VIII.

For as this Isle is a short summary

Of all that in this all is wide dispread;
So th' Island's face is th' Isle's epitome,

Where e'en the prince's thoughts are often read :
For when that All had finish'd every kind,

And all his works would in less volume bind,
Fair on the face he wrote the index of the mind.
IX.

Fair are the suburbs; yet to clearer sight,

The city's self's more fair and excellent:
A thick-grown wood, not pierc'd with any light,
Yields it defence, but greater ornament:

The divers colour'd trees and fresh array

Much grace the town, but most the Thelu gay? Yet all in winter turn to snow, and soon decay.

X.

Like to some stately work, whose quaint devices
And glitt'ring turrets with brave cunning dight,
The gazer's eye still more and more entices,
Of th' inner rooms to get a fuller sight;

Whose beauty much more wins his ravish'd heart,
That now he only thinks the outward part
To be a worthy cov'ring of so fair an art.

*

XI.

Four several walls, beside the common guard,

For more defence the city round embrace : The first thick, soft; the second dry and hard;

As when soft earth before hard stone we place:

* Beside the common tunicles of the body, the brain is covered, first, with the bone of the scull; secondly, with the pericranium, or skin, covering the skull; and thirdly, with two inward sking.

The second all the city round encases,

And, like a rock, with thicker sides embraces; For here the prince, his court, and standing palace places. XII.

The other* two, of matter thin and light; 11

And yet the first much harder than the other ;
Both cherish all the city therefore right,

They call that hard, and this the tender mother.
The +first with divers crooks and turnings wries,
Cutting the town in four quaternities:

But both join to resist invading enemies.

XIII.

Next these, the buildings yield themselves to sight;
The outward, soft and pale, like ashes look;
The inward parts more hard, and curdy white :
Their matter both, from th' Isle's first matter took ;
Nor cold, nor hot heats, needful sleep infest,
Cold numbs the workmen; middle temper's best;
When kindly warmth speeds work, and cool gives timely rest.
XIV.

Within the Scentre (as a market-place)

Two caverns stand, made like a Moon half spent ;

Of special use, for in their hollow space

All odours to their judge themselves present:

Here first are born the spirits animal,

Whose matter, almost immaterial,

Resembles heaven's matter quintessential.

*These two are called the hard and tender mother: (dura et pia mater). The whole substance of the brain is divided into four parts by divers folds of the inward skin.

The outside of the brain is softer, and of an ashy colour; the inward part white and harder.

§ Almost in the middle of the brain, are two hollow places, like half moons, of much use for preparing the spirits, receiving odours, &c.

XV.

Hard by, a hundred nimble workmen stand,
These noble spirits readily preparing; ·
Lab'ring to make them thin, and fit to hand,
With never ended work and sleepless caring;
Hereby two little hillocks jointly rise,

Where sit two judges clad in seemly guise,
That cite all odours here, as to their just assize.
XVI.

Next these a twall, built all of sapphires, shining
As fair, more precious; hence it takes its name;
By which the third cave lies, his sides combining
To the other two, and from them hath his frame,
(A meeting of those former cavities);

Vaulted by three fair arches safe it flies,
And no oppression fears, or falling tyrannies.
XVII.

By this third cave, the humid city drains

Base noisome streams, the milky streets annoying;
And through a wide mouth'd tunnel duly strains,
Unto a bibbing substance down convoying;

Which these foul dropping humours largely swills,
Till all his swelling sponge he greedy fills,

And then through other sinks, by little, soft distills.

*Here is a knot of veins and arteries weaved together; by which the animal spirits are concocted, thinned, and fitted for service: and close by, are two little bunches, like teats, the instruments of smelling.

Next is that Septum Lucidum, or bight wall, severing these hollow caverns.
The third cavity is nothing else but a meeting of the two former.

It lies under Corpus Cameratum, or the chamber substance, which with three arches, bears up the whole weight of the brain.

By the third cavity are two passages, and at the end of the first is the (infundibulum) or tunnel, under which is the (glans pituitaria) or rheum kernel, as a sponge sucking the rheum, and distilling it into the palate.

I

XVIII.

Between this and the fourth cave lies a vale,

(The fourth; the first in worth, in rank the last)
Where two round hills shut in this pleasing dale,
Through which the spirits thither safe are past;
Those here refin'd, their full perfection have,
And therefore close by this +fourth wondrous cave,
Rises that silver well, scatt'ring his milky wave.
XIX.

Not that bright spring, where fair Hermaphrodite
Grew into one with wanton Salmacis ;

Nor that where Biblis dropt, too fondly light,

Her tears and self; may dare compare with this;

Which there beginning, down a lake descends,

Whose rocky channel these fair streams defends,
Till it the precious wave through all the Isle dispends.
XX.

Many fair rivers take their heads from either,
(Both from the lake, and from the milky well)
Which still in loving channels run together,
Each to his mate, a neighbour parallel :

Thus widely spread with friendly combination,
They fling about their wondrous operation,
And give to every part both motion and sensation.

* The other passage reaches to the fourth cavity, which yields a safe way for the spirits.

The fourth cavity is most noble, where all the spirits are perfected.

The pith, or marrow, springing in the brain, flows down through the

back bone.

All the nerves imparting all sense and motion to the whole body; have their rout, partly from the brain, and partly from the back bone.

XXI.

s;

This silver lake, first from th' head-city springing,
To that bright fount four little channels sends
Through which it thither plenteous water bringing,
Straight all again to every place dispends :

Such is th' head-city, such the prince's hall;
Such, and much more, which strangely liberal,
Though sense it never had, yet gives all sense to all.
XXII.

Of other stuff the suburbs have their framing;
May seem soft marble, spotted red and white :
First +stands an arch, pale Cynthia's brightness shaming,
The city's fore front, cast in silver bright:

At whose proud base, are built two watching tow'rs, Whence hate and love skirmish with equal pow'rs, When smiling gladness shines, and sullen sorrow show'rs. XXIII.

Here sits retir'd the silent reverence;

And when the prince incens'd with anger's fire, Thunders aloud, he darts his light'ning hence : Here dusky reddish clouds foretel his ire:

Of nothing can this Isle more boast aright:

A twin-born sun, a double seeing light;

With much delight they see, are seen with much delight. XXIV.

That §Thracian shepherd call'd them nature's glass;

Yet than a glass, in this much worthier being :

Blind glasses represent some near set face,

But this a living glass, both seen and seeing :

The pith of the back bone, springing from the brain, whence, by four

passages, it is conveyed into the back.

The first part of the face is the forehead, at whose base are the eyes.

‡ The eyes are the index of the mind, discovering every affection.

§ Orpheus!