Euripus, where 'tis confessed by all he ended his days. That he emaciated and pined away in the too anxious enquiry of its reciprocations, although not drowned therein, as Rhodiginus relateth some conceived, was a half confession thereof not justifiable from antiquity. Surely the philosophy of flux and reflux was very imperfect of old among the Greeks and Latins; nor could they hold a sufficient theory thereof, who only observed the Mediterranean, which in some places hath no ebb, and not much in any part. Nor can we affirm our knowledge is at the height, who have now the theory of the ocean and narrow seas beside. While we refer it unto the moon, we give some satisfaction for the ocean, but no general salve for creeks and seas which know no flood; nor resolve why it flows three or four feet at Venice in the bottom of the gulph, yet scarce at all at Ancona, Durazzo, or Corcyra, which lie but by the way. And therefore old abstrusities have caused new inventions; and some from the hypotheses of Copernicus, or the diurnal and annual motion of the earth, endeavour to salve the flows and motions of these seas, illustrating the same by water in a bowl, that rising or falling to either side, according to the motion of the vessel; the conceit is ingenious, salves some doubts, and is discovered at large by Galileo.*9

But whether the received principle and undeniable action of the moon may not be still retained, although in some difference of application, is yet to be perpended; that is not by a simple operation upon the surface or superior parts, but excitation of the nitro-sulphureous spirits, and parts disposed to intumescency at the bottom; not by attenuation of the upper part of the sea, (whereby ships would draw more water at the flow than at the ebb,) but intergescencies caused first at the bottom, and carrying the upper part before them; subsiding and falling again, according to the motion of the moon from the meridian, and languor of the exciting cause: and therefore rivers and lakes who want these fermenting parts at the bottom, are not excited unto æstuations; and therefore some seas flow higher than others,

*Rog. Bac. Doct. Cabeus Met. 2.

9 and is discovered at large by Galileo.] And by the Lord Bacon rejected in his booke, De Fluxu et Refluxu Maris.-Wr.

according to the plenty of these spirits, in their submarine. constitutions. And therefore also the periods of flux and reflux are various, nor their increase or decrease equal: according to the temper of the terreous parts at the bottom; which as they are more hardly or easily moved, do variously begin, continue, or end their intumescencies.

From the peculiar disposition of the earth at the bottom, wherein quick excitations are made, may arise those agars9 and impetuous flows in some estuaries and rivers, as is observed about Trent and Humber in England; which may also have some effect in the boisterous tides of Euripus, not only from ebullitions at the bottom, but also from the sides and lateral parts, driving the streams from either side, which arise or fall according to the motion in those parts, and the intent or remiss operation of the first exciting causes, which maintain their activities above and below the horizon; even as they do in the bodies of plants and animals, and in the commotion of catarrhs.1

How therefore Aristotle died, what was his end, or upon what occasion, although it be not altogether assured, yet that his memory and worthy name shall live, no man will deny, nor grateful scholar doubt. And if according to the elogy of Solon, a man may be only said to be happy after he is dead, and ceaseth to be in the visible capacity of beatitude; or if according unto his own ethicks, sense is not essential unto felicity, but a man may be happy without the apprehension thereof; surely in that sense he is pyramidally happy; nor can he ever perish but in the Euripe of ignorance, nor till the torrent of barbarism overwhelmeth all.

A like conceit there passeth of Melisigenes, alias Homer, the father poet, that he pined away upon the riddle of the fishermen. But Herodotus, who wrote his life, hath cleared this point; delivering, that passing from Samos unto Athens, he went sick ashore upon the island Ios, where he died, and was solemnly interred upon the sea-side; and so decidingly concludeth, Ex hac ægritudine extremum diem clausit Homerus in Io, non, ut arbitrantur aliqui, ænigmatis perplexitate enectus, sed morbo.

9 agar.] The tumultuous influx of the tide.

But whether the received principle, &c. From the peculiar, &c.] These two paragraphs were first added in the 2nd edition.

CHAPTER XIV.

Of the Wish of Philoxenus to have the Neck of a Crane.

THAT relation of Aristotle, and conceit generally received, concerning Philoxenus, who wished the neck of a crane, that thereby he might take more pleasure in his meat, although it pass without exception, upon enquiry I find not only doubtful in the story, but absurd in the desire or reason alleged for it. For though his wish were such as is delivered, yet had it not perhaps that end to delight his gust in eating, but rather to obtain advantage thereby in singing, as is declared by Mirandula. Aristotle, saith he, in his Ethicks and Problems, accuseth Philoxenus of sensuality, for the greater pleasure of gust desiring the neck of a crane, which desire of his (assenting_unto Aristotle), I have formerly condemned. But since I perceive that Aristotle for his accusation hath been accused by divers writers ;—for Philoxenus was an excellent musician, and desired the neck of a crane, not for any pleasure at meat, but fancying thereby an advantage in singing or warbling, and dividing the notes in music-and many writers there are which mention a musician of that name; as Plutarch in his book against Usury, and Aristotle himself, in the eighth of his Politicks, speaks of one Philoxenus, a musician, that went off from the Dorick dithyrambics unto the Phrygian harmony.

