Sir Keith Thomas

“Man is of a far different structure in his guts from ravenous creatures as dogs, wolves, etc., who, minding only their belly, have their guts descending almost straight down from their ventricle or stomach to the fundament: whereas in this noble microcosm man, there are in these intestinal parts many anfractuous circumvolutions, windings and turnings, whereby, longer retention of his food being procured, he might so much the better attend upon sublime speculations, and profitable employments in Church and Commonwealth.”
― Sir Keith Thomas, Man and the Natural World: Changing Attitudes in England 1500-1800