¶ Of Quantitie. Cap. 1.

THE Quantitie of meate muste be proporcioned after the substaunce and qualite therof, and according to the complexion of hym that ea­teth. Fyrst, it ought to be remem­bred, that meates hote and moiste whyche are qualities of the bloudde, are soone, tourned into bloudde, and therfore moche nou­rysheth the body. Some meates do nourishe but lyttell, hauynge lytteil conformitie with bloudde in their qualities. Of them, whiche do nourishe, some are more grosse, some lyghter in digestyon. The grosse meate ingendreth grosse bloude, but where it is well concocte in the stomake, and well digested, it maketh the flesshe more fyrme, and the officiall members more stronge, thanne fyne meates. Wherfore of men, which vse moch labor or exercise, also of them, whiche haue very cho­rike stomackes here in Englande, grosse meates may be eaten in a great quantite: and in a chole­rike stomake biefe is better dygested than a chy­kens legge, forasmoche as in a hotte stomacke. fyne meates be shortly aduste and corrupted.

Contrarywise in a colde or fleumatike stomacke grosse meate abydeth longe vndigested, and ma­keth putrifyed matter: lyght meates therfore be to suche a stomacke more apte and conuenyent. [Page 16] The temperate bodye is beste nourysshed with a lyttell quantitie of grosse meates: but of tem­perate meates in substaunce and qualytie, they maye safely eate a good quantitie. Foreseene al­way, that they eate withoute gourmandyse, or leaue with somme appetyte. And here it wolde be remembred, that the cholerycke stomake doth not desyre soo moche as he maye dygest: the me­lancholye stomacke maye nat dygeste soo moche as he desyreth. for colde maketh appetite, but naturall heate concocteth or boyleth. Not with­standynge vnnaturall or supernaturall heate di­stroyeth appetite, and corrupteth dygestyon, as it appereth in feuers. More ouer, fruytes and herbes, specyally rawe, wolde be eaten in a small quantitie, all thoughe the persone be very cho­lerycke, forasmoche as they do ingender thynne watrye bloudde, apte to receyue putryfaction, whyche all thoughe it be not shortelye percey­ued of theym that vse it, at lengthe they feele it by sondrye dyseases, whyche are longe in com­mynge, and shortely sleeth, or be hardely esca­ped. Fynally, excesse of meates is to be abhor­red. For as it is sayde in the booke callyd Eccle­siasticus, Eccl. 37. In moche meate shall be syckenesse, and inordynate appetite shall approche vnto co­ler. Semblablye the quantitie of drynke wolde be moderated, that it excede not, nor be equalle vnto the quantitie of meate, specially wine, whi­che moderately taken, aydeth nature, and com­forteth her, and as the sayde authour of Eccle­stasticus [Page] sayth, Wyne is a reioycing to the soule and bodye. And Theognes saythe in Galenes Eccl. 31. warke, A large draught of wyne is yll. A mode­rate Calen. de [...]en. sani. draught is not only not yll, but also commo­dyouse or profytable.

¶ Of qualitie of meates. Cap. 2.

QValitie is in the complexion, that is to say, it is the state therof, as Hotte or cold, moist or dry. Also some meates be in wynter cold in acte, and in vertue hotte. And it wolde be con­sydered, that euerye complexyon temperate and vntemperate, is conserued in his state, by that whiche is lyke therto in fourme and degree. But that whyche excedeth moche in dystemperaunce, by that whyche is contrarye to hym in fourme or qualitie, but lyke in degree moderately vsed. By fourme is vnderstand grossenesse, fynenesse, thic­kenesse, or thynnesse, by degree, as the fyrste, the seconde, the thyrde, the fourthe, in heate, colde, moysture, or drythe.

Of Custome. Capit. 3.

CVstome in fedynge is not to be contemned, or lyttell regarded: for those meates, to the whiche a man hathe bene of longe tyme accusto­med, though they be not of substance commen­dable, Hippocra tes apho­rismo. 2. yet do they somtyme lasse harme than bet­ter meates, whervnto a mā is not vsed. Also the meates and drynkes, whiche do moch delyte him [Page 17] that eateth, are to be preferred before that, which is better, but more vnsauerye. But yf the cus­tome Galenus. be soo pernyciouse, that hit needes muste be lefte, thanne wolde it be withdrawen by lyt­telle and lyttelle in tyme of healthe, and not of syckenesse. For yf it shoulde be withdrawen in tyme of syckenesse, Nature shulde susteyne tre­ble detriment, fyrste by the grief induced by syk­nesse, seconde by receyuynge of medicines, third­ly by forbearyng the thyng, wherin she deliteth.

¶ Of the temperature of meates to be receyued. Capit. 4.

TO kepe the body in good temper, to theym, whose naturall complexion is moyst, ought to be gyuen meates, that be moyste in vertue or power. Contrarywise to theym, whose naturalle complexion is drye, oughte to be gyuen meates drye in vertue or power. The bodyes vntempe­rate, suche meates or drynkes are to be gyuen, which be in power cōtrary to the distemperance, but the degrees are alwaye to be consydered, as welle of the temperaunce of the bodye, as of the meates. For where the meates doo moche excede in degree the temperature of the bodye, they an­noye the body in causyng distemperance, As hot wynes, pepper, garlycke, onyons, and salte, be noyfull to theym, whyche be cholerike, bycause they be in the highest degree of heate and drithe, aboue the iuste temperaunce of mannes body in [Page] that complexion. And yet be they oftentimes hol some to them, whiche be fleumatike. Contrarye wyse, colde water, colde herbes, and cold fruites moderately vsed, beholsom to cholerike bodies, by puttynge a way the heate, excedynge the natu­rall temperature: and to them, whyche be fleu­matike, they be vnholsome, and doo brynge into them distemperance of colde and moyste.

¶ what distemperaunce hapneth by the excesse of sondrye qualyties in meates and drynkes. Capitu. 5.

• Colde, do congele and mortifye.
• Moyst, do pntrifie and hasten age.
• Drye, sucketh vp naturall moisture.
• Clāmy, stoppeth theissue of vapors and vrine, and ingendrethe toughe fleume and grauell.
• Fatte and oyly, swymmeth longe in the stomake, and bryngeth in lothe­somnesse.
• Bytter, dothe not nouryshe.
• Salte, do frette moche the stomake.
• Harryshe, lyke the taste of wyld frui­tes, do constipate and restrayne.
• Swete chauffeth the bloudde, and causeth opilations or stoppynges of the pores and cundytes of the body.
• Sower cooleth nature, and haste­neth age.

¶ what commoditie happeneth by the moderate vse of the sayde qualities of meates and drynkes. Cap. 6.

• Cold asswageth the burning of coler.
• Moist humecteth that which is dried.
• Dry, cōsumeth superfluous moisture.
• Clammye, thycketh that, whyche is subtyll and percynge.
• Bytter, clenseth and wypeth of, also mollifieth and expelleth fleume.
• Salte, relenteth flewme clammy, and dryeth it.
• Fatte and vnctuous, nourysheth, and maketh soluble.
• Stiptike or rough on the tonge byn­deth and comforteth appetite.
• Sweete, dothe clense, dyssolue, and nouryshe.

¶ Of Fruites. Cap. 7.

FOr as moche as before that tyllage of corne was inuented, and that deuouryng of fleshe and fyshe was of mankynde vsed, men vndoub­tedlye lyued by fruites, and Nature was there­with contented and satisfied: but by chaunge of the diete of our progenytours, there is caused to be in our bodyes, suche alteration frome the na­ture, whiche was in men at the begynnyng, that nowe all fruites generally are noyfull to manne, [Page] and do ingender yll humours, and be ofte tymes the cause of putrified feuers, if they be moch and continually eaten. Not withstādyng vnto them, which haue abundance of coler, they be somtyme conueniēt, to represse the flame, which procedeth of coler. And some fruites whiche be styptike, or bynding in tast, eaten before meales, do bynd the bely, but eaten after meales, they be rather laxa­tine. Now shall it not be vnexpedient, to write of some frutes particularly, declaryng their noyful qualities in appairyng of Nature, and how they may be vsed with leste detriment.

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

GEnerally al herbes raw, and not sodden, do ingender cold & watry iuyce, if they be eaten customably, or in abundance: albeit some herbes are more comestible, and do lasse harme vnto na­ture, & moderatly vsid, makith metely good blud.

Rape rotes and Nauews. Ca. ix.

THe iuyce made by them, is very grosse: And therfore beinge moche eaten, if they be not perfytely concocte in the stomake, they doo make crude or rawe iuyce in the vaynes. Also if they be not well boyled, they cause wyndes, and annoye the stomake, and make sometyme frettynges: If [Page 25] they be well boyled fyrst in cleane water, and that beinge cast away, the second tyme with fat fleshe, they nouryshe moche, and doo neither lowse nor bynde the bealy. But Nauews do not nouryshe so moche as rapes, but they be euen as wyndye.

¶ Spyces growynge out of this realme vsed in meate or drynke. Cap. 10.

Of breade. Cap. xi.

BReadde of fyne floure of wheate, hauynge no leuyn, is flowe of digestion and makethe flymy humours, but it nourysheth moche: if it be leuyned, it digesteth sooner: breade hauyng moch branne, fylleth the bealy with excrementes, and nourysheth lyttell or nothyng, but shortly descen­deth from the stomake: The meane betwene both sufficiently leuyned, well moulded and moderat­ly baken is the moste holsome to euerye age. the greatest loues do noryshe most fast, for as moch as the fyre hathe not exhausted the moysture of them. Hotte breadde, moche eaten, maketh fulnes [Page 28] and thyrste, and slowely passeth. Barley breadde clenseth the body, and doth not nouryshe so moch as wheate, and maketh colder iuyce in the body.

¶ Of Fleshe. Cap. xii.

BEfe of Englande to Englisshemen, whiche are in helth, bryngeth stronge nouryshinge, but it maketh grosse bloude, and ingendreth me­lancoly: but being of yonge oxen, not excedynge the age of foure yeres, to them, whiche haue co­lerike stomakes, it is more conuenient, than chi­kens, and other lyke fyne meates.

¶ The partes and members of byrdes and beastes. Cap. 13.

THe wynges brawnes and necke of gese, ca­pons, hennes, fesant, partriche and smalle byrdes beinge fatte, are better than the legges in digestion, and lyghter in nouryshyng. Of wylde foule and pygeons beinge fatte, the legges are better than the wynges: the brawnes of ducke, [...]eale, and wygeon except, whiche is better to dy­geste, than the resydue.

¶ Of Fysshe generally. Cap. xiiii.

THe beste fyshe after the opinion of Galen, is that, whiche swymmeth in the pure see, and is tossed and lyfte vp with wyndes and sourges. The more calme that the water is, the warse is the fyshe, they whiche are in muddy waters, doo make moche fleume and ordure: taken in fennes and dyches be warste, beinge in fresshe ryuers, [Page 32] and swyfte, be sometyme commendable: all be it generally, al kyndes of fyshe maketh more thin­ner bloud, than fleshe, so that it dothe not moche nouryshe, and it doth soner passe out by vapors: to a hotte colerike stomake, or in feuers, somtyme they be holsome, being newe, freshe, and not very harde in substance or [...]lymy. harde fyshe is harde of digestion, but the nourishment therof is more firme, than that, whiche is soft: those which haue moche grosse humours in them, ar best, poudred.

¶ Of Butter. Cap. xv.

BVtter is also nourishynge, and profiteth to them, whiche haue humours superfluouse, in the breaste or lunges, and lacketh ripynge and clensynge of theym: specially if it be eaten with sugar or honye. If it be well salted, it heateth and clenseth the more.

¶ Of Chese. Cap. xvi.

CHese by the hole sentence of all writers, let­teth digestion, and is ennemye vnto the sto­make. Also it ingendreth yll humours, and bre­deth the stone. The chese which doth leest harme, is softe chese, reasonably salted, which some men do suppose, nourysheth moche.

¶ Of Egges. Cap. xvii.

EGges of fesauntes, hennes, and partriches, be of all other meates moste agreable vnto [Page] nature, specially if they be newe layde: If they [...]e [...], they do clense the thro [...]e and brest. If they be harde, they be slowe in digestion, but beinge ones digested, they do nourysshe moche. Meane betwene [...]e [...]e and harde, they digest conue [...]ently and noryshe q [...]yckely. Egges well poched, are better than rosted. If they be fried harde, they be of yll nourishement, and do make stynkynge fu­mes in the stomake, and do cortupt other meates with whome they be myngled. They be most hol­some whan they be poched, and moste vnholsom whan they be fryed. Dioscorides sayth, If they be souped warme, before any other meat, they do heale the grefes of the bladder and raynes, made with grauell: also sorenes of the chekes & throte, and spittyng of bloude: and they be good agei [...]st cata [...]es or [...]illing out of the hed into the stomak.

¶ Of drynkes, and fyrste of water. Capi [...] 18.

VVndoubtedly water hathe preeminence a­boue all other lycoures, not onely bycause it is an elem [...]t, that is to say, a pure matter, wher of al other lycours haue their original substance: but also forasmoche, as it was the very naturall and fyrst drynke to all maner of creatures. Wher­fore the sayeng of Pindarus the poete, was euer well allowed, whiche saythe, water is beste. And one th [...]nge is well consydered, that from the cre­ation of the worlde, vntyll the vniue [...]sall deluge or floudde, duryng which tyme, men lyued eight [Page 30] or nyne hunderde yeres, there was none other drinke vsed nor knowen, but water. Also the true folowers of Pythagoras doctrine, dranke onely water, and yet lyued longe: as Apollonius and other: and in the serchyng out of secrete and mi­sticall thynges, their wyttes excellyd. Moreouer, we haue sene men and women of great age, and stronge of body, whyche neuer or verye seldome, dranke other drynke, than pure water: As by ex­ample in Cornewall, although that the countrey be in a very colde quarter, whiche proueth, that if men from their infancye, were accustomed to none other drinke, but to water onely, moderatly vsed, it shuld be sufficient to kepe naturall moy­sture, and to cause the meat that is eaten, to perce and descende vnto the places of digestion, which are the pourposes that drynke se [...]ueth fore. But nowe to the qualities of water, after the sentence of auncient philosophers and phisitions, The rayne water, after the opinion of the most men, if it be receyued pure and cleane, is most subtyl and penetratiue of any other waters: the next is that, whiche issueth out of a spring in the east, and pas­seth swiftly among great stones or rockes: The thirde is of a cleane ryuer, whyche renneth on greate harde stones or pebles. There be dyuerse meanes to trie out, whiche is the beste water. For that whiche is lightest in poyse or weight is best. also that, wherof cometh leest skymme or frothe, whan it doth boyle. Also that, which wyll soonest be hot. Moreouer deape linnen clothes into son­dry [Page] waters, and after lay them to dry, & that whi­che is sonest dry, the water wherin it was deaped, is most subtyll. After a great surfete, colde water drunken, is a general remedy. Hippocrates affir­meth, y^• in sharp and feruent diseases, none other De ratiōe [...]ictus in mor. acu­tis lib. 3. remedy is to be required, than water. And Galen wyl not, that chyldren shuld be let from drynking of water: but that whan they fele them selfes ve­ry hote, after meales, and do desyre to drynk wa­ter, specially of a cleane fountayne, they shuld be suffred. Also Hippocrates sayth, In such syknes, where as thou fearest, lest the heed shuld be vehe­mently greued, or the mynde perished, there must thou giue eyther water, or white wine alayd with moche water. Not withstādyng there be in water causes of dyuers diseases, as of swellyng of the splene, and the lyuer, it also flytteth & swymmeth, and it is longe or it perceth, in as moche as it is colde & [...]lowe in decoction, it lowseth not the bely, nor prouoketh vrine. Also in this it is vyciouse, that of his proper nature, it maketh none ordure. Fynally, alway respect muste be hadde to the per­sone, that drynketh it. for to yong men, and them, that be hotte of complexion, it dothe lasse harme, and somtyme it profyteth. but to them that at fe­ble, olde, fleumatike, or melancoly, it is nat cōue­nyent.

¶ Of wyne. Cap. xix.

PLato, the wysest of all phylosophers, dothe affirme, that wyne moderately drunke, nou­rysheth [Page 34] and comforteth, as well all the bodye, as the spirites of man. And therfore god dyd ordeyn it for mankynde, as a remedy ageynst the incom­modities of age: that therby they shulde seme to retourne vnto youth, and forgette heuynes. Vn­doubtedly wyne heateth and moysteth the bodye, whyche qualities chiefely consetueth Nature.

