Of the complexion of man. CAP. 2.

COmplerion is a combination of two diuers quali­ties of the foure elements in one bodie, as hot and drie of the fire, hot and moist of the aire, cold and moist of the water, cold and drie of the earth. But although all these complexions bee assembled in euery bodie of man and woman, yet the bodie taketh his denomina­tion of those qualities which abound in him, more than in the other, as hereafter ensueth.

The bodie, where heate and moysture haue soue­raintie, is called Sanguine, wherein the aire hath pre­heminence, and it is perceiued and knowne by these signes, which doe follow.

Sanguine.

• Carnosttie or fleshinesse.
• The veines and arteries large.
• Haire plentie and red.
• The visage white and ruddie.
• Sléepe much.
• Dreames of bloudie things, or things pleasant.
• Pulse great and full.
• Digestion perfect.
• Angrie shortly.
• Siege, vrine, and sweat abundant.
• Falling shortly into bléeding.
• The vrine red and grosse.

Where cold with moysture preuaileth, that bodie is called fleumatike, wherein water hath preheminence, and is perceiued by these signes following.

Fleumatike.

• Fatnes quauing and soft.
• Ueines narrow.
• Haire much and plaine.
• Colour white.
• Sléepe superfluous,
• Dreames of things waterie or fish.
• Slownesse.
• Dulnesse in learning.
• Cowardise.
• Pulse slow and little.
• Digestion weake.
• Spettle white, aboundant, and thicke vrine grosse, white and pale.

Cholericke, is hate and drie, in whom the fire hath preheminence, and is discerned by these signes follow­ing.

Cholerike.

• Leannes of bodie.
• Costifenesse.
• Haire blacke or darke, aburne, curled.
• Uisage and skinne red as fire, or sa­lowe.
• Hot things noyfull to him.
• Little sleepe.
• Dreames of fire, fighting, or an­ger.
• Wit sharpe and quicke.
• Hardie, and fighting.
• Pulse swift and strong.
• Urine high coloured and cléere.
• Uoyce sharpe.

Melancholike is colde and drie, ouer whome the earth hath dominion, and is perceiued by these signes following.

Melancho­like.

• Leannes with hardnes of skinne.
• Haire plaine and thin.
• Colour duskish, or white with leannes.
• Much watch.
• Dreames fearfull.
• Stiffe in opinions.
• Digestion slow and ill.
• Timorous and fearfull.
• Anger long fretting.
• Pulse little.
• Seldome laughing.
• Urine waterie and thin.

BEsides the sayd complexions of all the whole bodie, there bée the particular members complexion, wherein if there bee any distemperance, it bringeth sicknesse or griefe into the member: wherefore to knowe the distemperature, these signes following would be considered. Foreseene that it be remembred, that some distemperatures be simple, & some bee com­pound. They which be simple, be in simple qualities, as in heate, cold, moyst, or drie.

They which be compound, are in compound or mixt qualities, as heate and moisture: heate and drith: cold and moyst: cold and drie. But now first will we speak of the simple complexions of euery principall mem­ber, beginning at the braine.

The braine exceeding in heat, hath

• The head and visage very red and hot.
• The haire growing fast, black & curled.
• The veines in the eyes apparant.
• Superfluous matter in the nosethrils, eyen, and eares.
• The head much annoyed w ^e hot meates, drinkes, and sauours.
• Sleepe short and not sound.

The braine exceeding in cold, hath

• Much superfluitie running out of y ^e nose, mouth, eares and eyen.
• Haire straight and fine, growing slowly and flaxen.
• The head disposed by small occasion to poses and murres.
• It is soone annoyed with cold.
• It is cold in touching.
• Ueines of the eyen not seene.
• Sléepie somewhat.

Moist in ex­cesse, hath

• Haires plaine.
• Seldome or neuer balde.
• Wit dull.
• Much superfluities.
• Sléepe much and deepe.

The braine drie, hath

• No superfluities running.
• Wits good and readie.
• Watchfull.
• Haires blacke, hard, and fast grow­ing.
• Bald shortly.

• Braine hote & moyst di­stempered, hath

  • The head aking and heauie.
  • Full of superfluities in the nose.
  • The Southerne winde grie­uous.
  • The Northerne winde whole­some.
  • Sléepe deepe, but vnquiet, with often waknings, and straunge dreames.
  • The senses and wit vnperfect.

• [Page 7]

  Braine hote and drie di­stempered, hath

  • None abundance of superfluitie which may be expelled.
  • Sences perfect.
  • Much watch.
  • Sooner bald then other.
  • Much haire in childhoode, and blacke or browne and curled.
  • The head hot and ruddie.

• Braine cold & moyst di­stempered, hath

  • The sence and wit dull.
  • Much sleepe.
  • The head soone replenished with super­fluous moysture.
  • Distillations and poses, or murres.
  • Not shortly balde.
  • Soone hurt with cold.

• Braine cold and drie di­stempered, hath

  • The head colde in feeling, and without colour.
  • The veines not appearing.
  • Soone hurt with cold.
  • Often disgraced.
  • Wit perfect in childhood, but in age dull.
  • Aged shortly and balde.

• The heart hot distem­pered, hath

  • Much blowing and pu [...]ing.
  • Pulse swift and busie.
  • Hardinesse and manhood.
  • Much promptnesse, actiuitie, and quick­nesse in doing of things.
  • Furie and boldnesse.
  • The breast hairie toward the left side.
  • The breast broad and the head little.
  • The bodie hot, except the liuer doe let it.

• [Page 8]

  The heart colde di­stēpered, hath

  • The pulse very little.
  • The breath little and slow.
  • The breast narrow.
  • The body al cold, except y ^e liuer do enflame it▪
  • Fearefulnes.
  • Scrupulositie and much care.
  • Curiositie.
  • Slownesse in acts.
  • The breast cleane without haires.

• The heart moyst distē ­pered, hath

  • The pulse soft.
  • Soone angrie, and soone pacified.
  • The bodie al moyst, except the liuer dis­poseth contrary.

• The heart drie distem­pered, hath

  • The pulse hard.
  • Not lightly angry, but being angry, not soone pacified.
  • The bodie drie except the liuer doth dis­pose contrary.

• The heart hot & moist, hath

  • The breast and stomacke hairie.
  • Promptnes in acts.
  • Soone angrie.
  • Fiercenes, but not so much as in hot and drie.
  • Pulse soft, swift and busie.
  • Breath or winde according, shortly fal­leth into diseases caused of putrifactiō.

• The heart hot and dry.

  • The heart pulse great and swift.
  • The breath or wind according.
  • The breast and stomacke all hairie.
  • Quick in his doings.
  • Boldnes and hardnes.
  • Swift, and hastie in mouing.
  • Soone stirred to anger, and tyrannous in manners.
  • The breast broade, and all the bodie hot and drie.

• [Page 9]

  The heart colde and moyst, hath

  • The pulse soft.
  • Fearefull and timorous.
  • Slow.
  • The breast cleane without haire.
  • Not hastily angrie, nor retaining anger.
  • The breast narrow.
  • All the bodie cold and moyst.

• The heart cold & drie, hath

  • The pulse hard and little.
  • The winde moderate.
  • Seldome angrie, but when it happeneth it dureth long.
  • The breast cleane without haire and litle.
  • All the bodie cold and drie.

• The liuer in heat distem­pered, hath

  • The veines great.
  • The bloud more hot then temperate.
  • The bellie hairie.
  • All the bodie hot exceeding temperate.

• The liuer cold distem­pered, hath

  • The veines great.
  • Abundance of fleame.
  • The bloud cold.
  • All the bodie cold in feeling.
  • The belly without haire.

• The liuer moyst distē ­pered, hath

  • The veines soft.
  • Much bloud and thin.
  • All the bodie moyst in feeling, except the heart disposeth it contrarie.

• The liuer drie di­stempered, hath

  • The veines hard.
  • The bloud little and thicke.
  • All the bodie drie.

[Page 10] The complerions compound may be discerned by the sayd simple qualities. And here is to bee noted, that the heat of the heart may vanquish the cold of the liuer. For heate is in the heart, as in the fountaine or spring: and in the liuer, as in the riuer.

• The stomack hot distem­pered.

  • He digesteth wel, especially hard meates, and that will not bee shortlie alte­red.
  • Light meats and soone altered, be therein corrupted.
  • The appetite little and slow.
  • He delighteth in meates and drinks which bee hot: for euery naturall complexion delighteth in his semblable.

• The stomack cold distem­pered.

  • He hath good appetite.
  • He digesteth ill & slowly, specially grosse meates and hard.
  • Colde meates doe waxe sowre, being in him vndigested.
  • He delighteth in meates & drinkes which be cold, & yet in them he is indamaged.

• The stomack moyst distempered.

  • He thirsteth but seldome, yet he de­sireth to drinke, with superfluous drinke he is hurt.
  • He delighteth in moyst meates.

• The stomacke dry distempered.

  • He is soone thirstie.
  • Content with a little drinke.
  • Diseased with much drinke.
  • He delighteth in drie meates.

It is to be noted, that the dispositions of the stomacke naturall, doe desire that which is of like qualities. The dispositions vnnaturall, doe desire things of contrarie qualities.

[Page 11] Also not the stomacke onely causeth a man to thirst, or not thirst, but also the liuer, the lungs, and the heart.

• The genitories hot distempe­red, haue

  • Great appetite to the act of genera­tion.
  • Ingendring men children.
  • Hayre soone growne about the mem­bers.

• The genitories cold distem­pered, haue

  • Small appetite to the act of genera­tion.
  • Ingendring women children.
  • Slow growth of haire about the mem­bers.

• The genitories moyst distempered, haue

  Séede abundant, but thinne and watrie.

• The genitories dry di­stempered, haue

  Séede little, but méetly thicke in substance.

• Genitories hot & moyst, haue

  • Lesse appetite to lecherie than in thē which be hot and drie.
  • More puissance to doe it, and without lesse damage.
  • Hurt by abstaining from it.
  • Lesse hairines than in hot and drie.

• The genitories hot and drie, haue

  • The seede thicke.
  • Much fruitfulnes of generation.
  • Great appetite and readines to the act.
  • Haire about the mēbers soone growne.
  • Swiftnes in speeding of the act.
  • Soone there with satisfied.
  • Damage by vsing thereof.

• [Page 12]

  The genito­ries colde & moyst, haue

  • The seede waterie and thin.
  • Little desire to the act, but more puissance then in them which be cold and drie.
  • Little haire or none about the members.

• The genito­ries colde & drie, haue

  • Haires none or few.
  • Little appetite or none to lecherie.
  • Little puissance to doe it.
  • Ingendring more females than men chil­dren.
  • That little seed is thicker than in cold and moyst.

Of quantitie. CAP. 1.

THe quantitie of meate must bee portioned after the substance and qualitie thereof, and according to the complexion of him that eateth.

First it ought to bee remembred, that meates hot and moyst which are qualities of the bloud, are soone turned into bloud, and therefore much nourisheth the bodie. [Page 23] Some meates doe nourish but little, hauing little con­formitie with bloud in their qualities. Of them which doe nourish: some are more grosse, some lighter in dige­stion. The grosse meate ingendreth grosse bloud, but where it is well concoct in the stomacke and well dige­sted, it maketh the flesh more firme, and the officiall mē ­bers more strong then fine meates. Wherefore of men which vse much labour or exercise, also of them which haue very cholerike stomackes here in England, grosse meates may be eaten in a great quantitie: and in a cho­lerike stomacke, béefe is better digested then a chickens legge, for as much as in a hot stomacke fine meates bee shortly adust and corrupted. Contrariwise, in a cold or fleumatike stomacke grosse meate abideth long vudige­sted, and maketh putrified matter: light meates there­fore to such a stomacke be more apt and conuenient.

The temperate bodie is best nourished with a little quantitie of grosse meates, but of temperate meates in substance and qualitie they may safely eate a good quan­titie: foreseene alway that they eate without gourman­dise, or leaue without appetite. And here it would be re­membred, that the cholerike stomacke doth not desire so much as he may digest: the melancholy stomacke may not digest so much as he desireth: for cold maketh appe­tite, but naturall heate concocteth or boyleth. Notwith­standing, vnnaturall or supernaturall heate destroyeth appetite and corrupteth digestion, as it appeareth in fe­uers. Moreouer, fruites and hearbes, specially rawe, would bee eaten in a small quantitie, although the per­son be very cholerike, for as much as they doe ingender thin watrie bloud apt to receiue putrification, which al­though it bée not shortly perceiued of him that vseth it, at length they feele it by sundrie diseases which are long in comming, and shortly sleieth, or bee hardly esca­ped. Finally, excesse of meates is to bée abhorred. For as it is sayd in the booke called Ecclesiasticus: In [Page 24] much meate shall be sicknes, & inordinate appetite shall approch vnto choler. Semblably the quantity of drinke would bee moderated, that it exceede not, nor bee equall vnto the quantity of meate, specially wine which mode­ratly taken, aydeth nature, and comforteth her: and as the sayd author of Ecclesiasticus sayth: Wine is a reioy­sing to the soule and bodie. And Theogines sayth, in Ga­lens worke: A large draught of wine is ill, a moderate draught is not euill, but commodious and profitable.

Of qualitie of meates. CAP. 2.

QUalitie is the complexiō, that is to say, it is the state thereof, as hot, cold, moyst, or drie. And some meates be in winter cold in act, and in vertue hot.

And it would be considered, that euery complexion tē ­perate and vntemperate, is cōserued in his state, by that which is like thereto in forme & degrée. But that which excéedeth much in distemperance, must be reduced to his temperance, by that which is contrarie to him in forme or qualitie, but like in degree moderatly vsed. By forme is vnderstood grossenes, finenes, thicknes, or thinnes, by degrée, as the first, the second, the third, the fourth in heate, cold, moysture, or drith.

Of the temperature of meates to be receiued. CAP. 4.

TO keepe the bodie in good temper, to them whose naturall complexion is moyst, ought to bee giuen meates that bée moist in vertue, or power: contrariwise to them, whose naturall complexion is drie, ought to be giuen meates drie in vertue, or power. To bodies vn­temperate, such meates or drinkes, which bee in power contrarie to the distemperance, but the degrées are al­way to bée considered as well of the temperance of the bodie, as of the meates. For where the meates doe much excéede in degree the temperature of the bodie, they an­noy the bodie in causing distemperance. As hot wines, pepper, garlike, onyons, and Salt, bée noyfall to them which bée cholerike, because they bée in the highest de­grée of heate and drith aboue the iust temperance of mans bodie in that complexion. And yet bée they often­times wholesome to them which bee fleumatike. Con­trariwise, cold water, cold hearbes, and cold fruits mo­deratly vsed, bée wholesome to cholerike bodies, by putting away the heate, excéeding the naturall tempe­rature, and to them which bee fleumatike they bée vn­wholesome, and doe bring into them distemperance of cold and moyst.

What distemperance happeneth by the excesse of sundrie qualities in meates and drinks. CAP. 5.

Meates.

• Cold, doe congeale and mortifie.
• Moyst, doe putrifie and hasten age.
• Dry, sucketh vp naturall moysture.
• Clanmie, stoppeth the issue of vapors and v­rine, & ingendreth rough fleume and grauel.
• Fat and oyly swimmeth long in y ^e stomacke, and bringeth in lothsomnes.
• Bitter, doth not nourish.
• Salt, doe fret much the stomacke.
• Harrish, like the taste of wild fruits, doe con­stipate and restraine.
• Swéete chaseth the bloud, and causeth opila­tions or stoppings of the pores and con­duites of the bodie.
• Sower cooleth nature, and hasteneth age.

What commoditie happeneth by the moderate vse of the sayd qualitie of meates and drinkes. CAP. 6.

Meates.

• Cold asswageth the burning of choler.
• Moyst, humecteth that which is dried.
• Dry, consumeth superfluous moysture.
• Clāmy, thicketh y ^t which is subtil & pearcing.
• Bitter, clenseth and wipeth off, also mollifi­eth and expelleth fleume.
• Salt, relenteth fleume clammy, and drieth it.
• Fat & vnctuous, nourisheth & maketh soluble.
• Stiptike or rough on the tongue, bindeth and comforteth appetite.
• Swéet doth clense, dissolue, and nourish.

Of fruites. CAP. 7.

FOrasmuch as before that tillagē of corne was inuen­ted, and that deuouring of flesh and fish was of man­kind vsed, men vndoubtedly liued by fruites, and nature was ther with contented and satisfied, but by chaunge of the diet of our progenitors, there is caused to bee in our bodies such alteration, from the nature which was in man at the beginning, that now all fruits generally are noyfull to man, and doe ingender ill humours, and bée oft times the cause of putrified feuers, if they bée much and continually eaten. Notwithstanding, vnto them which haue abundance of choler, they bee sometime con­uenient to represse the fieume which procéedeth of cho­ler. And some fruites which bee stiptike or binding in taste, eaten before meales, doe bind the belly, but eaten after meales, they be rather laxatiue. Now shall it bee expedient to write of some fruites particularly, decla­ring their noyfull qualities in appearing of nature, and how they may be vsed with least detriment.

Herbes vsed in potage, or to eate. CAP. 8.

GEnerally all hearbes raw, and not s [...]dden, d [...]ingen­der cold and watry iuyce, if they be eaten customably or in abundance, albeit some hearbes are more comesti­ble, and lesse harme vnto nature, and moderarely vsed, maketh méerely good blood.

Rape rootes, and Nauewes. CAP. 9.

THe iuyce made by them is very grosse, and therefore being much eaten, if they bee not perfectly [...] in the stomacke, they doe make crude or raw [...] in the [...]eines. Also if they be not wel boyled, they cause winds, and annoy the stomacke, and make sometime [...]gs: if they be well boyled first in cleane water▪ and that be­ing cast away, the second time with fat flesh, they [...] ­rish much, and doe neither loose nor binde the bellie. But Nauewes do not nourish so much as Rapes, but they be euen as windie.

Spices growing out of this realme vsed in meate and drinke. CAP. 10.

Of Bread. CAP. 11.

BRead of fine flower of wheate, hauing no leauen, is slow of digestion, and maketh flimie humours, but it nourisheth much: if it be leauened, it digesteth sooner.

Bread hauing much branne, filleth the bellie with ex­crements, [Page 42] and nourisheth little or nothing, but shortly descendeth from the stomacke. The meane betwéene both, sufficiently leauened, well moulded, and moderat­ly baked, is the most holesome to euery age. The grea­test loaues doe nourish most fast, for as much as the fire hath not exhausted the moysture of them. Hot bread slowly passeth. Barley bread clenseth the bodie, & doth not nourish so much as wheat, and maketh cold iuyce in the bodie.

Of Flesh. CAP. 12.

BEefe of England to Englishmen, which are in health, bringeth strong nourishing: but it maketh grosse bloud, and ingendreth melancholy: but being of young Oxen, not exceeding the age of foure yeare, to them which haue cholerike stomackes, it is more conuenient then chickens, and other like fine meates.

The partes and members of birdes and beastes. CAP. 13.

THe wings, brawnes, and neck of géese, capons, hens, fesant, partrich, and small birdes being fat, are better then the legs in digestion, & lighter in nourishment. Of wildfoule & pigeons, being fatte, the legs are better then the winges, the brawnes of ducke, teale and wigeon ex­cept, which is better to digest then the residue.

Of fish generally. CAP. 14.

THe best fish after the opinion of Galen, is that which swimmeth in a pure sea, and is tossed and lift vp with windes and sourges. The more calme that the water is, the worse is the fish.

They which are in muddie waters, doe make much fleume and ordure, taken in fennes and ditches be worst, being in riuers and swift, bee sometime commendable: Albeit generally all kinds of fishe maketh more thinner bloud than flesh, so that it doth much nourish, and it doth the sooner passe ouer by vapours: to a hot cholericke sto­macke, or in feuers, sometime they bee holesome, being new, fresh, and not very hard in substance or slimy, hard fish is hard of digestion: but the nourishment thereof is more firme, then that which is soft: those which haue much grosse humors in them, are best powdred.

Of Butter. CAP. 15.

BUtter is also nourishing, and profiteth in them which haue humors superfluous, in the breast or lunges, and lacketh riping and clensing of them, specially if it bee ea­ten with sugar or hony. If it bee well salted, it heateth and clenseth the more.

Of Cheese. CAP. 16.

CHeese by the whole sentence of al auncient writers, letteth digestion, and is an enemie vnto the stomack. Also it ingendreth ill humors, and breedeth the stone: the theese which doth least harme is soft cheese reasonablie salted, which some men doe suppose, nourisheth much.

Of Egges. CAP. 17.

EGges of Fesants, hennes, and partriches, he of all o­ther meates most agreeable vnto nature, specially if they bee new laide: if they bee reere, they doe clense the [Page 49] throate and the breast. If they bée harde, they be slow in digestion: but being once digested, they do nourish much. Meane betweene reere and hard, they digest conuenient­ly, and nourish quickly. Egges well poched, are better then rosted. If they be fryed hard, they be of ill nourish­ment, and doe make stinking fumes in the stomacke, and do corrupt other meates, with whom they be mingled.

