MAN beyng borne not for his owne vse and cōmoditie alone, but also for the com­mō benefite of many, (as reason wil and al good authoures write) he whiche in this world is worthy to lyue, ought al wayes to haue his hole minde and in­tente geuen to profite others. Whi­che thynge to shewe in effecte in my selfe, although by fortune some wai­es I haue ben letted, yet by that whi­che fortune cannot debarre, some waies again I haue declared. For af­ter certein yeres beyng at cambrige, I of the age of .xx. yeres, partly for mine exercise and profe what I coulde do, but chefely for certein of my very frē ­des, dyd translate out of Latine into Englishe certein workes, hauyng no­thynge els so good to gratifie theim w^t. Wherof one. of S. Chrysostome de modo orandi deum, that is, of y^e man­ner [Page 4] to praye to god, I sent to one my frende then beyng in the courte. One other, a woorke of Erasmus de vera theologia, the true and redy waye to reade the scripture, I dyd geue to maister Augustine Stiwarde Alder­man of Norwiche, not in the ful as the authore made it, but abbreuiate for his only purpose to whome I sent it, Le­uyng out many subtile thinges, made rather for great & learned diuines, thē for others. The thirde was the para­phrase of the same Erasmus vpon the Epistle of. S. Iude, whiche I trans­lated at the requeste of one other my deare frende.

These I did in Englishe the rather because at that tyme men ware not so geuen all to Englishe, but that they dyd fauoure & mayteine good learning conteined in tongues & sciences, and did also study and apply diligently the same thē selues. Therfore I thought no hurte done. Sence y^t tyme diuerse other thynges I haue written, but with entente neuer more to write in [Page] the Englishe tongue, partly because the cōmoditie of that which is so writ­ten, passeth not the compasse of Eng­lande, but remaineth enclosed within the seas, and partly because I thought that labours so taken should be halfe loste among them whiche sette not by learnyng. Thirdly for that I thought it beste to auoide the iudgement of the multitude, from whome in maters of learnyng a man shalbe forced to dis­sente, in disprouyng that whiche they most approue, & approuyng that whi­che they moste disalowe. Fourthly for that the common settyng furthe and printīg of euery foolishe thyng in eng­lishe, both of phisicke vnperfectly, and other matters vndiscretly, diminishe the grace of thynges learned set furth in the same. But chiefely, because I wolde geue noue example or comforte to my countrie men, (whō I wolde to be now, as here tofore they haue bene, comparable in learnyng to men of o­ther countries) to stonde onely in the Englishe tongue, but to leaue the [Page 5] simplicite of thesame, and to procede further in many and diuerse knowe­leges bothe in tongues and sciences at home and in vniuersities, to the ad­ournyng of the cōmon welthe, better seruice of their kyng, & great pleasure and commodite of their owne selues, to what kinde of life soeuer they shold applie them. Therfore whatsoeuer sence that tyme I minded to write, I wrate y^e same either in greke or latine. As firste of all certein commentaries vpon certein bokes of William fra­minghā, maister of art in Cambrige, a man of great witte, memorie, diligence and learnyng, brought vp in the same scholes in Englande that I was, euer frō his beginnyng vntil his death. Of the which bokes .ii. of cō [...]inētia (or cō ­tinence) wer in prose, y^e reste in metre or verse of diuerse kindes. One a com­forte for a blind mā, entitled ad Aemi­lianum caecum consolatio. one other [...]cpyros [...]s, seu incendi [...] sodomo [...], the burnyng of Sodome. The thirde Laurentius, expressyng the tormentes [Page] of Saincte Laurence. The fourthe, Idololatria, Idolatrie, not after the trade and veine of scripture (wherein he was also very well exercised) but conformable to scripture and after the ciuile and humane learnyng, declar­yng them to worshippe Mars, that warre, or fight: Venus, that lyue in­continently: Pluto, that folowe riches couetousely: and so forth through all vices vsed in his time. The fiueth boke Arete, vertue: the sixth, Epigrāmes, conteined in two bokes, whiche by an epistle of his owne hand before y^e boke yet remainyng, he dedicated vnto me, purposyng to haue done many more prety thynges, but that cruell death preuēted, and toke him away wher he and I was borne at Norwiche, in the yere of our Lord M.d.xxxvii. the xxix daie of September, beynge then of the age of .xxv. yeres, vii. Monethes, and vj. daies, a greate losse of so notable a yonge man. These workes at his death he willed to comme to my handes, by which occasion after I had viewed thē, [Page 6] and perceiued them ful of al kyndes of learnyng, thinkyng thē no workes for all mē to vnderstande with out helpe, but such as were wel sene in all sortes of authours: I endeuoured my selfe partely for the helpe of others, & part­ly for mine owne exercise, to declare vpon theim the profite of my studie in ciuile and humane learnynge, and to haue before mine eyes as in a worke (which was alwaies my delyght) how muche I had profited in the same. Thys so done, I ioyned euery of my commentaries to euery of hys saied bokes, faier written by Nicolas Per­gate puple to the saied Maister Fra­myngham, myndyng after the iudge­ment of learned men had in the same, to haue set theim furthe in prynte, if it had ben so thought good to theim. For whyche cause, at my departynge into Italie, I put an Epistle before theym dedicatorye to the right Reuerend fa­ther in God Thomas Thirlbye, now Bishoppe of Norwiche, because the­same maister Framyngham loued hym [Page] aboue others. He after my departure deliuered the bokes to the reuerende father in god Ihō Skippe, late bishop of Hereforde, then to. D. Thixtle, tu­tor to the sayd maister framynghā, frō him to syr Richard Morisine, now am­bassadoure for y^e kinges maiestie with thēperour, then to D. Tailour Deane of Lincolne, and syr Thomas Smithe secretarie after to y^e kynges Maiestie, all great learned men. Frō these to o­thers they wente, among whome the bokes died, (as I suppose,) or els be closely kept, that after my death they may be setfurthe in the names of them which now haue thē, as their workes. Howe soeuer it be, wel I knowe that at my returne out of Italie (after .vj. yeres continuance ther) into Englād, I coulde neuer vnderstand wher they wer, although I bothe diligently and desirousely sought thē. After these I translated out of Greke into Latine a litle boke of Nicephorus, declarynge howe a man maye in praiynge confesse hym selfe, which after I dyd geue vn­to [Page 7] Ihō Grome bacheler in arte, a yong man in yeres, but in witte & learnyng for his tyme, of great expectaciō. That done I beganne a chronicle of the citie of Norwiche, of the beginninge therof & thinges done ther frō time to time, The matere wherof yet rude and vn­digested lyeth by me, which at laisure I minde to polishe, and to make an end of that I haue begunne. And to be shorte, in phisicke diuerse thynges I haue made & settefurth in print bothe in Greke and Latine, not mindyng to do other wise, as I haue before said, al my life: For which cause al these thin­ges I haue rehersed, els superstuous in this place. Yet see, meaning now to counseill a litle agaynst the sweatyng sickenes for helpe also of others, not­withstandyng my former purpose, two thynges compell me, in writynge ther­of, to returne agayne to Englishe, Necessite of the matter, & good wyl to my countrie, frendes, & acquaintance, whiche here to haue required me, to whome I thinke my selfe borne.

[Page]Necessite, for that this disease is al­moste peculiar vnto vs Englishe men, and not common to all men, folowyng vs, as the shadowe the body, in all countries, albeit not at al times. Ther fore compelled I am to vse this our Englishe tongue as best to be vnder­stande, and moste nedeful to whome it most foloweth, most behoueth to haue spedy remedie, and often tymes leaste nyghe to places of succourre and com­forte at lerned mennes handes: and leaste nedefull to be setfurthe in other tongues to be vnderstand generally of all persons, whome it either haunteth not at all, or els very seldome, as ones in an age. Thinkynge it also better to write this in Englishe after mine own meanyng, then to haue it translated out of my Latine by other after their misunderstandyng.

