History of Monsters. 246 Ulysses Aldrovandi

loins of pleasure ought to be covered. For it is read in Isaiah: *The belt of his waist shall not be loosed.* Furthermore, the bladder has an opening at its upper part, while the lower part lacks one. In this way, the upper part of human affection ought to be open so that it may receive celestial matters, but the lower part should lack an opening, so that no entrance is granted to worldly things. Likewise, those who are puffed up with the wind of insolence resemble a bladder; as soon as they are pricked by the sting of death, the wind departs, and their peacock-like pride immediately vanishes.

Attached to these parts are the intestines, located in the fold of the belly and intended for receiving waste, so that they may eventually expel it through the lower parts. The intestines can be called Confessors who, occupying the middle of the body of the Church, receive the crimes of the whole ecclesiastical body by hearing shameful confessions; they then expel and wash away the contracted filth of the soul through absolution.

Now that what pertains to the parts contained in the belly has been set down, it seems something must be said about the containing parts. According to the opinion of Hippocrates, the bellies are warmer in winter, and consequently, a greater appetite is generated during this season; in summer, however, the bellies are less warm, and therefore a smaller appetite is produced. The reason for this effect arises from the fact that natural heat, under the pressure of winter, flees to the inner parts, and conversely, in summer, it tends toward the outermost parts and is dissipated. In the same way, in the winter of calamities, the fervor of charity seeks the internal parts of the mind and strengthens the virtues, thus exciting an appetite for good works; but in the summer of prosperity, the heat of charity is scattered, and the desire for right action is destroyed.

In the center of the outer part of the belly is the navel, through which the fetus living in the womb is nourished; but as soon as the infant has come out into the light, the umbilical cord is immediately cut. Through the navel, venereal pleasure is represented, which resides in the middle of human nature. Through it the fetus—that is, the sinner dwelling in the womb of worldly happiness—sucks the blood of vices. Therefore, when such a fetus, namely the criminal, emerges into the light of grace, the navel of pleasures must be cut off at once, lest he slip back again into the bilge of vices.

To the aforementioned parts should be added the principal genital members; if these are torn away, manly strength is removed, and a man is rendered so soft and effeminate that his hair falls out and he acquires a female voice. Through the genitals, the virtue that produces right actions is shown, which, while it is rooted in the soul, procreates a fetus of good works. But when the genitals of divine grace are removed by the violence of vices, then a man becomes so soft that he acquires a feminine nature; thus the voice of prayer and confession is perverted, the hairs of virtue fall away, and every appearance of morality is corrupted. Among the genital parts is the uterus, the part in a woman that receives seed for conception. However, it sometimes happens that due to a corruption of the flowing humors, instead of a perfect fetus, a mass of flesh—called a *mola* by doctors—is generated; hence the woman, at the end of her pregnancy, gives birth to a lump of flesh. This often happens to those who are believed to have conceived the seed of the Word of God, but eventually give birth to a dishonest and ruinous work. Therefore, this will conform to the assertion of Isaiah: *I expected it to make grapes, but it made wild grapes.* Indeed, this is not very far from what is read in Matthew: *Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? From where, then, does it have tares?*

The thighs are the parts extended from the groin to the knees, strong because of their abundance of flesh and sinews, which sustain the whole body. Princes are represented by these parts, as they sustain the weight of government and leadership. These men ought to be strong because of their constancy, fleshy and soft because of their clemency, and mobile because of their assiduous diligence. Otherwise, the ancients signified offspring by the thigh, as was declared in the mystical Rubric. Therefore, while a sword is carried on the left thigh and a dagger on the right, we should likewise apply the dagger of the Word of God and the sword of divine Justice to the thighs—that is, to venereal desires—so that, led by divine fear, we may restrain the excess of these parts.

The thighs end at the knees, which are said to be named from *genae* (the cheeks), because the infant hiding in the womb joins the knees with the cheeks. Hence a man, bowing his head to his knees, is made more prone to tears, as if mindful of the uterine hiding place in which, for