Of Exercise and Labour.

BEcause a greate part of Healthinesse consisteth in a conuenient and opor­tune exercise of the Body, as Auicen and before him Hippocrates and Galen affyrme, néedefull it is to haue a diligent eye and consideration therevnto. It is commended for many speciall causes, The com­moditie of Exercise & labour but namely because it beeyng duely and seasonablie vsed, will not suffre the sub­stance of ouermuch meate engendrynge Surphet to clotter and cōgele within the body, and also maketh the whole bodye light, nymble and actiue. Furthermore it kéepeth and merueilously stirreth vp naturall heate, restoreth the powers of the whole body, and strengthneth all the vertues therof. Small and weake heate it encreaseth, and dayly dissolueth the su­perfluities [Page] by litle & litle gathered with­in the body, and conuaieth the same to such places from whence they be conue­niently sent out and expelled. It also ma­keth the membres a greate deale the ap­ter to receyue nourishment, because the filth and excrementall matter of the bo­die is thereby scattered and auoyded. Moreouer it openeth the cunduites of the body, & the courses or passages wher­in the bloud (hauyng therto the conueni­ent ministerie of the naturall powers a­poynted for that office) is easely recey­ued and conuerted into the substance of the member: whiche continual nourish­ment is most necessarie vnto mans life. For without this vertue, present death ensueth. This gayne and commoditie is also gotten by exercise, that by expel­lyng superfluous humours it excuseth a man from the vsuall receipt of Purga­tions and Medicines. For wée must be very circumspect and take greate héede, Purgati­ons dange­rous & hurtfull as Plato saith in Timaeo, that we mooue not the body with medicines, and speci­ally Electuaries soluble, if wée may o­therwise [Page] choose: because although they doo purge, yet doo they inueterate: And although there be no poyson in them (as in deede in the most of them there is) yet are they very paynefull to be taken in­wardly, because their office is contrarie to nature. For they draw away from the membres those humours which the powers of nature doo draw to the same for a nourishment: and also because be­side the ill humours whiche they draw out, they doo for the most part also draw out those whiche be good, and the vitall spirites whiche maintayne and comforte life. It is not therefore without good cause, that the learned & wyse Doctours of this Arte haue written so muche and so diligently of Exercise, that men ther­by might shunne and auoyde many sor­tes of diseases, whiche els woulde assault the body, by reason of sundry surphets, and gurmandise. For the substance re­mayninge after digestion and distribu­cion of the meate and drynke, (whiche Nature beynge ouercharged, is not a­ble to concocte and euacuate, beynge eft­soones [Page] encreased by eatyng and fillynge gorge vpon gorge, must néedes engen­dre diseases: In this case to auoyde and eschew the recept of purging medicines, which serue either to recure the body be­ynge thereby sicke, or els to preserue it from beyng sicke, Exercise is a thynge most cōmodious as the causes of mala­dies doo beginne so dayly hereby to expel the same. These noble writers therefore were of this mynde, that if the residue of theyr preceptes (whiche hereafter shal also by vs bee recited) were obserued and kept, bodyly health might very well in this consistent Age be conserued, yea and not in this age onely, but also in the Age whiche goeth before, and the Age whiche commeth after, a verie few poin­tes beyng thereto either added or els al­tered. As for any particuler Regiment for old age, we do not in this place name­lie pursue, because beside Galene it is al­so at large described & set out by diuerse 3. De tuen sanit. other learned Phisicions, and namely in a seuerall booke penned and published by that famous and excellent Grayehead [Page] Antonius Fumanellus of Verona.

Thou shalt therefore (Gentle Reader) with al thy deuoyre and diligence, so vse thy selfe, that thou mayest passe ouer and lead this flourishing time of thine age by thine owne wisedome and our holesome counsaile in health and welfare, to the glory of god and the profit of thy neigh­boure, for this age of Consistence is the very flowre and prime of a mans life.

And by this meanes shalt thou so doo, if thou géeue diligent eare to the sounde counsayles of approoued Phisicions, by mée in this litle Booke breefely noted, the chiefest whereof is Exercise. And there­fore Galen playnly writeth that all such of his fréendes as tooke diligent and spe­ciall regarde to Exercise were neuer sicke. But because not euery kinde of Exercise, nor euery time and hower is conuenient and méete for it, therefore will I declare bothe the time when it should be vsed, and also the particuler kindes thereof.

Then is it a fit time (saieth Auicen­na) to exercise the bodie when there be no [Page] ill humours in the same, least exercise When exercise is to be vsed. Ill hu­mours. by motion and calefactiō should disperse the same through the bodie or cause them to decline and goe to some principall mē ­bre and part of the bodie and so to putre­fie. Also when there is in the Stomake or Bowelles no great quātitie of meate vndigested or humours crude & rawe, least inconuenience might ensue by the conueighance of them into the officiall members, before they be throughly boy­led and concocted in the Stomake. Fur­thermore to go to the Stoole and exone­rate nature before the time of exercise, is very holesome. Hippocrates, his coun­saile is, that a man shoulde laboure and 6. Epid. par. 4. Aph. 28. & Gal. 5. de tuen. sanita. chafe himselfe before his meale: and therfore I thinke it very vnholsome im­mediatetly after meate to vse exercise, because the vehement accidentes of the mind and the stronge mocions of the bo­die do hinder digestion and cause Putre­faction, but an easie and soft walking, that the meate may the better and the sooner descend to the lowest part of the Stomake where the same is better con­cocted) [Page] is not to bee misliked but is thought to be very holesome and expedi­ent. Therefore when the meate is pas­sed downe from the Stomake and the time approcheth eftsoones to eate, then is exercise both fit and profitable. In So­mer, about the Sunne risinge, least o­therwise the bodie shoulde be annoyed with a double heate: and in the begin­nyng of the Sprynge, and Autumne a­boute twoo howers after the Sunne ry­sing, that the coldenesse of the mornynge may be auoyded. For as the heate of the noone time of the day is hurtful and noy­some, so is the colde of the mornyng, and namely in Autumne, and winter to be eschewed. Notwithstandynge a man may exercise himselfe at home assone as he ariseth. In winter Auicen counsel­leth vs to exercise our selues within the house, or in some close couert place, a­bout noone, hauyng the ayre a litle war­med, for feare least colde els should take away or hinder that commoditie that ex­ercise bryngeth: For nothynge is more hurtful to the vertue Regitiue then cold, [Page] namely if it be much, and at suche time as the body is hoat. Now wheras there be sundrie sortes of exercise, I will one­ly recite here suche as I know to be best and most agreable for them, vnto whom I namely haue penned and written this compendie.

And first to beginne with walkynge: which if it be soft, and not fast, nor apace Walking is a weake exercise and may best be vsed in hoate moonthes, & in the beginnyng of Autumne, for at those times heate and drinesse cheifly reigneth. And therefore the body ought not to be more inflamed and dried by stronge motion and exercise especially in a Cholerique man. For truely there is no time in all the yéere, wherein the body ought lesse to be exer­cised then in Sommer, and therefore in hoat Regions and Climates, a softe and gentle motion is a greate deale better, and more requisite then strong motion, because nothyng doth so muche incende and enflame naturall heate, as laboure and moouing. Often and longe walking vsed without intermission, is a stronge [Page] exercise and meeter too be vsed in the Springe season, because exercise in the Springe time by good reason ought to be greater and stronger then in Sōmer. And therfore somwhat long deambulaci­on being pleasāt withal, not wearisome, nor excessiue, is in my oppinion very méete and apt for this season of the yéere. I meane, it must be somwhat longe, to thend it may with more facilitie resolue suche superfluities as aboute that time were gathered and congeled together duringe the winter precedinge: and I would haue it to be somwhat gentle and pleasant, least the bodies should be set in a chafing heate with too much Agitacion and stirring, especiallie of them that are of a hoate complexion. For this kinde of softe and longe continuinge exercise is most agreeable & commodious to hoate and moyst bodies. A strong and vehemēt walking, especiallie vp and downe highe and vnequall places, as manytimes to goe vp and downe a ladder, or a stiepe hill, till a man pant and fetche his breath thicke and often with difficultie, is a ve­ry [Page] good and comendable exercise, & best to be frequented in cold & moyst seasōs.

There is an other kinde of exercise, whereof Galene wrate, but not conueni­ent Tenise and ball play for such as be graue personages and men muche busied with waightie af­faires, or for such as haue not their heads in good temperature, which is called the Tenise. In which kinde of pastime, all members and partes of the body are e­quallie mooued, but it is hurtefull to the head by reason of often stowpinge: and therfore I counsell all them that delight to playe thereat, to stand holdinge theire heades vpright, whiche may be easely done, by striking and receauing the balle with a raquet.

There is an other kinde of pleasaunt exercise fittest to be vsed in the countrey in seasonable and tempestiuious times of the yeare, called Riding. It is highlie Riding. to be commended and is good for the head stomacke and intrayles, wherby men in the olde time got both health & pleasure.

That exercise whiche Auicen tea­cheth to draw and bring down humours [Page] from the head to the lower partes of the body is very profitable and to be done in this sorte folowyng: Tie and make fast Hanging by the handes a stronge roape to some Beame or post, and through the same roape put a good bigge wodden Cudgell ouerthwart, and takyng holde with your handes at bothe endes of the Cudgell, lift vp and poyse your body so, that your feete touche not the grounde, and mooue your legges to and fro, hangyng still by your handes.

But the bodie must be very well pur­ged, lest when the superfluous humours be drawen downe to the lower partes, there be engendred an Abscesse, which is some impostume or course of euill hu­mours to some one parte of the body.

As for wrestling and daunsing, which be accompted amonge vehement exerci­ses (because they be nothyng agréeable and sitting for a sage Magistrate nor for a serious Student) I haue nothynge to say: but this by the way I may not o­mit, that those persons which féede vpon grosse meates, and suche repast as brin­geth stronge nourishment, may vse ve­hementer [Page] exercise and stronger ambu­lations, as running, wrastling, hunting, quoytes, handeball, and to be breife all suche exercise as best agréeth with theyr nature, which may brynge difficultie in fetchyng the breath, augment heate and humecte the skynne and exteriour parte of the body, with a thin subtile sweate.

For quicke and nimble exercise maketh the body leane and slendre, and the con­trarie maketh it grosse and thicke: much exercise drieth the bodie, but meane and conuenable maketh it fat and corpulent. Notwithstandyng, for them that vse a slender diet and spare féedyng, a shorter ambulacion and smaller walkynge will suffice. Now, there be some whiche be of a very hoat temperature & complexiō which ought not at all to be exercised: for such persons, a moderate walkyng, bay­nyng or a gentle Fricasie and rubbynge Fricasie shalbe fully sufficiēt. Al such are slender, leane and very Cholerique. And this is euermore to be noted, y^e a man must vse such moderation in his exercise, that be get not a lassitude or wearinesse ther­with, [Page] but assoone as he perceaueth the same to come vpon him, it were best for him to desist and leaue of. For the bodie with all his partes ought so to be exerci­sed, that excremental matter by idlenesse and rest, be not gathered. But when you beginne to sweate, and the exercise séemeth not to be so pleasant as it did be­fore, ceasse and leaue of, wypyng away the sweate from your bodie: then again after that you haue a litle paused and re­sted your selfe, the body must be refres­shed. For in exercise aswell as in meate and drinke and all other thinges, there ought to be a conuenient measure vsed, so that the thyng it self be neither ouer­charged with to much, nor yet debarred from that stinte and sufficiencie that is néedefull and requisite, because by ex­cesse, the powers are enfeebled and dis­solued, and by want or defect, there is so muche of the vtilitie abated, as there lac­keth of due sufficiencie. For our powers are muche strengthened and chéered, if with moderate and fit exercise they be refreshed and cherished. Now let vs [Page] bréeifly declare the kindes of small and gentle exercises, whiche (notwithstan­dyng) to the health of the body are néed­full and expedient. The first sorte wée haue heretofore declared, that is to say a swéete and softe walkynge.

Then there are Fricasies or Rubinges, whiche are the exercises of them that be sickly. For vnto them that be in perfit health, they are not sufficient, as Plato most elegantly, and after him Galen af­firmeth. But we adiudge and thinke thē to be very good both to mūdefie the head and diuert the fumes therof to the vtter­most and extreame partes, and also to o­pen the pores and conduites of the bodie therby to extenuate and expell subtill hu­mours. In olde time, men vsed fricasie and vnction before and after euerie kind of exercise: before, to the end that the pas­sages and pores of the bodie beinge ope­ned by fricasie, the humours might haue more easie egresse: and after, beecause the matter, which did exude & come out, might be wiped away from the skin, and that which remained in the fleshe, might [Page] be extenued and dissolued, which order in my oppinion is not to be misliked. And therfore my counsaile is, that before thou arise out of thy bed, either to rubbe or els to make some bodie els to rubbe, with warme hands or som warme linnen clo­thes, thy backe, breast and bealy easely & softlie, and thy armes and legges hardlie and stronglie, but suche partes as thou canst reache and come vnto, vse to rubbe thy selfe. For this fricasie and rubbinge concocteth crude humours, and also nou­risheth and comforteth the whole bodie. And if thou chaunce to sweate, cause it with a soft rubbing and fricasie to be wi­ped of Hippocrates saith that hard frica­sie doth binde and consolidate the bodie, softe doth loose and mollifie, muche doth extenuate and diminishe fleshe, meane augmenteth and maketh it wax bourlie. It is good also when you gee to bedde if your head be heauie or payned with the murre or reume, to rubbe and wringe hard your legges and handes, for by such meanes the vapours that ascend vpward are deriued and brought downeward. [Page] Also fricasie and rubbing the whole body in the eueninge, is profitable for them that be throughly wearie, or with driues to much molested, or with the Atrophie & consumptiō pined and troubled: which being done, there should ensue an oynte­ment or perfusion of temperate oyle (if the auncient and laudable custome of vnction were not antiquated and growē out of vse as many other good thinges are) for it helpeth to the spéedines and ve­locitie of frication, it looseth and suppleth the members that be stiffe and indurate and it comforteth and mollifieth the mē ­bers that are wearied.

To be rowed vppon the water in a Rowing. wherrie or barge is an exercise gentlest and easiest of all other. Now ouer and beside the fricasies aforesaide, let vs par­ticulerlie recite those motions that do ex­ercise not all, but certaine partes of the Exercise for diuers partes of the bodie bodie. To shoote in a longe Bowe, to pitche or throwe great Stones or any o­ther heauie thinges sittinge or standinge is the exercise of the armes and other partes next vnto them, albeit the whole [Page] bodie may seeme to be therin exercised, In readinge, to speake at the first with a softe voice, and afterward to speeke low­der and lowder is the exercise of the Tongue, Breast, Throate and Lunges yea it is good for the ventricle or Sto­macke also. But the exercise of the heade must verie carefullie be looked vnto, be­cause How the head must be vsed. amonge al the partes of the bodie the braine is the coldest, and therfore his naturall heate must with all diligent heede bée conserued and kept, that it bee not distempered nor oppressed with the multitude and abundance of superfluous humours. Therfore euerie daye when thou arisest, after that thou hast beene at the stoole, rubbe thy head with a cleane drie linnen cloath somwhat warme, frō the foreparte of thy head backewarde [...] the hinderparte, and at the first, let thy fricasie be small and easie, but afterward harder and faster. Then kembe it with a cleane combe, beginnynge at the for­mer and vpper part of the head bringing the Combe backeward, and then againe mundify and make it cleane with linnen [Page] clothes as is aforesayd. And if the same clothes be a litle perfumed with poudre of Lignum Aloes, or Gelouers and drie Roses, their vertue is a greate deale the more to helpe the brayne and comforte the sences. Certes thou shalt féele a mer­ueilous effect for the healthinesse of thy head if thou vse this ordre of fricasie and combyng. For therby naturall heate is excited and stirred vp, the pores are ope­ned, (which beyng stopped, superfluous matter and humours are retayned and consequently the brayne payned and af­fected) but beyng opened, the same il hu­mours and fumes are propulsed and dis­persed, and the brayne is made sincere, stronge and healthfull. There is an opi­nion setled in the heades of many now a­daies and especiallie amonge the commō sorte, that it is not good for the head to be wasshed, alledgynge for their proofe an olde sayinge, common almost in euery mans mouthe, neuerthelesse for y^t moste parte vntrue, which is this: Wash thy hands often, thy feete seldome, but thy Washing of the hed. head neuer. Vnto whom I do bréeifly [Page] make this aunswere, that such persons ought namely to wash their heds, which haue a moyst brayne, or suche as loue to haue their heare grow longe, because the inwarde superfluities whiche nature would expell, cannot haue passage to e­uaporate and vente out, but be retayned still, by reason that the pores be stopped with filthe that lieth at the rootes of the heare next the head, which filthe by con­uenient and orderly wasshyng is taken away and clensed. And for this cause Auicen affyrmeth that it is not good to suffre the heare of the bead and beard to grow longe, because they gather and re­tayne muche grosse filthe and baggage, stoppyng the pores about the rootes, if they be not wasshed away. To these namely, and to all others generally that vse wasshynge, Auenzoar géeueth in charge to be wasshed with warme wa­ter or Lie, and if you put into the same water or Lie, so it be not to stronge, a small handfull of drie Roses, and Lignū Aloes, and a litle Camomile or Betony for such as he somwhat of a colde nature [Page] it is very wholesome. He that hath a weake head, colde and moyste, and his memorie thereby empayred, shall in my litle booke of the Arte of Memorie finde moste souerayne, singuler and easie re­medies to satisfie his desire. As soone as the head is wasshed, it muste diligently and spéedely be wiped and dried with warme drie linnen clothes, and well loo­ked vnto, y^t it catche no harme through colde or wynde. But better it is, not to be wasshed at all, especially in winter or often, and namely for suche as vse to be shauen and notted, but the Fricasies and combynges aforesayde must duely be v­sed, because (beside the aforenamed helps that they bryng) they merueilously pre­serue the sight. The proper and pecu­lier exercise of the sight is to beholde and looke vpon small letters and lightsome The exercise of the sight. thinges: foreséene, that a measure ther­in be adhibited, notwithstandynge Aui­cen supposeth that small and confuse fi­gures & subtile or litle letters are hurt­full to the sight and not to be looked on.

