VIII. For as this Isle is a short summary Of all that in this all is wide dispread; Where e'en the prince's thoughts are often read : And all his works would in less volume bind, Fair are the suburbs; yet to clearer sight, The city's self's more fair and excellent: 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 Whose beauty much more wins his ravish'd heart, * 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 ; They call that hard, and this the tender mother. But both join to resist invading enemies. XIII. Next these, the buildings yield themselves to sight; 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, Where sit two judges clad in seemly guise, Next these a twall, built all of sapphires, shining Vaulted by three fair arches safe it flies, By this third cave, the humid city drains Base noisome streams, the milky streets annoying; Which these foul dropping humours largely swills, 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. 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) Not that bright spring, where fair Hermaphrodite 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, Many fair rivers take their heads from either, Thus widely spread with friendly combination, * 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, Such is th' head-city, such the prince's hall; Of other stuff the suburbs have their framing; 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! |