¶ Here foloweth the dyetary or the regyment of helth.
¶ The fyrst Chapytre doth shew where a man shulde cytuate or sette his mancyon place or howse for the health of his body.
WHat man of honour or worshyp, or other estate, the whiche doth pretende to buylde a howse or any mancyon place to inhabyte hym selfe. Or elles doth pretende to alter his howse, or to alter olde buyldyng in to cōmodyous and pleasaunt buyldynge, not onely for his owne proper cōmodite, welth, & helth, but also for other men the whiche wyll resort to hym: hauyng also a respect to his posterite. ¶ Fyrste it is necessarye and expedyent for hym to take hede, what counceyll God dyd gyue to Abraham, and after that to take hede what counceyll God dyd gyue to Moyses, and to the chyldren of Israell, as it appereth in the .xiii chapytre of Exodi. and the .xx. chapytre of Numeri, & the .vi. chapytre of Deutronomii. And also in the boke of Leuites, saying fyrste to Abraham. Go thou forth of [Page] thy countre & from thy cognacion or kynred. And come thou in to the countrey the whiche I wyll shew to the a countrey abundynge or plentyfull of mylke and hūny. ¶ Here is to be noted that where there is plenty of mylke there is plenty of pasture, and no skarsyte of water, & where there is plenty of hūny there is no skarsyte but plentyfulnesse of woddes, for there be mo bees in woddes, and so consequently abundaunce of hūny, than there be bees, or hūny, or waxe in ye hyues in gardyns or orchardes, wherfore it appereth that whosoeuer wyl buylde a mancyon place or a house, he must cytuat and set it there where he must be sure to haue both water and woode, except for pleasure he wyll buylde a howse in or by some cytie or great towne the whiche be not destitude of such cōmodytes. But he the whiche wyll dwell at pleasure, and for proffyte, and helth of his body he must dwell at elbowe rome hauyng water and woode anexed to his place or howse, for yf he be destytuted of any of the pryncypalles, that is to say fyrst of water for to wasshe and to wrynge, to bake and to brewe, and dyuers other causes specyally for parrell the whiche myght fall by fyre were a great dyscōmodyous thynge. And better it [Page] were to lacke woode than to lacke water the premysses consydered, althoughe that woode is a necessarye thynge, not onely for fewell, but also for other vrgēt causes, specyally concernynge buyldynge and teperacyons.
¶ The seconde Chapytre doth shewe a man, howe he shuld buylde his house or mansyon, that the prospect be fayre & good for the conseruacyon of helth.
AFter that a man haue chosen a conuenyent soyle and place accordynge to his mynde and purpose to buylde his howse or mansyon on, he must haue afore cast in his mynde, that ye prospect to and fro the place be pleasaūt, fayre, and good to the eye, to beholde ye woodes, the waters, the feldes, the vales, the hylles, & the playne groūde. And that euery thynge be desent and fayre to the eye, not onely within the precyncte of the place appoynted to buylde a mansyon or a howse to se the cōmodities aboute it, but also it may be placable to the eyes of all men to [Page] se & to beholde whan they be a good dystauntce of from the place, that it do stande cōmodyously. For the cōmodyous buyldyng of a place doth not onely satysfye the mynde of the inhabytour, but also it doth comforte and reioyseth a mānes herte to se it, specyally the pulcruse prospect. For my consayte is suche that I had rather not to buyld a mansyon or a howse, than to buylde one without a good respecte in it, to it, & from it. For and the eye be not satysfyed, ye mynde can not be contented. And the mynde can not be contented the herte can not be pleased, yf the herte & mynde be not pleased, nature doth abhorre. And yf nature do abhorre, mortyfycacyon of the vytall, and anymall, and spyrytuall powers do consequently folowe.
¶ The thyrde Chapytre doth shewe a man to buylde his howse in a pure & a fresshe ayre to lengthen his lyfe.
THere is nothynge except poyson that doth putryfye or doth corrupt the blode of man and also doth mortyfye the spyrytes of man, as doth a corrupt and a contagyous [Page] ayre. For Galyen terapentice nono sayeth, whyther we wyll or wyll not we must graūt vnto euery man ayre, for without the ayre no man can lyue. The ayre can not be to clene and pure, consyderynge it doth compasse vs rounde aboute, and we do receyue it in to vs, we can not be without it, for we lyue by it as the fysshe lyueth by the water. Good ayre therfore is to be praysed. For yf the ayre be fryske, pure, and clene about the mansyon or howse it doth conserue the lyfe of man, it doth comfort the brayne. And the powers naturall anymall and spyrytuall, ingendrynge and makynge good blode, in the whiche consysteth the lyfe of man. And contraryly euyl and corrupt ayres doth infecte the blode, and doth ingendre many corrupte humours, and doth putryfye the brayne, and doth corrupte the herte, & therfore it doth brede many dyseases & infyrmytyes thorowe the which mans lyfe is abreuyated and shortned. Many thynges doth infect, putryfye, and corrupteth the ayre, as the influence of sondry sterres, and standyng waters, stynkyng mystes, and marshes, caryn lyinge longe aboue the grounde, moche people in a smal rome lying vnclenly, and beyng fylthe and sluttysshe, wherfore he [Page] that doth pretende to buylde his mansyon or house, he must prouyde that he do nat cytuat his howse nyghe to any marsshe or marysshe grownde, that there be nat nygh to the place stynkynge and putryfyed standyng waters, pooles, pondes, nor myers, but at lestwyse that such waters do stande vpon a stony or a grauayle grownde myxt with claye, and that some fresshe sprynge haue a recourse to nourysshe and to refresshe the sayd standyng waters. Also there must be circumspection had that there be not aboute ye howse or mansyon no stynkynge dyches, gutters, nor canelles, nor corrupt dunghylles, nor synkes, excepte they be oft and dyuers tymes mūdyfyed and made clene. Swepyng of howses and chambres ought nat to be done as long as any honest man is within the precynct of the howse, for the dust doth putryfy the ayre makyng it dence. Also nygh to the place let nother flaxe nor hempe be watered, & beware of the snoffe of candelles, and of the sauour of apples for these thynges be contagyous and infectyue. Also mysty & clowdy dayes, impetous and vehement wyndes, troublous and vaporous wether is nat good to labour in it to open the pores to let in infectious ayre. Furthermore [Page] beware of pyssynge in drawghtes, & permyt no cōmon pyssyng place be aboute the howse or mansyon, & let the cōmon howse of casement be ouer some water, or elles elongated from the howse. And beware of emptynge of pysse pottes and pyssing in chymnes, so that all euyll and contagyous ayres may be expelled, and clene ayre kept vnputryfyed. And of all thynges let the buttery, the celler, the kytchen, the larder howse, with all other howses of offyces be kept clene, that there be no fylth in them, but good & odyferous sauours, and to expell & expulse all corrupt & contagyous ayre, loke in the .xxvii. Chapytre of this boke.
¶ The .iiij. Chapytre doth shew vnder what maner & fasshyon a mā shuld buylde his howse or mansyon, in exchewynge thynges that shortneth mans lyfe.
WHan a man doth begyn to bylde his hous or māsyon place he must prouyde (sayth Iesus chryst) before yt he begyn to buylde for all thyngꝭ necessary for the performacyon of it, lest that whan he [Page] hath made his foūdacion, & can not fynysshe his worke that he hath begon, euery man wyl deryde hym saying. This man dyd begyn to buylde, but he can not fynysshe or make an end of his purpose, for a man must consyder the exspence before he do begynne to buylde, for there goeth to buyldynge many a nayle, many pynnes, many lathes, and many tyles or slates or strawes, besyde other greater charges, as tymbre, bordes, lyme, sand, stones or brycke, besyde the workmanshyp and the implementes. But a man the whiche haue puruyd or hath in store to accomplysshe his purpose, and hath chosen a good soyle and place to cytuat his howse or mansyon, and that the prospecte be good, and that the ayre be pure, fryske and clene. Then he that wyll buylde, let hym make his fundacyon vpon a graualy grownde myxt with clay, or els let hym buylde vpon a roche of stone, or els vpon an hyll or a hylles syde. And ordre & edyfy the howse so that the pryncypall and chefe prospectes may be Eest and weest, specyally North eest, Sowth eest, and South weest, for the merydyal wynde of al wyndes is the moste worst, for the Southwynde doth corrupt and doth make euyl vapours. The Eest wynde is temperate, [Page] fryske, and fragraūt. The weest wynde is mutable. The North wynde purgeth yll vapours, wherfore better it is of ye two worst that the wyndowes do open playne North than playne Sowth, althoughe that Ieremy sayth, from the North depēdeth all euyl. And also it is wrytten in Cantica canto (rum). Ryse vp North wynde and come thou Sowth wynde and parfyat my gardayne. Make the hall vnder such a fasshyon, that the parler be anexed to the heade of the hall. And the buttery and pantry be at the lower ende of the hall, the seller vnder the pantry sette somwhat abase, the kychen set somwhat a base from ye buttry and pantry, cōmyng with an entry by the wall of the buttry, the pastry howse & the larder howse anexed to the kychen. Than deuyde the lodgynges by the cyrcuyte of the quadryuyall courte, and let the gate howse be opposyt or agaynst the hall dore (not dyrectly) but ye hall dore standynge a base, and the gate howse in the mydle of the front entrynge in to the place, let the pryue chambre be anaxed to ye chambre of astate, with other chambres necessarye for the buyldynge, so that many of the chambres maye haue a prospecte in to the Chapell. If there be an vtter courte made, make it quadryuyal [Page] with howses of easementes, and but one stable for horses of pleasure, & se no fylth nor dong be within the courte, nor cast at the backe syde, but se the donge to be caryed farre from the mansyon. Also the stables and the slaughter howse, a dyery yf any be kept shulde be elongated the space of a quarter of a myle from the place. And also the backe howse and brew howse shuld be a dystaunce from the place and from other buyldyng, whan all the mansyon is edyfyed and buylte, yf there be a moote made aboute it, there shulde some fresshe sprynge come to it, and dyuers tymes the moote ought to be skowered and kept clene from mudde and wedes. And in no wyse let not the fylth of the kychen descende in to the moote. Furthermore it is a cōmodyous and a pleasaunt thyng to a mansyon to haue an orcherd of soundry fruytes, but it is more cōmodiouse to haue a fayre gardain repleted with herbes of aromatyck & redolēt sauours. In the gardayne maye be a poole or two for fysshe yf the pooles be clene kept. Also a parke repleted with dere & conyes is a necessarye and a pleasaunt thyng to be anexed to a mansyon. A doue howse also is a necessary thyng aboute a mansyon place. And amonge other [Page] thynges a payre of buttes is a decent thynge aboute a mansyon, & other whyle for a great man necessary it is for to passe his tyme with bowles in an aly, whan all this is fynysshed, and the mansyon replenysshed with Implementꝭ. There must be a fyre kept cōtynually for a space to drye vp the contagyous moysters of the walles, & the sauour of the lyme and sande. And after that a man may ly and dwell in the sayd mansyon without takynge any inconuenyence of syckenes.
¶ The .v. Chapytre doth shewe howe a man shulde ordre his howse consernynge the Implementes to comforte the spyrytes of man. ☜
WHen a mā hath buylt his māsyon, and hath his howses necessary aboute his place, yf he haue not howsholde stuffe or implementes the whiche be nedefull, but must borowe of his nayghbours, he than is put to a shefte [Page] and to a great after deale, for these men the which do brew in a botyl and bake in a walet, it wyll be long or he can by Iacke a salet, yet euery thynge must haue a begynnynge, and euery man must do after his possessyons or abylyte, this notwithstanding better it is not to set vp a howseholde or hospytalyte than to set vp housholde lackynge the performacyon of it, as nowe to ron for malt, and by and by for salt, nowe to send for breade, and by and by to sende for a shepes heade, and nowe to sende for this, & nowe to sende for that, and by & by he doth send he can not tell for what, such thyngꝭ is no prouysion, but it is a great abusyon. Thus a man shall lese his thryfte, and be put to a shefte, his goodes shall neuer increase, and he shall not be in rest nor peace, but euer in carcke and care, for his purse wyll euer be bare, wherfore I do counceyll euery man, to prouyde for hym selfe as soone as he can, for yf of implementes he be destytuted, men wyll call hym lyght wytted, to set vp a great howse, and is not able to kepe man nor mowse, wherfore let euery man loke or he lepe, for many cornes maketh a great hepe.