The exercise of the Hearyng is to heare Hearing [Page] pleasant sowndes, yea and sometimes great clappes and hideous noyse: but in any wise aswell in this as in all others, too vehement and stronge obiects must be warely and circumspectly eschued.

Of Bathes.

BAynyng sometimes supplieth the of­fice Bathes or Baines of Labour, and standeth in stéede of exercise, beyng either ayrie or wa­trie in swéete water, for of Mineral wa­ters, whiche wée terme Bathes I will say nothing, sithens they rather serue for curyng of diseases. They must vse the ayrie Bayne fastyng, that are corpulent and grosse or haue abundance of concocte superfluous humours and excrements: but y^e watrie better accordeth with them that are slendre, whose vse is diuers and manifolde, accordynge as the degrée of heate is more or lesse, whereof Galen writeth thus: Swéete warme waters if they be temperate, their vertu is hoate and moyste, if they be well and hoate, [Page] their vertue and force is moyst and cold, but if they be hoater then they ought to be, theyr strength is in déede hoate, but not accordyngly moyst. For they cause the body to shiuer and quake, and pur­seth together the subtile pores thereof, in so much that it can neither be humected 3. De Tu sanit. ca. 3 outwardly with accesse of humour, nei­ther sende out any of the excrementall matter that is within. Furthermore he saieth, that Bayninge orderlye vsed, mollifieth and soupleth harde and in­durate fleshe, and fetcheth out all the ex­crementes and liquide matter that clea­neth and adhereth after digestion to the exteriour parte of the bodie. They that haue fat and corpulent bodies or else bée replete with aboundance of humours, may soone take harme by vsing disorder­lie and vnduelie this bayning, but if they be first purged and ridde from them they may vse the benefit thereof, because it doth humect and moisten the pores and passages, and maketh the fumosities too bée dispelled and sent out. But as in all other thinges moderate vse [Page] is alwaies to be preferred before immo­derate, euen so fareth it by bayning. For a man may not be ouer hastie in aduen­turinge to vse it, especiallie if the partie that is minded to be bained, be troubled with many humours gathered throughe continuall cruditie and vndigestion, or haue not longe afore enfarced himselfe with plentie of meate vnboyled and vn­cocted in the stomake, whiche crude hu­mours being within the bodie (by reason of the vehement force of heate) cause ob­structions. In very colde seasons, and in Sommer time they shoulde also be for­borne. For in winter the humours be­inge stirred and disquieted and a cold so­deinlie succeding, they are driuen to som necessarie part of the body, & there bréede diseases and great annoyaunce. And a­boute midsomer when heate chieflie rai­gneth and of itselfe resorteth to the exte­riour partes, Bayninge doth disperse so much of the same heate as is yet remai­ninng, & by y^t meanes much weakeneth the inward powers. And vnlesse the age and place of man séeme otherwise to re­quire, [Page] they are at this time a great deale more to be eschewed. In déede no man doubteth but baines vsed at due and sea­sonable times, help the bodie verie much (for nothinge doth so well concocte and driue away il humours & corrupt iuyce as sleepe after bayning) but I say that the vse therof is very hurtfull, if they be vsed at inconuenient times and when they ought chieflie to be refrained. Now as concerninge washing in colde water, I do say that it is vtterly to be forborne of all such as are not therto accustomed, as being more hurtfull then profitable, vn­lesse vrgent occasion of great heate and lustie youth do otherwise seeme to craue it. But he that would vse it, must be slen­der of bodie and somwhat of a colde con­stitucion, for it is apter to pearce into suche colde within the bodie and inner partes. It bringeth al the humours in a maner to one place of the bodie and ma­keth the sinewes and muscles stiffe and numme, and not nimble or readie to mooue, yea and sometimes it bringeth a man into distemperaunce and passions [Page] much worse then these, if it be not verie aduisedly vsed. And amonge all others, a healthy and sound bodie so long as it is in growing and waxinge, must not be wa­shed in cold water, least his groweth and waxing be thereby rebuked and hinde­red. But when he is come to his full growthe, then may he acquainte himself with colde bathes, because the bodie is therby cooled and strengthened, and the skinne made harder and thicker. And the fittest time thereto is the beginninge of Sommer, that ere winter come, by fre­quent custome, it may not turne to any hurtfull distemperaunce of the bodie, and let it beginne in a verye hoate daye the place where it is vsed beinge likewise hoate.

Of Meates

NOw let vs say somwhat of meate and drinke. And herein I do firste géeue the to vnderstand, that it is best and holsomest to vse meates that be [Page] simple. For simple meate by good reason is most profitable, but many and sundry dishes and diuers sortes of Viande and Cates is most hurtfull and a great ene­mie to health. Our predecessors whiche liued very long without Sicknes were wont (as Galen & Auicen affirme) to eate at one meale fleshe, and at another bread onely. Yet would I not wishe thée to accustome thyself to one onely meate specially if thou be in youth: for Galen expounding one of the Aphorismes of Hippocrates saieth: Such thinges as we haue long times beene vsed vnto, yea al­though they be not of the best nourishing meates, are not so daungerous and hurt­full as other thinges are which in deede be far better, wherunto we haue not be accustomed. We must therefore (saieth he) now and then altre our diet, and vse to eate suche meates as before we vsed not. Neither ought we to bind ourselues to any one kinde, least if we should (per­chaunce) be driuen at any time to change that custome, we should straightwaies therupon fall sicke. And Cornelius Cel­sus, [Page] counsaileth suche as be in health, to vse their ordinarie fare and plaine vsuall diet. But to eschue & forbeare much va­rietie of meates is vndoubtedly bothe better and wholesomer, because the sto­macke Meates most com­mendable Sundrie sortes of meates at one time eaten are not holesō. Meates most com­mendable. is to muche set a woorke and la­boureth greatly in the digestyng & con­coctyng of sundrie meates at once. It is thought good (and so it is in déede) to min­gle moyst with drie, colde with hoat, and hoat with colde, swéete and toothe some with sower and eigre. But those meates whiche be in the meane or mediocritie of all excesse are most commendable. Of whiche sorte is Breade, made of cleane corne, sufficiently leauened, well moul­ded and moderately baked: also the flesh of Hennes and Capons, Phesants, Par­triches, Woodcockes, yonge Pigeons, Blackbirdes, Thrushes, Turtles and suche like small byrdes: Semblably, suche fishes as bréede amonge Rockes, and stones, or aboute the Sea side, and suche as in taste are neither vnpleasant and vnsauerie, nor yet clammy and vnc­tuous, of whom heareafter we will par­ticulerly [Page] speake. Notwithstandynge meates must be vsed accordyng to the di­uersitie that is in bodies: for they that haue very melancholique bloud, muste vse moyste and hoate meates, they that be Cholerique must vse colde and moist. But phlegmatique persons must eate such meates as haue vertue to drie and calefie. Furthermore the bloud is made What maketh good bloode. most perfit and pure by vsing moderate exercise and suche meates as engendre good iuice, beyng eaten at due and seaso­nable howers, and in such quantitie as is required and by moderate and tempe­stiuious drinkyng. And in meates, no­thyng so wel encreaseth and maketh good bloud, as for them to be throughly con­cocted and perfitly boiled in the stomake. For thereby is more easely finished, the second concoction whiche is in the veines and Liuer, and also admitteth the thyrde digestion which is in y^e particuler mem­bres and partes which be nourisshed. A due ordre therefore is to be kepte in meates: as for example: that whiche is Ordre slippery and moyst before that whiche is [Page] stipticke and harde: agayne that whiche is more easely concocted before y^t which is of slow digestion: as potched Egges before fleshe and suche like. Likewise suche as are of theyr owne nature soone corrupted, as Mylke and moyst fruites, as wee shall hereafter more largely de­clare. For when meate of easie digestion is eaten after that whiche is slowly con­cocted, it is holden backe, and stopped by the meate of slow digestion before taken that it cannot passe into the entrayles, & therfore the meate of easie digestion be­yng perfitly concocted remayneth and is forcibly kept in the stomacke longer then it ought to be, whereby it is made very apt to corruption, whiche to health is ve­ry hurtfull and a great hindrance. But there be some meates betwéene whem there is but small difference of digestion, as between a henne and a sucking Calfe, a Chicken and a Kidde, the flesh of a big olde Calfe and a younge Bullocke, or Steere, in such respectes as these where the difference is so small, it skilleth not greatly, if they whiche be somwhat hard [Page] to digest, be eaten before other of sōwhat lighter digestion. This (vnlesse I be much deecaued) was the opion of Galen, and not without good consideracion. For heauie meates and such as be of slow di­gestion, require a stronger and greater power digestiue. And all men (without exception) doo confesse and know that the lower part of the Stomacke or Maw in the act of concoction is stronger then the vpper and middle parte is. Therefore meates of easie digestion ought to be ta­ken before those, which doo differ so farre from them in easinesse of concoction as the power of the lowest parte of the ven­tricle differeth from the first and middle: which difference ought to be referred to the discretion and iudgement of the skil­full Phisicion. Thus may the flesh of a Bullocke be eaten before the flesh of a bigge calfe, and the flesh of a suckinge kid or yonge tender calfe after veale of a calf of bigger growthe: thus also may yonge Pigeons, Hennes, and Capons be well eaten before Partriches and Chickens. Neither néedeth a man to feare least thei [Page] should be corrupted in his stomacke, be­cause they are not easely corruptible, and also because there séemeth to be such pro­porcion of digestion in a maner betwéen these meates for facilitie or difficultie of concoction, as is betwéen the vpper and the lowest part of the ventricle, and ther­fore they may at one and the same time be concocted in the stomack, because mea­tes of hard digestion are sent to y^e lower and stronger parte, and they of lighter di­gestion to the weaker.

And also this must not be omitted, that we must altogether abstaine from crude and rawe meates, and take beede that al our Cates be cleanlie dressed, well seaso­ned and throughlie boyled or els rosted. But in any wise we must beware y^t we do not infarce & pamper our selues with to muche, and that we do not irrit [...] our Stomack and prouoke an appetite with fine Iunkets and delicious Sauees. For meate excessiuelie ingurgitate and eaten althoughe it be of good iuyce and nou­rishemtnt Raw mear commonly engendreth and breedeth cruditie, laskes and vomit. A­gaine, [Page] lesse then necessitie and nature re­quireth, is the cause why the bodie is not nourished, but weakened and enfeebled, and made vnhable to do his busines as it did befeore, because the bodie is emptie The hurt of too much meat The hurt of too litle and not able to distribute sufficient and conuenable nourishement to the spirite. For euen as Repletion hindereth nou­rishment and rebuketh nature and the poore Animall: so all maner of absti­nence causeth vomites, hurteth the ven­tricle, resolueth the powers of the bodie and encreaseth ill humours. And euen as an ill diet bringeth heauines and drow­sie lumpishenes to the bodie and a dul­nes to the wit and senses: so a conuenient and orderlie diet quickeneth the spirites and reuiueth the minde, making it more actiue and couragious to know and prac­tize vertuous operations.

Of Bread.

NOw let vs particularlie declare the seueral kindes of meate and drink, [Page] and first let vs begin with bread, whiche (as Nouius affirmeth) is called in latine Panis, a Pascendo, of feedinge. The best Breade is made of fine wheate flower Breade. cleane boulted from all branne and other baggage, which grew on holesome groūd sufficiētly leauened, moderately seasoned with Salte, well moulded and through­lie baked, but not burned in the ouen. Auenzoar would that bread shoulde be eatē the same day y^t it is made whē it is colde, which then (as he thinketh) great­lie conserueth health, and after it be a day olde, he saieth it should not be eaten, because it hath lost his tymperatenes of complexion and the more it is hardened, the heauier is it to be concocted. Auicen his opinion is, that bread ought not to be eaten before it haue stoode one night, and as for hoate bread he vtterlie discommē ­deth it, saying that it ought to be eschew­ed, because it is not (as he there affir­meth) receptible of nature, and also by reason of his warmenes causeth thirste, and by reason of his vaporous moysture swymmeth in the Stomacke, and is [Page] longe ere it passe and descend into the en­trailes. It doth also send an vnnaturall heate into the stomacke or ventricle, whereby it is checked, maistered and damnified. Therefore hoate bread must be eschewed, and also in sommer when it is aboue two dayes olde, and in winter after three daies age, it ought to be for­borne. And we must be very circumspect in the fanning and making cleane of such graine and séedes as wée shall afterward eate. For of this let vs be well assured, that although, we do not presentlie féele Breade corne must be well clensed & picked be­fore it be grinded. the dailie harme that by little and little encreaseth (vnperceaued of vs for a while because of the smalenes thereof, yet not­withstandinge in continuance of time, it bringeth much inconueniences and dis­quietnes. And at length bursteth out to our great paine. Hauing spoken of bread which Homer termeth the pithe and ma­row of man and the sacred Scriptures affirme to corborate mans hart, and na­ture, let vs now likewise make the like discourse of wine, which of the same Au­thour is called the Strength of man and [Page] in holie writte is sayed to cheere vp the minde and make the hart mery.

Of VVine.

WYne hath great vertue and sundrie Wyne. singuler effectes come by drinking thereof, as not onelie Aristotle & Galen but other phisicions of later daies haue noted and namelie the absolute and lear­ned man Andrew Matheolus Senensis, Com. Dios. lib. 5. ca. 7. out of whose worke I do not excerpe and alledge any thing, least I should vainely séeme to make a Commentarie out of Commentaries, and like a vaine glori­ous person séeke to trimme vp my self with other birdes feathers, speacially sith his Bokes are to all persons and in all places to be had. And brieflie to declare my opinion, I say that wine moderately dronken clarifieth the Spirit & maketh it lustie, and lightsome and of competent The pro­fits that come by moderate drinking of wyne. substance, it nourisheth and comforteth it, and greatlie refresheth the minde, wherfore not without good reason it is [Page] endued with great power and singuler vertue to letifie and conserue nature.

But being immoderatelie dronken and ingluuiouslie swilled (as now adaies ma­ny The harme that com­meth by the con­trarie. vse to do) it is most hurtfull and the special cause of many gréeuous diseases. For it endamageth and hurteth y^e braine and all the sinewes & senses, and doth too much humect and moysture the whole bodie. Therfore it must be temperately dronken and good regarde had that it be of the best kinde, growinge in the best soyle, & here I will reken vp some kinds of the best, for all I neither can declare neyther will the breuitie of this small compendie permitte.

That wine is best, whiche is neither to olde nor to new, but meane betwéen bothe, well fined and cleare, reddish or of a citron couler, pleasant in tast and of a swéete smell, of suche relish (I say) as in tast séemeth neither to be very tarte and sharpe, nor yet very doulcet & swéet. For thynges sharpe and pontique, yea and swéete also do quickly cause obstruc­tions: the one because they bynde, the o­ther [Page] because they passe into the veines and members vnconcocted, of which sort swéete wine is one of the chiefest. In so muche that Auerrois (althoughe he be a man not of the greatest aucthoritie in phisicke) affirmeth wine to be drawen of the Liuer vndigested euen assoone as it is dronken. But the drinkinge of white wine being subtile and cleare and speci­allie White wyne. in sommer time, as it doth vnto o­ther famous and expert doctours in phi­sicke so also vnto me doth it seeme verie good and commendable. For this is it, that Galen the prince of phisicions by ac­tuall trial and experiment (yea Auerrois saieth the same also) affirmeth that he found in diuerse places of Italie, wherin was to be found neither sowernes, pon­ticitie, stipticitie, bitternes nor Swéete­nes, which also engendred no inflacions and fumosities, and this wine onelie is without all such daungers and inconue­niences as commonlie happen & chaunce after the drinkinge of other wines or of water. And therfore this wine is moste agréeable and fitte for stronge and ma­ture [Page] age or the age of consistencie, and for hoate complexions and namelye in Sommer for many causes, but chieflie because it causeth no headache but rather driueth it and taketh it awaye if it come throughe heate of the stomacke. Néere vnto it in goodnes is an other wine which in the olde time was named Ab­lutum, and in Italie (speciallie in Lum­bardie) it is commonlye termed by the Ablutum or the wine of Auicen. name of Auicen his wine. And in this maner is it made, Take three partes of Muste and one parte of water, boyle thē together till the fowerth part be wasted. Other some vse, when the Grapes be trodèn and the iuyce wringed out, to put water to it, in proporciō according to the strength and power of the wine, and thē after a fewe dayes to put it in vesselles. But when the season of the yere is som­what colde: or when the temperature of the bodie by reson of age or otherwise is faint and weake, Claret and Citron cou­loured wine (if no impediment and cause to the contrarie) is best and to be prefer­red before any other.

[Page] Whiche if it be endued with any fumo­sitie, How to a­laye wine. the same may be qualefied and a­layed with water least it stuffe the head, and cause thirst. Yet may it not be to much alayed and made thinne, for then doth it debilitate and weaken the sto­macke, causing many fumosities in the same: but beyng moderately alayed and tempered it is muche praysed of Galen, because it qualefieth humours, exciteth and stirreth vp naturall heate and with­out harme pearceth the membres.

Certes euery one of these kinds of wine are greatly avayleable to them that ther­with be acquainted and accustonied.

