THE BVCKLER OF HEALTH.
GOD the Creator made man with a soule immortall, and a body subject to death, being composed of foure elements, of contrary quali [...]s, which doth combate still amongst [...]emselues, the stronger stryving to sub [...]e the weaker, hence commeth many [...]eases, and in end destruction: Moreo [...]r our lyfe is sustained by two pillars, [...] wit, by the naturall heate, (which is [...] chiefe instrument of the soule) and the [...]bred moist, or sappe of the body, which [...] the nurishment, or foode of this heate, [...] is the oyle in the lampe, of the light, [...]ich humour failing, the heate must needs [...]rish: but so it is this humour can not [Page 2] still last, because the naturall heate: doth dayly destroy it, and although there be dayly reparation made by the heate, and the blood that proceeds from the heart by the arters to all the members of the body, yet the sappie or humide substance that is dissolved is much purer than that which by reparation doth succeede to it: for our naturall heate being dayly weakned, is not able to make vp her losses, by as good as it hath loste: as wyne the more water bee mixed is the weaker, so our naturall heate, and inbred sappie substance is dayly weakned by the apposition of new aliment or foode, having still some thing vnlike the former: Adde to these that the dissolution of the body is continuall the reparation, but by litle and litle, after many alterations: heere yee see, that the naturall heate devouring this our naturall in-bred sappe doth destroy the selfe in end.
And although that these things doe impose a necessitie of death to man, neverthelesse hee may not only prolong his life (considering heere the second causes only) but also preveene sicknesse, and keep [...] himselfe in health, and that by the righ [...] and moderate vse of these outward circumstances [Page 3] in themselues indifferent, and [...]o good, if rightly and circumspectly vsed, [...]ut evill, if not: These are the aire, meate, [...]rink, sleeping, waking, motion, and rest: [...]he excretion of the excrements of the [...]ody, and the passions of the minde, all which are so necessarie to the lyfe of man, [...]hat it can not last long without the vse of [...]he same, for the continual dissolution of the [...]ody requireth a reparation by meate. Then [...]eepe is needfull for the disgestion and [...]estitution of the spirits, waking for the [...]xercises and functions of the spirits, and [...]he stirring vp of the naturall heate: and [...]est is necessare for the refreshing of both [...]ody and spirites wearied: and seing na [...]ure can not turne all her meate in good [...]ubstance, the excretion of the superflui [...]es was needfull. The passions of the [...]ynde by reason of the objects that are [...]ffered, good or evill, can not also bee [...]shewed: for the moderation then of these [...]ircumstances remarke these few Canons [...]ollowing.
Canon 1.
It is expedient for the preserving of [...]ealth, and preveening of diseases, that e [...]ery one whose age and force doth permite, [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] should everie yeare draw blood and purge, and that in the spring, because the body replenished with humors doth readily at that tyme fall in diverse diseases, while as the naturall heate revived, by the approching of the sunne towards [...] doth attempt the expulsion of these humors out of the body, from the which enterprise of nature ariseth a conflict, if nature haue the victory, man escapeth: but if shee succumbe, man dyeth: that nature doth thus attempt the expulsion of these humors, it is knowne by these intercutanean diseases, as are itch, pustuls, byles, vlcers, and such like, which wee see commonly in the Spring to fall out.
The body in the winter by two meanes is replenished with humors, the one is by that extraordinarie appetite whereby men are carryed: yea, rather forced to eate more meate in that season than in the Summer: this appetite proceedeth from the greater heate of the stomack then, than at any other tyme. The other meane whereby the body is replenished, is the envyroning cold, whereby dissipation of these three substances (to wit, the airy, humide and solide is hindered, as also the excretion [Page 5] of the vapours by the small holes, or pores of the body. It is therefore need [...]ull to helpe nature, and light her of this burhen, by drawing of blood, or phlebotomy and purging: And because the reward of Physitians in this countrey being frequently, My Lord, GOD reward you, hath made Physitians to bee scarse, and no wonder, for how shall his L. liue vpon this rent, is it not to content my Lord with the poore folks almes, who get often GOD helpe you, they differ in forme, but not in matter: this scarsitie constraineth the Gentlemen to commit themselues to bee handled by ignorants, who least they should deale with them as that Chirurgeon of Iedburgh dealt with his patients, who forced all them of whom hee drew blood, their wound vnder-cotting, to returne to haue it healed, and being asked the reason of this of his little boy, hee answered, that for making of the wound by opening of the veine, hee gote a Weather, but for curing of the same a Kow, that every one may vnderstand for his owne well, I will insist a little on phlebotomie and purging.
Of Phlebotomie.
[Page 6] PHLEBOTOMIE then is an evacua [...]ion of the vitious humors abounding in the body, mixed with the blood, by the opening of a veine.
This is either vrged by the present disease, which admittes no delay, or it is voluntare for the preveening of the imminent, when the present danger doeth presse, it maye bee at any time of the yeere, or any houre in the daye or night without exception, and that in diverse places of the bodye, as the nature of the disease shall require: when it is by election, or voluntarie for preveennig of future diseases, the most fitte tyme of the yeere, is the Spring, in the latter end of March, or the beginning of Aprile, and the most proper houre in the daye is the morning: an houre or more after you are awake, hauing made a cleane Ship, fore and est, (as the Sea-men saye:) the most accommodate place is the veine basilike, or lever veine, the Chirurgian hauing rubbed it with his hand, or a drye cloth before, for the gathering of the bloode thither, then having tyed it, let him make the incision beneath the place, where it meeteth with the veine Cephalicke, about [Page 7] two fingers breadth, hauing marked the place before, and anoynted it with a litle oyle, holding the veine fast, lest it should slyde with the thumbe of the left hand if the incision bee made with the right hand, and leaning the hand wherewith hee openeth the veine on the arme of the patient, that it may bee stable, and giuing him who is bled a battoun in his hand, for to stirre his fingers, to that effect the bloode may issue the better, and hauing drawne such a measure as the nature force and age of the person may well suffer, slacking the band, let him laye vpon the wound a little peece of linnen cloath dipped in water and tyed softly by a band of linnen till all danger of new bleeding bee past, keeping still the arme all that daye free from all motion.
Blood may bee taken in greater measure of sanguineans and bilious, than of melancholious, and phlegmaticks, of young men than of old, and of men than women. Except it bee of such who by often sacrificing to Bacchus, their head takes now and then a giddie startling, their tongue a tedious tratling, their taile a vile wauering. These monsters of nature, [Page 8] shame of their sex, crosse of their husband, and disgrace of kin, friend and allyance should bee bledde in both the leggs and armes, and in the croppe of the tongue, by a crosse sneck to that end, it may bee made slower for talking, and stiffer for drinking, least continuing in this wicked mood, they make their husbands Cuckolds, their bairnes bastards and beggars, themselves whoores and theeues. Iustly many are molested with such beasts, who glames at the turde for the twelfe pence sticken in it: the corruption of our tyme being such that Tome the tinklers sonne metamorphosed in a Gentlman, sutes mistresse Marie my Lords daughter, and Sir Iohn my Lords second, speares out for Sandie the Souters fourtie thousand mark Iennie. This Tom aiming at vanitïe rather than vertue, comes to honours or hornes by his wife, and Sir Iohn looking to geare more than to grace, is often perplexed, while the trash is wasted, by a Masie Fae or a Maly Dae. I wonder that their vnequall conjunctions doe not fill the countrie with monsters lyke Muiets which is begotten betuixt a Mare and an Asse.
Of Loch-leachs.
Some vse Loch-leaches when they cannot haue the vse of drawing of blood. These little beastes are not to be applyed presently, after they come out of the water, but they must bee keept foure and twentie houres in a vessell, full of faire water, that they may spue out this, while the filthie mudde & drosse is within them. They should bee gripped with a whyte [...]innen cloath, for the bare hand cankers them. The place to the which they are to bee applyed, should be smeered over with blood, to that end they may enter the sooner: and when yee would haue them to fall, sprinkle a little Aloes or salt on them, if yee would them to draw more then they are able to containe, cut off their taile while they are yet hanging, and if the bleeding' stanch not after they are fallen, apply with a band, of cloath or wooll brunt and beatten to pouder.