They be most holsome, when they be poched, and most vnholesome, when they be fryed. Dioscorides sayth. If they besu [...]d warme, before any other meate, they doo heale the grietes of the bladder & raynes made with gra­uell. Also sorenes of the chéekes and throate, and spitting of bloud: and they bee good against catarres or stilling out of the head into the stomacke.

Of Wine. CAP. 19.

PLato the wisest of all Philosophers, doth affirme, that wine moderately drunke, nourisheth and comforteth as wel al the bodie as the spirites of man. And therefore God did ordaine it for mankind, as a remedie against the incommodities of age, that thereby they should seeme to returne vnto youth and forget heauinesse. Undoubted­ly wine heateth, and moysteth the bodie, which qualities chiefly conserueth nature. And Galen of all wines com­mendeth that which is yellow and cleere, saying: that it is the hottest, and white wine least hot.

And the colour meane betwéen both, of semblable tem­perature. The yellow wine which is the proper colour of very hot wines, to old men doth bring these commodi­ties. First it heateth all their members, also it purgeth by vrine the watrie substance of the bloud. Moreouer, the wines which be pale or yellow, and full of substance doe increase bloud, and nourishe the bodie, but for the more parte, olde men haue néede of such wines which doe prouoke vrine: for as much as in them doe abound watrie excrementes, or superfluities, and they which do tarry long in the belly be not apt for aged men. Black or déepe red wines and thicke, do bind and congeale that which they doe finde in the bodie, and although some of them doe not long abide in the belly, yet they moue not vrine, but rather withdraweth: but yet they do harme to old men, for as much as they do stop the conduites of the spléene, the liuer and the raines: also grosse wines be best for them which desire to be fat, but it maketh opilations: old wine and cléere is better for them that be fleumatick. Galen also prohibiteth children to drink any wine, for as Galen de tuen▪ sani. lib. 1. much as they be of a hot and moist tēperature, and so is [Page 52] wine: and therfore it heateth and moisteth too much their bodies, and filleth their heads with vapours. Moreouer he would, that yong men should drinke little wine, for it shall make them prone to furie, and leachery, & that part of the soule which is called rationable, it shal make trou­blous and dull: not withstanding yet it is sometime pro­fitable to mitigate or expell ordure made of choler or me­lācholy. Also it profiteth against drith, which happeneth in the substance of the bodie, either by too much labor, or by y ^e proper temperature of age: for wine moisteth & nou­risheth that, which is too drye, also mitigateth and dissol­ueth the sharpnes of choler, and purgeth it also by vrine & sweate. Finally as Theognes sayth, much drinking of wineis ill, but moderate drinking of wine is not onely not ill, but also commodious and profitable, which sen­tence is confirmed by Iesus Syrac, in the booke named Ec­clesiasticus, saying: Wine moderately drunke reioyceth both the body & soule. Wherefore to conclude this chap­ter, there is neither meate nor drinke, in the vse whereof ought to bee a more discreete moderation, then in wine, considering that being good and dronke in due time and measure, it not only conserueth naturall & radicall moys­ture, whereby life indureth, but also it helpeth the princi­pal members which belong to digestion, to do their office: on the other part being ill or corrupt, or taken out of or­der and measure, it doth contrary to all the premisses, be­sides that it transformeth a man or woman, making thē beastly. More of the qualittes of wine shall bee touched hereafter in the order of dyet.

Of Milke. CAP. 20.

MIlke is compact of thrée substances, creame, whay, and cruddes. The most excellent milke is of a wo­man, the milke of a cow is thickest, the milke of a camell is most subtil, the milke of a goate is betwéene cow milk & camel milke. Ewes milke is betwéen cow milk & asses [Page 53] milke. Also the milke of beasts féeding in large pastures, and out of Fennes and Marishes, is better then of them which bee fed in little closes or in watrie grounds. In spring time milke is most subtile, and milke of young beasts is bolsomer then of olde. To children, olde men, and to them which be oppressed with melācholy, or haue the flesh cōsumed with a feuer, thick milke is conueniēt. And generally to al them which do not féele the milk rise in their stomackes after that they haue eaten it, and in those persons it doth easily purge that, which is in y ^e belly superfluous. And afterward it entreth into the veines & bringeth good nourishment: whosoeuer hath an appetite to eate or drink milke, to the intent that it shall not arise or obrayd in the stomacke, let him put into a vessell, out of the which he will receiue it, a fewe leaues of mint, su­gar, or pure honey, and into the vessell cause the beast to be milked, and so drinke it warme from the vdder, or els let him doe as Paulus Aegineta teacheth, that is to say, boyle first the milke with an easte fire, and seeth it after in hotter fire, and skim it cleane, and with a spunge dip­ped in cold water, take the cleane away, which would be burned to the vessell, then put into the milke salt and su­gar, Orbasitus, de conuictione cibornm lib. 3. and stirre it often. Moreouer, milke taken to purge melonchaly, would be drunke in the morning abundant­ly, new milked, as is before written. And he that drin­keth, should abstaine from meate and exercise vntill the milke be digested, and haue some what purged the bellie. For which labour it becommeth sowre: and therefore it requireth rest and watch, or to walk very softly. Final­ly, where men and women be vsed from their childhood, for the more part, to milke, and to eate none or little o­ther meate but milke and butter, they appeare to bee of good complexion and fashion of body, and not so much vexed with sicknesse as they which drinke wine or ale: not withstanding, much vse of milke in men sanguine or cholerike, doth ingender the stone.

Of Ale, Beere, Cider, and Whay. CAP. 21.

I Can neither heare nor reade, that Ale is made and vsed for a common drinke in any other countrie then Eng­land, Scotland, Ireland, and Pole. The Latine word Ceruisia is indifferent as well to Ale as to Béere. If the corne be good, the water holesome and cleane, and the Ale or Béere well & perfectly brewed and clensed, and by the space of sixe daies and more, setled and defecate, it must néeds be a necessary & conuenient drinke as well in sick­nes as in health: considering the barly corne, whereof it is made, is commended & vsed in medicine in all parts of the world, & accounted to bee of a singular efficacie in reducing the bodie into good temper, specially which is in distemperature of heate. For what ancient Phisition is there that in his workes cōmendeth not Ptisane? which is none other but pure barly brayd in a morter, & sodden in water, the same thing is small and cleane ale or béere, sauing that perchaunce the drying of the malt is cause of more drith to be in the ale then in Ptisane. And the hops in Béere maketh it colder in operation. But to say as I thinke, I suppose that neither Ale nor Béere is to be cō ­pared to Wine, considering that in them doe lacke the heate and moysture which is in Wine. For that being moderately vsed, is most like to the naturall heat & moy­sture of mans bodie. And also the licour of Ale or Béere being more grosse, do ingender more grosse vapours and corrupt humours then Wine doth, being dronk in like excesse of quantitie.

As for Cider may not bee good in any condition, consi­dering as I sayd, that al fruits do ingender ill humours, and doe coole too much naturall heate: but to them which haue abundance of red choler, moderately vsed, it some­what profiteth in mitigation of excessiue heat. But who that will diligently marke in the countries where Cider is vsed for a common drinke, the men and women haue [Page 55] the colour of their visage palled, and the skinne of the vi­sage riueled, although that they be young.

Whay, if it bee left of the butter, being well ordered, and not dronke vntill it haue a thicke curd of milke ouer it, like to a hat, is a right temperate drinke, for as much as by the vnctuositie of the butter, whereof the whay re­taineth some portion, it is both moyst & nourishing, and clenseth the breast, & by the subtilnes of it selfe, it descen­deth soone from the stomack, and is shortly digested. Also by reason of the affinitie which it hath with milke, it is cōuertible into bloud and flesh, specially in those persons which doe inhabit in the North parts, in whom naturall heat is conglutinate, and therefore is of more puissance and vertue in the office of concoction. Also custome from childhood, doth eleuate the power of meates & drinkes in their disposition, notwithstanding that the 4. humours, sanguine, choler, fleume, & melancholy, must also be con­sidered, as it shall appeare in diuers places hereafter.

Of Hony. CAP. 22.

HOny as well in meat as in drink, is of incomparable efficacie: for it not only clenseth, altereth, and nouri­sheth, but also it long time preserueth that vncorrupted, which is put into it, in so much, as Pliny saith: such is the Plin. lib. 22. nature of hony, y ^t it suffereth not the bodies to putrifie: and he affirmeth that he did see an Hippocentaure, which is a beast halfe a man & halfe a horse, brought in hony to Claudius the Emperour, out of Egypt to Rome. And he telleth also of Pollio Romulus, who was aboue a hundred yeares old, of whom Augustus the Emperour demanded by what meanes he liued so long, and retained still the vigour or liuelines of bodie and minde. Pollio answered, that he did it inward with Meade, which is drinke made with honey and water: outward, with oyle. Which saying agréeth with the sentence of Democritus the great Philosopher, who being demaunded, how a man [Page 56] might liue long in health: he answered. If he wet him within with honey, without with oyle. The same Phi­losopher when he was an hundred yeares old and nine, prolonged his life certaine daies with the euaporation of hony, as Aristoxinus writeth. Of this excellent mat­ter, most wonderfully wrought and gathered by a little Bée, as well of the pure dewe of heauen as of the most subtile humour of swéet and vertuous herbes & flowers, bee made licours commodious to mankinde, as Meade, Metheglin, and Oximel. Meade which is made with one part of honey, and foure times so much of pure water, & boyled vntill no skim doe remaine, is much commended of Galen, drunke in summer for preseruing of health. Lib. 4. de tuen­da sanitate.

The same author alway commendeth the vsing of ho­ny, either rawe eaten with fine bread somewhat leaue­ned, or sodden, and receiued as drinke. Also Meade per­fectly made, clenseth the breast and lungs, causeth a mā to spit easily and pisse abundantly, and purgeth the belly moderatly. Metheglin, which is most vsed in Wales, by reason of hot hearbs boyled with honey, is hotter then Meade, and more comforteth a cold stomack, if it be per­fectly made, and not new or very [...]ale. Oximel, is where to one part of vineger is put double so much of honey, foure times as much of water, and thē being boyled vn­to the thirdpart, and cleane skimmed with a feather, is vsed to be takē where in the stomack is much fleume or matter vndigested, so that it be not red choler. Looke the vse thereof in Alexandro Tralliano. Many other good qualities of honey I omit to write of, vntill some other occasion shall happen to remember them particularly, where they shall seeme to be profitable.

Sugar. CAP. 23.

OF Sugar I do finde none ancient author of Gréekes and Latines to write by name, but onely Paulus Ae­gineta, who sayth in this wise, after that he hath treated [Page 57] of hony. Moreouer, sugar which they call hony, that is brought to vs from Arabia, called Felix, is not so swéete as our hony, but is equall in vertue, and doth not annoy the stomacke, nor causeth thirst. These be the words of Paulus. It is now in daily experiēce, that sugar is a thing very temperat and nourishing, and where there is cho­ler in the stomacke, or that the stomack abhorreth hony, it may be vsed for hony in all things, wherein honey is required to be. With sugar and vineger is made syrupe acetose.

Of time. CAP. 24.

IN the consideration of time, for taking of meates and Wint [...]r. drinkes, it is to be remembred, that in Winter meates ought to be taken in great abundance, & of a more grosse substance then in Summer, for as much as the exteriour ayre which compasseth the bodie being colde, causeth the heate to withdraw into the inner parts, where being in­closed and gathered nigh together in the stomack and in­trailes, it is of more force to boyle and digest that which is receiued into it. Also meates rosted are then better then sodden, and flesh & fish powdred, is then better then in Summer: herbes be not then commendable, specially raw, neither fruites, except Quinces rosted or baked: drink should be then taken in little quantitie. Moreouer, wines shal néede no water or very little, & that to chole­rike persons: red wines, & they which be thick and swéet, may be then most surely taken of thē which haue no opi­lations or y ^e stone: alway remēber that in winter [...]eume increaseth by reason of raine and moystures of the sea­son, also the length of nights and much rest. And there­fore Gal in com­ment. in apho. z. lib. 3. in that time cholerike persons are best at ease, sem­blably are yong mē, but to old men winter is an enemy. It beginneth the 8. day of Nouember, and endureth vn­till the 8. day of February.

The Spring time doth participate the first part with Spring time. Winter, the latter part with Summer. Wherefore if [Page 58] the first part be cold, then shall the diet bee according to Hippocra. de natura huma­na. Winter. If the end be hot, then shall the diet be of Sum­mer. If both parts be temperate, then should there bee also a temperance in diet: alway considering that fleume yet remaineth, and bloud then increaseth. And meate would bée lesse in quantitie then in Winter, and drinke Galen com. aph. 18. lib. 1. somewhat more.

Spring time beginneth the 8. of February, & continu­eth Summer. vnto the 8. day of May. In Summer the inward heat is but little, and the stomack doth not digest so strongly nor quickly, as in winter: wherefore in y ^e season, eating often, and a little at once, is most conuenient. And Da­mascenus sayth, that fasting in summer drieth the bodie, maketh the colour salow, ingendreth melancholy, & hur­teth the sight: also boyled meate, bread stéeped in white broth, with sodden lettise or cicorie, are then good to bée Hippo. de hu­moribus. vsed: also varietie in meates, but not at one meale: pota­ges made with cold hearbes, drinke in more abundance, wine alaid with water to hot complexions much, to cold natures lesse. In this season bloud increaseth, & toward the end thereof, choler. And therefore they which be cold of nature and moyst, are then best at ease, hot natures & dry worst. Moreouer▪ children and very young men in Galen in com­ment in apho. the beginning of summer, are holest, old folke in y ^e latter end, and in Haruest. Summer beginneth the 8. day of May, & continueth vntill the 8. day of August. Autumne beginneth the 8. day of August, and endeth the 8. day of Nouember, that season of the yere is variable, & the ayre changeable, by occasiō wherof happen sundry sicknesses, bloud decreaseth, & melancholy aboundeth: wherfore all summer fruites would then be eschewed, for as much as they make ill iuyce & winds in y ^e body. In this time meat would be more abundant the in summer, but somewhat drier: drink must be lesse in quantitie: but lesse mixt with water. This time is dāgerous to al ages, al natures, & al countries, but y ^e natures hot & moist be least in damage.

Of Ages. CAP. 25.

CHildren would be nourished with meats and drinks, Children. which are moderatly hot and moyst, notwithstan­ding [Page 60] Galen doth prohibite them vse of Wine, because it Galen de tuen. [...]anit. lib. 1. moystneth and heateth too much the body, and filleth the heads of them, which are hot and moyst, with vapours. Also he permitteth them in hot weather to drinke cléere water of the fountaine. A child growing fast in his mē ­bers toward a man, so that he séemeth well fed in the bo­die, is then to be feared of fulnes of humours, and if it be Orba [...]itus, de [...]ute simp. lib. 1 perceiued that he is replete, then must be withdrawne & minished some part of that nutrimēt, and according vn­to his age, some euacuation would be deuised, otherwhile by exercise, walking vp and downe fasting, and before that they eate any meate, let them exercise themselues with their owne labours, & doe their owne accustomed businesse, and eate the meates whereunto they bée most vsed, so that it be such that may not hurt them. And thus néed they not to know of Phisitions, but by experience and diligent search by their stoole, their nurses shall per­ceiue what digesteth well, and what doth not. But if it appeare that by excessiue féeding, the belly of the child is fuller and greater thē it was wont to be, and that which passeth by the belly is corrupted, or his sweate stinketh, these things knowne, if they eate strong meates, giue them not one kind of meate, but diuers, that the noueltie of the meate may helpe, that they may goe the more ea­sily to the stoole. For if any haue an vnreasonable appe­tite, he is sooner recouered, if he bee purged by a boyle or impostume, comen foorth & broken, before that the meat be corrupted, & after that let him eate fine meats, & being once whole, returne by little & little to his old custome.

Young men, excéeding the age of 14. yeares, shall eate meate more grosse of substance, colder and moyster, also Young men. Salades of cold hearbes, and to drinke seldome Wine, except it be alayd with water. Albeit, all these things must be tempered according to their complexions, exer­cise, and quietnes in liuing, wherof ye shal reade in their proper places hereafter.

[Page 61] Olde men, in whome naturall heate and strength sée­meth Olde men. to decaye, should vse alwaye meates, which are of qualitie hot and moyst, and there withall easie to bee di­gested, and abstaine vtterly from all meates and drinks which will ingender thicke iuyce and slymy, semblablie from wine, which is thicke, swéete, and darke red wines, and rather vse them which will make thinne humours, and will purge well the bloud by vrine, therefore white or yellowe wines, and perchance french claret wines, are for them very cōmendable. Also wine prepared with Paul. A Eginer. lib. 1. cap. 23. pure hony clarified, wherein rootes of parsley, or fenell be stéeped, specially if they suspect any thing of the stone, or gout. And if they more desire to clense their raines and bladder, then it is good to vse small white wine, as racked renish wine, or other like to it. And sometime to stéepe ouer night therein a parsley root flit and somwhat brused, and a little licorice. Finally, let them beware of all meates that will stop the pores, and make obstructi­ons Opilations, what they are. or opilations, that is to saye, with clammy matter stop the places where the naturall humors are wrought and digested, the which meates I haue before set in a ta­ble. But if it chaunce then to eate any such meate in a­boundance, let them take shortly such things, as do resist Opilations, or resolue them. As white pepper, brused and mixt with their meates or drinks, garlike also or o­nyons, if they abhorre them not. Alway remember that aged men should eate often, and but little at euery time, for it fareth by them, as it doth by a lamp, the light wher­of is almost extinct, which by pouring in of oyle little and little is long kept burning: and with much oyle poured in at once, it is cleane put out. Also they must forbeare all things which doe ingender melancholy, whereof yée shall reade in the table before: and bread cleane without eauen, is not then vnholesome.

Moderation in dier, hauing respect to the strength or weakenes of the person CAP. 26.

NOw here it must be cōsidered, that although I haue written a generall dyet for euery age, yet neuerthe­lesse it must be remembred, that some children and young men, either by debilitie of nature, or by some accidentall cause, as sickenes or much study, happen to gather hu­mours fleumaticke or melancholy in the places of dige­stion, so that concoction or digestion is as weak in them, as in those which are aged.

Semblably some old men find nature so beneficial vn­to them, that their stomackes and liuers are more strong to digest then the saide young men: some perchance haue much choler remayning in them. In these cases the saide young men must vse the dyet of olde men, or nigh vnto it, vntill the discrasie bée remooued, hauing alway respect to their vniuersal complexions, as they which are naturally cholericke to vse hot things in a more tempe­rance, then they which be fleumaticke or melanch [...]licke by nature. The same obseruation shall bee to olde men, sauing that age of his owne propertie is colde and drie, therefore the old man that is cholericke, shall haue more regard to moisture in meates then the young man being of the same complexion. Foreséene alway that where na­ture is offended or grieued, she is cured by that, which is Hippoc. aphor. Galen in com­ment. contrarie to that, which offendeth or grieueth, as colde by heate, heate by colde, drith by moisture, moisture by drith. In that whereby nature should bee nourished in a whole and temperate body, things must be taken which are like to the mans nature in qualitie and degrée. As where one hath his bodie in a good temper, things of the same temperance doth nourish him: but where he is out of temper, in heate, cold, moysture or dryth, temperate meates or drinkes nothing doe profite him. For being out of the meane and perfect temperature, nature requi­reth [Page 63] to bée thereto reduced by contraries, remembring not only, that contraries are remedie vnto their contra­ries, but also in euery contrarie, consideration must bée had of the proportion in quantitie.

Times in the day concerning meales. CAP. 27.

