Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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          <pb o="11" file="0289" n="289" rhead="The Hiſtory of Life and Death."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9698" xml:space="preserve">The Black bird is reported to be, amongſt the leſſer birds, one of the longeſt livers;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9699" xml:space="preserve">
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-01" xlink:href="note-0289-01a" xml:space="preserve">36.</note>
            an unhappy bird, and a good ſinger.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9700" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9701" xml:space="preserve">The Sparrow is noted to be of a very short life; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9702" xml:space="preserve">and it is imputed in the Males to their
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-02" xlink:href="note-0289-02a" xml:space="preserve">37.</note>
            laſciviouſneſs. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9703" xml:space="preserve">But the Linnet, no bigger in body than the Sparrow, hath been obſerved
              <lb/>
            to have lived twenty years.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9704" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9705" xml:space="preserve">Of the Eſtrich we have nothing certain: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9706" xml:space="preserve">thoſe that were kept here have been ſoun-
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-03" xlink:href="note-0289-03a" xml:space="preserve">38.</note>
            fortunate, that no long life appeared by them. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9707" xml:space="preserve">Of the bird Ibis we find onely that he
              <lb/>
            liveth long, but his years are not recorded.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9708" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9709" xml:space="preserve">The age of Fiſhes is more uncertain than that of terreſtrial Creatures, becauſe
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-04" xlink:href="note-0289-04a" xml:space="preserve">39.</note>
            living under the water they are the leſs obſerved: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9710" xml:space="preserve">many of them breath not, by which
              <lb/>
            means their vital ſpirit is more cloſed in; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9711" xml:space="preserve">and therefore though they receive ſome re-
              <lb/>
            frigeration by their Gills, yet that refrigeration is not ſo continual as when it is by
              <lb/>
            breathing.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9712" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9713" xml:space="preserve">They are free from the Deſiccation and Depredation of the Air ambient, becauſe they
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-05" xlink:href="note-0289-05a" xml:space="preserve">40.</note>
            live in the water: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9714" xml:space="preserve">yet there is no doubt but the water ambient, and piercing, and received
              <lb/>
            into the pores of the body, doth more hurt to long life than the Air doth.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9715" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9716" xml:space="preserve">It is affirmed too that their blood is not warm. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9717" xml:space="preserve">Some of them are great devourers,
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-06" xlink:href="note-0289-06a" xml:space="preserve">41.</note>
            even of their own kind. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9718" xml:space="preserve">Their fleſh is ſofter and more tender than that of terreſtrial
              <lb/>
            creatures: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9719" xml:space="preserve">they grow exceedingly fat, inſomuch that an incredible quantity of Oyl will
              <lb/>
            be extracted out of one Wh
              <unsure/>
            ale.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9720" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9721" xml:space="preserve">Dolphins are reported to live about thirty years; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9722" xml:space="preserve">of which thing a trial was taken in
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-07" xlink:href="note-0289-07a" xml:space="preserve">42.</note>
            ſome of them by cutting off their tails: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9723" xml:space="preserve">they grow untill ten years of age.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9724" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9725" xml:space="preserve">That which they report of ſome Fiſhes is ſtrange, that after a certain age their bodies
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-08" xlink:href="note-0289-08a" xml:space="preserve">43.</note>
            will waſte and grow very ſlender, onely their head and tail retaining their former
              <lb/>
            greatneſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9726" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9727" xml:space="preserve">There were found in Cæſar’s Fiſh ponds Lampreys to have lived threeſcore years:
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9728" xml:space="preserve">
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-09" xlink:href="note-0289-09a" xml:space="preserve">44.</note>
            they were grown ſo familiar with long uſe, that craſſus the Orator ſolemnly lamented
              <lb/>
            one of them.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9729" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9730" xml:space="preserve">The Pike amongſt Fishes living in fresh water is found to laſt longeſt, ſometimes to
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-10" xlink:href="note-0289-10a" xml:space="preserve">45.</note>
            forty years: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9731" xml:space="preserve">he is a Ravener, of a flesh ſome what dry and firm.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9732" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9733" xml:space="preserve">But the Carp, Bream, Tench, Eel, and the like, are not held to live above ten
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-11" xlink:href="note-0289-11a" xml:space="preserve">46.</note>
            years.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9734" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9735" xml:space="preserve">Salmons are quick of growth, short of life; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9736" xml:space="preserve">ſoare Trouts: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9737" xml:space="preserve">but the Pearch is ſlow of
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-12" xlink:href="note-0289-12a" xml:space="preserve">47.</note>
            growth, long of life.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9738" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9739" xml:space="preserve">Touching that monſtrous bulk of the Whale or Ork, how long it is weiled by vital
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-13" xlink:href="note-0289-13a" xml:space="preserve">48.</note>
            ſpirit, we have received nothing certain; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9740" xml:space="preserve">neither yet touching the Sea-calf, and Sea-hog,
              <lb/>
            and other innumerable Fiſhes.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9741" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9742" xml:space="preserve">Crocodiles are reported to be exceeding long-liv’d, and are famous for the time of their
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-14" xlink:href="note-0289-14a" xml:space="preserve">49.</note>
            growth, for that they, amongſt all other Creatures, are thought to grow during their
              <lb/>
            whole life. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9743" xml:space="preserve">They are of thoſe Creatures that lay Eggs, ravenous, cruel, and well-fenced
              <lb/>
            againſt the waters, Touching the other kinds of Shell-fiſh, we find nothing certain how
              <lb/>
            long they live.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9744" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
        <div xml:id="echoid-div1215" type="section" level="1" n="53">
          <head xml:id="echoid-head77" style="it" xml:space="preserve">Obſervations.</head>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9745" xml:space="preserve">TO find out a Rule touching Length and Shortneſs of Life in Living Creatures is very
              <lb/>
            difſicult, by reaſon of the negligence of Obſervations, and the intermixing of Cauſes. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9746" xml:space="preserve">A
              <lb/>
            few things we will ſet down.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9747" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9748" xml:space="preserve">There are more kinds of Birds found to be long liv’d than of Beaſts; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9749" xml:space="preserve">as the Eagle, the
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0289-15" xlink:href="note-0289-15a" xml:space="preserve">1.</note>
            Vulture, the Kite, the Pelican, the Raven, the Crow, the Swan, the Gooſe, the Stork, the
              <lb/>
            Crane, the Birdcalled the Ibis, the Parrot, the Ring dove, with the reſt, though they come
              <lb/>
            to their full growth within a year, and are leſs of bodies: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9750" xml:space="preserve">ſurely their cloathing is excellent
              <lb/>
            good againſt the diſtemper atures of the weather; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9751" xml:space="preserve">and beſides, living for the moſt part in the
              <lb/>
            open Air, they are like the Inhabitants of pure Mountains, which are long-liv’d. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9752" xml:space="preserve">Again,
              <lb/>
            their Motion, which (as I elſe-where ſaid) is a mixt Motion, compounded of a moving of
              <lb/>
            their Limbs and of a carriage in the Air, doth leſs weary and wear them, and’tis more whol-
              <lb/>
            ſome. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9753" xml:space="preserve">Neither do they ſuffer any compreſſion or want of nouriſhmentin their mother’s bel-
              <lb/>
            lies, becauſe the Eggs are laid by turns. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9754" xml:space="preserve">But the chiefeſt cauſe of all I take to be this, that
              <lb/>
            Birds are made more of the ſubſtance of the Mother than of the Father, whereby their Spirits
              <lb/>
            are not ſo eager and hot.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9755" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
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