Good wyll to my countrie frendes and acquaintance, seynge them wyth out defence yelde vnto it, and it fere­fully to inuade thē, furiousely handle them, spedily oppresse them, vnmercy­fully [Page 8] choke them, and that in no small numbers, and such persons so notably noble in birthe, goodly conditions, graue sobrietie, singular wisedōe, and great learnynge, as Henry Duke of Suffolke, and the lorde Charles his brother, as fewe hath bene sene lyke of their age: an heuy & pitiful thyng to here or see. So that if by onely learned men in phisicke & not this waye also it should be holpen, it were nedeful al­most halfe so many learned men to be redy in euery toune and citie, as their should be sweatynge sicke folkes. Yet this notwithstandynge, I wyll euery man not to refuse the counseill of the present or nighe phisicen learned, who maie, accordyng to the place, persone, cause, & other circūstances, geue more particular counseil at nede, but in any wise exhorte him to seke it with all di­ligence. To this enterprise also a­monge so many learned men, not a litle stirreth me the gentilnes and good willes of al sortes of men, which I haue well proued heretofore [Page] by my other former bokes. Mindynge therefore with as good a will to geue my counseil in this, and trusting for no lesse gentlenes in the same, I wyll plainly and in English for their better vnderstandynge to whome I write, firste declare the beginnynge, name, nature, and signes of the sweatynge sickenes. Next, the causes of the same. And thirdly, how to preserue men frō it, and remedy them whē they haue it.

In the yere of our Lorde God,The begin­nyng of the disease. M.CCCC.lxxxv. shortly after the .vij. daye of august, at whiche tyme kynge Henry the seuenth arriued at [...]ilford in walles, out of Fraunce, and in the firste yere of his reigne, ther chaunced a disease among the people, lastyng the reste of that monethe & all september, which for the soubdeine sharpenes and vnwont cruelnes passed the pestilence. For this commonly geueth .iv. or .iiij. often .vij. sumtyme ix. as that firste at Athenes whiche Thucidides descri­beth in his seconde boke, sumtyme .xj. and sumtyme .xiiij. dayes respecte, to [Page 9] whome it vexeth. But that immediat­ly killed some in opening theire win­dowes, some in plaieng with children in their strete dores, some in one hour, many in two it destroyed, & at the lon­gest, to thē that merilye dined, it gaue a sorowful Supper. As it founde them so it toke them, some in sleape some in wake, some in mirthe some in care, some fasting & some ful, some busy and some idle, and in one house sometyme three sometime fiue, sometyme seuen sometyme eyght, sometyme more some tyme all, of the whyche, if the haulfe in euerye Towne escaped, it was thoughte great fauour. How, or wyth what maner it toke them, with what grieffe, and accidentes it helde theym, herafter thē I wil declare, whē I shal come to shewe the signes therof. In the mene space, know that this disease (because it most did stand in sweating from the beginning vntil the endyng) was called here, the Sweating sicke­nesse: and because it firste beganne in Englande, it was named in other co­untries, [Page] the englishe sweat. Yet some coniecture, that it, or the like, hath bene before seene among the Grekes in the siege of Troie. In thēperour Octaui­us warres at Cantabria, called nowe Biscaie, in Hispaine: and in the Tur­kes, at the Rhodes. How true that is, let the aucthours loke: how true thys is, the best of our Chronicles she with, & of the late begonne disease the freshe memorie yet confirmeth. But if the name wer now to be geuen, and at my libertie to make the same: I would of the maner and space of the disease (by cause the same is no sweat only, as her after I will declare, & in the spirites) make the name Ephemera, which is to sai, a feuer of one natural dai. A feuer, for the feruor or burning, drieth & sweating feure like. Of one naturall day, for that it lasteth but the time of .xxiiij houres. And for a distinction from the commune Ephemera, that Galene writeth of, comming both of other ca­uses, and wyth vnlike paines, I wold putte to it either Englishe, for that it [Page 10] followeth somoche English menne, to whō it is almoste proper, & also began here: or els pestilent, for that it cōmeth by infection & putrefaction, otherwise then doth the other Ephemera. Whi­che thing I suppose may the better be done, because I se straunge and no en­glish names both in Latine and Gre­ke, by commune vsage taken for En­glishe. As in Latin, Feure, Quotidiā, Tertian, Quartane, Aier, Infection, Pestilence, Uomite, Person, Reines Ueines, Peines, Chamere, Numbre, &c. a litle altered by the commune pro­nunciacion. In Greke, Pleuresie, Il­chiada, Hydrops, Apostema, Phleg­ma, and Chole: called by the vulgare pronunciatiō, Schiatica, Dropsie, Impostume, Phleume, & Choler: Gyne also, and Soutyre, Sciourel, Mouse, Rophe, Phrase, Paraphrase, & cephe, wherof cometh Chaucers couercephe, in the romant of the Rose, writtē and pronoūced comōly, kerchief in y^e south. & courchief in the north. Therof euery head or principall thing, is comonlye called cephe, pronoūced & writtē, chief [Page] Uery many other there be in our commune tongue, whiche here to rehearse were to long. These for an example shortelye I haue here noted. But for the name of this disease it maketh now no matter, the name of Sweat beyng cōmōly vsed. Let vs therfore returne to the thing, which as occasiō & cause serued, came againe in the .M.D.vi. the .xxii. yeare of the said Kyng Hen­ry the seuenth. Aftre that, in the yeare M.D.xvii. the .ix. yeare of Kyng Henry the viii, and endured from Iu­ly, vnto y^e middest of Decēbre. The .iiii tyme, in the yeare. M.D.xxviii. the xx. yeare of the saied Kyng, beginning in thende of May, & continuing Iune and Iuly. The fifth tyme of this fear­ful Ephemera of Englande, and pesti­lent sweat, is this in the yeare. M.D.LI. of oure Lorde GOD and the fifth yeare of oure Souereigne Lorde king Edwarde the sixth, beginning at Shrewesbury in the middest of April, proceadinge with greate mortalitie to Ludlowe, Prestene, and other places [Page 11] in Wales, then to Westchestre, Co­uentre, Oxenfoorde, and other tounes in the Southe, and suche as were in and aboute the way to London, whe­ther it came notablie the seuenth of Iuly, and there continuing sore, with the losse of .vii.C.lxi. from the .ix. day vntil the .xvi. daye, besides those that died in the .vii. and .viii. dayes, of whō no registre was kept, frō that it abated vntil the .xxx. day of thesame, with the losse of .C.xlii. more. Then ceassing there, it wente from thence throughe al the east partes of England into the Northe vntill the ende of Auguste, at whiche tyme it diminished, and in the ende of Septembre fully ceassed.

This disease is not a Sweat onely, (as it is thought & called) but a feuer. as I saied, in the spirites by putrefac­tion venemous, with a fight, trauaile, and laboure of nature againste the in­fection receyued in the spirites, wher­vpon by chaunce foloweth a Sweate, or issueth an humour compelled by na­ture, as also chanceth in other sicknes­ses [Page] whiche consiste in humours, when they be in their state, and at the worste in certein dayes iudicial, aswel by vo­mites, bledinges, & fluxes, as by swea­tes. That this is true, the self swea­tes do shewe. For as in vtter busines­ses, bodies y^t sore do labour, by trauail of the same are forced to sweat, so in inner diseases, the bodies traueiled & la­bored by thē, are moued to the like. In which labors, if nature be strōg & able to thrust out the poisō by sweat (not o­therwise letted) y^e persō escapeth: if not, it dieth. That it is a feuer, thus I haue partly declared, and more wil streight by the notes of the disease, vnder one shewing also by the same notes, signes, and short tariance of the same, that it consisteth in the spirites. First by the peine in the backe, or shoulder, peine in the extreme partes, as arme, or legge, with a flusshing, or wind, as it semeth to certeine of the pacientes, flieng in the same. Secondly by the grief in the liuer and the nigh stomacke. Thir­dely, by the peine in the head, & madnes [Page 12] of the same. Fourthly by the passion of the hart. For the flusshing or wynde comming in the vtter and extreame partes, is nothing els but the spirites of those same gathered together, at the first entring of the euell aire, agaynste the infection therof, & flyeng the same from place to place, for their owne sa­uegarde. But at the last infected, they make a grief where thei be forced, whiche cōmonly is in tharme or legge (the fartheste partes of theire refuge) the backe or shulder: trieng ther first a brūt as good souldiers, before they wil let their enemye come further into theire dominion. The other grefes be there­fore in thother partes aforsaid & sorer, because the spirites be there most plē ­tuous as in their founteines, whether alwaies thinfection desireth to go. For frō the liuer, the nigh stomack, braine, and harte, come all the .iij. sortes, and kyndes of spirites, the gouernoures of oure bodies, as firste spronge there. But from the hart, the liuish spirites. In putrifieng wherof by the euel aier [Page] in bodies fit for it, the harte is oppres­sed. Wherupon also foloweth a mar­ueilous heauinesse, (the fifthe token of this disease,) and a desire to sleape, ne­uer contented, the senses in al partes beynge as they were bounde or closed vp, the partes therfore left heuy, vnli­uishe, and dulle. Laste foloweth the shorte abidinge, a certeine Token of the disease to be in the spirites, as wel may be proued by the Ephemera that Galene writethe of, whiche because it consistethe in the Spirites, lasteth but one natural day. For as fire in hardes or straw, is sone in flambe & sone oute, euen so heate in the spirites, either by simple distemperature, or by infection and putrefaction therin conceyued, is sone in flambe and sone out, and soner for the vehemencye or greatues of the same, whiche without lingering, con­sumeth sone the light matter, contrary to al other diseases restyng in humou­res, wherin a fire ones kindeled, is not so sone put out, no more then is the sa­me in moiste woodde, or fat Sea coles, [Page 13] as well by the particular Example of the pestilence, (of al others most lyke vnto this) may be declared, whyche by that it stādeth in euel humors, tarieth as I said, sometyme, from .iiij.vii.ix. & xj. vntill .xiij. dayes, differentlie from this, by reason therof, albeit by infec­tion most lyke to this same. Thus vnder one laboure shortelie I haue de­clared, bothe what this disease is, wherein it consisteth, howe and with what accidentes it grieueth and is dif­ferente from the Pestilence, and the propre signes, and tokens of the same, without the whiche, if any do sweate, I take theym not to Sweate by this Sickenesse, but rather by feare, heate of the yeare, many clothes, greate ex­ercise, affection, excesse in diete, or at the worst, by a smal cause of infection, and lesse disposition of the bodi to this sicknes. So that, insomoche as the bo­dy was nat al voide of matter, sweate it did when infection came: but in that the mattere was not greate, the same coulde neyther be perilous nor paine­ful, [Page] as in others, in whom [...] was gre­ater cause.

