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THE SECOND BOOKE 349
essence of such things ? It is happily some particular
sense that unto cockes or chanticleares discovereth
the morning and midnight houre, and moveth them to
crow: that teacheth a hen, before any use or experience,
to feare a hawke and not a goose or a peacocke, farre
greater birds : that warneth yong chickins of the hostile
qualitie which the cat hath against them, and not to
distrust a dog; to strut and arme themselves against
the mewing of the one (in some sort a flattering and
milde voice) and not against the barking of the other (a
snarling and quarrelous voice): that instructeth rata,
wasps, and emmets, ever to chuse the best cheese and
fruit, having never tasted them before: and that
addresseth the stag, the elephant, and the serpent, to
the knowledge of certaine herbs and simples, which,
being either wounded or sicke, have the vertue to cure
them. There is no sense but hath some great domination,
and which by his meane aftordeth not an infinite
number of knowledges. If we were to report the
intelligence of sounds, of harmony and of the voice,
it would bring an imaginable confusion to all the rest
of our learning and science. For, besides what is tyed
to the proper effect of every sense, how many arguments,
consequences, and conclusions draw we untp
other things, by comparing one sense to another ? Let
a skilfull, wise man but imagine humane nature to be
originally produced without sight and discourse, how
much ignorance and trouble such a defect would bring
unto him, and what obscurity and blindnesse in our
mind/ By that shall we perceive how much the
privation of one, or two, or three such senses (if there
be any in us) doth import us about the knowledge of
truth. We have by the consultation and concurrence
of our five senses formed one Verity, whereas peradventure
there was required the accord and consent
of eight or ten senses, and their contribution, to
attaine a perspicuous insight of her, and see her in her
true essence. Those Sects which combate mans science,
doe principally combate the same by the uncertainty
and feeblenesse of our senses. For, since by their