And Galene of all wynes, cōmendeth that, whi­che is yelow and clere, saying, That it is the hot­test, and whyte wyne leste hotte. And the coloure meane betwene both, of semblable temperature. The yelowe wyne, whiche is the proper colour of very hotte wynes, to olde men dothe brynge these cōmodities, Fyrst it heateth all their members: also it purgeth by vrine, the watrye substance of the bloud. Moreouer, the wynes, whiche be pale or yelowe, and full of substance, they do increase bloude, and nourishe the bodye: but for the more part olde men haue nede of suche wynes, whiche do prouoke vrine: forasmoche as in them doo a­bounde watry excrementes or superfluities. And they whiche do tary longe in the bealy, be not apt for aged men. Blacke or deepe redde wynes and thicke, do bind and congele that whiche they doo fynde in the body, and although some of theym do not long abyde in the bealy, yet they moue not vrine, but rather withdraweth: but yet they doo harme to olde men, forasmoche as they do stoppe the cundites of the splene, the lyuer, and the ray­nes. Also grosse wines be best for them, which de­sire to be fat, but it maketh opilations: olde wyne [Page] and clere, is better for them, that be fleumatike.

Galene also prohibiteth chylderne to drynke any wyne, forasmoche as they be of a hote and moyst Lib. 1. de [...]en. [...]. temperature, and so is wyne: and therfore it hea­teth and moysteth to moche their bodyes, and fil­leth their heedes with vapoures. More ouer he wolde, that yonge men shulde drinke lyttel wine, for it shall make them prone to fury and to leche­rye: and that parte of the soule, whiche is callyd rationall, it shall make troublous and dulle: not withstandyng, yet it is somtime profitable to mi­tigate or expell ordure, made of coler or melanco­ly. Also it profyteth agaynst drythe, whiche hap­neth in the substance of the body, either by to mo­che labour, or by the proper temperature of age: for wyne moysteth and nourisheth that, which is to drie, also mitigateth and dissolueth the sharp­nes of coler, & purgeth it also by vrine & sweate: Finally (as Theognes saith) Moch drinkyng of wyne is yll, but moderate drynkynge of wyne is not onely not yll, but also commodious and pro­fytable. Whiche sentence is confyrmed by Iesus Syr [...], in the boke named Ecclesiasticꝰ, sayinge, Eccl [...]. 31. wyne moderately drunke, reioyseth both the bo­dy and soule. Wherfore to conclude this chapi­ter, There is neyther meate nor drynke, in the vse wherof ought to be a more discrete moderation, than in wyne, consyderinge that deing good and drunke in due tyme and measure, it not only con­serueth naturall and radicall moysture, whereby lyfe indureth, but also it helpeth the princypall [Page 32] members, whiche belong to digestion, to do their office: On the other parte, being yll or corrupt, or taken out of order and measure, it dothe contrary to all the premisses. besydes that it transformeth a man or woman, makynge them beastly. More of the qualities of wyne, shall be touched hereaf­ter in the order of diete.

¶ Of Mylke. Cap. xx.

MIlke is compact of thre substances, creame, whey, & cruddes. The moste excellent milke is of a woman. The mylke of a cow is thyckest, the mylke of a camell is most subtyl, the mylke of a goote is betwene cowe milke, and camell mylk. Ewes mylke is betweene cowe mylke and asses mylke. Also the mylk of beastes, fedyng in large pastures, and out of fennes and marshes, is bet­ter than of them, whiche be fedde in lytell closes, or in watry groundes. In springe tyme mylke is most subtyll, and milke of yong beastes, is holso­mer, than of olde. To chyldren, olde men, and to them, which be oppressed with melancoly, or haue the fleshe consumed with a feuer ethike, mylke is conuenient. And generally to all them, which do not fele the mylk rise in their stomakes, after that they haue eaten it: and in those persons, it dothe easily pourge that whiche is in the bealye super­fluous. And afterwarde it entreth into the vay­nes, and bryngeth good nourishement. Who soo euer hath an appetite to eate or drynke mylke, to [Page] the entent that it shal not arise or abraid in the stomake, let him put into a vessell, out of the whiche he wyl receyue it, a few leaues of myntes, sugar, or pure hony. And into that vessell cause the best to be mylked, and soo drynke it warme from the vdder: or els let him do as Paulus Egineta tea­cheth, that is to say, boyle first the milke with an easy fire, & sethe it after with a hotter fire, & skym it clene, and with a spunge deaped in cold water, take that cleane away, which wolde be burned to the vessell, than put to the mylke, salt and sugar, & stere it often. More ouer mylke taken to purge melancoly, wold be drunke in the morning abun­dantly Oribasius de confe­ctione ci­borū li. 3. newe mylked, as is before written. And he that drynketh, shuld absteyn from meate, and ex­ercise, vntyll the mylke be digested, and haue som what purged the bealy. For with labour it beco­meth soure: & therfore it requyreth rest & watch or to walke very softly. Finally, where men & womē be vsed from their childhode, for the more part, to mylk, and do eate none or lyttell other meate, but mylke and butter, they appere to be of good com­plexion and facion of body, & not so moche vexed with sycknes, as they whiche drinke wine or ale: not withstandyng moch vse of milke in men san­guine or colerike, doth ingender the stone.

¶ Of ale, biere, cyder, and whay.

I Can neyther here nor rede, that ale is made & vsed for a cōmon drynke in any other countray [Page 36] than England, Scotlād, Ireland, & Poyle. The latyn worde Cereuitia, is indifferent as welle to ale as to biere, and the only difference betwene them is, that biere hath hoppes sodden in it, ale ought to haue none. If the corne be good, the water holsome and cleane, and the ale or biere well and perfytclye brewed and clensed, and by the space of syx dayes or more, settled and defecate, it must nedes be a necessary & conuenieut drynk, as well in syknes as in helth: consyderinge that batleye corne, wherof it is made, is commended, and vsed in medicine, in all partis of the world, & accomp­ted to be of a syngular efficacy, in reducynge the body into good temper, specially which is in a di­stemperature of heate. For what auncient phi­sition is there, that in his workes commendeth not ptysane, whiche is none other than pure bar­ley, brayed in a morter, and sodden in water? The same thynge is smalle and cleane ale or b [...]ere, sa­uynge that perchaunce, the drienge of the malte, is cause of more dryth to be in the ale, than in pti­sane. And the hoppes in biere maketh it colder in operation. But to say as I thynke, I suppose, y^• neither ale nor biere is to be compared to wyne, consideringe, that in them do lacke the heate and moysture which is in wine. For that being mode­rately vsed, is most lyke to the natural heate and moysture of mans bodye. And also the lykour of ale & bere beinge more grosse, do ingender more grosse vapours, and corrupt humors, than wine doth, beinge drunke in lyke excesse of quantitie.

[Page] ¶ And one thyng is to be noted, which was late­ly well marked of a man of excellent lerning, be­ing vexed witd the sicknes of the stone, That in them, whiche do alway vse to drynke ale or biere, the stone and grauell ingendred in them is white of colour: And in them, whiche do vse to drynke wine for the more parte, the stones and grauelle, whiche be ingendred in them, be redde of colour. Not withstandynge commonly the colour of the stone foloweth the humour, whiche dothe moste abound in the pacient. As coler maketh the gra­uell more redde, fleme maketh it more white. also some men do suppose, that red grauell is ingen­dred in the raynes, white grauell in the bladder. Moreouer, who so euer vseth ingurgitation of ale or biere, his breath shalbe more lothsom, than the breathes of them, whiche do take the excesse of wyne: for the wyne by the reason of his heate, is soner digested, and dothe leaue behynde hym fewer dregges. As for Cyder, may nat be good in any condicion, consyderyng (as I sayd) that all fruites do ingender yll humours, and doo coole to moch naturall heate: but to them, which haue abundance of red coler, moderatly vsed, it some­what profyteth in mitigation of excessiue heate. But who that wyll diligently marke in the coun­treys, where syder is vsed for a common drynke, the men and women haue the colour of their vy­sage pallyd, and the skynne of their vysage ry­uelled, although that they be yonge. Whay, if it be lefte of the butter, beinge well ordred, and not [Page 37] drunke, vntyll it haue a thycke curde of mylke o­uer it, like to a hatte, is a right temperate drinke, for as moche as by the vnctuositie of the butter, wherof the whay retayneth som portiō, it is both moyst and nourishyng, and clenseth the breaste: and by the subtylnes of it selfe, it descendeth sone from the stomake, and is shortly digested. Also by reason of the affinitie, whiche it hath with mylk, it is conuertible into bloude and fleshe, specially in those persons, whiche doo inhabyte the northe partes, in whom naturall heate is conglutinate, and therfore is of more puissance and vertue in the offyce of concoction. Also custome from child­hode doth eleuate the power of meates and drin­kes in their disposition, not withstandynge that the foure humours, sanguine, coler, fleume, and melancoly, must also be consydered, as it shal ap­pere in dyuers places hereafter.

¶ Of hony. Cap. xxii.

HOnye as well in meate as in drynke, is of incomparable efficacy, for it not onely clen­seth, altereth, and norisheth, but also it long time preserueth that vncorrupted, which is put in into it. In so moche as Pliny sayth, Suche is the na­ture of hony, that it suffreth not the bodies to pu­trifie. And he affirmeth, that he dyd se an Hippo­centaure Plin. li. 22. (which is a beaste halfe man, half horse) brought in honye to Claudius the emperour out of Egypte, to Rome. And he telleth also of oone [Page] Pollio Romulus, who was aboue a hundred ye­res olde, of whome Augustus the emperour de­manded, by what meanes he lyued so longe, and retayned styll the vygour or lyuelynes of body & mynd, Pollio answered, y^• he did it inwarde with meade (which is drinke made with hony & water) outward with oyle. Whiche sayeng agreeth with the sentence of Democritus, the greate philoso­pher: who being demanded, how a man mought lyue longe in helthe, he aunswered, If he wette hym within with honye, without with oyle. The same philosopher, whan he was a hundred yeres olde and nyne, prolonged his lyfe certayn dayes with the euaporation of honye, as Aristoxenus writeth. Of this excellent matter, moste wonder­fully wrought and gathered by the lyttell bee, as wel of the pure dewe of heuen, as of the most sub­tyl humor of swete & vertuous herbes & floures, be made lykors cōmodious to mākynd, as mead, metheglyn, and oxymell. Meade, whiche is made with one parte of hony, and foure tymes so moch of pure water, and boyled vntyll no skym do re­mayne, is moche comended of Galene, drunke in Galen. de tuend. sa­nita. li. 4. sommer, for preseruynge of helth. The same au­thor alway commendeth the vsynge of hony, ey­ther rawe eaten with fyne breadde, somewhat le­uened, or sodden, and receyued as drinke. Alsoo meade perfectly made, clenseth the brest and lun­ges, causeth a man to spytte easily, and to pysse a­bundantly, and purgeth the bely moderatly. Metheglyn, whiche is moste vsed in wales, by reason [Page 37] of hotte herbes boyled with hony, is hotter than meade, and more comforteth a colde stomake, if it be perfectly made, and not new or very stale. Oxi­mell is, where to one part of vineger is put dou­ble so moche of hony, foure tymes as moche of water, and that being boiled vnto the third part, and cleane skymmed with a fether, is vsed to be taken, where in the stomacke is moche fleume or matter vndigested, so that it be nat redde choler. Loke the vse therof in Alexandro Tralliano. Many other good qualities of honye, I omytte to write of, vntyll some other occasion shall hap­pen, to remember them partycularly, where they shall seme to be profitable.

¶Sugar. Cap. xxiii.

OF Sugar, I do fynd none auncient author of grekes or latynes, to write by name, but onely Paulus Aegineta, who sayth in this wise, after that he hath treated of hony. Moreouer su­gar, whiche they calle hony, that is brought to vs from Arabia, called Felix, is not so sweete as oure hony, but is equall in vertue, and doth not anoy the stomake, nor causeth thyrst. These be the wordes of Paulus. It is nowe in dayely experience, that Sugar is a thynge verye temperate and nourysshynge, and where there is choler in the stomacke, or that the stomacke abhorreth honye, it maye be vsed for honye in all thynges, wherin hony is required to be.

¶Of tyme. Cap. xxiiii.

IN the consyderation of tyme, for takynge of meates and drynkes, it is to be remēbred, that that in winter meates ought to be taken in great abundance, and of a more grosse substance than in sommer, forasmoch as the exteriour ayre, whi­che compasseth the bodye being colde, causeth the heate to withdrawe into the inner partes, where beinge inclosed, and contract togyther in the sto­make and entrayles, it is of more force to boyle and digeste that, whiche is receyued into it. Also meates rosted, ar than better than sodden, & flesh and fyshe powdred, is than better than in somer. Herbes be not than commendable, specially raw, neither fruites, excepte quynces rosted or baked: drynke shuld be than taken in a lyttell quantitie. More ouer wynes shall nede no water or very ly­tell, and that to coleryke persones: redde wynes, and they, whiche be thycke and swete, may be thā moste surely taken of them, whiche haue none o­pilations, or the stone. Alway remember, that in wynter fleume increaseth by reason of rayne and moystnes of that season, also the length of nigh­tes and moche rest. And therfore in that tyme co­lerike Cal. in cō [...]ns. in a pho. 2. li. 3 persons, ar best at ease, semblably ar yong men, but to olde men wynter is enemy. It begin­neth the .viii. day of Nouember, and endureth vntyll the .viii. day of February.

The sprynge tyme dothe participate the fyrste parte with wynter, the later parte with sommer. [Page 39] Wherfore if the fyrst parte be colde, than shal the Hippocrates de na­tura hu­mana. diete be accordyng to wynter. If the ende be hot, than shall the diete be of sommer. If both partis be temperate, thā shuld there be also a temperāce in diete: alway consyderinge, that fleume yet re­maineth, and bloude than increaseth. And meate wolde be lasse in quantitie thanne in wynter, and drynke somewhat more. Sprynge tyme begyn­neth the .viii. day of February, and cōtinueth vn­tyll the .viii. day of May.

In Sommer the inward heate is but lytel, and Gal. com. in aphor. 18. li. 1. the stomake doth not digest so strongly nor quik­ly, as in wynter. Wherfore in that season, eating often, and a lyttell at ones, is moste conueniente. And Damascenus sayth, that fastyng in sommer drieth the bodye, maketh the colour salowe, in­gendreth Hipocra­tes de hu­moribus. melancolye, and hurteth the syght. also boyled meate, breade steped in white brothe, with sodden lettyse, or cykorie, ar than good to be vsed. also varietie in meates, but not at one meale, po­tages made with colde herbes, drynke in more a­bundance, wyne alayde with water, to hotte com­plexions moche, to colde natures lasse. In this Galen. in commen. in aphor. season bloudde increaseth, and towarde the ende therof, coler. And therfore they, which be cold of nature and moyst, are than best at ease, hotte na­tures and drye warste. Moreouer childerne, and very yonge men in the begynnyng of sommer, ar holest, olde folke in the latter end, and in haruest. somer begynneth the .viii. day of May, and con­tinueth vntyll the .viii. day of August.

[Page] ¶Autumne begynneth the .viii. day of August, and endeth the .viii. day of Nouember, that sea­son of the yere is variable, and the aire changea­ble, by occasion wherof, happen sondry syckenes­ses, and blode decreaseth, and melancoly aboun­deth: Wherfore all summer fruites wold than be eschewed, forasmoche as they make yl iuyce and wyndes in the body. In this tyme meate wold be more aboundant than in sommer, but somewhat drier: drinke must be lasse in quantitie, but lasse myxt with water. This tyme is daungerous to all ages, al natures, and in all countreys, but the natures hotte and moyst, be leste indamaged.

Of ages. Cap. xxv.

CHyldren wold be noryshed with meates and Galen. de tuen. sani. lib. prim. Children. drynkes, whiche are moderately hotte and moyste, not withstandynge Galene dothe prohi­bite the vse of wyne, bycause it moysteth and he­teth to moche the body, and fylleth the heedes of them, whiche are hote and moyst, with vapours. also he permytteth them in hotte wether to drink clere water of the fountayne.

[Page] ¶A chylde growynge faste in his members to­warde a man, so that he semeth well fedde in the Oribasius de uirtute simp. li. 1. body, is than to be feared of fulnesse of humors, and if it be perceiued, that he is replete, thā muste be withdrawen and minyshed some parte of that nutriment, and accordynge vnto his age, some e­uacuation wolde be deuised, otherwhile by exer­cise, walkynge vp and downe fastyng, and before that they eate any meate, let them exercise theym selfes with their owne labours, and do their ac­customed busynes, and eate the meates, whervn­to they be most vsed, so that it be suche, that maye nat hurte theym. And this nede they not to know of phisitions, but by experiēce and diligent serch by their stoole, their nourices shal perceyue what digesteth well, and what dothe nat.

¶But if it appere, that by excessiue fedyng, the bealy of the chylde is fuller and greatter than it was wonte to be, and that whiche passeth by the bealy, is corrupted, or his sweate stynketh. These thinges knowen, if they eate strong meates, giue them not one kynde of meate, but dyuers, that the noueltie of the meate may helpe, that they maye go more easily to the stoole. For if any haue an vnreasonable appetite, he is sooner recouered, if he be pourged by a boyle or impostume commen forthe and broken, before that the meate be cor­rupted: and after that let hym eate fyne meates, and beinge ones hole, retourne by lyttell and lyt­tell to his olde custome.