Hetherto I haue shewed the beginning,The causes. name, nature, & signes of this di­sease: nowe I will declare the causes, which be .ij: infectiō, & impure spirites in bodies corrupt by repletiō. Infecti­on, by thaire receiuing euel qualities, distēpring not only y^e hete, but the hole substāce therof, in putrifieng the same, & that generally .ij. waies. By the time of the yere vnnatural, & by the nature & site of the soile & region. wherunto maye be put the particular accidentes of this same. By the time of the yeare vnnaturall, as if winter be hot & drie, somer hot and moist: (a fit time for sweates) the spring colde and drye, the fall hot & moist. To this mai be ioyned the euel disposition by coustellation, whi­che hath a great power & dominion in al erthly thinges. By the site & nature of the soile & regiō, many wayes. First & specially, by euel mistes & exhalatiōs drawen out of the grounde by the sūne in the heate of the yeare, as chanced a­mōg the Grekes in the siege of Troy, [Page 14] wherby died firste dogges & mules, af­ter, mē in great numbre: & here also in Englād in this m.d.lj. yeare, the cause of this pestilent sweate, but of dyuers nature. Whiche miste in the countrie wher it began, was sene flie frō toune to toune, with suche a stincke in mor­ninges & eueninges, that mē could scarcely abide it. Thē by dampes out of the earth, as out of Galenes Barathrū, or the poetes auernū, or aornū, the dam­pes wherof be such, that thei kil y^e bir­des fliēg ouer them. Of like dampes, I heard in the north coūtry in cole pits, wherby the laboring mē be streight killed, except before the houre of coming therof (which thei know by y^e flame of their cādle) thei auoid the groūd. Thirdly by putrefactiō or rot in groūdes aftre great flouddes, in carions, & in dead men. After great fluddes, as happened in y^e time of Gallien thēperor at rome, in Achaia & Libia, wher the seas sodeinly did ouerflow y^e cities nigh to y^t sa­me. And in the .xi. yeare of Pelagius, when al the flouddes throughe al Ita­lye didde rage, but chieflye Tibris at [Page] at Rome, whiche in many places was as highe as the walles of the citie.

In cariōs or dead bodies, as fortuned here in Englande vpon the sea banc­kes in the tyme of King Alured, or Alfrede, (as some Chroniclers write) but in the time of king Ethelred after Sabellicus, by occasion of drowned Locustes cast vp by the Sea, which by a wynde were driuen oute of Fraunce thether. This locust is a flie in bignes of a mānes thumbe, in colour broune, in shape somewhat like a greshopper, hauing .vi. fiete, so many wynges, two tiethe, & an hedde like a horse, and therfore called in Italy Caualleto, where ouer y^e citie of Padoa, in the yere .m.d xlij. (as I remembre,) I, with manye more did see a swarme of theim, who­se passage ouer the citie, did laste two hours, in breadth inestimable to euery man there. Here by example to note infection by deadde menne in Warres. either in rotting aboue the ground, as chaunced in Athenes by theim of E­thiopia, or els in beyng buried ouerly [Page 15] as happened at Bulloigne, in the yere M.D.xlv. the yeare aftre king Hen­rye theight had conquered the same, or by long continuance of an hoste in one place, it is more playne by dayly expe­rience, then it neadeth to be shewed.

Therefore I wil now go to the fourth especial cause of infectiō, the pent aier, breaking out of the ground in yearth­quakes, as chaunced at Uenice in the firste yeare of Andrea Dandulo, then Duke, the .xxiiii. day of Ianuarye, and xx. hour after their computacion. By which infectiō mani died, & many wer borne before their time. The v. cause is close, & v [...]stirred aire, & therfore pu­trified or corrupt, out of old welles, holes in y^e groūd made for grain, wherof many I did se in & about Pesaro in I­taly, by openīg thē aftre a great space, as both those coūtrimē do cōfesse, & also by exāple is declared, for y^t manye in openīg thē vnwarely be killed. Out of caues, & tōbes also, as chaūced first in the country of Babilonia, proceding aftre into Grece, and so to Rome, by oc­casion [Page] that y^e souldiers of themperour Marcus Antoninus, vpon hope of mo­ney, brake vp a golden coffine of Aui­dius Cassius, spiēg a litle hole therin, in the tēple of Apollo in Seleucia, as Ammianus Marcellinus writeth. To these mai be ioyned the particular causes of infectiō, which I cal the accidentes of the place, augmenting the same. As nigh to dwelling places, merishe, & muddy groundes, puddles or donghil­les, sinkes or canales, easing places or carious, deadde ditches or rotten gro­undes, close aier in houses or ualleis, with suche like. Thus muche for the first cause.

