394 THREE CENTURIES' PERSPECTIVES
Although we concede there wanted one rib in the sceleton of Adam, yet
were it repugnant unto reason and common observation, that his posterity
should want the same [in the old meaning of "want" as "lack"). For we
observe that mutilations are not transmitted from father unto son; the blind
begetting such as can see, men with one eye children with two, and cripples
mutilate in their own persons do come out perfect in their generations.
Book 4, Chapter 10—"That Jews Stink"—is one of the longest,
and clearly held special importance for Dr. Browne. His arguments
are more elaborate, but he follows the same procedure used to dis-
pel less noxious myths—citation of contravening facts interlaced
with more general support from logic and reason.
Browne begins with a statement of the fallacy: "That Jews stink
naturally, that is, that in their race and nation there is an evil savor,
is a received opinion." Browne then allows that species may have
distinctive odors, and that individual men surely do: "Aristotle says
no animal smells sweet save the pard. We confess that beside the
smell of the species, there may be individual odors, and every man
may have a proper and peculiar savor; which although not percepti-
ble unto man, who hath this sense but weak, is yet sensible unto
dogs, who hereby can single out their masters in the dark."
In principle, then, discrete groups of humans might carry dis-
tinctive odors, but reason and observation permit no such attribu-
tion to Jews as a group: "That an unsavory odor is gentilitous or
national unto the Jews, if rightly understood, we cannot well con-
cede, nor will the information of Reason or Sense induce it."
On factual grounds, direct experience has provided no evidence
for this noxious legend: "This offensive odor is no way discoverable
in their Synagogues where many are, and by reason of their number
could not be concealed: nor is the same discernible in commerce or
conversation with such as are cleanly in apparel, and decent in their
houses." The "test case" of Jewish converts to Christianity proves
the point, for even the worst bigots do not accuse such people of
smelling bad: "Unto converted Jews who are of the same seed, no
man imputeth this unsavory odor; as though aromatized by their
conversion, they lost their scent with their religion, and smelt no
longer." If people of Jewish lineage could be identified by smell, the
Inquisition would greatly benefit from a surefire guide for identi-
fying insincere converts: "There are at present many thousand Jews
in Spain... and some dispensed withal even to the degree of Priest-