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

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        <div xml:id="echoid-div1585" type="section" level="1" n="70">
          <pb o="54" file="0332" n="332" rhead="The Hiſtory of Life and Death."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11731" xml:space="preserve">The quantity of meat and drink which a man, eating two meals a day, receiveth into
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-01" xlink:href="note-0332-01a" xml:space="preserve">26.</note>
            his body is not ſmall; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11732" xml:space="preserve">much more than he voideth again either by ſtool, or by urine,
              <lb/>
            or by ſweating. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11733" xml:space="preserve">You will ſay, No marvel, ſeeing the remainder goeth into the juices
              <lb/>
            and ſubſtance of the body. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11734" xml:space="preserve">It is true; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11735" xml:space="preserve">but conſider then that this addition is made twice
              <lb/>
            a day, and yet the body aboundeth not much. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11736" xml:space="preserve">In like manner, though the ſpirit be re-
              <lb/>
            paired, yet it grows not exceſſively in the quantity.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11737" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11738" xml:space="preserve">It doth no good to have the Aliment ready, in a degree removed, but to have it of that
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-02" xlink:href="note-0332-02a" xml:space="preserve">27.</note>
            kind, and ſo prepared and ſupplied that the ſpirit may work upon it: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11739" xml:space="preserve">for the ſtaff of
              <lb/>
            a Torch alone will not maintain the flame, unleſs it be fed with wax, neither can men
              <lb/>
            live upon herbs alone. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11740" xml:space="preserve">And from thence comes the Inconcoction of old age, that though
              <lb/>
            there be fleſh and bloud, yet the ſpirit is become ſo penurious and thin, and the
              <lb/>
            juices and bloud ſo heartleſs and obſtinate, that they hold no proportion to Ali-
              <lb/>
            mentation.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11741" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11742" xml:space="preserve">Let us now caſt up the accounts of the Needs and Indigences, according to the ordi
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-03" xlink:href="note-0332-03a" xml:space="preserve">28.</note>
            nary and uſual courſe of nature. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11743" xml:space="preserve">The Spirit hath need of opening and moving it ſelf
              <lb/>
            in the Ventricles of the Brain and Nerves even continually, of the motion of the Heart
              <lb/>
            every third part of a moment, of breathing every moment, of ſleep and nouriſhment
              <lb/>
            once within three days, of the power of nouriſhment commonly till eighty years be
              <lb/>
            paſt: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11744" xml:space="preserve">And if any of theſe Indigences beneglected, Death enſueth. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11745" xml:space="preserve">So there are plainly
              <lb/>
            three Porches of Death; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11746" xml:space="preserve">Deſtitution of the Spirit in the Motion, in the Refrigeration,
              <lb/>
            in the Aliment.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11747" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11748" xml:space="preserve">It is an error to think that the Living Spirit is perpetually generated and extinguiſhed,
              <lb/>
            as Flame is, and abideth not any notable time: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11749" xml:space="preserve">for even Flame it ſelf is not thus out of
              <lb/>
            its own proper nature, but becauſe it liveth amongst enemies, for Flame within Flame
              <lb/>
            endureth. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11750" xml:space="preserve">Now the Living Spirit liveth amongſt friends, and all due obſequiouſneſs. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11751" xml:space="preserve">So
              <lb/>
            then, as Flame is a momentany ſubſtance, Air is a ſixed ſubſtance, the Living Spirit is
              <lb/>
            betwixt both.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11752" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11753" xml:space="preserve">Touching the extinguiſhing of the Spirit by the deſtruction of the Organs (which is
              <lb/>
            cauſed by Diſeaſes and Violence) we enquire not now, as we foretold in the beginning, al-
              <lb/>
            though that alſo endeth in the ſame three Porches. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11754" xml:space="preserve">And touching the Form of Death it
              <lb/>
            ſelf thus much.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11755" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11756" xml:space="preserve">There are two great forerunners of Death, the one ſent from the Head, the other
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-04" xlink:href="note-0332-04a" xml:space="preserve">29.</note>
            from the Heart; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11757" xml:space="preserve">Convulſion, and the extreme labour of the Pulſe; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11758" xml:space="preserve">for, as for the deadly
              <lb/>
            Hiccough, it is a kind of Convulſion. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11759" xml:space="preserve">But the deadly labour of the Pulſe hath that
              <lb/>
            unuſual ſwiftneſs, becauſe the Heart at the point of death doth ſo tremble, that
              <lb/>
            the Syſtole and Diaſtole thereof are almoſt confounded. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11760" xml:space="preserve">There is alſo conjoyned
              <lb/>
            in the Pulſe a weakneſs and lowneſs, and oftentimes a great intermiſſion, becauſe
              <lb/>
            the motion of the Heart faileth, and is not able to riſe againſt the aſſault ſtoutly or
              <lb/>
            conſtantly.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11761" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11762" xml:space="preserve">The immediate proceeding ſigns of Death are, great unquietneſs and toſſing in the
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-05" xlink:href="note-0332-05a" xml:space="preserve">30.</note>
            bed, fumbling with the hands, catching and graſping hard, gnaſhing with the teeth;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11763" xml:space="preserve">ſpeaking hollow, trembling of the neather lip, paleneſs of the face, the memory con-
              <lb/>
            fuſed, ſpeechleſs, cold ſweats, the body ſhooting in length, lifting up the white of
              <lb/>
            the eye, changing of the whole viſage, (as the noſe ſharp, eyes hollow, cheeks fallen)
              <lb/>
            contraction and doubling of the coldneſs in the extreme parts of the body; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11764" xml:space="preserve">in ſome,
              <lb/>
            ſhedding of bloud or ſperm, ſhrieking, breathing thick and ſhort, falling of the nea-
              <lb/>
            ther chap, and ſuch like.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11765" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11766" xml:space="preserve">There follow Death a privation of all ſenſe and motion, as well of the Heart and
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-06" xlink:href="note-0332-06a" xml:space="preserve">31.</note>
            Arteries as of the Nerves and Joynts, an inability of the body to ſupport it ſelf upright,
              <lb/>
            ſtiffneſs of the Nerves and parts, extream coldneſs of the whole body; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11767" xml:space="preserve">after a little
              <lb/>
            while, putrefaction and ſtinking.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11768" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11769" xml:space="preserve">Eeles, serpents and the Inſecta will move a long time in every part after they are cut
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0332-07" xlink:href="note-0332-07a" xml:space="preserve">32.</note>
            aſunder, inſomuch that Country people think that the parts ſtrive to joyn together
              <lb/>
            again. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11770" xml:space="preserve">Alſo Birds will flutter a great while after their heads are pulled off; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11771" xml:space="preserve">and the
              <lb/>
            hearts of living creatures will pant a long time after they are plucked out. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11772" xml:space="preserve">I remem-
              <lb/>
            ber I have ſeen the heart of one that was bowelled, as ſufſ
              <unsure/>
            ering for High Treaſon, that
              <lb/>
            being caſt into the fire, leaped at the firſt at leaſt a foot and half in height, and after
              <lb/>
            by degrees lower and lower, for the ſpace, as I remember, of ſeven or eight minutes.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11773" xml:space="preserve">There is alſo an ancient and credible Tradition of an O
              <unsure/>
            x lowing aſter his bowels were
              <lb/>
            plucked out. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s11774" xml:space="preserve">But there is a more certain tradition of a man, who being under </s>
          </p>
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