¶ The .vj. Chapytre doth shewe howe a man shuld ordre his howse and howseholde, and to lyue quyetly.
VVho soeuer he be that wyll kepe an howse, he must ordre the expenses of his howse according to the rent of his landes. And yf he haue no landes he must ordre his howse after his lucre wynnynge or gaynes. For he that wyll spende more in his howse, than the rentes of his landes, or his gaynes doth attayn to, he shal fal to pouerte, and necessite wyl vrge cause and compel hym to sel his lande, or to waste his stocke, as it is dayly sene by experyēce of many men, wherfore they the whiche wyll exchewe such prodygalyte and inconuenyence, must deuyde his rentes porcyon & exspences, wherby that he doth lyue in to .iii. equal porcyons or partes. ¶ The fyrst parte must serue to prouyde for meate and drynke, & all other necessary thynges for the sustencyon of the howseholde. ¶ The seconde porcyon or parte must be reserued [Page] for apparell, not onely for a mannes owne selfe, but for all his howseholde, & for his seruauntes wages, deductynge somwhat of this porcyon in almes dede to pore neyghbours and pore people, fulfyllynge other of the .vii. werkes of mercy. ¶ The .iii. porcyon or parte must be reserued for vrgēt eauses in tyme of nede, as in syckenesse, reparacyon of howses, with many other cotydyall exspences, besyde rewardes & the charges of a mans last end. If a mā do exsyde this ordre he may soone fall in det, the whiche is a daungerous thynge many wayes besyde the bryngynge a man to trouble. And he that is ones behynde hande and in trouble, he can not be in quyetnesse of mynde, the whiche doth perturbe the herte, & so consequently doth shorten a mannes lyfe, wherfore there is no wyse man but he wyll exchewe this inconuenyence, & wyll cast before what shal folowe after. And in no wyse to sette vp a howseholde, before he hath made prouysyon to kepe a howse. For yf a man shall bye euery thynge that belongeth to the keping of his howse with his peny, it wyl be longe or he be ryche, and longe or that he can kepe a good howse. But he is wyse in my conceyte that wyll haue or he do sette vp his [Page] howseholde .ii. or .iii. yeares rent in his cofer. And yf he haue no landes than he must prouyde for necessarye thynges or that he begyn howseholde, leest that he repent hym selfe after, through the whiche he do fall in to pencyfulnes, and after that in to syckenes & dyseases, lyuyng not quyetly, wherby he shal abreuyate his lyfe.
¶ The .vij. Chapytre doth shewe howe the hed of a howse, or a howseholder shulde exercyse hym selfe, for the helth of the soule & body.
AFter that a man hath prouyded all thynges necessary for his howse and for his howseholde, expedyent it is for hym to knowe, howe he shuld exercyse hym selfe both bodely and ghostly. For there is no catholycke or chrysten man lyuyng, but he is bounde in conscyence to be more circūspecter aboute the welth of his soule then the helth of his body. Our sauyour Iesus Chryst sayth, what shall it profyte vnto man yf he geat all the worlde and lese hym selfe, and bryng hym [Page] selfe to a detrymēt, wherfore it appereth that a man ought to be circumspecte for the helth and welth of his soule. For he is bounde so to lyue, that nyght and day and at all houres he shulde be redy, than whan he is called for to departe out of this worlde he shuld nat feare to dye, saying these wordes with saynt Ambrose. I feare not to dye, bycause we haue a good god, whan a man hath prepared for his soule, and hath subdued sensualyte, and that he hath brought hym selfe in a trade, or a vsage of a ghostly or a catholycke lyuynge in obseruyng the cōmaundementes of God, than he must study to rule and to gouern them the whiche be in his howseholde, or vnder his custody or domynyon, to se yt they be not ydle, for kynge Henry the eyght sayd when he was yong, ydlenes is chefe maistres of vyces all. And also the heade of a howse must ouer se that they the which be vnder his tuyssyon serue god the holy dayes as dylygently, yee and more dylygentler than to do theyr worke the feryall dayes, refraynynge them from vyce and synne, compellynge them to obserue the cōmaundementes of God, specyally to punysshe swearers, for in all the worlde there is not suche odyble swearyng as is vsed in Englande, [Page] specyally amonge youth & chyldren, which is a detestable thyng to here it, and no man doth go aboute to punysshe it. Suche thynges reformed than may an howseholder be glad not cessynge to instruct them the whiche be ygnorant, but also he must contynewe in shewynge good example of lyuynge, than may he reioyse in God and be mery, the whiche myrth & reioysyng doth lengthen a mans lyfe, and doth expell syckenes.
¶ The .viij. Chapytre doth shew howe a man shulde ordre hym selfe in slepynge and watchynge, and in weryng his apparell.
WHan a man hath exercysed hym selfe in the daye tyme as is rehersed, he may slepe soundly and surely in god what chaunce soeuer do fortune in the nyght. Moderate slepe is moste praysed for it doth make parfyte degestyon, it doth nourysshe the blode, and doth qualyfye the heate of the lyuer, it doth acuate, quycken, & refressheth the memory, it doth restore nature, and [Page] doth quyet all the humours & pulses in man, and doth anymate, and doth comforte all the naturall and anymall and spyrytuall powers of man. And such moderate slepe is acceptable in the syght of God the premysses in the aforesayd Chapytre obserued and kept. And contraryly īmoderate slepe and sluggyshnes doth humecte and maketh lyght the brayne, it doth ingendre rewme and impostumes, it is euyll for the palsy whyther it be vnyuersall or partyculer, it is euyll for ye fallynge syckenes called Epilencia, Analencia, & Cathalencia, Appoplesia, Soda, with all other infyrmytyes in the heade, for it induceth and causeth oblyuyousnes, for it doth obfuske and doth obnebulate the memorye and the quyckenes of wyt. And shortly to conclude it doth perturbe the naturall, and anymall, and spyrytuall powers of man. And specyally it doth instygate and lede a man to synne, and doth induce and infer breuyte of lyfe, & detestably it displeaseth God. Our lorde Iesu Chryste dyd not onely byd or cōmaūde his dyscyples to watche, but dyd anymat them and al other so to do saying. I say not onely to you watche, but to all men I say watche. And to Peter he said, myghtest not thou one houre watche [Page] with me, althoughe these holy scryptures with many other mo the which I myght allygate for me, althoughe they be not greatly referred to this sēce, yet it may stande here with my purpose & matter without reprehensyon. These matters here nede not to be rehersed, wherfore I do returne to my purpose, and do say that the moderacyon of slepe shulde be mesured accordyng to the natural cōplexyon of man, and in any wyse to haue a respect to the strength and the debylyte to age & youth, and to syckenes & helth of man. ¶ Fyrste as concernyng ye naturall complexyon of man, as sanguyne and colorycke men .vii. houres is suffycyent for them. And nowe consyderynge the imbecyllyte and wekenes of nature a flemytycke man may slepe .ix. houres or more. Melancoly men may take theyr pleasure, for they be receptacle and the dragges of all the other humoures. ¶ Secondaryly youth and age wolde haue temporaūce in slepynge. ¶ Thyrdly strength maye suffre a brount in watche, the whiche debylyte and wekenes can not. As I wyl shew by a famylyer example. There were two men set at the dyce togither a day and a nyght & more, the weke man said to hym I can playe no longer. The stronge [Page] man sayde to hym fye on the benche whystler wylt thou sterte away nowe. The weke man to satysfye the stronge mannes mynde, apꝓyted, & desyre playeth with his felow throughe ye which he doth kyl hym selfe. The stronge man doth hym selfe lytel pleasure all thynges consydered, the whiche I do passe ouer, wherfore I wyll retourne to the sycke man, whiche maye slepe at all tymes whan that he maye get it, but yf he maye slepe at any tyme best it is for hym to refrayn from slepe in the day, & to take his naturall rest at nyght whan all thynges is or shulde be at rest and peace, but he must do as his infyrmyte wyll permyt and suffre. whole men of what age or complexyon soeuer they be of shuld take theyr natural rest and slepe in the nyght, & to exchew merydyall slepe. But an nede shall compell a man to slepe after his meate, let hym make a pause, and than let hym stand and leane and slepe agaynst a cupborde, or els let hym sytte vp ryght in a chayre & slepe. Slepynge after a full stomacke doth ingendre dyuerse infyrmyties, it doth hurte the splen, it relaxeth the synewes, it doth ingendre the dropsyes and the gowte, and doth make a man loke euyl coloured. Beware of Veneryous actes before [Page] the fyrste slepe, and specyally beware of such thynges after dyner or after a full stomacke, for it doth ingendre the crampe, the gowte, and other displeasures. To bedwarde be you mery, or haue mery company aboute you, so that to bedwarde no anger nor heuynes, sorowe nor pencyfulnes do trouble or disquyet you. To bedwarde and also in the mornyng vse to haue a fyre ī your chambre to wast and consume the euyll vapours within the chambre, for the breath of man maye putryfye the ayre within the chambre. I do aduertyse you not to stande nor to syt by the fyre, but stand or syt a good waye of from the fyre takynge the flauour of it, for fyre doth aryfye & doth drye vp a mānes blode, and doth make sterke the synewes & ioyntes of man. In the nyght let the wyndowes of your howse, specially of your chambre be closed, whan you be in your bed lye a lytel whyle on your left syde, & slepe on your ryght syde. And whan you do wake of your fyrste slepe make water yf you fele your bladder charged, and than slepe on the lefte syde, and loke as ofte as you do wake so oft tourne yourselfe in the bed from the one syde to the other. To slepe grouelynge vpon the stomacke and belly is not good, oneles [Page] the stomacke be slow and tarde of digestyon, but better it is to lay your hande or your bedfelowes hande ouer your stomacke, than to lye grouelyng. To slepe on ye backe vpryght is vtterly to be abhorred, when yt you do slepe let not your necke nother your shoulders, nother your handes nor fete, nor no other place of your body lye bare vndyscouered. Slepe not with an empty stomacke, nor slepe not after that you haue eaten meate one houre or two after. In your beed lye with your heed somwhat hygh, lest that the meate which is in your stomacke thorow eructuacyons or some other cause ascend to ye gryfe of the stomacke Let your nyght cap be of skarlet, & this I do aduertyse you for to cause to be made a good thycke quylt of cotton, or els of pure flockes or of clene woull, and let the couerynge of it be of whyte fustyan, and laye it on the fether beed that you do lye on, and in your beed lye not to hote nor colde, but in a temporaunce. Olde auncyent doctours of Physycke sayth. viii. houres of slepe in Sōmer & .ix. houres of slepe in wynter is suffycyent for any man, but I do thynke that slepe ought to be taken as the complexyon of man is, whan you do ryse in the morenynge, ryse with myrth and [Page] remembre God. Let your hosen be brusshed within and without, and flauour the insyde of them agaynst the fyre, vse lynen sockes or lynnen hosen next your legges, whan you be out of your bedde stretche forth your legges and armes and your body, coughe and spyt and than go to your stole to make your egestyon, and exonerate your selfe at all tymes that nature wold expell. For yf you do make any restryction in kepynge your egestion or your vryne or ventosyte, it maye put you to dyspleasure in bredyng dyuers infyrmyties. After you haue euacuated your body, & trussed your poyntes, kayme your heade oft, and so do dyuerse tymes in the daye. And wasshe your handes and wrestes, your face and eyes and your tethe with colde water, & after that you be apparelled walke in your gardayne or parke a thousande pace or two, & than great and noble men doth vse to here masse, & other men that can not do so but must applye theyr busynes, doth serue God with some prayers surrendrynge thankes to hym for his many folde goodnes, with askyng mercye for theyr offences, & before you go to your refection moderatly exercyse your body with some labour or playing at the tennys, or castynge a [Page] bowle, or paysyng wayghtes or plomettes of ledde in your handes or some other thynge to open your poores, and to augment naturall hete. At dyner & supper vse not to drynke of sondry drynkes, & eate not of dyuers meates but fede of two or thre dysshes at the moste. After that you haue dyned & supped laboure not by and by after, but make a pause syttynge or standyng vpright the space of an houre or more with some pastyme, drynke not moch after dyner. At your supper vse light meates of digestyon, & refrayne from grose meates, go not vnto bedde with a ful nor emptye stomacke. And after your supper make a pause or you go to bedde, and go to bed as I sayde with myrth. Furthermore as cōcernyng your apparrell in wynter nexte your sherte vse to were a petycote of skarlet, your doubletvse at plesure, but I do aduertyse you to lyne your Iacket vnder this fasshyon or maner, by you fyne skyn̄es of whyte lambe & blacke lambe, and let your skynner cut both the sortꝭ of the skynnes in smale peces tryangle wyse, lyke halfe a quarel of a glase wyndow. And than sewe togyther a whyte pece and a blacke lyke a hole quarell of a glasse wyndowe, & so sewe vp togyther quarell wyse as moche as wyll [Page] lyne your Iacket, this fur for holsomnes is praysed aboue sables or any other furre, your exteryall apparell vse accordynge to your honour. In sōmer vse to were a skarlet petycote made of stamele or lynsye wolsye. In wynter and sōmer kepe nor your hed to hote nor bynde it to strayte, kepe euer your necke warme. In sōmer kepe your necke and face from the sōne, vse to were gloues made of goote skynnes perfumed with amber degrece. And beware in standynge or lying on the grownde in the reflyxyon of the sōne, but be mouable. If you shall cōmon or talke with any man, stande not styll in one place yf it be on the bare grownde, or grasse, or stones, but be moueable in such places, stande nor syt vpon no stone nor stones, stand nor syt long bareheed vnder a vawte of stone. Also beware that you do not lye in olde chambres whiche be not occupyed, specyally such chambres as myse, rattes, and snayles resorteth vnto, lye not in suche chambres the whiche be depryued clene from the sōne & open ayre, nor lye in no lowe chamber except it be borded. Beware that you take no colde on your feete and legges, and of al wether beware that you do not ryde nor go in great and impyteous wyndes.