BEsides the times of the yeare, and ages, there bée al­so other times of eating and drinking to bée remem­bred, as the sundrye times in the daye, which wee call meales, which are in number and distance, according to the temperature of the countrey and person. As where the countrey is cold, and the person lustie, and of a strong nature, there maye more meales bee vsed, or the lesse distance of time between them. Contrariwise in contra­rie countries and personages, the cause is afore rehear­sed, where I haue spoken of the dyet of the times of the yeare, notwithstanding, here must bee also considera­tion of exercise and rest, which do augment or aspyre the naturall disposition of bodies, as shall bee more declared hereafter in the chapter of exercise. But concerning the generall vsage of countries, and admitting the bodies to the perfect state of health, I suppose that in Eng­lande young men, vntil they come to the age of xl. yeres, may well eate three meales in one day, as at breakefast, dinner, and supper, so that betwéene breakefast and din­ner, bée the space of 4. houres, at the least betwéene din­ner and supper 6. houres, and the breakfast lesse then the dinner, & the dinner moderate, that is to say, lesse then sa­cietie of fulnes of bellie, and the drinke thereunto measu­rable, according to the drines or moistnes of the meate. For much aboundance of drinke at meale, drowneth the meate eaten, and not only letteth conuenient concoction in the stomacke, but also causeth it to passe farther then nature requireth, and therfore ingendreth much fleum, & consequently rewmes, & crudenes in the veines, debility and slippernes of the stomacke continue fluxe, and manie [Page 64] other inconueniences to the body and members. But to returne to meales, I thinke breakfasts necessary in this realme, aswell for the causes before rehearsed, as also for Breakefast. as much as choler being feruent in the stomacke, sendeth vp fumosities into the braine, and causeth headache, and sometime becommeth adult, and smauldreth in the sto­macke, whereby hapneth perilous sicknes, and somtime sodaine death, if the heate inclosed in the stomacke haue not other conuenient matter to worke on: this dayly ex­perience proueth, and naturall reason confirmeth, there­fore men and women not aged, hauing their stomackes cleane without putrified matter, sléeping moderatly and soundly in the night, and féeling themselues light in the morning and swéete breathed, let them on Gods name breake their fast, cholericke men with grosse meat, men of other complexion with lighter meate, foreséene that they labour some what before, semblably their dinner and supper, as I haue before written, so that they sléepe not incontinent after their meales: and here I will not recite the sentences of authors, which had neuer experience of English mens natures, or of the iust temperature of this realme of England, onely this connsaile of Hippocrates shall be sufficient. We ought to grant somwhat to time, Hippo. hor. 18. lib. 1 Gal. de tuenda sani­tate. to age, and to custome: notwithstanding where great warmenes or dryth greeueth the bodie, there ought the dinner to be lesse, and the longer distance betwéene din­ner, and supper. Also much rest, except a little soft wal­king, that by an vpright mouing, the meat being stirred may descend. This is alway to be remēbred, that where one feeleth himselfe full and grieued with his dinner, or the sauour of his meate by eructation ascendeth, or that his stomack is weak by late sicknes or much study, then it is most conuenient to abstain from supper, and rather prouoke himselfe to sleepe much, then to eate or drinke any thing. Also to drinke betweene meales is not lauda­ble, except very great thirst constraineth: for it interrup­teth [Page 65] the office of the stomacke in concoction, and causeth the meate to passe faster then it should doe, and the drink being colde, it rebuketh naturall heate that is working, and the meate remayning rawe, it corrupteth digestion and maketh crudenesse in the veines. Wherefore he that is thirstie, let him consider the occasion. If it bee of salt fleume, let him walke fayre and softly and onely washe his mouth and his throate with barly water, or smal ale, or lye downe and sleepe a little, and so the thirst wil passe away or at the least be well asswaged.

If it happen by extreame heate of the aire, or by a pure choler, or eating of hot Spices, let him drink a little Ju­lep made with cleane water and sugar, or a little small béere or ale, so that he drinke not a great glut, but in a little quantity, let it stil down softly into his stomack as he sitteth, & then let him moue sodainly. If y ^e thirst be in y ^t euening by eating too much, and drinking of wine, then after the opinion of the most learned phisitions, and as I my selfe haue oftē experienced the best remedy is, if there be no feuer, to drinke a good draught of colde water im­mediately, or els if it be not painfull for him to vomit, to prouoke him thereto with a little warme water, and af­ter to wash his mouth with vineger and water, and sléep long and soundly if he can.

And if in the morning hee féele any fumosities rising, then to drinke Julep of violets, or for lacke therof a good draught of very small ale, or béere somewhat warmed, without eating any thing after it.

Of diuersities of meates eaten, whereby health is appayred. CAP. 28.

NOw let this bee a generall rule, that sundry meates, being diuers in substance and qualitie, eaten all at one meale, is the greatest enemie to health that may be, and that ingendreth most sicknesses, for some meates be­ing grosse and harde to digest, some fine and easie to di­gest, [Page 66] doe require diuers operations of nature, and diuers temperatures of the stomacke, that is to say, much heate and temperate heate, which maye not be together at one time.

Therefore when the fine meate is sufficiently boyled in the stomacke, the grosse meate is raw, so both iuyces, the one good and perfect, the other grosse and crude, at one time digested, and sent into the veynes and bodie, needes must health decay, and sicknesses bee ingendred. Likewise in diuers meates being of diuers qualities, as where some are hot and moist, some cold and moist, some hot and dry, some cold and drie, according thereunto shal the iuyce bee diuers which they make in the body. And like as betwéen the said qualities is contrariety, so ther­by shall bee in the bodie an vnequall temperature, for as much as it is not possible for a man to estéem so iust a pro­portion, of the qualities of that which he receiueth, that the one shall not exceede the other in quantitie.

Wherefore of the said vnequall mixture, needes must ensue corruption and consequently sicknes, and therfore to a hole man, it were better to féed at one meale compe­tently on very grosse meat only, so that it be swéete, and his nature doe not abhor it, then on diuers fine meates of sundry substance and qualities. I haue known and séene olde men and olde women which eating onelie béefe, ba­ken, chéese, and curdes, haue continued in good healthe, whome I haue proued, that when they haue eaten sun­drie fine meates at one meale, haue soone after felt them­selues greeued with frettings, and headache, and after that they haue béene hole againe, there hath béene giuen to them one kinde of light meate, they haue done as well therwith as they were wont to do w ^t grosse meats, whē they eate it alone, which proueth to be true that which I haue rehearsed. And it is good reason, for after the ge­nerall opinion of Philosophers and Phisitions, the na­ture of mankind is best content with things most simple [Page 67] and vnmixte, all thinges tending to vnitie, wherein is the onely perfection. Also it is a generall rule of phisick, that where a sicknesse may bee cured with simples, that is to say, with one onely thing that is medicinable, there should the Phisition giue no compound medicine mixte with many things.

These things considered, it may seeme to all men that haue reason, what abuse is heere in this realme in the continuall gourmandise and dailye féeding on sundrie meats at one meale, the spirit of gluttony triumphing a­mong vs, in his glorious chariot called welfare, driuing vs from him, as his prisoners into his dungeon of surfet, where we are tormented with catars, feuers, gouts, plu­resies, fretting of the guttes, and many other sicknesses, and finally put to death by them, oftentimes in youth, or in the most pleasant time of our life, when we would most gladlie liue, for the remedie whereof howe ma­ny times haue there beene deuised ordinances, and actes of counsaile, although perchaunce bodily health was not the chiefe occasion thereof, but rather prouision a­gainst vaine and sumptuous expenses of the meane peo­ple. For the nobilitie was exempted and had libertie to a­bide still in the dungeon if they woulde, and to liue lesse while then other men. But when, where, and how long were the saide good deuises put in due execution, for all that, that thereof should succéede double profite, that is to say, health of body, and increase of substance, by esche­wing of superfluous expēces in sundry dishes. Alas how long will men fantasie lawes and good ordinances, and neuer determine them. Fantasie proceedeth of wit, de­termination of wisedome, witte is in the deuising and speaking, but wisedome is in the perfourmance, which resteth onely in execution. Héere haue I almost for­gotten, that my purpose was to write of the order of dy­et, and not of lawes: but the feruent loue that I haue to the publike weale of my countrie, constrained mee to [Page 68] digresse some what from my matter, but now will I pro­ceede forth to write of order which in taking of meates and drinkes is not the least part of dyet.

Of order of receiuing of meates, and drinke. CAP. 29.

HEarbs as well sodden as vnsodden, also fruits which doe mollifie and loose the bellie, ought to be eaten be­fore any other meate, except that somtime for the repres­sing of fumosities rising in the head by much drinking of wine, rawe lettice, or a cold apple, or the iuyce of Oren­ges or Lymons, may bée taken after meales in a little quantitie.

Moreouer all breathes, milke, réere egges and meates which are purposely taken to make the bellie soluble, would first be eaten. Al fruits and other meates that are stiptike or binding, would bee eaten last after all other. Fruites confectionate speciallie with honie, are not to bee eaten with other meates. But here is to bée diligent­ly noted, that where the stomack is cholerick and strong, grosse meates would be first eaten, where the stomacke is colde or weake, there would fine meates be first eaten: for in a hot stomacke fine meates are burned, while the grosse meate is digesting. Contrariwise in a colde sto­macke, the little heate is suffocate with grosse meate, and the fine meates left rawe, for lacke of concoction, where if the fine meate be first taken moderately, it stir­reth vp and comforteth naturall heate, and maketh it more able to concoct grosse meates, if they bee eaten af­terward, so that it be but in smal quantitie, notwithstan­ding, as I lately affirmed one manner of meate is most sure to euery complexion, foreséene that it be alway most commonly in conformity of qualities with the person y ^e eateth. Moreouer take héede that slipper meates bee not first eaten, least it draw with it too hastily other meates, ere they be digested, nor y ^t stiptike or restraining meates, [Page 69] be taken at the beginning, as Quinces, Peares, & Med­lers, lest they may let other meats that they descend not into the bottome of the stomacke where they should bée digested, notwithstanding the confection made with the iuyce of Quinces, called Diacitonites, taken two houres afore dinner or supper, is commended of Galen and other for restoring appetite and making good concoction. Also concerning drinke at meales, it would not be afore that Drinke at meales. somewhat were eaten, and at the beginning the drinke would be strongest, and so toward the end more small, if it be ale or béere, and if it be wine more and more alayd with water: and after the better opinion of Phisitions, the drinke would rather be mixt with the meate by sun­drie little draughts, thē with one great draught at the ende of the meale: for the mixture tempereth well the meate without annoyance, a great draught with much drinke drowneth the meate, rebuketh natural heat that then worketh in cōcoction, and with his waight driueth downe the meate too hastily. Hot wines and swéete, or confectioned with spices, or very strong ale, or béere, are not conuenient at meales: for the meate is by them ra­ther corrupted then digested, and they make hot & stin­king vapours ascend vp to the braines. Albeit if the sto­macke be very windie, or so cold and féeble, that it cannot concoct such a quantitie of meate as is required to the sufficient nourishment of the bodie of him that eateth, or hath eaten rawe hearbes or fruites, whereby he féeleth some annoyance, then may he drinke incontinent after his meale, a little quantitie of secke, or good Aqua vitae, in small ale: but if he haue much choler in his stomacke, or a head full of vapours, it were much better that he did neither drinke the one nor the other, but rather eate a little coliander séede prepared, or a péece of a Quince ro­sted, or in Marmelade, and after rest to amend the lacke of nature with sléepe, moderate exercise, & plaisters pro­uiding for comforting of the stomacke. And here will I [Page 70] leaue to write any more of the diet of eating & drinking, sauing that I would, that the readers should haue in re­membrance these two counsailes. First, that to an hole man, to practise a rule is not conuenient in diet, and that the diseases which doe happen by too much abstinence, are worse to be cured, then they which come by repletiō. And Cornelius Celsus sayth, a man that is hole and well at ease, and at his libertie, ought not to binde himselfe to rules or néed a Phisition: but yet where the stomacke is féeble, as is of more part of the citizens, and welnigh all they that bee studious in learning or waightie affayres, there ought to bee more circumspection, that the meate may bee such as y ^t either in qualitie or quantitie, nature being but féeble, be not rebuked or too much oppressed.

Of sleepe and watch. CAP. 30.

THe commoditie of moderate sléepe appeareth by this, that naturall heat which is occupied about that mat­ter, wherof proceedeth nourishment, is comforted in the places of digestion, and so digestion is made better or more perfect by sléepe, the body fatter, the minde more quiet and cléere, the humours temperate, and by much watch all things happen contrary.

The moderation of sléepe must be measured by health and sicknesse, by age, by time, by emptines or fulnes of the bodie, and by naturall complexions. First to a hole man, hauing no debilitie of nature, and digesting per­fectly the meat that he eateth, a little sléepe is sufficient: but to them which haue weake stomackes, and do digest slowly, it requireth that sleepe bee much longer, sembla­bly temperance is required in youth and age: winter and summer, y ^e body being ful of ill humours, very little sléep is sufficient, except the humours be crude or raw, for thē is sléepe necessarie, which digesteth them better then la­bour, semblably where the body is long empty, by long sicknesse, or abstinence, sléepe comforteth nature as wel [Page 71] in the principal members, as in all the other. Also regard must be had to the complexion, for they that are hot and doe eate little and digest quickly, a little sléepe serueth, specially to cholerike persons, for in them much sléepe augmenteth heate, more then is necessarie, whereby hot fumes & inflammations are often ingendred, & sometime the naturall choler is adust or putrified, as experience teacheth. Fleumatike persons are naturally inclined to sléepe: & because they ingender much humours, they re­quire more sléepe then sanguine or cholerike. Persons hauing natural melancholy, not procéeding of choler ad­ust, do require very much sléepe, which in them cōforteth the powers animal, vital & naturall, which ye may finde written in the tables preceding. Sléepe would be taken not immediatly after meales, & before that y ^t meat is de­scended frō the mouth of the stomack. For thereby is in­gendred paines & noise in the belly, and digestion corrup­ted, & the sléepe by ill vapours ascending, made vnquiet & troublous. Moreouer, immoderate sléepe maketh the bo­die apt vnto palsies, apoplexies, falling sicknes, rheumes and impostumes. Also it maketh the wits dull, & the bo­die flow and vnapt to honest exercise. Semblably im­moderate watch drieth too much the body, and doth debi­litate the powers animall, letteth digestion, and maketh the body apt to consumption. Wherefore in these two things, as well as all other, a diligent temperance is to bee vsed, the moderation is best coniected (for it is hard perfectly to know it) by the sensible lightnes of the bo­die, specially of the braine, the browes, and the eyes, the passage downe of the meate from the stomacke, the will to make vrine, and to go to the stoole: contrariwise, hea­uines in the body & eyes, and sauour of the meate before eaten, signifieth that the sléepe was not sufficient. They that are hole, must sléepe first on the right side, because the meate may approch to the liuer, which is in the sto­mack as fire vnder the pot, and by him is digested.

[Page 72] To them which haue féeble digestion, it is good to sléepe prostrate on their bellies, or to haue their bare hand on their stomackes. Lying vpright on the backe it is to be vtterly abhorred.

The commoditie of exercise, and the time when it should be vsed. CAP. 31.

EUery mouing is not an exercise but onely that which is vehement, the end wherof is alteration of y ^e breath or winde of a man. Of exercise doe procéede two com­modities, euacuation of excrements, and also good habite of the bodie: for exercise being a véhement motion, ther­of néedes must ensue hardnes of the members, whereby labour shall the lesse grieue, and the bodie bee the more strong to labour. Also thereof commeth augmentation of heat, wherby happeneth the more attraction of things to be digested, also more quicke alteration & better nou­rishing. Moreouer, that al and singuler parts of the bo­die, be therewith somewhat humected. Whereby it hap­peneth, that things hard bee mollified, moyst things are extenuate, and the pores of the bodie are more opened. And by the violence of the breath or wind, the pores are clensed, and the filth in y ^e bodie naturally expelled. This thing is so necessarie to the preseruation of health, that without it, no man may be long without sicknes: which is affirmed by Cornelius Celsus, saying, that sluggishnes dulleth the bodie, labour doth strengthen it: the first bringeth the incommodities of age shortly, the last ma­keth a man long time lustie. Notwithstanding, in exer­cise ought to be foure things diligently considered, that is to say: the time, the things preceding, the qualitie, and quantitie of exercise. First, as concerning the time conuenient for exercise, that it be, not when there is in the stomacke or bowels great quantitie of meate, not sufficiently digested, or of humours, crude, or raw, least [Page 73] thereby perill might insue by conueiance of them into al the members, before those meates or humours be concoct or boyled sufficiently. Galen sayth, that the time most conuenient for exercise is, when both the first & second digestion is complete, as well in the stomacke, as in the veines, & that the time approcheth to eate eftsoones. For if ye do exercise sooner or later, ye shal either fill the body with crude humours, or els augment yellowe choler. The knowledge of this time is perceiued by the colour of the vrine: for that which resembleth vnto cléere wa­ter, betokeneth that the iuyce which commeth from the stomacke, is crude in the veines: that which is well co­loured, not too high or bace, betokeneth that the second digestion is now perfect: where the colour is very high or red, it signifieth that the concoction is more then suf­ficient. Wherefore when the vrine appeareth in a tem­perate colour, not red nor pale, but as it were gilt, then should exercise haue his beginning.

Of Fricasies or rubbings preceding exercise. CAP. 32.

AS touching things preceding exercise, as much as it is to be feared, least by vehement exercise any of the excrements of the belly or bladder, should hastily be re­ceiued into the habite of the body, by the violence of heat kindled by exercise, also least some thing which is hole, be by heauines of excrements or violent motion, broken or pulled out of his place, or that the excrements by vio­lence of the breath, should stop the pores or conduites of the body, it shall be necessary little and little, by chasing the body, first to mollifie the parts consolidate, and to ex­tenuate or make thin humours, and to loose and open the pores, and then shall insue to him that exerciseth no pe­rill of obstruction or rupture. And to bring that to passe, it shall be expedient, after that the body is clensed, to rub the body with a course linnen cloth, first softly and easi­ly, [Page 74] and after to increase more and more to a hard & swift rubbing, vntill the flesh doe swell, and be somewhat rud­die, and that not only downe right, but also ouerthwart and round. Some doe vse fricasies in this forme, in the morning after that they haue bin at the stoole, with their shirt sléeues or bare hand, if their flesh be tender, they deo first softly, and afterward faster rub their breast & sides downward, & ouerthwart, not touching their stomacke or belly, and after cause their seruant semblably to rub ouerthwart their shoulders and backe, and beginning at their necke bone, and not touching the raines of their backe, except they doe féele there much colde and winde, and afterward their legges from the knées to the ankle: last, their armes from the elbow, to the hand-wrest. And in this forme of fricasie, I my selfe haue found an excel­lent commoditie. Old men, or they which bee very drie in their bodies, if they put to some swéete oyles, as Yri­num, Nardinum, Chamelinum, or other like mixt with a little swéete oyle of Roses, I suppose they doe well. I will not here speake of oyntments, vsed in olde time a­mong the Romanes and Gréekes, in fricasies or rub­bings. For I suppose, that they were neuer here vsed, and in the sayd places, they bee also left, vnlesse it bee in palsies, or apoplexies, or agaynst the rigour which hap­peneth in feuers onely. I will remember the saying of Hippocrates: Fricasie hath power to loose, to binde, to in­crease flesh, and to minish it. For hard fricasies do binde or consolidate: soft rubbing doth loose or mollifie, much doe minish flesh, meane rubbing doth augment or in­crease it. He that will knowe more abundantly hereof, let him reade the booke of Galen, of the preseruation of health, called in latin, Detuenda sanitate, translated most truely and eloquently out of Gréeke into Latin, by Do­ctor Linac [...]e, late Phisition of most worthie memorie, to our soueraigne Lord King Henry the eight. The same matter is written more briefly of Paulus Aegineta, Oriba­sius, [Page 75] Aetius, and some other late writers, but vnto Galen not to be compared.

The diuersities of exercises. CAP. 33.

THe qualitie of exercise, is the diuersitie thereof, for as much as therein be many differences in mouing, and also some exercise moueth more one part of y ^e body, some an other. In difference of mouing some is slowe, or soft, some is swift or fast, some is strong or violent, some bée mixt with strength or swiftnes. Strong or violent ex­ercises be these, deluing, specially in tough clay, and hea­uie, bearing or sustaining of heauie burthens, climbing or walking against a stéepe vpright hill, holding a rope, and climbing vp thereby, hanging by the hands on any thing aboue a mans reach, that his féete touch not the ground, standing and holding vp, & spreading the armes, with the hands fast closed, and abiding so a long time. Also to holde the armes stedfast, causing an other man to assay to pull them out, and notwithstanding hée kée­peth his arme stedfast, inforcing thereunto the sine wes and muscules. Wrastling also with the armes and legs: if the persons bee equall in strength, it doth exercise the one and the other: if the one be stronger, then is it to the weaker a more violent exercise. All these kinds of exer­cises, and other like them, do augment strength, & there­fore they serue onely for young men, which bee inclined, or be apt to the warres. Swift exercise without violēce is running, playing with weapons, tenise, or throwing of the ball, trotting a space of ground forward, & back­ward, going on the toes, and holding vp the hands. Also stirring vp and downe his armes, without plummets. Uehement exercise is compound of violent exercise, and swift, when they are ioyned together at one time, as daunsing of Galiardes, throwing of the ball, and running after it. Football play maye bee in the number thereof, throwing of the long Dart, and [Page 76] continuing it many times, running in harnesse, and o­ther like: the moderate exercise is long walking, or go­ing a iourney.

The parts of the body haue sundrie exercises appro­pried vnto them, as running and going is most proper for the legges: mouing of the armes vp and downe, of stretching them out, and playing with weapōs, serueth most for the armes and shoulders, stooping and rising of­tentimes, as lifting great waights, taking vp plum­mets, or other like poyses on the endes of the staues, and in likewise lifting vp in euery hand a speare or mo­respike by the ends, specially crossing the hands, and to lay them downe againe in their places: these doe exercise the backe and loynes. Of the bulke and lungs, the pro­per exercise is mouing of the breath in singing and cry­ing. The entrailes which be vnderneath the middreffe, be exercised by blowing either by constraint, or playing on shaulmes or sackbots, or other like instrumēts which doe require much winde.

