in a manner as I found it. For in the particular enquiry into that part, in the concave or sinuous part of the liver, whereabout the gall is usually seated in quadrupeds, I discover an hollow, long, and membraneous substance, of a pale colour without, and lined with choler and gall within, which part is by branches diffused into the lobes and several parcels of the liver; from whence receiving the fiery superfluity, or choleric remainder, by a manifest and open passage, it conveyeth it into the duodenum or upper gut, thence into the lower bowels; which is the manner of its derivation in man and other animals. And, therefore, although there be no eminent and circular follicle, no round bag or vesicle which long containeth this humour, yet is there a manifest receptacle and passage of choler from the liver into the guts; which, being not so shut up, or at least not so long detained, as it is in other animals, procures that frequent excretion, and occasions the horse to dung more often than many other, which, considering the plentiful feeding, the largeness of the guts and their various circumvolution, was prudently contrived by Providence in this animal. For choler is the natural glister, or one excretion whereby nature excludeth another, which descending daily into the bowels, extimulates those parts, and excites them unto expulsion. And, therefore, when this humour aboundeth or corrupteth, there succeeds, oft-times, a cholerica passio, that is a sudden and vehement purgation upward and downward: and when the passage of gall becomes obstructed, the body grows costive, and the excrements of the belly white; as it happeneth in the jaundice.

If any, therefore, affirm an horse hath no gall, that is, no receptacle or part ordained for the separation of choler, or not that humour at all, he hath both sense and reason to oppose him. But if he saith it hath no bladder of gall, and

If any therefore affirm, &c.] The concluding remarks on the subject appear to give a very just view of it, and partake of our author's logical acuteness. In the passage of Pliny, here alluded to (Nat. Hist. lib. xxxviii. cap. xl.), as is manifest from the entire contents of the chapter in which it occurs, the word fel means the bile itself; whereas, in the former citation from that writer, it means the receptacle for the bile, or gall-bladder. The two statements, therefore, are, in reality, in perfect harmony with each other.-Br.

such as is observed in many other animals, we shall oppose our sense if we gainsay him. Thus must Aristotle be made out when he denieth this part; by this distinction we may relieve Pliny of a contradiction, who, in one place affirming an horse hath no gall, delivereth yet in another, that the gall of an horse was accounted poison; and, therefore, at the sacrifices of horses in Rome, it was unlawful for the flamen to touch it. But with more difficulty, or hardly at all, is that reconcileable which is delivered by our countryman, and received veterinarian; whose words in his master-piece, and chapter of diseases from the gall, are somewhat too strict, and scarce admit a reconciliation. The fallacy, therefore, of this conceit, is not unlike the former, à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter :—because they have not a bladder of gall, like those we usually observe in others, they have no gall at all; which is a paralogism not admittable-a fallacy that dwells not in a cloud, and needs not the sun to scatter it.

CHAPTER III.

That a Pigeon hath no gall.

THE third assertion is somewhat like the second, that a dove or pigeon hath no gall, which is affirmed from very great antiquity; for, as Pierius observeth, from this consideration the Egyptians did make it the hieroglyphic of meekness. It hath been averred by many holy writers,

8

as Pierius observeth.] In his Hieroglyphica, p. 221, B. 27; but he cites no authority for his assertion. See a remark on Pierius in note

at

tp.

251-36.

of meekness.] And not without excellent reason: for, whereas, all angry eruptions proceed from the more or less mixture of gall, not only in man, but other creatures; and that, when itt is seated in the liver, itt is the easier spread into all parts of the bodye, together with the blood, except he doe the more vigorously doe his office in the defæcation of the blood: it must of necessity thence follow, that where the gall is drainde from the blood by some other vessel than the liver, as by the gutts, from which itt is impossible to regurgitate into the blood, such creatures, and among them the dove especially, may be well sayd to have none in such a sense as is intended, i. e., whereby the vital parts should bee enflamed with such hot and fierye motions, as other creatures are, which have the cista, or vesicle of gall in the liver, the condus

commonly delivered by postillers and commentators; who, from the frequent mention of the dove in the Canticles, the precept of our Saviour, "to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves," and especially the appearance of the Holy Ghost in the similitude of this animal, have taken occasion to set down many affections of the dove, and, what doth most commend it is, that it hath no gall. And hereof have made use, not only minor divines, but Cyprian, Austin, Isidore, Beda, Rupertus, Jansenius, and many more.

Whereto, notwithstanding, we know not how to assent, it being repugnant unto the authority and positive determination of ancient philosophy. The affirmative of Aristotle, in his History of Animals, is very plain-fel aliis ventri, aliis intestino jungitur,-some have the gall adjoined to the guts; as the crow, the swallow, sparrow, and the dove ; the same is also attested by Pliny, and not without some passion by Galen, who, in his book, De Atra Bile, accounts him ridicu lous that denies it.

