THIS again is succeeded by the Fifth, call’d Virilitas, the Virile or Manly Age; consisting of twice Seven Years more, being in all Seven times Seven Years: In which Manhood, the Facultys of the Mind, as well as the Strength of the Body, are most resplendent and perfect; tho’ in almost All Women, the Generative Power begins to cease at this Age, as their Terms commonly do, however, not without a great Disorder of the Motion of the Blood.
THE Sixth Age of Man, or the Senectus, is compos’d of twice Seven Years more, and extends itself to Sixty Three: In This Old Age the Natural VIGOUR very much declines, the BODY waxes both dry and lean, the MEMORY begins to fail, and the PERSON grows more Anxious, Careful and Covetous. As in the Seventh and Last Age, (or Dotage, as it were) he becomes Feeble and Decrepit; which generally consists of Seven Years more. So that, in fine, according to this very rational and plausible Computation, of the Learned and most Ingenious Dr. Sprengell, the Age and Life of Man is commonly reckon’d to amount to Seven times Ten Years.
IT is also farther observable, that as the Soul of Man has seven different Appellations, according to its seven principal Offices, (as amply appears by Sect. I. Chap. 4.) so there are SEVEN Degrees in the Body, to compleat its Dimensions; viz. Marrow, Bone, Nerve, Vein, Artery, Flesh, and Skin: As there are also SEVEN in Number, which (according to Macrobius) the Greeks call BLACK MEMBERS; viz. the Tongue, Heart, Lungs, Liver, Spleen, and Two Kidneys, to consummate the Compositum. Yea, Hippocrates[[116]] himself confirms the Efficacy and Præstancy, Fulness and Perfection of this Number.
I have also remarkably observ’d, that the Number Seven is most powerful and signally predominant in Cœlestials; as the Seven Circles in the Heavens, according to the Longitude of the Axle-Tree: The Seven Stars about the Artick-Pole, called Charles’s-Wain: The Seven Stars also call’d Pleiades: The Seven Planets, giving Names to the Seven Days of the Week: The Periodical Revolution of the Moon every Seventh Day, running round the Compass of the whole Zodiack in Four Times Seven Days; that is, considering her Phases as obverted to the Sun. And Linus, a most ancient celebrated Poet, sings thus:
“Septima cùm venit Lux, cuncta absolvere cœpit
“Omnipotens Pater, atque bonis, & Septima, & ipsa,
“Est etiam rerum cunctarum Septima Origo;
“Septima prima eadem perfecta, & Septima Septem,
“Unde etiam Cœlum stellis errantibus aptum
“Volvitur, & Circ’lis totidem circum undique fertur.