The muscules are best exercised with holding y ^e breath in a long time, so that he which doth exercise, hath well digested his meate, and is not troubled with much wind in his bodie. Finally, lowd reading, counterfaite bat­taile, Cel. 2. tenise, or throwing the ball, running, walking, and to shooting, which in mine opinion excéede all the other, doe exercise the body commodiously. Alway remember, that the ende of violent exercise is, difficultie in fetching of breath. Of moderate exercise, alteration of breath on­ly, or the beginning of sweat.

Moreouer in Winter, running and wrastling is con­uenient. In Summer, wrastling a little, but not run­ning. In very cold weather, much walking, in hot wea­ther, rest is more expedient. They which seeme to haue moyst bodies, and liue in idlenes, they haue néede of vio­lent exercise. They which are leane and cholerike must walke softly, and exercise themselues very temperatly. [Page 77] The Plummets called of Galen Alteres, which are now much vsed with great men, being of equall weight, and according to the strength of him that exerciseth, are very good to be vsed fasting, a little before breakfast or dinner, holding in euery hand a plummet, and lifting them down with much violence, and so he may make the exercise vi­olent or moderate, after the poise of the plummets, hea­uier or lighter, & with much or little labouring with thē.

Of gestation, that is to say, where one is carried, and is of an other thing moued, and not of himselfe. CAP. 34.

THere is also an other kind of exercise, which is called Gestation, and is mixt with mouing and rest. For as much as the body sitting or lying séemeth to rest, and not­withstanding it is moued by that which beareth it, as ly­ing in a bed, hanging by cordes or chaines, or in a cradle, sitting in a chayre which is caryed on mens shoulders with staues, as was the vse of the ancient Romains, or sitting in a boate or barge, which is rowed, ryding on a horse which aumbleth very easily, or goeth a very softe pace. The bed, cradle, and chayre caryed, serueth for thē that are in long and continuall sicknes, or be lately reco­uered of a feuer. Also them which haue the frensie or li­ [...]harge, or haue a light tertiane feuer, or a quotidiane. This exercise swéetely asswageth troubles of the minde, and prouoketh sléepe, as it appeareth in children, which are rocked. Also it is conuenient for them, which haue the palsey, the stone, or the gout. Gestation in a chariot or wagon, hath in it a shaking of the body, but some ve­hement, and some more sost, the softe serueth in diseases of the head, and where any matter runneth downe into the stomacke and intrailes. But the vehement shaking is to be vsed in the griefes of the breast and the stomacke.

Also in swelling of the body and legges, in dropsies, palsies, migrimes, and scoto [...]ies, which is an imagina­tion [Page 78] of darkenes: being returned at the ende of his iour­ney, he must sit vp, and be easily moued. I haue known saith Aetius, many persons in such wise cured, w ^e out anie other helpe. Nauigation or rowing nigh to the land in a calm water, is expedient for them that haue dropsies, le­pries, palsies, called of the vulgar people takings & fran­sies: to be caried on a rough water it is a violent exercise, & induceth sundry affections of the mind, somtime feare, sometime hope, now cowarde heart, now hardines, one while pleasure, an other while displeasure. These exerci­ses, if they be wel tēpered, they may put out of y ^e the body al long during sicknesses: for y ^t which is mixt with rest & moouing, if any thing els may, it most excellently causeth the body to be well nourished. Celsus doth prohibite Ge­station, Celsus. 2. where the body féeleth paine, & in the beginning of feuers, but whē they cease, he alloweth it. Riding mo­deratly and without griefe, doth corroborate the spirit & body aboue other exercises, specially the stomack, it clen­seth the senses and maketh them more quicke. Albeit to the breast it is very noyful, it ought to be remēbred, that as wel this, as all other kinds of exercise, would bee vsed in a whole countrie, and where the ayre is pure and vn­corrupted. Foreséen that he that will exercise, do go first to the stoole, for the causes rehearsed in the last chapter.

Of Vociferation. CAP. 15.

THe chiefe exercise of the breast and instrumentes of the voyce, is vociferation, which is singing, rea­ding or crying, whereof is the propertie that it purgeth natural heate, and maketh it also subtill and stable, and maketh the members of the body substantiall and strong, resisting diseases. This exercise woulde bée vsed of per­sons shorte winded, and them which cannot fetch their breath, but holding their necke straight vpright. Also of them whose flesh is consumed, specially about the breast and shoulders. Also which haue had aposthumes broken [Page 79] in their breastes. Moreouer of them that are hoarse by the much moysture, and to them which haue quartayn fe­uers, it is conuenient: It looseth the humor that sticketh in the breast, and drieth vp the moistnes of the stomack, which properly the course of the quartaine is wont to bring with them, it also profiteth them which haue féeble stomackes, or doe vomite continually, or doe breake vp sowrenes out of the stomack. It is good also for griefs of the head. He that intendeth to attempt this exercise, af­ter that he hath beene at the stoole, and softly rubbed the lower partes, and washed his hands, let him speak with as bace a voyce as he can, and walking, beginne to sing lowder and lowder, but still in a bace voyce, and to take no heede of swéete tunes or harmonie. For that nothing doth profite vnto health of body, but to inforce himselfe to sing great, for thereby much ayre drawen in by fetch­ing of breath, thrusteth forth the breast and stomack, and openeth and inlargeth the pores. By high crying and lowde reading, are expelled superfluous humors. Ther­fore men and women hauing their bodies feeble, & their fleshe loose, and not firme, must read oftentimes lowde, and in a bace voyce, extending out the windpipe, and o­ther passages of the breath. But notwithstanding this exercise is not vsed alway and of all persons. For they in whome is aboundant of humours corrupted, or be much diseased with cruditie in the stomacke and veines, those doe I counsaile to abstaine from the exercise of the voice, least much corrupted iuyce or vapours, may thereby bée into all the body distributed.

And here I conclude to speake of exercises, which of them that desire to remaine long in health is most dili­gently, and as I might say, most scrupulouslie to bee ob­serued.

Of Repletion. CAP. 1.

REpletion is a superfluous aboundance of hu­mours in the body: and that is in two manner of wise, that is to say, in quantitie and in qua­litie: in quantitie, as where all the foure hu­mours are more in aboundance, then be equal in propor­tion to the body that containeth them, or where one hu­mour much exceedeth the remnant in quantitie. In qua­litie, as where the bloud or other humor, is hotter or col­der, thicker or thinner, then is conuenient vnto the body.

First, where all the humours being superfluously in­creased, filleth and extendeth the receptories of the bo­dy, as the stomacke, the veynes, and the bowels, and is most properly called fulnes, in Greeke Plethora, in La­tine Plenitudo.

The other is, where the body is infarsed either with choler, yellow or blacke, or with fleume, or with watrie humours, and is properly called in Greeke Cacothimia, in Latine Vitiosus succus, in English it may be called cor­rupt iuyce. I will not here write, the subtil & aboundant definitions and descriptions of Galen in his books de ple­nitudine, and in his commentaries vpon the aqhorismes of Hippocrates. For it shall here suffice, to shewe the ope­rations of repletion, good or ill, remitting them which bee curious, and desire a more ample declaration to the most excellent works of Galen, where he may bee satisfi­ed, if hee bee not determined to repugne against reason. Hippocrates sayth, where meate is receiued much aboue nature, that maketh sicknes, Galen declaring that place Lib. 2. Aph. a­pho. 12. Vbi ci­bus praeter na­tutam plus in­gestus est, hic morbum facit. sayth: more meat then accordeth with natures measure, is named repletion. And afterward he expounded that word aboue nature, to signifie too much and superfluos­ly, as who sayth, where the meat is superfluously taken, [Page 81] it maketh sicknes. For meate but a little excéeding tem­perance, Galen. in com­ment. loco praedicto. may not forth with make sicknes, but may yet kéepe the body within the latitude or bounds of health, for the meate that shal make sicknes, must not a little ex­céede the exquisite measure. The incommoditie which happeneth therby is, that moistnes is too much extended, and naturall heate is debilitate. Also naturall heate re­solueth some what of the superfluous meate and drinke. And of that which is resolued of meate vndigested, pro­céedeth fumosity grosse and vndigested, which ascending vp into the head, and touching the rym wherin the brain is wrapped, causeth headach, trumbling of the members, duskishnesse of the sight, and many other sicknesses, also by the sharpnes thereof, it pricheth and annoyeth the si­newes, which make sensibilitie, the rootes of whom are in the brayne, and from thence passeth through al the bo­dy. Finally the said [...]mosity ingendred of repletion, pier­cing the innermost part of the saide sinewes called sensi­ble, grieuously annoyeth the power animall, there consi­sting, by the occasion whereof, vnderstanding and rea­son, as to the vse of them are let and troubled.

And also the tongue which is reasons expositour, is de­priued of his office, as it appeareth in them which are dronke, and them which haue grieuous paines in their head, proceeding of repletions. Signes of repletion bee these, losse of appetite, delite in nothing, slothfulnes, dul­nes of the wit and senses, more sléepe then was accusto­med to be, cramps in the body, sterting or salcion of the Oribasius euo­riston. lib. 1. members; fulnes of the veines, and thicknes of the pul­ses, horrour or shroueling of the bodie mixte with heate. The remedies are abstinence and all euacuation, where­of I will make mention in the next Chapter.

Of Euacuation. CAP. 2.

THe meates and drinkes receiued into the bodie: if the stomacke and liuer doe their naturall office, bee alte­red [Page 82] by concoction and digestion in such wise, that the best part thereof, goeth into the nourishmēt of the body. The worst being separate by the members officiall, from the residue, are made excrementes in sundry formes and substances, which are like in qualitie to the natural hu­mour, which then raigneth most in the body. These ex­crements be none other, but matter superfluous, and vn­sauery, which by naturall powers may not be conuerted into flesh, but remaining in the body, corrupt the mem­bers, and therefore nature abhorring them, desireth to haue them expelled. These excrements be thrée in num­ber, ordure, vrine, humour superfluous. Moreouer there be two sortes of ordure, that is to say, one digested, which Ordure. passeth by siege, the other vndigested, which is expelled Digested. by vomite. Where I say digested, I meane that it is pas­sed the stomacke, and turned vnto an other figure. Like­wise I call that vndigested, which still remayneth in the figure of meate.

Uryne is the watrie substaunce of the bloud, like as Vrine. whay is of milke, which out of the meate that is altered, and concoct or boyled in the stomack, is strayned in the veins called Misaraice, which procéedeth from the holow part of the liuer, and sent by the raynes into the bladder, passeth by the instrument, the which is ordayned aswell to that purpose, as for generation.

Humour superfluous is in thrée sortes, ether mixt with any of the foure humoures, called naturall, or els it Humour su­perfluous. is gathered into the brayne, or it is betwéene the skinnes and the fleshe, or lyeth among the sinewes, Muscules or ioynts. Of humors some are more grosse, some are cold, subtill and hot, and are called vapours. Now for to ex­pell the said excrements, are 9. sundry kinds of euacuati­on, that is to say, abstinence, vomit, purgatiō by siege, let­ting of bloud, scarifying called cupping, sweating, prouo­cation of vrine, spitting, bleeding at the nose, or by heme­rodes. And in womē their naturall purgations. Of these [Page 83] euacuatiōs I will briefly declare, with the commodities, which by the discreet vse of them do happen vnto y ^e body.

Of abstinence. CAP. 3.

ABstinence is a forbearing to receiue any meate or Cor. Cel. lib. 2. Hipp. 2. aphor. lib. 7. drinke. For if it bee but in part, it is rather then cal­led temperance then abstinence. It ought to be vsed on­ly after repletion, as the proper remedie therefore. And thē if it be moderate, it consumeth superfluities, & in con­suming them, it clarifieth the humors, maketh the body Considerations in abstinence. fayre coloured, and not onely kéepeth out sicknes, but al­so where sicknes is entred, nothing more helpeth it if it be vsed in season. To them which haue very moist bodies hunger is right expedient, for it maketh them more drie, notwithstanding there ought to be considerations in the meate before eaten, in the age of the person, in the time of the yeare, and in custome. First in the meat before eaten, if it be much in excesse, or very grosse, or not much excée­ding, or light of digestion, and according therunto would abstinence more or lesse bee proportioned. Concerning Aph. lib. 1. Gal. in com­ment. age, Hippocrates sayth, old men may susteyne fasting ea­sily: next vnto them, men of middle age, young men may worse beare it, children worst of all, specially they that be lustie, notwithstanding, here Galen correcteth Hippo­crates saying: that he should haue excepted men very old, who, as experience declareth, must eate often and little. As touching time, it must be remembred that in winter and spring time, the stomackes bee naturally very hot, and sléepe is long, and therefore in that time, meates would bée more aboundant, and although much bee ea­ten, it will bee sooner digested. Wherefore abstinence would not be thē so much as in sommer, albeit, to abstein much in Sommer, except it bee after repletion, Damas­cene Damascenus apho. saith, it dryeth the body, it maketh the colour salow, it ingendreth melancholy, and hurteth the sight. Moreo­uer custome may not be forgottē, for they which be vsed [Page 84] from childhood, to eate sundry meales in the day, would rather be reduced to fewer meales, and little meate, then to be cōpelled to abstain vtterly, to the intēt that nature which is made by custome, be not rebuked, and the pow­er digestiue thereby debilitate. And note well, that by too much abstinence, the moisture of the body is withdrawē: and consequently the body dryeth, and wareth leane, na­turall heate, by withdrawing of moisture is too much in­cended, and not finding humour to worke in, turneth his violence to y ^e radicall or substantiall moysture of the bodie, and exhausting that humour, bringeth the bodie into a consumption. Wherefore Hippocra. saith, that too Apho lib. 2. scarce and exquisite an order in meat and drink, is for the more part more dāgerous then that which is more aboū ­dant. Contrariwise moderation in abstinence according to the said consideration is to health a sure bulwarke.

Of Vomite. CAP. 4.

THe meate or drinke superfluous, or corrupted, in the stomacke, is best expelled by vomite, if it be not verie grieuous to him which is diseased. Also the moderate vse Aetius lib. 3. of it purgeth fleume, lighteth the head, causeth that the excesse of meates or drinks, shall not annoy or bring sick­nesse. Moreouer it amendeth the affectes of the raynes, bladder and the fundament. It also helpeth against le­pries, cankers, goutes, dropsies, and also diuers sicknes­ses proceeding of the stomacke. For if any griefe happe­neth of the head, vomite is then vncommodious. It is better in winter & how in Sommer. Also good for them which are replete or very cholerick, if they haue not wel digested, but it is ill for them that bee lea [...]e, or haue weake stomacks. And therefore where one féeleth bitter vapors rising [...], with griefe and weigh­tines in the ouer partes of his bodie, let him run forth to this remedie. It is also good for him that is heart bur­ned, and hath much spit [...], or his stomack wambleth, and [Page 85] for him that remoueth into sundrie places. Yet I coun­saile, sayth Celsus, him that will be in health, and would Cor. Cd. lib. [...]. not be so soone aged, that he vse not this dayly. And I my self haue knowne mē which daily vsing it, haue brought thereby their stomackes in such custome, that whatsoe­uer they did eate, they could long retain it, wherby they shorten their liues. Wherefore it would not be vsed, but onely where great surfet, or abundance of fleume doe re­quire it. He that will vomit after meate, let him drinke sundrie drinks mixt together, and first of all, warme wa­ter: or if that be too easie, let him mixe there with salt, or hony. If he wil vomit fasting, let him drinke water and hony sodden together, or Hysope with it, or eate of a Ra­dish roote, and drinke warme water vpon it. Also water wherein Radish is boyled, and afterward prouoke him­selfe to it. They that wil haue more violent purgations, I remit to Phisitions learned. But yet I doe eftsoones warne them, that therein they bee circumspect, and doe not much vse it. Moreouer, in vomits, y ^e matter brought forth, would be considered, according to the rules of Hip­pocrates, in his second booke of prognostications, that is Hippo. prae­sag. 2. cap. 7. to say, if it be mixt with fleume and choler, it is most pro­fitable, if it be not in very great quantitie, or thicke, the lesse mixture it hath, the worse it is. If it be greene like to leeke blades thin or blacke, it is to bee iudged ill. If it haue all colours, it is extreame perilous. If it be leadie coloured, and sauoureth horrible, it signifieth a short a­bolition, or dissolution of nature. For as Galen affirmeth there in his comment, such manner of vomit declareth Galen de loci [...] affectis lib. 1. corruption with extincting of nature. Also euery putri­fied and stinking sauour in vomit is ill. These things be right necessarie to bee looked for where one doth vomit without any difficultie: but to enforce one to vomit, which cannot, is very odious and to be abhorred.

Of purgation by siege. CAP. 5.

IF the head be heauie, or the eyes dimme, or if there bée paine felt of the colicke, or in the lower part of the bel­ly, or in the hippes, or some cholerike matter or fleume in the stomacke. Also if the breath be hardly fetched, if the belly of himselfe sendeth foorth nothing, or if being costiue, one féeleth ill sauour or bitternes in his mouth, Cel. lib. 1. Actius lib. 3. or that which he maketh hath an horrible sauour, or if abstinence doe not at the first put away the feuer, or if the strength of the bodie may not sustaine letting of bloud, or els the time therefore conuenient is past, or if one haue dronke much before his sicknesse, or if he which oftentimes vnconstrained hath had great sieges, be sud­denly stopped. In all these cases, and where it is painfull to vomit, and in gnawing or frettings of the stomacke: finally, in all repletions, where a man cannot or will not be let bloud or vomit, it is expedient to prouoke siege by purgations, which are to be receiued by two wayes: vpward at the fundament by suppositories or clisters: downward at the mouth, by potions, electuaries, or pilles. Suppositories are vsed where y ^e patient is weak, and may not receiue any other purgations. Sometime forasmuch as the straite gut is stopped with excremēts, which are drie and hard: sometime where there néedeth none other purgation, specially in burning feuers, whereof the matter ascendeth into the head, thē clisters may doe harme, and by the benefit of suppositories, ex­crements are brought foorth without any annoyance. And oftentimes it bringeth foorth that which clisters may not. Suppositories are made sometime with hony onely, sodden, rolled on a boord, and made round, smaller at one end then at the other, and of the length and great­nes, according to the quantitie of the bodie that taketh it. Sometime there is mixt with the hony, salt dried, or salt and pepper, or the powder of such things as do ei­ther [Page 87] purge the humour which offendeth, or dissolueth grosse windes, or other matter: they be sometime made with rosme, pitch, waxe, or gummes: sometime of rootes, or the leaues of gréene Mercury, very small brused. Also with figges or raisons, the stones taken out, or of white sope made in the figure aforesayd, and being made in the fourme aforesayd, they must bée put in at the fundament to the great ende, and the patient must kéepe it there the space of halfe an houre or more.

Clisters are made of licour sometime simple, as water sodden, milke, oyle, or wine: sometime mixt, as water and oyle together, or decoctions, as where herbs, rootes, fruites, féedes, or gūmes, hauing propertie to make soft, dissolue, draw foorth, or expell matter that grieueth, bée boyled, & the licour thereof sometime warme, sometime hot, is receiued at the fundament into y ^e body, by a little pipe of gold or siluer, iuory, or wood, therefore ordained and called a clister pipe. This is necessary where the sto­mack is weake, and may not sustaine working of medi­cines receiued at the mouth: also in feuers, collickes, and other diseases in the bowels, griefe in the raines of the backe, or huckle bone, dentosities in the belly, inflamma­tion or exulceration in the guttes or bladder. It is a conuenient and sure medicine, and least hurt doth ensue of it. The making and ordering thereof, I will omit to write in this place, partly that I would not that Phisi­tions should too much note in me presumption, partly that another place may be more apt to that purpose.

The particular commodities of euery purgation. CAP. 5.

IN potions, electuaries, and pilles, ought to bee much more obseruation, than in clisters or suppositories, for as much as these doe enter no further then vnto the gut where the ordure lyeth, and by that place only bringeth foorth the matter which causeth disease. But the other [Page 88] entring in that way, that meates and drinkes doe, com­meth into the stomacke, and there is boyled, and sent in­to the places of digestion, and afterward is mixt with the iuyce, whereof the substance of the bodie is made, and ex­pelling the aduersarie humors, somewhat thereof doubt­lesse remaineth in the body. Wherefore men haue néede to beware, what medicines they receiue, that in them be no venenositie, malice or corruption, least for the expel­ling of a superfluous humour, which perchance good diet or some broths made of good hearbes, or the sayd euacua­tiō, with suppositorie or [...]ister, might bring foorth at lei­sure, by desiring of too hastie remedie, they receiue in me­dicine, that which shall ingender a venemous humour, and vneuitable destruction into all the bodie. And there­fore happie is he which in sicknesse findeth a discréet and well learned Phisitiō, and so true Apothecary, that hath alway drugs vncorrupted, and whom the Phisition may surely trust to dispense his things truely.

