No less does the beauty of divine providence shine forth in the fabric and fittingness of the other parts of the body, than in that of these five aforesaid senses. For, first, to the whole body from feet to head the Creator provided its garments, and these doubled, the first of which is a very delicate little skin, which many times we flay without feeling it, as happens to those who have scabies or smallpox. After this there is another stronger skin, which in some parts is thicker, as on the head for defense of it, and on the soles of the feet for those who go barefoot; in others it is thinner, as it is on the face. And not content with having given us this garment of the skin, he also provided much fatness, which is like a quilt that shelters all the flesh of our body, which is seen not only in some animals in which this fatness abounds, but also in any human body, if it is not very thin.
And descending in particular to treat of all the members, and beginning with the head, the hairs first offer themselves, which serve for shelter and defense of it, and in women for honesty and beauty, since, as the Apostle says, the hairs were given to her as a veil to cover herself. But how to the purpose the hairs of the beard were given to men, and taken away from women! For in them they would be great ugliness, being on the contrary in men part of beauty and authority. And no less do they serve for the distinction between male and female, for guard of chastity, because to how many bad arrangements and deceits would a door be opened, if men lacked this sign.
There follows after the beard the neck, which is like a beautiful column, although composed of diverse pieces as of hinges in order to bend to one part and another, which serves not only for beauty, but also for two other signal offices, because by it go two channels, one by which goes the maintenance with which we live, and another by which goes the air with which we breathe. Lower down are the breasts, composed of hard bones for guard of the heart, because, just as the Creator provided the hard skull, which is like a helmet, for guard of the brains of the head, so he provided these bones of the breast, which are like certain cuirasses for guard of the heart. In which is seen how divine providence has greater care of the greater things than of the lesser ones, providing these two manners of defensive arms for guard of these two so principal members. But in the breasts of women, besides this defensive, he placed two fountains of milk to raise the children that might be born. And he placed two, because when it should happen to give birth to two, there might be ration for both, although, in this city of Lisbon, a few days ago a married woman gave birth to three, two boys and one girl, and all lived. And it is a thing of admiration that the blood that went to sustain the child when it was in the entrails of its mother, then attends as if it had judgment and discretion to these two breasts, made now from blood into milk, which is a food
most suave and most delicate, already cooked in the breasts of the mother, and proportioned to the delicate stomach of the newborn child, which now maintains itself by the mouth, having before maintained itself by the little navel. And the same providence that placed here two fountains of milk, placed many in the animals that give birth to many children, as are: dogs, cats, and rabbits, and other similar ones, whose children upon finishing being born, still having the little eyes closed, without another teacher more than the Creator, then hit upon the place where the fountains of the milk are, to maintain themselves. But in the belly that is below the breasts, he did not place this frame of bones, because as the guts that occupy this place are of a soft flesh, they would receive harm from the neighborhood of the hard bones, if they were placed here.
Then what shall I say of the hands, which are the ministers of reason and of wisdom? Which that sovereign Artificer made a little concave, to embrace and retain what they wished, and he also increased them with the fingers, in which you will not know how to determine which is greater, their utility, or their beauty, for their number is perfect, and the order and dignity very decent, and likewise the flexibility of the joints and the form of the nails round and firm, for beauty and furnishing of the fingers and so that the tenderness of the flesh should not receive detriment in using them. But no less admirable and profitable is the use of the thumb, which apart from the others, comes out to receive them, giving them faculty to embrace and receive things as rector and governor of them.
And descending lower than the hands, Theodoret does not wish that the providence of the Creator be passed over in silence in having provided us with two natural cushions to be seated without labor. For if these were lacking, man would receive molestation, being seated upon the fleshless and hard bones. And no less do the calves of the legs serve for riding, especially for those who go seated, besides the grace and beauty that they have, because in all the parts of our body the Creator joined utility and beauty, as above we said. And this same is seen in the fabric of the feet, which are finished in their toes furnished with their nails, upon which men rest, and with the help of them, when it is necessary, they climb up a lance, and at times walk upon a rope.