It is not agreeable to the constitution of this animal, nor can we so reasonably conceive there wants a gall; that is, the hot and fiery humour in a body so hot of temper, which phlegm or melancholy could not effect. Now, of what complexion it is, Julius Alexandrinus* declareth, when he affirmeth, that some, upon the use thereof, have fallen into fevers and quinsies. The temper of their dung and intestinal excretions do also confirm the same; which topically applied, become a phænigmus or rubifying medicine, and are

*Salubrium, 31.

and promus of the blood; and by the accident of all those noxious humours which the second concoctions cannot mend: the sense, therefore, stands uncontrold, that the dove is, therefore, the embleme of meeknes, in that the gall (which begets those fiery motions in other creatures, by the neernes itt hathe to the principal enterails) is either none at all, or at least removed soe farr into the gutts, that it cannot produce such effects in her as in most other creatures itt dothe. So true is that maxime, in things of nature, Idem est non esse et non apparere: and non operari (heere) is as much as non apparere, and (by consequent) the same with non esse.- Wr.

The dean's ignorance of the true nature of bile is not to be wondered at; but it is very remarkable that he should have believed the Creator to have placed it, in any of his creatures, in such a situation as would prevent its exerting that influence which he had intended it to possess in the animal economy.

of such fiery parts, that, as we read in Galen, they have of I themselves conceived fire, and burnt a house about them. And therefore, when, in the famine of Samaria (wherein the fourth part of a cab of pigeon's dung was sold for five pieces of silver), it is delivered by Josephus, that men made use hereof instead of common salt: although the exposition seem strange, it is more probable than many other. For, that it containeth very much salt, as besides the effects before expressed, is discernible by taste, and the earth of columbaries or dove-houses, so much desired in the artifice of saltpetre. And to speak generally, the excrement of birds hath more of salt and acrimony, than that of any other pissing animals. Now if, because the dove is of a mild and gentle nature, we I cannot conceive it should be of an hot temper, our apprehensions are not distinct in the measure of constitutions, and the several parts which evidence such conditions. the irascible passions do follow the temper of the heart, but the concupiscible distractions the crasis of the liver. Now, many have hot livers, which have but cool and temperate hearts; and this was probably the temper of Paris, a contrary constitution to that of Ajax, and both but short of Medea, who seemed to exceed in either.

For

Lastly, it is repugnant to experience; for anatomical enquiry discovereth in them a gall:1 and that, according to the determination of Aristotle, not annexed unto the liver, but adhering unto the guts. Nor is the humour contained in smaller veins or obscurer capillations, but in a vesicle or little bladder, though some affirm it hath no bag at all. And therefore the hieroglyphic of the Egyptians, though allowable in the sense, is weak in the foundation: who, expressing meekness and lenity by the portrait of a dove with a tail erected, affirmed it had no gall in the inward parts, but only in the rump, and as it were out of the body. And

1 anatomical enquiry discovereth, &c.] It is now known that the gallbladder does not exist in the dove: the vessel mentioned by our author is merely a dilation of the hepatic or of the hepatocystic duct, serving to contain the bile. This fact is in agreement with the statements of Aristotle and Pliny, which are cited in this and in the preceding page.

-Br.

2 And therefore, &c.] This statement is from Pierius, on the authority of Horapollo or Orus Apollo, in his Hieroglyphica, curâ Pauw, p. 105. See note 9, p. 251-3.

therefore also, if they conceived their gods were pleased with the sacrifice of this animal, as being without gall, the ancient heathens were surely mistaken in the reason, and in the very oblation. Whereas, in the holocaust or burntoffering of Moses, the gall was cast away: for, as Ben Maimon instructeth, the inwards, whereto the gall adhereth, were taken out with the crop (according unto the law), which the priest did not burn, but cast unto the east; that is, behind his back, and readiest place to be carried out of the sanctuary. And if they also conceived that for this reason they were the birds of Venus, and, wanting the furious and discording part, were more acceptable unto the deity of love, they surely added unto the conceit; which was, at first, venereal, and in this animal may be sufficiently made out from that conception.

The ground of this conceit is partly like the former, the obscure situation of the gall, and out of the liver, wherein it is commonly enquired. But this is a very unjust illation, not well considering with what variety this part is seated in birds. In some, both at the stomach and the liver, as in the capriceps; in some at the liver only, as in cocks, turkeys, and pheasants; in others at the guts and liver, as in hawks and kites; in some at the guts alone, as crows, doves,3 and many more. And these, perhaps, may take up all the ways of situation, not only in birds, but also other animals; for what is said of the anchovy-that (answerable unto its name*) it carrieth the gall in the head, is farther to be enquired. And though the discoloured particles in the skin of an heron be commonly termed gall, yet is not this animal deficient in that part, but containeth it in the liver. And thus, when it is conceived that the eyes of Tobias were cured by the gall of the fish callionymus or scorpius marinus, commended to that effect by Dioscorides, although that part were not in the liver, yet there were no reason to doubt that probability. And whatsoever animal it was, it may be received without exception, when it is delivered, the married couple, as a testimony of future concord, did cast the gall of the sacrifice behind the altar.

* Εγκρασίχολος.

3 doves.] Sparows, swalows (as before).—Wr.