For it strengthneth vertue, expelleth Choler and Melancholy by prouokynge of vrine, quickly ripeth the good iuice and humours wherewith the body is humec­ted, and maketh the ill humours to des­cend from the vpper partes to the lower, whereby the head is eased and holpen.

But in drinkynge of Wine, there must be no lesse consideration had of the coun­treys, times and exercises, then of the affections, appetites and complexions of [Page] men, that wée maye conserue them od [...] ­rate with that y^e is agréeable therto, & a­mende the immoderate by their contra­ries. Therefore (as before I haue no­ted) to colde and drie complexions, the claret and swéet Wine (because it is ve­rie hoate) is best, and the contrarie ser­ueth best for hoate temperatures. Fur­thermore those wines are to be forborne What wines are to be eschued. whiche be either very olde or very new: because the one heateth vnmeasurably, and the other neuer a whit, so longe as thei be new, which not onely helpeth no­thing to digest the meate, but is itselfe rather very slowly and with much a doe decocted. Now, I thinke I néede not to counsell men to refrayne drinkynge of Wyne when they be fastyng, or before wine must not be drō ­ken with a fasting stomacke. they haue eaten sōwhat, because I write to such men as be sobre and modest and not to tossepottes and drunkards. For beyng drunken at any suche times, com­monlye bryngeth many inconueniences and diseases procéedyng of Fleame, and namely the Apoplexie in suche case is much to be feared. After meales also to [Page] drinke much is hurtefull, because it ma­keth Much drinking after meate is to be forborn the meate in y^e stomacke, to descend before it be sufficiētly boiled & concocted. For while y^e meate is in digesting in the stomack, we ought to refrain much drin­king. But after y^t the meate is descended frō the mouth of y^e Stomack & is suffici­entlie concocted Auicen permitteth large and great drincking, to washe and mun­defie the stomacke and to make the meat the better to pearce and be diffused into the veines: But till suche time, he lesso­neth To quēche thirst. vs to abstaine vnlesse great occasion of thirste otherwise require. And to quenche a drye thirste, it shall suffice ey­ther to drinke a litle at once, or in the Sommer time rather to rinse and wash your mouth w^t cold water. And it is very good to haue Pomgranards in store be­ing of a middle relice, for they are good to eate, when throughe drinkinge of wine thereis any vpbraidinge and mordicatiō in the stomacke. Also to drinke after such meat as encreaseth ill humour (of which sort are Musheromes) Auicen vtterlie forbiddeth: semblably after such fruictes, [Page] as Melons, Pompons, yealow Quinces and suche like. For wyne being dronke after suche fruictes, enforceth them to perce to the veines, whereby their cor­rupt iuyce is mixed with the bloude, and so is cause of the corruption thereof. But men now a dayes do cleane contrarie, for they loue to drinke with these and suche like fruictes the best wine they can gette as a remedie (for so they say) of fruictes, yea and sometimes they haue the phisici­ons themselues compaignions with thē. But if thou wouldest kéepe thy stomack from the harme that proceedeth by the coldnes and moystnes of these fruictes, it were a great deale better to vse to take Aniseede, or Cinnamome, or ginger, or Honie and suche like.

Héere as it were in the way of an ad­dicion to the declaration of Wyne, I wil speake a woord or twaine more, to teache you to know whether your Wine bée pure, or els mingled. It is sometimes séene (as now in many thinges there is muche legierdemayne and deceite vsed) that Wyne is mingled with Hony, to How to know whe [Page] make it swéete and pleasant. If it be ther wyne be made sweet with Hony. thus abused and mixed, it may be easely knowen by this meanes. Take a few droppes of it, and powre them vpon a hoate plate yron, and the Wyne if it be pure being resolued, because it is thinner and subtiler, the Hony wil remayne and thicken, because it is of a groser and thic­ker substance. If you suspect, that your Wine be mingled with water, you may easely know whether it be so or no by How to know whether wine be mingled with wa­ter. putting a Peare into it: for if the Peare swim a lofte and descende not to the bot­tome, then is the wine pure & vnming­led, but if it sinke to the bottome, it is an infallible token that it is mingled with water. Many suche pretie conclusions might here be shewed, but these for this matter are sufficient. As concernyng the hower when to eate these aforesayde and such like fruictes shall hereafter be decla­red, but first wée will shew of such mea­tes as nourish best.

Of Fleash.

[Page] AFter Breade and Wyne (two of the cheefest mainteiners of mans Flesh. life) fleashe is next in order to be spoken of. For Auicen sayeth, that fleash is a meate comfortynge the body and of néere transubstantiation and conuersion into bloud, specially the fleash of those beastes and fowles that be of the best nourishyng sort. And the wise Sages of our profession, commend as moste profi­table for the conseruacion of healthe, a­monge foure footed Beastes, the Fleshe of younge Kiddes and suckyng Calues, whiche be so muche the better if they be nourished with wholesome milke and in good pastures. For this is to be noted y^e of al Beastes which be of sound complex­ion and qualitie, the youngest are most wholesome, as Kiddes, Calues and such like: but of them that be moyst, the youn­gest are most harmefull. And therefore Auicen sayth, that Lambes should be a yeere olde before they be eaten. Not­withstandyng in this poinct the disposi­cion and temperature of the Countrey must be respected, where vpon Auicen [Page] sayde that in the East and South partes of the world, Lambe and Mutten nught without daunger be eaten, whiche in our moyst Countrey, and in moyst bodies is not alway expedient. Seldome there­fore and warelie must Lambe be eaten, Lambes flesh. and rather in the sommer and Autumne then at any other time of the yeere, be­cause drinesse then beareth sway. And if wée eate therof in the Winter or in the beginning of the Springe, it were much better rosted then boyled. Younge Béeif bred vp in wholesome pasture and well exercised and chased, is in the win­ter Beeife. and Spryng not to be misliked, for then Ventres be moste hoate of nature, and sleape very longe as Hippocrates affyrmeth, and therefore they may the better digest heauie meates: but in som­mer and Autumne, meates of light di­gestion must be vsed, because the inter­nall and naturall heate is then weaker by reason of the heate of the Ayre. As for grosse meates that are drie and harde as cowes Beeif and suche like I vtterly disalow: because beside many other Cowes flesh [Page] harmes that it bringeth by reason of the hardnesse of it, and difficultie to be diges­ted, this namely is one, that it inferreth harme to the reasonable parte of man whiche is the minde. Porke or Hogges flesh nourisheth very much, and is plea­sant and toothsome in taste, but if they be very younge, there fleash is too moyste and heauie of digestion, and therefore we must leaue it to ploughmen and labou­rers of stronger Stomackes. But being of middle age, as from sixe monthes to a yéere olde (if they be not to fatte) theyr fleash is restoratiue to them that neede meates of such operation & haue stronge Stomackes: for no kinde of flesh (saieth Galen) more nourisheth the body then it doth. The flesh of wild hogges are much commended, for by reason of their exer­cise and drye feedinge they are not great­lie moyste but in a manner temperate. The fleshe of an Hare is not good to bee eaten often, but it is best about the begin­ninge Hare. of the springe or winter because of y^e drinesse of it, for it maketh grosse bloud and melancholique humoure. But the [Page] braine is good for them that haue verie moiste braines and tender softe bodies.

Of fethered fowles there be manye sortes: wherof Hennes and Capons are holesomest in winter and in the begin­ninge of the springe, and Chickens in Sommer, and Autumne because they encrease good bloude and humours, and qualefie those that are ill. In this season also Quailes, phesantes and young Par­triches Quaile Phesant. Partriche are excellent, for they be of a good concoction, nourishe singularlie well, and causeth few or no superfluities: and also they helpe the stomacke and binde the mouth thereof. I meane them that be young because they are more temperate then the elder. Auicen sayeth that the ea­tinge of Quailes is to be feared, leaste therby be engendred the crampe and the disease called Tetanus (whiche is a stiffe­nes and incensibilitie in the sinewes) not onely because they féede on the herb Elle­borus (which of itselfe is venemous) and be therwith nourished, but also because the same perillous infection is in their fleshe. Notwithstanding this their vene­nositie [Page] attributed to them by Auicen, and auowched by Galen, Lucretius and Plinie, I woulde not willinglie refuse them for sustentation, neither woulde I feare a whitte the incurring of any the a­forenamed disease. For those kinde of Quailes that they wrate of, differ & are not the same that the Quailes here in this countrey are. The difference be­tweene whome and the other, is largelie set forth and described by Alexander Mundella in his sixt Epistle.

As for Sparrowes because they be ex­ceeding hoate and drie my counsaile is to Sparowes. Dooues Pigeons Wood culuers or Stockdoues be forborne and because they stir vp Ve­nus merueilouslie, they are fittest to be left for olde men that haue yoūge wiues. Culuers and home doues are a litle hea­uie in concoction, specialie the yoūge Pi­geons that are not yet flidge and cannot flie, because they haue in them superflu­ous humours. But when they be able to flie, they are excellent good meate and holesome, making good humour and are lightly digested. Wood Culuers because they bestirre and exercise themselues [Page] more then the domesticall dooues do, are lighter of digestion. Auicen thinketh them best to be eaten in Sommer (I thinke for their moystnes) for els if they be eaten at any other season be apointeth the iuyce of a lower grape called Agresla & Coriandre to be eaten withall, to re­mooue and take awaye the heate that is in them. But I am of a contrarie opini­on, for I thinke it is muche better to eate them in Autumne whiche is colde and drye and likewise in winter and begin­ninge of the Springe, and Northernly seasons, whose moysture is a good deale taken away in the rosting. But Turtles are farre better because they haue lesse Turtles. moysture, albeit many thinke that they be of a drye complexion, and yet not to hoate: yea they haue a singuler vertue to Auerr. 5. Coll. comfort the braine and sharpen the wit, and may safelie be eaten in the later end of Autumne and in winter. The flesh of bigge water fowles are not very hole­some, because they make ill and blacke Water Fowles. humour. The flesh of a ducke aswell the wilde as the tame nourisheth very well Ducke. [Page] but it is heauie to digest. Therfore it is better for Labouringe men and stronge stomackes then for quasie and weake bodies. The winges of fowles do nou­rishe commendablie, because they be wel Winges exercised and easier to digest, retaynyng very few superfluities by reason of their frequent motion. The fleash that is a­bout the bones is swéeter and better to digest then other: so is also the Fleash Fleshe neere the bone. of the right side. Loose and spoongie flesh as the Vdders and the rootes of tongues is toothsome in taste, but slow of digestiō but béeynge concocted, sometime they make phelgmatike nourishment, yet commonlie none but good. Marow and Marow. Braines. the braynes are (as Auicen sayth) hurt­full to the stomacke. Also flesh that is fat is easely conuerted into Choler mixed with phelgme, and ill vapours. And therefore fattinesse in meate maketh ve­rie small and the same ill nourishment, Patte meates. and puffeth vp the meate in the bealy, Which made Auicen to thinke that ve­rie litle of it, should be mingled with o­ther flesh euen accordynge to that mea­sure [Page] that best agréeth to euerie mans de­light. Also euery kinde of fleshe is com­mended or discommended accordinge as Kindes of fleshe. it is in qualitie: for the more that the fleshe of Beastes doth degenerate from whytenes, the lesse good iuyee is therein it. And by all mens confession this is true, that of those beastes which be of one kinde, so longe as they be young and ten­der the make moyste nourishement: be­ynge in their middle or consistent age, their nourishement is hoater and dryer. But when they be olde, their fleshe is worst of all, because it encreaseth melan­cholique and excrementall humour, yea and the bigger bodied the worse.

Wylde beastes and they that liue a­broade in the fieldes, are hoater and drier then homishe and domesticall. All which (notwithstandinge) beynge vsed and ta­ken at conuenient times and in due or­der that is to say accordinge as the quali­tie of their temperature requireth, are thought nothinge at all to imbecile and hinder health. Salte meates meates (al­thoughe Salt meats they were moyste before) do re­taine [Page] a vehement power to drye and heate and geeue ill nourishement: and to be shorte, all maner of salte meate gene­rally engendreth putrefiynge and rotten menlancholique bloude, and greatlie of­fendeth the lieuer. Therefore it must be seldome eaten and in moyst times of the yere, to witte in winter. Furthermore this sayinge of Auicen may not be pre­termitted, that the fleshe of any blacke couloured beast and also of the male, is plesaunter and lighter then of others.

And I haue thought good here also to re­cite the opinion of the expert man Auenzoar, who writeth that it is best to eate fleshe immediately or not longe after it is killed. And if they be somewhat barde (as the fleshe of wylde duckes and olde Turtles is) he thinketh it best, to haue them boyled in water within twelue howers after thei be killed, and in Som­mer within seuen, of the whiche opinion Galen is also, which is in déede not to be Gal. de atten. vic. ratione misliked, but both to be praised and follo­wed. For the ayre doth alter them, wher by they are made apte to putrefaction, [Page] when they remaine longe after their kil­linge, especiallie in a hoate & moist ayre. And this is verified & plainly to be seene in fishes, which (doubtles) are much bet­ter if they be dressed and eaten immedi­atelie after they be taken out of the wa­ter: and I am not ignorant that by rea­son of their watrish moystnes they wyll quicklie putrefie. And fleshe is better hoate then colde, speciallie in winter and Autumne: except kiddes fleshe whiche Auicen supposeth to be better and hole­somer Whether hoate or cold fleshe be better when it is colde, because it then yeldeth no vapoure, but Lambe (he say­eth) is better when it is hoat. If the flesh be somewhat fatte, tender and verye moyst, it is best to roste it and speciallie in winter and the Springe, but other­wise it is best to boyle it, namely in Sō ­mer and Autumne, because thereby they are of lighter concoction and kéepe away siccitie or drynesse which at those times chieflie reigneth in mans body. Of ros­ted When to roste and when to boyle flesh. fleshe the inner parte (because better moysture is gathered inwardlie) is bet­ter to be eaten then the vtter part. The [Page] Spittes or broches beinge of Iuniper, Spittes or broches maketh al the meate to haue a pleasaunt and delightfull sauoure. Rosted fleshe is then best to be vnspitted and taken from the broche when it smelleth sweetest. For smellinge is the discouerer and to­ken teller of tast. Thus muche of fleshe.

Now wée speake somwhat of other sortes of nourishment, amonge whom Egges wée do affirme the Egges of a Henne, Partriche and Phesant to excell any o­ther. Dioscorides commendeth them be­ing halfe rosted that is to say meane be­twéene rere and hard, so that they may be supped, because they be then easely di­gested and increase good bloud. Auicen reckeneth them amonge soueraigne and cordiall meates, affirmyng the yolke to be of a laudable temperature: albeit he sayth in his second Canon, that the yolke inclineth to heate, and the white to colde­nes, but the whole to be temperate.

Serapio thinketh it to be more colde then hoate and not without good reason: for the whight of the egge is more colde then the yolke is hoate, because the yolke is [Page] thought to be temperate or very néere to temperatenes. Egges wooulde be eaten before other meates because they are quicklie digested and soone descend from the mouth of the Stomacke, and nourish very quickly. For they haue all the pro­prieties that belongeth to good nourish­ment, & are soone transmuted into bloud, and leaue small superfluities: finallye they make subtile and cleare bloud wher by the principall member is nourished.

For it goeth to the very hart, and for the dissolution of the substance of the spirite and cordiall matter it is a present reme­die. Beyng harde rosted, they be of illnourishment, Harde Egges. heauie to digest, causinge stinking fumes in the stomacke, and ma­kyng the lower part of the belly stiptick, but poched, they do asswage and lenifie it. Wherefore Galen hath these wordes aboute the beginninge of his booke De Euchym. & Cacochym. Cockels (saith he) are accompted to be of a grosse iuice, and so are Egges, whiche are either sod­den or rosted harde. If they be fried, they make il iuice and cause fumes in the sto­macke [Page] ere they be decocted, and do also corrupt other meates with whom they be mingled. But beynge measurably sodden and vsed, that is to wit somwhat rere, they are apt to digest, nourish, and encrease good bloud: so also are poched Egges good to asswage sorenesse & rough nesse of the throate. In milke and egges there is great abundance of fat and clam­mie moisture, the one appropriate to ali­ment and nouriture, the other to Sperm or séede of generation. The Egges or Spaune of fishes are nothyng so calefac­tiue and nutritiue: for so far as the flesh of Birdes is better then fishe, so muche are the egges: of fishes inferiour in good­nes to the egges of birdes Auicen allo­weth the eatinge of Mylke in rype and Mylke consistent age better then in adolescencie and therefore he thinketh it good for col­lerique persons, but ill for them that are phlegmaticke. Albeit he also sayeth that it is not good for th'entrayles, nor for the stomacke, and also causeth dimnesse of sight, hurteth the teeth, annoyeth the si­new, engendreth obstructions in y^e Me­saraike [Page] Veines is soone corrupted, quick­ly sowreth and causeth headache.

Wherefore that all these discommodi­ties may be eschued, he woulde that it should be dronke alone, and after it is dronke to rest from labour, and then to sleepe and to eate nothynge vntill it he descended from the stomacke. But cheif­ly he warneth that in no wise vineigre, or sower meates be eaten after it. Yet do I counsell them that eate it, for feare least it should congele in their stomacks to put a litle suger or Salt, or pure hony vnto it, and to stirre it all together.

