that the palpitation of the heart
in the expectation of danger and the swelling and excitement of passion
was caused by fire, formed and implanted as a supporter to the heart the
lung, which was, in the first place, soft and bloodless, and also had
within hollows like the pores of a sponge, in order that by receiving
the breath and the drink, it might give coolness and the power of
respiration and alleviate the heat. Wherefore they cut the air-channels
leading to the lung, and placed the lung about the heart as a soft
spring, that, when passion was rife within, the heart, beating against
a yielding body, might be cooled and suffer less, and might thus become
more ready to join with passion in the service of reason.

The part of the soul which desires meats and drinks and the other things
of which it has need by reason of the bodily nature, they placed between
the midriff and the boundary of the navel, contriving in all this region
a sort of manger for the food of the body; and there they bound it down
like a wild animal which was chained up with man, and must be nourished
if man was to exist. They appointed this lower creation his place here
in order that he might be always feeding at the manger, and have his
dwelling as far as might be from the council-chamber, making as little
noise and disturbance as possible, and permitting the best part to
advise quietly for the good of the whole. And knowing that this lower
principle in man would not comprehend reason, and even if attaining
to some degree of perception would never naturally care for rational
notions, but that it would be led away by phantoms and visions night
and day,--to be a remedy for this, God combined with it the liver, and
placed it in the house of the lower nature, contriving that it should
be solid and smooth, and bright and sweet, and should also have a bitter
quality, in order that the power of thought, which proceeds from the
mind, might be reflected as in a mirror which receives likenesses of
objects and gives back images of them to the sight; and so might strike
terror into the desires, when, making use of the bitter part of the
liver, to which it is akin, it comes threatening and invading, and
diffusing this bitter element swiftly through the whole liver produces
colours like bile, and contracting every part makes it wrinkled and
rough; and twisting out of its right place and contorting the lobe and
closing and shutting up the vessels and gates, cause