The second cause of this Englyshe Ephemera, I said were thimpure spi­rites in bodies corupt by repletiō. Re­pletion I cal here, abundance of humores euel & maliciouse, from long time by litle & litle gathered by euel diete, remaining in the bodye, coming either by to moche meate, or by euel meate in qualitie, as infected frutes, meates of euel iuse or nutrimēt: or both ioyntly. [Page 16] To such spirites when the aire infec­tiue cometh cōsonant, thē be thei distē pered, corrupted, sore handled, & oppressed, thē nature is forced, & the disease engendred. But while I doe declare these impure spirites to be one cause, I must remoue your myndes frō spiri­tes to humours, for that the spirites be fedde of the fiuest partes therof, & aftre bringe you againe to spirites where I toke you. And forsomuche as I haue not yet forgotten to whome I write, in this declaration I will leaue a part al learned & subtil reasōs, as here void & vnmiete, & only vse suche as be most e­uident to whom I write, & easiest to be vnderstanden of the same: and at ones therwith shew also why it haūteth vs English men more thē other nations. Therfore I passe ouer the vngētle sa­uoure or smell of the sweate, grose­nes, colour, and other qualities of the same, the quantitie, the daunger in stopping, the maner in coming furthe redily, or hardly, hot or cold, the notes in the excremētes, the state longer or [Page] soree, with suche others, which mai be tokēs of corrupt humours & spirites, & onli wil stād vpō .iii. reasōs declaring y^t same swet by gret repletiō to be in vs not otherwise for al y^e euel aire apt to this disease, more thē other natiōs. For as heraftre I wil shew, & Galē cōfir­meth, our bodies cānot fuffre any thīg or hurt by corrupt & infectiue causes, except ther be in thē a certeī mater prepared apt & like to receiue it. els if one were sick, al shuld be sick, if in this co­untri, in al coūtres wher the infection came, which thīg we se doth not chāce. For touching the first reasō, we se this sweting sicknes or pestilēt Ephemera, to be oft in Englād, but neuer entreth Scotland, (except the borders) albeit thei both be ioinetly within the cōpas of on sea. The same begining here, hath assailed Brabant & the costes nigh to it, but neuer passed Germany, where ones it was in like faciō as here, with great mortalitie, in the yere .m.d.xxix. Cause wherof none other there is na­turall, then the euell diet of these thre [Page 17] contries whiche destroy more meates and drynckes withoute al ordre, cōue­niēt time, reasō, or necessite, thē either Scotlande, or all other countries vn­der the sunne, to the greate annolance of their owne bodies and wittes, hin­derance of theim which haue nede, and great dearth and scarcitie in their cō ­mon welthes. Wherfore if Esculapius the inuentour of phisike, y^e sauer of mē from death, and restorer to life, should returne again īto this world, he could not saue these sortes of men, hauing so moche sweatyng stuffe, so many euill humoures laid vp in store, frō this dis­pleasante, feareful, & pestilent disease: except thei would learne a new lesson, & folowe a new trade. For other wise, neither the auoidyng of this countrie (the seconde reason) nor fleyng into o­thers, (a commune refuge in other diseases) wyll preserue vs Englishe men, as in this laste sweate is by ex­perience well proued in Cales, An­twerpe, and other places of Brabant, wher only our contrimen ware sicke, [Page] & none others, except one or .ij. others of thenglishe diete, which is also to be noted. The cause hereof natural is onely this, that they caried ouer with thē, & by lyke diete ther incresed that whiche was the cause of their disease. Wherefore lette vs asserteine our selues, that in what soeuer contrie lyke cause and matter is, there com­myng lyke aier and cause efficient, wil make lyke effecte and disease in per­sōs of agreable complexions, age, and diete, if the tyme also doe serue to these same, and in none others. These I putte, for that the tyme of the yere hote, makethe moche to the malice of the disease, in openynge the pores of the body, lettynge in the euill aier, resoluynge the humores and makynge them flowable, and disposing therfore the spirites accordyngly, besyde, that (as I shewed in the first cause of this pestilente sweate) it stirreth and braweth out of the erthe euill exhala­tions and mistes, to thinfection of the aier and displeasure of vs. Diet I put, [Page 18] for that they of the contrarie diete be not troubled with it at all. Age and complexion, for this, that although it spareth nō age of bothe kyndes, nor no complexion but some it touche the, yet for the most parte (wherby rules and reasones be alwayes to be made) it vexed theim of the middle age, beste luste, and theim not moch vnder that, and of complexions hote & moiste, as fitteste by their naughty & moche sub­tiltie of blode to fede the spirites: or nigh and lyke to the same in some one of the qualities, as cholerike in hete, phlegmatike in moister, excepte tho­ther their qualities, as drinesse in cho­lerike, & cold in phlegmatike, by great dominion ouer thother, did lette. For the clene contrarie compleriōs to the infected aier, alwaies remaine helth­ful, saulfe and better then tofore, the corrupte and infected aier notwith­standyng. Therfore cold and drie per­sones either it touched not at all, or very fewe, and that wyth no dangers such I say as beside their complexion, [Page] (whiche is so harde to finde in any man exacte and simple, as exacte hel­thes) were annoied with some corrupt humoures & spirites, & therfore mete by so moch to receiue it, & that by good reasō. For nothing can naturally haue power to do ought against any thing, excepte the same haue in it selfe a dis­posicion by like qualities to receiue it. As the cause in the fote cānot trouble the flanke and leue the knee (the mean betwixte) except there were a greater consent and likenes of nature in suf­ferance (whiche we call sympathian) betwixte those then thother. Nor fire refusynge stones, ca [...]e burne hardes, strawe, stickes and charcole, oile, waxe fatte, and seacole, except these same first of al wer apte, and by conuenient qualities disposed to be enflamed and burned. Nor any man goeth about to burne water, because the qualities thereof be contrary, and the body vn­disposed to the like of fire. By whiche reason it may also be perceiued, that y^e venemouse qualitie of this corrupt [Page 20] is hote and moiste. for it redily enfec­tethe the lyke complexions, and those nygh vnto theim, and the contrary not at all, or hardly: & easely doth putrify, as doe the Southe wyndes. Ther­fore next vnto those colde and drie cō ­plexions, olde men escaped free, as like to theim by age: and children, as voide of replecion consumed by their great hete, and therefore alwaies redy to eate. But in this disease the subtile humour euill and abundant in full bodies fedyng y^e spirites, is more to be noted then the humour complexional, whiche notwithstanding, as an helper or hinderer to y^e same, is not to be neg­lected. For els it should be in all con­tries and persones indifferently, wher all complexiones be. The thirde and laste reason is, y^t they which had thys sweat sore with perille or death, were either men of welthe, ease, & welfare, or of the poorer sorte such as wer idle persones, good ale drinkers, and Ta­uerne haunters. For these, by y^e great welfare of the one sorte, and large [Page] drinkyng of thether, heped vp in their bodies moche euill matter: by their ease and idlenes, coulde not waste and consume it. A comfirmacion of this is, that the laborouse and thinne dieted people, either had it not, because they dyd eate but litle to make the mat­ter: or with no greate grefe and dan­ger, because they laboured out moche thereof. Wherefore vpon small cause, necessarily must folowe a smal effecte. All these reasones go to this ende, that persones of all contries of moderate and good diete, escape thys Englishe Ephemera, and those be onely vexed there with, whiche be of immoderate and euill diete. But why? for the euill humores and corrupte aier alone? No. for thē the pestilence and not the swet should rise. For what then? For y^e im­pure spirites corrupte in theim selues and by the infectiue aier. Why so? for that of impure and corrupte hum­ores, whether thei be blode or others, can rise none other then impure spiri­tes. For euery thynge is suche as that [Page 20] whereof it commeth. Now, that of the beste and fineste of the blode, yea in corrupte bodies (whyche beste is nought) these spirites be ingendred and fedde, I before expressed. Therfor who wyl haue them pure and cleane, and him selfe free from sweat, muste kepe a pure and cleane diete, and then he shalbe sure.