Salt seasoneth and taketh away y^e har­mes that come by Mylke and all other kindes of victualles, so dothe Hony also make Milke muche the better. Now the commodities y^e come by eating of Milke The commodities of mylke. are the moderate deiection and purging of thinges in the bealy superfluous, good nourishment and making of wholesome tuyce. The pastures wherin the beastes What milke is best. feede, whose Milke wée vse, is of greate force and validitie to this purpose. And whereas there be many sortes of Milke [Page] of all others, womans Milke is the ex­cellentest, because it is very good and be­neficiall Womans mylke to mans bodie, namely to the brayne, for it is thought to increase it merueylously, and preserueth agaynst consumption. Next vnto it, is Goates Mylke, for it is temperate and hath in Goates mylke it but small quantitie of Butter. Like­wise the milke of Camels and Asses, whiche by reason of the nature of the Camelles mylke and Asses milk beastes themselues, hath in it but litle Chéese, and therefore doth purge excel­lently, and is very wholesome. The Milke of Ryne and Ewes is fatter: but if the beast that géeueth it, féede in good and wholesome pastures, out of Fen­nes and Marshes, and with temperate fodder, it is much better thē if thei should féede in small closes or watrie grounds. And it should be dronke warme from When to drinke milke the vdder, or not very longe after, it is milked, for the ayre doth soone alter it, and of good and wholesome, maketh it il and noysome. But héere may some mer­uayle, why Milke should be forbidden younge men and not to men of ripe and [Page] consistent age, considerynge that vnto younge infantes it is géeuen by the spe­cial benefite of Nature as a most fit and conuenient nourishment. But this and such other ambiguous quiddities are els where to be sought, for in this smal booke wée write a Regiment how to conserue health and not arguyng disputations.

The vpper parte of the milke is not to Creame. be praysed, for it loseth the stomacke, and by reason of his vnctuositie is soone tur­ned into yelow choler. The Creame or thicke summitie of Milke whiche is ga­thered after the milke hath been sodden and suffred to stande a night is vnwholesome and hurtefull.

Butter is very vnctuous, and all vnctuous Butter meates especially Butter (by the opinion of Auicen) is preiudiciall and harmefull to y^e stomacke. For the power and vertue of the stomacke consisteth in the vnion of his partes, and in a certaine stipticitie and byndyng, whiche is by vn­ctuous foode hindered, and many times quight taken away and destroyed. The best Butter is that whiche is made of [Page] Cowes milke in May. In hoate and moyst complexions it is soone conuerti­ble into Choler. The thicke and curdie Milke, whiche first commeth into the Dugges incontinently after the Cowe Biesting hath calued, commonly called Biestings is very daungerous, for it is slow of di­gestion and descendeth slowlye from the stomacke, and is also grosse of substance, causing grosse humours and consequent­ly is thought to engender the stone.

Fresh and new Cheese (sayth Diosco­rides) is beneficiall to the stomacke, but Freshe Cheese. Auicen doubteth therof. But I thinke, that in hoate seasons and aboute the be­ginnynge of Autumne it may without daunger be eaten. But being olde, and yet not rotten nor hard with age, conue­niently salted, I iudge better to be eaten in colde seasons and at the latter ende of meales: yet herein as in all other things, Nature and Custome is of greate force and muche to be considered. For there are some, whiche do abhorre Chéese and cannot in any wise brooke it: as some o­thers do lothe Wyne and so forthe of o­thers. [Page] Auicen sayth that such indiuiduall proprieties as these, are without the cō ­passe of reason, and that experience and triall herein is aboue reason. The thin­nest part of the mylke called whaye be­inge vsed by way of medicine rather thē Whaye for meate, and speciallye in Maye wyth Sugar is very good to scower, clense and purefie the bloude and also to quenche choler and purge melancholie without a­ny paine or greeuance. For it washeth the breast, prouoketh vrine, maketh cleane the bladder, and without any pain or excoriation draweth out ill humours, and (as Auicen sayeth) rectifieth nourish­ment and openeth the partes of the bodie that are with obstructions stopped. All which vertues and operatious make A­uicen to thinke that it maketh men fat.

Into it may be put a conuenient quanti­tie of Roses or Sene (accordinge as the pacient shalbe opplete with humoures) the space of a night with a little Anyse séede or Cinamome to make it woorke more strongelie. But then were it good that the humours shoulde be concoct and [Page] prepared. For the approued wise Hip­pocrates, commaundeth vs to minister 1. Aph. 22. Phisicke to those thinges that be concoct and to mooue the vncrude. Finally all those meates are discommended that are compounded and made of Milke, Egges and Chéese or suche other like thinges. For although they be all of easie digestiō being seuerally taken, yet beyng ming­led together they are hardly concocted & muche endamage the stomack. For sun­drie meates of diuers substance and qua­litie is a great enemie to health, and by reason of the grossenes of some, and the finenesse of other some, there is required to be diuerse operations of nature, and diuerse temperatures of the stomacke, for it is greatly busied in the decoction of them all And because some tarie longer in the stomacke then some other doth, it causeth fumes and vapours to ascende and strike vp into the head, whereby health is much appayred.

Of Fishe.

FYshes for the moste parte are not holesome, or they are of smale and illnourishement Fishes and leaue manye su­fluities in the body and also are easlie corrupted. And therefore Auicen counsai­leth vs not to eate them after vehement and stronge exercise, because they will soone be turned into corruption and do al­so corrupt the humours. And in an other place (which is also auouched by Galen) he sayeth that fishe beinge new and fresh engendreth phlegme and mollifieth the ventricle, and is not to be eaten but of them which haue very hoate stomackes, because they be verye colde and moyste. Beynge salted they are hoate and drye, Salted Fishes and therfore for them that be phlegma­ticke it is better to eate them salted, and in winter or at the beginninge of spring: but for cholerique persons and in hoate seasons they are best when they be new and moyste, but the surest and best way [Page] is altogether to abstaine from them. The Gréeke poet Homer for his manifolde knoweledge in al faculties worthie to be called the perelesse Phenix of learninge most learnedly bringeth in, that Vlisses when he had trauailed longe vpon the Seas, and all his victualles were spent, was by necessitie enforced and driuen to fishe. Meaninge therby, that so longe as we may liue without fishe, we shoulde refraine it. But for asmuche as euerie man may not alwayes eate egges nor fleshe, nor at all seasons without any re­spect and difference, and also appetite many times beareth swaye aboue reason: Therefore I will declare & describe such fishes as are lest hurtfull. And first this is to be knowen, that those fishes are best which be neither verye harde and drye, Best fishes. neyther yet full of stimie and clammie toughnes, nether opplete with much fat­tinesse (for all fatte is ill, but of fishes the fattenesse is worse then anye other) ney­ther of ill sauoure and relice: but pleasant swéete and toothsome in taste, and which will not soone stinke after they be taken [Page] out of the water. It is further also to be noted that of those which are soft and tender, the greatest are best, but of hard fishe take the smalest. For that which among moyst thinges is found drye, must be ta­ken as moderate as that is, whiche a­monge drye thinges is founde moyste. Yet let a conuenient measure aswell in the bignesse as in the smalenesse be obserued. Also the fishes that liue about cleare Rockes and in stony places are (as Ga­len sayeth) better then any other.

And it is not without good cause that suche fishes be preferred and winne the commendaciō from others. For they ex­ercise and mooue themselues muche and often, and lye in suche places, where they are often tossed and beaten with the con­tinuall surges and waues of the tempes­tuous Sea, and neuer are embroyned with anye filth or diertie slimishnes.

Those fishes also are greatly commen­ded that come swymminge out of the Sea into Riuers, sith they come agaynst the streame, and the farther of that they be from the Sea, the holesomer and bet­ter [Page] they are. Next vnto them are those that liue in sandie places, and those that breede in cleare and freshe runninge wa­ter, that is without much mudde. Fur­thermore those fishes that féede vpon swéete herbes, rootes and wéedes aboute the banke sides are better then those that liue by mudde and slime: amonge which ill sorte are those fishes that are called Mugles or Lompes, which are not hole­some although they séeme to haue a plea­sant Mugles or Lompes. taste and sauoure. Therefore al such fishes as liue in filthye puddles, fennes, marshes, dyches and standinge waters whiche mooue not are to be eschewed.

This generall warninge now premised briefly and namelye let vs touche suche sortes of fyshes as are best and most suf­ferable, supposed to be of good nourishe­ment and of lightest concoction. Good and holesome is the Gilthead (called Gilthead Aurata and of the Gréeques Chryso­phris because it hath in his forehead a thinge congelate which in the water shi­neth like golde as in the olde ones it is to be séene) they géeue muche nourishe­ment [Page] and therefore are difficultie diges­ted. So is the Rochet and Seapearches. But Riuer pearches (whiche are like in Rochet Pearche of the Sea Riuer Pearch maner to the other) are of pleasaunt taste and good to be géeuen nowe and then to them that haue a feruent Ague, when their appetite is quight gone through ve­hemencie of heat. Carpes are pleasaunt and toothesome: so are also Troutes and Troute Gogeon Gogions, but those are best that are white and little, for they be softe, mollefi­ynge, of good iuyce and concoction, but those that are gréene and blackishe are worste. Of good iuyce also are Mullets and Barbilles, beinge meane betwéene harde and tender as Cornelius Celsus 3. de Re. Rust. 3. de ali­ment. virt. wryteth and Galen affirmeth the same They binde the bellie speciallie beinge broyled on the Coales: but fried they are heauie and hard to digest Athenaeus wri­teth that if a liuinge Mullet be put into wine and choked or strangled therin, whatsoeuer man drinketh of the same wyne, shall not be able to do the acte of generatiō. Dioscorides saieth that much and oft [...]n eatinge thereof dymmeth the [Page] eyesight. Plinie writeth that the pouldre made of the head of a freshe Mullet, hath great vertue against al venime and poy­son, speciallie if it happen throughe the stinging of any liuinge Creature. And they be called Mullettes and Barbilles, because they haue two barbes or wartes on their neither iawes.

Eeles are not holesome because they Eeles be moyste and slymie: of whom I will here geeue a note or twaine, not hitherto of anye almoste marked. All alonge the backebone of an éele, there goeth a blacke stringe like a small veine (as it is in the tayle of a Crabbe) in which blacke veine a certaine poyson is included, whiche ought to be drawen out before the Eele be boyled, and he requireth longer time of séething then any other fishe. Beynge broyled, it nourisheth better then when it is boyled, because the fier taketh away his vicious and naughtie humours.

Phisicions do altogether reiecte the ea­tinge of them about Midsomer. They that are moste firme, solide and fatte are best, and speciallie the femalles (there [Page] snoute or nose is tourned vpwarde more then the males) but if my counsell may be followed, it were best for suche persons as in this treatise are ment to forbeare them altogether, at all seasons in the yere, for they be of harde concoctiō and engendre very grosse and flimie hu­mour, albeit to cormerauntes and Epi­cures they séeme to go down their throfe pleasauntlie. I once read this of an Eele, in a woorke of a certaine naturall Philo­sopher and haue taught the same to ma­nye, albeit I knowe no man that as yet hath put it in proofe, neyther yet my self. Now whether his conclusion be true or no, let the Authoure himselfe shifte and aunswer it. If you woulde make some A way to make com­mon drun­kardes to loth and abhorre wine. notorious drunkard and common swil­bowle to loth and abhorre his beastlie vice and for euer after to hate the drin­king of wine: put an Eele alyue into some wyde mouthed potte with a couer, hauing in it suche a quantitie of wine as maye suffice of itselfe to suffocate and strangle the Eele to death. Which doone take out the dead Eele, and let the partie [Page] whom you would haue reclaymed from his bibacitie, not knowing hereof drinke of that wine onely, euen as muche as he listeth. The same vertue (as som write) An other waye hath the water that distilleth out of a vine when it is cutte and pruned, if it be mixed with wine, and geeuen to drinke twise or thrise to one that knoweth not of it. But let vs againe retourn to fishes. Crabbes for the most parte are to be es­chewed Crabbes. for they be ill for the head: and vnder Crabbes we also meane all Peri­wincles and Shrimpes. All kindes of Shelfishes as Oysters, Cockles, Lim­pettes, Shrimpes Periwin­cles. Oysters Cockles. Limpettes. Muscles. Muscles &c. are seldome and spa­ringelie to be eaten. The dressinge of thē must be such, as the nature of the fishes themselues, time, season and custome re­quireth: but those that be moyste and soft speciallie in moyste seasons are best ros­ted that is to say, dressed onely with fyer without any water or any other licoure. Notwithstandinge, we maye vse Oyle and Vinegre to sauce and relice the same the better. But harde and toughe fishes were better to be boyled [...] wel sodden [Page] then either rosted or broyled. Finallie this I say for a generall rule, that al cold or moyst meates are holpen and qualifi­ed by drinkinge good wine and eatinge good Spices withall.

Of Sauces.

But now let vs say a litle of those thīgs that serue for seasonyng and powde­ryng Salt and the nature of it. of meate and first of Salt, and af­wardes of others. And as for salt there is no man that doubteth but it is moste necessarie and conuenient almoste in all kindes of meates, because it maketh them more concoctible and pleasant in taste. Also it hath a vertue abstersiue and resolutiue, and by reason of a siccatiue or drying power whiche it hath, it kéepeth them from putrefaction and corruption, and comforteth the body with a bynding or stipticke power. Further more it ma­keth the meate to descende from the ven­tricle easily and expediently, expelleth superfluities, subtileth phlegme and hel­peth [Page] digestion in them that haue colde stomackes. But it must with measure and moderation be vsed, for with his sharpenesse it hurteth the Ventricle and Bowels, causeth vomite, induceth loth­somenes, and fretteth the guttes, greatly yea, if the weight of one dramme therof bée eaten in the morninge with a fasting stomacke it maketh the bealie soluble, and disposed too the stoole. Now follo­weth Oyle, verie good also and requisite Oyle. to sauce manie & sundrie meates, but in the perticular recital of al sorts of Oyles I wil not now stand, sithens I only stu­die for breuitie. Al Oyles (saith Auicen) do louse y^e vētricles vnlesse it bee y^e Oyle of nuts & of y^• kinde y^t are called Pistacea and the oyle of Oliues. The oyle of Pis­tacea is better then any other, but wee haue neuer seene it made in any place: the oyle of Nuttes is not good for the breast and tongue, and therefore it re­mayneth for vs to entreate of the oyle of Oliues. The sharpe and sower licoure that is made of vnripe Oliues for those that are healthfull and haue hoate bodies [Page] Auicen doth greatly commende as very fit and congruent for them, and not with out cause. For it is not greatly vnctuous nor hoate, and by it the ventricle obtey­neth a conuenient bindyng and oportune stipticitie. And therefore if you make oyle of these Oliues before they come to their full ripenesse, truely in hoate sea­sons you shall finde the eatynge thereof very wholesom. For it greatly helpeth the bodie without anye harme and stop­peth ouer much thinnessé and fluxibilitie of bloude in cholericke and sanguine per­sons. Auerroys giueth much praise to the Oyle of ripe oliues oyle of rype Oliues beinge newe and swéete, because the nature of it is in a maner temperate, hauing in it but small heate. And also he thinketh it to be verye agréeable to mans temperature, accor­dinge to the whole nature of substance of it, and to fatten the Lieuer and aug­ment the substance therof: and therefore he reporteth howe that in his Countrey they vsed to season and sauce their fleshe therewith and that many by vsing it, be­came verye fatte and corpulent. We in [Page] these our Regions thinke it best, to eate that which is sower and bytinge in Sō ­mer, & swéete in the winter and Spring seasons: because the one is colde, and the other somewhat hoate. Oyle of swéete Almondes is good for them that haue the Oyle of Almondes. Stitche and other grief in their breastes. For it asswageth & lenifieth the Iawes and rough arteries, and maketh the hu­mours that are in the Breast apte to be proiected and expelled: and of the thicke Creame of Almondes beinge boyled, Creame of Almondes. there is made an excellent broath or sup­pinge, good both to nourishe and purge the Reynes, and also to scower & cleanse the bowelles and bulke of man, but it is not so good for the stomacke. Honye and the water of it is very good for a cold and Honie. moyste stomacke, for olde men and them that be of colde complexions and in the winter and Springe seasons: But it is not good for them that be Cholerique, or in the Sommer time. In makinge of honie water (that is to witte séethinge water and honie together with a softe fier) the fome or froath must be scum­med [Page] of cleane, for if it be not, it is prouo­ked to be windie and inflatiue. It hath a vertue abstersiue, openeth obstructions, resolueth humours and educeth them be­inge farre within the bodie, and kéepeth the bodie, from rottennesse and putrefac­tion. But the best honie must be taken for suche purpose, that is to say suche as Best honie. hath a true and perfect swéetenes, a good pleasant smell, and a somewhat redde co­lour, not thinne, not subtile, but clammie and viscious. The best honie is gathered in the Springe, the second in Sommer, but that which is gathered in winter is worste and most hurtfull. Also sharpe and sower honie is the worst of al others forasmuche as it is of some thought to be pestilent and venemous. Sugar is hea­ter and more subtile then honie, for it is Sugar. thought to be hoate and moyst in the end of the first degrée: but by artificiall hand­linge that is to witte, by further and lon­ger boyling (whereby it is made white) it becometh not so hoate & yet more dry. It hath in all poinctes as great vertue and power as honie hath, both to lenifie, [Page] mitigate and open obstructions, and also to drye vp and wype away il humours, and it is good for the stomacke if no yel­low choler be therin, for it is easelie con­uerted and turned into choler. Also it pur geth phlegme that is founde in the fro­macke, and comforteth the bealie. This therfore is very good to be eaten at anye time of the yere, but honie is best in winter to be eaten and in the second parte of Autumne. Vinegre is said to be good for them that are melancholique but nought Vineiger. for them that be cholerique, and therfore it agréeth best to a stomacke that is hoat and moyste: it stirreth vp appetite, hel­peth concoction, represseth choler and stoppeth humours from beinge diffused into the inward partes, it maketh them subtile, cutteth them a sunder and preserueth againste phlegme, speciallie if it be mixed with Cinamome and Corraunts to take awaye and alay the ouermuche coldenes and egernesse of it. Also beinge in this order and maner tempered it is good for a colde stomacke. And this waye do we thinke best to be vsed when you [Page] would alay the sharpe and bytinge sow­ernesse of vinegre: boyle it w^c very good Raisons or Corrantes, and (if néede be) make it swéete with the odorifirous smell of good Cinamome. For Cina­mome ouer and beside the heate whiche Cinamon. it hath (for it is sayde to be hoate toward the third degrée) it is also verye good for the stomacke and Lieuer. It openeth obstructions and comforteth them both, and also it dryeth vp the humiditie or moysture of the stomacke and kepeth it from corruption and putrefaction, it con­firmeth and corborateth all the vertues and powers of the bodye, and restoreth them that be appayred and decayed, it cleanseth and mundefieth the head by e­ducinge and fetchinge out the humours that be in it, yea it lenifieth and helpeth the Coughe and Breast, drawing out all that is naught and hurtfull. And thus muche for Condimentes and Sauces.