There bee other Loch-leaches or bloodsuckers not spoken of here, such bee gold greedie, inventors of new impositions, faith lesse victuall forestallers, and treacherous quarrells, and processe hatchers, who bereauing by these meanes his innocent brother [Page 10] of his goods the entertainers of his life, may bee tearmed rather man slayars than blood suckers. These vnlyke to the former, does sucke the best blood but like the former in others, for they never of them selues fall from that sucking till they bee not able to containe any more; if ye sprinkle them with the sharpe pouder of Aloes, (that is with justice) then they fall, and if you continue to persue them by the same, you shall find them as the former by salt, so they by it are forced to spue out the vndigested blood of the poore, and cut mee the taile from them that is, make them quyte of wyfe and barnes, in whose person they feare the curse of the great judge. These grinders of the face of the poore, shall never make an end of sucking. These as vnworthie to bee thought or spoken of by any good Christian, I leaue to bee handled, yea, justly to bee hanged by the Iustice heire, and if they amend not, to bee tormented by the great Iustice prison-keeper heereafter.
Of purging.
And because our countrie Leeches, considering the disposition of the people amongst [Page 11] whom they liue (who esteeme well of no meate but that which rakketh the belly, though it were draffe and satlings: so they think of no physike, but that which sendeth them three or foure score tymes to the midding) doth carie about with them commonly for this ende (to vse their termes) colocinthida, stibium, and diagirdium, violent firie remedies, whereby the body is mightily endomaged: it shall not bee a-misse to consider what purging is, and the nature of the remedies proper for the same.
Purging then (as commonly it is taken) is a cleansing of the body of the superfluous humors by vse of medicine working downeward, the purgatiues are diverse, according to the diverse nature of the humors that is to bee purged.
The humors are three, bile, flegme, and Melancholy: the purgatiues are either gentle, mediocre, or violent.
The gentle purgatiues of bile, are Casse, manna, the juice of Roses, Tamarinds, sweete prunes.
Casse being of temper hote and humid, being corrected because it is wind [...]e, with anyse or finckle seede, it may be given to [Page 12] all sort of persons, to bairnes halfe an vn [...], to aged an once and an halfe, or two [...] the most.
Manna being temperate in qualities may bee given the weight of an vnce to bairnes, and two or three vnces for men, for some men correct the slownesse of it, by three or foure graine weights of diagridium.
The juice of roses is hote and dry in the first degree, the dose is from an vnce and an halfe to two vnces, the syrope of rose solutiue made of this juice is from an vnce and an halfe to foure.
The dose of Tamarinds is from halfe an vnce to a whole.
Sweete prunes are given in number from twelue to foure and twentie.
The mediocre purgatives of bile, are Aloes, Rheubarb, Myrabolans, Citrins.
The dose of Aloe hote in the second, and dry in the third degree, according to Galen, is from a dragme to one and an halfe, or two at the most, it is most vsed in pilluls; because it is sharpe and byting, it is corrected with mastix, and being slow of operation it is hastned by the juice of roses.
Rheubarbe hotte and drye in the second [Page 13] is giuen from a dragme and an halfe to two, and because it is slow in operation, there is adjoyned to it cynamome or spice.
The Myrabolans citrins are almost of the same facultie with Rheubarbe, but that they bind more: their dose of olde was from two dragm. to halfe an vnce, Mesue giveth them to the weight of five dragm. they are rubbed with the oyle of sweete almonds for their drynesse cause.
The violent purgatives; are Diagrid: Azarum and Centaurie the lesse.
Diagrid: beeing hotte and dry in the third degree, is given to the weight of ten graines, it is corrected because it byteth sore with the juice of quinces, and gumme, tragacantha, and with mastix, for the keeping of the stomake from hurt by it.
As for Azarum and Centaurie the lesse, because they are out of vse I passe them over.
The composed remedies purging bile, are syrupes, opiates, electuaries, or pilules.
Syrupes, as the syr. of rose: whose dose is from an vnce and an halfe to foure.
[Page 14] The syr. of Cichorie with Rheubarb, given according to the same quantitie, but of lesse force.
The opiates, are Catholicum, Diacassia, Diaprunum simplex: their dose is from halfe an vnce, to one and an halse. Triphera persica, and Diaprunum solutivum, are much more violent: their dose is from three dragm. to sixe, or an vnce at the most.
The Electuares, are the electuare of Roses that is of great force: his dose is from two dragm. to sixe, or an vnce at the most: the electuarie de Psillio is after the same manner.
The pilules are pilulae sine quibus Aureae, de Rheu. their dose is from a scruple to foure: Remarke heere that pilules are seldome vsed to purge bile.
The simples that purge Melancholie are Senne: polypod. as gentle purgatives.
Senne is hotte in the first degree. and drye in the second: his dose given in substance, is two or three dragm. in infusione: from three to sixe, in decoctione, an vnce; his wind is corrected by anise, and his slownesse by cinamome, and ginger.
[Page 15] Polypode is hote in the second, dry in the third, his dose is from two dragm. to halfe an vnce, his drynesse is corrected by glycyrize.
The mediocre purgatiues of melancholie, are; Epithimus, Myrabolam Indi.
Epithimus is hote, and dry in the second, his dose is from a dragme to halfe an vnce; Mesue did giue the weight of halfe an vnce, his drynesse is corrected by rasins of the sunne.
Myrobolani indi are of the same nature, that the myraboline citrons are.
The Ancients had by these, fumaria, alias, earth-smoake, cuscula, and the bark of capres.
The violent purgatiues, are, black ellebore: lapis armenius and lapis Lazuli, black hellebor hote and dry in the third degree, his dose prepared is from 15 graines to halfe a dragme, it is prepared when they stick an aple with little peeces of it, and with clowes, and so rosteth both vnder the ashes, the which apple is vsed, the peeces of ellebore being casten away, it is infused in hidromel or barley water, from the weight of a dragme to halfe an vnce.
Lapis armenius is in the first, hot and dry [Page 16] in the second, his dose vnwashen is from halfe a dragme to a whole, but washen to a dragme and an halfe, it is corrected by frequent washing, without the which it procureth vomite, lapis lazuli is lyk it every way.
The composed purgatiues of melancholy, are, opiates, confections, pilluls.
Opiates, as Catholicon, Diasenna, their dose is from an vnce to one and an halfe.
Confections, as confectio hamech, his dose is from three dragme to six.
Pilluls, are pilulae de fumaria, which are seldome vsed in melancholy.
The simple purgatiues of flegme gentilly, are, Carthamus, Myrabolani, Chebulae, Sarcocolla.
Carthamus hote in the first, dry in the second, his dose is from 2 dragmes to an vnce, it is corrected by cynamone and anyse.
Myrabolani chebulae are like in all to the cittrins.
Sarcocolla, hote in the first, dry in the second, his dose is from a dragme to two, his slownesse is corrected by gingiber.
The Mediocre, are Agaricus hotte in the second degree, and drye in the first: [Page 17] [...]is dose is from a scruple to two dragm. [...] slownesse is corrected by ginger, or pica Nardi.
The violent purgatives of flegme, are Turbith, Hermodactes, Colocinthis: Me [...]oacham; Ialap and of olde, Sagapenum, [...]poponax.
Turbit is hotte and drye in the se [...]ond degree: his dose is from three scru [...]les, to foure, it is corrected with ginger.
Hermodactes, hotte and drye in the se [...]ond: the dose and correction of the same [...]s that of Turbit.
Colocinthis, hotte and drye in the [...]hird: his dose corrected, that is, the Trochiscks of Alhandal, is from six graines [...]o fifteeene, and to the weight of a scruple [...]or the strongest.
Maechoacham, hote in the first dry in [...]he second, a remeedie fit for all sorte of [...]eople, his dose infused in white wyne [...]s from two scruples to a dragme.
Ialap roote is to bee taken after the same manner, and in the same quantitie.
The remeedies composed, are, opiates, [...]lectuaries, pilluls, trochisks opiates, as ca [...]holicum, diaphenicum, whose dose is from [...]alfe an vnce to a whole for the strongest.
[Page 18] Electuaries, are electuarium de citro, his dose is from halfe an vnce to six drames
Diacarthanium, his dose is from halfe an vnce to a whole.
Pilluls, as of Agarice, Stomachiae, & sine quibus, their dose is from halfe a dragme to foure scrupuls, pilulae cocciae, faetidae, lucis majores, arthriticae, de hermodactilis, their dose is from two scrupuls to a dragme
Trocises are de agarico, their dose is from two scrupuls to a dragme: trochiscis of alhandall, their dose is from sixe graines to a scruple.
Their bee other sort of purgatiues, which men call purse purgations, and these are of three sorte as the former, gentle, mediocre, or violent.
The gentle comprehend the modest, and moderate charges of an honest house.