Infection by the aier,The preser­uacion. and impure spirites by repletion thus founde and declared to be the causes of this pesti­lente sweate or Englishe ephemera, lette vs nowe see howe we maye pre­serue our selues from it, and howe it may be remedied, if it chaunce, wyth lesse mortalitie. I wyll begynne wyth preseruation. That most of all dothe stande in auoidyng the causes to come of the disease, the thinges helping for­ward the same, & remouyng that whi­che is alredy had & gotten. Al be done by the good order of thynges pertey­nyng to the state of the body. Therfore I will begin with diete wher I lefte, & then go furth with aier where I be­ganne [Page] in treatyng the causes, and declare the waie to auoide infection, and so furthe to the reste in order. Who that luste the to lyne in quiete suretie, out of the sodaine danger of this Englishe ephemera, he aboue all thynges, of litle and good muste eate & spare not. the laste parte wherof wyl please well (I doubt not) vs Englishe men: the firste I thinke neuer a deale. Yet it must please theim that entende to lyue without the reche of this disease. So doyng, they shall easely escape it. For of that is good, can be engendred no euill: of that is litle, can be gathered no great store. Therfore helthful must he nedes be and free from this disease. that vsethe this kinde of liuynge and maner in dietynge. An example hereof may the wise man Socrates be, which by this sorte of diete escaped a sore pestilence in Athenes, neuer fleynge ne kepyng close him felfe from the same. Truly who will lyue accordynge to nature and not to lust, may with this diete be well contented. For nature is [Page 22] pleased with a litle, nor seketh other then that the mind voide of cares and feares may be in quiete merily, and the body voide of grefe, maye be in life swetly, as Lucretius writeth. Here at large to ronne out vntill my breth wer spent, as vpon a common place, a­gainst y^e intemperāce or excessiue diete of Englande, thincommodities & dis­pleasures of the same many waies: and contrarie, in commēdation of meane diete and temperance (called of Plato sophrosyne, for that it cōserueth wis­dome) and the thousande commodities therof, both for helthe, welthe, witte, and longe life, well I might, & lose my laboure: such be our Englishe facions rather then reasones. But for that I purpose neither to wright a longe worke but a shorte counseill, nor to wery the reders with that they luste not to here, I will lette that passe, and moue thē that desire further to knowe my mynde therin, to remember that I sayd before, of litle & good eate and spare not, wherby they shall easely [Page] perceiue my meanyng. I therefore go furth with my diete, wherin my coun­seill is, that the meates be helthfull, and holsomly kylled, swetly saued, and wel prepared in rostyng, sethyng, baking, & so furth. The bread, of swet corne, wel leuened, and so baked. The drinke of swete malte and good water kyndly brued, without other drosse nowe a daies vsed. No wine in all the tyme of sweatyng, excepte to suche whose sickenes require it for medicin, for fere of inflamynge & openynge, nor except y^t halfe be wel soden water. In other tymes, old, pure, & smal. Wishīg for the better executiō hereof & ouer­sight of good and helthsome victalles, ther wer appointed certein masters of helth in euery citie and toune, as there is in Italie, whiche for the good order in all thynges, maye be in al places an example. The meates I would to be veale, muttone, kidde, olde lambe, chi­kyn, capone, henne, cocke, pertriche, phesane, felfare, smal birdes, pigeon, yong pecockes, whose fleshe by a cer­teine [Page 22] natural & secrete propertie neuer putrefie, as hath bene proued. Conies, porke of meane age, neither fatte nor leaue, the skynne takē awaye, roste, & eatē colde: Tartes of prunes, gelies of veale & capone. yong befe in this case a litle poudered is not to be dispraised, nor new egges & good milke. Butter in a mornyng with sage and rewe fast­ynge in the sweatynge tyme, is a good preseruatiue, beside that it nourisheth. Crabbes, crauesses, picrel, perche ruffe, gogion, lampreis out of grauelly riuers, smeltes, dace, barbell, gornerd whityng, soles, flunders, plaice, mil­lers thumbes, minues w^t such others, sodde in water & vinegre w^t rosemary time, sage, & hole maces, & serued hote. Yea swete salte fishe and linge, for the saltes sake wastynge y^e humores ther­of, which in many freshe fisshes rema­ine, maye be allowed well watered to thē that haue non other, & wel lyke it. Nor all fishes, no more then al fleshes be so euil as they be takē for: as is wel declared in physik, & approued by the [Page] olde and wise romaines moche in their fisshes, lusty chartusianes neuer in fleshes, & helthful poore people more in fishe then fleshe. But we are nowe a daies so vnwisely fine, and womanly delicate, that we may in no wise touch a fisshe. The olde manly hardnes, stoute courage, & peinfulnes of Eng­lande is vtterly driuen awaye. in the stede wherof, men now a daies receiue womanlines, & become nice, not able to withstande a blaste of wynde, or re­siste a poore fisshe. And children be so brought vp, that if they be not all daie by the fire with a toste and butire, and in their furres, they be streight sicke.

Sauces to metes I appoint firste a­boue all thynges good appetite, and next Oliues, capers, iuse of lemones, Barberies, Pomegranetes, Orenges and Sorel, veriuse, & vineigre, iuse of vnripe Grapes, thepes or Goseberies. After mete, quinces, or marmalade, Pomegranates, Orenges sliced eaten with Suger, Succate of the pilles or barkes therof, and of pomecitres, olde [Page 24] apples and peres, Prunes, Reisons Dates & Nuttes. Figges also, so they be taken before diner. els no frutes of that yere, nor rawe herbes or rotes in sallattes, for that in suche times they be suspected to be partakers also of the enfected aire.

Of aire so muche I haue spoken before, as apperteinethe to the declara­tion of enfection therby. Nowe I wyl aduise and counseill howe to kepe the same pure, for so moche as may be, or lesse enfected, and correcte thesame cor­rupte. The first is done in takynge a way y^e causes of enfectiō. The seconde, by doynge in all pointes the contrary thereto. Take awaye the causes we maye, in damnyng diches, auoidynge cariōs, lettyng in open aire, shunning suche euil mistes as before I spake of, not openynge or sturrynge euill bre­thynge places, landynge muddy and rottē groundes, burieng dede bodyes, kepyng canelles cleane, sinkes & eas­yng places sweat, remouynge donge­hilles, boxe and euil sauouryng thyn­ges, [Page] enhabitynge high & open places, close towarde the sowthe, shutte to­ward the winde, as reason wil & thex­perience of. M. varro in the pestilēce at Corcyra confirme the. Correcte in do­yng the contrary we shall, in dryenge the moiste with fyres, either in houses or chambers, or on that side the cities, townes, & houses, that lieth toward the infection and wynde commyng to­gether, chefely in mornynges & eue­ninges, either by burnyng the stubble in the felde, or windfallynges in the woodes, or other wise at pleasure. By which policie skilful Acron deliuered Athenes in Gretia, and diuine Hippo­crates abderā in Thratia frō y^e pesti­lēce, & preserued frō the same other the cities in Grece, at diuerse times cōyng with the wynde frō aethiopia, illyria & paeonia, by putting to the fires wel smelling garlādes, floures & odoures, as Galene and Soranus write. Of like pollicie for purgyng the aier were the bonfires made (as I suppose) frō long time he therto vsed in y^e middes of som­mer, [Page 24] and not onely for vigiles. In cō ­fortyng the spirites also, and by alter­ynge the aier with swete odoures of roses, swet perfumes of thesame, rose­mary leaues, baies, and white sanders cutte, afewe cloues steped in rose wa­ter and vinegre rosate, the infection shalbe lesse noious. with the same you maye also make you a swete house in castynge it abrode therin, if firste by auoidynge the russhes and duste, you make the house clene. Haue alwaies in your handcercher for your nose and mouth, bothe with in your house aud without, either the perfume before saide, or vinegre rosate: and in your mouth a pece either of setwel, or of the rote of enula campana wel steped be­fore in vinegre rosate, a mace, or berie of Iuniper. In wante of suche perfu­mes as is beforesaide, take of mirrhe & drie rose leues of eche a lyke quantite, with a litle franke encense, for the like purpose, and caste it vpon the coles: or burne Iuniper & their beries. And for so moche as clenelines is a great help [Page] helthe, mine aduise is, that all your clothes be swete smellynge and clene, and that you wasshe your handes and face not in warme water, but with rose water and vinegre rosate colde, or elles with the faire water and vin­egre wherein the pilles or barkes of orenges and pomegranates are sod­den: or the pilles of pomecitres & sorel is boiled. for so you shalle close the pores ayenst the ayre, that it redily entre not, and cole and tempre those partes so wasshed, accordynge to the right entente in curynge this disease. For in al the discurse, preseruatiō, and cure of thys disease, the chefe marke & purpose is, to minister suche thynges as of their nature haue the facultie by colyng dryenge and closyng, to resiste putrefaction, strength and defende the spirites, comforte the harte, and kepe all the body ayenst the displeasure of the corrupte aire. Wherfor it shal be wel done, if you take of this cōposition folowyng euery mornyng the weight of .ij. d. i [...].vi. sponefulles of water [Page 25] or [...]uleppe of Sorel, & cast it vpon yo­ur meate as pepper. ℞. seīs citri, ace­tos, ros. rub, sādal. citrin, ān, 3. i, bo­li armeni oriētal. 3. [...]. 8, terr. sigil. 3. 8, margarit. 3. i, fol. auri puri. n^o. iiii, misce. & f. pul. diuidatur ad pōd. 3.8. Or in the stede of this, take fasting the quantitie of a small bene of Mithrida­tum or Uenice triacle in a sponeful of Sorel, or Scabious water, or by the selfe alone. And in goyng abrode, haue in youre hande either an handekercher with vinegre and rose water, or a litle muske balle of nutmegges, maces, clo­ues, saffrō, & cinamome, of eche the weight of .ii. d. fiuely beatē. of mastike the weight of ij. d. ob. of storax .v. d. of ladane .x. d. of Ambre grise .vi. graines, of Muske .iii. graines dissolued in ryght Muscadel: tempre al together, & make a balle. In want of Mithridatum or suche other as I haue before menci­oned, vse dayly the Sirupes of Pome granates, Lemones, and Sorell, of eche half an vnce, with asmuche of the watres of Tormentille, Sorell, and [Page] Dragones, fasting in the morning, and one houre before supper. A toste in vi­negre or veriuse of Grapes, with a li­tle poulder of Cinamome and Sette­welle caste vppon it. Or two figges with one nutte carnelle, and tenne le­aues of rue in eche, and a litle salt. O­boutire, rue, and sage, with breade in a morning eaten nexte your harte, be as good preseruatiues, as theie be easye to be hadde. These preseruatiues I here appoincte the more willing­ly among many others further to be fetched, because these maye easelier behadde, as at hande in niede, which now to finde is my most endeuour, as moste fruictfulle to whome I write. And this to be done I counsaille in the sickenesse tyme, when firste you heare it to be comming and begonne, but not in the fitte. Alwayes remem­bryng, not to go out fastinge. For as Cornelius Celsus wrytethe, Uenime or infection taketh holde muche soner in a bodye yet fasting, then in the same not fastinge. Yet this is not so to be [Page 26] vnderstande, that in the mornynge we shal streight as our clothes be on, stuffe our bellies as fulle as Englishe menne, (as the Frenche man saieth to our shames,) but to be contente with oure preseruatiues, or with a litle me­ate bothe at breakefaste (if custome and nede so require) dynner and supper. For other wise nature, if the disease shoulde take vs, shoulde haue more a doe againste the full bealy and fearce disease, then it were able to su­steyne.