Of Grayne, Pulse, Rotes, & Herbes

[Page] NOw let vs speake somewhat of such graine and herbes as serue at the table to be eaten. Rice is of Rice. muche nourishement enclininge to heat and drynesse and maye be best eaten in winter. Ryce sodden in mylke causeth a good habite and plight of the body and en­creaseth séede of generation. Panick and Mill may be eaten in moyst Seasons ei­ther hoate or colde. But in Autumne, be­cause Panike. Mill. it is a colde and drye time, suche graine as is hoate and moyste is more expedient. Barley is better to be eaten in Sommer, because it is colde. These graines must be sodden with fleshe po­tage or els in water, puttinge afterward therinto swéete Almonde mylke: or els let them be condite with oyle, which done you may put therto some Sugar accor­dinge to your owne discretion. Of small pulse, Phisicions most commend Cich­pease, and speciallie the potage or broath Cich pease Potage of Cichpease. wherein it is sodden, but they must (say­eth Auicen) be eaten at the middest of Meales, and not at the beginninge nor ende. They nourishe the bodie stronglie [Page] and purelie if they be eaten moderatelie, for otherwise they be windy and require a stronge stomacke and a good vertue di­gestiue, but the broath made of them is preferred before anye other, because it chaseth, away il humours and prouoketh vryne. Lintellès are misliked and discō ­mended, because the annoy the stomack, Lintles. fill the Lieuer with obstructions, engen­der melancholique humour, cause a daze­linge dimnes of the sight, and amonge al kinde of pulse are worste to be eaten, for they bréede grosse, terrestriall and melancholique bloud. Beinge twise or thrise or oftener warmed and eaten (the broath being cast away) they binde the bealie, but the best and surest way is al­together to abstaine from them as moste hurtefull, and fitter rather for Laborers and Rurall people then Magistrates and Studentes. Beanes are verye win­die, and tarie longe ere they be digested Beanes yea although they be decocted the full space of thrée dayes yet do they still re­taine their windines and ventositie. They make grosse iuyce in the bodie, [Page] and send ill vapours to the brain, which cause fearfull and strange dreames, and they engender thicke grosse bloude.

Therefore vse them not in diet although otherwise they séeme to haue a certaine abstersiue and nutritiue power. But if thou be so be sted, that néedes thou must eate of them, it were best to make po­tage or broath with them, for so, they haue more vertue to cleanse the Reynes of the backe, and the bladder, and loose much of their windinesse in the boyling. And if thou be disposed to put any other grayne or seedes vnto them which haue semblable power to expell and driue a­way windenesse (called of the Gréekes Aphusa) & put a litle Hony vnto them, it shalbe a meane to auoide much farther harme and inconuenience. Amonge whiche sorte of séedes, these followinge are the best and chiefest: Carawayes, Anyse, Fenell, and Cumine. Phaselles are not so good, for they be hoate and ear­thie, Phaselles and greatlie disturbe the spirite of the braine, causinge manye vnrestfull dreames throughe their vapours, toge­ther [Page] with giddines and swimminge in the head called Vertigo. Hither to of pulse, and by that whiche we haue heere declared, thou mayest discerne and haue iudgement of those which be not here re­cited. Among the which, those are accep­ted best, whiche be gréene, because they yet retaine a light moystnes: but when by continuance of time they be withered & haue lost their verdure, they are more grosse and terrestriall. And euen as they which are full of iuyce are more to be set by, then they that are drie and wythe­red: so also are they that are boyled bet­ter then those that be crude and raw, and the sodden better then the vnsodden.

After Pulse, let vs speak of Potherbes Rootes and suche fruites as growe vpon Rapes Trées. Rape rootes (notwithstandinge Democritus deemeth them altogether hurtfull and to be eschued) yet Galen ap­prouinge the sayinge and opinion of Diocles, praiseth and muche commondeth them because they concect Melancholie and prouoke vrine conuenientlie: and as Auenzoar witnesseth, whom also Auer­rois [Page] followeth, they haue a merueylous great power and vertue to clarefie the eyes. And althoughe they abounde with muche moysture, whiche commonly an­noyeth the stomacke and minstreth mat­ter to windinesse: yet may this moisture be qualified, if they be first boyled in wa­ter and Salte. Which being doone, & the watrie humoure wrynged out of them, thou néedest not to cast anye doubtes in the eatinge of them beinge sufficientlie boyled in fleshe potage, and (if néede so require) seasoned and spiced with a small quantitie of Anyse séede or Cinamome. Caret rootes are muche like vnto rapes, if they be decocted and sodden, they maye Caret rootes. Smalladge Persely. without harme be eaten in the winter season. The rootes of Smallage and Perselie, beinge in this maner and time sod­den in pottage, are verye good in winter and chieflie at the beginninge of meales, because they bringe downe humoures and prouoke vrine. Succorie both the leafe and the roote young and tender and boyled together, are verye good to keepe Succorie the stomacke and head in good plight, and [Page] doth temper Choler wonderfullie, spe­cially in the Sommer and springe sea­sons. As for Radish rootes, Galen affir­meth Radishe. to be vnholesome, yea he plainly saithe that the rootes of all potherbes en­gender excremental matter and be hard of digestion. Endiue and Lettise are wholesom herbes to be eaten in Salets Endiue Lettise. Mint very holesome for many purposes. and with meate in hoate weather. And if Minte be added and put to them or to other colde thinges, the salet is much the better and wholesomer. For Minte hath vertue to comforte the Entrayles, and specially the stomacke and Mawe, and encreaseth thicke generatiue sperme.

It dothe also strengthen and confirme the vessels and conduits of the séede, and therefore it hath a speciall force and effi­cacie agaynst the profluuious issue of the séede called Gonorrhea: and the iuice thereof dronke with vineigre stencheth bloud. Yea it is very delectable & plea­sant in smell, and much comforteth and chéereth vp the spirites of man.

Sorrell is also good aboute the same Sorell time to be eaten, because it is colde and [Page] very comfortatiue, and (as Auicen wri­teth) hath a certayne subtile stipticitie in it. Purselayne is to be forborne because it is to colde, to wit, in the third degree, & Purselan also maketh smal, and the same noughty nourishment, and quight marreth appe­tite: notwithstanding it quencheth bur­nyng choler, and is good against the spit­ting of bloud and the blouddie flixe, the Emorroydes and bloud procéeding from the breast. The great frigiditie and cold­nesse of it (if wee shoulde at any time chaunce to eate it) may be tempered and qualefied with Minte or with Fenell.

Borage (whiche is the true Buglosse) and Langue du buefe are for the springe Borage Lang de­beefe. and sommer seasons, yea and for the o­ther two partes of the yéere also either in Salets or meates right soueraygne and cordial. For they are sayd to be tem­perate of complexion and qualitie and to engendre good bloud, and to exhilarate the heart. Hoppes semblablie are good to eate at that time wherein they be ga­thered at the beginninge of meales, be­cause Hoppes. they are named amonge the medi­cines [Page] of the Liuer and are temperate, a­peritiue, and prouoke vrine.

But Sperage (wee know) hath in it greater prouocacion, for it maketh a pleasant Sperdge odoure in m [...]ate, & bringeth sweet­nesse to y^e whole body, clenseth slinkinge vrine, mundifieth the [...]l [...]d [...]r, maketh sweete the other officiall vessels & mem­bres & is soone conuerted into good I loud also it nourisheth excellently, and is best to be eaten before other meate.

White Béetes (by reason of a inti [...]si­tie or bitter saltishnesse which they haue White Beetes are good for the bealy and obstructions of the Splene and Liuer, and also they do not engendre suche Melancholicke hu­mour as Colewortes doo. But blacke Béetes are not commendable, because Black Beetes they make blacke iuyce and humeur.

Béete rootes that are yelowish and red haue stronger nourishment, and make bloud a greate deale thicker then the lea­ues do: and this property they haue fur­ther, that they cause windinesse and loose the bealy, wherefore at sometime they may be vsed. Colewortes and Cabages Coleworts Cabages. [Page] may without harme be eaten in cold and moyst seasons, sithens they be hoate and drie: for they haue a vertue abstersiue, and lauatiue, and prouoke vrine conue­niently, but the brothe or Potage wher­in they be sodden is much better to be li­ked. Being lightly sodden and not ha­uing lost their moysture altogether, they mollifie the bealy, but they binde & stop it if they be eaten when their licour hath béene foure or fiue times cast out and ta­ken away from them. Albeit there are some harmes that come through these herbes, beyng eaten out of due time, or­der and quantitie. For beyng to muche vsed in meates, they engēder euil & me­lancholique iuyce, hurteth the mouthe of the stomacke, dimme the Eyesight, and trouble the sléepe with phantasticall i­maginations. And therefore vnlesse it be vpon some vrgent cause (as for lacke of other better meates) let them be reiected & forborne. The great Cabages whiche Plinie calleth Lacuturres are not so good. All Colewortes are thought to haue in them a singuler vertue agaynst drunkē ­nesse, Coleworts resist dron­kennesse. [Page] by reason of the repugnant con­trarietie and naturall enemitie that is betwéene the Vyne and them. For it hath been and is often by experience pro­ued, that if Colewortes be sowed néere to the rootes of a Vyne trée, the Vine of his owne accorde will spreade on the o­ther side, and turne away from them a pretie distance. Also the iuice of Cole­wortes is cleane contrarie to Wyne, and therefore whereas the Vyne with his tendrelles will take holde and lappe aboute all other thinges, it will neuer turne towarde the Coleworte. And for this cause many Nacions and namely the Germaines vse ofter to eate Caba­ges and Colewortes at their meales, thereby to auoyde the harme that com­meth by excessiue bibbynge of Wyne, whiche ought to be dronke not ingluui­ously, but temperately and sparingly. Those that are of colour somewhat en­clining to rednesse are best for this pur­pose. And I once saw a certayne learned man beinge a good naturall philosopher when he sate downe at the table in a cer­taine [Page] banquet (where he knew would be stoute quaffinge, priuilie and vnknowen to the rest of the compaignie) eate a leafe of rawe Coleworte, whiche partly holpe him and kept him a good while from be­inge Cuppeshotte: but yet notwithstan­dinge the much drinking of wine shew­ed his force vpon him ere he departed.

Nauewes are verye grosse, heauie to Rapes Nauewes Perselye digest makinge crude and rawe iuyce in the veines and ingender black humours. Perselie aboundantlie and largelye ea­ten in winter is expedient and healthfull for it is hoate and drye in the thirde de­grée, it openeth obstructions and maketh the vrine to passe well. If thou eate of it in Sommer, vse it with suche fruictes and herbes as are colde, as the iuyce of Gourdes. Cucumbers bitter grapes, sodden or boyled in potage and also with Gourdes & Cucumbers. But these are seldome to be vsed because Cucumbers make raw iuyce and make the bodie apt to long continuing Agues, and are of a very colde and moyst tempe­rature: and Gourdes are noysome to the stomacke and almost neuer digested, and [Page] also are very ill for the gutte called Colō through whom the ordure shoulde passe, and generallie for al colde phlegmatique and melancholique persons. Being ea­ten rawe, they are meane betwéene Pe­pons & Cucūbers: but boyled they are a great deale better and of their proper na­ture géeue colde and drye nourishement to the bodie. Cheruile is verye fitte and Cheruyle profitable for cold stomackes, and hath a pleasant and delightful tast. Mushromes (because they haue a cold and moyste na­ture Mushroms and engender grosse & crude iuyce) agrée best to a hoate and drye complexi­on. But if the Musheroomes be kepte in bryne, they wyll be muche the better, and nothing so muche hurtefull, because therby they loose muche of their toughe clamminesse and glewishe humoure. As for sharpe and bytinge herbes as Ony­ons, Garlicke and Léekes we think bet­ter to be forborne, as not fit for a Studi­ent or magistrate: vnlesse peraduenture Onions. Garlike Leekes in winter they that are phlegmatique may vse them beinge boyled or in Sau­ces to purge phlegme withall. Léekes [Page] are better and more tollerable thē either Onyons or Garlicke if they be boyled, for the boylinge taketh awaye muche of their ill and sharpe iuyce: albeit after a sort, they be thought hard to digest by reason of the small stringes that are in them but they are verye good to make one to spitte out easely the fleume that is in the breast, extenuate and cleanse the bodie: and to prouoke vrine competentlie.

Of Fruites

THere be manye sortes of fruictes, whereof some are verye nutritiue, and amonge them figges and rai­sons, rype Grapes and Dates in those Regions and Cities where they growe and are muche vsed, but in my iudgemēt they are seldome to be eaten and then al­so Figges very temperately for new Figges are windie and (as Galen sayeth) are ill for the stomacke, and the bloude that is en­gendred of drye fygges is ill, and both of them aswell the new as the drye bréede [Page] lyce, aswell because of the corruption of their humour as also because they driue matter from the internall partes of the bodie to the externall, and therfore Aui­cen is of opinion that they be dangerous for the Falling sicknes and Apoplexsie.

They are also sayde to make one fatte: but althoughe suche fattinesse continueth but a while, and differeth much from the nourishemēt that bread maketh, yet they géeue greater nourishement and are of more strength then other fruictes. And because figges do quicklie descend and are soone distributed into euerye parte of the bodie, and mundefie and scower the passage and way whereby the meate go­eth downe, therefore they are best to be eaten before other meates. The best are of a white colour, redde are next, and blacke are worst as Auicen wryteth.

And they haue power to cleanse the gra­uell being in the Reines of the backe.

Drye fygges sayeth Galen eaten with nuttes, are an excellent meate and like­wise if they be eaten with Almondes, for so, they open obstructions, but they nou­rishe [Page] not so well neither engender they so good bloude and iuyce when they be mixed with nuttes. And therebe some, which plainly affirme, that drye figges Against poyson eaten with rue and nuttes, are a Soue­raigne remedie agaynste all maner of poyson. White Grapes are a greate deale better then blacke, so that the place Grapes of their growyng and ripenesse be like. And those that haue béen hanged vp two or three dayes in the Sunne ere they be­eaten are best, and most wholesome, and make nourishment very néere as good as figges, whiche ought to be eaten be­fore other meates aswell as figges. For they lenifie the bealy, but much vsinge of them is ill for the bladder, and therefore those that haue the grauell or stone ei­ther in their Reynes or Bladder must forbeare them. For they leaue much fe­culent and dreggie matter in the body and sende many fumes to the brayne, as it may appéere by the vessel wherein the Wyne that is made of them is put. Also Grapes & Figges annoy the Bowels and Intrayles drawing them like a [Page] purse into harde lumpes or kernels, also for them that haue infarced themselues with replecion and surphet they be very harmefull. Being olde they loose muche of their excrementall humiditie.

Raysons of the Sunne clense the body and comfort digestion and be very hole­some Raysons for the stomacke, but specially for the Liuer totally. They are also good for the bladder and reynes and for the paine and excoriation of the Bowels and géeue good nourishment to the whole bodie and may bothe at beginninge and latter en­ding of Meales be boldly eaten. Of fruic­tes which géeue very smal nourishment or rather none at all to the body, there be some whiche passe from the stomacke easilie and whiche ought to be eaten be­fore other meates: and some there be, whiche are best to be eaten after other meates. Of them that should be eaten before other meate, Auicen amonge o­ther kindes reckeneth these, Melons, Pompons, Mulberies, yealow Quinces Peaches, Plummes, Prunes, Sloes, Bullasse, Chéeries &c. For these kindes [Page] of fruictes engendre very much humour and suche as is easely corruptible.

Therefore it is best to driue them out of the bodie as quicklie as may be conueni­ently, whiche by this way and meane may be done, if they be eaten alone with out any other meate and after the eating of them to walke and then to eate some­thinge to make them slipperie and des­cendible. And he sayeth further, that these fruicts being new are good for none but them which are exercised & much troub­led with redde Choler, and in Sommer season, and géeueth counsell also that it is best to abstaine from them because they make watrishe bublinge bloude whiche will soone putrefie. Notwithstanding by reason that they be great coolers, they are good for them that be hoate, euen the ve­rye same houre that they be eatē, because they be colde and moyste. Yet this their moysture engendreth putrefaction and corruption and likewise maketh the bloude full of rawe and crude humiditie, as the gréene Melon which is commonly called Auguria: which also must be fore­borne Melon [Page] for an other speciall consideration, and that is because it is tourned into any humoure that it findeth in the stomacke. For if it finde phlegme, it is tourned in­to phlegme, and if it finde choler it is tur­ned into choler &c. And because some per­aduenture are desirous to know these a­foresaid fruictes, which be best, or rather which be lest hurtfull I will brieflie run ouer them. And among these fruictes, the Melon maketh better iuyce and more nourishement then any of the other and is not so soone conuerted into that hu­moure which it findeth in the stomacke as the gréene Melon called Auguria is: it is abstersiue and prouoketh vryne, but it must be eaten in suche sorte as before is declared, for els it putrefieth, and of his putrefaction causeth feruent and sharpe diseases.