The mediocre are the just reward of the physitian, the due of the scholemaster, and the fitting of the conscientious merchand compts.
The violent conteane the gorgeous depursements to the Goldsmith for lace, cuppes, and such like, the persuing by law some tedious processe by the firie violence [Page 19] of these two, the poore purse which [...]ften taketh an irremediable fluxe, and [...]yeth of the skitter: His Majestie with [...]is most honourable and wise Counsell, by an act of parliament (evill keeped) [...]ath found out a remeedie for the former: would GOD the wisdome and concord of his subjects would admit an other for [...]he latter, for then the Nobilitie and Gen [...]rie should not bee so lukken-handed to other professions.
Of Vomitores.
Because some (as bilious constitutions) are sooner and better purged by vomiting then purging: and seeing it is much vsed, consider with mee the remedies of it.
Vomitores then as the purgatiues are of three sortes, to wit, gentle, mediocre, and violent, the gentle are such as doe procure it in burdening the stomack by their quantitie, as warme water, fat broth, butter, oyle, and the like taken to the measure of ten or twelue vnce.
The mediocre are the seede and flower of Anyse, the seede and roote of orage, the Latin terme is atriplex, the roote of [...]azarum, given from a dragme to foure [Page 20] and agarick, his dose a dragme.
The vehements are, the se [...]de and flower of broome, to the quantitie of two dragmes, gratiola from a dragme to one and one halfe.
Some of the Ancients thought it to be expedient for the health to vomite everie moneth, and that after a great carrouse, but this counsell needeth not to be given to the soukespikkets of our age, who asthey drinke like Suiczers, yea rather like swine, they cast as Dutches, yea rather like dogs, it were little fault for punishment to pinch so these intemperate and vntymous abusers of GODS creatures, vntill they were glad with the dogs to returne to the vomite, And this much to you Drunkards.
It is heere to be remarked that growne fat men should not bee purged by vomiting, for by the prease, yee will easily breake some veine in their body: nor melancholicks, for they hardly purge vpward; nor asthmaticks, or such as hath any impediment in their breath, through the infirmitie of their lights, for by it they are much more weakned, yea sometymes torne: nor hectiks, for their body being already worne, is wholly casten [Page 21] downe, nether they who are of a weake [...]eade, tender eyes, of a long neck and [...] narrow breast, only cholericks, being of strong firme constitution, not burdened with flesh, and much subject to the vomiting of bile, yallow, greene, or sea colored: as also phlegmaticks of a rude robust nature, whose stomack is full of flegme, should be purged vpward by vomite, and that with great caution follow [...]ng in it, the advise of some vnderstanding man, for no lesse danger floweth from [...]he extraordinarie dose of vomitores [...]nd the malegovernement of the patient both after, and while it worketh then by purgatiue medicines.
I haue only heere for breveties cause touched the qualities of the medicaments, and their dose, living the forme of exhibition, and preparation to the giuers, that takes vpon them to minister physicke in the country.
It is to bee remarked, that except the bodie bee so full of blood and humors, that the physicke cannot pearce through them, purging ought to precead phlebotomie, howsoever the bellie should alwayes bee emptie and cleane of the excrements.
[Page 22] The patient should keepe himself warme while the medicine is working helping the operation by a gentle motion as also by a little thinne warme broth after the taking of it about a littl [...] space.
And because that the not working o [...] medicine doth affraight many, it is to b [...] vnderstood, that some will not moue th [...] bodie any way, and yet doe little or no harme to it, such are gentle & mediocre medicines, the gentle purgatiues, when they purge not, are turned by nature into the blood, the mediocre into the nature o [...] the humour, which they purge whithe [...] bile, pituite, or melancholie, but the violent cast the bodie in a fever readilie, and become venemous, while as nature overcome hath not force to expell them, but the other two being overcome by nature, are reteined within the bodie, so that the stay of them is from a weakenesse in them, but the stoppe of the last is from a weaknesse in the bodie.
Gentlemen therefore seing you know both the names and varieties of the purgatiues spare not to aske at your Leeches what they be ere yee take them.
[Page 23] Bairnes before they bee eighteen or [...]wentie yeare of age, and old men after [...]ourtie, (except they be of a strong complexion) doth not stand in neede of this yearly purging.
Canon. 2.
The bodie being thus made cleane, take heade least by overcharging of it yee file it a new, for being in some fashion, weakned by the former remeadies, it doth not shortlie admit that measure of nutriture that it did before, it is expedient therefore to come to your accustomed dyet by degrees, least a new file require a new clense, and too often scowring of the potte although it were of brasse weares it.
Canon. 3.
Flee mornings sleepe, and lazie lying in winter after six, and summer after seven, for long lying to the health is hurtsome.
Because it hindreth the cleansing of the bodie from the excrements, (and judge you giue it bee either handsome or wholsome to see the midding at the fire-end) while it stoppeth the passage of the spirits animale, the causes of motion for their expulsion. [...] [Page 26] it sharpeneth, or by the haemorroides o [...] some other way, it procures melancholie hypochondriake, sometimes the fever quartan, sometimes other diseases, for this is good, the barke of the roote of Tamarisk, and of capres with the foresaid herbs.
The retention of the sweate causes the itch. scabbe, pustuls, and such like, therefore it is to bee procured by frictions baines and exercise.
Of exercise.
Because that frictions, and baines are not much vsed, leaving them wee shal [...] speake a little of exercise.
Exercise should be much regarded an [...] moderatlie vsed, by those who hath [...] care of their health, this Galen, testifiet [...] in his booke of good and evill meate i [...] these words, For the keeping of healt [...] a continuall rest is a great hinder: as i [...] the contrare, moderate motion is a gre [...] helpe. By exercise the members of th [...] body are hardned, and so made fitte t [...] sustaine any labour, the naturall heate i [...] quickned, and so prompter for his functions, and the body is made more agil [...] and nimble in his actions. Heere by exercise I vnderstand honest games and p [...] stimes, [Page 27] not these debosht lose-tymes, cards, dyce, tables, and such like fathers, and fosterers of jarres and mischiefe, bookes furnishing lyes, oathes, blasphemie, hurtsome to the health of the body, troublesome to the good of the estate, and hinderance to the rest and peace of the soule: I leaue such devyces of Sathan entysing to sinne to bee thought or treated of by ragged ribaulds, and lowsie licentious limmers, the fittest pen-men of such a processe, discharging by the right of a physitian, and the charity of a Christian, all generous honest spirits, who tends the health of their body, the wealth of their estate; and aeternall wellfare of their soule of such hel-bred conceats.
The tyme most proper for these honest exercises is the morning, when the stomack hath made an end of his digestion, and the belly of his expulsion, so that both [...]ee lightned of their burthen. Hence we may see how our dayly custome of exer [...]ising after meate is not good: first, [...]hen by this our motion the digestion is hindred by a catching of our meate to [...]nd fro, as the Plough-man doth with his [...]aill in his coge, when hee would haue [Page 28] them faine cooled, this catching suffereth it not to settle it selfe in the ground of the stomack, the place of digestion: secondly, because the body by exercise being made hote, draweth from the stomack and the lever by the meanes of this heate, the meate before it bee well prepared, which breeds obstructions in the veines within, and scabbes without, our scabbed schollers, that keepeth no fit tyme, nor just terme of their pastimes, may suffice to instance this alleagance.
The terme or end of exercising, should bee when the face becommeth red and swelled and the sweate issues foorth through the whole body, leaving it before reddnesse, turne to palenesse, and swelling to swampnesse, and sweate to be like weet: otherwise in stead to bee refreshed yee shall be wearyed, and for dissipating of the humores by the pores of the body, yee shall dissolue the spirits by the passages of the same. Some exercises imploy some particular members of the body, as the Tayler his hands and head, the Webster his legges and armes, the Tobacco man his mouth and nose, the Beggar the nailes of his thumbes, and tongue, Coupers, [Page 29] Trumpeters, and Pipers, their [...]heekes, hands, and mouth: the most firie and wicked scolds their tongue, and the [...]icentious whoores their taile: these I passe [...]y, not having many particular exercises [...]o treate of vsed amongst vs worthie of consideration, or speciall delineation, and very few vniversall, except the foote-ball, which often doth more good to the Chi [...]urgians, than evill to the Physitians by a [...]y helpe the body getteth: the gooffe and [...]rcherie, from the which exercises they come ofter hungrie than sweating, and the [...]innice or ketch the best of all, if it bee moderately and orderly vsed.
