HOWEVER fictitious such things as savour of _Astrology_, may be reckon’d by _Some_, yet who knows not that the _Seventh Hour_, and _Seventh Day_ after its _BIRTH_, determines the CHILD either to _Life_ or _Death_? Who does not well know, That in the _Seventh Month_, its TEETH begin to break out and appear? That in the _Seventh Year_ (according to _Plutarch_) it changes its TEETH? Who does not find, That[115] the _Age of Man_ depends upon _SEPTENARY Mutations_? That the _First Seven Years_ conclude his INFANCY; as the _Second_ finish his PUERITIA, or _Childhood_; and the _Third_ compleat his ADOLESCENTIA, or _Youthful Growing Age_? To which his JUVENTUS, or more vigorous _Youthfulness_, succeeds; which is absolv’d in _twice Seven Years_ more: For in _This Juvenile_ Age, the _Body_ attains to its full STATURE; as the _Bones_, _Membranes_, and _Fibres_ arrive to their due Solidity.
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.