But now to returne to the sayd forme of purgation, I will now set foorth some coūsailes, concerning that mat­ter which I haue collected out of the chiefe Authors of Phisicke. Bodies hot and moyst, may easily sustaine purgation by the stoole. They which be leanie or thinne, hauing the members tender, may take harme by purga­tions. To men that are cholerike, & them that eat little, purgations are grieuous. In young children and olde men, it is daungerous to loose much the belly. To them that are not wont to it, purgation is noyfull. He that li­ueth in a good order of diet, néedeth neither purgatiō nor vomit. After that the purgation hath wrought, thirsti­nes, and sound sléep, be signes that the bodie is sufficient­ly purged. By daily [...] of medicines, Nature is cor­rupted. When ye will purge any thing, make first the matter flowing and soluble. Medicine to purge, ought not to be mingled with meats, but to be taken 4 houres at the least before meales, or three houres after meales, [Page 89] except certaine easie pils made to clense and comfort the stomack, which would be taken at the beginning of sup­per, or after supper, a little before that one goeth to bed, making a light supper or none. After purgation taken, the patient should rest, and not walke vntill the medi­cine hath wrought, nor eate nor drinke in the meane space. These things haue I remembred, because I haue knowne right good Phisitions, to haue forgotten to in­struct thereof their patients. Now will I set foorth the table of such things which of their propertie doe digest, or purge superfluous humours particularly, which I haue gathered out of the bookes of Dioscorides, Galen, Paulus Aegineta, Oribasius and Aetius, and other late wri­ters: notwithstanding, I haue not written all, for as much as there be diuers things, whereunto we haue not yet found any names in English.

• Endiue, Lettise, Cicorie, Scabiose, Mayden haire.
• Malowes, Mercury, The iuyce of pomgranades.
• Purslane, Popie, Barberies, Roses.
• Uiolets the leafe and flower, Sorell, Liuerwort.
• Sorell de boise, Whay clarified.
• The foure great colde séedes, that is to say, of Gourds, Cucumbers, Melons, and Citruls.
• Psilium, Uineger, Saunders, Barly water, Prunes, Tamarinds.

• Wild hops, Wormwood, Centorie, Fumitorie.
• Whay of butter, Uidlets, Mercury, Prunes.
• Juyce of Roses, Eupatorie.
• Tamarinds halfe an ounce in a decoction.
• Manna 6. drammes at the least, and so to 25. in the broth of a henne or capon.
• Reubarbarum by it selfe from two drams vnto foure, in­fused or stéeped in licour, from foure drams vnto eight.

• [Page 90]Fenell, Persely the rootes, Smallage, Capers, Lawrell.
• Senuie, Puly, Marioram, Peniroyall.
• Wild parsnep séede, Mint, Pimpernell, Horemint.
• Gladen, Agrimony, Calamint, Nep, Betany, Sage.
• Radish, Mugwort, Juniper, Hysope, Pyony, Baulme.
• Hony, Ginger, Souilla, Alstolochia, Cinamom.
• Pepper, Cumine.

• Centory, Nettle, Agrimony, Alder.
• Polipodium of the oke.
• Mirabolani kebuly, infused from halfe an ounce to an ounce, and two drams, in substance from two drams to halfe an ounce.
• Agaricus, from a dram to two drams, infused from two drams to fiue.
• Yreos, Maydenhaire, Sticados.

• The brath of Coleworts light boyled.
• Baulme mint, Sticados, Time.
• Sene boyled in white wine, or in the broth of a henne.
• Lased sauery, Epithimus, Unwrought silke, Organum.
• Calamint, Borage, Harts tung, Quickbeme.
• Maidenhaire, With wind, Pulial mountaine.
• Hony, Sugar.

Melancholy for the thinnes and subtilnes of the hu­mour, néedeth no digestiue.

They that will take sharpe purgations, or compound with diuers things, let them take the counsaile of an ho­nest and perfect Phisition, and not aduenture to mixe things together, without knowing the temperance of them in degrées, and that he can proportion them to the bodie that shall receiue them in simples, as they be writ­ten. And so he may vse them without perill, against the humours whereunto they serue.

Letting of bloud. CAP. 6.

THe part of euacuation by letting of bloud, is inci­sion, or cutting of the veine, wherby the bloud, which is cause of sicknes or griefe to the hole body, or any par­ticular part thereof doth most aptly passe.

The commodities wherof being in a moderate quan­titie, and in a due time taken, be these that follow: it cla­rifieth the wit, and maketh good memorie, it clenseth the bladder, it drieth the braine, it warmeth the marow, be­ing in y ^e bones, it openeth the hearing, it stoppeth teares, or droppings of the eyen, it taketh away lothsomnes, and confirmeth the stomacke, it nourisheth that which is proper to nature, and the contrary expelleth. It is thought that thereby life is prolonged, and the matter making sicknesse, shortly consumed. Wherefore let­ting of bloud is not onely expedient for them which are full of bloud, or haue abundance of strength, but also for them, in whom without plenitude called fulnes, inflam­mations begin to be in their bodies, or by some outward stroake, the bloud being gathered within by collection thereof, doe féele griefe or disease.

Also where there is much paine felt, or debilitie of some member, whereof is supposed to be ingendred some grieuous disease. Moreouer, they which vse excesse of meates and drinkes, may bee cured by letting of bloud. But those which be temperate, kéeping good diet, be hol­pen without letting of bloud: as by fricasies, vsing of bathes, exercise, walking, and riding moderatly. Also vnctions with oyles and oyntments called Diaphore­tice, which by euaporation, doe shortly euacuate the ful­nes. Albeit, if the fulnes be of melancholy bloud, then al­way néeds must be letting of bloud. Abundance of me­lancholy bloud is knowne by these signes. There is felt within y ^e entrales, or within y ^e bulke of a man or womā, a waightines with tension or thrusting outward, and al [Page 92] that part which is aboue the nauell, is more heauie then it was wont to bee: also much vrine and fattie, the resi­dence or bottome thicke, troublous, inflammation and much paine. These must be shortly let bloud, and the me­lancholy humour purged by siege. They which haue crude or raw humours, must be warily let bloud, before that sicknesse engender, but hauing the feuer in no wise. Concerning letting of bloud, these things following would be had in continuall remembrance, and bee afore Aetius lib. 3. thought on. In the abundance of the bloud, the qualitie and quantitie, the greatnes of the sicknesse, & if it be pre­sent or looked for. Also the diet preceding, the age and strength of the person, the naturall fourme of his bodie, the time of the yeare, the region or countrie, the present state of the ayre, the disuse of accustomed exercise, the ceasing of euacuations vsed before. In qualitie, consider of what humour the fulnes procéedeth. In quantitie, the abundance of that which is to be purged. In sicknesse, if it be dāgerous or tolerable: if y ^e sicknesse be present, it re­quireth the more diligence: if it bee looked for, it may bee the better proportioned. In diet, the custome in eating & drinking, must be specially noted. In young men & wo­men letting of bloud would be more liberall. In old men and yong children, it would be scarser: strong men must sustain bléeding, they which are féeble may not indure it. Large bodies haue greater vessels, then they which hée little. Leane men haue more bloud, corpulent men haue more flesh. The time of the yeare must be specially mar­ked. For in the beginning of spring time it is best letting of bloud, as Oribasius sayth, and so doth cōtinue, after the opiniō of Arnold, vnto y ^e 8. [...]alends of June. Aetius affir­meth, that in winter, or in a cold countrie, or where the person is of a very cold nature, y ^e veines shuld not be ope­ned. And Damascene sayth: They which in youth haue vsed to be much let bloud, after they be thréescore yeares olde, theyr nature wareth colde, if they were of a [Page 93] cold complexion, but that is to bee vnderstoode, where they that are in health, are often let bloud. For in the lapse from health and in diuers diseases, wherin the blood is corrupted, or where it ingendreth impostumes, or re­sorteth to any place, where it ought not to bee, or passeth by any other conduite then nature ordayned, or where it is furious or inflamed, or by any other meanes, bréedeth grieuous diseases, in all these cases, it ought to be practi­sed, yea somtime in aged persons, women with child, and young infants. For in extreme necessitie, it were better experience some remedie, then to doe nothing. All other things concerning this matter, pertaine to the part cura­tiue, which treateth of healing of sicknes, whereof I wil not now speake, but remit the readers to the counsayle of discreet Phisitions.

Of scarifying called boxing or cupping. CAP. 7.

FOr as much as it is not conuenient to be let bloud of­tentimes in the yeare, because much of the vitall spirit passeth foorth with the bloud, which being exhaust, the body waxeth colde, and naturall operations become the more féeble I therefore doe counsaile (sayt [...] Galen) that the base partes of the body, as the legs be scarified, which is the most sure remedie, as well in conseruing health, as in repayring thereof being decayed. For it cureth the eyne, being annoyed with long distillations, it profiteth also the head and ouerpart of the body against sundry dis­eases, in what member the bloud is gathered, the bodie being purged first by scarificatiō, the greef may be cured.

Also Oribasius affirmeth the same, and also addeth ther­to that it helpeth squināces, or quinces in the throat, and dissolueth the costipations or stoppinges made of all pla­ces, if the places be scarified, notwithstanding applicati­on of boxes about the stomacke in hot feuers, where rea­son is troubled, are to bee eschewed for feare of suffocati­on. Likewise put to the head vndiscretly, it hurteth both [Page 94] the head and the eyes. The late Authors do affirme, that scarifying is in the steed of letting bloud, wherefore age, debilitie, or time of the yeare, or other like consideration, a man may not susteyne bloud letting, and it bringeth forth the thinne bloud, which is next to the skinne.

Of bloud suckers or leaches. CAP. 8.

THere is also an other form of euacuation, by worms founde in waters, called bloud suckers or leaches, which being put into the bodye or member, doe draw out bloud.

And their drawing is more conuenient for fulnesse of bloud then scarifying is, for as much as they fetch bloud more déeper, and is more of the substance of bloude, yet the opinion of some men is, that they doe draw no bloud but that which is corrupted, and not proportionable vnto our bodie. And therefore in griefes which happen betweene the skinne and the fleshe of bloud corrupted, these are more conuenient then scarifying. But there­fore that they be put vnto any part of the body, they must be first kept all one day before, giuing vnto them a little bloud in fresh flesh. And then put them in cleane water somwhat warme, and with a spung wipe away the slime which is about them, and then laye a little bloud on the place grieued, and put them then to it, and lay on them a spung, that when they bee full, they may fall away, or if ye will sooner haue them off, put a horse hayre betwéen their mouthes and the place, and drawe them awaye, or put to their mouthes salt, or ashs, or vineger, and forth­with they shall fall, and then wash the place with a spūg, and if there doe issue much bloud, laye on the place the poulder of a spung, and pitch burned, or linnen cloth burned, or gaules burned, or the hearbe called Bursa pastoris bruised. And this sufficeth concerning bloud suckers.

Of Hemeroydes or piles. CAP. 9.

HEmeroides bee veynes in the fundament of whome doe happen sundry passions, somtime swelling with­out bléeding, sometime superfluous bloud by the puis­sance of nature is by them expelled, and then bée they ve­ry conuenient, for by thē a man shall escape many great sicknesses, which be ingendred of corrupted bloud, or of melancholie. Semblablie, if they bee hastilie stopped from the course which they haue béene vsed to, thereby doe increase the saide sicknesses, which by them were ex­pelled, as dropsies, consumptions, madnesse, frensies, and diuers diseases of the head, and other sicknesses: palenes of the visage, griefe in the raines of the back, and thighes. And if they flow too much, there insueth feeble­nes, learing of the body, alteration of colour, great pains in the lower partes of the bodie. And if the fluxe be vn­moderate, it ingendreth mischieuous diseases. Where­fore it would be diligently taken heede, that they runne in measure, or else to vse some things moderately, which may restrayne them. Concerning other euacuations, I doe purposely omit to write of them in this place, for as­much as in this realme it hath bin accounted not honest, to declare them in the vnlgar tongue, but only secretly.

Of effectes of the mind. CAP. 10.

THe last of thinges called not naturall, is not the least part to be considered, the which is of affects and pas­sions of the mind. For if they bee immoderate, they doe not only annoy the body and shortē the life, but also they doe appayre, and somtime loose vtterly a mans estimati­on. And that much more is, they bring a man frō the vse of reason, and sometime in the displeasure of Almightie God. Wherefore they doe not onely require the helpe of Phisicke corporall, but also the connsaile of a man wise and well learned in morall Philosophie.

[Page 96] Wherefore after I haue recited what they be, I will briefly declare such counsailes as I haue gathered. And as concerning remedy of phisicke, sauing a few simples, which do comfort the heart and spirits, the residue I will remit to the counsaile of Phisitions, like as I haue done in euacuation. Affects of the mind whereby the body is annoyed, doe bring in sicknesse be these, Ire or wrath, heauines or sorrow, gladiles or reioysing.

Of Ire. CAP. 11.

IRe is kindled in the heart, inordinately chasing the spi­rites there, and then is sent foorth vnto the members, and dooth superfluously heate them, and disturbeth rea­son where the bodies be hot afore, where naturall heate is feeble, the heate may not be dispersed vnto the extreme parts, and then doth the extreme members, that is to say, which is farre from the heart, remaine cold and tremb­ling. Of this affect on commeth sometime feuers, some­time apoplexis, or priuation of senses, trembling palseis, madnes, frensies, deformitie of visage: and that worse is, outragious swearing, blasphemie, desire of vengeance, losse of charitie, amitie, credence, also forgetfulnes of be­nefite proceeding, and of obedience, dutie and reuerence. These also doe succeed, contention, chargeable suite, vn­quietnes of mind, lacke of appetite, lacke of sléepe, féeble digestion, scorire, disdaine, and hatred of other, with pe­rill of losing of all good reputation. These incommodi­ties of Ire, perfectly had in remembrance, and at the first motion thereof on them thought on, may happen to bring in his fellowes, and thereby the flame may be quenched, or let him that is angrie, euen at the first, consider one of these things, that like as he is a man, so is also the other, with whom hee is angrie, and therefore it is as lawfull for the other to bee angrie, as vnto him, and if hee so bee, then shall the anger bee to him displeasant, and stirre him more to be angrie. Wherefore it appeareth that yre is to [Page 97] him lothsome. If the other be patient, then let him abhorre that thing in himselfe, the lacke whereof in the other con­tenteth him, and asswageth his malice. Moreouer let him before that occasion of yre doth happen, accustome himself to beholde and marke well them that beeangrie, with the successe of that anger, and ruminate it in his minde a good space after. And in that time, let him remember, howe Christ, the sonne of God, and God, who (as hee himselfe sayd) might haue had of God his father, if hee would haue asked thē, legiōs of Angels, to haue defended him, yea with lesse then a winke, might haue slayne all his aduersaries, yet hee notwithstanding rebuked, scorned, falsely accused, plucked hither, & thither, stripped, bounden with halters, whipped, spitte on, buffeted, crowned with sharpe thorne, laded with a heauie piece of timber, his owne proper tour­nement, halen and driuen forth like a calfe to the slaughter house, eftsoones beaten, and ouerthrowen, retched forth with ropes, armes and legs laid on the Crosse, and there­unto with long yron nayles through the handes and feete nailed, with many stroks of hāmers, with many prickings, or euer the nayles might pierce by his tēder and most bles­sed flesh and sinewes, quite through the harde tymber, vp to the heads of the nayles: and all this being done for the offence of mankind, & not his: yet with the men which did it, his most vnkind countrimen, his most vnnaturall kins­men, whome hee first made of nothing preserued by mira­cles, deliuered from perils, and cured of diseases, in all his vexation and trouble, he was neuer séene or perceiued an­grie. If one will say, that anger is natural, let him also cō ­sider that in Christes manhood were all naturall powers. If he wil say, that yre is taken of courage, and in Christ it lacked not, whom both angels and deuilles trembled and feared. The premisses often reuolued, and born in y ^e mind, I will not say, shall vtterlie extinct all motions of wrath which is not possible, but it shall when it kindleth lightly represse it, & let that it shall not grow into flame. And in speaking here of wrath, I doe not meane that which good [Page 98] men haue against vices: or wise and discreet gouernours & masters, against the defaults or negligences of their sub­iects or seruants, vsed in rebuking them, or moderatly pu­nishing them. For that is not properly yre, but rather to be called displeasure, and is that whereof God speaketh by his Prophet Dauid, saying, Be you angrie and do not sin. And of that maner of anger hath bin diuers holy men, pro­phets and other. And it appeared in Christ, when he draue out them which made their market in the holy temple of God, where there ought to be nothing but prayer. And in likewise when he rebuked the hypocrites. But if none of these things may come so shortly to his remembrance, that is moued with anger, at the least, let him thinke on the les­son that Appollodorus the Philosopher, taught to the Em­perour Octanian, that before he speake or doe any thing in anger, he doe recite in order, all the letters of the A. B. C, and remoue somewhat out of the place that he is in, & séeke occasion to be otherwise occupied. This shall for this time suffice, for the remedies of yre: And hee that will knowe more of this matter, let him reade in my worke called the Gouernour, where I thereof do write more aboundantly.

Of Dolour, or heauines of the mind. CAP. 12.

THere is nothing more enemie to life, then sorrow, cal­led also heauinesse: for it exhausteth both naturall heate and moysture of the bodie, and doth extenuate, or make the body leane, dulleth the wit, & darkneth the spirits, letteth the vse and iudgment of reason, and oppresseth me­mory. And Salomon saith: that sorrow drieth vp the hones. And also like as the moath in the garment, and the worme Prou. 17. & 25. Eccle. 25. & 38. in the tree, so doth heauinesse annoye the heart of a man. Also in the booke called Ecclesiasticus. Sorrow hath kil­led many, & in it selfe is found no commodity. Also by hea­uines death is hastened, it hideth vertue or strength, & hea­uines of hart boweth down the neck. This is so puissāt an enemie to nature, and bodilie health, that to resist the malice and violence therof, are required remedies, aswel of [Page 99] the holesome counsayles found in holy Scripture, and in the bookes of morall doctrine, as also of certaine hearbes, fruites, and spices, hauing the propertie to expell melan­cholicke humours, and to comfort and kéepe liuely the spi­rits, which haue their proper habitation in the hart of mā, and moderate nourishing of the naturall heate and humor called radicall, which is the bace or foundation, whereupon the life of man standeth, and that fayling, life falleth into ruine, and the body is dissolued. Now first I will declare some remedies against sorrowfulnes of heart, concerning necessarie counsayle. Sometime this affect happeneth of ingratitude, either where for benefite, or speciall loue em­ploied, one receiueth damage, or is abandoned in his neces­sitie, or is deceiued of him whom he trusted, or findeth him of whom he hath great expectation, forgetfull or negligent in his commodity, or perceiueth the person whom of long time he hath loued, to be estrāged from him, or to haue one of a later acquaintance in more estimation. This affection nippeth the heart, yea of most wise men, for they loue most hartilie, not prouoked by carnall affection, but rather by good opinion, ingendred by similitude of honest studies, and vertuous maners, of long time mutually experienced. And it is not onely vnto man grieuous, but also vnto God most displeasant and odious, as it is aboundantly decla­red in scripture. Wherefore the person which féeleth him­selfe touched with this affect, before that it groweth into a passion, & waxeth a sicknes, let him call to remembrance these articles following, or at the least wise, some of them. For euery ech of them may ease him, though perchaunce they cannot forthwith perfectly cure him. Consider, that Cōforts against ingratitude. Appianus in varia historia. the corruption of mans nature is not so much declared in any thing as in ingratitude, wherby a man is made worse then diuers bruite beasts. The little Ant or Emot helpeth vp his fellow, whom he séeeth ouerthrowen with burthen or by other other occasion.

Also when Elephants doe passe ouer any great water: the greatest & most puissant of thē deuide themselues, and [Page 100] setting the weakest in the middle part, goe before trying the deepenes and perils, part come after, succouring the weakest or least with their long noses, whē they sée them in danger. The same beasts haue béene séene not onely to bring men out of deserts, which haue lost their waies, but also renuing the displeasures done to them, which gaue them meate, as one that slewe him, which had committed aduoutrie with his masters wife.

The terrible Lions and Panthers haue bin seen in their manner to render thankes to their benefactors, yea and to abiect their owne bodies and liues for their defence. The same we may daily behold in our owne dogges.