In all exercises whereby men sweates, [...] except these that are vnder the sheetes) [...]hese things are to bee remarked: first, [...]hat in your gaming your mynde be free [...]f all feare, the gadges being little or none, otherwise the minde shall bee in a con [...]inuall vexation, and neither body nor mind [...]hall receaue any recreation: Secondly, if [...] tyme of game you thirst, let your drink [...]ee small aile, taken in a little quanti [...]ie, not water, for it by the open passages going streight to the liver, will coole [...]t too much, on the which insueth often [Page 30] hydropsie, nor wyne, for by it the lyver already heate is set on a fire, on the which followeth frequently a fever: Thirdly, after your exercise haue a care to cause rubbe away the sweate in a warme chamber with dry warme linnings see that the body rubbed bee straight, least the wrinkels of the skinne doe hinder the issuing of the sweate, see the rubbers bee many and nimble, and that they rubbe not over hard, for this doth stoppe the passages, nor too soft, for it goeth not halfe farre in, but a mediocritie in all things is good.
The excrements of the heade in the morning ought to bee purged by sternutatories or sneezngs of betonie, leafes, or marjoline leaues, and by masticatores chawed, which because they are litle in vse, I will passe over them, and speake of that which supplyeth their place which is Tobacco.
Of Tobacco.
Tobacco is an hearbe fetcht from the West Indies to vs, some calleth it Nicotiana, from Master Iohn Nicote, that brought it first to France out of Portugall, hee beeing Ambassadour for the time there. The Portugalles brought it first in Europe, out of the Iland Trinada, and [Page 31] [...]om Peru in the continent of America, [...]ome tearme it petoun or tobacco.
Tobacco is of a temper hotte and dry, [...]s appeareth first from the effects thereof, [...]s to purge cold and moist humours, as [...]egme, or pituite: hence it is that it doth [...]arme to fyrie hotte bilious persons, except it bee taken in little quantitie, and [...]hat for the cleansing of the head from [...]hese cold superfluous humours, which a [...]old stomacke hath sent to it; commonly these men haue cold stomacks, hot [...]ivers, and weake heads, (for these three [...]eadily follow one another:) so the cold stomack filleth the head with colde va [...]ours, and the mouth with cold humors [...]s doe appeare by their continuall spitting.
It hurteth also melancholiens (if it bee [...]ot for the foresaid reasons) by drying of [...]heir body too much, but aggrieth best with the pituous [...]gmatick, as dayly experience doth approve. Secondly, from [...]he byting qualitie that is in it, by the which it moveth vomite. Thirdly, from [...]he purging facultie downward. Fourthly, from the penetrative subtile facultie outward, as appeareth by the issuing of sweate, after the vse of it in some. Fifthly, [Page 32] from the thirst and drouth it moveth, which is taken away by the vse of drink. Sixthly, from the wind it dryveth forth and that both vpward and downeward.
Lastly, from the giddinesse of the head, which proceedeth from a melting of the flegme through the head, which beeing melted, it stoppeth the passages of the spirits: so the stronger the Tobacco bee, the sooner it melteth it and more of it, and therefore strong Tobacco moveth this giddinesse most and soonest: this giddinesse is stopped by a drink of ale, or any cooling drinke, which sendeth vp grosse thicke vapours, the which doe hinder the further operation of it: and condenseth, or congealeth the [...]egme melted by it.
This giddinesse of the head is a reason that some alledge to prove the coldnesse of it, which might bee alledged aswell o [...] of wine or strong drinke, that doeth no lesse procure the same dissinesse of the head but they will haue it to proceede from a narcotick, or stupefactive qualitie in it, as the chesbow, and suchlike cold things by their coldnesse doe produce such effectes, I wonder how dare they that saye so, bee bold to vse it, seeing it is of such [Page 33] stupefactive cold, and doe not rather abstaine from it, and hinder others also, but I thinke they doe jeast, for if it were true that it were so as they saye, some had [...]lyed by it long agoe, specially after so great taking of it: I knew two Gentlemen that after supper tooke soure-score pipes, if it had beene narcotick, they had never drunken any more. The fittest tyme of yeere for taking it, is, first, the Winter: next the Harvest: last the Spring: and no wayes in Summer. The moste proper time of the daye is the morning and evening before meate, no wayes after it, except it bee they to whome of long it hath proved helpfull for the expelling of the winde, and digestion of their meate.
The seasons wherewith it aggrieth best are the colde and moistie: these circumstances remarked taken in a reasonable quantitie, that is, a pipe for two: I think it shall doe no harme, yea, rather freeing the head of the great burthen of [...]egme: it preveneeth the diseases that may flow from the aboundance of it: such as apoplexie, epilepsie, paralysie, lethargie and others, but mee thinks the Tobacco man [Page 34] barking as a dogge at the Moone, at these courious observations and idle restrictions of tobacco, (for so hee tearmes them) and crying that all men at all time when their appetite inordinate biddeth them, and their purse serveth them may take of it, and it is no wonder hee so doe, for it is meate, drink and cloathes to him: his Shop is the randevouse of spitting, where men dialogue with their noses, and their communications are smoake: in it hee play eth the Ape in counterfaiting the honest Merchant man with his diverse rolles of Tobacco, new come vp out of the cellar, where they laye well wrapped in a dogges skinne and soussed: hee knoweth himself how, and yet sweareth that they are new landed from Verinus, Virginia, or S. Christophers. If hee bee not content with this, hee shall haue more when I come againe, as hee well deserveth: for his wares are both deare and evill; deare, while hee taketh a pennie for a pipe, and his welcome Gentlemen: and evill, for h [...] seedeth his guests neither on rosted, no [...] sodden meate; but on white, or blackeburnt meate, without drinke, grace, table, plate, truncheour, or serviture, yea, [Page 35] scarce a stoole to sitte on, and is not this [...] brave Innes my Masters?
The excrements of the lights are grosse [...]egmes, which are expelled by the mouth [...]ter the vse of some incisive and deter [...]e things, as are sugar candy, glycyrize, [...]sope, tussilage, and their syrupes pre [...]ared.
There bee some excrements which are [...] tearmed, when they abound and so [...]armes rather by their quantitie, then [...]eir qualitie, there are semen, and sanguis [...]enstruus, that is, mans seed, and womans [...]owres. Either of the which being cor [...]upted, breedeth diuers diseases: means [...]herefore ought to be vsed by the which [...]hey may bee expelled.
The means for expelling of the seede, [...] that naturall conjunction of man and woman, whereby the members are made [...]ore agile, the spirit more joyous, (licet [...]ulgo dici soleat omne animal post coitum [...]iste: sed hoc statum à coitu fit) shagring and [...]oller is banished from betuixt man and wife: peace is made in the house, and fil [...]ie polluted dreames, in the night are [...]revened, but who may not lawfullie en [...]y these middes, let them hold downe [Page 36] nature by the vse of others, such as are phlebotomy, fasting sobriety, and the vse of cooling meates.
Womans flowers are moved by the decoction of hysope, Mugwort, Marjoline, and other aperitiue herbs prepared in white wine, with the vse of stoues, and frequent frictions of the thighes.
Exercise being ended, and the body thereafter having reposed about the eleventh houre, or sooner in the summer, when as the appetite doth require, let it bee answered by meate, which because it is of greater importance than any of the rest of the circumstances, and moe inconveniences doe follow vpon the inordinate or immoderate vse of it, plures enim occidit gula quam gladius, wee shall insist a little in it, first in generall, and next in particulare.
Of meats in generall.
As good meate engendereth good blood, so evill produceth vitious humors, which causeth diseases.
Let vs therefore make choise of the meate, of good substance, of easie digestion, and that hath no abundance of excrements.
[Page 37] The qualities of meate are knowne by their temperament, or by their consistance: meates should not bee neither over hotte or colde, over drye or moist by nature, nor over fatte nor leane, but keeping the middes.
Grosse and viscuous meate causeth obstruction (to these that haue narrow passages) in the liver, milt, neares, and stoppeth the pores of the whole body by a grosse blood, but these who are of a good constitution, and hath the passages larger may vse of them boldly without hurte, for grosse and viscuous meate nourisheth much, if it bee well digested in the stomack, it agreeth well with labourers whose naturall heate is stirred vp by their exercise, as also these who haue suffered long hunger.
Light meate and of subtile substance are not meete to leane people, and of a hote complexion, because being quickly digested, they intertaine not the body halfe well, but they are sitting for growne, and grosse bodyes, whose passages through the body being straite, are not well aired, also for flegmaticks, and for these who are of a weake stomack.
