For conclusion of this matter I wish to refer here what Tully says of the fittingness and beauty of the exterior senses and parts of our body, with which he proves that all this has been fabricated by a highest provident Wisdom for the use and profit of our life. He says, then, that this divine providence “raised men from the earth, and made them high and upright, so that looking at the heaven they might come into knowledge of God. For men are made from the earth, not as tenants and dwellers of it, but as contemplators of celestial and sovereign things, whose contemplation and sight belongs to no other animal, but to man alone, which providence marvelously formed and set the senses (which are the interpreters and messengers of things) in the head as in a high tower for the necessary use of life. For the eyes, which are like watchtowers of this body, are in the highest place, so that they may better exercise their office, seeing from there many differences of things.
Also the ears (which have to perceive sound), were conveniently placed in this high part, because sound always rises to the high part. And for this same cause also the sense of smelling is in the high part, because also the vapors, which carry with themselves the species of fragrant things, naturally rise to the high part. And no less artfully was this sense placed next to the mouth, because the smell of what is eaten and drunk is much part of judging whether it is good or bad. Then already the sense of taste, which has to feel the differences of the things with which we maintain ourselves, was conveniently placed in that part of our mouth, through which what is eaten and drunk necessarily passes.
But the sense of touching equally extends through the whole body, so that thus we might be able to feel all the blows and all the great colds and heats that could harm us.”
Where it is much to note that, just as wise men put more protection in precious things than in vile ones, so this divine artificer put greater guard and protection in the eyes than in the other senses, because they are, as we all see, very prized. “For first he clothed and surrounded them with certain very delicate webs, which he made transparent, so that through them we might be able to see, and on the other hand strong so that they could remain. He also made the eyes easy to move from one part to another,
so that thus they might turn away from what could harm them, and easily turn them to what they wished to see. And the sharpness of sight, which is in the pupil of the eye (by means of which we see) is very small, so that thus it may be safer from what could harm it. Likewise the eyelids, with which the eyes are covered, he made very soft, so that they should not exasperate this pupil, and very easy to open and close with all lightness, so that nothing should fall into the eyes that would be contrary to them. Which eyelids are armed and furnished with the eyelashes, which are like a palisade so that, although the eyes were open, they might send away anything that fell upon them. In this manner the eyes are gathered and hidden, surrounded on the higher parts with the eyebrows, which are above them, which impede that the sweat that runs from the head and from the forehead should not fall upon them. And on the lower part they are sheltered with the cheeks, which are like a fence that defends them. But the noses are so set that they come to be like a wall placed before the eyes.
But the ears are always open, because we have need of them, even in the time when we sleep, so that with the sound that this sense receives, we may awaken. And the way to it has many turns, because if it were straight and simple, a thing could enter through it that would harm it. Remedy was also provided so that, if some little animal should wish to enter into it, it should be encumbered in the wax of the ears as in birdlime. And the ears that are at the door were made to cover and guard this sense, and so that the voices should not be scattered before they reached it. And the entrances to it he made hard and as of horn, and with turns and returns because with this artifice the sound is made greater. Likewise the noses, which always have to be open to do their offices, have the entrances narrower, because a thing that could harm them may not enter through them, and they have a little bit of humor, which serves to send away from themselves the dust and other such things. Then the sense of tasting is very well surrounded, because it is within the mouth, to do its office conveniently, and to be more guarded.
It is also to be noted that these senses in men are more perfect than in the brute animals. For first the eyes by the movement of bodies and by the gesture of persons understand many things, and thus also they know the beauty and the order and decency of colors and figures, and other greater things. For they also know something of the vices and virtues of persons, because they feel when the man is wrathful or placated, joyful or sad, and they also know the strong and the weak, the daring and the cowardly.
The ears also have another admirable and artful judgment, with which they understand, as well in voices as in instruments of music, the variety of sounds, the intervals and distinctions of them, and the differences of voices, some soft and others harsh, some grave and others acute, some flexible and broken and others hard, which differences only the ears of men know. Also the sense of the noses and of taste and of touch has its judgments to feel the things that belong to them, for whose recreation and delight more arts have been invented than I would wish, because you already see how far the composition of fragrant ointments has reached, and the artifice of so many stews, and the favor of precious garments.” All the aforesaid is from Tully, and all of it represents to us the highest wisdom and counsel of him who so perfectly fabricated and furnished all these senses for the offices and use of our life, without neglecting
anything, however small it might be, since his providence reached to a thing so small as is the wax of the ears, for the office that is here said. Then what care will he have of the greater things who had such particular care of the lesser ones?