Mulberies although they haue a cer­tayne stipticke vertue, yet dothe Auicen Mulberies. thinke that they annoy the stomack, and in him that is weake, are soone turned into corruption and rottennesse. They whiche are sweete are hoate and moyst, [Page] but they which be tart & sower are colde.

Muche like vnto them in nature are Cheries, for they are soone corrupted and Cheries putrefied: and those Cheries (vndoub­tedly) are most wholesome, whiche are bothe sharpe and bitter and also swéete and rype, whiche are commonlie named Maraschae. For they are not so easelie corrupted as the other and do refrigerate and coole a great deale better. Al Cherics are cold and moyst in the first degree and of them some are softe and swéete, some harde and harrishe, and whiche do binde more. The first sorte are better because they be sooner digested and descend from the stomacke quicklier. The second sorte agrée better to the stomacke encombred with choler, because they are vneth at all corrupted and confirme the Stomacke with a certaine binding or astrictiue po­wer: but much vsinge of them if they be not tourned into corruption by the in­ward humours engender watrishe hu­moure.

Peaches and Abrecockes are endued Peaches. A brecocks with a colde and moyste temperature: [Page] beinge well concocted they make thinne and moyste bloude. But their propertie is, vnlesse they be eaten before other meates and goe easclie downe the bealy to be turned to corruption and altered in­to suche humours as they find in the sto­macke. Therfore those that can not ease­lie digest them, but haue them longe aby­dinge in their stomacke, I would aduise and counsaile not at all to eate of them.

For Abrecockes being moyst and new, are muche subiecte to corruption and therfore engender Agues and Feuers. Auicen sayeth that Masticke and Amse minged with Wyne made of drie and withered grapes or els with hony ought to be drunke when wée eate Abrecocks. Peaches (saieth Dioscorides) are profi­table to the stomacke and if they be ripe, Peaches they mollefie and comfort the bealy be­yng eaten before other meates: but ea­ten after other meates, they are bothe corrupted themselues, and also corrupt the other meates that are neere vnto them. Drie Peaches and Abrecockes must be eaten not before but after other [Page] sustenance, because they are not onely heauy to the stomacke, but also géeue ve­ry litle nourishement. Notwithstanding Auenzoar sayeth, that peaches are good for them that haue stinkinge breathes, procéeding of distemperaunce of the sto­macke: and as for anye other vertue he sayeth they haue none. Plummes and Plummes Damesons. Damesons are better then they, if they be well digested and sent downe into the mawe, for in some persons, these also are many times corrupted, by reason that they abide longe in the stomack ere they be expelled. Plummes that are swéete make the stomack weake with to much moysture, but those that haue a meane taste betwéene swéete and sower are of more force to quenche and represse cho­ler. And as for the coldenes of them (say­eth Auicen) it may be qualefied by drin­kinge honie, water and wine of grapes withered in the Sunne.

But now it is time for vs to entreate of some suche fruictes as maye be eaten after other meates. For there are manie whiche let vapours from ascendinge and [Page] molestinge the braine, and whiche do strengthen the mouth of the stomacke, of whiche sorte are Pomegranardes, Quinces, Pomegra­nardes Sweete Peares and suche like. But firste let vs confuselie speake of them that maye be eaten either before or after meate in­differentlye. Of Pomegranardes there be thrée kindes, swéete, sower, and mean betwéene both. Swéete Pomegranards beinge colde and moyste in the firste de­gree be very profitable for the stomacke and Lieuer, and merueilouslie helpe and comforte the naturall spirites, and are reckened among those things that make a man fatte. They also directe and pre­pare the waies and passages of the vrine much better then the sower do. And therfore they are highlie to be praised, and may without any harme be eaten at any time of the yere, but speciallie in Autūne at anye time of meales. They of meane Meane taste betwéene swéete and sower, are col­der then the swéete are, and therfore they best agree to them that haue hoate Sto­mackes: and they are of an indifferent good abstertion with stipticitie and refri­geration. [Page] Auenzoar telleth a wonderfull vertue that they haue, and Auerrois con­firmeth the same, that they do not suffer anye corruption of the meate in the sto­macke if it be fumous or like to the sa­uoure of Egges. But if the corruption be eigre or sower, he warneth vs to be ware how we eate them, but swéete Pō ­granardes in that case (he sayeth) do no harme. Sower, are of more coldnes then the other, and are good for non but them Sower which are verye cholerique, because tho­rough their sower tartnes they annoye the Entrailes and Sinewes. But yet their tartnes may be alayed and taken a­way by eating a litle Sugar or Hony or some suche swéete thinge: They haue a great vertue to quenche hoate burninge choler and to represse the euaporation of fumes in the head. To conclude, al Pom­granardes generallie are of a light nou­rishement and euer make thinne bloud, and are very amicable and holesome for the stomacke, and do abolishe and driue awaye all frettinge iuyce and byting hu­mours. And therfore thou mayest verye [Page] conuenientlie and well vse them at all times, when thou feelest in thy bodie muche heate to abounde, or els when the time and season of the yeare shall seeme to require. For it were but a vaine and superfluous thinge, to vse suche thinges as be taken and reputed for medicina­ble, none otherwise, but as other commō meates vsuallie and daylie taken.

Quinces among Autumnall fruictes are Quinces reckened in the number of those that are bindinge and suppresse the bealie. Being taken before meales, they are wont ra­ther to binde and restrain the stomacke, but after meates they mollefie the bealie and cloase or drawe the stomacke toge­ther, which is not to be merueyled at: cō ­sideringe that the mouth of the stomacke by a certaine astrictiue power which is in them is shutte together, and the nou­rishement or meate before eaten, forci­blie protruded and thruste forward, as we sée by experience in a bottle or in a bladder when we wring hard and thrust out of them being full the licour.

In the noumber of fruictes also, Ser­uice [Page] bearies, Cornell bearies and Med­lars Seruice bearies Cornel be­ries. Medlars are of all others most constrictiue, and may be very well vsed as medicine, but not as meate, because they increase no commendable bloude, but bynde the bealie to muche and bringe muche harm to the head and the whole bodie.

Of Apples, those that are swéete (sayeth Aegineta) haue more power to heate Apples Lib. 1. Cap. 81 then others, and are more easely diges­ted, speciallye if they be rosted or boyled. Sower apples do coole more and cutte a sunder the congeled humoures in the sto­macke. The harrishe and roughe tasted apples do confirme the stomacke that is weake by distemperaunce of heate or muche moysture and suppresse the bealy but yet Quinces for that purpose more then any others. But in goodnes those apples excell all others that are called Regia poma, which are not altogether so colde, and are thought to be very holesom and comfortatiue to the harte because they repell and driue away al fuligiuous moyste vapours which trouble the harte & strike vp into the head. Finallie when [Page] the head is distempered throughe drin­king muche wyne, they haue bene found right commodious to alaye and redresse the inconueniences thereof: but they be thought to be hurtefull to the Sinewes and to hebetate or dull the memorie, spe­ciallie if they be of nature sower. For they be colde ynough and by the slynesse of there substaunce pearce and are con­ueighed euen into the very innermoste partes. But swéete apples whiche are kept til the next winter, are farre better. For beinge then through tract and conti­nuance of time, come to a full ripenes and perfecte maturitie are thereby also made more holesome and apt to be diges­ted and are not so soone corrupted, beinge orderly vsed. For them that haue weake stomackes they be excellent good beinge rosted in the ashes or trimmelie sodden in water when they be eaten. Peares al­so Peares in like maner being kept they be mel­low and fully rype, haue the same vertu: but they géeue more plentifull nourishe­ment to the eaters and are more plea­sant to the stomacke. As for Pome Ci­trons, [Page] Limons, Orenges, and Adam Apples, sith they rather serue for medi­cine then for meate, I will here say no­thing: they that be disposed to know the historie and operations of them, may at large sée them most learnedly and true­ly described and set forth by Mattheolus in his commentaries vpon Dioscorides.

Oliues (although Auicen reckeneth Lib. 1 Cap. 131 Oliues them, among those fruictes that hurt the stomacke and Eyesight) yet in another place he affirmeth that they beinge con­duict in salte licour or Pickle, do stirre vp appetite, corroborate and comfort the stomacke and loseth the bealie, speciallie if they be eaten with vineigre. And Ca­pers beinge in like sorte vsed, are right Capers Chestnuts commendable for the same purposes.

Chestnuttes because they are of heauie concoction and engendre grosse & crude humours (albeit not verye ill) and cause windynes very greatly, I iudge fitter to be left to them that vse labour and much exercise. Notwithstanding they coole and drye and somewhat binde: but beinge boyled they nourish well and loose much [Page] of their windines, specially if they be sod­den with the séedes of Anyse or fenell or suche like. Hasill nuttes are hoate and drye in the first degrée, they cause head­ache Hasil nuts. & inflate y^e stomack if they be much eatē they be hardly digested, they degra­uate y^e tōgue & hinder y^e speach: albeit be­ing new they are somwhat more friēdlie to the stomack for they bring lesse harm therunto, although they engender grosse humours. Beinge eaten with figges, they are the better to be borne withall, because they are sooner conueighed from the stomacke downe into the mawe and thence expelled. But to eats them aloane or often, speciallie out of winter is not so holesome. Filberdes because they be as­trictiue Eilberdes and restraine Reumes and Ca­tarres, might be thought to be profitable to the stomacke, but for all that, they are very ill and hard to be digested, by reasō of the thicke substaunce that is in them, and consequentlie because they binde the bealie the more. But Auicen commen­deth them, because they are good for all Lieuers, by reason of the small heate [Page] wherwith they be endued. For they are hoate and drye in the firste degrée: and therefore they do no hurte so a Lieuer that is hoat, and vnto it that is colde they do muche good. Also they are aperitiue and open oppilations and obstructions and make good iuyce in y^e bodie: but they inflate and engender windinesse in the bottome of the bealie, and cause headache with augmentacion of the braine. They are slowe of digestion and prouoke vo­mite, and the ryndes of them bynde the bealie, and therfore they are but seldome and not of al men to be eatē. And if thou happen at anye time to eate of them to driue away the coughe and to helpe spet­tle (for they do easely cause spittinge and heale an inueterate cough) it is best firste to drawe out and extract the iuyce out of the substance of them: for by that means they are made lighter of digestion, the subtiler substance being taken out of the grosser left behinde. And if a little Anyse or Cinamome be stamped and put vnto them, all their inflation and windines is taken awaye. And both of them as well [Page] the filberd as the hasill nutte, eaten with figges are preseruatiue against all small poisons as Auenzoar and since his daies Auicen haue written. Swéete Almonds Almonds are almoste equall in heate with these a­foresaide, sauinge that they somewhat decline to moysture, vnlesse they be vi­newed and restie, for then they are drye. The nourishement which they géeue, al­though it be smal, yet it is good. Also they extenuate and cleanse with out any bin­ding, they do open and comfort the passa­ges and vesselles of the vrine and take a­waye all obstructions, speciallye of the Splene and Lieuer, and they be very so­ueraigne and good for them that haue a­ny diseases in their Breastes or Kidneis or haue any inflamation of the Lunges. But because they cause Sléepe and tary longe in the stomacke (for they be harde of digestion if they be eaten alone) they send vp fumes and vapours into the head, and trouble it with the Murre and Reume. And therefore I woulde wishe that the iuyce shoulde be taken out of thē Almond mylke (whiche is called the milke of Almonds) [Page] and this is the best way to eate them be­inge made in little dishes, rather then to eate the whole harde Almondes, speci­allie in Autumne. For by this meanes it will easely descend and bringe muche profit without doinge any harme. More­ouer there is made a right excellent con­fection, of the Creame of these Almonds beinge made in a Ptisan or the decoction of Barley or suche like, but speciallie the fine wheate called Amylum. It is most cordiall for them that be shorte wynded, or payned with the coughe, and it is best to be made in Sommer and Autumne. It surpasseth any other, and is most sub­tile and fine, it easely digesteth, maketh good iuyce and engendreth cleane, thinne and perfecte bloude. The kernelles of Pyne apples are almoste temperate, for Pyne apples they haue but small heate and moysture, they géeue stronge nourishment and the same not ill. They are good to help a mā to spette matter out of his Breast and Lunges, they restore and helpe the debi­lity or weaknes of the bodie, they purefie corrupt humours, help the cough, amend [Page] and qualeūe putrified matter of the body and stirre vp Venus. They are barde of digestion, and further (sayeth Auicen) there is in them a certaine mordication and sharpenes: but if they be stieped in hoate water, he sayeth, they are cleane altered from the same. For so they haue great power and vertue to nourishe, and do inferre no hurte to the bodie. He also commaundeth them that be of a colde cō ­plexion and habite to eate them with ho­nie: but them that be hoate of complexiō, he willeth to eate them with Sugar.

Furthermore they purge the [...]eines & cleanse the bladder, they coroborateth and kepeth them from vlcers, and haue a singuler vertue in helpinge them that cannot pisse. The nuttes called Pistacia (as Galen wryteth) géeue but little nou­rishement, Pistacia 2. De ali­mont notwithstanding they are ve­rie good for the Lieuer, clensinge and ex­pellinge euell humours from the same, and makinge way for them to haue pas­sage out, and discharge it from all harins grieues & encombrances. Auicen saieth: that they haue a singuler power against [Page] the noysomenesse and lothsomenesse of the stomacke and do corroborate all the ventricles: whiche may plainlye be per­ceaued by the somwhat bitter and sower qualitie that is in them. And therefore they are good to be mixed with meates, as well for nourishement as for medi­cine, both against the infartion of the lie­uer, and also to strengthen and corrobo­rate aswell the stomacke as the lieuer. Also they be good to stirre vp Venus, and to make them fatte that are leane, or whiche haue that kinde of consumption that is called Marasmus. They be hoate and drye measurably, so that they maye be thought to be in a manner temperate. In Sommer they may be eaten, so that no great quantitie thereof be taken, but in winter they maye be eaten copiouslie and in greater quantitie, speciallie of thē that are hoate complexioned. The rindes of Cittrons (speciallie if they be condite) Cytron ryndes may be eatē in winter, because they cor­roborate the heart and the other princi­pall members, as Auenzoar (approuing the opinions of other auncient wryters) [Page] affirmeth. And althoughe by reason of there hardnes they be difficultlye diges­ted, yet hath it ben, (vndoubtedly) proued that they bringe muche helpe to the sto­macke, and the mouth being gargarized with the decoction of it, hath a swéete breath. Moreouer the flower and leaues of it do comfort the stomacke, and so doth the wyne or other licoure wherein the ryndes haue bene stieped. But as for the meate or inner parte of them within the paringe, is both il for the stomacke and breast, and also engendreth the Colicke, vnlesse the hurt that may thereof ensue, be preuented and taken away by eatinge clarefied honie and some cordiall Spices. Anyse seede I muche commend, because A nyse seede it taketh awaye windines, and openeth the obstructions of the Lieuer and splene not without a certaine stipticke vertue. Also if a man do smell vnto it with his nose, it cureth the swimminge and ache of the head and prouoketh vrine. Fenell is somewhat hoater and of slower diges­tion, Fenell and géeueth but ill nourishement, and is somewhat dangerous for exulce­racion [Page] and inflamation of the Reines and bladder, notwithstanding it openeth obstructions and causeth one to pisse, and also hath an excellent vertue to clarifie the sight, in somuche that Democritus y^• Philosopher was of opinion, that Ser­pents when they come out of their dens vse to eate of it and to rubbe their eyes therewith. Coriander (of whose qualitie Coriandre and temperature Phisicions cannot a­groe for Galen sayeth it is heate, but A­uicen and others say it is colde, is slowe of digestion, and as Auicen witnesseth comforteth a hoate stomack, and driueth fumes (especiallye cholerique) from the head, whereby the stomacke is holpen, (which it doth rather by reason of the vi­neigre wherewith it is prepared) but yet it causeth dimnesse of sight: yea & whiche is more, Dioscorides sayeth that it trou­bleth mans wittes with great ieoperdie of madnes, and in an other place he rec­keneth it among poysons: therefore ofte vsinge of it ought to reiected, and not to aduenture to eate it vpon truste of anye kinde of preparing whatsoeuer it be, for [Page] y^e nature of it cānot be takē quite away.

Of Repletion

FOrasmuche as we haue alreadie she­wed such kindes of meate and drink as we thought worthy and néedefull to be noted (for we purposed not to de­clare al because that woulde haue bene a longe piece of work and almost infinite) now let vs addresse our selues to speake of some other poinctes that are expedient for health, I meane suche as amonge phisicions are reckened in the number of thinges not naturall. And firste great héede and care must be taken, that thou do not infarce nor pampre thy selfe with any maner of excesse either in meate or drinke: but to take of euery kind of meat Meate. suche quantitie, that the stomacke maye not be cloyed and glutted with sacietie, but to leaue eatinge (as it were) with an appetite. For by this meanes, natu­rall heate retaininge his full power and bigoure, wilbe the better able to concoct [Page] those meates that are in the stomacke.

