The ground and occasion of this conceit was a literal apprehension of a figurative expression in _Plato_, as _Galen_ thus delivers; To opinion that _Man_ is Erect to look up and behold the Heavens, is a conceit only fit for those that never saw the _Fish_ Uranoscopus, that is, the Beholder of Heaven; which hath its Eyes so placed, that it looks up directly to Heaven; which _Man_ doth not, except he recline, or bend his head backward: and thus to look up to Heaven, agreeth not only unto _Men_, but _Asses_; to omit _Birds_ with long necks, which look not only upwards, but round about at pleasure. And therefore _Men_ of this opinion understood not _Plato_ when he said that _Man_ doth _Sursum aspicere_; for thereby was not meant to gape, or look upward with the Eye, but to have his thoughts sublime; and not only to behold, but speculate their Nature, with the Eye of the understanding. Now although _Galen_ in this place makes instance but in one, yet are the other fishes, whose Eyes regard the Heavens, as Plane, and Cartilagineous _Fishes_; as _Pectinals_, or such as have their bones made laterally like a Comb; for when they apply themselves to sleep or rest upon the white side, their Eyes on the other side look upward toward Heaven. For _Birds_, they generally carry their heads Erectly like _Man_, and have advantage in their upper Eye-lid; and many that have long necks, and bear their heads somewhat backward, behold far more of the Heavens, and seem to look above the æquinoxial Circle. And so also in many Quadrupeds, although their progression be partly prone, yet is the sight of their Eye direct, not respecting the Earth but Heaven; and make an higher Arch of altitude then our own. The position of a _Frog_ with his head above water exceedeth these; for therein he seems to behold a large part of the Heavens, and the acies of his Eye to ascend as high as the Tropick; but he that hath beheld the posture of a _Bittor_, will not deny that it beholds almost the very _Zenith_. [SN: _Point of heaven over our heads._] CHAPTER II Of the Heart. [Sidenote: _How a Mans heart is placed in his Body._] That the _Heart_ of Man is seated in the left side, is an asseveration, which strictly taken, is refutable by inspection, whereby it appears the base and centre thereof is in the midst of the chest; true it is, that the Mucro or Point thereof inclineth unto the left; for by this position it giveth way unto the ascension of the midriff, and by reason of the hollow vein could not commodiously deflect unto the right. From which diversion, nevertheless we cannot so properly say tis placed in the left, as that it consisteth in the middle, that is, where its centre resteth; for so do we usually say a Gnomon or Needle is in the middle of a Dial, although the extreams may respect the North or South, and approach the circumference thereof.