¶Yonge men, excedynge the age of .xiiii. yeres, Yong mē [Page 41] shall eate meates more grosse of substaunce, col­der and moyster: also salades of cold herbes, and to drynke seldome wyne, excepte it be alayd with water. Albeit all these thynges must be tempred, accordyng to their complexions, and exercise and quietnesse in lyuyng, wherof ye shal rede in their proper places hereafter.

¶Olde men, in whom naturall heate & strength Olde men. semeth to decay, shuld vse alway meates, whiche are of qualitie hotte and moyste, and therwith all easy to be digested, and absteyne vtterly from all meates and drynkes, which wyl ingender thicke iuyce and slymy, semblably from wyne, which is thycke, swete, and darke redde wynes, and rather vse them, which wyl make thynne humours, and wyl purge wel the bloud by vrine: therfore white or yelow wynes, and perchance frenche claret wi­nes ar for them very cōmendable. Also wyne pre­pared Paulus E­gineta. li. [...] cap. 23. with pure hony clarified, wherin rootes of persely or fenel be stieped, specially if they suspect any thing of the stone, or goute. And if they more desyre to clense their raynes and bladder: than is it good to vse smal white wine, as racked renishe wine, or other like to it, and somtime to stepe ouer nyght therin a persely rote slyt, & somwhat brui­sed, and a lytel lykorice. Fynally, let them beware Op [...]atiōs what they are. of all meates, that wyll stoppe the pores, & make obstructions or oppilations, that is to saye, with clammy matter stoppe the places, where the na­turall humours are wrought & digested, the whi­che meates I haue before set in a table. But if it [Page] charmce them to eate any suche meate in aboun­daunce, let them take shortely suche thynges, as do [...]e [...]y [...]e opp [...]lations, or resolue them. As white pepper brused & mixt with thetr meates or drink: garlyke also, or onions, if they abhorre them nat. Alway remember, that aged men shuld eate oftē, and but lytell at euery tyme, for it fareth by them, as it dothe by a lampe, which is almoste extincte, which by pouring in of oyle lytel and litel is long kept bournynge: and with moche oyle poured in at ones, it is clene put out. Also they must forbear all thinges, which do ingender melancoly, wher­of ye shall rede in the table before: and breadde cleane without leuen is to them vnholsome.

¶Moderation in [...]iete, hauyng respect to the strength or weakenes of the persone. C [...]p. xxvi.

NOwe here it must be cōsid [...]ed, that although I haue written a general diet for euery age, yet nethelesse it muste be remembred, that somme chyldren and yong men, either by debilitie of na­ture, or by some accidentall cause, as syckenes, or moche studye, happen to gather humours fleu­matik or melancoly in the places of digestion, so that concoction or digestion is as weke in them, as in those, whiche ate aged. Semblablye, some olde men fynde nature so beneficiall vnto theym, that their stomakes and lyuers are more stronge to dygeste, than the sayde yonge men, somme per­chaunce haue moche coler remaynyng in theym. [Page 42] In these cases the sayd yonge men muste vse the diete of olde men, or nygh vnto it, vn [...]yll the dis­crasy be remoued, hauyng alway respect to their vniuersall complexions, as they, whiche a [...] natu­rally colerike, to vse hotte thinges in a more tem­perance than they, whyche be fleumatyke, or me­lancoly by nature. The same obseruation shall Hippocra. aphor. Galen. in comment. be to olde men, sauyng that age, of his owne pro­pertie is colde and drye, therfore the olde man, that is cholerycke, shall haue more regarde to moysture in meates, than the yonge man, beinge of the same complexyon. Foresene alwaye, that where nature is offended or greued, she is curyd by that, whiche is contrary to that, whyche offen­deth or greueth, as colde by heate, heate by colde, drythe by moysture, moysture by drythe. In that wherby Nature shoulde be nourysshed, in a hole and temperate body, thinges must be taken, whi­che are like to the mannes nature in qualitie and degree. As where one hath his bodye in a good temper, thynges of the same temperaunce dothe nouryshe hym. But where he is out of temper, in heate, colde, moysture, or drythe, temperate mea­tes or drynkes, nothynge do profyte hym. For be­inge out of the meane and perfytte temperature, nature requyreth to be therto reduced by contra­ries, remembrynge not oonely, that contraries are remedye vnto their contraries, but also in e­uery contrary, consideration be hadde of the pro­porcion in quantitie.

Tymes in the day concernyng meales. Cap. xxvii.

BEsydes the tymes of the yere and ages, there be also other tymes of eatyng and drinkyng to be remembred, as the sondry tymes in the day, whiche we call meales, which are in number and distance, according to the temperature of the coū trey and person: As where the countrey is colde, and the person lusty, and of a strōge nature, there may mo meales be vsed, or the lasse distaunce of tyme betwene thē. Contrary wise in contrary con­trais and personages, the cause is afore rehersed, where I haue spoken of the diete of the tymes of the yere, not withstandyng here must be also con­sideration of exercise and rest, which do augment or appaire the naturall disposition of bodies, as shalbe more declared hereafter in the chapiter of exercise. But concernynge the generall vsage of countreis, and admitting the bodies to be in per­fite state of helthe, I suppose, that in Englande, yong men, vntil they come to the age of .xl. yeres, may wel eate thre meales in one day, as at breke­fast, dyner, and supper, so that betwene brekefast, and diner, be the space of foure houres at the lest, betwene diner and supper .vi. houres, & the brekefast lasse than the dyner, and the dyner moderate, that is to say, lasse than sacietie or fulnesse of bea­ly, and the drinke ther vnto mesurable, according to the drynesse or moystnes of the meate. For mo­che abundance of drinke at meale, drowneth the meate eaten, and not only letteth conuenient con­coction [Page 43] in the stomake, but also causeth it to passe faster than nature requireth, and therfore ingen­dreth moche fleume, and consequently reumes, & crudenes in the vaynes, debilitie and slyppernes of the stomacke, contynuall fluxe, and many o­ther inconueniences to the body and members.

But to retourne to meales, I thynke breakefa­stes [...] necessary in this realme, as well for the cau­ses before rehersed, as also forasmoch as coler be­inge feruent in the stomake, sendeth vp fumosi­ties vnto the brayne, and causeth heed ache, and sometyme becommeth aduste, and smouldreth in the stomake, wherby happeneth peryllous sycke­nes, and somtime sodayne deathe, if the heate in­closed in the stomake haue nat other conueniente matter to work on: this daily experience proueth, and naturalle reason confirmeth. Therfore men and women not aged, hauynge their stomackes cleane without put [...]ified matter▪ slepyng mode­rately and soundly in the nyght, and felyng them selfe lyght in the mornyng, and swete brethed, let them on goddis name breake their fast: Cole [...]ike men with grosse meate, men of other complexiōs with lyghter meate. Foreseene, that they laboure som what before: semblably their diner and sup­per as I haue before written, so that they sleape not incōtinent after their meales. And here I wyl not recyte the sentences of authors, whiche had neuer experience of Englysshe mens natures, or of the iuste temperature of this realme of Eng­lande, onely this counsayle of Hipoctates shall [Page] be sufficient. We oughte to graunt some what to Hipoc. [...] ­phor. 18. lib. 1. Galen. de [...]uen. sani. time, to age, & to custom: not withstanding where great wearinesse or drith, greueth the body, there ought the dyner to be the lesse, and the longer di­stance betwene dyner and supper▪ also moch rest, excepte a lyttell softe walkynge, that by an vp­right mouynge, the meate beinge styred, may de­scende. This is alway to be remēbred, that where one feleth hym selfe full, and greued with his di­ner, or the sauoure of his meate by eructation as­cendeth, or that his stomake is weke by late syk­nes or moche study, thā is it moste conuenient, to absteyne from supper, & rather prouoke him selfe to slepe moch, than to eate or drink any thing▪ al­so to drinke betwene meales, is not laudable, ex­cepte very great thirste constrayneth, for it inter­ [...]upteth the office of the stomake in concoction, & causeth the meate to passe faster thā it shuld do, & the drinke being cold, it rebuketh naturall heate that is workyng, and the meate remainyng raw, it corrupteth digestion, & maketh crudenes in the vaines. Wherfore he y^t is thirsty, let him consider the occasion. If it be of salt fleme, let him walke faire & softly, and only washe his mouth and his throte, with barley water, or with small ale, or lye downe and slepe a littel, and so the thirst wil passe away, or at the least be wel asswaged. If it happē by extreme heat of the aire, or by pure coler, or ea­tyng of hotte spices, let him drinke a lyttell [...]ulep made with cleane water and sugar, or a litel smal biere or ale, so that he drinke not a great glut, but [Page 44] in a lytel quantite, let it styl downe softly into his stomak, as he sitteth, & than let him not moue so­dainly. If the thirst be in the euenyng, by eatinge to moche, and drinking of wine, than after the o­pinion of the best lerned phisitions, and as I my self haue often experienced, the best remedy is, if there be no feuer, to drink a good draught of cold water immediatly, orels if it be not p [...]ynefull for him, to vomite, to prouoke him therto with a litle warm water, & after to washe his mouth with vi neger & water, and so to slepe long & soūdly, if he can. And if he in the mornynge he fele any fumo­sit [...]es risynge, than to drinke iulep of violettes, or for lacke thereof, a good draught of verye smalle [...]le or biere, some what warmed, without eatynge any thynge after it.

¶Of diuersitie of meates, whereby healthe is appayred. Cap. xxviii.

NOwe let this be a generall rule, that sondry meates, being diuers in substance and qua­litie, eaten at one meale, is the greattest enmy to helth, that may be, & that whiche ingendreth most syknesses▪ for som meates being grosse, and hard to digest, some fyne and easy to digest, do require dyuers operations of Nature, and dyuers tem­peratures of the stomake, that is to saye, moche heate, and temperate heate, whiche maye uat be togither at oone tyme▪ therfore whanne the fyne meate is sufficientelye boyled in the stomacke, [Page] the gr [...]sse meate is rawe, so bothe i [...]yces, the one good and perfite, the other grosse and crude, at one tyme digested, and sente into the vaynes and body, nedes must helthe decay, and sycknesses be ingendred. Lyke wyse in dyuers meates beinge dyuers qualities, as where some are hot & moyst, some colde and moiste, some hotte and drie, some colde and dry, accordynge ther vnto shall the iuice be diuers, which they make in the body. And like as betwene the sayd qualities is contrarietie, soo the [...]y shalbe in the body an vnequall tempera­ture, forasmoche as it is not possyble for man to esteme so iust a proporcion of the qualites of that whiche he receyueth, that the one shall nat excede the other in quantitie Wherfore of the sayd vne­quall mixture, nedes must ensue cortuption, and consequently syknes. And therfore to a hole man it were better, to fede at one meale competentely on very grosse meate only, so that it be swete, and his nature do not abhor [...]e it, than on diuers fine meates, of son dry substance & qualities. I haue knowen and sene olde men and old women, whi­che eatynge onely biefe, bakon, chese, or curdes, haue continued in good healthe, whome I haue proued, that whan they haue eaten sondrye fyne meates at one meale, haue soone after felt theym selfe greued with frettynges and heed ache, and after that they haue ben hole ageyne, there hathe ben gyuen to them one kynd of lyght meate, they haue done as well therwith, as they were wonte to do with grosse meates, whan they eate it alone [Page 45] whiche proueth to be true that whiche I haue re­hersed. And it is good reson▪ for after the generall opinion of philosophers and phisitions, the na­ture of mankynde is best contente with thinges moste symple and vnmyxt, all thynges tendynge to vnitie, wherin is the only perfection. Also it is a generall rule of phisyke, that where a sycknesse may be cured with symples, that is to saye, with one onely thyng that is medycinable, there shuld the phisition gyue no compounde medicine myxt with many thynges. These thynges consydered, it may seme to all men, that haue reason, what a­buse is here in this realme in the continual gour­mandise, and dayly fedyng on sondry meates, at one meale, the spirite of gluttony, triumphynge [...]. amonge vs in his glorious chariotte, callyd wel­fare, driuynge vs a fore hym, as his prisoners, in­to his dungeon of surfet, where we are tourmen­ted with catarres, feuers, goutes, pluresies, fret­tyng of the guttes, and many other syckenesses, and fynally cruelly put to dethe by them, oftenti­mes in youth, or in the most pleasant tyme of our lyfe, whan we wolde moste gladly lyue. For the remedy wherof, how many tymes haue there ben deuysed, ordynaunces and actes of counsayle, al though perchance bodily helth was nat the chief occasion thereof, but rather prouision agaynste vayne and sumptuous expenses of the meane people. For the nobilitie was exempted and had lybertie to abide styl in the dongeon, if they wold, and to lyue lasse while than other men: But whā, [Page] where, and howe longe were the sayd good deui­ses put in due execution, for all that therof shuld succede double profit, that is to say, helth of body and increase of substance, by eschewing of super­fluous expenses in sondry dishes? Alas how lōge wyll men fantasy lawes and good ordinaunces, and neuer determine them. Fantasy procedeth of wytte determination of wisedom, witte is in the deuising & spekyng, but wisdom is in the perfor­mance, which resteth onely in execution. Here I had almost forgotten, y^• my purpose was to write of the order of diete, and not of lawes, but the feruent loue that I haue to the publike weale of my countrey, constrained me to digresse somwhat from my matter: but nowe wyll I procede forth to write of order, whyche in takynge of meates and drinkes, is not the leste parte of diete.

¶ Of Order in receyuynge of meate and drynke. Capit. xxix.

HErbes as wel sodden as vnsodden, also fru­tes, whiche do mollifie and louse the bealye, ought to be eaten before any other meate, excepte that sometyme for the repressynge of fumosities, rysyng in the heed by moche drinkynge of wyne, rawe lettyse, or a colde appul, or the iuyce of oren ges or lymons maye be taken after meales in a lyttell quantitie. Moreouer all brothes, mylke, rere egges, and meates, whiche are purposely ta­ken to make the bely soluble, wold be fyrst eaten. [Page 46] All fruites and other meates, that are stiptike or byndynge, wolde be eaten last of all other. Frui­tes cōfectionate specially with hony at not to be eaten with other meates. But here it is to be dili­gently noted, that where the stomake is colericke and stronge, grosse meates wolde be fyrste eaten: where the stomake is colde or weake, there wolde fine meates be first eaten. for in a hot stomak fine meates ar bourned, whyle the grosse meate is di­gestyng. Contrary wise in a colde stomake, the li­tell heate is suffocate with grosse meate, and the fine meate left raw, for lacke of concoction, where if the fine meate be first taken moderately, it sty­reth vp and comforteth naturall heate, and ma­keth it more able to concoct grosse meates, if they be eaten afterward: so that it be but in smal quā ­tite. not withstāding, as I late affirmed, one ma ner of meate is most sure to euery cōplexion. for­sene that it be alway most cōmonly in conformi­tie of qualites, with the person that eateth. More ouer take hede, that slypper meates be not firste eaten, lest it draw with it to hastily other meates, or they be digested, nor that stiptik or restrainyng meates be taken at the beginnynge, as quinces, peares, and medlars, lest they may let other mea­tes, that they descende not into the bottom of the stomake, where they shuld be digested, not with­standynge the confection made with the iuyce of quinces called Dacytonites, taken .ii. houres afore diner or supper, is cōmended of Galene, & other, for restoring appetite, & making good cōcoction. [Page] Also concernyng drinke at meales, it wold not be afore that somwhat were eaten. And at the begin nyng, the drink wold be strongest, and so toward the end more small, if it be ale or biere and if it be wyne, more and more alayde with water. And af­ter the better opinion of physitions, the drynke wolde rather be myxte with the meate by sondrye lyttell draughtes, than with one greate draughte at thende of the meale, for the myxture tempreth well the meate without anoyāce: a great draught with moch drynke, drowneth the meate, rebuketh naturall heate, that than worketh in concoction, and with his weight dryueth downe the meate to hastily. Note wines & swete, or confectioned with spices, or very stronge ale or bere, are not conue­nient at meales, for the meate is by theym rather corrupted, than digested, and they make hote and stynkynge vapours ascend vp to the braynes, all be it if the stomake be very wyndy, or so cold and feble, that it can not concocte suche a quantitie of meat, as is required to the sufficient nourish mēt of the body of hym that eateth, or hath eaten raw herbes or fruites, wherby he feleth some annoy­ance, than may he drynke laste incontinent after his meale a lyttell quantitie of secke, or good a­qua vite in small ale: but if he haue moche coler in his stomake, or a heed full of vapours, it were moche better, that he dyd neither drynke the one, nor the other, but rather eate a lyttell colyander sede prepared, or a piece of a quynce rosted, or in marmelade, and after rest, to amende the lacke of [Page 47] nature with slepe, moderate exercise, and plasters prouided for comfortynge of the stomacke. And here wyl I leaue to write any more of the diete in eatynge and drinkyng, sauyng that I wold, that the reders shuld haue in remembrance these two counsailes. Fyrst, that to a hole man, to precise a rule is not conuenient in diet: and that the disea­ses, whiche do happen by to moche abstinence, ar wars to be cured, than they which come by reple­tion. And as Cornelius Celsus saith, A man that Cor. Cel. lib. 1. ca. 1. is hole and well at ease, & is at his lybertie, ought not to bynde him self to rules, or nede a phisition: but yet where the stomacke is feeble, as is of the Idē cap. 2. more part of citesyns, and wel nygh all they that be studyous in lernynge or weyghtye affayres, there ought to be more circumspection, that the meate may be suche, as that eyther in qualitie or quantitie, nature being but feble, be not rebuked, or to moche oppressed.