¶ The .ix. Chapytre doth shewe that replecyon or surfetynge doth moche harme to nature / and that abstynence is the chefyst medyson of all medysons.
GAlen declarying Hypocrates sentence vpon eatynge to moche meate saith. More meate than accordeth with nature is named replecyon, or a surfete. Replecyon or a surfet is taken as well by gurgytacyons or to moche drynkynge, as it is taken by epulacyon of eatynge of crude meate, or eatynge more meate than doth suffyce or can be truely dygested. Or els replecyon or a surfyt is whan the stomacke is farced or stuft, or repleted with to moche drynke & meate, that the lyuer whiche is the fyre vnder the potte is subpressed that he can not naturally nor truely decoct, defye, ne dygest the superabundaū ce of meate & drynke the which is in the potte or stomacke, wherfore dyuers tymes these impedymentes doth folowe, the toūge is depryued of his offyce to speke, the wyttes or sensys be dull & obnebulated frō reason. Slouth [Page] and sluggyshnes consequently foloweth, the appetyde is withdrawen. The heade is lyght and doth ake, and full of fantasyes, & dyuers tymes some be so sopytyd, yt the malt worme playeth the deuyll so fast in the heade, that all the worlde rōneth rownde aboute on wheles, then both the pryncepall membres & the offycyall membres doth fayle of theyr strength, yet the pulsys be full of agylyte. Such replecyon specyally suche gurgytacyons doth ingender dyuers infyrmytes thorowe the whiche breuite and shortnes of lyfe doth folowe. For the wyse man sayth, that surfetes do kyll many men, and temporaunce doth prolonge the lyfe. And also it is wrytten Eccle. xx.xvii. That there doth dye many mo by surfette, than there doth by the sworde, for as I sayde surfetyng ingendreth many infyrmytes, as the Idropyses, the gowtꝭ, lepored, sausfleme & pymples in the face, vehemēt impressyons, [...]ndygest humours, opylacyons, feuers, and putryfaccyons. And also it doth perturbate the heade, the eyes, the tounge, and the stomacke, with many other infyrmyties. For as Galen sayth, ouer moche replecyon or surfeing, causeth strangulacion and soden death, for as I sayde the stomacke is so inferced, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] and the lyuer is so sore obpressed that naturall heate and the poores be extyncted, wherfore abstynence for this matter is the moste best and the parfytest medysone that can be. And in no wyse eate no meate vnto ye tyme the stomacke be euacuated of all yll humours by vomet or other conuenyent wayes, for els crude and rawe humours vndygested wyll multiply in the body to ye detryment of man. Two meales a daye is suffycyent for a rest man, and a labourer maye eate thre tymes a day, & he that doth eate ofter lyueth a beestly lyfe. And he that doth eate more than ones in a day, I aduertyse hym that the fyrste refeccyon or meale be dygested or that he do eate the seconde refeccyon or meale. For there is nothynge more hurtfull for mans body than to eate meate vpon meate vndygested. For the last refeccyon or meale wyll let the dygestyon of the fyrste refeccyon or meale. Also sondry meates of dyuers operacyons eaten at one refeccion or meale is not laudable, nor it is not good to syt longe at dyner and supper. An houre is suffycyent to syt at dyner, and not so longe at supper. Englande hath an euyll vse in syttynge longe at dyner and at supper. And Englysshe men hath an euyll [Page] vse, for at the begynnynge at dyner and supper he wyll fede on grose meates. And ye best meates which be holsome and nutratyue and lyeth of digestion is kept for seruauntes, for whan the good meate doth come to the table thorowe fedyng vpon grose meate, the appetyde is extynct whan ye good meet doth come to the table, but mānes mynde is so auydous althoughe he haue eate ynoughe whan he seth better meate come before hym agaynst his appetyde he wyll eate, wherupon doth come replecyon and surfetes.
¶ The .x. Chapytre treateth of all maner of drynkes, as of water, of wyne, of ale, of bere, of cyder, of meade, of metheglyn, and of whay.
WAter is one of the foure Elementꝭ, of the whiche dyuerse lycours or drynkes for mānes sustynaunce be made of, takyng theyr orygynall and substaunce of it, as ale, bere, meade, and metheglyn▪ water is not holsome sole by it selfe for an englysshe man, consyderynge [Page] the contrarye vsage, whiche is not concurraunt with nature, water is colde, slowe, and slacke of dygestyon. The best water is rayne water so be it that it be clene and purely taken. Next to it is rōnyng water, the whithe doth swyftly rōne from the Eest in to the west vpon stones or pybles. The thyrde water to be praysed is ryuer or broke water, the which is clere rōnyng on pibles and grauayl. Standynge waters the whiche be refresshed with a fresshe spryng is cōmendable, but standyng waters, and well waters, to the whiche the sōne hath no reflyxyon, althoughe they be lyghter then other rōnyng waters be, yet they be not so cōmendable. And let euery man be ware of all waters the whiche be standynge, and be putryfyed with froth, duckemet, and mudde, for yf they bake, or brewe, or dresse meate with it, it shall ingender many infyrmytes. The water ye which euery man ought to dresse his meate with all, or shall vse bakynge, or bruyng, let it be rōnyng, and put it in vessels yt it may stande there .ii. or .iii. houres or it be occupyed, than strayne the vpper parte thoroughe a thycke lynnyn cloth, and cast the inferyall parte away. If any man do vse to drynke water with wyne, let it be purely [Page] strayned, and than seth it and after it be cold let hym put it to his wyne, but better it is to drynke with wyne stylled waters, specyally the water of strawberes or ye water of buglos or the water of endyne, or ye water of cycory, or the waters of southystell, and daūdelyon. And yf any man be combred with the stone or doth burne in the pudibunde places, vse to drynke with whyte wyne the water of hawes, and the water of mylke, loke for this matter in a boke of my makyng named the breuyary of health.
¶ Of wyne.
¶ All maner of wynes be made of grapes, excepte respyse the whiche is made of a bery. Chose your wyne after this sorte, it must be fyne, fayre, & clere to the eye, it must be fragraunt and redolent hauynge a good odour and flauour in the nose, it must spryncle in the cup whan it is drawne or put out of the pot in to the cup, it must be colde & pleasaunt in the mouth, and it must be strong and subtyll of substaunce: And than moderatly dronken it doth acuate and doth quycken a mans wyttes, it doth cōfort the hert, it doth scowre the lyuer, specyally yf it be whyte wyn it doth reioyce all the powers of man, and doth now [Page] rysshe them, it doth ingender good blode, it doth comforte and doth nourysshe the brayne and all the body, and it resolueth fleume, it ingendreth heate, and it is good agaynst heuynes and pencyfulnes, it is ful of agylyte, wherfore it is medsonable, specyally whyte wyne, for it doth mundyfye and clense woū des & sores. Furthermore the better the wyne is, the better humours it doth ingēder, wyne must not be to newe nor to olde, but hyghe wynes as malmyse maye be kepe longe. And bycause wyne is full of fumosyte, it is good therfore to alaye it with water. wynes hyghe and hote of operacyō doth comfort olde men and women, but there is no wyne good for chyldren & maydens, for in hyghe Almayne there is no mayde shall drynke no wyne, but styl she shal drynke water vnto she be maried, the vsuall drynke there & in other hyghe countres for youth is fountayn water, for in euery towne is a fountayne or a shalowe wel, to the which all people that be yonge & seruaūtꝭ hath a confluence and a recourse to drynke. Meane wynes as wynes of Gascony, frenche wynes, & specyally raynysshe wyne that is fyned is good with meate, specyally claret wyne. It is not good to drynke nother wyne [Page] nor ale before a man doth eate somwhat althoughe there be olde fantastycall sayingꝭ to the contrarye. Also these hote wynes as malmesye, wyne course, wyne greke, romanysk, romny, secke, alygaunt, basterde, tyre, osay, Muscadell, caprycke, tynt, roberdany, with other hote wynes be not good to drynke with meate, but after meate, & with oysters, with saledes, with fruyte a draught or two may be suffered. Olde men maye drynke as I sayde hyghe wynes at theyr pleasure. Furthermore all swete wynes and grose wynes doth make a man fatte.
¶ Of ale.
¶ Ale is made of malte and water, and they the which do put any other thynge to ale then is rehersed, except yest, barme, or godesgood, doth sofystical theyr ale. Ale for an englysshe man is a naturall drynke. Ale must haue these propertyes, it must be fresshe and cleare, it must not be ropy nor smoky, nor it must haue no weft nor tayle. Ale shuld not be dronke vnder .v. dayes olde. Newe ale is vnholsome for all men. And sowre ale and deade ale the which doth stande a tylt is good for no man. Barly malte maketh better ale thē oten malte or any other corne doth, it doth ingendre [Page] grose humoures, but yette it maketh a man stronge.
¶ Of bere.
¶ Bere is made of malte, of hoppes, and water, it is a naturall drynke for a dutche man. And nowe of late dayes it is moche vsed in Englande to the detryment of many englysshe men, specyally it kylleth them the which be troubled with the colycke and the stone & the strangulion, for the drynke is a colde drynke: yet it doth make a man fat, and doth inflate the bely, as it doth appere by the dutche mens faces & belyes. If the bere be well serued and be fyned & not newi,t doth qualyfy ye heat of the lyuer.
¶ Of cyder.
¶ Cyder is made of the iuce of peeres, or of the iuce of aples, & other whyle cyder is made of both, but the best cyder is made of cleane peeres the which be dulcet, but the beest is not praysed in physycke, for cyder is colde of operacyon, and is full of ventosyte, wherfore it doth ingendre euyll humours, and doth swage to moche the naturall heate of man, & doth let dygestyon, and doth hurte the stomacke, but they the which be vsed to it, yf it be dronken in haruyst it doth lytell harme.
¶ Of meade.
¶ Meade is made of hōny and water boyled both togyther, yf it be fyned and pure it preserueth helth, but it is not good for them the whiche haue the Ilyacke or the colycke.
¶ Of metheglyn.
¶ Metheglyn is made of hōny & water, and herbes boyled and sodden togyther, yf it be fyned and stale, it is better in the regyment of helth than meade.
¶ Of whay.