Again, be the story true or false, rightly applied or not, the intention is not reasonable, and that perhaps neither one way nor the other. For if we rightly consider the organ of

2 That relation, &c.] Our author's observations on this absurd story are quoted by Dr. John Bulwer, in his Anthropometamorphosis, &c. p. 276.

Ross goes into the history of Philoxenus at great length, and adheres, as usual, most tenaciously to the legend. He contends, and with some reason, that the absurdity of the wish, if granted, were no argument against its having been expressed, seeing that many have entertained wishes far more so. But he even asserts its reasonableness, "that there is much pleasure in deglutition of sweet meats and drinks, is plain by the practice of those who, to supply the want of long necks, used to suck their drink out of long small cranes, or quills, or glasses with long narrow snouts, &c. &c. !!"

taste, we shall find the length of the neck to conduce but little unto it; for the tongue being the instrument of taste, and the tip thereof the most exact distinguisher, it will not advantage the gust to have the neck extended; wherein the gullet and conveying parts are only seated, which partake not of the nerves of gustation, or appertaining unto sapor, but receive them only from the sixth pair; whereas the nerves of taste descend from the third and fourth propagations, and so diffuse themselves into the tongue; and therefore cranes, herons, and swans, have no advantage in taste beyond hawks, kites, and others of shorter necks.

Nor, if we consider it, had nature respect unto the taste in the different contrivance of necks, but rather unto the parts contained, the composure of the rest of the body, and the manner whereby they feed. Thus animals of long legs have generally long necks, that is, for the conveniency of feeding, as having a necessity to apply their mouths unto the earth. So have horses, camels, dromedaries, long necks, and all tall animals, except the elephant, who in defect thereof is furnished with a trunk, without which he could not attain the ground. So have cranes, herons, storks, and shovelards long necks; and so even in man, whose figure is erect, the length of the neck followeth the proportion of other parts; and such as have round faces or broad chests and shoulders, have very seldom long necks. For the length of the face twice exceedeth that of the neck, and the space between the throat-pit and the navel, is equal unto the circumference thereof. Again, animals are framed with long necks, according unto the course of their life or feeding; so many with short legs have long necks, because they feed in the water, as swans, geese, pelicans, and other fin-footed animals. But hawks and birds of prey have short necks and trussed legs; for that which is long is weak and flexible, and a shorter figure is best accommodated unto that intention. Lastly, the necks of animals do vary, according to the parts that are contained in them, which are the weazand and the gullet. Such as have no weazand and breathe not, have

3 fin-footed animals.] Wee usually call them lether-footed,* but this terme suites with the use more significantlye.—Wr.

* Web-footed rather.

scarce any neck, as most sorts of fishes; and some none at all, as all sorts of pectinals, soles, thornback, flounders, and all crustaceous animals, as crevises, crabs, and lobsters.

All which considered, the wish of Philoxenus will hardly consist with reason. More excusable had it been to have wished himself an ape,5 which if common conceit speak true, is exacter in taste than any. Rather some kind of granivorous bird than a crane, for in this sense they are so exquisite, that upon the first peck of their bill, they can distinguish the qualities of hard bodies, which the sense of man discerns not without mastication. Rather some ruminating animal, that he might have eat his meat twice over; or rather, as Theophilus observed in Athenæus, his desire had been more reasonable, had he wished himself an elephant or a horse; for in these animals the appetite is more vehement, and they receive their viands in large and plenteous manner. And this indeed had been more suitable, if this were the same Philoxenus whereof Plutarch speaketh, who was so uncivilly greedy, that, to engross the mess, he would preventively deliver his nostrils in the dish.7

4 crevises.] Now called cray-fish.

5

an ape.] I thinke an ape is more exacte in the smel then in the taste for he never tastes that which hee first smels not too. And how pleasant soever any food seeme to us, yf itt displease his smel, he throws it away with a kind of indignation.-Wr.

room at

6 to engross the mess.] I was assured by a friend that the following somewhat similar exploit was performed in a commercial traveller's A dish of green peas was served very early in the season. One of the party, who preferred high-seasoned peas to most other vegetables, and himself to everybody besides, took an early opportunity of offering his services to help the peas, but he began by peppering them so unmercifully, that it was not very probable they would suit any other palate than his own. His neighbour, perceiving his own chance thus demolished, expostulated; and was told in reply of the virtues of pepper, as the only thing to make green peas wholesome. He instantly drew forth his snuff-box, and dextrously scattered its contents over the dish, as the most summary means which occurred to him of defeating such palpable selfishness and gluttony, observing drily that he thought snuff an excellent addition to the pepper.

7 dish.] There have been some whose slovenleyeness and greedines have æqualed his, by throwing a candles end into a messe of creame. But, more ingenious, frame a peece of aple like a candle, and therein stick a clove to deceave others of their deyntyes, in fine eating the counterfet candle.- Wr.