Aftre diete and ayer followethe fil­ling or emptieng. Of filling in the na­me of repletiō I spake before. Of ēpti­eng, I will now shortely write as of a thing very necessary for the conserua­uation of mannes healthe. For if that whiche is euel within, be not by good meanes & wayes wel fet oute, it often times destroyeth the lyfe. Good me­anes to fet out the euelle stuffe of the body be two, abstinence, & auoydance.

Abstinence, in eatynge and drinc­kynge litle, as a lytle before I sayed, [Page] and seldome. For so, more goeth awaie then comethe, and by litle and litle it wasteth the humours & drieth. Therfore (as I wiene) throughe the coun­seil of Phisike, & by the good ciuile, & politique ordres, tēdring the wealth of many so much geuē to their bellies to their own hurtes & damages, not a­ble for wāt of reasō to rule thē selues, & therby enclined to al vices aud dise­ases: for thauoiding of these same, in­crease of vertue, witte and health, sa­uing victualles, making plenty, auoy­ding lothesomenesse or wearinesse, by chaunge, in taking sometime of that in the sea, and not alwaies destroieng y^t of the lande, an ordre (without the whiche nothing can stand) and comon wealth, dayes of abstinence, and fasting were firste made, and not for religion onely.

Auoidance, because it cānot be safe­ly done withoute the healpe of a good Phisicien, I let passe here, expressing howe it shoulde bee done duelye ac­cordinge to the nature of the disease and the estate of the personne, in an [Page 27] other booke made by me in Latine vppon this same matter and dise­ase. Who therfore lusteth to see more, let him loke vpon that boke. Yet here thus much wil I say, that if after eua­cuation or auoiding of humors, the po­res of the skinne remaine close, and y^e sweating excrement in the fleshe con­tinueth grosse (whiche thinge howe to know, hereafter I will declare) then rubbe you the person meanly at home, & bathe him in faire water sodden with Fenel, Chamemil, Rosemarye, Mal­lowes, & Lauendre, & last of al, powre water half colde ouer al his body, and so dry him, & clothe him. Al these be to be don a litle before y^t end of y^t spring, that the humours may be seatled, and at rest, before the time of the sweting, whiche cometh comonly in somer, if it cometh at al. For the tormoiling of the body in that time when it ought to be most quiete, at rest, and armed against his enemy, liketh me not beste here, no more then in the pestilence. Yet for the presente nede, if it be so thoughte good [Page] to a learned and discrete Phisicien, I condescend the rather. For as in thys, so in alle others before rehearsed, I remytte you to the discretion of a learned manne in phisike, who maye judge what is to be done, aud how, ac­cording to the present estate of youre bodies, nature, custome, and proprety, age, strength, delyghte and qualitie, tyme of the yeare, with other circum­staunces, aud thereafter to geue the quantitie, and make diuersitie of hys medicine. Other wise loke not to rece­iue by this boke that good which I en­tend, but that euel which by your ow­ne foly you vudiscretelye bring. For good counseil may be abused. And for me to write of euery particular estate and case, whiche be so manye as there be menne, were so great almost a busi­nes, as to numbre the sandes in the sea. Therfore seke you out a good Phisi­cien, and knowen to haue skille, and at the leaste be so good to your bodies, as you are to your hosen or shoes, for the wel making or mending wherof, I do­ubt [Page 28] not but you wil diligently searche out who is knowē to be the best hosier or shoemaker in the place where you dwelle: and flie the vnlearned as a pe­stilence in a comune wealth. As simple women, carpenters, pewterers, brasi­ers, sopeballe sellers, pulters, hostel­lers, painters, apotecaries (otherwise then for their drogges.) auaunters thē selues to come from Pole, Constanti­nople, Italie, Almaine, Spaine, Fra­unce, Grece and Turkie, Inde, Egipt or Iury: from y^e seruice of Emperou­res, kinges & quienes, promising helpe of al diseases, yea vncurable, with one or twoo drinckes, by waters sixe mo­nethes in continualle distillinge, by Aurum potabile, or quintessence, by drynckes of great and hygh prices, as though thei were made of the sūne, moone, or sterres, by blessynges and Blowinges, Hipocriticalle prayen­ges, and foolysh smokynges of shirtes Smockes and kerchieffes, wyth suche others theire phantasies, and mocke­ryes, meaninge nothinge els but to [Page] abuse your light belieue, and scorne you behind your backes with their medicines (so filthie, that I am ashamed to name theim) for your single wit and simple belief, in trusting thē most, whi­che you know not at al, and vnderstād least: like to them whiche thinke, farre foules haue faire fethers, althoughe thei be neuer so euel fauoured & foule: as thoughe there coulde not be so con­ning an Englishman, as a foolish run­ning stranger, (of others I speake not) or so perfect helth by honest learning, as by deceiptfull ignorance. For in the erroure of these vnlerned, reasteth the [...] of youre honest estimation, diere bloudde, precious spirites, and swiete lyfe, the thyng of most estimation and price in this worlde, next vnto the im­mortal soule.

For consuming of euel matter with­in, and for making our bodies lustye, galiard, & helthful, I do not a litle cō ­mende exercise, whiche in vs Englishe men I allowe quick, and liuishe: as to runne after houndes and haukes, to [Page 29] shote, wrastle, play at Tēnes and we­apons, tosse the winde balle, skirmishe at base (an exercise for a gentlemanne, muche vsed among the Italianes) and vaughting vpon an horse. Bowling, a good excercise for women: castinge of the barre and camping, I accompt ra­ther a laming of legges, then an exer­cise. Yet I vtterly reproue theim not, if the hurt may be auoyded. For these a conueniente tyme is, before meate: due measure, reasonable sweatinge, in al times of the yeare, sauing in the sweatinge tyme. In the whiche I al­low rather quietnesse then exercise, for opening the body, in suche persons specially as be liberally & freely brought vp. Others, except sitting artificers, haue theire exercises by daily labours in their occupatiōs, to whom nothing niedeth but solace onely, a thing con­uenient for euery bodye that Iusteth to liue in helth. For els as nō other thing, so not healthe canne be longe durable. Thus I speake of solace, that I mea­ne not Idlenesse, wisshing alwayes no [Page] man to be idle, but to be occupied in some honest kinde of thing necessary in a cōmon welth. For I accompt thē not worthi meate & drink in a cōmō welth, y^t be not good for some purpose or ser­uice therin, but take thē rather as burdennes vnprofitable and heauye to the yearth, men borne to fille a numbre only, and wast the frutes whiche therthe doeth geue, willing soner to fiede the Lacedemonians old & croked asse, whiche labored for the liuing so long as it coulde for age, then suche an idle En­gisshe manne. If the honestye and profite of honeste labour and exercise, conseruation of healthe, preseruation from sickenesse, maintenaunce of lyfe, aduauncement, safety from shamefull deathes, defence from beggerye, dys­pleasures by idlenesse, shamefulle dis­eases by the same, hatefulle vices, and punishemente of the immortalle soule, canne not moue vs to reasona­ble laboure and excercise, and to be profitable membres of the commune welthe, let at the least shame moue vs, [Page 30] seing that other country menne, of no­ught, by their owne witte, diligence, labour and actiuitie, can picke oute of a cast bone, a wrethen strawe, a lyghte fether, or an hard stone, an honeste ly­uinge: Nor ye shal euer heare theym say, alas master, I haue nō occupaciō, I must either begge or steale. For they can finde other meanes betwene these two. And forsomuche as in the case that nowe is, miserable persons are to be relieued in a cōmon welth, I would wisshe for not fauouring the idle, the discretion of. Marc. Cicero the roma­ine were vsed in healping them: who wolde compassion should be shewed v­pon them, whome necessitie compelled to do or make a faute: & no cōpassion v­pon them, in whome a faulte made ne­cessitie. A faulte maketh necessitie, in this case of begging, in them, whyche might laboure and serue, & wil not for idlenes: and therfore not to be pitied, but rather to be punished. Necessitie maketh a fault in thē, whiche wold la­bor & serue, but cānot for age, īpotēcy. [Page] or sickenes, and therfore to be pitied & relieued. But to auoyde punishmente & to shew the waye to amendmente, I would again wishe, y^t forsomuch as we be so euel disposed of our selfes to our own profites aud comodities with out help, this old law were renued, which forbiddeth the nedy & impotent paren­tes, to be releued of those their welthi chyldren, that by theym or theire mea­nes were not broughte vppe, eyther in good learning and Science, or honeste occupation. For so is a man withoute science, as a realme withoute a kyng. Thus muche of exercise, and for exer­cise. To the which I wolde now ioyne honeste companye betwene man and woman, as a parte of natural exercise, and healpē to y^t emptieng & lightning the bodye in other tymes allowed, in this sweating tyme for helthes sake, & for feare of opening the bodye, and re­soluing the spirites, not approued, but for dout, that w^t lengthing the boke, I shold wery y^e reader. Therfore I let y^t passe & come to sleping & waking, whi­che [Page 31] without good ordre, be gretly hurtful to the bodie. For auoiding the whiche, I take the meane to be best, and a­gainst this sweat moste commendable. But if by excesse a man must in eyther part offend, I permit rather to watch to muche, then to lie in bedde to longe: so that in watchinge, there be no way to surfetting. Al these thinges due­ly obserued, and well executed, whi­che before I haue for preseruation mencioned, if more ouer we can sette a parte al affections, as fretting cares & thoughtes, dolefull or sorowfull ima­ginations, vaine feares, folysh loues, guawing hates, and geue oure selues to lyue quietly, frendlie, & merily one with an onther, as men were wont to do in the old world, whē this countrie was called merye Englande, and eue­ry man to medle in his own matters, thinking theim sufficient, as thei do in Italye, and auoyde malyce and dissen­cion, the destruction of commune we­althes, and priuate houses: I doubte not but we shall preserue oure selues, [Page] bothe from this sweatinge syckenesse, and other diseases also not here purposed to be spoken of.