¶ whay yf it be well ordered, specyally thai whay the which doth come of butter, is a temporate drynke and is moyst, and it doth nourysshe, it doth clense the brest, and doth purge redde colour, and good for sausfleme faces.
¶ Of poset ale.
¶ Poset ale is made with hote mylke & colde ale, it is a temporate drynke, and is good for a hote lyuer, and for hote feuers, specyally yf colde herbes be soden in it.
¶ Of coyte.
¶ Coyte is a drynke made of water, in the which is layde a sowre and a salt leuyn .iii. or .iiii. houres, thē it is dronke, it is a vsual drynke in Pycardy, in Flaundres, in Holande, in Brabant, and Selande.
¶ To speake of a ptysan, or of oxymel, or of [Page] aqua vite, or of Ipocras, I do passe ouer at this tyme, for I do make mēsyon of it in the Breuyary of health.
¶ The .xi. Chapytre treateth of breade. ☜
AVycen sayth, that breed made of whete maketh a man fatte, specyally when the breade is made of newe whete, and it doth set a man in temporaūce. Breade made of fyne flower without leuyn is slowe of dygestyon, but it doth nourysshe moche yf it be truely ordered and well baken, whan the breade is leuened it is soone dygested as some olde Aucthours sayth, but these dayes is proued the contrary by ye stomacke of men, for leuyn is heuy and ponderous. Breade hauynge to moche brande in it is not laudable. In Rome and other hyghe countres theyr loues of breade be lytell bygger then a walnot, and many lytell loues be ioyned togyther, the whiche doth serue for great men, and it is safferonde, I prayse it not. I do loue manchet breade, and great loues the whiche he well mowlded and thorowe [Page] baken, ye brande abstracted and abiected, and that is good for all ages. Mestlyng breade is made halfe of whete and halfe of Rye. And there is also mestlyng made halfe of rye and halfe of barly. And yll people wyll put whete and barly togyther, breade made of these aforesayde grayne or cornes, thus poched togyther maye fyll the gutte, but it shall neuer do good to man, no more than horse breade or breade made of beanes and peason shall do, howbeit this matter doth go moche by ye educacyon or the bryngyng vp of the people, the which haue ben nourisshed or nutryfyde with suche breade. I do speake nowe in barlyes or maltes parte to be eaten and also dronken, I suppose it is to moche for one grayne, fox barly doth ingender colde humours, and peason and beanes, and the substaunce cōmynge from theym repletyth a man with ventosyte, but and yf a man haue a lust or a sensuall appetyd to eate and drynke of a grayne bysyde malte or barlye, let hym eate and drynke of it the whiche maye be made of otes. For hauer cakes in scotlande is many a good lorde and lordes dysshe. And yf it wyll make good hauer cakes consequently it wyll do make good drynke or euyl, euery thyng as it is handled. [Page] For it is a cōmon prouerbe, God may sende a man good meate, but the deuyll may sende an euyll coke to dystrue it, wherfore gentyll bakers sophystycate not your breade made of pure whete, yf you do where euyl ale brewers and ale wyues for theyr euyl brewyng & euyl measure, shuld clacke and ryng theyr tankardes at dym myls dale, I wold you shuld shake out the remnaunt of your sackes standynge in the tēmes vp to the harde chynne and .iii. ynches aboue, that whan you do come out of the water you myght shake your eares as a spanyell that veryly cōmeth out of the water. Gentyll bakers make good breade, for good breade doth comforte, confyrme, and doth stablysshe a mānes herte, besyde the propertyes rehersed. Hote breade is vnholsome for any man, for it doth lye in ye stomacke lyke a sponge haustyng vndecoct humours, yet the smel of newe breade is cōfortable to the heade and to the herte. ¶ Soden breade as symnels and crackenels, and breade baken vpon a stone, or vpon yron, and breade that saffron is in, is not laudable. Burnt breade and harde crustꝭ, & pasty crustes, doth ingendre color, aduste, and melancoly humours, wherfore chyp the vpper crust of your breade. And who so doth [Page] vse to eate yt seconde crust after meate, it maketh a man leane. And so doth wheten breade the which is ful of brande. ¶ Breade the whiche is nutrytyue & praysed in physycke shuld haue these propertes. Fyrste it must be newe, but a daye & a nyght olde, nor it is not good whan it is past .iiii. or .v. dayes olde, except the loues be great, nor it must not be moldy nor musty, it must be well muldyd, it must be thorowe bake, it muste be lyght & not heuye, and it must be temporatly salted. Olde breade or stale breade doth dry vp the blode, or naturall moyster of man, & it doth ingender euyll humours, and is euyll and tarde of dygestyon, wherfore there is no surfet so euyll as the surfet of eatynge of euyll breade.
¶ The .xij. Chapyter treateth of potage, of sewe, of stewpottes, of grewell, of fyrmēte, of pease potage, of almon mylke, of ryce potage, of cawdels, of culleses, and of other brothes.
AL maner of lyquyd thynges as potage, sewe, & all other brothes doth replete a man that eateth theym with vētosyte. Potage is not so moch vsed in all crystendom as it is vsed in Englande. Potage is made of the lyquor in the which flesshe is soden in, with puttyng to chopped herbes, and otemel and salt. The herbes with the whiche potage is made with all, yf they be purc, good, and clene, not warme eaten, nor infected with the corrupt ayre descendynge vpon them, doth comforte many men, the ventofyte notwithstandyng. But for asmoch as dyuers tymes, many partes of Englande is infected with the pestylence, thorow the corrupcyon of the ayre, the which doth infecte the herbes. In such tymes it is not good to make any potage, nor to eate no potage. In certayn placs beyonde see where as I haue traueyled in, in the pestylence tyme a generall cōmaundement hath ben sent from the superyoryte to the cōmonalte, that no man shuld eate herbes in suche infeccyous tymes.
¶ Of sewe and stewpottes.
¶ Sewe and stewpottes, and grewell made with otmell, in all the which no herbes be put in, can do lytel displeasure, except that it doth replete a man with ventosyte, but it relaxeth the belly.
¶ Of fyrmente.
¶ Fyrmente is made of whete and mylke, in the whiche yf flesshe be soden, to eate it is not cōmendable, for it is harde of dygestyon, but whan it is dygested it doth nourysshe, and it doth strength a man.
¶ Of pease potage & beane potage.
¶ Pease potage and beane potage doth replete a man with ventosyte. Pease potage is better than beane potage, for it is sooner dygested, & lesser of ventosyte, they both be abstercyne and do clense the body. They be cō pytent of nutryment, but beane potage doth increase grosse humours.
¶ Of almon mylke & of ryce potage.
¶ Almon mylke and ryce potage, Almone be hote and moyste, it doth comforte the brest and it doth mollyfye the bely, and prouoketh vryne. Ryce potage made with almon mylke doth restore and doth comforte nature.
¶ Of ale brues, caudelles & colesses.
¶ Ale brues, caudelles, and colesses for weke men and feble stomackes, the whiche can not eate solydate meate is sustered. But caudels made with hempe sede, and collesses made of shrympes doth comforte blode and nature.
¶ Of hōny soppes and other brothes.
¶ Hōny soppes & other brothes of what kynde or substaunce soeuer they be made of, they doth ingender ventosyte, wherfore they be not good nor holsome for the colycke nor the Illycke, nor other inflatyue impedymentes or syckenesses, specyally yf hōny be in it, the sayinges of Plyne, Galene, Auycene, with other Aucthours notwithstandynge, for in these dayes experyence teacheth vs contrary to theyr sayinges & wrytyngꝭ, for althoughe the nature of man be not altered, yet it is weker, and nothynge so stronge nowe as when they lyued. &c.
¶ The .xiij. Chapitre treateth of whyt meate, as of egges, butter, chese, mylke, crayme. &c.
IN England there is no egges vsed to be eaten, but hen egges: wherfore I wyl fyrst wryte & pertract of hen egges. The yolkes of [Page] hen egges be cordyalles, for it is temporatly hote. The whyte of an egge is viscus & colde and slacke of digestyon, and doth not ingender good blode, wherfore whosoeuer that wyl eate an egge, let the egge be newe, and roste hym reare and eate hym, or els poche hym for poched egges be best at nyght, & newe reare rosted egges be good in the mornynge so be it they be tyred with a lytell salte and suger, than they be nutryue. In Turkey and other hyghe chrystyan landes anexed to it, they vse to seth two or thre busshels of egges togither harde, and pull of the shels, & sowse them, and kepe them to eate at al tymes, but hard egges be slowe and slacke of dygestyon, and doth nutryfye the body grosly. Rosted egges be better than sodden, fryed egges be nought, Ducke egges & gese egges I do not prayse, but fesaunt egges and partreges egges physycke syngulerly doth prayse.
¶ Of butter.
¶ Butter made of crayme, and is moyste of operacion, it is good to eate in the mornyng before other meates, Frenche men wyll eate it after meate. But eaten with other meatꝭ it doth not onely nowrysshe, but it is good for the breste and lunges, and also it relaxe and [Page] mollyfye the bely, douche men doth eate it at all tymes in the daye, the whiche I dyd not prayse when I dyd dwell amonge them / consyderyng that butter is vnctyous, and euery thynge that is vnctyous is noysome to the stomacke for as moche as it maketh lubryfactyon. And also euery thyng that is vnctious That is to say butteryshe, oyle, grese, or fat dothe swymme aboue in the brynkes of the stomacke, as the fatnes dothe swymme aboue in a boylynge potte, the excesse of suche nawtacyon or superfyce wyll ascende to the oryse of the stomacke, and doth make eructuasyons / wherfore eatynge of moche butter at one refection is not cōmēdable, nor it is nor good for theym the whiche be in any ague or feuer, for the ventuosyte of it doth auge and augment the heate of the lyuer, a lytell porcyon is good for euery man in the morenynge yf it be newe made.
¶ Of Chese.
¶ Chese is made of mylke, yet there is .iiii. sortes of chese: whiche is to saye, grene chese, softe chese, harde chese, and spermyse / Grene chese is not called grene by the reason of colour, but for the newnes of it / for the whey is not halfe pressed out of it, and in operacyon [Page] it is colde and moyste. Softe chese not to new nor to olde is best, for in operacyon it is hote and moyste. Harde chese is hote and dry and euyll to dygest. Spermyse is a chese the which is made with curdes and with the iuce of herbes, to tell the nature of it I can not / consyderynge that euery mylke wyfe maye put many iuces of herbes of sondry operacyon & vertue, one not agreynge with another. But and yf they dyd knowe what they dyd gomble togyther without trewe compoundynge, and I knowynge the herbes, then I coulde tell the operacyon of spermyse chese, yet besyde these .iiii. natures of chese, there is a chese called a rewene chese, the whiche yf it be well orderyd doth passe all other cheses none excesse taken. But take the best chese of all these rehersyd, yf a latel do good and pleasur The ouerplus doth ingēdre grose humours for it is harde of dygestyon, it maketh a man costyfe and it is not good for the stone. Chese that is good oughte not be to harde nor to softe, but betwyxt both, it shuld not be towgh nor bruttell, it ought not to be swete nor sowre, nor tarte, nor to salt, nor to fresshe, it must be of good sauour & taledge, nor full of iyes nor mytes, nor magottes / yet in hyghalmen [Page] the chese the whiche is full of magotes is called there the best chese, and they wyll eate the great magotꝭ as fast as we do eate comfetꝭ.
¶ Of Mylke,
Mylke of a woman, and the mylke of a gote is a good restoratyue, wherfore these mylkes be good for them that be in a consumpcyon, and for the great temperaunce the whiche is in them it doth nowrysshe moche.
¶ Cowes mylke and ewes mylke, so it be the beestes be yonge and do go in good pasture, the mylke is nutrytyue and doth humect and moysteth the membres, and doth mundyfye and clense the entrayles, and doth alleuyat & mytygate the payne of the lunges & the brest but it is not good for them the whiche haue gurgulacyons in the bely, nor it is not al the best for sanguyne mē / but it is very good for melancoly men, & for olde men and chyldren specyally yf it be foddyn, addynge to it a lytell sugre.
