"Here's Cavities, says one; and here, says he, / Is th' Seat of Fancy, Judgment, Memory: / Here, says another, is the fertile Womb, / From whence the Spirits Animal do come, / Which are mysteriously ingender'd here, / Of Spirits from Arterious Blood and Air: / Here, said a third, Life made her first approach, / Moving the Wheels of her Triumphant Coach."
— Barker, Jane (1675-1743)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Benjamin Crayle
Date
1688
Metaphor
"Here's Cavities, says one; and here, says he, / Is th' Seat of Fancy, Judgment, Memory: / Here, says another, is the fertile Womb, / From whence the Spirits Animal do come, / Which are mysteriously ingender'd here, / Of Spirits from Arterious Blood and Air: / Here, said a third, Life made her first approach, / Moving the Wheels of her Triumphant Coach."
Metaphor in Context
We view'd the Kitchin call'd Ventriculus,
Then pass'd we through the space call'd Pylorus;
And to the Dining-Room we came at last,
VVhere the Lactæans take their sweet repast.
From thence we through a Drawing-room did pass,
And came where Madam Jecur busie was;
Sanguificating the whole Mass of Chyle,
And severing the Cruoral parts from bile:
And when she's made it tolerably good,
She pours it forth to mix with other Blood.
This and much more we saw, from thence we went
Into the next Court, by a small ascent:
Bless me, said I, what Rarities are here!
A Fountain like a Furnace did appear,
Still boyling o'er, and running out so fast,
That one shou'd think its Efflux cou'd not last;
Yet it sustain'd no loss as I cou'd see,
VVhich made me think it a strange Prodigie.
Come on, says Harvey, don't stand gazing here,
But follow me, and I thy doubts will clear.
Then we began our Journey with the Blood,
Trac'd the Meanders of its Purple flood.
Thus we through many Labyrinths did pass,
In such, I'm sure, Old Dædalus ne'er was;
Sometimes i'th' Out-works, sometimes i'th' first Court;
Sometimes i'th' third these winding streams wou'd sport
Themselves; but here methought I needs must stay,
And listen next to what the Artists say:
Here's Cavities, says one; and here, says he,
Is th' Seat of Fancy, Judgment, Memory:
Here, says another, is the fertile Womb,
From whence the Spirits Animal do come,
Which are mysteriously ingender'd here,
Of Spirits from Arterious Blood and Air:
Here, said a third, Life made her first approach,
Moving the Wheels of her Triumphant Coach:
Hold there, said Harvey, that must be deny'd,
'Twas in the deaf Ear on the dexter side.
Then there arose a trivial small dispute,
Which he by Fact and Reason did confute:
Which being ended, we began again
Our former Journey, and forsook the Brain.
And after some small Traverses about,
We came to th' place where we at first set out:
Then I perceiv'd how all this Magick stood
By th' Circles of the circulating Blood,
As Fountains have their Waters from the Sea,
To which again they do themselves conveigh.
But here we find great Lower by his Art,
Surveying the whole Structure of the Heart:
Welcome, said he, sweet Cousin, are you here,
Sister to him whose Worth we all revere?
But ah, alas, so cruel was his Fate,
As makes us since almost our Practice hate;
Since we cou'd find out nought in all our Art,
That cou'd prolong the motion of his Heart.
Then pass'd we through the space call'd Pylorus;
And to the Dining-Room we came at last,
VVhere the Lactæans take their sweet repast.
From thence we through a Drawing-room did pass,
And came where Madam Jecur busie was;
Sanguificating the whole Mass of Chyle,
And severing the Cruoral parts from bile:
And when she's made it tolerably good,
She pours it forth to mix with other Blood.
This and much more we saw, from thence we went
Into the next Court, by a small ascent:
Bless me, said I, what Rarities are here!
A Fountain like a Furnace did appear,
Still boyling o'er, and running out so fast,
That one shou'd think its Efflux cou'd not last;
Yet it sustain'd no loss as I cou'd see,
VVhich made me think it a strange Prodigie.
Come on, says Harvey, don't stand gazing here,
But follow me, and I thy doubts will clear.
Then we began our Journey with the Blood,
Trac'd the Meanders of its Purple flood.
Thus we through many Labyrinths did pass,
In such, I'm sure, Old Dædalus ne'er was;
Sometimes i'th' Out-works, sometimes i'th' first Court;
Sometimes i'th' third these winding streams wou'd sport
Themselves; but here methought I needs must stay,
And listen next to what the Artists say:
Here's Cavities, says one; and here, says he,
Is th' Seat of Fancy, Judgment, Memory:
Here, says another, is the fertile Womb,
From whence the Spirits Animal do come,
Which are mysteriously ingender'd here,
Of Spirits from Arterious Blood and Air:
Here, said a third, Life made her first approach,
Moving the Wheels of her Triumphant Coach:
Hold there, said Harvey, that must be deny'd,
'Twas in the deaf Ear on the dexter side.
Then there arose a trivial small dispute,
Which he by Fact and Reason did confute:
Which being ended, we began again
Our former Journey, and forsook the Brain.
And after some small Traverses about,
We came to th' place where we at first set out:
Then I perceiv'd how all this Magick stood
By th' Circles of the circulating Blood,
As Fountains have their Waters from the Sea,
To which again they do themselves conveigh.
But here we find great Lower by his Art,
Surveying the whole Structure of the Heart:
Welcome, said he, sweet Cousin, are you here,
Sister to him whose Worth we all revere?
But ah, alas, so cruel was his Fate,
As makes us since almost our Practice hate;
Since we cou'd find out nought in all our Art,
That cou'd prolong the motion of his Heart.
Provenance
Searching "animal" and "spirits" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Poetical Recreations: Consisting of Original Poems, Songs, Odes etc; With several New Translations. In Two Parts (London: Printed for Benjamin Crayle, 1688). <Link to EEBO>
Date of Entry
04/27/2012