[Page 38] The reparation of the body ought to be according to the dissipation of the same, wherefore they who are of hote complexion, and worketh much, must eate more than cold dispositions and idle bellyes, whosoever by over-charging of the stomack giues their naturall heate much to doe, (which is the instrument of nature for nourishing the bodie) they praecipitate themselues willingly in many diseases, wherefore every one should rise from the table with appetite.
All varietie of dishes is noysome to the stomack, because that by variety, corruption of meate in the stomack is procured, while as easie digestable meats are mixed with difficile, also men by varietie, which giveth contentment to the tast, are induced to surfet: but this seemeth vnsavor [...] to the tast, and vnpleasant to the eare of these spycie jacks, who haue no vse all the day over for ten fingers but to fill sixe puddings, (and yet a poore wife will fill sixe score in an houre) whose belly is become like the Britones, who because of his wives insolencie, (that would needs mount her tyme about) and of his owne big belly did apprehend he was with child.
[Page 39] I would have such greasie barrells for their healths sake to take a quarter of an houres course betweene the Castle-hill and Arthurs seate twise in the morning, comming thereafter (if they bee hungrie) to their dinner made vp of an halfe pennie loa [...]e, two egges, and a cuppe of small Beere: and after meate, for digestions cause returning to their walke; going to bedde without supper: if this pyning of the panch doeth not make them light, I will haue no money for my medicinall receipt. Let these whose God is their bellie, and guide is their taste (for they inquire still to Iohn Good-Ales house) and who are no lesse nose-wise than a browsters Sowe, in smelling a dish of goode meate a farre off. Diminish both of the quantitie, and qualitie of their dishes, and imparte of the superplus to their needy brother, who is come of Adam according to the flesh, aswell as they, and may bee of ABRAHAM according to grace, Christians by profession, and who knoweth but Sanctes by election. Did the Master preferre thee over his house, and goods for the satisfying of thine inordinarie appetite, and thy childrens only? [Page 40] or to giue the bread of the children to dogges or horse, as our great men doe, rather than to the poore: and shall not thou expect: yea, when the Master commeth, get the reward of the vnjust steward, amend, or looke for it.
The supper must bee longer than the dinner, (if the body bee not subject to distillations) because the tyme is longer betweene supper and dinner, than betweene dinner and supper: meate should bee well chawed, or if it bee lett over, for evill chawed meate troubleth the stomack, hence it is, that they who hath many teeth liue long, because they chaw well their meate: light, liquide, and meate easie of digestion, should be taken before grosse meate, and hard of digestion, neverthelesse when the stomack is louse and verïe hungrie, you may doe the contrarie.
It is expedient that every one should keepe a certaine houre for taking of meate, and this houre should bee when the stomack requires refreshment, the former ingestion being digested, and the stomack emptie: this rule is evill keeped by our morning drinke, (which sometime makes drunke, and so not fitte for dinner) our [Page 41] foure houres pennie, (that often buyeth a pynt of wyne-seck, I had it never so cheape) our collation after supper made in a three pynt tubbe, (I can not call it a dish) of wyne, milk, suggar, and some spyces, I would content mee with it all the day long.
This much in generall, followeth in particulare to speake of meate, and first of bread.
Of Bread.
Bread keepeth the first ranke amongst all other meate, as the ground of others, for all other meate (though never so good) are without it vnpleasant, yea vnwholsome.
The best bread is that which is made of wheate, good wheate is grosse, full, thick, weightie, firme, of collour yallow, cleane, and that hath great quantitie of flower.
Bread made of pure flower, well boulted, nourisheth much in litle quantitie, but it is of slow digestion.
Bread made of the bran or clattes nourisheth little, and filleth the body with excrements, and because the bran hath an detersile facultie, it goeth quickly throgh.
Bread made of both nourisheth well, and keepeth an open belly.
[Page 42] Ry bread is black, heavie, engendring melancholious blood, more proper for rusticks than burgesses.
Barley bread is very dry, of little nourishment, and louseth the belly: beare meale is better mixed with ry meale, that the viscuositie of the one may be corrected by the brtitlenesse of the other.
As for oate bread it is more vsed amongst vs than the goodnesse of it doth require.
Bread vnleavened nourisheth much, but it engendereth grosse blood, it is of an evill digestion, breedeth obstructions, and louseth the belly.
Evill wrought bread is viscuous, of evil digestion, as also that which is made of grumly or troubled watter, when it hath not gotten eneugh of the fire, it is heavy and of hard digestion, that which is hardned in the oven is better than that which is hardned on the ashes.
Hote bread by reason of the viscositie is hard to digest, procureth an inflation in the stomack, obstruction in liver, and other parts within the body.
Old bread of three or foure dayes losseth all the taste, becommeth dry and withered, evill to digest, of slow passage, bindeth [Page 43] the belly, and engendreth a melancholious blood.
The crust of bread breeds bile, fit only for these whose stomack is moist and humid: Tairtes, flammes, pyes; and all other sort of baken meate, are more to the satisfying of the tast than for health of the body, for they are heavie in the stomack, and burdeneth it, and stoppeth easily the passages of the veines in the liver.
Of Flesh.
Beasts according to the varietie of their kynd, age, manner of living, constitution of body, and of the place where they feade, are different in the temperature and vertue of their flesh.
The flesh of fatte beasts is better than that of leane, and of libbed than vnlibbed, because they are fatter, and not so hote, except it bee for these who hath beene in the battell where the vppermost gote the worst, where stricking at their nighbour with over great force, and too good will, hath hurt themselues with their owne speare, for such some say, that a kynd of vnlibbed beastes are good: yea, the stones themselues.
The flesh of young beasts, because tender, [Page 44] moist, soft and easie to digest, and of great nourishment, is better than that of old beastes, which is dry, hard, of litie meate, and hard to digest.
The wild beastes that keepe the hilles are dry, and haue fewer excrements, and leanner then others: Galen. preferreth the flesh of porks, of a midde age to other beasts, because it draweth neere to mans flesh than others doe, and also because it nourisheth well, and breedeth good blood, but because it is viscuous, it is hard to digest to these that hath the stomack moist, and humide: Moreover, as experience hath taught, the great vse of this flesh causeth leprosie: hence it was forbidden to the Iewes, because they were subject to this maladie.
Beefe nouisheth much, but it engendereth a grosse melancholick blood: young beefe is better than old: Harts flesh is of a difficile digestion, and as the beefe ingendereth grosse blood.
The goates flesh is better than the bucks and the kiddes than the goates.
Lambs flesh is better than Yewes, and Wedders than Lambs, because as nourishing, and not so humide and slubbrye, [Page 45] the Rammes is the worst of all.
Old haires flesh causeth melancholious blood: young haires is better and more pleasant: the Coney is better than either of them.
Of Fowles.
Amongst the Fowles that are about the house, the Hen and Capons keepeth the first rank, they engender a blood of a mediocre substance, because they are neither too hote nor too cold: Chickins are more delicate than they.
The Brissell-fowles are heavy and hard to digest, wherefore in France they are both larded and spyced.
The Gouse aboundeth in superfluous excrements, is of harder digestion than other sowles, except the wings.
The Duckes, and all other water [...]oules is humide, viscuous, flegmatick, excrementitious, and of adure digestion, wherefore they are not so wholesome, as these of the land. Amongst the birds of the field the Partridge beares the bell, being of easie digestion, and causing good blood, and the younger are better than the elder.
Next the Partridge is the phesane almost of the same qualities that it is, the Quallies are not lesse praised, except in [Page 46] the countries where there is abundance of hellebore, whereon they commonly feade, they are best in harvest.
The Doues are hote of nature, they set the blood on fire: and readily of Venus games moues a desire, vnfitte for these who readily doe fall into a fever: The Pigeons are better than the doues, the doues are best in the spring, for they eate much corne. The Coushins flesh is hard to digest, yet it is not evill in the winter, if it bee suffered to hang a while, so that it may become tender.
The Turd or Cuzell is delicious ingendring good blood, but some thing hard to digest: Martiall extolleth it highly in these wordes,
Pluvers, mearls, turturelles, are not to bee rejected, for the former laudable qualities, which are to bee found in them.
Of Egges and Milke.
The egges of hennes and phasanes excels the egges of other beasts, gouse egges are worst of all, except swynes egges.
New laide are better than old, and sodden than fryed, and rosted than sodden, [Page 47] and potched than rosted, the soft than the hard.