¶ Of Crayme,
¶ Crayme the whiche dothe not stande longe on the mylke & soddyn with a lytell suger is nowrysshynge. Clowtyd crayme and rawe crayme put togyther, is eaten more for a sensuall apetyde, than for any good nowrysshement. [Page] Rawe crayme vndecocted eaten with strawberyes, or hurtes is a rurall mans banket. I haue knowen suche bankettes hath put men in ieoperdy of theyr lyues.
¶ Almon butter.
¶ Almon butter made with fyne suger and good rose water, and eaten with the flowers of many vyolettes, is a cōmendable dysshe, specyally in lent whan the vyoletꝭ be fragrāt it reioyseth the herte: it doth comforte ye brayne: & doth qualyfye the heate of the lyuer.
¶ Beene butter.
¶ Beene butter, is vsed moche in lent in dyuers countres, it is good for plowmen to fyl the panche, it doth ingender grose humours, it doth replete a man with ventosyte.
¶ The .xiiij. Chapytre, treatyth of Fysshe.
OF all nacyons & coū tres, Englande is beste seruyd of Fysshe, not onely of all maner of see fysshe, but also of fresshe water fysshe, and of all maner of sortes of salte fysshe.
¶ Of See fysshe.
¶ Fysshes of the see the which haue skales or many fynnes, be more holsomer than ye fresshe water fysshe, the whiche be in standynge waters. The elder a fysshe is so moche he is the better, so be it that the fysshe be softe and not solydat, yf the fysshe be faste and solydat the yonger the fysshe is, the better it is to dygest: but this is to vnderstande, that yf the fysshe be neuer so solydat it muste haue age / but not ouergrowen: except it be a yonge porpesse the which kynde of fisshe is nother praysyd in the olde testament nor in physycke.
¶ Fresshe water fysshe.
¶ The fysshe the whiche is in ryuers and brokes be more holsomer, than they the which be in pooles, pondes, or mootꝭ, or any other stā dynge water, for they doth laboure and doth skower them selfe. Fysshe the whiche lyueth & doth feede on the moude, or els do feede in ye fen or morysshe groūde doth sauer of ye moude whiche is not so good as the fysshe that fedyth and doth skowre them self on the stones or grauell or sande.
¶ Of Salte fysshe.
¶ Salte fysshe the whiche be powderyd and salted with salte, be not greatly to be praysed specyally yf a man do make his hoole refectyon [Page] with it the qualyte doth not hurte, but the quantyte, specyally such salte fysshes as wyll cleue to the fyngers whan a man doth eate it And ye skyn of fysshes be vtterly to be abhorryd, for it doth ingender vyseus fleume and color adust. Al maner of fysshe is colde of nature, and doth ingender fleume, it doth lytell nowrysshe / Fysshe and flesshe oughte not to be eaten togyther at one meale.
¶ The .xv. Chapitre, treateth of wylde fowle, and tame fowle byrdes.
OF al wylde foule, the Fesaunt is most beste: Althoughe that a partreche of all fowles is soonest dygested▪ wherfore it is a restoratyue meate, and dothe comforte the brayne and the stomacke: & doth augment carnall lust. A wood cocke is a meate of good temperaunce. Quayles & plouers and lapwynges doth nowrysshe but lytel, for they doth ingender melācoly humours, yonge turtyll doues dothe ingender good blode. [Page] A crane is harde of dygestyon, and doth ingēder euyll blode. A yonge herensew is lyghter of dygestyon than a crane. A bustarde well kylled and orderyd is a nutrytyue meate A byttoure is not so harde of dygestyon as is an herensew. A shoueler is lyghter of dygestyon than a byttoure, all these be noyfull except they be well orderyd and dressyd. A fesaunt henne. A more cocke and a more henne except they be sutt abrode they be nutrytyue All maner of wylde fowle the whiche lyueth by the water they be of dyscōmendable nowrysshement.
¶ Of tame or domestycall fowle.
¶ Of all tame fowle a capon is moste beste. For it is nutrytyue and is soone dygestyd. A henne in wynter is good and nutrytyue. And so is a chyken in somer, specyallye cockrellys and polettes, the whiche be vntroden. The flesshe of a cocke is harde of dygestyon: but the broth or gely made of a cocke is restoratyue, pygyons be good for coloryke & melancoly men, gose flesshe and ducke flesshe is not praysed except it be a yonge grene goose yōge peechyken of halfe a yere of age be praysed, olde pecockes be harde of dygestyon.
¶ Of Byrdes.
¶ All maner of smale Byrdes, be good and lyght of dygestyon, except sparowes whiche be harde of dygestyon, Tytmoses, colmoses and wrens, the whiche doth eate spyders and poyson be not cōmēdable, of all smale byrdes the larke is beste: than is praysed ye blacke byrde & the thrusshe. Rasis and Isaac prayseth yonge staares, but I do thynke bycause they be bytter in etyng, they shuld ingēder colour.
¶ The .xvi. Chapytre, treatyth of flesshe, of wylde and tame beestes.
BEefe is a good meate for an Englysshe man, so be it the beest be yonge, & that it be not kowe flesshe. For olde beef and kowe flesshe doth ingender melancolye and leporouse humoures: yf it be moderatly powderyd that the groose blode by salte may be exhaustyd, it doth make an Englysshe man strōge the educacion of hym with it cōsyderyd. Martylmas beef whiche is called hanged beef in the rofe of the smoky howse is not laudable, it maye fyll the bely and cause a man to drynke, but [Page] it is euyll for the stone, and euyll of dygestyon and maketh no good iuce. If a man haue a peace hangynge by his syde and another in his bely, that the whiche doth hange by the syde shall do hym more good yf a showre of rayne do chaunse: than that the which is in his bely, the appetyde of mans sensualyte notwithstandynge.
¶ Of Veale.
¶ Veale is nutrytyue meate: and doth nowrysshe moche a man, for it is soone dygestyd wherupon many men doth holde oppynyon that it is the beste flesse and the moste nutrytyue meate that can be for mans sustenaūce.
¶ Of Mutton and lambe.
¶ Mutton of Rasis and Aueroyes, is praysed for a good meate, but Galen dothe not laude it, and sewrely I do not loue it consyderyng that there is no beest that is so soone infectyd: nor there doth happen so great murren and syckenes to any quadrypedyd beeste as doth fall to the sheepe. This notwithstandynge, yf the sheepe be brought vp in a good pasture and fatte and do not flauoure of the wolle it is good for sycke persons, for it doth ingender good blode.
¶ Lambes flesshe is moyste and flumatycke [Page] wherfore it is not all the best for olde men, excepte they be melancolye of complexyon, it is not good for flumatyke men to feade to moche of it doth hurte.
¶ Of Porke browne, bakon, & pygge.
¶ where as Galen with other auncyent and approbat doctours doth prayse porke I dare not say the contrarye agaynst them, but this I am sure of, I dyd neuer loue it: And in holy scrypture it is not praysed, for a swyne is an vnclene beest and dothe lye vpon fylthy & stynkynge soyles, and with stercorus matter dyuers tymes doth fede in Englande, yet in Hyghalmen and other hygh countres except (spayne & other countres anexed to spayne) doth kepe theyr swyne clene, and dothe cause them ones or twyse a day to swym̄e in great ryuers, lyke the water of Ryne, whiche is aboue Coleyne, but spaynyerdes with the other regions anexed to them, kepe the swyne more fylthyer than englysse persons doth. Further more the Ieue, the Sarason, the Turkes, cō sernynge theyr polytycke wyt and lerenyng in physycke, hath as moche wyt, wysdom, reason, and knowlege for the sauyte of theyr body: as any chrysten man hath, and noble physycyons, I haue knowen amonges them: yet [Page] they all lacked grace, for as moche as they do not knowe or knowledge Iesu chryste, as the holy scrypture tellyth vs and them. They louyth not porke nor swynes flesse, but doth vituperat & abhorre it, yet for all this they wyll rate adders, whiche is a kynde of serpentes, as well as any other crysten man dwellynge in Rome, & other hyghe countres, for adders flesshe there is called fysshe of the mountayn This notwithstandynge physycke dothe approbat adders flesshe good to be eaten, sayinge it dothe make an olde man yonge, as it apperyth by a harte eatyng an adder makyth hym yonge agayne. But porke doth not so, for yf it be of an olde hogge not clene kepte it doth ingender grose blode, & doth humect to moche the stomacke, yet yf ye porke be yonge it is nutrytyue.
¶ Bacon is good for carters and plowmen, the whiche be euer labourynge in the earth or dunge, but & yf they haue the stone and vse to eate it they shall synge wo be the pye: wherfore I do say that coloppes and egges, is as holsome for them: as a talowe candell is good for a horse mouth, or a peese of powdred beef is good for a blereyed mare, yet sensuall appetyde must haue a swynge, all these thinges [Page] withandynge, porke is conuertyble to mans flesshe.
¶ Of Brawne.
¶ Brawne is an vsual meate in wynter amō ges Englysshe men, it is harde of dygestyon the brawne of a wylde boore, is moche more better than the brawne of a tame boore, yf a man eate nother of them bothe it shall neuer do hym harme.
¶ Of Pygges.
¶ Pygges specyally sowe pygges is nutryttyue and made in a gelye, it is restoratyue so be it the pygge be fleed the skyn taken of, and than stewed with restoratyues, as a cocke is stewed to make a gely. A yonge fatte pygge in physicke is syngulerly praysed yf it be wel orderyd in the rostynge, the skyn not eaten.
¶ Of Kydde.
¶ Yonge Kyddes flesshe is praysed aboue all other flesshe, as Auicen, Rasis, & Aueroyes sayth, for it is temperate and nutrytyue although it be somwhat dry. Olde kydde is not praysed.
¶ Of wylde beestes flesshe.
¶ I haue gone rownde aboute crystendome and ouertwharte crystendom, & a thousande or two and more myles out of crystendom, [Page] yet there is not so moche pleasure for harte & hynde, bucke, and doo: and for roo bucke and doo, as is in Englande, & although the flesshe be dispraysed in physycke / I pray god to sende me part of the flesshe to eate physycke not withstandyng. The opynyon of all olde physycyons was & is that venyson is not good to eate pryncipaylly for two cause, the fyrste cause is that the beest doth lyue in fere: for yf he be a good wood man, he shall neuer se no kynde of deere, but at the .x. byt on the grasse, or brosynge on the tree, but he wyll lyfte vp his hed & loke aboute hym, the whiche cōmeth of tymorysnes, and tymorosyte doth brynge in melancoly humours. wherfore all Phyonsuchons sayth that venyson which is the secō de cause doth ingender coloryke humours & of trueth it doth so: wherfore let them take the skyn and let me haue the flesshe, I am sure it is a lordes dysshe, and I am sure it is good for an Englysshe man, for it doth anymate hym to be as he is: whiche is stronge and hardy / but I do aduertyse euery man for all my wordes not to kyll and so to eate of it except it be lefully, for it is a meate for great men. And great men do not set so moch by ye meate as they do by the pastyme of kyllyng of it.
¶ Of Hares flesshe.
¶ A hare doth no harme nor dyspleasure to no man, yf the flesshe be not eaten, it maketh a gentylman good pastyme. And better it is for the houndꝭ or dogges to eate ye hare after they haue kylled it, as I sayd than man shuld eate it: for it is not praysed nother in the olde Testament nother in physycke, for the byble sayth the hare is an vnclene beeste. And physycke sayeth hares flesshe is drye and doth ingender melancoly humours.
¶ Of Conys flesshe.
¶ Conys flesshe is good, but rabettes flesshe is beste of al wylde beestes / for it is temperat and doth nowrysshe, and syngulerly praysed in physycke, for all thynges the whiche dothe sucke is nutrytyue.
¶ The .xvij. Chapytre, doth treate of pertyculer thynges, of fysshe and flesshe.