But if in leauinge a parte these or some of them,The cure or remedy. or negligently executing them, it chaunceth the disease of sweating to trouble our bodies, then passi­nge the bondes and compasse of preser­uation, we must come to curation, the way to remedie the disease, & the third and last parte (as I first sayed) to be entreated in this boke. The principalle entente herof, is to let out the venime by sweate accordinge to the course of nature. This is brought to passe safe­ly two waies, by suffring and seruing handsomly nature, if it thruste it oute readily and kindely: and helping natu­re, if it be letted, or be weake in expel­linge. Serue nature we shall, if in what time so euer it taketh vs, or what so euer estate, we streyghte lay vs downe vppon oure bedde, yf we be vp and in oure clothes, not takynge them of: or lie stille, if we be in bed out of our clothes, laiyng on clothes both [Page 32] wayes, if we wante, reasonably, and not loadinge vs therewith vnmeasu­rably. Thus layed and couered, we must endeuoure our selues so to con­tinue wyth al quietnes, & for so much as may be without feare, distruste, or faintehartednesse, an euel thinge in al diseases. For suche surrendre and geue ouer to the disease without resistence. By whiche occasion manye more died in the fyrste pestilence at Athenes, that I spake of in the beginnynge of thys boke, then other wyse should. Oure kepers, friendes and louers, muste also endeuoure theym selues to be handesome and dilygente aboute vs, to serue vs redilye at al turnes, and neuer to leaue vs duringe foure and twentie houres, but to loke welle vnto vs, that neyther we caste of oure clothes, nor thruste out hande or foote, duryng the space of the saide foure and twenty houres. For albeit the greate daungere be paste after twelue hou­res, or fourtene, the laste of trial, yet many die aftre by to muche boldenes, [Page] when thei thinke theim selues most in suretye, or negligence in attendaunce, when they thinke no necessitie. Wher­by it is proued that without dout, the handsome diligence, or carelesse negli­gence, is the sauing, or casting awaye of many. If .ij. be taken in one bed, let theym so continue, althoughe it be to their vnquietnesse. For feare wherof, & for the more quietnesse & safetye, ve­ry good it is duryng all the sweating time, that two persones lye not in one bed. If with this quietnes, diligēce, and ordre, the sicke do kindelye swea­te, suffre them so to continue, without meate all the .xxiiij. houres: withoute drincke, vntil the fifth houre, if it maie be. Alwayes taking hede to theim in the fourth, seuenth, nineth, & eleuenth houres speciallye, and fourtenth also, as the laste of triall and daungier, but of lesse in bothe. For these be most pe­rilous, as I haue obserued this yere in this disease, hauing y^e houres iudicial, as others haue theire dayes, and ther­fore worse to geue anye thinge in, for [Page 33] troublyng nature standyng in trialle. Yet wher more daunger is in forbear­yng then in takyng, I counseill not to spare in these howres to do as the case requireth with wisdome & discretion, but lesse then in other howres. In the fifthe howre geue theim to drinke clarified ale made only doulcet with a litle suger, out of a cruet, or glasse made in cruet facion, with a nebbe, for feare of raisynge theim selues to re­ceiue the drinke offered, & so to let the sweat, by the ayer strikyng in. But if the sicke on this wise beforesaid cā ­not sweate kyndly, then nature must be holpen, as I sayd before. And for so moch as sweat is letted in this disease fower waies, by disorder, wekenes of nature, closenes of the pores in the skinne, & grosnes of the humoures: my counseil is to auoide disorder by suche meanes as hetherto I haue taught, and next to open the pores if they be close, and make thinne the matter, if it be grosse, and prouoke sweat, if nature be weke. Those you shal doe by gentle [Page] rubbynges, this by warme drinckes as hereafter streight I will declare. And for that euery man hath not the know­lege to discerne which of these is the cause of let in sweatyng, I wil shewe you plainly howe to do with moste suretie and leste offense. I wyll begin­nne with wekenes of nature. There­fore remember well that in treatynge the causes of this disease, I sayed that this sweate chauncethe cōmonly in theim of the mydde age and beste luste, the infection hauyng a certein concordance, or conuenience with the corrupte spirites of theim more then others. Knowe agayne that nature is weke, ij. waies, either in the selfe, or by the annoiance of an other. In the selfe, by wante of strength consumed by sicknes or other wise. By annoi­aunce of an other, when nature is so o­uerlaid with the quantitie of euill hu­mours that it can not stirre. Betwene thes two set youre witte, and se whe­ther the persō be lustye or sickly. If he be lustye, vnderstande that the sweat [Page 34] doth not stoppe for wekenes of nature in it selfe. Then of necessitie it must be for some of thother causes. But for whiche, thus knowe. Consider whe­ther the lusty person were in foretyme geuen to moche drynkyng, eatyng and rauenyng, tomoch ease, to no exercise or bathinges in his helth, or no. If all these you finde in him, knowe that bothe nature is wekened by the an­noiance of the humoures, and that the skinne is stopped, and the hum­oure grosse, and that for thys the sweate is letted. If you finde onely some of these, and that rauenynge, annoiance is the cause. If want of ex­ercise or bathinges, stoppinges of the pores and closenesse, or grose­nes of humours, or bothe, be the cause of not sweatyng. On the othersyde, if the persō be sickely, it is easely knowē that his wekenes consisteth in nature the self. And for so moche as weke fol­kes and sicke shal also by other causes not sweate, consider if in his sickenes he hath swette moche or no, or hath bē [Page] disposed to it and coulde not. If he neither hath swette, nor coulde sweat disposed, knowe that closenes of the skinne, and grosenes of the humour is the cause. Therfore euery thing in his kynde muste be remedied. Wekenes of nature, by drinkes prouokyng sweate: closenes, & grosenes, by rubbynge, as I said. But be ware neither to rubbe or geue drinkes, excepte you see cause as beforesayd. Forother wise, the one hindrethe nature, and thother letteth out the spirites & wasteth y^e strength. Therefore accordyngly, if rubbe you must, geue to the sicke in to their bed­des a newe and somewhat harde ker­chefe, well warmed but not hote, aud bydde theim rubbe all their bodies ouer therewith vnder the clothes, neither to moche neither to litle, nor to harde or to softe, but meanely be­twene, takyng you hede whiche be a­boute theim, that by stirrynge their armes they raise not the clothes to let in the ayer. This done, if case so re­quire, geue thē a good draught of hote [Page 35] possette ale made of swiete milke tur­ned with vinegre, in a quarte wherof percely, and sage, of eche haulfe one litle handfull hath bene sodden, wyth iii. sliftes of rosemary, ij. fenel rootes cutte, and a fewe hole maces. Alwaies remembrynge here, as in other places of this boke, to heate the herbes in a peuter dishe before the fyre, or washe theim in hote water, before you putte them in to the posset ale, and that you putte their to no colde herbes at any tyme durynge the hole fitte. Or geue theim posset ale hote with rosemary, dittane, & germander. Or baie beries, anise seades, & calamintes with claret wine sodden and dronke warme. Or white wine with hore and wilde tansy growen in medes sodden therin, and ii. d. weight of good triacle, dronke hote, or in y^t stede of that, wilde tanesy, mogwort or feuerfue. These prouoke sweat, may easely be hadde, & be metest for thē which haue al y^e causes before­sayde of lettyng the same. But speci­ally if for colde and grose humoures, or [Page] for closenes of the skinne, the sweate commethe not furthe. If with one draught they sweate not, geue theim one other, or .ii, successiuely, after halfe one houre betwene, and encrease the clothes, first a litle aboue the meane, after, more or lesse as the cause requir­eth, & make a litle fire in the chamber of clene woode, as ashe & oke, with the perfume of bdellium: or swiet woode, as Iuniper, fyrre, or pine, by theim­selues: remembrynge to withdrawe the fire, when they sweat fully, and the clothes aboue the meane, by litle and litle as you laide theim on, when they firste complaine of faintyng. And after .xii. or .xiiii. houres, some also of the meane, but one after an other by halfe one houre successiuely with dis­crecion, alwaies not lokyng so moche to the quantitte of the sweat, as what the sicke maye saufely beare. And in suche case of faintynge, suffer compe­tent open aier to come into the cham­ber, if thesame and the wether be hote, for smoderynge the pacient, by suche [Page 36] windowes as the wynde liethe not in, nor openeth to the south. Put to their noses to smell vinegre and rose water in an handkercher, not touchynge theim there with so nighe as maye be. Cause theim to lie on their right side, and bowe theim selues forward, call theim by their names, and beate theim with a rosemary braunche, or some other swete like thynge. In the stede of posset ale, they whiche be troubled with gowtes, dropsies, reu­mes, or suche other moiste euill dis­eases, chauncing to sweat, may drinke a good draught of the stronger drinke of Guaiacum so hote as they can, for the lyke effecte, as also others may, not hauynge these deseases, if it be so redy to theim as the other. After they ones sweate fully, myue aduise is not to geue any more posset ale, but clarified ale with suger, duryng the hole fitte, neither vnreasonably, nor so ofte as they call for it, neither yet pinchyng theym to moche when they haue nede, alwayes takynge hede [Page] not to putte any colde thynge in their mouthe to cole and moiste them with, nor any colde water, rose water, or colde vinegre to their face duryng the sweat and one daie after at the leaste, but alwaies vse warmeth accordynge to nature, neuer contrariyng thesame so nighe as may be. If they raue or be phrenetike, putte to their nose the­same odour of rose water & vinegre, to lette the vapoures from the headde. If they slepe, vse theim as in the case of faintyng I said, with betyng theim and callynge theim, pullyng theim by the eares, nose, or here, suffering them in no wise to slepe vntil suche tyme as they haue no luste to slepe, except to a learned mā in phisicke the case appere to beare the contrary. For otherwise the venime in slepe continually run­neth inward to y^t hart. The contrary hereof we muste alwaies intende, in prouokyng it outwarde by all meanes duryng the fitte, whyche so longe last­eth in burnynge and sweatyng, as the matter thereof hath any fyrie or apte [Page 37] partes therfore. For as great & strong wine, ale, or bere, so longe do burne as their is matter in theim apte to be burned, and then cesse when that whi­che remainethe is come againe to hys firste nature: that is, to suche water clere & vnsauery, as either the bruer receiued of the riuer, or vine of the­earth: euen so the body so longe con­tinuethe burnynge and sweatynge, as their is matter apte therefore in the spirites, and then leaueth, when the corrupcion taken of the finest of the euill blode is consumed, and the spiri­tes lefte pure and cleane as they were before the tyme of their corruption.