¶ Of sleape and watche. Cap. xxx.

THe commoditie of moderate slepe appereth by this, that naturall heate, whiche is occu­pied about the matter, wherof procedeth norish­ment, is comforted in the places of digestion, and so digestiō is made better, or more perfit by slepe, the body fatter, the mynde more quiete and clere, the humours temperate: as by moche watche all thynges happen contrarye. The moderation of slepe must be measured by helth and syckenes, by [Page] age, by tyme, by emptynesse or fulnesse of the bo­dy, & by naturall complexions. Fyrst to a hole mā hauing no debilitie of nature, and digesting per­fitly the meate that he eateth, a lytel slepe is suffi­cient: but to them, which haue weake stomakis, & do digest slowly, it requireth that sleape be moch lengar. semblable tēperance is required in youth and age, wynter and sommer. The body beinge full of yll humors, very lytell slepe is sufficient, except the humors be crude or raw, for thā is slepe necessary, whiche digesteth theym better than la­bour. Semblably, where the body is long empty, by longe syknesse or abstinence, slepe comforteth nature, as well in the principall members, as in all the other. Also regarde must be had to the com plexion, for they that ar hot, & do eate lyttell, & di­gest quickly, a lytell slepe serueth, specially to co­lerike persons, for in them moche slepe augmen­teth heate, more than is necessary, wherby hot fu­mes and inflamations ar often ingendred, & som tyme the naturall coler is aduste or putrified, as experience teacheth. Fleumatike persons are na­turally inclined to slepe: and bicause they ingen­der moch humors, they require more sleape than sanguine or colerike. Persones hauyng naturall melancoly, not proceding of coler aduste, do re­quire very moch slepe, which in them comforteth the powers animall, vitall, and natural, which ye may finde writen in the tables preceding. Slepe wold be taken not immediatly after meales, & be fore that the meate is descended from the mouthe [Page 48] of the stomake. For therby is ingendred peines & noyse in the bely, & digestiō corrupted, & the slepe by yl vapors asccding, made vnquiet & troubloꝰ. Moreouer immoderate slepe maketh the body apt vnto palseis, apoplexis, falling siknes, reumes, & impostumes, also it maketh the wittes dulle, and the body slow & vnapt to honest exercise. sembla­bly imoderate watch drieth to moch the body, and doth debilitate the powers animall, letteth dige­stion, & maketh the body apt to consūptiōs, wher fore in these .ii. thiges, aswel as al other, a diligēt tēperance is to be vsed. the moderation is best cō ­iected (for it is hard perfitly to know it) by the sen sible lightnes of al the body, specially of the brain the browes and the eies, the passage downe of the meat from the stomake, the wyll to make vrine, & to go to the stoole. Contrarywise, heuynes in the body & eies, and sauour of the meate before eaten signifieth that the slepe was not sufficient. They that ar hole must slepe firste on the right syde, by­cause the meate may approche to the lyuer, which is to the stomake, as fyre vnder the pot, & by hym is digested. To them, which haue feble digestiō, it is good to slepe prostrate on their bealies, or to haue their bare hand on their stomakes. Lienge vpright on the backe is to be vtterly abhorred.

¶ The commoditie of exercise, and the tyme whan it shuld be vsed. Cap. xxxi.

EVery meuynge is not an exercise, but only y^e which is vehement, thend wherof is altera­tion [Page] of the breath or wynde of a man. Of exercise do procede two commodities, euacuation of ex­crementes, and also good habite of the body, for Exercise being a vehement motion, therof nedes must ensue hardnes of the members, wherby la­bour shall the lesse greue, & the bodye be the more stronge to labour. also therof commeth augmen­tation of heate, wherby hapneth the more attra­ction of thynges to be digested, also more quicke alteration, and better nouryshynge. More ouer, that all and syngular partes of the body, be ther­with somwhat humected, wherby it hapneth, that thynges harde be mollified, moyste thynges are extenuate, and the poores of the bodye are more opened. And by the vyolence of the breathe or wynde, the poores are clensed, and the fylthe in the bodye naturally expelled. This thynge is soo necessary to the preseruation of helth, that with­out it, no man may be longe without syckenesse, Cor. Cel. lib. 1. whiche is affirmed by Cornelius Celsus, sayeng, that sluggyshenes dulleth the body, labour doth strength it, the firste bringeth the incommodities of age shortely, the last maketh a man long tyme lusty. Not withstandynge in exercise ought to be foure thinges dilygentely consydered, that is to say, the tyme, the thynges precedynge, the qualy­tie and the quantitie of exercise.

¶ Fyrste as concerning the tyme conuenient for exercise, that it be not whā there is in the stomake or bowels, greatte quantitie of meate not suffici­ently digested, or of humours crude or rawe, leste [Page 49] therby peryll moughte insue by conueyaunce of them into al the members, before those meates or humours be concoct or boyled sufficiently. Galen Galen. de ruen. sani. lib. 2. sayth, that the tyme moste conuenient for exercise is, whan bothe the firste and seconde digestion is complete, as wel in the stomake, as in the vaines, & that the tyme approcheth to eate eftsones. For if ye do exercise soner or later, ye shall eyther fyll the body with crude humours, or elles augment ye­lowe coler. The knowlege of this tyme is percei­ued by the colour of the vrine, for that whiche re­sembleth vnto clere water, betokenethe, that th­iuyce, whiche cometh from the stomake, is crude in the vaynes: that which is well coloured, not to high or base, betokeneth, that the second dygestiō is nowe perfite: where the colour is very high or redde, it sygnyfyeth, that the concoction is more than sufficient. Wherfore whan the vrine appe­reth in a temperate color, not red nor pale, but as it were gilt, thā shuld exercise haue his begining.

¶ Of fricasies or rubbynges precedyng exercise. Cap. xxxii.

AS touching thinges preceding exercise, for as moch as it is to be fered, lest by vehemēt Galenus. Paulus. Oribasius Aerius. exercise any of the excremētes of the bely or blad­der, shuld hastily be receiued into the habit of the body, by the violence of hete, kendlyd by exercise: also lest som thyng, whiche is hole, be by heuynes of excrementes, or vyolent mocion, broken or pul­lyd [Page] oute of his place, or that the excrementes, by violence of the breth, shuld stop the pores or cun­dites of the body, it shalbe necessary lytell and ly­tell, by chasyng the body, first to mollify the par­tes consolidate, & to extenuate or make thinne the humours, and to louse and open the poores, and than shal ensue to hym that exerciseth, no peryll of obstruction or rupture. And to bringe that to passe, it shall be expedient, after that the bodye is clensed, to rubbe the bodye with a course lynnen cloth, first softly & easily, & after to increase more and more, to a harde and swift rubbing, vntyl the fleshe do swelle, and be somwhat ruddy, and that not only down right, but also ouerth wart & roūd. Som do vse fricasyes in this forme. In the mor­nyng, after that they haue ben at the stoole, with their shirte sleue or bare hande, if their flesshe be tender, they do first softly, & afterward faster, rub their breaste, and sydes downewarde, and ouer­thwarte, not touching their stomake or bealy, and after cause their seruant semblably to rubbe ouerthwart their shulders and backe, begynnynge at the neckebone, and nat touchynge the raynes of their backe, excepte they do fele there moche colde and wynde, and afterward their legges from the knees to the ancle: last their armes, frome the cl­bowe to the handewreste. And in this fourme of fricasy, I my selfe haue founden an excellent cō ­moditie. Olde men, or they, whiche be very dry in their bodies, if they put to some sweete oyles, as Yrinum, Nardinum, Cham [...]melinum, or other lyke, myrt [Page 50] with a lyttell swete oyle of roses, I suppose they do wel. I wyl not here speke of oyntmentes vsed in olde tyme amonge the Romayns and Grekes, in fricasies or rubbynges. For I suppose, y^• they were neuer here vsed. and in the said places, they be also lefte, onles it be in palseys, or apoplexies, or against the rigour, whiche hapneth infeuers, only I wyll remember the saying of Hipocrates, Fricasye hath power to louse, to bynd, to increase fleshe, and to minyshe it. For harde fricasies doo bynde or consolydate, softe rubbynge dothe lowse or mollifie, moch doth minishe fleshe, meane rub­byng doth augment or increase it. He that wylle knowe more abundantly hereof, let hym rede the boke of Galen of the preseruation of helth, callid in latyn De tuenda sanitate, translated moost truely & eloquently, out of Greke into latin, by doctour Linacre, late phisition of most worthy memory to our souerayne lorde kynge Henry the eight. The same mattier is written more brefely of Paulus Aegineta, Oribasius, Aetius, and some other late writers, but vnto Galene not to be compared.

¶ The diuersities of exercises. Cap. xxxiii.

THe qualitie of exercise is the diuersitie ther­of, forasmoche as therin be many differēces in mouynge, and also some exercise moueth more one part of the body, some an other. In difference of mouynge, some is slow or softe, some is swifte [Page] or faste: some is stronge or violent, some be mixt with strength & swiftnesse. Stronge or violente exercises be these, deluynge (specially in toughe clay and heuy, bearynge or susteynynge of heuye burdeyns, clymmyng or walkyng against a stipe vpright hyll: holdyng a rope, and clymmyng vp therby, hangyng by the handes on any thing, a­boue a mans reache, that his fete touche not the grounde: standyng and holdyng vp, or spreding the armes, with the handes fast closed, & abiding so a longe tyme. Also to holde the armes stedfast, causyng an other man, to assay, to pull them out, and not withstandynge he kepeth his arme sted­fast, inforcing ther vnto the sinewes and muscu­les. Wrastlyng also with the armes and legges, if the persons be equall in strength, it dothe exer­cise the one and the other: if the one be stronger, than is it to the weaker a more violent exercise.

Al these kyndes of exercises, and other like them, do augment strength, and therfore they serue on­ly for yonge men, which be inclined, or be apte to the warres. Swifte exercise without violence is, runnyng, playeng with weapons, tenise, or thro­wyng of the ball, trotting a space of grounde for­ward and backward, going on the toes, and hol­dyng vp the handes. Also stirring vp and downe his armes, without plummettes. Vehemēt exer­cise is compounde of violent exercise and swifte, whan they ar ioyned togither at one tyme, as dansyng of galyardes, throwyng of the balle, & run­nyng after it. footeball play may be in the nūber [Page 51] therof, throwyng of the longe dart, and continu­ing it many tymes, runnyng in harneys, & other lyke. The moderate exercise is longe walking or going a iourneye. The partes of the bodye haue sondry exercises appropried vnto them, as roun­ning and going is the most proper for the leggis. Mouyng of the armes vp & downe, or stretching them out, & playeng with weapons, serueth most for the armes and shulders, stouping and risyng often tyme, or liftyng great weightes, takyng vp plummettes or other lyke poyses on the endes of staues, & in lyke wise, liftyng vp in euery hande a speare or moryspike by the endes, specially cros­sing the handes, and to lay them downe ageyn in their places, these do exercise the backe & loynes. Of the bulke & lunges the proper exercise is me­uing of the breath in syngyng or crieng. The en­trayles, which be vnderneth the myddreste, be ex­ercised by blowyng, eyther by constraint, or play­eng on shaulmes, or sackbottes, or other lyke in­strumentes, which do require moch wynde. The muscules at best exercised with holdyng the breth in, a longe tyme, so that he, whiche dothe exercise, hath well digested his meate, and is not troubled with moche wynde in his bodye. Fynallye lowde Celsus. 1. readynge, counterfayte battayle, tenyse, or thro­wyng the ball, runnyng, walkynge, adde to sho­tyng, whiche in myn opinyon excede al the other, do exercise the bodye commodiousely. Alway re­member, that the ende of violent exercise, is diffi­cultie in fetching of the breth. Of moderate exer­cise, [Page] alteration of breath onely, or the beginninge of sweate. More ouer in wynter, runnynge, and wrastlyng is conuenient. In sommer wrastlynge alytell, but not rūning. In very cold wether, mo­che walking, in hote wether, rest is more expedi­ent. They which seme to haue moist bodies, & liue in idelnes, they haue nede of violēt exercise. They which ar lean and colerike, must walk softly, and exercise them selfes very temperatly. The plum­mettes, callid of Galen Alteres, whiche are nowe moch vsed with gret men, being of equal weight, & according to the strength of him that exerciseth, are verye good to be vsed fastynge, a litell before breakefast or dyner, holdinge in euery hande one plūmet, and lyfting them on high, and bringing them downe with moche violence, and so he may make the exercise violent, or moderate, after the poyse of the plummettes, heuyer or lyghter, and with moche or lyttell labouryng with them.

¶ Of Gestation, that is to say, where one is ca­ryed, and is of an other thynge meued, and not of hymselfe. Cap. xxxiiii.

THere is also an nother kynd of exercise, whi­che is called Gestation, and is mixt with mo Paulus E­gineta. Aerius. uyng and rest. For as moche as the body, syttyng or lyenge, semeth to rest, and not withstandyng it is meued by that, which beareth it, as lienge in a bedde, hangyng by cordes or chaynes, or in a cra­dell, sytting in a chaire, whiche is caried on mens [Page 52] shulders with slaues, as was the vse of the aun­cient Romaynes, or syttinge in a boote or barge, whiche is rowed, rydyng on a horse, whiche am­bleth very easily, or gothe a very softe pace. The bed, cradel, and chaire caried, serueth for them, y^• ar in long & continual siknes, or be lately recoue­red of a feuer. Also them, whiche haue the fransy or letharge, or haue a lyghte terciane feuer, or a cotidiane. This exercise swetely asswageth trou­bles of the mynde, and prouoketh slepe, as it ap­pereth in chylderne, whiche are rocked. Also it is conuenient for them, whiche haue the palsey, the stone, or the gowte. Gestation in a charyot or wa­gon hath in it a shaking of the body, but som ve­hement, and some more softe. the softe serueth in diseases of the heade, and where any matter run­neth downe into the stomake and entrayles. But the vehement shakynge is to be vsed in the grie­fes of the breast and stomake. Also in swelling of the body and legges in dropsies, palseys, mygri­mes, and scotomies, whych is an imagination of darkenes, beinge retourned, at the ende of his iourney, he muste sytte vp, and be easily moued. I haue knowen, saythe Aetius, many persones in suche wise cured without any other helpe. Na­uigation or rowyng nigh to the lande, in a calme water, is expedient for them that haue dropsies, lepries, palseyes, called of the vulgare people, ta­kynges, and fransies. To be caryed on a roughe water, it is a violent exercise, and induceth son­drye affections of the mynde, sommtyme feare, [Page] sometyme hope, nowe cowarde harte, nowe har­dynesse, one whyle pleasure, an other whyle dys­pleasute. These exercises, if they be wel tempred, they may put out of the body, all longe durynge syckenesses. For that whiche is myxte with reste and meuyng, if any thyng els may, it most excel­lently causeth the body to be well nourished. Cel­sus doth prohibite gestation, where the body fee­leth peyne, and in the begynnynge of feuers, but Celsus. 2. whan they ceasse, he aloweth it. Rydynge mode­rately, and without grefe, it doth corroborate the spirite and body aboue other exercises, speciallye the stomacke, it clenseth the sences, and maketh them more quycke: albeit to the breste, it is verye noyfull. It ought to be remembred, that as well this, as all other kyndes of exercise, wold be vsed in a hole countraye, & where the ayre is pure and vncorrupted. Foresene, that he that woll exercise, do go first to the stoole, for the causes rehersed in the laste chapiter.

¶ Of vociferation. Cap. xxxv.

