The vertue that is called Virtus animalis, hath ſeate and place in the ouermoſt part of a man, that is to wit, in the brayne, and hath thrée parts. Ordinatiua, ſenſitiua, & motiua. That part that is named Ordinatiua, fulfilleth the brayne by it ſelfe alone. For in the firſt part in the formoſt chamber it ordeineth the fantaſie or imagination: in the middle chamber it ordaineth the vertue eſtimatiue and reaſon. And againe in the vttermoſt chamber, it maketh perfect the memorie, and the memoriall acte: For what the vertue imaginatiue ſhapeth & imagineth, ſhe ſendeth it to the iudgement of reaſon. And what that reaſon taketh of the imagination, as a Iudge, iudgeth & defineth it ſending to the memory: ye memory receiueth thoſe things that were put in the intelled or vnderſtanding, & kéepeth & ſaueth them ſtedfaſtly, til ſhée bring them foorth in act and in déede. The ſecond vertue that is Senſitiua, is formed in this manner. By meane of ſinewes that be very tender, the ſpirite Animalis paſſeth forth out of the innermoſt chambers of the braine, of whom the ſenſe is formed, and ſome be ſent with the ſpirite Animalis to the eyen, to quicken the ſight, and ſome to the noſethrilles to increaſe the ſmelling, and ſo of the other. Of the wittes, the ſight is moſt ſubtill, for the kinde thereof is firie. The hearing hath much of the ayre, for it is a ſound of ye aire, ſtriken, & then the more ſubtill is the ſmelling, for the kinde thereof is ſmoakie. Then ye taaſt, the kinde thereof is watry. And the laſt & moſt boyſtous of all, that is the ſeelyng: for the kinde thereof is earthie, and is néedful to féele hard things, as bones and ſinewes, rough and ſmooth, colde and hot. Of theſe ſenſes, euery one hath his office, to haue ye likeneſſe and ſhape of the obiects: and what they take of that they féele, they preſent to the inwits. TREVISA. The obiect of the eye, is all that maye bée ſéene: and all that may be heard is obiect to the hearing: and all that maye be ſmelled is obiecte to the ſmelling, and ſo of the other ſenſes.
¶Of the vertue viſible. Cap. 17.
The ſight is moſt ſimple, for it is firie,[1] and diſerueth ſodainely things that are farre off. The ſight is formed after this manner. In the middle of the eye, that is the blacke thereof, is a certaine humour moſt pure and cleare. The Philoſophers call it Chriſtalloides, for it taketh ſodainly diuers formes & ſhapes of colours, as Chriſtall doth. The ſight is a wit of perceiuing and knowing of colours, figures, & ſhapes, and vtter properties. Then to make the ſight perfect, theſe things are néedfull, that is to wit, the cauſe efficient, the lymme of the eye conuenient to the thing that ſhall bée ſéene, the aire that bringeth the likeneſſe to the eye and taking héede, & eaſie moouing. The cauſe efficient, is that vertue that is called Animalis. The inſtrument and lymme is the humor lyke Chriſtall in either eye cléere & round. It is cléere that by the cléereneſſe thereof, the eye may ſhine about the ſpirite and aire: It is round, that it be ſtronger to withſtand griefes, for a rounde ſhape hath no ſides or corners, that containeth ſuperfluityes that ſhould grieue it. The vtter thing, helping to worke, is the aire, without which being a meane, the ſight maye not be perfect. In ſome beaſtes to profit the ſight, néedeth the cléerenes of aire, and in ſome the darkneſſe, and in ſome the meane, not too darke nor too cléere. For in Cats néedeth darkneſſe, in Reremice, or Bats and in other flieng beaſts néedeth meane, as it ſhall be ſhewed heereafter. And it néedeth to take héede, for if the ſoule be occupied about other things then belongeth to the ſight, the ſight is the leſſe perfect, for it déemeth not of the thing that is ſéene. And eaſie mouing is néedfull, for if the thing that is ſeene, moueth too ſwiftly, the ſight is combred and diſparced with too ſwifte and continuall mouing, as it is in an oare, that ſéemeth broken in the water, through the ſwifte mouing of the water. Likewiſe alſo an euen long trée moued ſwiftly ſéemeth rounde. How the ſight is made, olde men had diuers opinions.drop initials, small caps.
- ↑ Viſus.