We must also haue an eye to consider the qualities and natures of meates: as if they be suche that géeue stronge nou­rishement to the body, they must so tem­perately be eaten, that we maye leaue a pretie while before our appetite be fil­led. But of those meates which nourishe but lightlye and smallie, wée maye eate more largelye. For the one requireth good space ere they be concocted, but the other do soone descende downe into the bealie. In drinke we must vse such con­iecture and quantitie as the meates shall Drinke seeme to be eyther in moysture or dry­nesse. It were better to be mixed with the meate by manye small draughtes, then with one great draught at thende of the meale. For the mixture tempereth wel the meate without annoyance, but a great gluttinge draught droweneth the meate and rebuketh naturall heate that then worketh in concoctiō. And although Hippocrates hath left in wryting, y^t ex­cesse of drinke doth lesse harme and is more tollerable then the ingluuious re­pletion [Page] of meate: and Auicen (alledging the opinion of diuerse others) sayeth, that to be dronk once in euerie month is hol­some Dronkenes and healthfull to the bodie: yet we (because it may do more harm then good and specially in them that haue weake and feeble braines) are, and euer were of a contrarye minde and opinion. Wyne (I cannot denye) is most congruent and agréeable to naturall heate: but euen as too muche Oyle quencheth the light of a Lampe, so doth excessiue bibbinge of wyne, oppresse and suffocate naturall heate. In so muche that manye haue ben brought to their longe home by thys su­perfluous bollinge and beastlie swilling of muche wyne. Now, if (perchaunce) thou passe beyonde the limittes of sobrie­tie and excéede natures measure, eyther in meate or drinke, the former erroure and faulte of excesse muste be recompen­ced with spare féedinge and as it were al­most with abstinence followinge. For after repletion, abstinence ought to be v­sed as the propre remedie to redresse the same, and if at diner thou do ouercharge [Page] nature, let thy supper be verye little or none at all, and vse longer sléepe then at other times thou art accustomed, and thē some exquisite exercise. But the beste way of all is, to desist and leaue eatinge and drinkinge, while yet thy stomacke woulde serue to eate and drinke more.

For thy hungrye luste yet remaininge, will within one hower passe awaye.

And that kinde of eating (sayeth Auicen) is worste, that maketh the stomack hea­uie: and that drinkinge is most vitupera­ble, which passeth the boundes of tempe­raunce and swimmeth in the the stomacke. Therefore that the meate maye be the better concocted and the more conueni­entlye distributed into all the partes of the body, let drinke be vsed by a little and a litle at once.

Of Emptines.

EVen as to muche repletion and gur­mandize is most hurtefull and perni­cious: so is to muche hunger and ab­stinence [Page] most noyfull and dangerous. For excesse and defect (that is to saye su­perfluitie and wante or to muche and too litle) engender and cause (as the phisici­ons affirme) manye maladies and disea­ses. But here to enter into a disputacion whether of these is worse, neither place nor time will permitte, because our pur­pose is to wryte a compendious Dietary for health, and not phisicall quiddities.

Therefore in any wise refraine to much abstinence, because it bringeth great an­noyance to the whole bodie, and chieflie The harms of muche hunger or abstinence. to the stomacke which is the seruant and officiall minister to the whole bodie.

The whole bodie is thereby harmed, be­cause by to muche abstinence and hun­ger his moysture is withdrawen and di­minished, & consequentlie it is debilita­ted and made leane, and naturall heate is to muche incended, insomuche that not findinge humour to worke on, it tour­neth his violence and power to the radi­call and substantiall humour, and exhau­stinge that moysture, bringeth the bodie into a consumption. The stomacke [Page] is thereby annoyed, because beside the common discomoditie and hurt done to the whole bodie, it is also replete with rotten and putrefied humours. There­fore at conuenient and ordinarie howers and when appetite well serueth (whiche may be knowen by the alacritie or lusti­nes of the bodie, and when the Stomack is not ouer laden with heauines and pō ­derisitie of other meate) and after a con­uenable space of certaine howers be­twéene meale and meale, it is beste to eate. The Arabians, appoincted xvi. ho­wers betwéene meale and meale: For they thought it best to eate no oftener but thrise in xlviii. howers or two daies. But I suppose that ten howers are suffi­cient for Studientes and them that be not altogether of hoate temperatures, es­pectallie for them that vse neither to in­farce themselues with repletion, nor yet to eate meates of harde digestion. Some others, very wel, appoincte eight houres to be betwéene meales. But this by the way may not be omitted, that euery one muste be wayned and reduced to suche [Page] and so manye meales, as their custome and education hath ben vsed vnto, vnles their custome hath ben verye ill and dis­cōmendable, and as their naturall appe­tite serueth them. If thy busines be such, that thou muste watche muche of the night, or if thou haue a weake braine or Diner and supper a heauines and swimminge in thy head, or if thy stomacke and power digestiue be weake and féeble, it is best to take but a light supper: but other wise, let thy din­ner be lesse in quantitie then thy supper, if custome will so permitte, whiche in an olde man cannot be altered, but in a younge man by litle and litle (if it be ill) must be reduced to better order. For a large supper, is by the ayde of sléepe muche better digested, for sléepe comfor­teth naturall heate whiche is occupied a­bout the matter wherof procéedeth nou­rishement, and so digestion is made bet­ter, the bodie fatter, the minde quieter and the humours temperater. And in the night the Ayre is cooler and darker, whereby the spirittes beinge gathered and collected vnto the inner partes, and [Page] without the cares & functions of y^e mind and sences, are verye conducible to helpe digestion. And also there is longer time betwéene supper and the nexte meale on the morrowe after, then is betweene dy­ner and supper. Notwithstanding, Cus­tome, as is afore shewed, may not be for­gotten. Finally at supper it is best to eat dry meates: and therfore rosted meates are very commendable and best then to be lyked, to cutte a sunder and driue a­way superfluous humoures, but in the morninge or daye time boyled meates are better.

Of Purgation by siege or other wise.

IT is expedient and healthfull also for a man euerye daye to purge his bodie & exonerate nature by cōueniēt euacua­tion and tempestiuious Sieges or stooles Going to the stoole. for these excrementes of ordure and v­rine are matter superfluous and vnsa­uerie, [Page] which by the natural powers may not be conuerted into fleshe, but remai­ninge in the body, corrupt the members, and therefore nature abhorringe them, desireth to haue them expelled. For as the noble Arrabian Auenzoar sayeth: All Phisicions do agrée that in the bealie being not costiue, but measurably solu­ble and softe, resteth muche of the health and soundnes of all the whole bodye, by benefit wherof it is preserued from ma­nye diseases and namely the Pleuresie. Howe to make the bealie so suble. But if the bealie be sore bounde and cos­tiue, Raisons being throughly rype & ea­ten in winter or at anyother time of the yere with Sugar will helpe that incon­uenience. They be (as before we haue declared) great fréendes to the stomacke and Lieuer. There be also other fruictes but not in all poinctes so holesome as these, which are good to be eaten in som­mer and Autumne, of whom we haue sufficientlye spoken before, as Mulbe­ries, Plummes, Damsons, Mellons, Pompons, Fygges and rype Grapes. Which beinge eaten before meate, haue [Page] vertue and power to mollifie and loose the bealie. And there be other fruictes, which being taken after meate, are stip­ticke, as Peares, Quinces Medlers and such like. Also Béetes eaten before meat Beete. are very good, speciallie in the Springe season, at which time hearbes haue their most strength, vertue and validitie.

Olde auncient wryters haue highlie ex­tolled Mallowes, whose proper office and vertue is to loose and mollifie the be­lie: Mallowes. If these do not suffice, adde the herbe called Mercurie vnto them, or else take Mercurie it alone by itselfe. But if there be in the body great plentie and abundance of hu­mours, we must assay and trye whether they wilbe resolued and wasted by absti­nence or diet. For abstinence (saieth Ga­len) Diete is one maner of euacuation. And Damascene sayeth, if we may cure any ma­ladie or griefe by dyet, we were not best to trye anye other waye, for all thinges touchinge bodily health will fall out pro­sperously. But if their be such abundance of ill humoures, that diette or absti­nence is not hable to purge them, then [Page] must those humours be educed and dra­wen foorth by easie and light purgacion, speciallye in two quarters of the yere, Springe and Autumne. In sommer the the fittest purginge are Cassia fistula or a Siruppe of Roses solutiue. But in springe and Autumne, Rhabarbe, Aga­ricke, and Sene: and also the commune­lie knowen Electuaries as Lenitiue, Di­achatolicon, Diasabeste: foreséene that the Ingredientes be well concocted, sod, and prepared with suche thinges as be­longe and pertaine to the humour then raigning, least otherwise the confection shoulde be ouer raginge or endued with any venenositie. And the drynesse and heate of Rubarbe, Agaricke and Sene, maye be mitigated and taken awaye, if they be mixed with suche thinges as be moyste and colde: of whiche sorte are Plummes, Sebestens and cordiall flo­wers. And vnto them it were not amisse, to put a little quantitie of Anyse or Ci­namome because of the weakenes and imbecilitie of the stomacke. And if great extremitie and néede séeme to require, to [Page] take some purgation or medicinable po­tion for healthes sake in a great heate, let the confect be dronk with the waters or rather with the decoctions of Sorell, Endiue, Borage, Violettes, Succorie, Hoppes and Raisons, accordingelie as it shall séeme expedient by the aduise and counsell of the skilfull Phisicion. Proui­ded alwayes, that non of all these whiche are here rehearced, nor yet of any other, be taken in anye great quantitie. For some (sayeth Galen) are glad when they often and largelie make great Stooles: But the more they be emptied, the more is their bealie bounde within few dayes afterward, whiche to be true, not onlye good reason, but also daylie experience perswadeth. And therfore in suche case it it were better to prouoke siegez, by some gentle suppositories of Glisters or Oyle infused at the foundiment, or els some o­ther softeninge substance, that may dis­solue the matter which stoppeth the pas­sage of the ordure in the straicte gutte Colon. But the nature of our Countrey men is (rather thē they would willinglie [Page] vse those helpes to take confectionate and medicinable drouges downewarde at the mouth then vpwarde at the founde­ment: feare of dishonestie and a certaine shamefastnes enforcing them therunto.

Of Sleepe.

ANd because they which are in helth ought to haue a speciall regarde to Sléepe, that it neyther be superflu­ous nor lesse then nature requireth, but vsed in due and conuenient moderation, to thende that the commodities whiche come therby may be felte and taken, and the harmes comminge by longe watche auoyded: we will here briefely entreate of both. And first, this must diligently be inculcate, that neither the one nor the o­ther passe measure. For beinge vsed out of measure (as Hippocrates affirmeth) they bringe so muche hinderance and an­noyance 2. Aph. 3 Much Sleepe to health as nothing more. For immoderate and too muche sléepe filleth the body with many humours and retai­neth [Page] not onely sweate but also all other superfluities maketh the bodie dull and heauie, weakeneth and in a maner boy­leth all the senses and maketh thē blunt and vnapte to honest exercises, euen as if muche store of ashes shoulde be caste vpon fier, they couer and quight quenche it out, yea Auicen also doubted not to say that it dampnified and hurte the soule or reasonable part of man. Contrarily, mo­derate sléepe after meate doth moysten the whole bodie and is thought to hu­mecte euen the very innermoste partes of the bodie, to stirre vp and exuscitate the powers and vertues therof, to make the actions of the Senses more fresh and lustie, to reuiue and quicken the spirites Naturall, Vitall and Animall and as it were to refreshe and repaire the whole bodie new agayne. Beinge vsed before Sleepe be­fore meat. meate, it dryeth vp the bodye, while the naturall heate worketh inwardly exten­dinge his force and violence againste itselfe. For sléepe is nothinge else but a pleasant and delightfull detention of the senses and a reuocacion of heate into the [Page] inwarde partes of the body: where, if it finde nourishment ready to work vpon, it digesteth and distributeth it into all the veines, Arteries and members of the whole bodie. The same effect hath it, if it finde crude and rawe humours vncon­cocte. Thus sléepe before meate is com­mended. But if naturall heat finde no a­lyment or moysture inwardlie, then is it too muche incended, and tourneth all his violence against the radicall and substan­ciall moysture of the bodye, and for want of other exhausteth it. Semblably immo­derate and too muche watchinge is as Watch hurtfull to the powers and hindereth the chiefe functions of life, for therby natural heate is cooled (as Auerrois sayeth) like as fier which with too muche moouinge and stirringe is blowen abroade and dis­percled. Thereby also the spirites be re­solued, and the power Animall troubled, digestion letted, the body made apte to Consumptions, the braine debilitate and filled with many noysome vapours and fumosities. But moderate Sleepe, as be­fore is saide, strengtheneth the vitall po­wer, [Page] and maketh the vertue naturall ha­ble to accomplishe and completelie dis­patche all her operations, whereof the chiefest is digestion and concoction of the meate. Furthermore it maketh the ver­tue Animall to take rest, and remooueth and taketh away the weakenes and de­bilitie that commeth by studie and labor. But some will stande in doubte concer­ninge the measure and time of sléepe whether it ought to be so great and so longe as Hippocrates appointeth it. For he sayeth, that that Sleepe is laudable and naturall whiche lacketh no parte of the night, neither hindreth anye parte of the daye. Whiche séemeth to be the cus­tome and maner of men in the auncient time (if we beléeue Homere) who hath diligently described the maners, rytes and studies of men. For assoone as the Sunne is downe, he wryteth and descri­beth that men surceassed from their la­bours and betooke themselues to rest: and when the Sunne was risen and vp, he alwayes lightlie séemeth to stirre vp and cal men to their busines and vocatiō. [Page] Whereby he signified and ment, that all the night we ought to sléepe, and all the daye to watche. Neither is it without good respecte and consideracion that the same Hippocrates in an other place 1. Aph. 16 wryteth, that ventres in winter and Springe are very hoate and sleepe verye longe. As concerninge what howers of the daye time are fittest to sléepe in, he in his booke entituled De praesagiis affir­meth 2. Prae. 11. the morninge to be lest hurtefull vntill the thirde houre of the day whiche is nine of the clocke. But because com­mon custome may not be forgotten and neglected as he the same Hippocrates al­so noteth, therefore I thinke, that wée ought not to sléepe the whole night longe in winter. For eight houres for the age The time & space of Sleepe and common custome of them for whose sake this small Treatise is purposelye written, is ynoughe or rather too muche vnlesse it be in them whose stomackes are very weake and of slow digestion. In Sommer let sléepe be equall with the night in length because thē y^e nightes are shorte: and it will not be very ill, to [Page] recompence the dissolution and drinesse of the Spirites with longer sléepe and to take a little nappe in the morninge or at noone daies (if néede be) Albeit it is much better not to sléepe at all at noone, vnlesse Sleepe at noone common custome be to the contrarie, or else that thou feelest y^t it doth thée good, and guardeth thee from further & worse inconueniences. For it bréedeth manye moyste discrasies and maladies and ma­keth humours to fall downe, marreth the coloure of the face and bodie and ma­keth it salowe, inflateth and puffeth vp the Splene, loseth the sinewes, causeth dulnesse, weakeneth and enféebleth ap­petite, and is a foremessanger or way­maker to Feuers, Apostumations, and Abscesses. But custome (as before hath ben often noted) is of so great force, that it becommeth and is made nature. For as we daylie see by experience that some do and haue a longe time accustomed themselues to very ill dyet and to meats of naughtie nourishement, and yet haue not thereby béen endaungered and hurt: so is it also to be thought by Sléepe, spe­cially [Page] when necessitie enforceth, as when we haue watched before and our Spi­rites through heate and labour of the bo­dy or mind be greatly dissolued and wea­ried. For then they séekinge a refreshing and instauracion againe gather and con­ueyghe themselues into the inwarde partes, whereby the senses beinge for a time lefte and forsaken, there hapneth Sléepe. For Sléepe is nothinge else but a bonde or detencion of the senses, wher­by they intermitte their offices and func­tions for the tyme, and is therefore cal­led by the name of Rest. But in Som­mer speciallie I do aduise and counsaile thee for one hower at the least after di­ner, to sitte and recreate thy selfe wyth reading of some light and mery matter, abandoning cares and fancies out of thy minde, and not in any wise to sléepe. For commonlye this reste doth no lesse good, yea perhappes it is more holesome to a great maignye then sléepe, because it bringeth a commoditie without any dis­commoditie. For thereby the spirites are gathered together and (the cogitacions of [Page] the minde being relaxed) are wonderful­lie refreshed and comforted. But if sléepe wil néedes come vpon thée, and as a thief steale vpon thée (for the auncient Sages of Greece tearmed sléepe by that Epi­thete) looke that thou sléepe with thy head vpright, hauing al the windowes of thy chamber fast shutte for the space one hower. But in any wise beware of sléepe immediately after supper, for ther ought Sleepe ve­ry ill im­mediatelie after sup­per to be a conuenient space betwéene supper and sléepe, to witte an hower and a halfe at the least. For thou must not sléepe, vn­till the meate be descended from the vp­per parte of the stomacke to the lower: which thinge that it may the more ease­lie and speedelie be doone, it shalbe beste after supper to walke softely and tempe­rately. For by that meanes sléepe shalbe both the quieter and longer, & the braine shall not be so muche troubled with fumes and vapours, whiche are wont to strike vp into the heade when the meate tarieth to longe in the mouth of the sto­macke. If the space betwéene supper and goinge to bedde be somewhat longe, and [Page] the walkinge hath made the meate to descend to the lowest part of the stomack thou shalt first lye vpon thy lefte side, be­cause in this liynge the Lieuer appro­cheth The maner of lying in bedde better to the Stomack and helpeth the better to hasten digestion. To sleepe prostrate or grouelinge vpon the bealie is verye good and namelye for them that haue feeble digestion, for that kinde of li­ynge containeth and keepeth in the natu­rall heate wherewith the meate is con­cocted. But if sléepe come vpō thée before they meate be descēded from y^e mouth of thy stomacke, first lye on thy right side, vntil it be descended from y^e vpper parte (for y^e mouth of the stomack is on y^e lefte side) and then must thou tourne thée on the lefte side or vpon thy bealie, that the meate may more easely be concected in a more fleshie and hoate parte, not with­out the helpes and furtherances aforena­med. But lyinge vpright vpon the backe is vtterlie to be abhorred, for it causeth manye perillous diseases and fond passi­ons, as the Lethargie, the Mare, the A­poplexie &c. and not without cause whye: [Page] for this maner of liynge bringeth the hu­mours backewarde to the hinder partes of the bodie and head and hindreth them that they cannot haue egresse and vente out by their proper and conuenable is­sues which are the palate and nosethrils. When thou hast slepte conueniently and measurablie, thou shalt finde an excellent commoditie if thou vse fricasie and rub­bing ouer thy body, first with thy shirte sléeue or bare hande to rubbe and chaufe thy legges, then thy armes, and after­warde thy whole bodie both before and behinde, and then to put on thy cloathes What is to be done in the mor, ninge at our vpri­singe and goe to the stoole, then to rubbe and kembe thy head and to stretche thy selfe and to washe thine eyes (if néede so re­quire) with water of Roses and Fenell, and to cleanse thy téeth with some hand­some Toothpicker, and to chawe a litle Masticke or Galingale, for they drawe superfluous humours from the head and are moste soueraigne both for the head and the stomacke. And if thou be driuen to sleepe straightwaies after supper or if thy stomacke be full gorged and replete, [Page] or if it be weake and féeble and specially in moyste and wette weather, it shalbe very good to chawe these or else to swal­lowe downe a grayne or twayne of the whitest frankencense.