THe chief exercise of the brest & instrumentes of the voyce is vociferation, whiche is syn­gynge, redyng, or crienge, wherof is the proper­tie, that it purgeth naturall heate, and maketh it also subtyll and stable, and maketh the members of the body substancial and stronge, resisting dis­eases. This exercise wolde be vsed of persones short winded, and them, which can nat fetch their [Page 53] brethe, but holdyng their necke streight vpright. Also of them, whose fleshe is consumed, specially about the breste and shulders. Also whiche haue had apostumes broken in their brestes: moreouer of them that are hoorse by to moch moisture. and to them, which haue quarteyn feuers, it is conue­niente, it louseth the humour, that stycketh in the brest, and drieth vp the moystnes of the stomake, which properly the course of the quarten is wont to bring with hym, it also profiteth them, whiche haue feble stomakes, or do vomite continually, or do breake vp sowrenes out of the stomacke. it is good also for griefes of the heed. He that inten­deth to attempte this exercise, after that he hathe ben at the stoole, and softly rubbed the lower par­tes, and washed his handes. Let him speake with as base a voyce as he can, and walkynge, begyn to synge lowder & lowder, but styl in a base voice, and to take no hede of sweete tunes or armonye. For that nothyng doth profite vnto helthe of the body. but to inforce him selfe to synge great, for therby moch aire drawen in by fetching of breth, thrusteth forth the breast & stomake, and openeth and inlargeth the poores. By high crieng & loude redyng are expelled superfluous humors. Ther­fore men and women, hauing their bodies feble, and their flesshe louse, and not firme, must reade oftentimes loude, and in a base voyce, extendyng out the wynd pipe, & other passages of the brethe. But not withstādyng this exercise is not vsed al­way, and of all persons. For they, in whome is a­bundance [Page] of humours corrupted, or be moch dis­eased with cruditie in the stomacke and vaynes, those do I counsayle, to absteyn from the exercise of the voice, left moch corrupted iuyce or vapors, may therby be into all the body distributed. And here I conclude to speake of exercise, whiche of them, that desyre to [...]emayn long in helth, is most di [...]igently, & as I mought say, most scrupulously to be obserued.

¶ Of Replecion. Cap. i.

REPLECION IS A superfluous abundaunce of hu­mours in the body: and that is in two maner of wyse, that is to say in quantitie, and in qualitie. In quantitie, as where all the foure humours are more in abundance, than be equall in proporcion to the body that conteyneth theym, or where one humour moche excedeth the reme­na [...]nt in quantitie. In qualytie, as where the bloud, or other humour, is hotter or colder, thyc­ker, or thinner, than is conuenient vnto the body. Fyrste, where all the humours, beinge superflu­ousely increased, fylleth and extendeth the recep­tories of the bodye, as the stomacke, the vaynes, [Page 54] and bowelles, and is mooste properly callyd ful­nesse, in greke Plethor [...], in latyne Ple [...]it [...]do. The o­ther is, where the bodye is infa [...]ced, eyther with coler, yelow or blacke, or with fleume, or with wa­try humours, and is properly callid in greke Ca­cochymia, in latyn Viciosus succus, in englishe it may be called corrupt iuyce. I wyl not here write, the subtyll and abundant definitions and descripti­ons of Galene in his bokes de Plenitudine, and in his cōmentaries vpon the aphorismes of Hipo­crates. For it shall here suffise, to shewe the ope­rations of replecion good or yl, remytting them, which be curious, and desire a more ample decla­ration, to the most excellente warkes of Galene, Aph. li. 2. where he may be satisfied, if he be not determy­ned to repugue agaynst reson. Hipocrates saith, Apho. 15. Vbi cibus praeter naturā plusing est▪ est hic morb [...] facit. Galen. in comment. loco prae­dicto. where meat is receyued moch aboue nature, that maketh syckenesse. Galene declaryng that place sayth, More meate than accordeth with natures measure, is named Replecion. And afterwarde he expoundeth that worde aboue nature, to syg­nyfye to moche and superfluously, as who sayth, where the meate is superfluousely taken, it ma­keth syckenesse. For meate but a lyttell excedyng temperance, may not forthwith make syckenes, but may yet kepe the body within the latitude or boundes of helthe, for the meate that shall make syckenesse, muste nat a lyttell excede the exquisite measure. The incommmoditie, whiche hapneth therby is, that moystnesse is to moche extended, and naturall heate is debilitate. Also naturalle [Page] heate, resolueth sommewhat of the superfluouse meate and drinke. And of that, whyche is re [...]ol­ued of meate vndygested, procedeth fumosytie, grosse and vndygested, whiche ascendyng vp in­to the heed, and touchynge the ryme, wherin the bray [...]e is wrapped, causeth head ache, trembling of the members, [...]uskyshnes of the sight, & ma­ny other sycknesses: also by the sharpnes therof, it prycketh and anoyeth the sinewes, which make sensibilttie, the rootes of whom, are in the braine, and from thens passeth throughe all the bodye. Fynallye, the sayd fumositie, ingendred of reple­cion, percynge the innermooste parte of the said synewes, called sensible, it greuousely annoyeth the power animall, there consistyng, by the occa­sion wherof, vnderstandynge and reason, as to the vse of them, are lette and troubled. And also the tongue, whiche is reasons exposytour, is de­priued of his offyce, as it appereth in them, whi­che are drunke, and them, whyche haue greuous peynes in theyr heed, procedynge of replecion. Sygnes of replecyon be these, losse of appetite, delyte in nothyng, slouthfulnesse, dulnesse of the Oribasius E [...]poristō lib. 1. wytte, and sences, more sleape, than was accu­stomed to be, crampes in the bodye, stertynge or saltion of the members, fulnesse of the vaynes, and thyckenesse of the poulses, horrour or shro­uelynge of the body myxt with heate. The reme­dies are abstinence, and all euacuations▪ wherof I wyll make mencion in the next chapiter.

¶ Of Euacuation. Cap. ii.

THe meates and drynkes receyued into the body, if the stomake and lyuer doo their na­tural office, be altered by concoction and digestiō in suche wyse that the best part therof goth to the nouryshement of the body: the warst, being sepa­rate by the members officiall, from the residue, a [...] made excrementes in sondrye fourmes and sub­stances, whiche are like in qualitie to the natural humour, whiche than raigneth most in the body. These excrementes be none other, but matter su­perfluouse and vnsauery, whiche by naturall po­wers may not be cōuerted into fleshe, but remay­nyng in the body corrupt the members, and ther­fore nature abhorryng them, desyreth to haue thē expelled. These excrementes be thre in number, Exc [...]eme [...] tes. Ordure. ordure, v [...]ine, humour superfluous. Moreouer, there be two sortes of ordure, that is to saye, one digested, whiche passeth by siege, the other vndi­gested, whiche is expellyd by vomyte. Where I Dygested. saye digested. I meane, that it is passed the sto­make, and tourned into an nother fygure. Lykewyse I calle that vndigested, whyche styll retay­neth the fygure of meate. Vrine is the watry sub­stance of the bloudde, lyke as whay is of mylke, Vri [...]. whiche out of the meate that is altered and co [...] ­cocte or boyled in the stomake, is strayned in the vaynes callyd Mesaraice, whiche procedeth frome the holowe part of the lyuer, and sent by the rai­nes into the bladder, passeth by the Instrument, [Page] the whiche is ordeyned as wel to that purpose, as for generation. Humor superfluous is in .iii. sor­tes, [...] s [...] ­perfluous. either myxt with any of the foure humours, callyd natural, orels it is gathered into the brain, or it is betwene the skyn and the fleshe, or lieth a­monge the sinewes, muscules, or ioyntes. Of hu­mours, some are more grosse and colde, some are subtyl and hot, and are called vapours. Now for to expell the sayd excrementes, are. ix. s [...]ndry kyn­des of euacuation, that is to say, abstinence, vo­myte, purgation by siege, lettyng of bloude, sca­ [...]ifieng callyd cupping, sweating, prouocation of vrine, spittyng, bledyng at the nose, or by hemo­roides: And in women, their natural purgatiōs. Of these euacuations I wil brefely declare, with the cōmodities, which by the discrete vse of them do happen vnto the body.

¶ Of Abstinence. Cap. iii.

ABstinence is a forbearynge to receyue any meate or drynke. For if it be but in parte, it is than callyd rather temperance than abstinēce. It ought to be vsed onely after replecion, as the proper remedye therfore. And than if it be mode­rate, it consumeth superfluities, & in consuminge them, it clarifieth the humours, maketh the body Cels. li. 2. Hipoc. a­pho. li. 7. fayre coloured, and not onely kepeth out sicknes, but also where sycknes is entred, nothynge more helpeth, if it be vsed in season. To them, whiche haue very moist bodies, hunger is right expedi [...]t [Page 56] for it maketh them more drie, not withstandynge there ought to be consideratiōs, in the meate be­fore Co [...]syde­rations i [...] absti [...] eaten, in the age of the person, in the tyme of the yere, & in custom. Fyrst in the mete before eatē, if it be moch in excesse or very grosse, or not moch excedinge, or lyght of digestion, and accordinge therto, wolde abstinence more or lasse be propor­cioned. Concerning age, Hipocrates saith, old mē Apho. li. 1. may susteyn fasting easily: next vnto theym, men of myddel age, yong men may wars beare it, chil­dern warst of all, specially they that be lusty: not withstanding here Galen correcteth Hipocrates, Galen. in comment. saying, that he shuld haue exceptid men very old, who, as experience declareth, must eate often and lyttell. As touching tyme, it must be remembred, that in wynter and spring tyme, the stomakes be naturally very hot, & slepe is longe, & therfore in that tyme meates wolde be more abundant, & all though moche be eaten, it wyll be son [...] digested. Wherfore abstinence wold not be thā so moch as in sommer, albeit to absteyn moch in sommer, ex­cept it be after replecion, Damascene saith, it dri­eth Damascenus apho. the body, it maketh the colour salowe, it ingē ­dreth melancoly, and hurteth the sight. Moreouer custome may not be forgoten. for they, which are vsed from childhode, to eate sondry meales in the day, wold rather be reduced to fewer meales, & li­tell meate, than to be cōpelled to absteyn vtterly, to the intent, y^t nature, which is made by custom, be not rebuked, & the power digestiue therby debilitate. And note wel, that by to moche abstinence, [Page] the moysture of the body is withdrawen and cō ­sequently the body drieth, and waxeth leane: na­turall heate, by withdrawyng of moysture, is to moche incended, and nat fyndynge humoure to warke in, tourneth his vyolence to the radycall or substanciall moysture of the body, and exhau­stynge that humour, bringeth the body into a cō ­sumption. Wherfore Hipocrates saythe, that to scarse and exquisite an order in meate and drink, Aph. li. 2. is for the more patte more dangerous than that, whiche is more abundant. Contrary wyse mode­ration in abstinence▪ accordyng to the sayde con­syderations, is to helth a sure bulwarke.

¶ Of Vomite. Cap. iiii.

THe meate or drynke superfluous, or corrup­ted in the stomak is best expelled by vomite, if it be not very greuous to hym, whiche is disea­sed. Also the moderate vse of it, pourgeth fleume, A [...]i▪. li. 1. lighteth the heed, causeth that the excesse of mea­tes or drinkes, shall not anoy or bringe syckenes. Moreouer, it amedeth the affectes of the raines, the bladder, and the fundement. It also helpeth agaynst lepries, cankers, goutes, dropsies, & also dyuers syckenesses procedyng of the stomacke. For if any grefe hapneth of the heade, vomite is than vncommodious. It is better in wynter, thā in sommer. Also good for them, which are replete or very colerike▪ if they haue not welle digested. but it is yll for them that be leane, or haue weake [Page 57] stomakes. And therfore where one feeleth bytter vapours, risyng out of his stomacke, with griefe and weighty [...]es, in the ouer partes of his body, let him runne forth with to this remedy. It is al­so good for him that is hart burned, and hath moche spittel, or his stomake wambleth, and for him that remeueth into sondry places. yet I counsa [...]le saith Celsus, hym that wyll be in helth, and wold Cels. li. 1. not be to soone aged, that he vse not this dayely. And I my selfe haue knowen men, whiche dayly vsyng it, haue brought therby their stomakes in­to suche custome, that what so euer they dyd eate, they coude not longe retayn it, wherby they shor­tene their liues. Wherfore it wold not be vsid, but onely where great surfet, or abundance of fleume do require it. He that wyll vomite after meate, let hym drynke sondry drinkes myxte togyther, and last of all, warme water: or if that be to easy, let hym myxt therwith salt or hony. If he wyll vo­mite fastyng, let hym drinke water and hony sod­den togither, or Isope with it, or eate of a radyshe roote, and drynke warme water vpon it. also wa­ter, wherin radyshe is boyled, and afterward pro­uoke hym selfe to it. Them, that wyll haue more violent purgations, I remytte to phisitions ler­ned. But yet I do eftsones warne them, that ther in they be circumspect, and do not moche vse it. Moreouer in vomites, the matter brought forth, wold be consydered, accordyng to the rules of Hi­pocrates, Hipocra. praesag. 2. cap. 7. in his seconde boke of pronostications, that is to say, if it be myxt with fleme and coler, it [Page] is most profitable if it be not in very great quāti­te, nor thick, the lasse mixture it hath, the wars is it. If it be grene, like to leke blades, thyn or blak, it is to be iuged yll. If it haue al colours, it is ex­treme perillous. If it be ledy coloured, & sauorith horribly, it signifieth a short aboli [...]ion, or dissolu­tion of nature. For as Galene affirmeth there in his commente, suche maner of vomite declareth corruption with extinctinge of nature. Also eue­ry pu [...]ified and stynkynge sauoure in vomite is yll. These thynges be right necessary, to be loked Galen. de lo [...]s aff [...] ­ctis. lib. 1. for, where one doth vomite without any difficul­tie: but to inforce one to vomite, which can nat, is very odious, and to be abhorted.

¶ Of Purgations by siege. Cap. v.

IF the hed be heuy, or the eien dimme, or if there be peyne felt of the colyke, or in the lower parte Cel [...]. li. 1. A [...]. li. 3. of the bely, or in the hippes, or some colerike mat­ter or fleume in the stomake. Also if the breath be hardely fetched, if the bealy of hym selfe sendeth forth nothing, or if being costiue, one feleth yl sa­uour or bytternes in his mouth, or that which he maketh, hath an horrible sauour, or if abstinence do not, at the fyrst putte awaye the feuer, or if the strength of the body may nat susteyne lettyng of bloud, or els the time therfore conuenient is past, or if one haue drunke moche before his sycknes, or if he whiche oftentymes vnconstrayned, hath had great sieges, be sodeynly stopped: in al these [Page 58] cases, and where it is peynfull to vomite, and in gnawyng or frettinges of the stomake, finally in all replecions, where a man can not or wyl not be let bloudde or vomite, it is expedient to prouoke siege by purgations, whiche are receiued by two wayes: vpwarde at the foundement by supposi­tories or clysters. Downeward at the mouth, by potions, electuaries, or pylles. Suppositories at vsed, where the pacient is weake, and maye not [...]eceyue any other purgations. sometyme for as moche as the strayt gutte is stopped with excre­mentes, which ar drie and hard: somtime where there nedeth none other pourgation, specially in bournyng feuers, wherof the matter ascendeth in to the heed, than clisters may do harme, & by the benefit of suppositories, excrementes at brought forthe without any annoyāce. And oftentymes it bringeth forth that, whiche clysters maye nat.

Suppositories at made somtime with hony on­ly, sodden, rolled on a bourde, and made rounde, smaller at the one ende than at the other, & of the length and greatnes, according to the quātitie of the body that taketh it. Somtyme there is myxte with the hony salt dried, or salt peter, or the pow­der of suche thinges, as do eyther purge the hu­mor, which offēdeth, or dissolueth grosse windes, or other matter: they be somtyme made with to­seyn, pitche, ware, or gūmes, somtime of rotes, or the leaues of mercury grene, very small bruised. also with figgis or reisons, the stones takē out, or of white sope, made i the figure aforsaid, & being [Page] made in the forme aforesayd, they must be put vp in at the fundement, to the great end, and the pa­cient must kepe it there the space of half an houre or more. Clysters are made of lycour, sometyme symple, as water sodden, mylk, oyle, or wyne. somtyme myxt, as water and oyle togither, or decocti­ons, as where herbes, rotes, fruites, sedes, or gū ­mes, hauynge propertie to make softe, dissolue, drawe forthe, or expelle matter that greueth, be boyled, and the lycour therof, sometyme warme, somtyme hotte, is receyued at the fundement into the body by a lyttell pipe of golde or syluer, yuo­ [...]ie or wodde, therfore ordeyned and callyd a cly­ster pipe. This is necessary, where the stomake is weake, and may not susteyn the warkyng of me­dicines receyued at the mouth. also in feuers, co­lykes, and other diseases in the bowels, griefe in the raynes of the backe or huckle bone, ventosy­ties in the bealye, inflamation or exulceration in the guttes or bladder. It is a cōuenient and sure medicine, and lest hurt doth ensue of it. The ma­kyng and ordryng therof▪ I wyll omytte to write in this place, partly that I wold not, that phisiti­ons shuld to moch note in me presumption, part­ly that an nother place may be more apte to that pourpose.

¶ The particular commodities of euery pourgation. Cap. vi.

