrements, and Knots or knobs are nothing
but Diſeaſes. But the ſubſtance of living Creatures is more perceptible of the like;
9494[Handwritten note 94] and thereſore it is conjoyned with a kind of diſdain, whereby it rejecteth the bad, and
aſſimulateth the good.
887. Tears of Trees are rather Exuberances then Excrements, and Knots or knobs are nothing
but Diſeaſes. But the ſubſtance of living Creatures is more perceptible of the like;
9494[Handwritten note 94] and thereſore it is conjoyned with a kind of diſdain, whereby it rejecteth the bad, and
aſſimulateth the good.
It is a ſtrange thing of the ſtalks of Fruits, that all the Nouriſhment which produceth
998. ſometimes ſuch great Fruits, ſhould be forced to paſs through ſo narrow necks; for the
Fruit is never joyn’d to the Stock without ſome ſtalk.
998. ſometimes ſuch great Fruits, ſhould be forced to paſs through ſo narrow necks; for the
Fruit is never joyn’d to the Stock without ſome ſtalk.
It is to be noted, that the Seeds of living Creatures will not be fruitful but when they
10109. are new ſhed, but the Seeds of Plants will be fruitful a long time after they are gathered;
yet the Slips or Cions of Trees will not grow unleſs they be grafted green; neither will
the roots keep long freſh unleſs they be covered with earth.
10109. are new ſhed, but the Seeds of Plants will be fruitful a long time after they are gathered;
yet the Slips or Cions of Trees will not grow unleſs they be grafted green; neither will
the roots keep long freſh unleſs they be covered with earth.
In living creatures there are degrees of Nouriſh ment according to their Age:
in the
111110. womb, the young one is nourished with the Mother’s blood; when it is new-born,
with Milk; afterwards with Meats and Drinks; and in old age the moſt nourishing and
ſavoury Meats pleaſe beſt.
111110. womb, the young one is nourished with the Mother’s blood; when it is new-born,
with Milk; afterwards with Meats and Drinks; and in old age the moſt nourishing and
ſavoury Meats pleaſe beſt.