Than in whom thou findest the detestable vice of ingra­titude, reputing him among the worst fortes of creatures, thinke not that thou hast lost a friend, but thinke that thou art deliuered from a monster of nature, that denoured thy loue, and that thou art now at libertie, and hast wonne ex­perience to chuse thee a better. But if this may not suffice, Sene. de bene­fi. 7. then eftsoones consider that if thou looke wel on thy selfe, perchance thou mayst finde the fault whereof thou com­playnest, within thine own bosome. Cal to thy remēbrāce if thou hast alway rendred vnto euery man condign thāks or benefite, of whom thou hast kindnes receiued, or if thou hast alwaye remembred, euerie one of them, that haue done to thee any commoditie or pleasure. Thou shalt well perceiue, that what thing y ^t thou receiuedst in childhoode, thou forgattest or diddest little estéeme, when thou camest to the state of a man. And what thou diddest remember in youth, in age thou diddest little thinke on, thy nurses Pap, her rockings, watchings, thou hast not alway remembred or equally recompenced. The Schoolemasters studie, his labour, his diligence in like degrée, thou hast not requited. What greater frend hast thou had of whom thou couldest receiue any greater benefites, thē the nourishing & preser­uing of thy life in thy most féeblenes, thine eruditiō, wher­by thy nature was made more excellent? Remēbring this, leaue to be angry or sorrowful, for so common a vice: yet if [Page 101] it cease not to grieue thée, confer the ingratitude that doth vex thée, with that in gratitude which was shewed by the Israelites, whom God chose for his own people, deliuered from seruage, shewed for them wonders, preserued them fortie yeares in y ^e desert, destroied for them kings, gaue to them the countrie which flowed with milke and hony, de­fended them against all outward hostilitie, sent vnto them such abundance of riches, that siluer was in Jerusalem, as stones in the stréet, and his tabernacle, and afterward his most holy temple among them, which he did daily visite, with his diuine maiestie, made their kings to raigne glo­riously, and spake with their Prophets familiarly, & cor­rected their errors most gently, and yet for all this, they imbracing the Paynimes Idolatrie, they left so gracious and louing a Lord, and liuing God, & to his great despite, gaue diuine honours to calues of brasse, and other mon­strous Images, and at the last, put to most cruell death, the onely sonne of God, that had done so much for them. And if we Christian men doe looke well on our selues, re­uoluing the incōparable benefit, which we haue receiued by Christs passion, and consider the circumstance of his most excellent patience, and most seruent loue towards vs, with our forgetfulnes, and the daily breach of our pro­mise, which we made at our Baptisme, cōferring our mu­tuall vnkindnes thereunto, there shall appeare no ingra­titude, that should offend vs. Finally for a conclusion, be­hold well about thée, and thou shalt all day find the chil­dren ingrate to their parents, & wiues to their husbands. And wilt thou looke that thy benefit or vaine expectation, should make thée more frée from ingratitude of thy frend, whom chance hath sent thée, then nature may the parents to their children, or the coniunction of bodies by lawfull mariage, take vnkindnes from the wiues toward the hus­bands? The vice therefore of ingratitude, being so com­mō a chance, make no worldly friendship so precious, that life or death therefore should be spent or consumed, I haue béen the longer in this place, because I haue had in this [Page 102] griefe sufficient experience.

If death of children because of thy heauines, call to thy Death of chil­dren. remembrance some children, of whom there is no little number, whose liues, either for vncorrigible vices, or in­fortunate chaunces, haue béen more grieuous vnto their parents, then the death of thy children ought to bée vnto thée: considering that death is a discharger of all griefes and miseries, and to them that dye well, the first entrie in­to life euerlasting.

The losse of goods or authoritie, doe grieue none but fooles, which do not marke diligently, that like as neither Losse of goods. the one nor the other doth alway happen to them that are worthie, so we haue in daily experience, that they fal from him suddenly, who in increasing or kéeping them, seemeth most busie. Oftentimes the repulse from promotion is cause of discomfort. But then consider whether in the o­pinion Lacke of pro­motion. of good men, thou art déemed worthie to haue such aduancement, or in thine owne expectation and fantasie. If good men so iudge thée, thanke thou God of that felici­tie, and laugh at the blindnes of them, that so haue refused thee. If it procéed of thine owne folly, abhorre al arrogan­cie, and inforce thy selfe to bee aduanced in mens estima­tions, before thou canst finde thy selfe worthie in thy pro­per opinion. All other chances of fortune estéeme as no­thing, Channces of fortune. and that long before they doe happen. The oft re­cording of miserie, prepareth the mind to féele lesse aduer­sitie. And the contempt of fortune is sure quietnes, & must perfect felicitie. This now shall suffice concerning reme­dies of morall Philosophy. Now will I write somewhat touching counsaile of Phisicke, as in relieuing the bodie, which either by the sayd occasions, or by the humour of melancholy is brought out of temper.

The first counsaile is, that during the time of that pas­sion, eschew to be angry, studious, or solitarie, and reioyce thée with melodie, or els bee alway in such companie, as best may content thée.

Auoyd all things that be noyous in sight, smelling and [Page 103] hearing, and imbrace all things that is delectable.

Flée darknes, much watch, and businesse of mind, much companying with women, the vse of things very hot and drie, often purgations, immoderate exercise, thirst, much abstinence, dry winds and cold.

Abstaine from daily eating of much olde béefe, or olde mutton, hard chéese, hares flesh, bores flesh, venison, salt fish, coleworts, beanes, and peason, very course bread, great fishes of the sea, as thurlepole, or porpise, and stour­gion, and other of like natures, wines red & thick, meates being very salt or sowre, old, burned, or fried, garlicke, o­nions, and léekes.

Use meates which are temperatly hot, and therewith somewhat moyst, boyled rather then rosted, light of dige­stion, and ingendring bloud cléere and fine. As milke hot from the vdder, or at the least new milked, euen these, swéete Ruen chéese, Almonds, the yolkes of reare egges, little birds of the bushes, chickens and hennes, white wine or claret, cléere and fragrant. Swéet sauors in win­ter hot, in summer cold, in the meane time temperate.

• Bourage the flower or leafe, Buglosse, Baulme mint.
• Elicampane, Cloues, Cardamomum, Rosemary.
• Lignum aloes, Muske, Ambergrise, Saffron.
• The bone of the Hart of a red déere.
• Mints, The rind of Citron, Beane, Cubebes, Basill.

• Uiolets, Pearles, Corall, The Unicornes horne.
• Old apples which be good, Roses, Sarnders.
• The Oliphants tooth, Water lillies, Coriander prepared.

• Jacinct, Saphire, Emeraulds.
• Mirabolanes called Kebuli, Buglosse, Gold, Siluer.

The dominion of sundrie com­plexions. CAP. 13.

IT seemeth to me not inconuenient, that I doe declare as well the counsailes of ancient and approued authors, as also mine owne opinion, gathered by diligent marking in daily experience, concerning as well the necessary diet of euery complexion, age, and declination of health, as al­so the meane to resist the discralies of the body, before sick­nes be therein cōfirmed, leauing the residue vnto the sub­stantiall learning, and circumspect practise of good Phi [...]i­tions, which shall the more easily cure their patients, if their patients doe not disdaine to beare away and followe my counsaile.

And first it ought to be considered, that none of the foure complexions; haue solely such dominion in any mā or wo­mans body, that no part of any other complexion is there­with mixt. For when we call a man sanguine, cholerike, fleumatike, or melancholike, we doe not meane y ^t he hath bloud onely without any of the other humours, or choler without bloud, or fleume without bloud or melancholy or melancholy without bloud or choler. And therefore the man which is sanguine, the more that he draweth vnto [Page 105] age, whereby naturall moysture decayeth, the more is he cholerike, by reason that heate surmounting moysture, néedes must remaine heat and drith. Semblably y ^e chole­rike man, the more that he waxeth into age, the more na­turall heate in him is abated, and drith surmounting natu­rall moysture, he becommeth melancholike: but some san­guine man hath in the proportiō of temperatures, a grea­ter mixture with choler then another hath. Likewise the cholerike or fleumatike man, with the humour of sanguin or melancholy. And therfore late practisers of Phisick are wont to call men, according to the mixture of their com­plexions, as sanguine cholerike, fleumatike sanguine, &c. Moreouer, beside the natural complexions which man re­ceiueth in his generation, the humours whereof the same complexions do consist, being augmented superfluously in the bodie or members by any of the sayd things, called not naturall, euery of them doe semblably augment the com­plexion which is proper vnto him, and bringeth vnequall temperature vnto the body. And for these causes the san­guine or fleumatike man or woman, feeling any discrasie by choler happened to them, by the said things called not naturall, they shall vse the diet described hereafter to him which is naturally cholerike. Semblably, the cholerike or melancholike man or woman hauing any discrasie by fleume, to vse the diet of him which is naturally fleuma­tike, alway remembring, that sanguine and fleumatike mē haue more respect vnto drith, cholerike and melancho­ly vnto moysture, and that alway as the accidentall com­plexion decaye [...], to resort by little and little to the diet pertaining to his naturall complexion.

The times appropried to euery naturall humour. CAP. 14.

BUt first it must be considered, that where the foure hu­mours bee alway in man, and in some man commonly one humor is more abundant then another naturally, that is to say, from his generation: The sayd humors haue also [Page 106] peculiar times assigned to euery one of them, wherein each of them is in his most power and force, as after insu­eth, after the descriptiō of Soranus. Fleume hath most pu­issance in winter, from the 8. Jous of Nouember, vnto the 8. Idus of February, whereby are ingendred Catarres, or rheumes, the vuula, the cough, and the stitch. This hu­mour is part in the head, part in the stomacke. It hath dominion from the third houre of night, vntill the ninth houre of the same night. Bloud increaseth inspring time from the 8. Idus of February, vnto the 8. Idus of May, whereof are ingendred feuers, and swéet humours, which doe shortly putrifie: the power of this humour is about the heart, and hath dominion frō the ninth houre of night, vntill the third houre of the morning.

Red choler hath power in Summer, from the 8. Idus of May, vntill the 8. Idus of August, whereby are ingen­dred hot and sharpe feuers: this humour is specially in the liuer, and hath dominion from the third houre of the day, vntill the ninth houre of the same day.

Yellow choler, whereof is ingendred the fleume of the stomacke, is nourished in Autumne, which beginneth the 8. Idus of August, and during vnto the 8. day of Nouem­ber, maketh shaking feuers and sharpe: the blacke cho­ler then increaseth, and then followeth thicknes of the bloud in the veines. Blacke choler or melancholy most raineth in the spléene, and it raineth from the ninth houre of the day, vntill the third houre of night.

Diet of them which are of sanguine complexion. CAP. 15.

FOrasmuch as in the sanguine men, bloud most raineth, which is soone corrupted, it shall be necessarie for them which are of that complexion, to bee circumspect in eating meate, that shortly will receiue putrification, as the more part of fruites, specially not being perfectly ripe: also meats that be of ill iuice, as flesh of beasts, too old or yong, vdders of beasts, braines, except of capons and chickens, marowe of the backe bone, much vse of Onyong, Léekes, Garlike, much vse of old figges, much vse of raw hearbes, and all things wherein is excesse of heate, cold, or moy­sture, meates that be stale, fishes of fennes, or muddie wa­ters, and too much sléepe, as experience sheweth.

Diet of cholerike persons. CAP. 16.

TO them which bee cholerike, being in their naturall temperature, and hauing not from their youth vsed the contrary, grosse meates moderatly taken, be more conue­nient then the meates that bee fine, and better shall they digest a péece of good béefe, then a chickens legge. Choler of his propertie rather burning, thē well digesting meats of light substance: notwithstanding, some Gentlemen which bee nicely brought vp in their infancie, may not so well sustaine that diet, as poore men, being the more part vsed to grosse meates, wherefore their diet must bee in a temperance, as yong béefe, olde veale, mutton, and veni­son powdred, yong géese, and such like, concerning theyr [Page 108] complexion with meates, like thereunto in qualitie & de­grée, according to the counsaile of Hippocrates. And as he perceiueth choler to abound, so to enterlace meates which bee colde, in a moderate quantitie, and to alay their wine more or lesse with water, eschewing hot spices, hot wines, and excessiue labour, whereby the body may be much cha­sed. Also he may eate oftner in the day thē any other: fore­seene, that there be such distance betwéene his meales, as the meate before eaten be fully digested, which in some per­son is more, in some lesse, according to the heate & strength of his stomacke, noting alway that the cholerike person digesteth more meate then his appetite desireth: the me­lancholike person desireth by false appetite more then his stomacke may digest. And to a cholerike person it is right daungerous, to vse long abstinence: for choler finding no­thing in the stomacke to conco [...]t, it fareth then as where a little pottage or milk, being in a vessell ouer a great fire, it is burned to the vessell, and vnsauery fumes & vapours doe issue out thereof. Likewise in a cholerike stomacke by abstinence, these inconueniences doe happen, humours adust, consuming of naturall moysture, fumosities and stinking vapours, ascending vp to the head, whereof is in­gendred dusking of the eyes, head-aches, hot and thinne rheumes after euery little surfet, and many other incōue­niences. Wherfore, beside y ^e opinion of y ^e best learned mē, mine owne painfull experience also moueth me to exhort them, which bee of this complexion, to eschew much absti­nence. And although they bee studious, and vse little ex­ercise, yet in the morning to eate somewhat in a little quā ­titie, and not to studie immediatly, but first to sit a while, and after to stand or walke softly, which vsing these two yeares, I, and also other, that haue long knowne me, haue perceiued in my bodie a great alteration, that is to say, frō ill estate to better. Alway remember, that if any other hu­mour do abound in y ^e cholerike person, as fleume, or melā ­choly, then vntill that humour be expelled, the diet must be correctiue of that humour, and therfore more hot and fine, [Page 109] thē the natural dyet before rehearsed: but yet there would be alway respect had to the naturall complexion, sometime offering the person to eate or drinke that, which nature working he feruently desireth.

Diet of Fleumaticke persons. CAP. 17.

IT is to bee remembred, that pure fleume is properly cold and moyst, and lacketh taste. Salt fleume is mixte with choler, and therefore hath not in him so much cold or humi­ditie, as pure fleume hath, and therefore it requireth a tem­perance in things hot and drie, whereby fleume is digested or expulsed. To fleumaticke persons all meates are noyful, which are very colde, viscous or slimie fat, or soone putri­fied, eating much and often, specially meates ingendring fleume, which be remembred in the table preceding. All thinges bee good which are hot and drie, also meates and drinkes which be sowre: Onions also and Garlike mode­rately vsed, be very commendable: in pure fleame not mixt with choler, much vsing of salte, specially dryed. Pepper grosse beaten, and eaten with meate, ought to bee with all fleumaticke persons familiar, also Ginger is right conue­nient, but not [...]o bee so frequently vsed as pepper, for as much as the nature of pepper is, that being eaten, it passeth through the body, heating and comforting the stomacke, not entring into the veynes, or annoying the liuer, which vertue is not in Ginger, Ginger condite the which we do call gréene Ginger, specially condite with sugar, if it may be gotten, and also Mirabolanes called [...]ebuly condite in Judea, be most excellent remedies against fleame, also the hearbes, which are remembred afore in the tables of dige­stiues of fleame, and the rootes of Parsley, Fenell, Preos, Elicampane, and carrotes be very commendable. Exercise twise in a daye, the stomacke being almost emptie, so that sweate begin to appeare, is very expedient, clensing of the body from all filthinesse with rubbing and wiping often­times, with washing, specially the head and partes there a­bout, moderate sweating, in hot bathes or stoues, be to this [Page 110] complexion necessary, specially when they haue eaten and dronken excessiuely. The head and feete to bee kept from colde, and to dwell high and farre from moores, and ma­rishes, is a rule right necessary: also to abstain from eating hearbes and rootes not boyled, and generally from all meates which will not be easily digested.

The diuision of melancholy, and the diet of persons melancholicke. CAP. 18.

MElancholie is of two sorts, the one is called naturall, which is onely cold and drie, the other is called adust or burned: naturall melancholy is, as Galen sayth, the residence or dregges of the bloud: and therefore is colder and thicker then the bloud. Melancholy adust is in foure kinds, either it is of naturall melancholy adust, or of the more pure part of the bloud adust, or of choler adust, or of salt fleum adust. But of al other that melancholy is worst, which is ingendred of choler, finally all adust melancholy annoieth the wit and iudgement of man: For when that humor is het, it maketh men mad, and when it is extinct, it maketh men fooles, forgetfull and dull. The natural me­lancholy kept in his temperance, profiteth much to true iudgemēt of y ^e wit, but yet if it be too thick, it darkneth the spirits, maketh one timorous, and the wit dull: if it be mixt with fleame, it mortifieth the bloode with too much colde, wherefore it may not bee so little, that the bloud and spi­rites in their feruentnesse, be as it were vnbridled, where­of doe happen vnstablenesse of witte, and slipper remem­brance, nor yet so much that by the waight thereof (for it is heauie approching night to the earth) that wée séeme to be alwaye in sleepe, and neede a spurre to pricke vs forward. Wherefore it is right expedient to keepe that humour as thinne as nature will suffer it, and not to haue too much of it. But now to the dyet pertaining to them, whom this humoure annoyeth. The knowledge that melancholie raineth is oftentimes heauines of minde, or feare without cause, sléepines in the members, many cramps without re­pletion [Page 111] or emptines, sodaine furie, sodaine incontinency of the tongue, much solicitude of light things, w ^e plainnes of the visage, and fearefull dreames of terrible visions, drea­ming of darkenesse, déepe pittes, death of friendes, or ac­quaintance, and of all things that is blacke. The meates conuenient are they, which bee temperately in heate, but specially they that be moyst meats soon digested, and they rather boyled then rosted, temperatly mixt with spice, milk hot from the vdder, or latemilked, is very conuenient for that complexion, sweet almonds blanched, & almond milk, the yolke of reere egges, and finally all things which in­gender pure bloude, and all that is written in the chapter of age, all these bee ill for them: wine thicke or troublous, specially red wine, meates hard, dry, very salt, or sowre, burned meate, fryed meat, much béefe, beares flesh, beans, rocket, colewortes, mustard, radish, garlike, except there be much wind in the body, for then it is very holsome, ony­ons, léekes, finally all things which heateth too much, kil­leth too much, or drieth too much, also wrath, feare, compas­sion, sorrow, much study, or care, much idlenes or rest, all thing that is grieuous to sée, to smell or to heare, but most specially darkenes.

Moreouer much drying of the bodye, either with long watch, or with much care and tossing of the minde, or with much lecherie, or much eating and drinking of thinges that bée hot and drie, or immoderate euacuation, laboure, abstinence, thirst, going in the ayre vntemperately hotte, colde, or drie, all these thinges doe annoye them that bee grieued with any melancholy. It is to be diligently consi­dered, that where melancholy happeneth of choler adust, there meates which bee hot in working would bee wisely tempered, and drinking of hot wines would be eschewed, semblably cautele would bee in sauours, notwithstanding moderate vse of small wines cléere and well verdured, is herein very commendable, the humor thereby being clari­fied, and the spirites clensed, but the abuse or excesse there­of, doth as much domage.

[Page 102] Also it is right expedient, to put into wine or ale, a gad of siluer or golde, glowing hot out of the fire, to temper hot meate with roses, violets, saunders, rose water, borage, bu­glosse, baulme, called in Latine Melissa, or the water of all three, dronken with good wine white or claret, or made in a iulep with sugar, is wonderfull holsom, chewing of lyc [...] ­rise, or rayson or corance, is right expedient, but most of al other things, myrth, good companie, gladnes, moderate ex­ercise, with moderate feeding. And thus I leaue to speake of dyets, aptly belonging to the foure complexions.

What cruditie is, and remedies therefore. CAP. 1.

I Will some what write of two discrasies of the bodye, which doe happen by the excesse or lacke of thinges cal­led not naturall, whereof I haue spoken before: the one is called cruditie, the other lassitude, which although they bee wordes made of Latine, hauing no apt english worde therefore, yet by the definition and more ample declarati­on of them, they shall be vnderstoode sufficiently, and from henceforth vsed for english. But first it shall be necessary to consider, that concoction is an alteratiō in the stomacke Concoction what it is. of meates and drinks, according to their qualities, where­by they are made like to the substance of the body. Crudity is a vicious concoction of thinges receiued, they not being Cruditie what it is. The cause of cruditie. wholly or perfectly altered: the cause thereof is sometime the distemperature of the stomacke, sometime inflannna­tions, sometime matter congealed, or impostumes in the stomacke, other while ingurgitation of meate and drinke: or for the vicious qualitie of the same meates or drinkes, or the receiuing of them out of order, or lacke of exercise, or of conuenient euacuation. Galen sayth, that in cruditie or vicious concoction, it must be considered, as wel if the [...]uke be vtterly corrupted, and may not bee sufficiently concoct, [Page 113] as also if it be in the way of concoction: for if it be corrup­ted it must be expelled by sweator vrine, if it be half cōcoct, then must such things be ministred, as may helpe to profit concoction, hauing regard to the qualitie and temperance of the iuyce, that is to say, whether it be thick or thin, fleu­maticke or cholericke: which shalbe perceiued by the dyet preceding, and also by other thinges named not naturall, for fleumaticke meates eaten in great quantitie or often, maketh fleumaticke iuyce.

Likewise doth lacke of conuenient exercise, too much rest or idlenes, as cholericke meats, and dehement labors, do make cholerick iuice in sommer, and melancholick iuice in Autumne, specially where laboures bée continuall or long during. Also where laboure is with much sweate, there is the vrine more grosse: where it is without sweat, there it is thinner. Moreouer the colour and substance of the vrine declareth the temperance of the iuyce, which shall be here after declared in the table vrines.