Milke hath three diverse substances, a serious or watrie, whereof is the whey a thicke and grosse whereof is the cheese, and a fatte and creamie, whereof is the butter: but of our Edinburgh milke where the two parte is water, and the third part milke, there would bee little cheese and no butter.
Milke if the stomack bee cleane the body whole, and no other meate mixed with it, nourisheth much, otherwayes it corrupteth easily and quickly.
Yew milke hath more of the grosse & thicke substance, whereof the cheese is made, then of the other, and by this means it is nourishing, but heavie to the stomack. Asses milke is of contrare consistance, kyne milke is thicker and fatter then yew milke, and so fitter to make butter, it is nourishing and makes an open bellie.
Goate milke is neither too thicke nor too thinne, neither over fatte nor over leane, and so it keepeth the middle betuixt extremities, neverthelesse it should not bee vsed, either without suggar or hony, [Page 48] water or salt least it lapper in the stomack.
Womens milke is fittest for bairnes or hectickes, because of the resemblance of nature.
New milked milke is best, because milk changeth quickly.
Sodden milke nourisheth more than raw, but it is binding because thicker.
Milke of fatte and lustie beasts is better than of leane and hungred.
Fresh butter is a little hote, with time it becommeth hotter, it is not verie nourishing, but it softeneth and louseth the bellie, it is good for the lights and breast.
Cheese is not to bee much vsed, for it ingendereth grosse humors, breedeth obstructions, binds the bellie, and is hard to digest, the new is better then the old, the soft then the hard, and that which is made of vnrained milke is better than of rained.
Over viscous cheese, as also over brittle, is not good, mediocritie is best, cheese without any evill or strong taste is better than other.
Newe, softe, and sweete cheese, is of a colde and humide temper, but the old, hard, salt cheese, is hote and dry, too [Page 49] great vse of it ingenders the stone in the neares.
This curious sifting of the nature of cheese, and improbation of the great vse of it, will seeme first ridiculous and then odious to the mourish men of Kyle and Galloway, the quintessence of whose meat (that is milke) is cheese, the which the goodman hath keeped for his owne mouth as a desert, (being neverthelesse at breakfast, supper and dinner, the first, last, and only dish) and for the Lairds, or the wyse blacke men, the Ministers, when they come abrode: the bairnes contented with froth, crap-whey, or lapperd milke, I thinke that if the bodies of these bodies, were chymicallie dissolved: the princips to wit: sal. sulphur. and mercurius, should savour of cheese, milke, and yet they are as daft as if they were made of Wine and Wastels, which they often speake of, as the rarest dainties they either saw or hard of.
Of Fish.
Fish are of complexion cold and humide, for being still in the water they must needs keepe the nature of the water, the [...]ouritute they giue is more light, slub [...]rie, and sooner dissipate, than the reparation, [Page 50] which is made by the vse of the beasts of the land. The fish that are of a solide and firme substance are most nourishing and wholesome, because lesse flegmatick, for this cause sea-fish because fi [...] mer are better than fresh-water-fish, amongst the fishes of the sea, these that vseth about rockes are best.
Amongst the fresh water fishes these that haunt the rivers are better than these that haunt the stancks or loches: and fish of a running river, and craggie, with clear [...] water, is to bee preferred to them that are taken in a dead running poole, or in a troubled muddie water.
Fish as milk would bee eaten, when the stomack is cleane of filthie humours, and they would not bee mixed with other meate, least they corrupt, as quickly they will.
The drowners of meale with malt, to whom the bone of a herring, or a threed of salt beefe will serue to bee kitchin to a quarte of ale, sayes, that fish should swimme, I answere, in water: but if thou take more of aile, beere, or wyne, or any other strong drink then serues to wash it downe, it will come aboue the broth, [Page 51] and so not boile well.
I will not insist in the particulare enumeration, least it should reduce the Lector to a tedious calculation: the generalls may suffice, if they be well remarked: It may be thought a praeposterous order this, to put the flesh before the kaill, but heere I keepe ordinem dignitatis, non methodum sanitatis.
Of herbs fit for eating.
Herbes in regarde of other meate are of little nurishment, yet they serue some for cooling, others for heating, being prepared in broth, sallads, sauce, or other wayes.
Amongst the herbs that are commonly vsed, the lactuce is the first, beeing of more wholesome sappe than all the rest, it cooleth the body, procureth sleepe, and hindereth dreames.
The garden Cicorie is of the same qualities, but it is not so pleasant to the tast, nor of such good sappe.
The Souroke is good for eating, because of the sowrnesse, it quencheth thirst, procureth appetite, and mitigateth the heate of the stomack and liver.
Purpie cooleth much, quencheth thirst, holdeth downe Venus, tempereth the teeth, being out of stile, by the vse of soure things.
[Page 52] Kaill ingendereth evill blood, troubleth the stomack, and the sight, and moveth strange dreames.
Spinards [...]ouseth the belly, and moisteth the body, but they are windie.
Bourrage and buglosse purifieth the blood and keepeth the belly open, their [...]owrs are good in a sallad, for to refresh the spirits, and rejoyce the heart.
Artichocks heateth the blood, and provoketh Venus to battell, they are good for the stomack, and giveth appetite.
Cresson is of qualitie hote and dry, provoketh vrine, and is eaten ordinarly raw in sallads. Menth fortifieth the stomack, and helpeth the appetite.
Cerefole and Finkle is good for the sight, augmenteth the seede, and ingendereth milk to Nurses. Parsley is agreeable to the stomack, and profitable to the neares, because it is diuretick. Sauge helpeth appetite, and digesteth crudities out of the stomack. Hysope purgeth the lights from the flegme, by the subtilitie of it: thyme doth the same. Rayfords taken after meate helpeth digestion, but before meate they lift vp the meate in the stomack,
Neeps are windie, of little nurishment, [Page 53] and engendreth wormes in little bairnes, little, are better than the great, they should bee eaten with pepper. Carrets, are worse than they, Sybouse, Onyons, Leeks are agreable to pituitous and flegmatick persons, but noysome to cholerians, and to these who are subject to a sore head.
But I think wee haue eaten long enengh without a drink, let vs now goe to it.
Of drinke in generall.
Drink, as I think (and so thinks the drunkard) is no lesse worthie of consideration for the health than meate. There bee sundrie sorts of drinke vsed among vs. as wine, ale, and beere, for no man drinketh water with his will.
Drinke should bee answerable in proportion to our meate, for if wee drinke more than serves to syne downe the meat, and mixe it there downe, the meat will swimme aboue, and so shall not digest: drink may bee taken more larglie with dry solide meat, than with liquid humide.
They who haue a hote liver, and a weake head, subject to distillations should abstaine from strong drinke, chiefly after their meat, but these whose liver is temperate, and head strong may take a lick [Page 54] of the best, quale Deus creavit, after their fruite, quia post crudum merum.
It is not good to drink with a naked stomack, for presently it runneth through the body to the nerues, whom it debilitateth, and maketh the body the more subject to cold diseases, as the goute, paralyse, trembling, and such like: It is also troublesome to the digestion to drinke betweene mealles, for it hindereth the same, as water in a pot, stayeth the boyling of it: because while the concoction is making in the stomack, the mouth of it is closed: hence is it that men much subject to companionry, and so to extraordinary drinking, findeth their meate still rowing vp and downe, some for their ease are forced to cast it: It is not good to drink when bed-time draweth neere, for readily it moveth the theume to fall downe, except it were of water after too much wine, eiat supper, or before, and that to hinder distillations. It followeth to speake in particulare of drink, and first of wine, as best.
Of Wine.
Wine is verie profitable for the vse of man, it stirreth vp the naturall heate and fortifyeth it, and so procureth the appetite, [Page 55] helpeth the digestion, ingenders good blood, purifies the troubled, openeth the passages, giues good colour, cleanseth the braine, sharpeneth the witte, makes the spirits subtile, and rejoyceth the heart of man, as sayeth the Psalmist, if so be it be taken moderatly.
Wine is of fiue fold difference, the first is taken from the colour, so it is either whyte or red, yallow or tannie, and black: the second from the taste, as it is either sweet, sowre, or of any austere taste: the third of the smell being of a sweet, heavie, or no smell: the fourth from the consistance, being either subtile or grosse: the fifth, from the age, as it is old or new: Of all wine the red and thicke wine is meetest for the ingendring of blood; next blackish, grosse, and sweet wine, to them succeeds whyte and thick, or grosse wine in substance and austere in taste, last of all whyte thin small wine: Wine as it is agreeable to phlegmaticks, so it is hurtfull to bilious hote natures, over old, and too new wine should be eshewed, the one because too hote, the other because no heate at all.
