Moderate Popularity of Limbs

At times, certain rough faults are peculiar to certain distinct peoples, and moreover, some stand out more than others. In this sense, the great Paulus, the Greek Poets, Epimenides, and Callimachus justified, as to say that the Cretans are generally deceitful, evil beasts, and lazy bellies.

A certain merchant, seeking to fool, recounted in a company how Lucifer, being cast from Heaven, broke his neck and legs, and came down in many pieces; and that the head fell in Italy, which made that nation particularly shrewd as a result. The belly in Germany; which taught that people to eat and drink lustily, the heart in Spain, which made them very proud and brave. The arms and hands in Holland, which taught them to work diligently. The feet in France, where they swiftly danced to show off. And as most listeners laughed at this and thought the story was ending, there was an Englishman among them; who, unable to remain silent, with a straight face, said: Sir, you forgot Lucifer's tail. Oh, that's true Sir, quickly replied another; it fell in England.

It is without doubt that the diversity in the natural constitution of human bodies and spirits, as we have said, largely depends on the different air and climate where they are born and raised. For if a German or Dutchman inhales a different air; than a Frenchman, Italian, Spaniard, Indian, Muscovite, Turk, or American, thereby the blood is made so variably

Translation Notes

Maatredige Ledenstemming is translated as 'Moderate Popularity of Limbs' referring to the distribution of qualities attributed to different nations based on a comical tale about Lucifer's fall and the resulting differences in human characteristics.