IN potions, electuaties, and pylles ought to be moch more obseruation, than in clysters or sup­positories, for as moche as these do enter no fur­ther [Page 59] than into the gutte, where the ordure lyeth, & by that plac [...] only, bringeth forth the matter, whiche causeth disease. But the other entryng in that way, that meates and drinkes do, commeth into the stomacke, and there is boyled, and sente into the places of digestion, and afterwarde is myxte with the iuyce, wherof the substance of the body is made, and expellyng the aduersary humou [...]s, somewhat therof doutlesse remayneth in the bo­dy. Wherfore men haue nede to beware, what medycines they receyue, that in them be no veneno­sitie, malyce, or corruption, leste for the expellyng of a superfluous humor, whiche perchance good diete, or som brothes made of good herbes, or the sayde euacuation, with supposytorie or clyster, mought bring forth a [...]leysure. by desyryng of to hasty remedy, they receyue in medicine that, whi­che shall ingender a venomous humour, & vne­uitable destructiō vnto al the body. And therfore happy is he, whiche in sycknes fyndeth a discrete and well lerned phisition, and so true a poticary, that hath alway drowges vncortupted, & whom the phisition may surely trust, to dispece his thinges truely. But now to returne to the sayd forme of purgation, I wyll nowe set forth some coun­sayles, concernynge that matter, whiche I haue collected out of the chiefe authors of phisike.

Bodies hote & moyst: may easily susteyn purga­tion by the stoole. They, whiche be leane or thyn, hauyng the members tender, may take harme by purgations. To men that at colerike, and them, [Page] that eate litell, purgations at greuous. In yōge chyldern and olde men, it is daungerous to louse moche the [...]ealy. To them that at not wont to it, purgation is noyful. He that liueth in a good or­der of diet, nedeth neither purgation nor vomite. After that the purgatiō hath wrought, thirstines and sounde [...]lepe, be signes that the body is suffi­ciently purged. By dayly takynge of medicines, nature is corrupted. Whan ye wylle pourge any thing, make first the matter flowing and soluble. Medicine to purge ought not to be mingled with meate, but to be takē fou [...]e houres at the least be­fore Hipocra. [...]phor. meales, or thre houres after meales, excepte certayne easy pylles made to clense and comforte the stomake, whiche wold be taken at the begyn­ning of supper, or after supper, a litell before that one goth to bed, makyng a light supper or none. After purgation taken, the pacient shuld rest, and not walke, vntyl the medicine hath wrought, nor eate or drinke in the meane space. These thinges haue I rem [...]bred, bycause I haue knowen right good phisitions, to haue forgotten, to instructe therof their pacientes. Nowe wyll I sette forthe the table of suche thinges, which of their proper­tie do digest or purge superfluous humors par­ticulatly, whiche I haue gathered out of the bo­kes of Dioscorides, Galen, Paulꝰ Egineta, Ori basius, & A [...]tius, and other late writers. not withstandyng. I haue not writen all, for as moche as there be diuers thynges, whervnto we haue not [...] founden any names in englyshe.

• [Page 60]¶ Endyue.
• Lettyse.
• Cykorie.
• Scabiose.
• Maydenheate.
• Malowes.
• Mercurye.
• The iuyce of pome­granades.
• Pourselane.
• Popye.
• Berberyes.
• Roses.
• Violettes, the leafe and flowre.
• Sorell.
• Lyuerworte.
• Sorell de boyse.
• Whay clarified.
• The greate foure colde sedes, that is to saye, of gourdes, cucumbers, melones, and cittuls.
• Psillium,
• Vineger.
• Saunders.
• Barley water.
• Prunes.
• Tamarindes.

• ¶ Wylde hoppes.
• Wormewode.
• Centorie.
• Fumitorie.
• Whay of butter.
• Violettes.
• Mercurye.
• Iuyce of roses.
• Prunes.
• Eupatorie.
• Tamarindes halfe anounce in a decoction:
• Manna .vi. drammes at the leaste, and soo to xxv. in the brothe of a henne or capon.
• Reubarbarū by it selfe from two drammes, vnto foure, infused or sti­ped in lycour, from .iiii. drammes vnto .viii.

• ¶ Fenell.
• Persely, the rotes.
• Smallage.
• Capers.
• Lawrell.
• [Page] Synuy [...].
• Puly.
• Maioram.
• Peny [...]oyall.
• Wylde parsny [...] sede.
• Mynt.
• Pympernell.
• Horemynt.
• Gladen.
• Ag [...]ym [...]nye.
• Calamynt.
• Nep.
• Betayne.
• Sauge.
• Radyshe.
• Mugworte.
• Iunyper.
• Hysope,
• P [...]onye.
• Baulme.
• Honye.
• [...]ynger.
• Squilla.
• Ari [...]tolochia.
• Cynamome.
• Pepper.
• Cumyne.

• ¶ Centorie.
• [...]ettyll.
• Agtimonye.
• Alder.
• Polypod [...]ū of the oke.
• Myrobalani kebuli, in fused from half an oūce to an ounce, and .ii. drā ­mes. In substāce, from two drammes to halfe an ounce.
• Aga [...]icus frō a drāme to two drāmes infused, from .ii. drāmes to fiue.
• Y [...]eos.
• Maydenheare.
• Sticados.

• ¶ The brothe of cole­wortes lyght boyled.
• Baulme mynte.
• Sticados.
• [...]yme.
• Scene boiled in white wine or in the brothe of a henne.
• Lased sauery.
• Exithimus.
• Vnwrought sylke.
• [...]rganum.
• [Page 61] Calamynt.
• Bourage.
• Hartis tongue.
• Quyckbeme.
• Maydenheare.
• Wyth wynde.
• Pulyall mountayne.
• Honye.
• Sugar.

¶ Melancolye for the thynnesse and subtylnesse of the humour, nedeth no digestiue.

¶ They whiche wyll take sharper purgations, or compound with dyuers thinges, let them take the counsayle of an honest and perfite phisition, & not aduenture to myxte thynges togither, with out knowing the temperance of them in degrees, and that he can proporcion them to the body, that shall receyue them in symples, as they be writen. And so he may vse them without peryll, ageynste the humours, whervnto they serue.

Lettynge of bloudde. Cap. vi.

THe parte of Euacuation by lettyng of blud, is incision or cuttyng of the vayne, wherby the bloud, whiche is cause of syckenes or grefe to the hole body, or any particular part therof, doth most aptly passe. The commodities wherof, be­inge A [...]oldus de uilla noua. in a moderate quantitie, and in a due tyme taken, be these that folowe, it clarifieth the wytte, and maketh good memory, it cl [...]s [...]th the bladder, it drieth the brayne, it warmeth the ma [...]owe, be­inge in the bones, it openeth the herynge, it stop­peth teares or droppynges of the eyen, it taketh [Page] away lothsomnes, and confirmeth the stomak, it norisheth that, which is propre to nature, and the contrary expelleth. It is thought, that therby life is prolonged, and the matter makyng syckenesse shortely consumed. Wherfore lettynge of bloude Oribasius su medici nae com­pendio. is not only expedient for them, whiche are full [...]of bloud, or haue abundāce of strength, but also for them, in whom, without plenitude, callyd fulnes, inflammations begyn to be in their bodies, or by some outwarde stroke, the bloude being gathered within, by collection therof, do fele griefe or dis­ease. Also where there is moche peyne felte, or de­bilitie of some member, wherof is supposed to be ingendred some greuous disease. Moreouer they whiche vse excesse of meates and drynkes, maye be cured by lettynge of bloudde. But those, whi­che be temperate, kepynge good diete, be holpen without lettynge of bloud: as by fricasies, vsing of bathes, exercise, walkynge, and tydyng mode­rately. Also vnctions with oyles and oyntemen­tes, callyd Diaphoreticae, whiche by euaporation, do shortely euacuate the fulnesse. All be it, if the ful­nesse be of melancolye bloud, than alwaye nedes muste be lettynge of bloudde. Aboundaunce of melancolye bloudde is knowen by these sygnes. There is felt in the entrayles, or within the bulke of a man or woman, a weyghtynesse with tensi­on or thrustyng outwarde. and all that part, whi­che is aboue the nauel, is more heuy, than it was wont to be. Also moch vain and fatty, the residc̄ce or bottom thycke, troublous, and fatte. somtyme [Page 62] blacke poushes or boyles, with inflamation and moch peyne. These must be shortly let bloud, and the melancoly humor also purged by siege. They whiche haue crude or raw humors, must be warely let bloudde, before that syknesse ingender, but hauynge the feuer, in no wyse. Concerninge let­tyng Acti. ll. 3 of bloud, these thinges folowyng, wold be hadde in continuall remembraunce, and be afore thought on. In abundance of the bloud, the qua­litie and quantitie, the greatnesse of the sycknes, and if it be present, or loked for. also the diete pre­cedynge, the age and strength of the persone, the naturall fourme of his body, the time of the yere, the region or coūtrey, the present state of the aire the disvse of accustomed exercise, the cessyng of e­uacuations vsed before. In qualitie consyder, of what humour the fulnesse procedeth. In quanti­titie the abūdance of that, which is to be purged. In siknes, if it be dangerous or tollerable: if the siknes be present, it requireth the more diligēce: if it be loked for, it may be the better proporcioned. In diet, the custom in eating & drinking, must be specially noted. In yong men & womē, lettyng of bloud wold be more liberall. In old men & yonge children, it wold be scarser: stronge men may su­steyne bledyng, they which ar feble, maye not en­dure it: Large bodies haue greater vessels, than they, whiche be litell. leane men haue more blod, corporate men haue more fleshe. The tyme of the Cor. Cel­sus li. 3. yere must be specially marked. For in the begyn­ning of springe tyme is the best letting of bloud, [Page] as Dribasius sayth, and so dothe continue, after the opinion of Arnolde, vnto the eighte calendes Oriba. su. Arnoldus de uilla noua de flobotho­mia. lo. Dama scenus in arte med. of Iune. Aetius affirmeth, that in wynter, or in a colde countrey, or where the person is of a very colde nature, the vaynes shulde not be opened. And Damascene saythe, They whiche in youthe haue vsed to be moch let bloud, after they be thre score yeres olde, their nature waxeth colde, and naturall heate is in them suffocate, speciallye if they were of a colde complexion. but that is to be vnderstande, where they that are in helth, are of­ten let bloud. For in the lapse from helthe, and in dyuers diseases, wherin the bloude is corrupted, or where it ingedreth impostumes, or resorteth to any place, where it ought not to be, or passeth by any other cundyte, than nature hath ordeyned, or where it is furious or inflamed, or by any other meanes bredeth greuous diseases, in all these ca­ses, it ought to be practised, ye sometyme in aged persons, women with childe, and yong infantes. For in extreme necessitie it were better experience some remedy, than to do nothynge. Al other thin­ges concernynge this matter, pertayn to the part curatiue, whiche treateth of healyng of sycknes, wherof I wyll not nowe speake, but remytte the reders to the counsayle of discrete phisitions.

Of scarifyeng callyd boxyng or cuppyng. Cap. vii.

FOr as moche as it is not conuenient, to be let Galenus. bloud oftentymes in the yere, bicause moch of [Page 63] the vytall spirite, passeth forth with the bloudde, Acti^• li. 3. whiche being exhaust, the body waxeth colde, and natural operations becom the more feble, I ther fore do counsayle (saith Galen) that the base par­tes of the body, as the legges, be scarified, which is the moste sure remedy, as well in conseruynge helthe, as in repayrynge therof, beinge decayed. For it cureth the eyen being annoyed with longe dystillations. It profiteth also to the heed, and o­uer parte of the body against sondry diseases. In what member the bloud is gathered, the body be­ing fyrst purged by scarification, the grefe maye be cured. Also Oribasius affirmeth the same, and also addeth therto, that it helpeth squynances, or Oribasius in medici ne com­pendio. quinces in the throte, and dissolueth the constipa tions or stoppinges made of al places, if the pla­ces be scarified: not withstanding application of boxes about the stomake, in hot feuers, where re­son is troubled, ar to be eschewed, for feare of suf­focation. Lykewise put to the heed vndiscretely, it hurteth both the heed and the cies. The late au­thors Actius. do affirme, that scarifieng is in the stede of lettyng bloudde, where for age, debilitie, or tyme of the yere, or other lyke consyderation, a manne may not susteyn bloud lettynge, and it bryngethe forth the thyn blod, which is next to the skynne.

Of bloud suckers or leaches. Cap viii.

THere is also an other fourme of euacuation by wormes, founde in waters called bloude [Page] suckers, or leaches, which being put vnto the bo­dy or member, doo drawe out bloudde. And their drawyng is more conuenient for fulnesse of blod thanne scarifienge is, for as moche as they fetche bloude more deper, and is more of the substance of bloude. yet the opinion of somme men is, that they do drawe no bloudde but that, which is cor­rupted, and not proporcionable vnto our body. And therfore in griefes, whiche happen betwene the skynne and the flusshe of bloudde corrupted, these are more conuenient than scarifienge. But before that they be put vnto any part of the body Oribasius in medici ne com­pendio. they must be fyrst kept all one day before, giuing vnto them a lyttell bloude in fresshe flesshe. And than put them in a clene water, somwhat warme, and with a spounge wype away the flyme, which is about them, and than lay a lyttell bloud on the place greued, and put them than to it, and lay on theym a spounge, that whan they be fulle, they may falle away, or if ye wyll sooner haue theym of, putte a horse heare bytweene theyr mouthes, and the place, and drawe theym awaye, or putte to their mouthes salte or asshes, or vyneger, and forthewith they shall falle, and than wasshe the place with a spounge, and yf there doo yssue mo­che bloudde, laye on the place the poulder of a spounge, and pytche bourned, or lynnen clothe bourned, or galles bourned, or the herbe callyd Bursa pastoris bruysed. And this suffyseth concer­nyng bloud suckers.

¶ Of hemoroides or pyles. Cap. ix.

HEmorroides be vaynes in the foundement, of whom do happen sondry passions. some­tyme swellyng, without bledynge, sometyme su­perfluous bloud by the puissance of nature, is by them expelled, and than be they very conuenient. for by them a man shall escape many great syck­nesses, whiche be ingendred of corrupted bloud, or of melancoly. Semblably, if they be hastylye stopped frome the course, whiche they haue bene vsed to, therby do increase the sayd syknesses, which by them were expelled, as dropsies, cōsumpti­ons, madnes, fransies, and diuers diseases of the heed, and other syknesses, palenes of the vysage, griefe in the raines of the backe, and thies. And if they flow to moch, there insueth feblenes, lean­nes of the body, alteration of colour, great pei­nes in the lower partes of the bodye. And if the fluxe be vnmoderate, it ingendreth myscheuous diseases. Wherfore it wolde be diligentely taken hede, that they runne in mesure, or els to vse some thinges moderately, whiche may restrayn them.

¶ Concernyng other euacuatiōs, I do purpose­ly omytte to wryte of theym in this place, for as moche as in this realme, it hath bene accompted not honest, to declare them in the vulgar tongue, but onely secretely.

Of affectes of the mynde. Cap. x.

THe last of thinges callid not naturall, is not the least parte to be consydered, the whyche [Page] is of affectes and passions of the mynde. For yf they be immoderate, they do not onely anoye the body, & shorten the lyfe, but also they do appaire, and somtime lose vtterly a mans estimation. And that moche more is, they bringe a man from the vse of reason, and sometyme in the displeasure of almighty god. wherfore they do not only require the helpe of phisyke corporall, but also the coun­sell of a man wyse and well lerned in morall phi­losophye. Wherfore after that I haue recyted, what they be, I wyll briefely declare suche coun­sayles, as I haue gathered. And as concernynge remedies of phisike sauing a few symples, which do comfort the harte & spirites, the residue I wyl remytte to the counsayle of phisitions, lyke as I haue done in euacuation. Affectes of the mynde, wherby the body is annoyed, and do bring in sik­nes, be these, yre or wrath, heuynes or sorow, glad nes, or reioycyng.

¶ Of Ire. Cap. xi.