The second drink is beere, which as it nourisheth more, so is of a grosser substance [Page 56] and harder digestion, than the wine, if it bee but new made or troubled, it causeth obstructions, and swellings, it troubleth the head, moveth the colick, gravell, and difficultie of pissing, specially if it bee byting, if it bee too old and very sharpe it hurts the stomack, and nerves, and ingenders evill blood, wherefore it is best that is well sodden, purified, and cleare and of a middle age.
Of Water.
Although that water bee the most simple sorte of drink, and the most common, yet because of least worth it is put behinde.
Galen. proues good water by three senses, by the sight, being cleare and cleane, by the mouth, that hath no strange taste, and so not bitter nor sowre nor salt, but almost without taste, & by the nose that it hath no smell, adding thereto that it must be light in the bellie, suddainly changed, that is, soone hote soone cold, and that it doth not passe through sulphureous mynes or suchlyke.
There bee fiue sorts of water, to wit of raine, fountaine, river, well, and stank.
Raine water although according to the [Page 57] weight it bee lightest, yet it is not the best, being made of the vapours which doeth proceed from the earth, whereof some be of the rivers, others of loches, stanks, gutters, standing waters, and of the sea, as also of the exhalations of pestilent places and of dead bodies.
Fountaine water is best of all, next river water, last Well water, the worst of all, is stank water, river water is the better it stand till it settle, fountaine water the better it looke to the East, and Well water that the Well bee not too often covered, but that it get the aire sometimes.
Canon. 6.
After meate abstaine from all vehement motion or exercise, all curious disputs or carefull meditations, discoursing of some good purpose, procuring laughter, joy, and mirth, whereby the spirit may be revived, and the digestion helped. If the great men of the country knew what good these sort of discourses did for the health of the body, and the recreating of the spirit, they would with greater avidity drink in, in their young and tender yeares letters, for the better fashioning of their manners [Page 58] and forming of their minde. And also cary a greater respect to Schollers then they doe: and not studie only to be well versed in Arcadia, for the intertaining of Ladies, or in the rowting of the tolbuith, for commoning with Lawers. So that they esteeme more of a Page of the one, or a pok-bearer of the other, then of any Sholer whatsoever, except my Lord Bishop, or M r. Parson: this frowning of our Greats hath moved many poore soules flee first to Dowy, and then to Rome, and from thence post to hell: having receaued the marke of the beast that is a bull of his holynesse to passe Scot-free at Purgatorie, not being able to procure the favourable presence, or gratious asistance of any noble for his furtherance in studyes and advancement in degrees, in the countrie wherein hee was borne.
O what a shame it is to see a great Man without Letters! Hee is like a faire house without plenishing, a goodlie ship without furnishing to persue or defend: a Herauldry without honour, beeing lesse reall than his title. His vertue is, that hee was his fathers sonne, and all the expectation of him, is to get an other. No [Page 59] man is kept in ignorarance more, both of himselfe and men, for hee heareth nothing but flatterie, and vnderstandeth nothing but folly; thus hee liveth till his Tombe bee made ready, and then is a graue statue to posteritie. Thus it is expedient to passe two or three houres after dinner, for the well both of the bodie and minde: that you may know this the better and so belieue it the rather: Consider with mee alittle the passions of the minde, such as joye, sadnesse, choler, and feare.
Of the Passions of the minde.
Although wee bee often deceived in the decerning of good and evill, following ofter the applause of the sense, than the judgment of reason, neverthelesse wee seeke alwayes that which wee thinke be good, and fleeth that which we apprehend to bee evill. Hence it is, that wee are moved by diverse passions vnruled, according to the apprehension of good, or evill, either present or absent; the which passions according to the consideration of the object either enlargeth or draweth in the heart, in the moving thereof, they moue also the spirits and naturall heate, [Page 60] so that the colour of the face is suddainly changed.
From the opinion of present good ariseth joye, and of the good to come, desire, vnto the which choler doth adjoyne the selfe, which is a desire of revenge, from the apprehension of present evill commeth sadnesse, and of the evill future, feare.
Ioy comes of the heart inlarging the selfe sweetly, for to imbrace the object that is agreable to it, in the which dilatation, it sendeth foorth aboundance of the naturall heate with the blood, and the spirits, a great portion whereof comes to the face when one laugheth, by the which the face swels vp, in such sort, that the brow becomes tight and cleare, the eyes bright, the cheecks red. An other part is sent through the members of the body.
Cupiditie or desire, and choler, doeth dilate or inlarge the heart also, that, through the desire of the thing it loueth, this, for to se [...]d quickly, the spirits with the blood from the centre of the body within, to the habite of the same without: for the fortifying of the members that they may reveng the wrong wee haue received.
[Page 61] Sadnesse, greife, or melancholy, in the contrare doth in such sort, shoote vp or draw together the heart, that it fadeth and faileth: This hindreth the great generation of the spirits, as also the distribution of these few, that are ingendred, whereby the vitall facultie is weakened and also the rest of the whole bodie shirps.
Feare causeth retire on a suddaintie the spirits to the heart from the rest of the bodie, hence the face becommeth pale, the extremities grow colde with a trembling through all, the voyce is stopped, the heart leapeth as it were, & that by reason of the great multitude of the blood and spirits, whereby it is almost smothered, so that it cannot move freelie.
Amongst all the passions of the mind [...]oy is the most wholesome, because it giveth such contentment to the spirit, that the body is participant by a simpathy.
The reasonable passions are called affections, but the sensuall are termed perturbations: the passions ought to bee moderated, for Plato writeth in his dialogue, called Carmides, that the most dangerous diseases proceede from the perturbation of the spirit, because the mynde having [Page 62] an absolute authority over the body, doth moue, change, and alter it in a moment, as it pleaseth.
Wee should then affection the objects in so far as reason will permite: for excessible joyes doe so disperse the blood, with the spirits through the whole body, from the centre to the extremities, that the heart is wholly destitute of his naturall heate, from whence commeth first a sounding, and by and by death, of excessible joy, the Poete Phillippides, the wise Chilon, Diagoras of Rhode suddenly dyed: And suddaine feare chassing the blood and spirites to the heart their fortresse, frequently causeth death, by the suffocation of the naturall heate.
Canon 8.
About the sixt houre the stomack requiring, returne to meate, let your supper consist rather of rost meate than sodden, because it nurisheth more, in lesse bounds, it is lighter, and hath fewer excrements: it should neither be too sore rosted, (for then it is saplesse,) nor yet halfe rosted, for the superfluous humiditie is not driven out by the force of the fire.
Heere I can not passe by a great vncleannesse [Page 63] of Noble mens cooks, who after that they haue sweeped the pot with the one end of their aprone, and the plat with the other, they draw off my Lords meate with the whole, dirtie as it is: and for to make place to a new speet, placeth the same vnder the droppings of the vnrosted meate, interlarding their owne grease amongst these droppings: and yet the cooke dare not bee reproved, for he in his kitchin is like the devill in hell, curses is the very dialect of his calling, hee is never good Christian vntill a hizzing pot of aile hath slaicked him, like water cast on a fire-brand, and for that time hee is silent: his best facultie is at the dresser, where hee seemeth to haue great skill in military discipline, while hee placeth in the fore-front meates more strong and hardy, and the more cold and cowardly in the reare, as quaking tarts, and quivering custards, and such milk-sope dishes, which escape many tymes the fury of encounter, and when the second course is gone vp, downe hee goeth vnto the celler, where hee drinks and sleeps till foure of the clocke in the after-noone, and then returneth againe to his regiment.
Canon 9.
After supper it is expedient to walke a little softly, for the procuring of the discent of the meate to the ground of the stomack: this walke ought to be in pleasant fields, free of all vnwholesome vapor, which may procure vomite by the virulencie, or the filthinesse of the smell: and seeing this after supper doth permitte mee to visite the fields, and take the air, come foorth yee also who loue your health, and consider the same with mee.
Of the Aire.
Such as the aire is such are our spirits, our humours, our blood, and our members: for by, that it furnisheth matter and nouriture to our spirits, it passeth so quickly through the body, that it printeth presently the qualities wherewith it is indued in the parts of the same, and therefore there is nothing able to change more shortly the body than it; so that from the constitution of the aire, the good or evill disposition of the spirits, humors, and members almost doe depend, we should therefore haue a speciall respect of the same. For to vnderstand the goodnesse of the aire, wee would not only consider the first [Page 65] qualities of it, whereof two are actiue, to wit, heate and cold: and two passiue, humiditie, and drynesse; but also the second qualities, taken from the substance, as grosse, or subtile, pure or mistie, cleare or dark: wee may adde to these the qualities that flow from the state of it, as constancie, and mutabilitie, equalitie and inequalitie.
