otection it shall suffer no hurt.

[Sidenote: Universal Law]

55.

Every object naturally seeks to maintain itself in itself.

56.

The part always tends to reunite with its whole in order to escape from
its imperfection; the soul desires to remain with its body, because
without the organic instruments of that body it can neither act nor
feel.

57.

The lover is moved by the object he loves as the senses are by sensible
things; and they unite and become one and the same. The work is the
first thing which is born of this union; if the thing loved is base,
the lover becomes base. When what is united is in harmony with that
which receives it, delight, pleasure and satisfaction ensue. When the
lover is united to the beloved he rests there; when the burden is laid
down it finds rest there.

58.

A natural action is accomplished in the briefest manner.

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[Sidenote: Nature Variable and Infinite.]

59.

To such an extent does nature delight and abound in variety that among
her trees there is not one plant to be found which is exactly like
another; and not only among the plants, but among the boughs, the
leaves and the fruits, you will not find one which is exactly similar
to another.

60.

If nature had made one rule for the quality of limbs, the faces of men
would resemble each other to such a degree that it would not be
possible to distinguish one from the other; but she has varied the five
features of the face in such a way that, although she has made an
almost universal rule with regard to their size, she has not done so
with regard to their quality, so that each one can be clearly
distinguished from the other.

61.

It is an easy matter for him who knows man to arrive at universal
knowledge, since all terrestrial animals are similar in regard to their
structure, that is to say, in regard to the muscles and bones, and they
do not vary save in height and thickness; then there are the aquatic
animals, and I will not persuade the painter that any rule can be made
with regard to these because they are of infinite variety--so are the
insects.

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62.

The body of anything which is fed is continually dying and being
reborn, since nourishment cannot enter save where the past nourishment
is exhausted; and if it is exhausted, it no longer has life, and if you
do not furnish it with nourishment equal to that which has been before,
you will impair the health of the organism, a