IRe is kendlyd in the harte, inordinately chau­fyng the spirites there, and than is sent forthe into the members, and doth superfluously heate them, and disturbeth reason, where the bodyes be hotte afore. Where naturall heate is feeble, the heate may nat be dispersed vnto the extreme par­tes, and than dothe the extreme members, that is to say, whiche are farre frome the harte, remayne colde, and tremblynge. Of this affection cometh [Page 65] sometyme feuers, sometime apoplexies, or priua­tion of sencis, tremblyng, palseys, madnes, fran sies, deformitie of visage, and that warse is, out­ragious swearynge, blasphemy, desyre of venge­ance, losse of charitie, amitie, credence, also forget­fulnes of benefite precedynge, and of obedience, duetie, and reuerence. There also do succede con­tencion, chargeable suite, vnquietnes of mynde, lacke of appetite, lacke of flepe, feeble digestion, scorne, disdayne, and hatrede of other, with peryl of losyng of all good reputation. These incom­modities of Ire, perfitely had in remembrance, & at the fyrst motion therof one of them thought on, may happen to brynge in his felowes, & ther­by the flame may be quenched. or let hym that is angry, euen at the fyrst consyder one of these thin ges, that lyke as he is a man, so is also the other, with whom he is angrye, and therfore it is as le­full for the other to be angry, as vnto hym, and if he so be, than shall that anger be to hym displea­sant, and stere hym more to be angry. Wherby it appereth, that Ire is to hym lothsome. If the o­ther be pacient, than let hym abhorte that thinge in hym selfe, the lacke whereof, in the other con­tenteth hym, and asswageth his malice. More o­uer, let hym before, that occasion of Ire doth happen, accustome hym selfe to beholde, and marke well them that be angry, with the successe of that anger. & ruminate it in his mynde, a good space after. And in that tyme, let hym remember, how Christe, the sonne of God and God, who (as he [Page] hym selfe sayd) mought haue had of God his fa­ther, if he woldehaue asked them, legions of an­gels to haue defended hym, ye with lasse than a wynke, mought haue slayne all his aduersaries, yet he not withstandyng rebuked, scorned, falsely accused, plucked hyther & thyther, stryped, boun­den with halters, whypped, spytte on, buffetted, crowned with sharpe thorne, laded with a heuye piece of tymber, his owne proper torment, halyd, & driuen forth lyke a calfe to the slaughter house, eftsones beaten and ouerthrowen, retched forthe with ropes, armes and legges layd on the crosse, and thervnto with long yron nailes through the handes and fete nailed, with many strokes of hā ­mers, with many prickynges, or euer the nayles mought perce by his tender & most blessed flesshe, and synewes, quyte throughe the harde tymber, vp to the heedes of the nayles, and all this being done for the offence of mankynd, and not his, yet with the men, whiche dyd it, his mooste vnkynde countrey men, his most vnnaturall kynnesinen, whom he fyrste made of nothynge, preserued by myracles, delyuered from perylles, and cured of dyseases, in all his vexation and trouble, he was neuer sene or perceyued angry. If one wyll saye, that Anger is naturall, lette hym also consyder, that in Christis manhoode were all naturall po­wers. If he wyll saye, that Ire is token of cou­rage, and in Christe it lacked not, whom both an­gels and deuyls trembled and feared. The pre­mysses often reuolued, and borne in the mynde, I [Page 66] wyll not say, shall vtterly extincte all motions of wrath, whiche is not possible, but it shal, whan it kyndleth lyghtly represse it, and lette that it shall not growe into flame. And in speakynge here of wrathe, I do not meane that, which good menne haue agaynst vices: or wyse and discrete gouer­nours, and maisters, ageinste the defautes or ne­gligences of their subiectes or seruauntes, vsed in rebukynge them, or moderately punysshynge them. For that is not properly yre, but rather to be callyd displesure, and is that wherof god spe­keth, by his prophete Dauid, sayenge, Be you angry, and do not synne. And that maner of an­ger, Psal. 4. Genes. 31. Exod. 32. Leuit. 10. Marc. 11. hath ben in dyuers holy men, prophetes, and other. And it appered in Christe, whan he draue oute theym, whyche made their markette, in the holy temple of god, where there oughte to be no­thynge but prayer. And in lyke wyse whan he re­buked the hypocrites. But yf none of these thin­ges may come so shortely to his remembraunce, that is meued with anger, at the leaste, lette hym thynke on the lesson, that Apollodorus the phy­losopher, taught to the emperour Octauian, that before he speake or do any thynge in anger, he do recite in order, al the letters of the A, B, C, and re­moue somwhat out of the place, that he is in, and seke occasion to be otherwise occupied. This shal for this time suffise, for the remedies of Ire. And he that wyl knowe more of this matter, lette hym rede in my warke, callyd the Gouernour, where I therof do write more abundantly.

¶ Of dolour or heuynesse of mynde. Capitulo. xii.

THere is nothynge more ennemye to lyfe, thā sorowe, called also heuynes, for it exhausteth bothe naturall heate and moysture of the bodye, and dothe extenuate or make the body leane, dul­leth the wytte, and darkeneth the spirites, letteth the vse and iudgement of reason, and oppresseth memorie. And Salomon sayth, that sorowe dri­eth vp the bones. And also, lyke as the mothe in [...]. 17. the garment, and the wourme in the tree, so dothe heuynesse annoye the harte of a man. Also in the boke callyd Ecclesiasticus, Sorowe hath kylled Ecclesia­sti. 25. 28. many, and in it selfe is founde no commoditie. Also by heuynesse deth is hastened, it hydeth ver­tue or strengthe, and heuynesse of harte boweth downe the necke. This is so puissant an enemye to nature and bodily helth, that to resyste the ma­lyce and violence therof, are required remedies, as well of the holsome counsayles founde in holy cripture, and in the bokes of morall doctrine, as also of certayne herbes, fruites, and spyces, ha­uynge the propretie to expelle melancolyke hu­mours, and to comfor [...] kepe lyuely the spiri­tes, whyche haue theyr proper habitation in the harte of man, and moderate nourishynge of the naturall heate and humour callid radicall, which is the base or foūdation, whervpon the lyfe of mā standeth, and that fayling, lyfe falleth in ruine, & the body is dissolued. Nowe fyrst I wyll declare [Page 67] some remedies ageynst sorowfulnesse of hart, cō ­cernynge necessary counsayle.

Sometyme this affecte hapneth of Ingrati­tude, eyther where for benefite, or special loue employed, one receyueth damage, or is abandoned in his necessitie, or is deceyued of hym, whom he trusted, or fyndeth hym, of whom he hath greate expectation, forgetfull or neglygent in his cōmo­ditie, or perceyueth the persone, whome of longe tyme he hath loued, to be estraunged from him, or to haue one of later acquayntaunce in more esty­mation. This affection nyppeth the harte, ye of moste wysemen, for they loue moste hartily, not prouoked by carnal affection, but rather by good opinion, ingēdred by similitude of honest studies and vertuous maners of longe tyme mutuallye experiēced. And it is not only vnto mā greuous, but also vnto god most displeasant and odious, as it is abundantly declared in scripture. Wher­fore the persone, whiche feleth hym selfe touched with this affecte, before that it growe into a pas­sion, and waxeth a sycknesse, lette hym call to re­membrance these articles folowyng, or at the lest ways some of them, for eueryche of theym maye ease hym, though perchaunce they can nat forthe with perfitly cute hym.

¶ Consyder, that the corruptiō of mans nature is not so moch declared in any thing, as in ingratitude, Loūiasles ageinst in­gratitude. wherby a man is made warse, thā dyuers brute beastes. The lytell ant or emote helpeth vp his felow, whom he seeth ouerthrowen with bur­deyn, [Page] or, by other occasion. Also whan olyphantes do passe ouer any great water, the grettest & most Appianns in varia historia. puissant of them diuide them selfes, and settinge the weakest in the myddell, part go before, trieng the depenes and peryls, parte come after, succou­ryng the weakest or least, with their longe noses, whan they se them in danger. The same beastes haue ben sene not onely brynge men out of deser­ces, which haue lost their ways, but also reuenge the displeasures done to them, the whiche gaue them meate, as one that slewe him, which had cō ­mytted aduoutrie with his maysters wyfe. The terrible Lyons and Panthers, haue ben seene in their maner, to render thankes to their benefac­tours, ye and to obiecte their owne bodyes and lyues for their defence. The same we may daylye beholde in our owne dogges. Thā in whom thou fyndest the detestable vyce of Ingratitude, repu­tynge hym amonge the warst sorte of creatures, thinke not that thou haste lost a frende, but think that thou arte delyuered from a monster of na­ture, that deuoured thy loue, & that thou art now at libertie, and hast won experience to chese the a better. But if this may not suffise, than eftsones consyder, that if thou loke well on thy selfe per­chance Seneca, de benefi. 7. thou mayst fynde the faute, wherof thou complaynest, within thyn owne bosome. Calle to thy remembrance, if thou hast alway rendred vn­to euery man condigne thankes or benefytte, of whom thou hast kyndnes receiued, or if thou hast alway remeinbred, euery one of theym, that haue [Page 68] doone to the any commoditie or pleasure. Thou shalte well perceyue, that what thynge thou re­receyuedst in childhode, thou forgattest or diddest litel esteme, whan thou camist to the state of a mā. And what thou dyddeste remember in youthe, in age thou dyddest littell thynke on: thy nouryces pappe, her rockynges, her watchynges, thou hast not alway remembred, or equally recompensed.

Thy schole maysters study, his labour, his dily­gēce, in a like degre, thou hast not required. What greter frēdes hast thou had, of whom thou coul­dest receyue any gretter benefites, than thy nori­shyng and preseruyng of thy lyfe, in thy most fe­blenes, or thyn erudicion, wherby thy nature was made more excellent. Remembrynge this, leaue to be angry or sorowfull for so cōmon a vice, yet if it cesse not to greue the, cōferre the ingratitude that doth vexe the, with that ingratitude, whiche was shewed by the Israelites, whome god chase for his owne people, delyuered from seruage, she­wed for them wōders, preserued them forty yeres in desert, destroyd for them kynges, gaue to them the countrey, whiche flowed mylke and hony, de­fended them ageynst all outwarde hostilitie, sente vnto them such abundance of ryches, that syluer was in Hierusalē, as stones in the strete, had his tabernacle, and afterwarde his moste holye tem­ple amonge them, which he dyd dayly vysit with his diuine maiestie, made their kynges to reigne gloryousely, and spake with their prophetes fa­mylyarlye, and corrected theyr errours mooste [Page] gentilly: and yet for all this, they imbracyng the paynyms idolatrie, they left so gracious and lo­uyng a lorde, and lyuyng god, and to his greatte despite, gaue diuine honours, to calues of brasse, and other monstruous images, and at the laste, put to moste cruell dethe, the onely sonne of god, that had done so moche for them.

And if we christen men, do loke well on our sel­ues, reuoluynge the incomparable benefite, whi­che we haue receyued by Christis passion, and cō ­syder the circumstance of his moste excellent pa­cience, and moste feruent loue towarde vs, with our forgetfulnesse, and the dayly breache of oure promyse, whiche we made at our baptysme, con­ferryng our mutuall vnkyndnes thervnto, there shall appere none ingratitude that shulde offend vs. Fynally for a conclusion, beholde well about the, and thou shalt al day fynde the chylderne in­grate to their parentes, and wyues to their hus­bandes. And wylte thou loke that thy benefite or vayne expectation, shuld make the more fre from ingratitude of thy frende, whome chaunce hath sent the, than nature maye the parentes to warde their childrē, or the coniūction of bodyes by lefull mariage, take vnkyndenesse from the wyues to­ward their husbandes. This vice therfore of In­gratitude, beinge so common a chance, make no worldly frendshyp so precious, that lyfe or helthe therfore shulde be spent or consumed. I haue ben the lengar in this place, bycause I haue hadde in this griefe sufficient experience.

[Page 69] ¶ If deathe of chylderne be cause of thy heuy­nesse, Deathe of chylderne. call to thy remembrance some chylderne (of whome there is no lyttell number) whose lyues either for vncortigible vices, or infortunate chances, haue ben more greuous vnto their parentes, than the death of thy chyldren, oughte to be vnto the: consydering that deth is the discharger of al griefes and myseries, and to them that dye well, the fyrst entrie into lyfe euerlastynge.

¶ The losse of goodes or authoritie doo greue Losse of goodes. none but fooles, which do not marke diligently, that lyke as neyther the one nor the other doth al­way happen to them that are worthy, so we haue in dayly experience, that they falle from hym so­deynly, who in increasynge or kepynge theym se­meth moste busye.

¶ Oftentymes the repulse frome promotion is Lache of promtiō. cause of discomforte. but than consyder, whether in the opinion of good men, thou art demed wor­thy to haue suche aduauncement, or in thyn owne expectation and fantasy. If good men so iudge the, thanke thou god of that felicitie, and laughe at the blyndnesse of them, that soo haue refused the. If it procede of thyne owne folye, abhorte al arrogance, and inforce thy self to be aduanced in mens estimation, before thou canst fynde thy self worthy in thy proper opinion.

¶ All other chaunces of fortune, esteme as noo Chaunces of fortune thynge, & that longe before they do happen. The ofte recordynge of myserie, prepareth the mynde to fele lesse aduersite. And the cōtempt of fortune [Page] is sure quietnesse and moste perfite felicitie.

¶ This nowe shall suffise concernyng remedies of morall philosophie. Nowe wyll I write som­what touchynge the counsayle of phisycke, as in relieuynge the bodye, whiche eyther by the sayd occasions, or by the humoure of melancolye is brought out of temper.

The fyrste counsayle is, that durynge the tyme of that passion, eschewe to be angry, studyous, or solytarie, and reioyse the with melody, or els be al way in suche company, as beste may content the.

Auoyde all thynges that be noyous in syghte, smellyng and heryng, and imbrace al thyng that is dilectable.

Flee darknes, moche watche, and busynesse of mynde, moche companieng with women, the vse of thinges very hotte and drie: often purgatiōs, immoderate exercise, thirst, moche abstinence, dry wyndes and colde.

Absteyne from dayly eatyng of moche olde bief or olde mutton, harde chese, hare flesshe, boores fleshe, venyson, saltfyshe, colewortes, beanes, and peason, very course breadde, greatte fyshes of the see, as thurlepole, porpyse, and sturgeon, & other of lyke natures, wyne redde and thycke, meates beinge very salte or sowre, olde, burned, or fried, garlyke, onyons, and lekes.

Vse meates, whiche are temperately hotte, and therewith somewhat moyste, boyled rather than rosted, lyght of digestion, and ingendryng bloud clere and fyne. As mylke hotte frome the vdder, [Page 70] or at the lest newe mylked, ruen chese, sweete al­mondes, the yelkes of rere egges, lyttell byrdes of the busshes, chyckens, and hennes. Wyne whyte or clarette, cleere or fragraunte. Sweete sauours in wynter hotte, in sommer colde, in the meane tyme temperate.

• BOurage, the floure or leafe.
• Buglosse.
• Baulme mynte.
• Elycampane.
• Cloues.
• Cardamomum.
• Rosemarye.
• Lignum aloes.
• Muske.
• Ambergrise.
• Saffron.
• The bone of the harte of a redde dere.
• Myntes.
• The rynde of Cytron.
• Been.
• Cububes.
• Basyle.

• VIolettes.
• Perles.
• Coralle.
• The vnicornes horne.
• Olde appulles whiche be good.
• Roses.
• Saunders.
• The olyphantes tothe.
• Waterlyllies.
• Coriander prepared.

• ¶ Iacincte.
• Saphire.
• Emerauldes.
• Myrabolanes, callyd kebuli.
• Buglosse.
• Golde, syluer.

¶ The domynion of sondry complexions. Capitulo. xiii.

IT semeth to me not inconuenient, that I doo declare as well the counsayles of ancient and approued authors, as also myne owne opynion gathered by diligent marking in daily experiēce, concernyng as well the necessary diete of euerye complexion, age and declination of helth, as also the meane to resyste discrasies of the body, before [Page 71] syckenes be therin confirmed, leauynge the resi­due vnto the substāciall lerning and circumspect practise of good phisitions, whiche shal the more easily cure the pacientes, if their pacientes do not disdayne to beare away and folowe my counsell.

And fyrst it ought to be considred, that none of the foure complexions, haue sooly suche domini­on in one man or womans body, that no parte of any other complexion is therwith myxt. For whā we call a man sanguine, colerike, fleumatike, or melancolye, we do not meane, that he hath bloud only without any of the other humours, or coler without bloud, or fleume without bloude or me­lancoly, or melancoly without blod or coler. And therfore the man, whyche is sanguyne, the more that he draweth into age, wherby naturall moy­sture decayeth, the more is he colerike, by reasone that heate, surmountynge moysture, nedes must remayne heate and drithe. semblably the colerike man, the more that he waxeth into aege, the more naturall heate in hym is abated, and drythe sur­mountyng naturall moysture, he becometh me­lancolyke: but some sanguyne man hath in the proporcion of temperatures, a greatter myxture with coler, than an other hath. Likewise the cole­rike or fleumatike man with the humour of san­guine or melancoly. And therfore late practisers of phisike are wont to call men, accordyng to the mixture of their complexions, whiche man recei­ueth in his generation, the humours, wherof the same complexions do consist, beinge augmented [Page] superfluously in the body or members by any of the said thinges callid not natural, euery of them do semblably augment the complexion, which is proper vnto hym, and bryngeth vnequall tempe­rature vnto the bodye. And for these causes, the sanguine or fleumatike man or woman, felynge any discrasy by choler hapned to them by the said thynges callyd not Naturalle, they shall vse the dyete described hereafter to hym, whyche is na­turally colerike. Semblably the coleryke or me­lancolyke man or woman, hauyng any discrasye by fleume, to vse the diete of hym, which is natu­rally fleumatike, alway remembrynge, that san­guyne and fleumatycke men haue more respecte vnto drithe, colerike and melancolyke vnto moi­sture, and that alway as the accidētall complexiō decayeth, to resort by lyttell and lytel to the diete, pertaynyng to his naturall complexion.

¶ The tymes appropryed to euerye naturall humour. Capitu. xiiii.

BVt fyrste it muste be consydered, that where the foure humours, be alway in manne, and in somme man commonly one humoure is more aboundant than an nother naturally, that is to saye, from his generation. The sayde humours haue also peculyar tymes assygned to euery oone of theym, wherin eche of them is in his most po­wer and force, as after ensueth, after the descrip­tion of Soranus. Soranus Ephesius.