A good air then hath no excesse in the qualities, that is, neither too hote nor cold, moist nor dry: if it exceede this measure, it is better to decline to drouth than to waknesse, for drouth is still more wholesome than raine: It is also of a mediocre substance betweene grosse and subtile, being pure and neate, cleare and light, constant and equall: such an aire reviues the spirits, purifieth the blood, procureth appetite, helpeth the digestion, banisheth the excrements foorth of the body in good tyme, coloureth the face, rejoyceth the heart, quickneth the senses, sharpneth the wit, and fortifieth the members, so that all the actions of the body animals, vitals, and naturals are made better by it.
A suddaine change in the aire is evill, but especially if it changeth from great humiditie and waknesse, to great heate or [Page 66] cold, for the raine having filled the body with humores, the following heate doth putrifie them, or the cold hindring their exhalation doth procure their corruption.
A contaminate aire with filthy exhalations, arysing from standing waters, dead carcases, middings, gutters, closets, and the filth of the streets, (all which if any where are to bee found heere, which argueth a great oversight of the magistrats, bringeth a great hurt to the inhabitants, and a great good to the Physitians, Apothecaries, and bel-man) corrupteth the spirits, and humors, and engedereth often a deadly contagion or pest.
High places (as hilles) are fittest for the morning-walke, because the sun beating on them, first doth dry vp the vapours thereof; but low wallyes in midowes and about fountaines are most proper for the evening.
If Gallants! the health and well-fare of your body, and the care of the felicitie eternall of your soule doth not worke in thee a detest irreconcilable of drinking this tyme, which would be spent in wholesome walkes, and holy conferences, let shame deterre you: For what I pray you is a [Page 67] drunken man, hee is one that hath let goe himselfe from the hold and stay of reason, and lyeth open to the mercie of all tentations, no lust but finds him disarmed, and fencelesse, and with the least assault entereth, every man seeth him, as Cham saw his father, the first of this sinne, an vncovered man: and though his garment bee on, yet hee is vncovered, the secreetest partes of his soule lying in the nakedest manner visible, all his passions come out, all his vanities, and these shamefuller humours, which discretion clotheth, his body becommeth at last like a myrie way, where the spirits are clogged, and can not passe: hee is a blind man with eyes, and creeple with legges: Tobacco serues to aire him after a washing, and is his only breath: in a word, hee is a man to morrow-morning, but is now what yee will make him. And should our gallants bee drunke? the chiefe burthen of whose braine is the carriage of their body, and setting of their face in a good frame, which they performe the better, because they are not distracted with other meditations, whose outside when yee haue seene, you haue looked through them, yet they are something [Page 68] more than the shape of a man, for they haue length, bredth, and colour, their pick-tooth beareth a great part of their discourse, so doth their body; the vpper parts whereof are as starcht as their linnen: they are never serious but with the Tayler, when they are in conspiracie for the next device: they are furnished with jests, as some wanderer with sermons, some three for all congregations, one especially against the Scholler, whom these ignorant ruffians know by no other definition but sillie fellow in black, they haue stayed in the world as cyphers to fill vp the number, and when they are gone, there lacketh none, and there is an end.
Canon 10.
When the stomack is lightned of the burden of meate about three or foure houres after supper, goe to rest, and sleepe: and because a great part of our life is spended in sleeping and lying, wee shall make a little digression for its cause.
Of Sleepe.
Sleepe giveth rest to the facultie animall, and vigour to the naturall: for when the spirits animales are dissipate by labour, then sleepe seaseth on vs, through the meanes [Page 69] of the naturall heate, which in the digestion of the meate, sends vp vapours to the head, the which being condensed, and turned in a grosser substance by the coldnesse of the braine, doth stoppe incontinent the passages of the spirits whereby the body is moved. Sleepe ought to be quyet, profound, and of moderate length: for sleepe troubled with dreames, or so light, that little sturre doth awake, or hinder it, is not good, long sleepe is worst of all, for it hindereth the evacuation of the excrements, gathereth abundance of superfluities, maketh the head, and the whole body heavie and drowsie, the spirits dull, senses stupide, and the members lazie.
Sleepe should bee continued while the digestion bee absolved, which in some is sooner, in others latter: neverthelesse it is commonly ended in six, seven, or eight houres, when the digestion is perfite, then the belly doth the duetie, the water is golden coloured, the stomack is not bended with wind nor troubled with evill smelling rifts, the body is nimble and quicke.
Choleriks should sleepe more than phlegmaticks, that their body by sleepe may be made moist: bairnes and old men, theu [Page 70] young men or of middle age, the one to hinder thee to fast dissipation of their fluxile and humide body, through the open pores, the other for the helping of his digestion: after great varietie, and much meate, sleepe should be longer than at other tymes, as also after heavie labour, and long travell. In your lying, the head, shoulders, and the vpper part of the body should bee higher than the rest, that the meate regorge not to the mouth of the stomack: It is not good to ly on the back, for by that posture the neires are made too apte to the making of gravell or stones: the veine caue, and the great arterie, which doe leane on the loines, made warme, sends vp many vapors to the head, and the excrements of the head, that should bee evacuate by the nose and the mouth falleth downe the back, it will doe no harm [...] to ly sometimes on the bellie, for helping the digestion, if the eyes bee not sor [...] or weake: The first sleepe should be on the right side, that your meate may goe downe to the ground of the stomack, that the liver, lying as it were vnder it, may serue for a chouffer to it, to helpe the concoction, then turne to the left sid [...] [Page 71] that the vapors gathered in the stomack may exhale, and in end returne to the right side, that the digestion being made, the chile may bee the more easilie send to the liver, and so distribute through the whole bodie. The members, the time of sleepe, should not bee straight, but some thing drawne in, for the rest of all the muscules consists in a moderate contraction. It is not good to sleepe with an emptie stomack, or after any heavie, or sore worke for the bodie is thereby dryed, and becommeth leane.
And because procreation is a thing most necessarie for the preserving of mankynde, I cannot passe by heere, but I must speake of it, seing things remarkable in it.
Of Generation.
Nature carefull of the owne conservation, so it perish not, hath given vnto everie creature for this end a certaine desire of eternitie, the which not being able to bee attained to, in the person of singulare things, it doth obtaine it by propagation. Therefore the elements are preserved by the mutuall change of one in an other: the mettalles by addition or opposition, the living creatures by generation: [Page 70] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page 72] The generation of living creatures is by the seede of both male and female, vnited in the matrix of the female, fostered and made fertile in some kynd, by the good disposition of the same: so that for procreation there is required the seede of both, at one tyme ejaculat, or soone after: A matrix of a moderate temper, neither too hote, nor too cold; too moist, nor too dry: As also a convenient tyme of copulation, the which is, after the three concoctions are ended, and this tyme is about the latter end of the second sleepe, so that thereafter the body be refreshed by a little slumber, and that for the reparation of the spirits dissipate: The immoderate vse of this naturall exercise doth weaken the body, and hinder all generation, and the inordinate doth procreate weake and vnable birth, by reason of the seede which is not eneugh fined, or elaborate: this appeareth clearely in the remarke of Burges, and Countrey-mens bairnes: the one, to wit, the burges being begotten in the fore-night, while the father his spirits was lifted vp, and moved to such worke, by the vse of strong wine, spyceries, and other hote meate [Page 73] being weakly: The other to wit, the Countrey-mans child being of a strong constitution, while as the father wearyed by his dayly labour, doth delay his dallying till the morning, [...]t vbi aliquamdiu indulsit Veneri, vxor ne ingrata videretur, ait Deus benedicat relliquijs.
Now as the CREATOR did finish his worke after mans creation, so heere I at mans generation, beseeching thee, my Lord and my GOD, who made all things perfect in the beginning, and man the most perfect of all: casting all vnder his feete, to teach him his perfection by creation, and his dignitie by high vocation, that hee may cary himselfe conforme to the one, perfitly, shunning all base deboshing of that divine impression of the Majestie supreme, And for the other, thankefully in serving thee his Lord with all, whereof thou made him Lord, and honouring thee in the ordinate taking, and moderate vsing of all these thy creatures,
AMEN.