Semblably the colour of the body declareth the iuice that is in it, for being whiter then it was wont to be, it signifi­eth aboundance of fleume: being more pale or yelow, it be­tokeneth excesse of choler: if it be blacker, it signifieth me­lancholy, if the ill iuice be much in quantitie, and the bloud little, the ill iuyce would bee digested, and expelled with such thinges as doe serue for that temperature, but if the bloud bee much, and the ill iuyce little in quantitie, there would the vaine be opened, and after sufficient bléeding a conuenient purgation giuen, hauing regard as well of the quantitie of the iuyce, as of the kind thereof: in case that either for age or for timorousnes, a man will not bee let bloud, then must he be purged by siege in more abundance. But if hee in whom is little good bloud and much ill iuice, and feeleth a lattitude or wearinesse in all his bodie, hee should neither he let bloud, nor receiue purgation, nor yet laboure or walke much: but abide in much quiet, and as­say to sleep much, and receiue such meats, drinks and medi­cines, which do extenuate or make thin, cut, & digest grosse [Page 114] humors, without vehement heate, whereof it is written in the table of digestiues: in the number of whom is oximel, being well made, or Acetosus simplex, where the iuyce is much cholerick or melancholick. Semblably, capers with oyle and vineger be praised of Galen. When there appea­reth in the vrine a residence light and white, then wine white or claret moderately taken, helpeth to concoction, maketh a good iuyce, and prouoketh vrine, then increase frications and exercise by little and little, & then let him re­turne to his natural diet. In whom is aboundance of raw iuice, & outwardly féeleth a lassitude, to them Galen coun­sayleth, the second or third day to giue meate, wherein J­sope is boyled and afterward to vomite.

The meane to escape cruditie, is to be diligent in obser­uation of the counsels before written concerning y ^e things called not naturall, not much vsing meates that be verie hard to concoct, also fat meate, and meates long kept, also corrupted, strinking, swéete fruits, and banquetting dishes, hastie féeding witho [...] good chewing, also much or very oft drinking at meales, very much heate, or very much colde, after meate.

Furthermore it must bée considered, that all thinges which bringeth griefe to the bodie, is ingendred either of too much aboundance of iuyce, or of the vicious qualitie thereof. Hee that is sicke of aboundance, the diet of him wholly consisteth in reducing the iuice to a cōueniēt quan­titie. Hee that is grieued with the vicious qualitie of the iuices, his order resteth in making the iuices equal in tem­perature. Moreouer, where that which passeth out of the body, is lesse thē that which is receiued into the body: there happeneth sicknesse which commeth of aboundance, in the which case it ought to be diligently foreséene, that there be obserued a conuenient meane of meates and drinks, in re­spect of that which is expelled out of the body, which may be done, if the quantitie of each of them be wisely conside­red. And where aboundance is, there the quantitie, or qua­litie, or both be tempred.

[Page 115] Alway remember that of crude iuyce bee diuers kindes, some be colde and fleumaticke, some be hot and cholerick, other be more thinne and watrie, some of blacke choler, or melancholicke. They which doe abound in any of them, must abstaine from such meats & drinks, which doe ingen­der such iuice, as doth annoy them: those meats and drinks be declared in the tables preceding. Aetius also would that Aetius serm. 9. he should drinke a draught of colde water, affirming that thereby the stomack being corroborate, driueth out of him downe into the belly, that which cleaueth fast to it. I my selfe vsing to drinke fasting, very smal béere or ale, when I haue beene in that case, haue found ease by it. Paulus Aegi­neta willeth that at the beginning, the legs & armes should bee rubbed with a course linnen cloth, the legges downe­ward to the feet, the armes to the tops of the fingers, and when they be well chafed, then to rub thē again with some oyle, that doth open the pores & discusse the vapors as oyle of Camomile, oile of a neate, & other like, he praiseth much mulse, or the water of hony, specially if some Isope be boi­led in it. Galen and all other do agrée, that in this case pep­per brused & eaten with meat, is very expediēt. And where there is much wind in the stomacke, then to eate all times of the day, of the medicine made of the thrée kindes of pep­per, time, annise seede, and hony clarified, which is called Diatrion piperion, or that which is called Diaspoliticon, or Diapiganon, which is made of Cummine, stéeped one day and a night, or longer in tart vineger, and after fryed or laide on a burning hot stone, and made in pouder, also pepper and rue dried somwhat, and made into pouder al in equal portions, and mixt with clarified hony, Galen addeth thereto salt peter called in latine nitrum. The confection made with the iuyce of quinces, and is called Diacidoni­on, is very excellent. But it is to be diligently noted, that where cruditie is in a cholericke person, there would the said medicines be temperatly vsed, & the said Diacidoniō to haue little or no spices in it. And for my part, being of a cho­lericke humour mixt with fleume, manie yeares continu­allie [Page 116] in cruditie. I neuer found any thing better then fine Rewbar be chewed w ^t raisons of corents, which I took by the counsell of the worthiefull and well learned Phisition, maister Doctour Augustine, who in his manners decla­reth the gentlenesse of his ancient bloud, which medicine I doe not leaue to vse dayly fasting when I féele some cru­ditie to begin. Also syrope acetose, that is to say, sugar sod­den in pure vineger, and a little water, vntil it be thicke as a syrupe, is sometime conuenient, and that as well to cho­lericke persons as vnto fleumatick, & if fleum be abundant, then with rootes and séedes of fenel & parcely sodden with it. Also in that case oximell, that is to saye, honye and wa­ter sodden together with the said rootes and séedes, and a quantity of vineger put therto in the boyling is very com­mendable. If the parient be very costiue, then y ^e medicine of Galen called Hierapicra, from halfe an ounce to an oūce taken in water of hony or ale, or taken in pilles, the weight of a greate, and a halfe, or two groates, if the stuffe bee good, will purge the bodie sufficiently, without making the bodie weaker. Also that medicine by clensing the sto­macke and bodie, deliuereth a man and woman from anie perilous sicknesses. If the humours in the stomacke bee not putrified, but that it is greeued with aboundance of falt [...], I haue found that milke new milked, where­in is put a quantitie of good hony or sugar, and thrée leaues of good speare mintes, and a little boyled, so being dronke warme fasting, the quantity of a pinte, and resting on it without eating or drinking any other thing the space of 3. houres after, haue aboundantly purged and comforted the stomacke, but where there is no fleum but onely choler, it is not so holesome, but rather hurteth, making fumosities in the head, whereof comnieth headach.

Of distillations called commonly rheumes, and of some re­medies against them right necessary. CAP. 2.

FOr as much as at this present time in this Realme of Englande, there is not any one more annoyance to the [Page 117] health of mans bodie, then distillations from the head cal­led rheumes, I will not let to write some what of them, wherby men may take benefit if they will, although some Phisitions more considering their market, then their due­tie to God and their countrie, will be neuer so much offen­ded with mine honest enterprise.

Distillation is a dropping downe of a liquid matter out of the head, and falling either into the mouth, or into the nosethrils, or into the eyes, and sometime into the chéekes and eares: that which falleth into the mouth is receiued of the throte, into that part which is the instrument of the voyce, which at the first maketh hoarsenes, & in processe of time maketh the voyce little, and vnneth to be heard. And if the rheume be sharpe, it raiseth the inward skinne of the throte, & sometime in doth exulcerate the lungs. If it doth fall into the stomacke, the rheume being a cold, it altereth the bodie into a cold distemperance: if he be hot, it maketh a hot distemperature, & doth some what exulcerate in pro­cesse of time, and at the beginning abateth appetite, & ma­keth feeble concoction. The cold rheume maketh concoc­tion slow, and also cruditie, and ingendreth foure fumes in the mouth. If it be corrupted, it turneth also nourishment vnto corruption, which maketh vpbrayding fumish or sharpe, or of some ill qualitie, which cannot be expressed: if the matter do descend lower, it tormenteth the guts called ieiunium, and colon, & toucheth other vessels from whence procéedeth digestion: in this discrasie two things are to be prouided for: first to let that the rheume doe not distill into the sayd places: or if it hath done, that it be shortly expel­led from them. First, to let that it shall not distill, it shalbe necessary to eate some meate the sooner in the morning, if there hath not preceded repletion. Where the tempera­ture of all the bodie is cholerike, and the stomack is weak, the stomack would be made strong with such things as of their property do comfort the stomack: foreséene that they be moderatly cold and moyst. And that which is alreadie fallen into the stomacke, must be expelled with vomite or [Page 118] siege, prouoked with wormewood, stéeped all one day and a night in a little small white wine, or small ale or stale, which haue vertue onely to wipe away the filth from the stomacke: but if it be sucked déep into the filmes of the sto­macke, then is it better to take the medicine called Hiera­picra, either in powder with drink warmed, or els in pils, to the number of [...]iue or moe, in the morning sixe houres before any other meate or drinke taken, afterward to an­noynt the mouth of the stomack with oyle of Masticke, or Nardinum temperatly warme, alway if a hot rheume doe fall into a hot stomack, then meates and drinkes which be cold in vertue, would onely be vsed, where the stomack is distempered with heate, and the rheume distilleth into a cold head, there is the discrasie hard to be cured. And they which be so affect or diseased, must take such things as may dissolue the fleume, and clense the stomacke without hea­ting thereof, of the which vertue we know Oximel to bee of. If the stomacke and head bee both distempered with cold, then must bee vsed meates, drinkes and oyntments, which onely be hot, and vtterly to forbeare all that is cold. By these distillations or rheumes, happeneth many other grienous diseases, besides those whereof I haue spoken, as in the head whirlings, called in Latin Vertigines, sud­den swoundings, falling sicknesse, poses, stinking of the nose, called Polipus, sores in the mouth, toothach, pin and webbe in the eyes, dulnes in hearing, squinces, fretting of the bowels, with flixes, shortnes of breath, griefe in the heart, palsies, ach in the muscules and ioynts: wherefore it is not be neglected. And I doe much maruaile that our Phisitions doe not more studiously prouide therefore re­medies. I my selfe was by the space of foure yeares conti­nually in this discrasie, and was counsailed by diuers Phi­sitions to kéepe my head warme, and to vse Diatrion pi­perion, and such other hot things, as I haue rehearsed: at the last, féeling my selfe very féeble, and lacking appetite and sléepe, as I happened to reade the booke of Galen, De temperamentis, which treateth De inequali temperatura, [Page 119] and afterward the sixt booke, De tuenda sanitate, I percei­ued that I had béen long in an errour. Wherefore first I did throw away my quilted cap, & my other close bonets, and onely did lye in thinne coyfe, which I haue euer since vsed both winter and summer, and ware a light bonet of veluet onely, then made I Oximell after the doctrine of Galen, sauing that I boyled in vineger rootes of parsly and Fenell, with Endiue, Cicorie, and Betany, and after that I had taken it 3. daies continually, euery day 3. spoonefuls in the morning warme: then tooke I of the same Oximell, wherein I had infused and stéeped one dramme of Aga­rike, & halfe a dramme of fine Reubarbe, the space of thrée daies and thrée nights, which I receiued in the morning, eating no meat sixe houres after, and that but a little broth of a boyled henne, whereof insued eight stooles abundant of choler and fleume: soone after I slept soundly, and had good appetite to eate. After supper I would either eate a few Coriander seedes prepared, or swallow downe a little fine Mastix, and forbare wine, and dranke onely ale, and that but little, stale and also warmed. And sometime in the morning would take a perfume of Storax calamita, and now and then I would put into my nosethrilles either a leafe of gréene Lawrell, or Betany, or water of Marier [...] brused, which caused the humor to distill by my nosethrils. And if I lacked Storax, I tooke for a perfume the rindes of old Rosemary, and burned them, and held my mouth o­uer the fume, closing mine eyes: afterward to comfort my stomacke and make it strong, sometime I would eate with my meate a little white pepper grosse brused, some­time Galens electuary made of the iuyce of Quinces, called Diacidonion, sometime marmalade of quinces, or a quince rosted. And by this diet, I thank almightie God, vnto whō onely be giuen all glorie, I was reduced into a better state in my stomacke and head, then I was sixtéene yeares be­fore, as it may appeare vnto thē which haue long knowne mée. And this haue I not written for vaine glorie, or of presumption, but to the intent that they which haue [Page 120] their bodies in like tēpexature as mine was, that is to say, being cholerike of complexiō, and hauing rheumes falling out of a hot head, may if they list assay mine experience, or in the stéed of my sayd infusion, take Hierapicra, with ale or water to purge them, whereof shall not insue so much peril, as of corrupted syrupes, and other confections called Magistrates, made with old rottendrugs, though the Phi­sitions be neuer so well learned. In bodies of other tempe­rature, I would not that mine experience should be practi­sed but with discretion, tempering the medicine, as y ^e qua­lities of the stomack and head doe require, remembring al­way that hot rheumes be thin & subtil, cold rheumes be for the most part thick. And that they which be thin, would be made thicke, that they pierce not so fast. And y ^t they which be thicke, would be made thin, that they may the sooner be purged. Finally, this dare I affirme, that the rheumes, which of late time haue béen more frequent in this realme, then they were wont to be fortie yeares passed, haue hap­pened of none occasion more shē of banquetings after sup­per, and drinking much, specially wine a little after sléepe. Another thing is the kéeping the head too hot or too lōg co­uered, whereby the braine, which is naturally colde, is di­stempered with hot vapours ascending from the stomack, those same vapours being let to euaporate, or passe foorth out of the head, and therefore be concreate or gathered into a humor superfluous, which stilleth downestsoones out of the head into the places before rehearsed. Yet now a daies if a boy of 7. yeares of age, or a young man of 20. yeares, haue not two caps on his head, he & his friends will think that he may not continue in health. And if the inner cap be not of veluet, or [...], a feruing man feareth to loose his credence. A Parson, Ui [...]ar, or parish priest, by vsing their veluet caps imbrodred with laces, doe make some men thinke that they be ashamed of their crownes, that late to­ken of the order of Priesthood, the which notable abuse, I much maruaile that the Bishops wil suffer, specially they which haue had leisure to reade the workes of S. Ciprian, [Page 121] S. Hierom, Chrisostomus, S. Ambrose, and sundrie decrées made by the old Fathers concerning the honest vesture of priests, which although it seeme a light matter to some men, yet it augmēteth or minisheth not a little in priests the estimation of their conditions. Salomon confirming the same, saying: The garment, the gate, and laughter of a man declareth what he is. But this matter will I leaue to another place, where I intend to speake more abundāt­ly of it, if it be not the sooner amended. Now to conclude, as long as the said occaūons cōtinue, so long men shal not be without rheumes, although they were all perfect Phi­sitions.

Of Lassitude. CAP. 3.

LAssitude is a disposition toward sicknesse, wherein a man féeleth a sorenes, a swelling, or an inflammation. Sorenes happeneth of humours sharpe and gnawing, as after great exercise and labours, which lassitude happe­neth Actius lib. 3. to them, whose bodies are full of ill iuyce and excre­ments. Also after cruditie in thē which are not exercised, [Page 124] or doe abide long in the heate of the sunne. It may also bée in the bodie wherin is good iuyce, if he be fatigate with im­moderate exercise. In them which doe féele this lassitude, Galen detuen. sanit. lib. 3. the skinne appeareth thicke and rough, and there is felt a griefe sometime in the skinne onely, sometime also in the flesh, as it were of a sore. The cure thereof is by much and pleasant rubbing with swéete oyles, which haue not the vertue to restraine or close, and that with many hands, & afterward to exercise moderatly, and to bee bained in wa­ter swéet and temperate in heate: also then must be giuen meates of good iuyce, pottage but seldome, wine is not to be forbidden: for vnto wine vnneth any thing may be com­pared, that so well digesteth crude humours: it also prouo­keth sweate and vrine, and maketh one to sléepe soundly. But if this lassitude doe abide the night and day follow­ing, or waxeth more and more, then if the patient be of good strength and young, and hath abundance of bloud, let him be let bloud, or prouoke the hemerhoydes or piles to bléede if they do appeare. But if it procéed of the malice of any humour without abundance of bloud, then resort to purgations apt for the humour that grieueth. The tokens whereof shall appeare as well by the colour of the skin & diet preceding, as by vrine, ordure, sweat, thirst, appetite, as it is rehearsed before in the complexiōs. If the ill bloud be little in quantitie, and the crude humours abundant, thē shall he not bee let bloud, nor vehemently purged, neither shal exercise or moue himselfe, or be bained. For al exercise carrieth humours throughout all the bodie, and stoppeth the powers: wherefore these manner of persons should be kept in rest, & such meates, drinkes, & medicines, should be giuen to them which should attenuate or dissolue the gros­nes of the humours without notable heate, as Oximell, barly water, & mulse, if the patient abhorre not hony. And forasmuch as in y ^e sayd persons cōmonly there is abundāce of wind about the stomack, therfore pepper, specially long pepper or white is very conuenient to be vsed, and the me­dicine before written, called Diaspoliticum. When the [Page 125] humoures are dissolued, then it is good to drinke white wine, or small claret wine moderately.

Lassitude extensiue. CAP. 4.

WHen one thinketh that hee doth séele a swelling or boyling of the body, where indeed there doth not ap­peare in sight or touching any smelling, that is called lassi­tude extensiue, if it happeneth without exercise, or vehe­ment mouing: this doth happen of excessiue multitude of humours, which doe extend the muscules or filles. In this no sorenes is felt, but onely an heauines with extention or thrusting out of the body. And because that there is aboun­dance of bloud in the body, best remedie is to bee let bloud about the elbow or ancle, after to be purged, then to vse soft frycasies with oyles afore rehearsed, afterward much rest and temperate bathes, and meates lacking sharpenes and being abstersiue.

Lassitude, with the feeling of inflamation. CAP. 5.

IF without any mouing, the muscules and flesh arise vp­on the bodie as it smelleth with great paines and excee­ding heate, then soone after followeth most hottest feuers, except it be preuented by letting of bloud, & that in aboun­dance, and almost to sowning: but it were more sure to bee let bloud twise in one day, the first time without sowning, at the next time sowning is not to be feared. If the greefe be in the necke or head, the bloud must bee let of the veyne called Cephalea, or the shoulder veine. If it be in the bulke or vppermost part of the body, then must the veine be cut, which is called Basilica, or the innermost veine. If all the body be grieued, then cut the veine which is called Media­na, or the middle veine. If a feuer remaine after blood let­ting, then order him with the diet of them that haue fe­uers, which ye shall find written hereafter. If no feuer re­maine, then vse moderate fricasies and little eating, and that of meates hauing good iuyce, increasing by little and little to the naturall dyet.

Diet of them that are ready to fall into sicknes. CAP. 6.

NOw to returne eftsoones to speake of dyet, it is to be remembred, that they which are readie to fall into dis­eases, they are prepared thereunto either by repletion or superfluous humours or else by cruditie, or malice of hu­mours which are in them. As touching the first, the gene­rall dyet must bée such, as thereby the humours may bée attenuate, and by conuenient euacuation, brought to a moderate quantitie.

As for the second must bee corrected with meates and drinkes of contrary qualities, hauing alway respect to the age of the person, time of the yeare, place of habitation, and most specially the vniuersall complexion. For choler offending in an old man, in winter time in a cold country, or the person being of his naturall complexion, fleumatick or melancholy, would not bee so aboundantly expulsed or subdued, as if it bee in one young and lustie, in the hotte sommer, in the countries where the Sunne feruently bur­neth, or the person of his proper nature is very cholericke.

And in likewise contrary. Wherfore euery man know­ing his owne naturall complexion, with the qualitie of the humour that offendeth, let him make temperance his chief cooke, and remembring that which I haue before decla­red, ordaine to himselfe such dyet, as may reforme the of­fence with none or little annoyance to his vniuersall com­plexion. And if he can so doe, hee shall happily escape, not onely diuers sicknesses, but also the most pernicious daun­ger, proceeding of corrupted drugges or spyces, whereof some couetous apothecaries do make medicines, maugre the heads of good and well learned Phisitions.

Sickenes most common to peculiar times of the yeare and ages. CAP. 7.

ALthough I doe not intend to write of the cure of egri­tudes or sicknesses confirmed, as well because it might bée reputed in me a great presumption, as also for asmuch [Page 127] as it were very perilous, to diuulgate that noble science to common people, not learned in liberall sciences and Philo­sophie, which bee required to be sufficiently in a Phisition. And moreouer many bookes of Hippocrates and Galen ought to bee reade, before that one doe take vpon him the generall cure of mens bodies, yet not withstanding I trust I may without anie note of arrogancie write, what disca­ses doe most happen in sundrie times of the yeare, and a­ges of men and women, with some significations, where­by the discrasie or distemperature of the body is perceiued, to the intent that the Phisition being farre off, may be tru­ly enformed, considering that vrines farre caried do often deceiue them, and likewise lacke of the sight of the pacient, and inquisition of thinges which doe precede or follow the sickenes. And with this I trust none honest and charita­ble Phisition will bee offended, but rather giue to mee thankes for my diligence, in the aduancing of their esti­mation, which by lacke of perfect instruction hath béene appayred.

