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Hetherto ſpeaketh Conſtantine lib. 3. and in lib. 12. he ſaith, that the veynes be the veſſells of bloud, and thereof it followeth, that bloud is the laſt meat of beaſtes, that haue bloud. Alſo bloud is friend of Nature: and a beaſt that hath no bloud, is fedde with things that accordeth to bloud: as it is ſéene in flyes and wormes that ſit on fleſh, and ſucke out the bloud, and take thereof their féeding. And ſo if a beaſt be not fed with this meate, he is leane and of euill diſpoſition, and when he is fed therewith, he wareth, and is in good diſpoſition, by the effect of foode of ſuch meate. And if the bloud of the which ye meate is made, be clérre and good, the body is whole: and if it be euill, the body is ſicke. Alſo, for default of moyſture,[1] earthly bloud congealeth haſtely and ſoone. And therefore euery beaſt yt hath ſubtill bloud, cleane, & hot, hath better wit than other beaſts: for cleane bloud ſubtill and hot, and of more mouing, is more according to the wit and derſtanding. Alſo a beaſt yt hath no bloud, is more fearfull, than a beaſt that hath bloud: and therefore hée that hath cleane bloud, hot, and lyght, is but little moued for dread. Alſo ye bloud of a Bull congealeth and cruddeth more ſwiftly, than ye bloud of all other beaſts. For the bloud of all other beaſtes congealeth leſſe or more except the bloud of an Hart and of an Hare. and of beaſts that be lyke to them: of which ye bloud congealeth not, as Ariſtotle ſaith lib. 3. Sec. 2. The bloud of a Bull, cruddeth moſt ſwiftly, & that is becauſe through exceſſe of heate and drineſſe, and ſo if Bulls bloud be dronken rawe, it ſlayeth as venyme: and ſo it is ſayd of a Philoſopher that dranke ye bloud of a bull, & ſlew himſelfe.[2] Alſo Ariſtotle li. 33. ſaith, that bloud is hotter in ye right ſide, than in the lefte ſide: and therfore for the ſtrength of hot bloud that is in that ſide, the right hand, is generally more ready and able to worke than the lefte hand. Therfore Liber primus Ariſtotle ſaith That the Lion: mooueth the right foote before the lefte. And Super Aphoris. it is ſaide, That if a woman that is with childe with a Maſculine, be ſodainelye called, she moueth firſt the right foote:[3] and that proceedeth of the hot bloude, that worketh at the full in hir, that conceiueth a male childe. Alſo in eodem li. it is ſayd, that bloud is firſt and principall matter of the heart and of the lyuer: and therefore the heart is hollowe, to receiue the more bloud, and thicke, to ſaue and kéepe the bloud, & in no member the bloud is without veynes, but in the heart onely, and the bloud goeth out of the heart by certaine veynes to other places of the body, & the bloud commeth not from any other places to the heart: For the heart is the wel and beginning of bloud, and the firſt member receiuing bloud, as it is knowen in Anathomia,[4] the craft of knowing the manuer, and order of ſetting of parts of the body, and by the manner of generation: For the firſt bréeding of the heart appeareth ſanguine. Therefore Ariſtotle ſaith, That the heart is ſet in the middle, to ſhed out the bloud, as it were from the middle or center to the vtter parts, and to all the other members. And therefore he ſaith, yt the hart is ye middle & rhiſe member of al the beaſt: and therefore all that haue bloud, haue a heart, for of neceſſitie the heart is the principall cauſe of bloud, & not the lyuer. Ariſtotle ſaith all this openly li. 13. though it be otherwiſe written, of the principall beginning of bloud, in bookes of Phiſitions, but we haue not to doe with that ſtrife: For either poſition or opinion ſerve vs touching our meaning. Then of the ſentences of the foreſaid Authours, gather ſhortlye: that kindly bloud, is pure, hot, moyſt, ſubtill, and ſwéete. And alſo it kéepeth the kind vertue of féeding: and bloud is the ſeate of the ſoule, and containeth it; and is the perfector of youth, & alterer of complection, and kéepeth and ſaueth ye heart and ſpirits, and maketh them glad and waketh love: and ſhedding it ſelfe in the vtter part of the bodye, maketh it of good colour and hiew and if bloud be whole and temperate, it keepeth health, & if it be corrupt, it breedeth corruption, as appeareth in leprie, which is corrupt bloud in the wells, and with other humours mingled, & tempreth the mallice

  1. As when a man after great heate by ouer-much drink danteth the powers: likewiſe a Horſe whose greſe is molten, by colde water ſuffocateth, & is choked,
  2. Themiſtocles of Athens.
  3. Agility of a woman
  4. By inciſion, ſcarifieng, and diuiding