THe heddes of fysshe, and the fatnes of fysshe specyally of Samon and Conger is not good for them the whiche be dysposed to haue rewmatycke heddes. And ye heddes of lampryes, [Page] & lamprons, & the strynge the whiche is within theym, is not good to eate refrayne from etynge of the kynnes of fysshe, and flesshe & bornet meate, and browne meate, for it doth ingender viscus humours, and color & melancoly. And doth make opylacions. The braynes of any beest is not laudable, excepte the brayne of a kydde, for it is euyl of digestyon and doth hurte a mans appetyde and the stomacke, for it is colde and moyste, and viscus a hote stomacke may eate it, but it doth ingē der grose humours. The brayne of a wodcocke and of a snype and suche lyke is cōmestyble. The foreparte of all maner of beestes & fowles be more hotter and lyghter of digesty on, than the hynder partes be. The marye of all beestes is hote and moyste, it is nutrityue yf it be wel dygestyd, yet it doth mollyfy the stomacke, and doth take away a mans appetyde. wherfore let a man eate peper with it. The blode of all beestes & fowles is not pray fed, for it is hard of digestyon. All ye inwardꝭ of beestes and of fowles, as the herte the lyuer the lunges, and trypes, and trylybubbes: with all the intrayles is harde of dygestyon, and doth increase grose humoures. The fatnes of flesshe is not so moche nutrytyue as [Page] the leenes of flesshe, it is best whan leene and fat is myxte one with another. The tunges of beestes be harde of dygestyon and of lytell nowrysshement. The stones of a cockrell, & the stones of other beestes that hath not done theyr kynde be nutrytyue.
¶ The .xviij. Chapitre, treatyth of roste meate, of fryed meate and of bake meate.
WIth vs at Moūt pylour, and other vnyuersyties is vsed boyled meate at dyner, and roste meate to supper: why they shulde do so I can not tell onlesse it be for a consuetude. For boyled meate is lyghter of digestyon than rosted meate is. Bruled meate is harde of digestyon, & euyll for the stone. Fryed meate is harder of dygeston than brulyd meate is, and it doth ingender color and melancoly: Bake meate which is called flesshe that is beryd, for it is buryd ī paast, is not praysed in physycke. All maner of flesshe the which is inclyned to humydyte shulde be rostyd. And all flesshe the whiche is [Page] inclyned to drynes shulde be sodde or boyled. ¶ Fysshe may be sod, rostyd, brulyd & baken, euery one after theyr kynde, and vse & fasshyon of the countree, as the coke and the physycyon wyll agre and deuyse. For a good coke is halfe a physycyon. For the chefe physycke (the counceyll of a physycyon excepte) dothe come from the kytchyn, wherfore ye physycyon and the coke for sycke men muste consult togyther for the preparacion of meate for sycke men. For yf the physycyon without the coke prepare any meate excepte he be very expert, he wyll make a werysse dysshe of meate, the whiche the sycke can not take.
¶ The .xix. Chapitre, treateth of Rootes and fyrste of the rootes borage, and of buglosse.
THe rootes of Borage and Buglosse soden tender and made in a succade, doth ingender good blode, and doth set a man in atemporaunce.
¶ The rootes of Alysaunder and Enulacampana.
¶ The rootes of Alysaunder soden tender, and made in succade is good for to dystroy [...] the stone in the Raynes of the backe & blader [Page] The rootes of Enulacampana soden tender and made in a succade is good for the breste, and for the lunges, and for all the interyall membres of man.
¶ The rootes of percelly, & of fenell.
¶ The Rootes of percelly soden tender and made in a succade is good for the stone, and doth make a man to pysse. The rootes of Fenell soden tender & made in a succade is good for the lunges and for the syght.
¶ The rootes of turnepes & persnepes.
¶ Turnepes boyled and eaten with flesshe, augmētyth the seede of man, yf they be eaten rawe moderatly, it doth prouoke a good apetyde. Persnepes soden & eaten doth increase nature, they be nutrityue, & doth expell vryne
¶ Radysshe rootes, and Caretes.
¶ Radysshe rootes doth breke wynde & dothe prouoke a mā to make water, but they be not good for them the whiche hath the gowte. Caretes soden and eaten dothe auge & increase nature & doth cause a man to make water.
¶ The rootes of Rapes.
¶ Rape rootes yf they be well boyled they do nowrysshe, yf they be moderatly eaten, īmoderatly eaten they doth ingender ventosyte, and doth anoye the stomacke.
¶ Of Onyons.
¶ Onyons doth prouoke a man to veneryous actes, and to sompuolence, & yf a man drynke sondry drynkes it doth rectyfy and reforme the varyete of the operacyon of them: they maketh a mans apetyde good, and putteth away fastydyousnes.
¶ Of Leekes.
¶ Leekes doth open the breste, and doth prouoke a man to make water, but they doth make and increase euyll blode.
¶ Of Garlyke.
¶ Garlyke of all rootes is vsed & most praysed in Lombardy, and other countres anexed to it, for it doth open the breste, & it doth kyll all maner of wormes in a mans bely, whiche be to say, lumbrici, ascarides, and cucurbitini whiche is to saye longe wormes, small lytell longe wormes whiche wyll tykle in the foundement, and square wormes: it also hetyth ye body and desoluyth grose wyndes.
¶ The .xx. Chapitre, treateth of vsuall Herbes. And fyrste of Borage, and Buglosse.
BOrage doth comforte the herte, and doth ingēder good blode, and [Page] causeth a man to be mery, & doth set a man in temporaunce. And so doth buglosse for he is taken of more vygor & strength & effycacye.
¶ Of Artochockes, and Rokat.
¶ There is nothynge vsed to be eaten of Artochockes but ye hed of them, whan they be almost rype they must be soden tēder in ye broth of heef, & after eate them at dyner, they doth increase nature, and dothe prouoke a man to beneryous actes. Rokat doth increase the sede of man, and doth stumulat the flesshe, and doth helpe to dygestyon.
¶ Of Cykory, and Endyue.
¶ Cykory doth kepe the stomacke and ye heed in temporaunce, and doth qualyfy color. Endyue is good for them the whiche haue hoote stomackes and drye.
¶ Of whyte Beetes, and Purslane.
¶ whyte Beetes be good for the lyuer, & for the splene, and be abstersyue. Purslane dothe extynct the ardor of lassyuyousnes, and doth mytygate great heate in all the inwarde partes of man.
¶ Of Tyme, and Parsley.
¶ Tyme brekyth the stone, it dothe desolue wyndes. And causeth a man to make water. Parsley is good to breake the stone, and causeth [Page] a man to pysse, it is good for the stomacke, & doth cause a man to haue a swete breth.
¶ Of Lettyse, and Sorell.
Lettyse doth extynct veneryous actes, yet it doth increase mylke in a womans breste, it is good for a hote stomacke, and doth prouoke slepe, and doth increase blod, and doth set the blode in a temporaunce. Sorell is good for a hote lyuer, and good for the stomacke.
¶ Of Penyryall, and Isope.
¶ Penyryall doth purge melācoly, and doth comforte the stomacke & the spyrites of man. Isope clenseth viscus fleume, & is good for the breste and for the lunges.
¶ Of Roosmary, and Roses.
¶ Roosmary is good for palses, and for the fallynge syckenes, and for the cowghe, and good agaynst colde. Roses be a cordyall and doth comforte the herte & the brayne.
¶ Of Fenell, and Anys.
¶ These herbes be seldome vsed, but theyr sedes be greatly occupyde. Fenell sede is vsed to breke wynde, and good agaynst poyson. Anys sede is good to clense the bladder, and the raynes of the backe: & doth prouoke vryne and maketh one to haue a soote breth.
¶ Of Sawge, and Mandragod.
¶ Sawge is good to helpe a woman to conceyue, and doth prouoke vryne. Mandragor doth helpe a woman to concepcion, and doth prouoke a man to slepe.
¶ Of all herbes ingenerall.
¶ There is no Herbe, nor weede, but god haue gyuen vertue to them, to helpe man. But for as moche, as Plyne, Macer, and Diascorides with many other olde auncyent and approbat Doctours hath wrytten and pertracted of theyr vertues, I therfore nowe wyll wryte no further of herbes, but wyll speke of other matters that shalbe more necessarye.
¶ The .xxi. Chapitre, treatyth of Fruytes, and fyrste of Fygges.
AVicen sayth that Fygges doth nowrysshe more than any other Fruyte, they doth nowrysshe meruelouslye, whan they be eaten with blanched Almons. They be also good rosted, & stued. They do clense the brest & the lunges, & they do open ye opylacyons of the [...]yuer & the splene. They doth stere a man to [Page] veneryous actes, for they doth auge and increase the sede of generacyon. And also they doth prouoke a man to sweate: wherfore they doth ingender lyce.
¶ Of great Raysyns.
¶ Great Raysyns be nutrytyue specially yf the stones be pullyd out. And they doth make the stomacke fyrme & stable. And they doth prouoke a man to haue a good appetyde, yf a fewe of them be eaten before meate.
¶ Of smale Raysyns of Corans.
¶ smale raysyns of Corans, be good for ye raynes of the backe, and they dothe prouoke vryne. Howbeit they be not all the best for the splene, for they maketh opylacyon.
¶ Of Grapes.
¶ Grapes swete and newe, be nutrytyue, & and doth stumulat the flesshe. And they doth comforte the stomacke and ye lyuer, and doth auoyde opylacyons. Howbeit, it doth replete the stomacke with ventosyte.
¶ Of Peches, of Medlers, & Ceruyces.
¶ Peches doeth mollyfy the bely and be colde, Medlers taken superfluous dothe ingender melancolye. And Ceruyces be in maner of lyke operacyon.
¶ Of Strawburyes, Cherys, & Hurtes.
¶ Strawburyes, be praysed aboue al buryes for they do qualyfye the heate of the lyuer, & dothe ingender good blode eaten with suger. Cherys doth mollyfye the bely and be colde. Hurtes be of a groser substaunce. wherfore they be not for them the whiche be of a clene dyete.
¶ Of Nuttes great and smale.
¶ The walnut & the banocke be of one operacyon. They be tarde and slowe of digestyon, yet they doth comforte the brayne if the pyth or skyn be pylled of, and than they be nutrytyue. Fylberdes be better than hasell Nuttes: yf they be newe and taken from the tree, and the skyn or the pyth pullyd of, they be nutrytyue, & doth increase fatnes, yf they be olde they shuld be eaten with great raysens. But new nuttes be farre better than olde nuttes, for olde nuttes be colorycke, and they be cuyl for the hed and euyll for olde men. And they dothe ingender the palsey to the tounge, yet they be good agaynst venym. And immoderatly taken or eaten doth ingender corrupcyons, as byles blaynes & suche putryfaction.
¶ Of Peason, and Beanes.
¶ Peason the whiche be yonge be nutrytyue Howbeit they doth replete a man with ventosyte. [Page] Beanes be not so moche to be praysed as peason, for they be full of ventosyte althoughe the skynnes or huskes be ablatyd or cast away, yet they be a stronge meate, and dothe prouoke veneryous actes.
¶ Of Peares, and Appulles.
¶ Peares the whiche be melow and doulce & not stony doth increase fatnes ingenderyng waterysshe blod. And they be ful of ventosyte. But wardens rosted stued, or baken be nutrytyne, and doth comforte the stomacke specyally yf they be eaten with comfettes. Apples be good after a frost haue taken them or whan they be olde, specyally red apples, and they the which be of good odor & melow, they shuld be eaten with suger or cōfettes, or with fenell sede, or anye sede bycause of theyr ventosyte, they doth comforte than the stomacke and doth make good dygestyon, specyally yf they be rostyd or baken.
¶ Of Pomegranates, & Quynces.
¶ Pomegranates be nutrytyue, and good for the stomacke. Quinces baken the core pulled out doth mollyfy the bely, and doth helpe dygestyon, and dothe preserue a man from dronkenshyppe.
¶ Of Daates, and Mylons.
¶ Daates moderatly eaten be nutrityue but they doth cause opylacyons of the lyuer and of the splene. Mylons doth ingender euyl humoures.
¶ Of gourdes, of Cucubres, & pepones.
¶ Gourdes be euyll of nowrysshement, Cucūbers, restrayneth veneryousnes or lassyuyousnes, or luxuryousnes. Pepones be in maner of lyke operacion: but the pepones ingenderyng euyll humours.
¶ Of Almondes, and Chefteyns.
