History of Monsters. 161

food for a period of thirty days. The cause of this is attributed to melancholy, for that famous Scot who lived for a long time without food was a melancholic; indeed, Albertus Magnus reports that he knew a certain melancholic who abstained from food for nearly forty days, although he did take a drink of water every other day. However, it should be noted that not every melancholic humor is the cause of such long-lasting fasting, but only that which is located in a suitable place—namely, the stomach, the liver, and the mesenteric veins—and possesses a certain stickiness and thickness.

We must now weigh various problems pertaining to both men and women. First, some investigate why humans are born at all, since we hurry toward our end and remain in this world for only a short time. The answer, according to Lactantius Firmianus, is that this was done so that humans might recognize and venerate God, the Best and Greatest Creator and Governor of all things. From this arises another problem: whether wild men, and those who live constantly among wild beasts, are capable of reason and salvation, and consequently subject to eternal damnation.

Saint Augustine resolves this question by stating that whenever any trace of reason or mind is detected in these feral, or even monstrous, humans, they are undoubtedly to be numbered among mankind—even if they are wild by nature—because, over time, as he reports, they can become both teachable and capable of divine things.

Furthermore, it is asked why humans shudder at human corpses and graves; the reason given is that no one loves their own destruction, and they sense that a similar fate will eventually befall them. It is also investigated why humans are harmed by a stench but delighted by a pleasant and agreeable odor. The answer is that the spirits governing the human body are refreshed by sweet smells, whereas they are dissipated and diminished by a foul odor.

Likewise, they investigate why meat nourishes humans more than any other kind of food. We can answer that like is nourished by like; therefore, meat generates flesh more quickly than any other type of sustenance. It is also asked why humans are filled with a certain horror when they hear a shrill sound, such as an iron file being polished. It should be understood that a sharp sound is imprinted on the air with great speed of motion, and consequently, upon entering the ears, it pierces the inner parts as if stinging, which is why it produces a shudder.

It is also investigated why humans struggle most when climbing, while they otherwise descend easily and walk along a level plain without any discomfort. Perhaps it is because a human is composed of the four elements, of which two are light and two are heavy, which when mixed together take on a middle nature; therefore, a walking human is neither light nor heavy, but in an ascent, heavy bodies are weighed down by their own mass, which is why a human labors so greatly then. We must also ask why humans avoid the sun's rays in summertime, while other animals do not. We can respond that man is superior in his sense of touch, and consequently feels contrary qualities more acutely; or perhaps it is because many beasts are dry by nature, and thus they take pleasure in the sun's heat to preserve that state.

Some ask why some people crave one type of food and drink while others crave another. This can happen because of a humor contained in the stomach which, like a biting sensation, forces people to desire the opposite, or because it arises from the different temperaments of people, which excite various dislikes and desires. Likewise, they inquire why those who pursue a military life lead longer and healthier lives. They answer that this is because Venus has no place in war, for she shortens life by dissipating the spirits; or rather, we might say that through exercise all waste products that usually cause various illnesses are consumed. They also ask why some men are suited to performing great deeds and easily endure tortures. The answer is that black bile sometimes occupies the highest citadel of the brain and displaces the mind from its state; hence this humor drives men to outrages, forces them toward audacity, and helps them in a marvelous way to tolerate torments.

There follow now even more curious problems—namely, why giants are not born in our age, since it is clear from what was discussed above that they once lived. Pliny attributes this to a burning out of the world’s vital force; in speaking of the stature of man, he says that almost all men are smaller