This done, and the body by sufficient sweate discharged of the venime, the persone is saulfe. But if he by vnru­lines & brekyng his sweate, sweateth not sufficiently, thē he is in daunger of death by y^t venime that doth remaine, or at the leaste to sweat ones againe or oftener, as many hath done, fallynge in thrise, sixe tymes, yea, xii, tymes some. If sufficiently the sweate be [Page] come, you shal know by the lightnes & cherefulnes of the body, & lanckenes in all partes, by the continuall swea­tyng the hole daie and out of all par­tes, whyche be the beste and holsome sweates. The other which come but by tymes & onely in certein partes, or broken, be not sufficient nor good, but very euill, of whose insufficiency, ij. notes learne: a swellyng in y^e partes with a blackenes, & a tinglyng or pric­kyng in the same. Suche I aduise to appointe theim selues to sweat againe to ridde their bodies of that remain­eth, & abide it out vntill they fele their bodies lanke & light, and to moue the sweat as before I said, if the same come not kyndly by the selfe. If they cānot forbeare meate during y^e space of their fitte, and faste out their .xxiiij. houres, without danger, geue theim a litle of an alebrie onely, or of a thinne candel of an egge sodden with one hole mace or ij. If they be forced by nature to ease them selues in the meane time, let them do it rather in warme shetes put [Page 38] into them closely, then to arise. After they haue thus fully swette, con­uey closely warme clothes into theyre beddes, and bid them wipe themselues there with in al partes curiouslye: and be ware that no ayer entre into theire open bodies (and speciallye their arme holes, the openest & rarest parte ther­of) to let the issue of that whych doeth remaine. The lyke may be done in the reste of their fitte, with lyke ware­nes, for that clenlinesse comfortethe nature, and relieueth the pacient. If in duringe oute the foure and twentye houres there be thought daungiere of death without remouing, rather war­me well the other side of the bedde, and wil hym to remoue himself into it, thē to take him vp & remoue hym to an o­ther bed, which in no case mai be done. For better is a doubtful ware hope, then a certeine auentured death. The foure and twenty houres passed duly, they may putte on theire clothes war­me, aryse, and refresshe theym selues with a cawdle of an egge swietelye [Page] made, or such other meates and sauces reasonably and smally taken, as befo­re I meucioned. And if their strength be sore wasted, let theym smelle to an old swiet apple (as Aristotle did by his reporte in the boke de pomo) or hotte new bread, as Democritus did, by the record of Laertius in his life, either by it self alone, or dipped in wel smelling wyne, as Maluesey or Muscadelle, & sprinckled with the pouder of mintes. Orenges also and Lemones, or suche muske balles as I before described, be thinges mete for this purpose. For as I saied in my ij. litle bokes in Latine de medendi methodo, of deuise to cure diseases, there is no thinge more com­fortable to the spirites then good and swiet odoures. On this wise aduised how to order your selues in al the time of the sitte, now this remaineth, to ex­horte you not to go out of your houses for .iij. dayes, or .ij. at the least after the fitte passed, and then wiselye, warely, and not except in a faire bright daye, for feare of swouning after great em­ptinesse, [Page 39] and vnwont ayer, or for for­cyng nature by soubdaine strikyng in of the same aier, colde, or euil, in to the open body. For nature so forced, ma­keth often tymes a sore and soubdaine fluxe, as wel after auoidaunce of these humores by sweate, (as was this yere well sene in many persones in diuerse contries of Englande for none other cause) as of others by purgation.

Thus I haue declared the begyn­ning, name, nature, accidentes, signes, causes, preseruations, and cures na­turall of this disease the sweatynge sickenes, English Ephemera, or pesti­lent sweate, so shortly & plainly as I could for y^e cōmune saufty of my good countrimen, help, relieue, & defence of thesame against y^e soubdaine assaultes of the disease, & to satisfie the honeste requeste of my louynge frendes and gentle acquaintance. If other causes ther be supernatural, theim I leue to the diuines to serche, and the diseases thereof to cure, as a matter with out the compasse of my facultie.