Of the Accidentes and af­fections of the minde.

ANd forasmuche as there is a ve­rye great connexion or knittinge together betwéene the bodye and the mind, in so much y^t many times we see sundry & diuerse great alteracions of the body (yea now and then) death to en­sue, onely throughe carefull thoughtes and phantasticall immaginacions, it is very requisite and expedient that vnto the conseruatiō of the body in good health the minde shoulde be in perfecte frame and soundnes. And therfore Auicen gée­ueth De Ca [...]. vs a learned note, that wee shoulde haue a diligent care to our minde if wee desire to propulse and eschue maladies [Page] and diseases: whiche opinion also Galen helde before him, sayinge that wée must abstaine from the intemperance and de­formitie of al these passions & affectiōs of y^e mind, Angre & sorrow furiousnes and fear, enuie and thought. For they alinate & bringe a man from the vse of reason, & transforme him from that state and or­dre that is accordinge to nature. For mo­derate mirthe helpeth muche to accom­plishe all the offices and functions of the Mirth. minde, speciallie to furder and make ex­cellent concoction: as contrariwise heaui­nes and sorrowe is the greatest hinde­raunce and obstacle to let it. Beware therefore in any wise of heauines or des­paration (for a heauie and sorrowfull spi­rite saieth Solomon drieth vp the bones) Prouer. 17. &. 25. and géeue thy selfe to honest mirthe and Christianlike ioye. For as Auicen say­eth, The often vse of mirthe disposeth a man to be mery, and thereof come twoo no smale commodities. One is, that na­turall vertue is corroborated and streng­thened, and continual regeneration of the spirites is caused and verye small or ra­ther [Page] no dissolution of them at al ensueth. The other is, that the same spirits there­by are dilated, and consequently lyfe pro­longed. Moreouer it is expedient, tempe­rately to recreate y^e senses, as for exam­ple, the sight with viewinge and behol­ding faire shewes and beautifull things, How the senses are properly refreshed and de­lighted. Sight. Hearing Smelling the hearing, with harmonicall and melo­dious Musicke, the smellinge, with soote sauours and fragaraunt odours, (such as in somer the smell of Rose water is) I do not say, Roses themselues or violettes, because throughe their moystnes, they stuffe and fill the head with vapours and fumosities. But in winter, with the smell of Lignum Aloes, whiche comfor­teth, and cheereth vp the Hart, Braine, Entrailes and all the senses of Man wō ­derfullye. But beware of too hoate and sharpe sauours for they send vapours to the braine. The tastinge, with a meane Tastinge relice and tast, as that which is confectio­nate of Sugar and the Iuyce of Pome­granades or Quinces, thickened by de­coction, or som other of like temperature, being not harmefull neither excéeding in [Page] the excesse of any qualitie.

Of Venery or the Acte of Generation.

THe delectation and pleasure that cometh by touchinge muste be well measured by mediocritie: for if it Touchinge excéede and be vsed intemperatlie, it re­solueth the spirites and naturall heate a­boue measure, and dryeth vp the radicall moysture, whereby naturall heate is preserued and nourished and so, daunge­rous diseases (I will not saye death) hap­peneth vnto man sooner then otherwise by nature they would. Therfore sithens in the act of Generacion, there is so great resolution of the spirites, excesse thereof (specially of them that be Studients and leane of bodie) is to be eschewed. Albeit (as hath ben before often shewed) great regarde and accompte muste be made of custom. We must (saieth Hippocrates) goe from one thinge to another by litle [Page] and litle and not change vpon a sodaine. Therfore Galen and before hs daies A­ristotle in his Problemes affirmeth that 2. Aph. 51 Custome. sodaine alteracions and changes are ve­rie noysome to nature, and concludeth how that the Tiranne Dionisius, being expulsed and driuen out of his King­dome, fell into a gréeuous maladie and disease, by forbearing his former lasciui­ousnes and wanton order, because con­trari to his custome (which he had before vsed) he sodainelie gaue himselfe to conti­nencie, and of a monstrous whoremon­ger became a verye chaste liuer. There­fore let vs conclude with Galen: that the vse of carnall copulation doth litle or no harme, so that so muche space and time Art. med. cap. 86 in the vse thereof be adhibited, that ney­ther any resolution of the spirites be felt, and also that a man may thereby after a sorte séeme to be lighter then he was be­fore, and to fetche his breath the better and with more facilitie. But this I will further aduouche, which both reason and experience prooueth to be true, that it is much better to vse it seldome then often: [Page] because among many other harmes and daungers, which much Coiture and car­nalitie bringeth, this is not the lest, that it weakeneth the heart, debilitateth the The hurt of muche vsing car­nall act. braine, and dryeth vp all the bodie, be­cause it wasteth the substance of the last alimēt. For Sperm or Séede of genera­tion is (as Aristotle sayeth) the last sub­stance of profitable aliment. And also, as we haue before declared, because through the great pleasure that is in it, the spirits and naturall heate are to muche resolued and the stomacke principallie endama­ged: as contrarywise, by conuenient con­tinencie and oportune forbearing therof it is cherished and preserued. It was not without good cause that Auicen thought if neuer so litle Sperme or Seede ouer and aboue the measure and stinte of na­ture, Sperme do passe from a man in doing this acte of generation it harmeth him more, then if he should bléede fortie tymes so muche. For the Sperme is a thing more conforme to natural heate and moysture and more spiritual then bloude is. More­ouer carnall apetite is a deadlie enemie [Page] to dry complexions & likewise to colde: but vnhurtfull (beinge moderately vsed) onely to them that are hoate and moyste and whiche haue naturally great aboun­dance of Sperme. Galen sayeth, that the Venerie whom it hurteth & whom not. De tuend. Sanit. 6. state of those bodies is worst, which haue abundaunce of hoate Séede, because it doth prorite and tickle them to expell it sithens both the mouth of their ventres is resolued, and all their bodie is not one­ly relaxed and made weak, but also they be drye, slender, pale, and holow eyed, vnto whome he in that same place pres­cribeth store of remedies. But if a man woulde abstaine from very hoate meats and wyndie, and muche drinkynge of How to es­chue ve­nerie. headie wyne and refrayne venerous imaginations, and suche like pleasures, he shall not lightly be muche assailed and tempted with desire of any carnall appe­tite. Likewise if he ernestly addicte him­selfe to the studie of Morall Philosophie and of the sacred Scriptures, banishinge Idlenes and forbearinge the companye (so farre as he conuenientlye maye) of beawtifull damselles and amorous wo­men. [Page] Or if a man vse the Séede of Ag­nos Castus (which is also called Viter) he shall sée and féele a merueilous effecte to represse his fleshlie concupiscence. If thy loynes be to hoate, annointe them with the Oyle of Henbane or Popie, and do likewise to thy Genitories, and do not vse to lye in a softe feather bedde. Some there be, whiche coole there Priuities in colde water, and finde thereby a present remedie, They that drinke the iuyce of water Lillie (called of the Apothecaries Nenuphar) the space of xij. dayes toge­ther, shall haue no maner of desire to car­nalitie. And therefore it is good for wiue­lesse Bachelers and husbandlesse may­dens to drinke, to driue away theire vn­cleane dreaminge of venerie and the fil­thy pollutions that they haue by night.

But in fine, bidde daintie fare a dieu, and vse not to pamper thy selfe with muche gurmandize, but onely so muche as na­ture requireth to kéepe thy bodye in per­fecte health and soundnes. For there is an olde Prouerbe and a true sayinge: [Page] From frequent Venus, muche cheere and sleepe, Eche Studient ought, himselfe to keepe.

I remember that I haue read in sainct Chrisostome, that our Sauiour Christe when he dwelled héere amonge vs on earth vsed to eate and drinke so litle and so seldome, that he encresed not this su­perfluous Seed. But as in this poinct so in many other Christ hath but very few Imitatours and folowers wheras (not­withstandinge) there be many whiche haue still this saying in there mouthes how that euery action of Christe is our instruction.

But let vs draw towarde an ende of our purpose. When nature is desirous of carnall coniunction and is neither pro­uoked The time of carnall copulation therevnto by imagination and thought, nor any other outwarde cause but with multitude and abundance of Sperme it must be vsed in a fit and con­uenient time. And that is when the meat is throughlie concocted and yet no hun­ger nor desire to eate approcheth: that Sleepe or rest immediatlie after it, may take away the lasitude gotten and caused through the action there of or at the least [Page] mitigate and lenifie the same. But if we should erre in either parte it were much better (as Galene sayth) to offend being replete and armed with a full Stomack then when it is emptie and pynched with ouermuch defect and want of foode. For it is better, that is to say, it doth lesse harme to vse when the bodie is warme and calefied then when it is cold and in­frigidate: and full infarced rather then when it is emptie, and when it is hu­mected rather then when it is drye. But he the same Galene taught before, that measure and temperatenesse therein ought to be chosen and obserued that the bodie neither should be too hoate nor too cold, too moyst nor too drie, too much re­plete nor to much emptied. Neither do I heere allow the Law and ordinance of Solon whereby the enacted that a man shoulde carnally know his wyfe at least Solons Lawe thrise in a moneth For often vse thereof to many men is harmefull, yea to some, once is to muche. Againe, this acte is not a thinge necessarie to conserue the partie that vseth it, but onely to repaire and en­crease [Page] the Spece or kinde, whiche other­wise in short time woulde decaye. Ther­fore let Solon beinge an heathen Eath­nique take his lawe to himselfe.

Studientes many tymes are troubled with a phlegmaticke humour descending from their heades into their stomackes being of them selues colde: whiche incon­uenience may easely be remedied, if they take in the morning a dragme or twaine of the confection named Diatrion Pipe­rion. Or else, they may drinke Pepper alone (specially that whiche is white) be­inge brayed and put into water, or let them take betime in the morning a litle Ginger condite, or else a Chebule con­dite, which is a kinde of mirobolanes.

Of Ayre Holsome and vnholsome.

AYre althoughe we describe it last in order, and what qualitie therof is best for bodily health: yet is it a [Page] principall poinct and no lesse to be regar­ded then the other preceding. For néedes must it inspi [...]d breath into vs conti­nuallye, that the heart and lunges may therby be competentlye and conuenablie cooled. This among all other, is so néede­full and necessarie vnto man, that he is vneth able to liue one moment of an houre, vnlesse new fresh Ayre comming in and out, coole and refrigerate his hart. Therfore vnto all men without any ex­ception, it is hole some and expedient, to drawe into lunges, the best that is to wit the purest Ayre. For corrupte and vn­pure Ayre is vnto all age a great backe­friende and enemie. Now, the diuersitie of Ayres, procedinge of heate, colde, drought or moystnes, accordeth not to e­uerie mans nature alike. For vnto those bodies that are of the best temperature, the most temperate Ayre is holesomest. But in whom, anye excellinge qualitie beareth domination, vnto such, that Ayre is moste holesome, whiche in like degrée resisteth and oppugneth that qualitie.

For temperature is altered with contra­rious [Page] diete and order, and is conserued with his like. Thou shalt therefore (as farreforth as may be) [...] thy selfe to liue neither in a troubled and contagi­ons ayre, nor in that which is very cold, or too hoate, or too moyst, or whiche is o­pen to vaporous blastes and pestilent windes, such as blowe out of the South. In winter it is best to liue in a warme and open Sunnye place, lyinge open to What dwelling is best for winter the Cast: but we must alwayes tourne our heads from the Rayes and Beames of the Sunne, speciallye about noone: be­cause beside calefaction and heate whiche they bring to the head, they do also draw vnto it humours and matters, wherfore manye times they cause headache and bléedinge at the nose. But the Rayes or Beames of the Moone are a great deale more to be eschewed and taken héede vn­to, that they shine not vpon vs, speciallye when we sléepe, for they cause ill disea­ses. For asmuche as the Moone is Ladie of moysture and mooueth humours. Also the night aire is not holesome, because the Sunne géeuer of life, is gone out of [Page] our Hemisphere. In winter if the Ayre be troubled and darke (which as Auicen saieth maketh y^e soule sorrowful) it must in part (if it may not in all) be qualified and by some artificiall meanes bettered. Whiche is done either by remaining in a house, or in some couert place, shrow­ded from the sturdie stormes of dismall Boreas certaine houres of the daye, and also by purifinge the Ayre with a good fyer in our Chamber, made with good woodde, or else by makinge in it a per­fume with Iuniper or Lignum Aloes. In Somer it is best to dwell in suche a Dwelling for Somer. temperate place, that the windowes of our house may open towarde the North or if we will, we may sprincle our Chā ­ber with Rose water and vineigre, speci­ally when the Ayre is corrupt with anye stinkinge fauour, or anye other fulsome exhalacion. Auicen praiseth the Aire of Mountaines and Downes for the So­mer time, and thinketh it best for a man in the night to lye in the vpper parte or Garettes of his house, but in the daye time, he sayeth the lower roomes are fit­test [Page] and holesomest. Aristotle choose him a dwellinge place that stoode highe and laye open with prospectes towarde the South and the East, in a subtile Ayre Choise of ayre. neither moyst nor colde. Plato found ve­rye olde and aged persons dwelinge in high and temperate regions. And this is to be noted and knowen, that the Ayre in highe places (which by repercussion and reflection of the Sunne Beames are not warmed) be cold, and the higher the place is, the colder is the Ayre, Therfore the middle loftes of the house are fittest for winter, and the highest for Somer. You muste also beware, that when yow be hoate yow stand not longe in the winde or colde Ayre, because euerye sodaine al­teration and chaunge hurteth nature ve­ry muche, and colde, stoppinge the pores and passages of the humours, hindereth conuenient refrigeration and difflation of vapours: and also is a great Enemie to naturall heate, but chieflie to the brain and sinewes. To be shorte, the sentence and opinion of Hippocrates is alwayes to be sette before our eyes, whose woords [Page] I haue here recited. For he sayeth, that to euacuate muche and sodainelie, or to be filled with repletion, to warme, to 1. Aph. 51. coole, or by anye other meanes to mooue the bodie, more then naturall course to­lerateth, is dangerous. For too much of a­ny thing is hurtfull and a great Enemie to nature. But beinge orderly and by li­tle and litle done, there is no perill at a­nyé time. Finallye when the Ayre is hoate, the best dwellinge is in a colde Climate and Ayre and to eate suche meates as do humecte and coole. In fine, to vse a colde and moyste diete, therby to qualitie and countreuaile the heate and drynesse of the Ayre. As when the win­ter is very colde and moyst, a somewhat hoate and drye dietarie is most profita­ble. Nowe, in the beginninge of the Springe, suche an order of diete is com­mended as is exsiccatiue or drye, and in Autumne, a humectinge or moyste regi­ment is most allowable. But in Somer all drynesse and exsiccation must be es­chewed. In Somer and towarde the end of the Springe and beginninge of Au­tumne, [Page] a reasonable and conuenient or­der must be vsed: But in the beginninge of the Springe and later ende of Au­tumne suche diette to be vsed as was in winter.

The whole Summe of holesome diette.

IN stéede of a finall Peroration, I woulde wishe thée (Gentle Reader) to beare well in memorie, howe that to refrain Repletion and excesse of meat, to be precise and actiue in exercise, and to conserue the Séede of Generation are thrée thinges for healthinesse of the body most holesome and profitable and forget not, howe that Aristotle in his Pro­blemes, imitatinge Hippocrates, refer­reth Probl. 47 6. Epid. Par. 4. Aph. 20 all the cause of prosperous health vnto temperate moderature of meate and drinke, and an expedient Mediocri­ture of seasonable exercise. But sithen for our sinnes and offences aduersitie & [Page] sicknes is layde vpon vs, let vs not be stiffe necked neither forgetfull so shewe our selues thankefull to Almightie God for whatsoeuer he shall send vnto vs for our better amendement, and in our vo­cation and trade of life wherunto we be called verteouslie, soberly, and Iustlie, to liue to the honour of Almightie God: re­nouncing all vngodly wayes and world­lye concupiscences, expecting and looking for that blessed hope and illustration of the glorie of God and Iesus Christ our Sauiour, who offered vp and gaue him­selfe a Sacrifice to redeeme vs from all iniquitie and from the tirranie of the de­uill, and to puriefie and make vs a pecu­liar people to himselfe, to walke in the pathe of good woorkes and godly conuer­sacion of life to his Glory.