The generall significations and tokens of sicknes. CAP. 8.

IF the body be hotter, colder, moyster, dryer, leaner, ful­ler, the colour more pale or swart, the eyes more hollow than is accustomed to bee, it signifieth that the bodie is dis­posed to sicknes, or already sicke.

The braine sicke.

• Rauing.
• Forgetfulnesse.
• Fantasie.
• Humours comming from the roofe of the mouth, the eyes, the nose, or the eares.
• Watch.
• Sléepe.

The heart sicke.

• Difficultie of breath.
• Trembling of the heart.
• Beating of the pulse.
• Feuers.
• Cold.
• Diuersitie of colours.
• Griefe about the heart.

The liuer sicke.

• Lacke or abundance of humours.
• The fourme of the bodie altered.
• Palenes.
• Concoction.
• Digestion.
• Alteration of excrements accustomed.
• Paine in the place of the liuer.
• Swelling.
• Difficultie of breath.

The sto­mack sicke.

• Concoction flow or quick.
• Appetite of moyst or dry, dull or quicke.
• Separation of excrements moyst, or hard with their colours.
• Yexing.
• Belching.
• Uomiting with paine & difficultie of breath.
• Urine much or little with the colour & sub­strāce too red, or too pale, too thick, or too thin.

The breast sicke.

• Difficultie of breath.
• Cough.
• Spitting.
• Paine in the breast.

[Page 130] This haue I written not to giue iudgement thereby, but onely for the patient to haue in a readines, to the in­tent that whatsoeuer he féeleth, or perceiueth in euery of the sayd things, thereof to instruct his Phisition whereun­to he may adapt his counsaile and remedies.

Of vrines. CAP. 9.

FOrasmuch as now a daies the most common iudgemēt in sicknesse is by vrines, which being farre carried, or much moued, or standing long, after that it is made, the forme therof is so altered, that the Phisition shall not per­fectly perceiue the naturall colour nor contents, although it be neuer so wel chafed at the fire, as Actuarius and other great learned men doe affirme. I will therefore somewhat speake of vrines, not so much as a Phisition knoweth, but as much as is necessarie to euery man for to perceiue the place and cause of his griefe, wherby he may the better in­struct the Phisition.

First in vrine foure things are to be considered, that is to say, the substance, the colour, the regions or parts of the v­rine, and the contents or things therein contained.

Also forasmuch as in the body of man be foure qualities, heate, cold, moysture, and drith, two of them heate & cold, are causes of the colour, drith and moysture, are causes of the substance. Moreouer in vrine, being in a vessell apt thereunto to be seene are thrée regions. The lowest regiō in the bottome of the vrinall, containing the spaces of two fingers or little more. The middle region, from whence the lowest ended vnto the circle. The highest region is the circle. The highnes of the colour signifieth heate: the pale, blacke, or gréene, signifieth cold. Also the grossenes or thicknes of the vrine, signifieth moysture, the cléerenes or thinnes, signifieth drith.

• Colour of bright gold. Colour of gilt.

  Perfect digestion.

• [Page 131]

  Red as a red apple or cherrie. Base red, like to Bole armoniake, or Saffron drie. Red glowing like fire.

  Excesse of dige­stion.

• Colour of a beasts liuer. Colour of darke red wine. Gréene like to celeworts.

  Adustion of humours.

• Leadie colour. Blacke as inke. Blacke as horne.

  Féeblenes or mortification of nature, except it be in purging of melācholy.

• White cléere as water. Gray as a horne. White as whay. Colour of a Camels haire.

  Lacke of digestion.

• Pale like to broth of flesh sodden.

  The beginning of digestion.

• Citrine colour or yellowe. Subcitrine or paler.

  The middle of digestion.

• White and thinne betokeneth melancholy to haue do­minion.
• White and thicke, signifieth fleume.
• Red and thicke, betokeneth sanguine.
• Redde and thinne betokeneth choler to haue the soue­raigntie.

The substance of the vrine. CAP. 10.

AT the first pissing all vrines well nigh do appeare thin, as long as they doe abide warme: for naturall heate, during the time that it preuaileth, suffreth not that the li­cour, which is the substance of the vrine, to congeale or be thicke for any occasion, but after that heate is gone, some vrines shortly, sorne a longer time after waxe thick. Like­wise sometime some are pissed thicker, & after waxe cléere, some remaine stil as they were made, some be méetly thick as they were troubled, some very thick & grosse. They that waxe cléere, soone do gather that which is thick into the bo­tome of y ^e vrinall, some remaine troubled, y ^t grossenes not­withstanding [Page 132] gathered in the bottome. Semblably the di­uersitie of thinne or subtill vrines must be perceiued, that is to say, that some are very subtill, as water, some lesse subtill, some in a meane betwéene thicke and thinne.

Of thinges contayned in the vrine, some doe descende down to the bottome, and [...]ee called in a gréeke word Hy­postasis, in english some call it the groundes, some the resi­dence, which if it be white, light rising vp from the bottom of the vrinall, like a peare, it signifieth health, if it bée of a­ny other figure or colour, it betokeneth some annoyance. If like things bée séene in the middle of the vrinall, they be called sublations, if they approch vnto the highest region of the vrine, they bée named cloudes, in latine Nebulae. The groundes or residences not perfect, some is like little red vetches, and is called in latine Orobea, some is like to bran of wheate ground, and seuered from the meale, and is cal­led brannie residence, in latine Furfurea, some be like vnto plates hauing bredth and length without thickenesse, and may bee named plat residence, in latine Laminea, some is like to meale, wheate, or barly, and may be named mealy residence, in latine Similacea.

There is also séene in the vrine like to white hayres, some longer, some shorter, sometime like to ragges some­what red. There is also seene in the vttermost part of the vrine, somtime a [...]ome of froth, somtimes bels or bubbles, sometime there swimmeth in the vrine, a thing like a cob­web, otherwhile there is about the circle, as it were the renting of cloth, sometime there is in like vrine the motes of the sunne, sometime like the matter of a sore, otherwise like the séed of a mā, also grauel or sand. And in these things may bée diuers coloures, some white, some red, some be­tweene both, some yelow, some gray, and [...] blacke. All this must be diligently marked, and thereof separately to aduertise the phisition, vnto whom I refer the iudgement of the sicknes for the cause afore rehearsed, and for as [...] as the iudgement of them is very subtill.

Semblably of ordure whether it be very thinne or very [Page 133] thicke, what other matter issueth out with it, what colour it is of, the sauour very great, little or none if it were easily expulsed, or painefully, how oft or how seldome.

Moreouer of sweat what colour it is of, and of what sa­uour, if in tasting it be salt, sowre, bitter, or vnsauerie.

Also the vomit if it be of one colour or many, if it do smel horribly, of what humor it had most abundance, if it were fasting, or after meales, if it were painfull or easie.

Likewise spittle whether it be thicke or thinne, or mixt with bloud, or matter corrupt, accordingly of the humour issuing out at the nose, and if that be bloud, then whether it be red, watrie or blacke.

Moreouer, it may not be forgotten, to aduertise the Phi­sition of the dyet vsed by the pacient, as wel afore the sick­nes, as in the time of the sicknesse, his age, the strength of his body, his exercise and place, where he longest abode in his youth, whether it were high or low, watrie or drie, hot or colde.

This I trust shall be sufficient to instruct a phisition, he that desireth to knowe more particularly hereof, let him reade the bookes of Hippocrates, Galen, Cornelius Celsus, Actuarius, Paulus, and diuers other late writers, for this little treatise may not receiue it.

The precepts of the ancient phisition Diocles to King Antigonus. CAP. 11.

WE will now deuide the body of man into foure parts, the head, the bulke called in Latine Thorax, which contayneth the breast, the sides, the stomack and intrailes. The belly, called in latine Venter, containeth the paunch and bowels. Also the bladder called in latine Vesica, in the which name, is also contayned the conduits by the which vrine passeth. When any disease approcheth to the head, these tokens do commonly precede, swimming in the head, headache, heauines of the browes, sounding in the eares, pricking in the temples, the eies in the morning doe water or waxe dim, the smelling is dull, the gummes doe swell. [Page 134] When thou féelest such tokens, forthwith purge the head with somewhat, not with vehement medicines, but taking Isope or organum, & the crops of them boyle with white or claret wine halfe a pint, and therewith gargarise your mouth fasting, vntil the fleum be purged out of your head: this is the easiest medicine in diseases of the head.

It is also very holesome to gargarise the mouth & breast with hony water, whereunto mustard is put and mingled, but first the head must be rubbed with a warme cloth, that the fleum may easily come out of the head. And if these to­kens be neglected, these maner of sicknesses do follow soon after, bleared eies and humours letting the sight, cleftes in the eares, swellinges in the necke full of matter called the kings euill, corruption of the braines, poses or rheumes, heauines of the head, and toothache. When the bulke is like to suffer any sicknes, it is perceiued by these tokens, all the bodie is in a sweat, the spittle is either salt or bitter, or cholerick, the sides and shoulders doe ake without any occasion, the pacient gapeth often, also there doth happen much waking, suffocations or lacke of breath, thirst after sléepe, the mind is vexed with heauines, also the breast and armes are very cold, and the hands doe tremble. Against these things, thie remedy may be prouided. After a mode­derate supper assay to vomite without any medicine, vo­mite is also profitable, which meate doth follow. He that in such wise wil vomit, let him eat hastily smal radish roots, townkerses, roket, senuy, or purslaine, and drinke after it a great quantity of warme water, and prouoke himselfe to vomit. He that setteth little by the said tokens, let him fear these sickenesses following, the pluresie, the sicknes of the lungs, melancholie or madnes, sharp feuers, the lethargie, inflamation with yexing. If any sickenesse bee towarde the belly, they may be espied by these tokens, y ^e belly is first wrapped together, and in it selfe is troubled, all meates and drinkes doe séeme bitter in taste, he féeleth heauines in his knéees, a stifnes in his loynes, and wearines in all his body, without any occasion, a sléepines in his legs, with a [Page 135] little feuer: when thou feelest these tokens, mollify the bel­ly, not with medicine, but with good order of diet, for it is best and most sure, to vse those things, wherof lightly may ensue none annoyance, in the number of them are beetes boyled in water of honie, Garlicke sodden, Malowes, Sorell, Mercurie, and all thinges condite in honie. All these doe expell the ordure of the bellie: but if anie of the sayd signes, doe more and more increase, the licour where­in the séed of Carthamus called also Cnicus is boyled, is a pleasant sure medicine, small cole wortes boyled in a good quantitie of water, the licoure thereof in measure two pintes, sauing the third part of a pint with honie and salte being dronken, shall profite much. Cicer & the pulse called in latine Eruum, in english (I suppose) chits in water, drūk fasting hath y ^e same effect. To thē which set little by y ^e said tokens, these diseases do suddenly happen. Fluxe of the bel­lye, bloudie fluxe, slippernes of the bowels, paines in the guttes, ach in the huckle bones, the feuer tertian, the gout, the apoplexy or palsley in the lims. Hemerhoydes, aking of ioynts. When the bladder is towarde any sickenesse, it is perceiued by these tokens, fulnes felt after little meat, breaking winde downewarde and vpwarde, palenesse of colour in all the body, heauie or troublous sleepes, the v­rine pale and passing foorth painefully, swelling about the coddes, & priuy members. When these tokens appeare, thē it is expedient to haue remedye of odoriferous thinges, which doe expell vrine, which shall bée done without any perill, with the rootes of fenell and parcely stéeped one or two daies in good white wine, and to drinke thereof fa­sting euery morning thrée oūces and two drams, with the water of wilde Carets or Elicampane, which of these is nexte at hande, euery of them haue like effect. Also water wherein the peason called in latine Ciceres are stéeped, be­ing drunke with wine is like commodious. Hee that neg­lecteth the said tokens, let him looke for these sicknesses fol­lowing, the dropsie, the greatnes of the spléen, griefe in the liuer, y ^e stone, ach of back, or pains in the raines, y ^e difficulty [Page 136] of vrine, fulnes of the belly. In all these things that wee haue spoken of, wee shall giue to children mast easie medi­cines, to men those that bee stronger in working. This diet of Diocles, although at this time it seemeth not most pleasant, nor according to the practise now vsed, yet being tempred with that which I haue before remembred, some thing may be found in it, which being experienced, may be as commodious for the health of mans bodie, as the dyet which is more curious or pleasan̄t.

Of them in whose stomacke meate is corrupted. CAP. 12.

THey in whom customably meate is corrupted, let them afore that they eate any meat, assay to vomit, drinking swéete wine, abstaine drinking swéet wine, abstaine from meats that ingender botches, inflammations, and fumous ructuations or vapors, & take such as nourish good iuyce, and chuse them out which doe mollifie the belly, and at sundrie times take them. It is also good to take temperat­ly that which looseth the belly, as the medicine called Pi­cra, and to abstaine from such things whereby ill iuyce is gathered, and doe ingender sicknesses, hard to be cured or neuer, as gowtes, bone-ach, paine of the raines, &c.

Of the vertue of meates. CAP. 13.

HE that is studious about the conseruation of health, he néédeth to know the vertue of meats. The meat which hath ver [...]ue to extenuate, or make humours subtile, it o­peneth the pores, and bringeth foorth that which is fast in the flesh, it maketh that which is clammy subtile, and doth extenuateor relent that which is fat, it bringeth forth that which abideth long in the belly: but that which is eaten, is a superfluitie, watrie, and cholerike, and at length ma­keth melancholike bloud: wherefore much vsing of them is prohibited, specially to them that are cholerike, and on­ly serueth for them that are repleate with fleume, crude or vndigested humours, clammie or fat. The diet of fatting [Page 137] things, doth nourish abundantly, so that the stomack and liuer do digest well, meat of good iuyce maketh good bloud, but yet stoppeth the liuer and spléene. These doe they, which make fat humours onely, as the pulse called Lenti­cula, and they that are slimy like mallowes: some do make hot humours and be also slimie, as fishes with hard shels. Finally, the diet which doth extenuate and make leane, is more sure for kéeping of health, then that which fatteth much. Nourishing meates would be therefore moderatly vsed, when a man perceiueth himselfe to haue néede there­of, it may be most surely vsed of them that be exercised tem­peratly, and can sléepe when they list. They that cannot sléepe by reason of exercise, let them eschew fatting meats, let none idle person attempt to vse them. In the preserua­tion of health, sluggardie is the greatest mischiefe. Like as temperate mouing is good, so is the meate which be­twéene thicke and thinne, vnto mans health most conue­nient, which ingendreth bloud, according to the compe­tent constitution of mans bodie, and therefore it is to bée chiefly vsed. Meate of ill iuyce is alway noyfull, wherfore it ought to bee eschewed. Likewise the varietie of meates is to be obserued diligently, for it is a great thing to couple well together things of contrary vertues: for if they bée not well digested, that which is receiued may bring dis­pleasure.

A Diet preseruatiue in the time of pe­stilence. CAP. 14.

THe bodies most apt to bee infected, are specially san­guine, next cholerike, then flengmatike, last melancho­like: for in them the humour being cold and drie, is most vnapt to receiue putrifaction, hauing also strait passages by which the venim must passe. The diet conuenient for that time, is to abstaine from meates inflaming and ope­ning the pores: also from heate of the sunne, frō too much heate or fire, or garments, from euery hot hearbe, & much vse of tart things, except Onyons and Cicorie, or Radish [Page 138] with vineger, for they doe resist against venim: from wine very fumish, exercise incontinent after meales, from swea­ting, from all things that will cause opilation, and putrifi­cation: from things hot and moyst, where moysture hath the dominion in a degrée, specially being not sufficiently boyled: also from milke, except it bee in a little quantitie, and that with a little sugar. Fruites and hearbes cold and drie, and therewith sowre or somewhat bitter, are not pro­hibited. If ye eate figges, grapes, or swéete cherries, eate after them of an Orenge with salt. If ye eate things cold and moyst, as Cucumbers, Melons, fish soft and fresh, or Damsens, eate by and by after some Fenell and Orenge with salt, drinking therewith a draught of good wine. Be­ware of Mushromes, much Purslane, Gourds, and all o­ther things, which will soone putrifie: notwithstanding, I will not forbid eating of Lettise with a fewe Mints, or mixt with Cinamom. All things so wre are commended as well in diet conseruatiue, as in that which is curatiue or healthie, except where there is straitnes of the breast, or weakenes of the stomacke, then ought they to be tempered with sugar, salt, Almond milke, Cinamom, pepper, senell, saffren, egs, and some thing that is fat and vnctuous. Ca­pers are good to be vsed with vineger. Chéese very fat and salt is not commended, no more is Coleworts or any kind of pulse, except chittes, great peason, rapes, nor spinage is good. Also there be forbidden roket & mustard, much wine and egges, except they be eaten with sorell sause, vineger, or iuyce of Orenges, parsly, and parsnips be good. New wines be noyfull, let the meate bee somewhat more then drinke, but yet sustaine not too much hunger, nor thirst, beware of lecherie, of clowdie weather and close, eschew much resort or throng of people, winds cōming from fens or moores, from sléepe at noone, vse with your meate this powder, saunders red halfe an ounce, Cinamom 3. drams & a halfe, saffron halfe a dram. After your meat eate a little of coriander séed wel prepared. In y ^e morning at a sēperate fire, kembe your head backward, clense your bodie & head [Page 139] of all superstuities, vse also moderate fricasies with swéet perfumes and odours, wash oftentimes your face & hands with pure vineger mixt with rose water. In cold weather mixe it with mints, Baulme, Rue, or Myrtes, and some­times with cloues: in hot sommer with roses or violets. Aboue all things vse to make white wine, good white vi­neger roset, water of roses, in equall portions, put there­unto a little setwal, or of the rind of a Cytron, and drinke therof a little, and oftentimes wash therwith your hands, and visage. Medicines preseruatiue against the pestilence, which be alway most readie, are these, a fig with rue, and a walnut eaten fasting, also triacle, or mithridate, to olde men a dram weight, to young halfe a dram, or a scruple dis­solued into vineger and rose water, and in water of tor­mentill, scabiose, or baulme, if the plague bee in Som­mer: if it be in winter, put to the waters some white wine. Also the pilles called cōmonly Pillulae rasis (but in déed they were inuented by Rufus) are very excellent, specially if the aloe, which is in it bee washed, and thereunto added a little Bolus amenus & Terra sagillata. And if the person bée of hot complexion, a quantitie of sorell seede, and red coral, this confectionated with syrope of cytrons in colde com­plexions, or to olde men with white wine, vse them euery third daye, one pill at a time, three houres or foure afore dinner or supper. If ye take [...]riacle or mythridate, abstain from meate at the least sixe houres after. A piece of the roote of a settuall, borne in the mouth, preserueth from in­fection. In like wise doth sorell chewed fasting, and the iuyce sucked downe. To poore men, Marcilius was wonte to giue a toste of bread stéeped in vineger, with a piece of an Onion, or Rue. All thinges which bee cordiall, that is to say, which do in any wise comfort the heart, doe resist pe­stilence, vehement anger, or heauines be very pernicious.

Other more exquisite and costly preseruations, I pur­posely passe ouer, which Marcilius and other phisitions do write so aboundantly, for as much I desire to bee in this worke compendious. One thing I had almost forgotten, [Page 140] that there is no better preseruatiue, then so [...]ie from the place corrupted betime and farre off, and to let none ap­proch you, that hath made their abode where the plague is feruent. Moreouer receiue not into your house any stuffe, that commeth out of a house wherein any person hath bin infected. For it hath béene séene, that such stuffe lying in a coffer fast shut by the space of two yeares, after that cof­fer hath beene opened, they which haue stoode nigh to it haue beene infected, and some after haue dyed. But here I alway except the power of God, which is wonderfull, and also mercifull, aboue mans reason, or counsaile, preseruing or striking whome, when, and where it shall like his ma­iestie: to whom be glory and praise euerlasting. Amen.

Thus make I an end of this treatise, desiring them that shall take profite thereby, to defend it against enuious dis­daine, on whom I haue set the aduenture for the loue that I beare to my countrie, requiring all honest Phisitions to remember, that the intent of my labour was, that mē and women reading this worke, and obseruing the counsayles therein, should adapt thereby their bodies to receiue more sure remedie, by the medicines prepared by good Phisiti­ons in dangerous sicknesses, they kéeping good diet and enforming diligently the same phisitions of the manner of their affects, passions, and sensible tokens. And so shall the noble and most necessary science of phisicke, with the mi­nistets thereof, escape the slander which they haue of long time susteyned, and according to the precepte of the wise man be worthily honored, for as much as the highest God did create the phisition for mans necessity, and of the earth created medicine, and the wise man shall not abhore it. Thus fare ye wel gentle readers, and forget me not with your good report, and pray to God that I bee neuer worse occupied.