¶ Almondes causeth a man to pysse: they do mollyfy the bely, and doth purge the lunges. And .vi. or .vii. eate before meate preserueth a man from drōkenshyp. Chesteynes doth nowrysshe the body strongly, & doth make a man fat, yf they be thorowe rosted and the huskes abiected, yet they doth replete a man with vē tosyte or wynde.
¶ Of Prunes, and Damysens.
¶ Prunes be nat greatly praysed, but in the way of medysyne, for they be cold & moyste. And Damysens be of ye sayd nature: for the one is olde and dryed, and the other be taken from the tre .vi. or .vii. damysens eaten before dyner be good to prouoke a mans appetyde, they doth mollyfy the bely and be abstersyues [Page] the skyn and the stones muste be ablatyd and caste awaye and not vsed.
¶ Of Olyues, and Capers.
¶ Olyues condyted, and eaten at the begynnynge of refectyon doth corroborate the stomacke and prouoketh appetyde. Capers doth purge fleume, and doth make a man to haue an appetyde.
¶ Of Orenges.
¶ Orenges doth make a man to haue a good appetyde, and so doth the ryndes, yf they be in succade, & they doth cōforte the stomacke, the Iuce is a good sauce and dothe prouoke an appetyde.
¶ The .xxij. Chapitre, treateth of spyces, and fyrste of Gynger.
Gynger doth hete the stomacke and helpyth dygestyon, grenegynger eaten in the morenīge fastynge doth acuat and quycken the remembraunce.
¶ Of Peper.
¶ There be .iii. sondry kyndꝭ of peper, which be to say whyte Peper, blacke Peper, & long Peper. All kyndes of pepers to heate the body [Page] and doth desolue fleume & wynde & dothe helpe dygestyon, and maketh a man to make water. Blacke peper doth make a man leane.
¶ Of Cloues, and Mace.
¶ Cloues doth comforte the senewes, & doth dysolue, and doth consume superfluous humours, restoryth nature. Maces is a cordyall and doth helpe the colycke: & is good agaynst the blody flyxe and laxes.
¶ Of Graynes, and Safferon.
¶ Graynes be good for the stomake and the hed. And be good for women to drynke. Safferon doth comforte the herte & the stomacke but he is to hote for the lyuer.
¶ Of Nutmeges, & Cynomome.
¶ Nutmeges be good for them the whiche haue colde in theyr hed, and dothe comforte the syght and the brayne & the mouthe of the stomacke, & is good for the splene. Cynomome is a cordyall, wherfore ye Hebrecyon doth say why doth a man dye & can gette Cynomome to eate: yet it doth stop & is good to restrayne fluxes or laxes.
¶ Of Lyqueryce.
¶ Lyqueryce is good to clense and to open the lunges & the brest, & doth loose fleume.
¶ The .xxiij. Chapytre, sheweth a dyete for Sanguyne men.
SAnguyne men behoote and moyste of complexion, wherfor they must be cyrcumspect in eatynge of theyr meate, cōsyderynge that the purer the complexon is, the soner it may be coruptyd, & the blode maye be the sooner infectyd / wherfore they must abstayne to eate inordynatly fruytes and herbes and rotes, as garlyke onyons and leekes, they must refrayne from eatyng of olde flesshe, and exchew the vsage of etynge of the braynes of beestes: & from etynge ye vdders of keyn. They muste vse moderat slepe, and moderat dyet or els they wyl be to fat and grose. Fysshe of muddy waters be not good for them. And yf blode do aboūde clense it with stufes, or by fleubothomye,
¶ The .xxiiij. Chapyter sheweth a dyete for Fleumatyke men.
FLeumaticke men be colde and moyste: wherfore they must abstayne from meates, the whiche is colde. And also they must refrayne from eatyng viscus meate, specially from [Page] all meates the whiche doth ingender fleumatycke humours, as fysshe, fruyte, and whyte meate. Also to exchewe the vsage of eatynge of crude herbes specyall to refrayne from me ate the whiche is harde and slowe of dygestyon: as it appereth in the propertes of meates aboue rehersyd. And to beware not to dwell nyghe to waterysshe and morysshe grounde. These thynges be good for fleumatycke persons moderatly taken, onyons, garlycke, peper, gynger. And all meates the whiche be hote and drye. And sauces the whiche be sowre. These thyngꝭ folowyng doth purge fleume polypody, netyll, elder, agarycke, yreos, mayden heere, and stycados.
¶ The .xxv. Chapitre, sheweth a dyete for Colorycke men.
COlor is hote and dry wherfore Coloryke men muste abstayne from eatyng hote spyces, and to refrayne from drynkynge of wyne, and eatynge of Colorycke meate: howbeit Colorycke men may eate groser meate than any other of complexions, except theyr educacion haue ben to the cōtrary. [Page] Colorycke mē shulde not be longe fastynge. These thyngꝭ folowyng do purge color: Fumytory Centory, wormewod, wylde hoppes vyoletes, Mercury, Manna, Reuberbe, Eupatory, Tamarindes, & the whay of butter.
¶ The .xxvi. Chapitre treateth of a dyetarye, for Melancoly men.
MElancoly is colde & drye, wherfore Melancoly mē must refrayne from fryed me ate, and meate the whiche is ouer salte. And from meate yt is sowre & harde of dygestyon, and from all meate the whiche is burnet and drye. They must abstayne from immoderat thurste, and from drinkyng of hote wynes, and grose wyne as red wyne And vse these thynges Cowe mylke, Almon mylke, yolkes of rere egges. Boyled meate is better for Melancoly men than rosted meate All meate the which wylbe soone dygestyd, & all meates the which doth ingender good blode. And meates the whiche be temperatly hote be good for Melancoly men. And so be all herbes the whiche be hote and moyste. These thynges folowynge doth purge Melancoly, [Page] quyckbeme, Seene, sticados, hartystounge, mayden heere, pulyall mountane, borage, organum, suger, and whyte wyne.
¶ The .xxvij. Chapiter, treatyth of a dyete, and of an ordre to be vsed in the Pestyferous tyme of the pestylence & swetyng sycknes.
WHan the Plages of the Pestylence, or the swetynge syckenes is in a towne, or coūtree, with vs at Mountpylour, and all other hygh Regyons and countrees yt I haue dwelt in, the people doth fle from the contagious and infectious ayre preseruatyues with other counceyll of Physycke notwithstandyng. In lower and other baase countres, howses the which be infectyd in towne or cytie, be closyd vp both doores & wyndowes: & the inhabytours shall not come a brode, nother to churche: nor to market, nor to any howse or cōpany, for infectyng other the which be clene without infection. A man can not be to ware: nor can not kepe hym self to well from this syckenes, for it is so vehement [Page] and so parlouse, that the syckenes is taken with ye sauour of a mans clothes the whiche hath vysyted the infectious howse, for the infection wyl lye and hange longe in clothes And I haue knowen that whan the strawe & russhes hath ben cast out of a howse infectyd the hogges the whiche dyd lye in it, dyed of ye pestylence: wherfore in such infectious tyme it is good for euery man yt wyl not flye from the contagyous ayre to vse dayly, specyally in the mornynge and euenyng to burne Iuneper, or Rosemary, or Rysshes, or Gaye leues, or Maierome, or Franckēce, bengauyn. Or els make this powder. Take of storax calamyte half an vnce, of frankensēce an vnce, of the wodde of Aloes, the weyghte of .vi. d. myxe all these togyther. Than cast half a sponefull of this in a chaffyngdysshe of coles. And set it to fume abrode in the chambers, & the hall, and other howses. And you wyll put to this powder a lytell Lapdanum: it is so moche ye better. Or els make a pomemaūder vnder this maner. Take of Lapdanum .iii. drames, of ye wodde of Aloes one drame, of amber of grece .ii. drames, and a half, of nutmegges, of storax calamite of eche a drame and a half, confect all these togyther with Rose water [Page] & make a ball. And this aforesayd Pomemaunder doth not onely expell contagyous ayre, but also it doth comforte the brayne, as Barthelmew of Montagnaue sayth, & other modernall doctors doth afferme ye same: who so euer yt is infectyd with the pestylence / let hym loke in my breuyary of helth for a remedy. But let hym vse this dyete, let the Chamber be kept close. And kepe a contynuall fyre in the Chamber of clere burnynge wodde, or chare cole without smoke, beware of takynge any colde, vse temporat meates and drynke, and beware of wyne, bere, & cyder, vse to eate stued or baken wardens yf they can begoten yf not eate stued or baken peers with comfettes, vse no grose meates, but those the whiche be lyght of dygestyon.
¶ The .xxviij. Chapitre, sheweth of a dyete, the whiche be in any Feuer or agew.
I Do aduertyse euery man that hath a Feuer: or an Agewe, not to eate no meate .vi. houres before his course doth take hym. And [Page] in no wyse as longe as the Agew doth induce, to put of shertte nor dowblet, nor to ryse out of the bedde, but whan nede shall requyre and in any wyse not to go, nor to take any open ayer. For suche prouysyon may be had that at vttermost at the thyrde course he shall be delyuered of the Feuer vsynge the medsynes the whiche be in the Breuyary of helthe. And let euery man beware of castynge theyr handes & armes at any tyme out of the bed, in or out of theyr agony, or to spraule with ye legges out of the bed, good it is for the space of .iii. courses to weare cōtynewelly gloues, and not to wasshe the handes. And to vse suche a dyete in meate & drynke as is rehersyd in the pestylence.
¶ The .xxix. Cpapitre, treatyth of a dyete for them, the whiche haue the Iliacke, or the colyck, & the stone.
THe Iliacke and the Colycke be ingendered of ventosyte, the whiche is intrusyd, or inclosed in two guttes, the one is called Ilia. And ye other is called Colon. For these two infyrmytes a [Page] man muste beware of colde. And good it is not to be longe fastynge. And necessary it is to be laxatyue and not in no wyse to be constupat. And these thynges folowyng be not good for them the which haue these aforesaid infyrmytꝭ, new bred, stale bred, nor new ale. They must abstayne also from drynkyng of beere, of cyder, and red wyne, and cynamom Also refrayne from al meates that hōny is in exchew eatyng of cold herbes, vse not to eate beanes, peson, nor potage, beware of the vsage of fruytes. And of all thynges the whiche doth ingender wynde. For the stone abstayn from drynkynge of new ale, beware of beere, and of red wyne, and hote wynes, refrayne from eatynge of red herynge, matylmas beef and bakon, and salte fysshe, and salt meates. And beware of goynge colde aboute the mydell specyally aboute the raynes of the backe. And make no restryctyon, of wynde and water: nor seege that nature wolde expelle.
¶ The .xxx. Chapitre, treatyth of a dyete for them the whiche haue any kyndes of the gowte.
THey the whiche be infectyd with the gowte, or any kynde of it, I do aduertyse them not to syt long bollynge and bybbynge dysyng and cardyng, in forgettyng them selfe to exonerat the blader and the bely whan nede shall requyre, and also to beware that the legges hange not without some stay nor yt the bootꝭ or shoes be not ouer strayte, who soeuer hath ye gowte must refrayne from drynkyng of newe ale, and let hym abstayne from drynkyng of beere and red wyne, Also he must not eate new brede, egges, fresshe samon, eles, fresshe heryng, pylcherdꝭ, oysters: and all shell fysshe. Also he muste exchew the eatynge of fresshe beef, of goose, of ducke, & of pygyons. Beware of takyng colde in the legge, or rydyng, or goynge wetshod. Beware of veneryous actꝭ after refection, or after or vpon a full stomacke. And refrayne from all thinges that doth ingēder euyll humours and be inflatyue.
¶ The, xxxi. Chapytre, treatyth of a dyete for them the whiche haue any of the kyndes of lypored.
HE that is infectyd, with any of the .iiii. kyndes of the lepored must refrayne from all maner of wynes, & from new drynkes, and strō ge ale, than let hym beware of ryot and surfetynge. And let hym abstayne from etyng of spyces, and daates, and from trypes & podynges, and all inwardes of beestes. Fysshe and egges, & mylke is not good for leperous persons: and they must abstayne from eating of fresshe beef, and from eatynge of gose, ducke and from water fowle and pygions. And in no wyse eate no veneson, nor hare flesshe and suche lyke.
¶ The .xxxii. Thapytre, treatyth of a dyete for them, the whiche haue any of ye kyndes of the fallyng syckenes.
