The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 2
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Browne Thomas. The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 2
PREFATORY NOTE
PSEUDODOXIA EPIDEMICA
THE THIRD BOOK —continued
CHAPTER XI. Of Griffins
CHAPTER XII. Of the Phœnix
CHAPTER XIII. Of Frogs, Toads, and Toad-stone
CHAPTER XIV. Of the Salamander
CHAPTER XV. Of the Amphisbæna
CHAPTER XVI. Of the Viper
CHAPTER XVII. Of Hares
CHAPTER XVIII. Of Moles, or Molls
CHAPTER XIX. Of Lampries
CHAPTER XX. Of Snayls
CHAPTER XXI. Of the Chameleon
CHAPTER XXII. Of the Ostrich
CHAPTER XXIII. Of Unicorns Horn
CHAPTER XXIV. That all Animals of the Land, are in theirkind in the Sea
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI. Of Sperma-Ceti, and the Sperma-Ceti Whale
CHAPTER XXVII
CHAPTER XXVIII. Of some others
THE FOURTH BOOK. Of many popular and received Tenentsconcerning Man, which examined, prove either false or dubious
CHAPTER I. Of the Erectness of Man
CHAPTER II. Of the Heart
CHAPTER III. Of Pleurisies
CHAPTER IV. Of the Ring-finger
CHAPTER V. Of the right and left Hand
CHAPTER VI. Of Swimming and Floating
CHAPTER VII. Concerning Weight
CHAPTER VIII. Of the passage of Meat and Drink
CHAPTER IX. Of Sneezing
CHAPTER X. Of the Jews
CHAPTER XI. Of Pigmies
CHAPTER XII. Of the great Climacterical year, that is, Sixty three
CHAPTER XIII. Of the Canicular or Dog daies
THE FIFTH BOOK. Of many things questionable as they are commonly described in Pictures
CHAPTER I. Of the Picture of the Pelecan
CHAPTER II. Of the Picture of Dolphins
CHAPTER III. Of the Picture of a Grashopper
CHAPTER IV. Of the Picture of the Serpent tempting Eve
CHAPTER V. Of the Picture of Adam and Eve with Navels
CHAPTER VI. Of the Pictures of Eastern Nations, and the Jews at their Feasts, especially our Saviour at the Passover
CHAPTER VII. Of the Picture of our Saviour with long hair
CHAPTER VIII. Of the Picture of Abraham sacrificing Isaac
CHAPTER IX. Of the Picture of Moses with horns
CHAPTER X. Of the Scutcheons of the Tribes of Israel
CHAPTER XI. Of the Pictures of the Sibyls
CHAPTER XII. Of the Picture describing the death of Cleopatra
CHAPTER XIII. Of the Pictures of the Nine Worthies
CHAPTER XIV. Of the Picture of Jephthah sacryficing his daughter
CHAPTER XV. Of the Picture of John the Baptist
CHAPTER XVI. Of the Picture of St. Christopher
CHAPTER XVII. Of the Picture of St. George
CHAPTER XVIII. Of the Picture of Jerom
CHAPTER XIX. Of the Pictures of Mermaids, Unicorns, and some others
CHAPTER XX. Of the Hieroglyphical Pictures of the Egyptians
CHAPTER XXI. Of the Picture of Haman hanged
CHAPTER XXII. Compendiously of many questionable Customs, Opinions, Pictures, Practices, and Popular Observations
CHAPTER XXIII. Of some others
THE SIXTH BOOK. Of sundry common opinions Cosmographical and Historical
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII. Of East, and West
CHAPTER VIII. Of the River Nilus
CHAPTER IX. Of the Red Sea
CHAPTER X. Of the Blackness of Negroes
CHAPTER XI. Of the same
CHAPTER XII. A Digression concerning Blackness
CHAPTER XIII. Of Gypsies
CHAPTER XIV. Of some others
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That there are Griffins in Nature, that is a mixt and dubious Animal, in the fore-part resembling an Eagle, and behind, the shape of a Lion, with erected ears, four feet and a long tail, many affirm, and most, I perceive, deny not. The same is averred by Ælian, Solinus, Mela, and Herodotus, countenanced by the Name sometimes found in Scripture, and was an Hieroglyphick of the Egyptians.
Notwithstanding we find most diligent enquirers to be of a contrary assertion. For beside that Albertus and Pliny have disallowed it, the learned Aldrovandus hath in a large discourse rejected it; Mathias Michovius who writ of those Northern parts wherein men place these Griffins, hath positively concluded against it; and if examined by the Doctrine of Animals, the invention is monstrous, nor much inferiour unto the figment of Sphynx, Chimæra, and Harpies, for though there be some flying Animals of mixed and participating Natures, that is, between Bird and quadruped, yet are their wings and legs so set together, that they seem to make each other; there being a commixtion of both, rather then an adaptation or cement of prominent parts unto each other, as is observable in the Bat, whose wings and fore-legs are contrived in each other. For though some species there be of middle and participating Natures, that is, of Bird and Beast, as Bats and some few others, yet are their parts so conformed and set together, that we cannot define the beginning or end of either; there being a commixtion of both in the whole, rather then an adaptation or cement of the one unto the other.
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As for the possibility hereof, it is not also unquestionable; and wise men are of opinion, the bodies of Animals cannot receive a proper aliment from air; for beside that tast being (as Aristotle terms it) a kind of touch; it is required the aliment should be tangible, and fall under the palpable affections of touch; beside also that there is some sapor in all aliments, as being to be distinguished and judged by the gust; which cannot be admitted in air: Beside these, I say, if we consider the nature of aliment, and the proper use of air in respiration, it will very hardly fall under the name hereof, or properly attain the act of nutrication.
And first concerning its nature, to make a perfect nutrition into the body nourished, there is required a transmutation of the nutriment, now where this conversion or aggeneration is made, there is also required in the aliment a familiarity of matter, and such a community or vicinity unto a living nature, as by one act of the soul may be converted into the body of the living, and enjoy one common soul. Which cannot be effected by air, it concurring only with our flesh in common principles, which are at the largest distance from life, and common also unto inanimated constitutions. And therefore when it is said by Fernelius, and asserted by divers others, that we are only nourished by living bodies, and such as are some way proceeding from them, that is, the fruits, effects, parts, or seeds thereof; they have laid out an object very agreeable unto assimulation; for these indeed are fit to receive a quick and immediate conversion, as holding some community with our selves, and containing approximate dispositions unto animation.
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