principal and mighty work of God, the wonder of nature, the
marvel of marvels[1]."

[1] Anatomy of Melancholy, p. 1.


Let us have regard to his corporeal structure. There is a
simplicity in it, that at first perhaps we slightly consider.
But how exactly is it fashioned for strength and agility! It is
in no way incumbered. It is like the marble when it comes out of
the hand of the consummate sculptor; every thing unnecessary is
carefully chiseled away; and the joints, the muscles, the
articulations, and the veins come out, clean and finished. It
has long ago been observed, that beauty, as well as virtue, is
the middle between all extremes: that nose which is neither
specially long, nor short, nor thick, nor thin, is the perfect
nose; and so of the rest. In like manner, when I speak of man
generally, I do not regard any aberrations of form, obesity, a
thick calf, a thin calf; I take the middle between all extremes;
and this is emphatically man.

Man cannot keep pace with a starting horse: but he can
persevere, and beats him in the end.

What an infinite variety of works is man by his corporeal form
enabled to accomplish! In this respect he casts the whole
creation behind him.

What a machine is the human hand! When we analyse its parts and
its uses, it appears to be the most consummate of our members.