WHo so euer he be, the which haue any of the kyndes of the fallyng syckenes must abstayn from eatynge of whyte meate, specially of milke he must [Page] refrayne from drynkyng of wyne, newe ale, and stronge ale. Also they shulde not eate the fatnes of fysshe, nor the hedes of fysshe, the whiche dothe ingender rewme. Shell fysshe, eles, samon, herynge, & viscus fysshes be not good for Epilentycke men. Also they muste refrayne from eatynge of garlyke, onyons, leekes, chybbolles, and all vaperous meates, the whiche doth hurte ye hed: venson, hare flesshe, beef, beanes, and peason be not good for Epilentycke men. And yf they knowe that they be infected with this great sycknes, they shulde not resorte where there is great resorte of company, whiche is in churche in sessyons and market places on market dayes, yf they do the sycknes wyll infeste them more there, than in any other place, or at any other tyme They must beware they do not syt to nyghe the fyre, for the fyre wyll ouercom them, and wyll induce the sycknes. They must beware of lyeng hote in theyr bed, or to laboure extremely, for suche thynges causyth the grefe to come the ofter.
¶ The .xxxiij. Chapytre, treatyth, of a dyete, the whiche haue any payne in the hed.
MAny sycknes, or infyrmytes and impedymentes may be in a mans hed▪ wherfore who so euer haue any impedymēt in the hed must not kepe the hed to hote, nor to colde, but in a temporaunce. And to beware of ingendryng of rewme, whiche is the cause of many infyrmytes. There is nothynge that dothe ingender rewme so moche as doth the fatnes of fysshe and the heddes of fysshe, and surfestes, & takynge colde in the feete: and takynge colde in the nape of the necke or hed. Also they ye whiche haue any infyrmyte in ye hed must refrayne of immoderat slepe specyally after meate Also they must abstayne from drynkynge of wyne, and vse not to drynke ale and beere the whiche is ouer stronge: vocyferacyon halowynge, cryeng, and hygh synging is not good for the hed. All thynges the whiche is vaporous or dothe fume, is not good for the hed. And all thynges the which is of euyll sauour as caryn, synkes, wyddrawghtes, pisse bolles snoffe of candellys, dunghylles, stynkynge canellys, and stynkynge standyng waters, & stynkynge marshes, with suche contagyous [Page] eyres doth hurte the hed and the brayne, and the memory. All odyferous sauours be good for the hed and the brayne and the memory.
¶ The .xxxiiij. Chapitre, treateth of a dyete for them the whiche be in a consumpcyon.
WHo soeuer he be that is in a consumpcyon muste abstayne from all sowre and tarte thynges as venegre & alceger, & suche lyke. And also he must abstayne from eatynge of grose meates the whiche be harde and slowe of dygestyon. And vse cordyallys and restoratyues and nutrytyue meates. All meates and drinkes the which is swete & that suger is in be nutrytyue▪ wherfore swete wynes be good for them the whiche be in consūpcion moderatly taken. And sowre wyne, sowre ale, and sowre brede is good for no man. For it doth freate away nature, and let them beware that be in consumpcion of fryde meate, of bruled meate, and bronte meate the whiche is ouer rostyd. And in any wyse let them beware of anger & pencyfulnes. These thynges folowynge be good for them the whiche [Page] be in cōsumpcions a pygge or a cocke stewed and made in a gely, cockrellys stewed, gootꝭ mylke and suger, almon mylke in the whiche ryce is soden, and rabbetes stewed. &c.
¶ The .xxxv. Chapitre treateth of a dyete for them the whiche be asmatyke men, beyng short wyndyd or lackynge breth.
SHortnes of wynde cōmeth dyuers tymes, of impedymentꝭ in ye lunges, and straytnes of the brest opylatyd thorow viscus fleume: and other whyle whan the hed is stuffyd with rewme called the pose lettyth the breth of his naturall course. wherfore he yt hath shortnes of breth: muste abstayne from eatyng of nuttes specyally yf they be olde: chese and mylke is not good for them, no more is fysshe and feuyte, and rawe or crude herbes. Also all maner of meate, the whiche is harde of dygestion is not good for them. They muste refrayne from eatyng of fysshe specially from eatyng fysshe the which [Page] wyll cleue to the fyngers: & be viscus & slyme & in any wyse beware of the skyns of fysshe & of all maner of meate the whiche doth ingender fleume. Also they muste beware of colde. And whan any howse is a swepynge to go out of the howse for a space in to a clene eyre The dust also that ryseth in the strete thorow the vehemens of the wynde or otherwyse, is not good for theym. And smoke is euyll for them, and so is all thynge that is stoppynge. wherfor necessary it is for thē to be laxatyue.
¶ The .xxxvi. Cpapitre, treatyth of a dyete for them, the whiche haue the palsye.
THey the whiche haue the Palsye, vnyuersall, or pertyculer must beware of anger, hastynes, and testynes, & must beware of feare, for thorow anger or feare dyuers tymes the Palsye do come to a man. Also they must beware of drokēnes, and eatyng of nuttes, whiche thynges be euyll for the palsye of the tonge, coldnes and contagyous, and stynkynge fylthy eyres be euyll for the palsye. And lette euery [Page] man beware on lyeng vpon the bare grounde or vpon the bare stones, for it is euyll for the Palsye, the sauour of Castory, & the sauour of a fox is good agaynst the palsye.
¶ The .xxxvij. Chapitre, doth shew an order and a dyete for them the whiche be madde, and out of theyr wytte.
THere is no man the whiche haue any of ye kyndes of madnes: but they ought to be kepte in sauegarde for dyuers ī cō uenyēce yt may fall, as it apperyd of late dayes of a lunatycke man named Mychell, the whiche went many yeres at lyberte, & at last he dyd kylle his wyfe and his wyfes suster, & his owne selfe. wherfore I do aduertyse euery man the whiche is madde, or lunatycke or frantycke, or demonyacke to be kepte in sauegarde, in some close howse or chamber, where there is lytell lyght. And that he haue a keper the whiche the madde man do feare. And se that the madde man haue no knyf nor sheers nor other edge toule, nor that he haue no gyrdyll [Page] except it be a week lyste of clothe, for hurtynge or kyllynge hym selfe. Also the chamber or the howse that the madde man is in, let there be no paynted clothes, nor paynted wallys, nor pyctures of man nor woman or fowle or beest: for suche thynges maketh them ful of fantasyes, lette the madde persons hed be shauen ones a moneth: let them drinke no wyne nor stronge ale, nor stronge beere, but moderat drynke, and let them haue .iii. tymes in a daye warme suppynges, and lytell warme meate. And vse few wordes to them, excepte it be for reprehensyon, or gentyll reformacyon yf they haue any wytte or perseueraunce to vnderstande.
¶ The .xxxviij. Chapytre, treatyth of a dyete for them the whiche haue any of the kyndes of the Idropyses.
SAynt Beede sayeth the more a man doth drynke yt hath the Idropise, the more he is a thurst, for although ye syckenes doth come by superabundaunce of water, yet the lyuer is drye. whether it be alchytes [Page] Iposarca, Lencoflegmancia, or the tympany. They that hath any of the .iiii. kyndes of ye Idropyses must refrayne from all thynges the whiche be cōstupat and costyue, and vse all thynges the which be laxatyue / nuttes and dry almondes and harde chese is poyson to them. A ptysane and posset ale made with colde herbes doth comforte them: who so euer he be, the whiche wyll haue a remedy for any of these foure kyndes of the Idropyses, and wyll knowe a declaracyon of these infyrmytes, and all other sycknesses, let hym loke in a boke of my makyng named the Breuyary of helth. For in this boke I do speke but of dyetes, and how a man shuld order his mansyon place. And hym self & his bowsholde, with suche lyke thyngꝭ: for the conseruacion of helth.
¶ The .xxxix. Chapytre, treateth of a generall dyete, for all maner of men and women, beynge sycke or hole.
THere is no man nor woman, the which haue any respect to thē selfe, that can be a better Phesycion for theyr [Page] owne sauegarde, than theyr owne self can be to consyder what thynge ye whiche doth them good. And to refrayne from suche thynges that doth them hurte or harme. And let euery man beware of care, sorowe, thought, pencyfulnesse, and of inwarde anger. Beware of surfettes, and vse not so moche veneryouse actes. Brehe not the vsuall custome of slepe in the nyght. A mery herte and mynde, the whiche is in reste and quyetnes, without aduersyte, and to moche worldly busynes causeth a man to lyue longe, and to loke yongly althoughe he be agyd, care and sorowe bryngeth in age and deth, where let euery man be mery: and yf he can not let hym resorte to mery company to breke of his perplexatyues. ¶ Furthermore I do aduertyse euery man to wasshe theyr handes ofte euery daye: And dyuers tymes to keyme theyr hed euery daye And to plounge the eyes in colde water in the morenyng. Moreouer I do councell euery man to kepe the breste and the stomacke warme. And to kepe the feete from wet, and other whyle to wasshe them, and that they be not kept to hote nor to colde, but indyfferently. Also to kepe the hed and the necke in a moderat temporaunce not to hote nor to colde, [Page] and in any wyse to beware not to medle to moche with veneryous actꝭ: for that wyll cause a man to loke agedly: & also causeth a man to haue a breef or a shorte lyfe. All other matters pertaynynge to any pertyculer dyete, you shall haue in the dyetes aboue in this boke rehersyd.
¶ The .xl. Chapytre, doth shewe an order, or a fasshyon, how a sycke man shulde be ordered, And how a sycke man shuld be vsyd that is lykely to dye.
WHoo so euer that is sore sycke, it is vncerteyne to man, whether he shall lyue or dye. wherfore it is necessarye for hym yt is sycke to haue two or .iii good kepers, the whiche at all tymes must be dylygēt, and not slepysshe sloudgysshe, sluttysshe. And not to wepe and wayle aboute a sycke man, nor to vse many wordes / nor that there be no great resorte to cōmon and talke, [Page] For it is a busynes a whole man to answere many men, specyally women that shall come to hym. They the which cōmeth to any sycke person ought to haue few wordes or none: except certayne persons the whiche be of counseyll of the Testament makynge, the whiche wyse men be not to seke of suche matters in theyr syckenes, for wysdom wolde that euery man shulde prepare for suche thyngꝭ in helth And yf any man for charyte wyll vyset any person, lette hym aduertyse the sycke to make euery thynge euyn bytwext god and the worlde & his cōscyence. And to receyue the ryghtꝭ of holy churche, lyke a catholycke man. And to folowe the counseyll of both Physycyons whiche is to say the physycyon of the soule, & the physycyon of the body, that is to saye the spyrituall counseyl of his ghostly father, and the bodely counseyll of his physycyon consernyng the receytes of his medsons to recouer helth. For saynt Augustyn saith he that doth not the cōmaūdement of his physycyon doth kyll hym self. Furthermore about a sycke persone shuld be redolent sauour, and the chamber shuld be replenysshed with herbes & flowers of odyferouse sauour. & certayne tymes it is good to be vsed a lytell of some perfume [Page] to stande in ye mydle of the chamber. And in any wyse lette not many men, and specyally women be togyther at one tyme in the chamber, not onely for bablynge, but specially for theyr brethes. And the kepers shulde se at all tymes that the sycke persons drynke be pure, fresshe & stale, and that it be a lytell warmed, turned out of the colde. Yf the sycke man wex sycker and sycker, that there is lykle hope of amendment but sygnes of deth, than no man oughte to moue to hym any worldly matters or busynes: but to speke of ghostly and godly matters. And to rede the passyon of cryste. & to say the psalmes of the passyon, and to holde a crosse or a pyctour of the passyon of cryste before ye eyes of the sycke person. And let not the kepers forget to gyue the sycke man in suche agony warme drynke with a spone, and a sponefull of a cawdell or a colesse. And than lette euery man do indeuer hym selfe to prayer, that the sycke ꝑson may fynysshe his lyfe Catholyckely in the fayth of Iesu cryste And so departe out of this myserable world. I do beseche the Father, and ye sone, and the holy ghost thorow the meryte of Iesu crystes passyon, that I and all Creatures lyuynge may do. AMEN.