s pain and
loathing. And the converse happens when some gentle inspiration of the
understanding pictures images of an opposite character, and allays the
bile and bitterness by refusing to stir or touch the nature opposed
to itself, but by making use of the natural sweetness of the liver,
corrects all things and makes them to be right and smooth and free, and
renders the portion of the soul which resides about the liver happy
and joyful, enabling it to pass the night in peace, and to practise
divination in sleep, inasmuch as it has no share in mind and reason. For
the authors of our being, remembering the command of their father when
he bade them create the human race as good as they could, that they
might correct our inferior parts and make them to attain a measure of
truth, placed in the liver the seat of divination. And herein is a proof
that God has given the art of divination not to the wisdom, but to the
foolishness of man. No man, when in his wits, attains prophetic truth
and inspiration; but when he receives the inspired word, either his
intelligence is enthralled in sleep, or he is demented by some distemper
or possession. And he who would understand what he remembers to have
been said, whether in a dream or when he was awake, by the prophetic
and inspired nature, or would determine by reason the meaning of the
apparitions which he has seen, and what indications they afford to
this man or that, of past, present or future good and evil, must first
recover his wits. But, while he continues demented, he cannot judge
of the visions which he sees or the words which he utters; the ancient
saying is very true, that 'only a man who has his wits can act or judge
about himself and his own affairs.' And for this reason it is customary
to appoint interpreters to be judges of the true inspiration. Some
persons call them prophets; they are quite unaware that they are only
the expositors of dark sayings and visions, and are not to be called
prophets at all, but only interpreters of prophecy.

Such is the nature of the liver, which is placed as we have described
in order that it may give prophetic intimations. During the life of each
individual these intimations are plainer, but after his death the liver
becomes blind, and delivers oracles too obscure to be intelligible. The
neighbouring organ (the spleen) is situated on the left-hand side, and
is constructed with a view of keeping the liver bright and pure,--like
a napkin, alw