SAGR. I not onely ſmile, but to tell you true, am ready to
burſt with holding in my ſelf from laughing outright, for you
have put me in mind of a very pretty paſſage, that I was a
neſſe of, not many years ſince, together with ſome others of
my worthy friends, which I could yet name unto you.
burſt with holding in my ſelf from laughing outright, for you
have put me in mind of a very pretty paſſage, that I was a
neſſe of, not many years ſince, together with ſome others of
my worthy friends, which I could yet name unto you.
SALV. It would be well that you told us what it was, that ſo
Simplicius may not ſtill think that he gave you the occaſion of
laughter.
Simplicius may not ſtill think that he gave you the occaſion of
laughter.
SAGR. I am content. I found one day, at home in his houſe, at
Venice, a famous Phiſician, to whom ſome flockt for their ſtudies,
and others out of curioſity, ſometimes came thither to ſee certain
natomies diſſected by the hand of a no leſſe learned, than careful
and experienced Anatomiſt. It chanced upon that day, when I was
there, that he was in ſearch of the original and riſe of the Nerves,
about which there is a famous controverſie between the Galeniſts
and Peripateticks; and the Anatomiſt ſhewing, how that the great
number of Nerves departing from the Brain, as their root, and
paſſing by the nape of the Neck, diſtend themſelves afterwards
along by the Back-bone, and branch themſelves thorow all the
Body; and that a very ſmall filament, as fine as a thred went to
the Heart; he turned to a Gentleman whom he knew to be a
ripatetick Philoſopher, and for whoſe ſake he had with
dinary exactneſſe, diſcovered and proved every thing, and
ed of him, if he was at length ſatisfied and perſwaded that the
nal of the Nerves proceeded from the Brain, and not from the
Heart? To which the Philoſopher, after he had ſtood muſing a
while, anſwered; you have made me to ſee this buſineſſe ſo
plainly and ſenſibly, that did not the Text of Ariſtotle aſſert the
contrary, which poſitively affirmeth the Nerves to proceed from
the Heart, I ſhould be conſtrained to confeſſe your opinion to be
true.
Venice, a famous Phiſician, to whom ſome flockt for their ſtudies,
and others out of curioſity, ſometimes came thither to ſee certain
natomies diſſected by the hand of a no leſſe learned, than careful
and experienced Anatomiſt. It chanced upon that day, when I was
there, that he was in ſearch of the original and riſe of the Nerves,
about which there is a famous controverſie between the Galeniſts
and Peripateticks; and the Anatomiſt ſhewing, how that the great
number of Nerves departing from the Brain, as their root, and
paſſing by the nape of the Neck, diſtend themſelves afterwards
along by the Back-bone, and branch themſelves thorow all the
Body; and that a very ſmall filament, as fine as a thred went to
the Heart; he turned to a Gentleman whom he knew to be a
ripatetick Philoſopher, and for whoſe ſake he had with
dinary exactneſſe, diſcovered and proved every thing, and
ed of him, if he was at length ſatisfied and perſwaded that the
nal of the Nerves proceeded from the Brain, and not from the
Heart? To which the Philoſopher, after he had ſtood muſing a
while, anſwered; you have made me to ſee this buſineſſe ſo
plainly and ſenſibly, that did not the Text of Ariſtotle aſſert the
contrary, which poſitively affirmeth the Nerves to proceed from
the Heart, I ſhould be conſtrained to confeſſe your opinion to be
true.
SIMPL. I would have you know my Maſters, that this
verſie about the original of the Nerves is not yet ſo proved and
decided, as ſome may perhaps perſwade themſelves.
verſie about the original of the Nerves is not yet ſo proved and
decided, as ſome may perhaps perſwade themſelves.
SAGR. Nor queſtionleſſe ever ſhall it be, if it find ſuch like
contradictors; but that which you ſay, doth not at all leſſen the
extravagance of the anſwer of that Peripatetick, who againſt
ſuch ſenſible experience produced not other experiments, or
ſons of Ariſtotle, but his bare authority and pure ipſe dixit.
contradictors; but that which you ſay, doth not at all leſſen the
extravagance of the anſwer of that Peripatetick, who againſt
ſuch ſenſible experience produced not other experiments, or
ſons of Ariſtotle, but his bare authority and pure ipſe dixit.
SIMPL. Ariſtotle had not gained ſo great authority, but for
the force of his Demonſtrations, and the profoundneſſe of his
arguments; but it is requiſite that we underſtand him, and not
onely underſtand him, but have ſo great familiarity with his
Books, that we form a perfect Idea thereof in our minds, ſo as
that every ſaying of his may be alwayes as it were, preſent in our
the force of his Demonſtrations, and the profoundneſſe of his
arguments; but it is requiſite that we underſtand him, and not
onely underſtand him, but have ſo great familiarity with his
Books, that we form a perfect Idea thereof in our minds, ſo as
that every ſaying of his may be alwayes as it were, preſent in our