[Page 72] ¶ Fleume hath moste puissance in wynter, from the .viii. Idus of Nouember, vnto the .viii. Idus of Februarye, whereby are ingendred Catarres or reumes, the vuula, the cough, and the stytche. This humour is part in the heed, part in the sto­make. It hath dominyon from the thyrde houre of nyghte, vntyll the nynthe houre of the same nyghte.

¶ Bloudde increaseth in Sprynge tyme, frome the .viii. Idus of February, vnto the .viii. Idus of May, whereof ar ingendred feuers, and swete humours, whyche do shortly putrifye, the power of this humour is about the hart, and hath dominion from the .ix. houre of night, vntyll the third houre of the mornynge.

¶ Redde choler hath power in sommer from the viii. Idus of May, vntyl the .viii. Idus of Au­gust, wherby are ingendred hotte and sharpe fe­uers, this humoure is specially in the lyuer, and hath dominion from the thirde houre of day, vn­tyll the .ix. houre of the same day.

¶ Yelowe choler, wherof is ingendred the fleme of the stomake, is nourysh ed in Autumne, why­che begynneth the .viii. Idus of August, and du­reth vnto the .viii. Idus of Nouember, and ma­keth shakynge feuers and sharpe, the blacke co­ler than increaseth, and than foloweth thycknesse of the bloude in the vaynes. Blacke coler or me­lancoly moste raigneth in the splene, and it raig­neth from the nynthe howre of daye, vntylle the thirde howre of nyght.

¶ Dicte of them, whiche are of sanguyne complexion. Cap. xv.

FOrasmothe as in sanguyne men bloud moste raigneth, whiche is soone corrupted, it shal be necessary for them, whiche are of that complexiō, to be circumspecte in earynge meate, that shortely wylle receyue putrifaction, as the more parte of fruites, specially not being perfitly ripe, also mea tes that be of yl iuyce, as fleshe of beastes to old, [Page 73] or to yonge, vdders of beastes, braynes except of capons and chykens, marowe of the backebone, moche vse of onyons, lekes, garlyke, moche vse of olde fygges, moche vse of rawe herbes, and al thynge, wherin is excesse of hete, colde, or moy­sture, meates that be stale, fyshes of the fennes or muddye waters, and to moche slepe, as expery­ence sheweth.

¶ Dyete of cholerike persons. Cap. xvi.

TO them, which be choleryke, beinge in their naturall temperature and hauyng not from theyr youth vsed the contrary, grosse meates mo­derately taken, be more cōuenient, than the mea­tes that be fyne, and better shall they dygeste a piece of good bief, than a chykens legge. Choler of his propertie rather burnyng than wel dige­stynge meates of lyght substance, not withstan­dynge some gentylmen, which be nycely brought vp in theyr infancy, may not so well susteyne that diet as poore men, beinge the more parte vsed to grosse meates. wherfore theyr diete muste be in a temperance, as yonge biefe, olde veale, mutton, and venyson powdred, yonge geese, and suche lyke, conseruinge their complexion with meates lyke therevnto in qualitie and degree, accrodyng to the counsayl of Hipocrates. And as he percey­ueth choler to aboūde, so to interlace meates, whiche be cold in a moderate quantite, & to alay their wyne more or lasse with water, eschewynge hotte spices, hotte wines, and excessiue labour, wherby [Page] [...] bodye maye be moche chaufed. Also he may [...] eate oftenet in the day, than any other: foresene, that there be suche distance betwene his meales, as the meate before eaten be fully dygested. whi­che in some person is more, in some lasse, accor­dyng to the heate and strength of his stomake, no tinge alwaye, that the colerike persone digesteth more meate than his appetite desireth, the melan­colyke person desyreth by false appetite more thā his stomacke may digest. And to a cholerike per­son, it is right dangerous, to vse longe abstin [...]e: for choler, fyndynge nothynge in the stomacke to concocte, it fareth than, as where a lyttell potage or milke, beinge in a vessell ouer a great fire, it is burned to the vessell, and vnsauery fumes & va­pours do issue out therof. Likewise in a cholerike stomake, by abstinence, these inconueniences do happen, humours adust, consumynge of natural moysture, fumosities and stynkynge vapours, ascendynge vp to the heed, wherof is ingendred, duskynge of the eyes, heed aches, hotte and thyn [...]eumes, after euery littel surfete, and many other inconue [...]iences. wherfore besyde the opynion of best lerned men, myn own peynful experience al­so moueth me, to exhorte them, whiche be of this complexion, to eschewe moche abstynence. And althoughe they be studyous, and vse lyttel exer­cise, yet in the mornynge, to eate somewhat in lit­tell quantitie, and not to study immediatly, but fyrst to sytte a whyle, and after to stand or walke softely, whiche vsyng these two yeres, I and al­so [Page 74] other, that haue longe knowen me, haue per­ceyued in my body a great alteration, that is to say, from ylle astate to better. Alway remember, that if any other humour do abound in the chole­ryke person, as fleume, or melancoly, than vntil that humour be expelled, the diete muste be corte­ctiue of that humour, and therfore more hot and fine, than the naturall diete before [...]ehersed: but yet there wolde be alwaye respecte had to the na­turall complexion, some tyme sufferyng the per­son to eate ordrynke that, which nature working, seruently desireth.

¶ Dyete of fleumatike persones. Cap. xvii.

IT is to be remembred, that pure fleume is pro­perly cold and moyste, and lacketh tast. Salte fleume is my [...]e with choler, and therfore hathe not in hym so moche colde nor humiditie, as pure fleume hath: & therfore it requyreth a temperance in thinges hot & dry, wherby fleume is dygested or expulsed. To fleumatike persons al meates at noyful, which are very cold, viscous or slymy, fat or sone putrified, eating moch and often, special­ly meates ingendringe fleume, whiche be remem bred in the table precedynge. Al thynges be good, whiche are hotte and drye, also meates and drin­kes whiche be sowre: onyons also, and ga [...]lyke, moderatelye vsed, be very commendable, in pure fleume not myxte with choler, moche vsynge of salt, specially dried. Pepper grosse beaten and ea ten with meate, ought to be with all fleumaticke [Page] persons famylyar, also gynger is righte conue­nient, but not to be so frequently vsed as pepper, for as moche as the nature of pepper is, that be­inge eaten, it passeth through the bodye, heatyng and comfortynge the stomake, not entrynge into the vaynes, or annoyenge the lyuer, whiche ver­tue is not in gynger. Gynger condyte, the whiche we do call grene Gynger, specyally candyd with Sugar, if it may be goten, and also Myrobala­ues, called kebuli, condite in India▪ be most excel lente remedyes ageynst fleume. also the herbes, whiche are remēbred afore in the table of digesti­ues of fleme, and the rootes of persely, fenel, yre­os, Elycampane, and ca [...]ettes be very commen­dable. Exercise twise in the day, the stomake be­inge almost empty, so that sweate begynne to ap­pere, is very expedient, clensing of the body from al filthynesse, with rubbyng and wypynge, often­times with washing, specially the heed and par­tis therabout, moderate sweatynge in hot bathes or stufes be to this complexion necessary, special­ly whan they haue eaten or drunken excessiuely. The heed and fete to be kept from cold, & to dwel hygh and fat from mores and marshes, is a rule right necessary, also to absteyne from eatyng her­bes and rotes not boyled, and generally from all meates▪ whiche wyll not be easyly dygested.

¶ The diuision of melancoly, and the diete of per­sons melancolike. Cap. xviii.

MElancolye is of two sortes, the one is called naturall, whiche is onelye colde and drye, [Page 75] the other is callyd aduste or bourned. Naturall melancolye is as Galene saythe) the resydence or dregges of the bloud: and therfore is colder and thycker than the bloude. Melancoly aduste is in foure kyndes, eyther it is of naturall melancoly adust, or of the more pure parte of the bloudde aduste, or of choler adust, or of salt fleume adust. But of all other that melancoly is wa [...]st, whiche is ingendred of choler: fynally all aduste melan­coly annoyeth the wytte and iudgement of man. for whan that humour is hette, it maketh menne madde, and whan it is extincte, it maketh menne fooles, forgetfull, and dulle. The natural melan­coly Ex Marel lio ficino. de uita sa­na. kepte in his temperance, profyteth moche to true iugement of the wyt, but yet if [...]t be to thick, it darkeneth the spirites, maketh one timorous, and the wytte dulle. If it be myxt with fleume, it mortifieth the bloud with to moche colde. Wher­fore it may not be so litell, that the bloud and spi­rites in their feruentnes, be as it were vnbridlyd, wherof do happen vnstablenesse of wytte & slip­per remembraunce: nor yet so moche, that by the weight therof (for it is heuy, approchynge nyghe to the [...]the) that we seme to be alwaye in sleape, and nede a spurre to prycke vs forwarde. Wher­fore it is ryght expediente, to kepe that humoure as thyn as nature wyll suffer it, and not to haue to moche of it. But nowe to the diete pertaining to them, whom this humor anoyeth. The know­ledge, that melancoly reigneth, is oftentimes he­uynesse of mynde, or feare without cause, slepy­nesse [Page] in the members, many crampes without [...]e­plecion or emptynesse, sodayn fury, sodayn incon­tinencie of the tongue, moche solicitude of lyght thynges, with palenesse of the vysage, and feare full dreames of terrible visyons, dreamynge of darkenes, depe pyttes, or death of frendes or ac­queyntance, and of all thyng that is blacke. The meates conuenient are they, which be temperate in heate, but specially they that be moyst: meates soone digested, and they rather boyled thā rosted, temperately myxte with spices, mylke hotte from the vdder, or late mylked, is very conuement for that complexion, swete almondes blaunched, and almonde mylke, the yelkes of rere egges, and fy­nally all thynges, whiche ingender pure bloude, and all that is writen in the chapiter of age. All these be yll for them, wyne thycke or troublouse, specially redde wyne, meates hard, drie, very salt, or sowre, bourned meate, fried meate, moche bief, hares fleshe, beanes, toket, colewortes, mustard, radyshe, ga [...]lyke, excepte there be moche wynde in the body, for than is it very holsome, onyons, lekes, fynally all thynges, whiche heateth to mo­che, keleth to moch, or drieth to moche, also wrath, feare, cōpassion, sorow, moche study or care, mo­che ydelnesse or reste: all thynge that is greuouse to see, to smell, or to here, but most specially dark­nesse. Moreouer moche drienge of the body, [...] ­ther with longe watche, or with moche care and [...]o [...]ynge of the mynde, or with moche lecherye, or moche eatynge and drynkynge of thynges that [Page 76] be hotte and drye, or with immoderate euacua­tion, labour, abstinence, thyrst, going in the aire vntemperately hotte, colde, or drie, all these thin­ges do anoye them that be greued with any me­lancolye. It is to be diligentely consydered, that where melancolye happeneth of choler aduste, there meates, whyche be hotte in warkynge, wolde be wyselye tempered, and drynkynge of ho [...]e wynes wolde be eschewed: semblable cau­tele wolde be in sauoures. Not withstandynge moderate vse of small wynes, clere, and wel ver­dured, is herein very commendable, the humour therby beinge clarified, and the spirites clensed, but the abuse or excesse therof doth as moche da­mage. Alsoo it is ryghte expedient, to putte into wyne or ale, a gadde of syluer or golde, glowyng hotte oute of the fyre, to temper hotte meates with [...]oses, Vyolettes, Saunders, Rose water, bourage, Buglosse, baulme callyd in latyne Me­lyssa, or the water of all thre drunken with good wyne, whyte, or clarette, or made in a Iuley with sugar, is wonderfull holsome, chewyng of lykorise, or raisons of coraunce is ryght expedy­ente: but mooste of all other thynges, myrthe, good companye, gladnesse, moderate exercyse, with moderate feedynge. And thus I leaue to speake of dyetes aptely belongynge to the foure complexyons.

¶ What cruditie is, and remedies ther­fore. Capitulo primo.

CONCERNYNGE syknes, and thinges accident thervnto, I wil not treate of in this warke, sa­uing onely that I wyll somwhat write of two discrasies of the bo­dy, whiche do happen by the ex­cesse or lacke of thinges callid not natural, wher­of I haue spoken before. The one is callyd cru­ditie, the other lassitude, whiche althoughe they be wordes made of latine, hauyng none apte en­glyshe worde therfore, yet by the definitions and more ample declaration of them, they shal be vn­derstande sufficiently, and from hensforthe vsed for englysshe. But fyrs [...]e it shall be necessarye, to consyder, that concoction is an alteration in the stomacke of meates and drynkes, accordynge to their qualities, wherby they are made lyke to the substance of the body. Cruditie is a vycious con­coction of thynges receyued, they not being hol­ly or perfitely altered. The cause therof is, some­tyme the distemperature of the stomak, somtime inflammations, somtime matter congeled, or im­postumes in the stomake, otherwhile ingurgita­tion of meate and drinke: or for the vicious qua­litie of the same meates or drinkes, or the [...]ecey­uyng therof out of order, or lacke of exercise, or [Page 77] of conuenient euacuation. The meane to escape cruditie, is to be diligente in obseruation of the councels before wrytten, concerning the thinges called not natural, not moche vsyng meates that be very harde to concoct, also fat meate and mea­tes longe kept, also corrupted or stynkyng, swete fruites, and bankettynge dyshes, hasty fedynge without good chewynge, also moche or very ofte drynkynge at meales, very moche heate, or very moche colde after meate. This affecte of cruditie, perceyued by somme yll sauoure, rysynge out of the stomacke, the moste spedy remedy is vomyte, if that it maye be done without great difficultie: but if it be greuouse vnto the pacient, thā let him rest & absteyn al that day or more, if that nede be: Afterwarde, with suppositories or other light re­medies, prouoke hym selfe to the stoole. A [...]tius wolde, that he shulde drynke a draughte of colde A [...]ti' ser­mone. 9 water, affyrmynge, that therby the stomacke be­inge corroborate, dryueth out of hym downe into the belye, that whiche cleaueth faste to it. I my selfe vsynge to drynke fastynge, very small biere or ale, whan I haue ben in that case, haue found ease by it. Paulus Aeg [...]eta wylleth, that at the begynnynge, the legges and armes shoulde be Paul. Egi. lib. 2. rubbed with a course lynnen clothe, the legges downewarde to the fete, the armes to the toppes of the fingers, and whan they be wel chaufed, thā to rubbe them agayne with some oyle, that dothe open the poores, and dyscusse the vapou [...]s, as oyle of cam [...]myll, oyle of anete, and other lyke. [Page] he prayseth moche Mulse, or the water of hony, specially yf some I sope be boyled in it. Galene, & all other, do agre, that in this case, Pepper bruy­sed and eaten with meat, is very expedient: And where there is moche wynde in the stomacke, thā to eate all tymes of the day of the medycine made of the three kyndes of pepper, tyme, anyse sede, & hony clarified, which is called Diatrion pipere­on, or that which is called Diaspoliticon, or Di­apiganon, which is made of cummyne, stieped Galen' de menda sa ni. lib. 5. one daye and a nyght, or lenger in tarte vyneger, and after feyed or layde on a burning hote stone, and made in powlder, also pepper, & rewe dryed somewhat, and made into powlder, all in equall porcions, and myxt with clarified hony. Galene addeth therto salte peter, called in latyn Nitrum. The confection made with the iuyce of quynces, and is called Diacytoniten, is very excellent, but it is to be diligently noted, that where eruditie is in a cholerike personne, there wolde the sayde medi­cines be temperatly vsed, and the sayde Diacytoni­ten, to haue lytell or no spices in it. And for my part, beynge the space of foure yeres continual­ly in this cruditie, I neuer founde any thinge to be compared to fyne Reubarbe, chewed with ray­sons of corens, which I toke by the counsayle of the worshypfull and well lerned phisition, master Doctour Augustine, who in his maners decla­reth the auncient gentylnesse of his bloud, which medicine I do not leaue to vse dayely fastinge, whan I fele suche cruditie to begynne. Also sy­rope [Page 78] acetose, that is to saye, sugar sodden in pure vyneger, and lytell water, vntyll it be thicke as a syrope, is sometyme conuenient, and that as well to colerike personnes, as vnto fleumatike: and yf fleume be abundant, than with rootes and se­des of fenelle and persely sodden with it. Also in that case Oxymel, that is to say, hony and water sodden togither, with the sayde rootes and sedes, and a quantitie of vyneger put therto in the boy­lynge, is very commendable, yf the pacient be very costiue, than the medicine of Galene, called Hierapicra, frome halfe an ounce to an ounce, taken in water of hony or ale, or taken in pylles the weyght of a grote and a h [...] two grotes, yf the stuffe be good, will pourge the body sufficiēt­ly, without makynge the body weaker. Also that medicine by clensynge the stomake and body, de­lyuereth a man and woman, frome many peryl­lous syckenesses. If the humours in the stomake be not putrified, but that it is greued with aboundance of salte fleume, I haue founde that mylke newe mylked, wherin is put a quantitie of good honye or suger, and three leaues of good speare myntes, and a lytell boyled, so beynge drunke warme fastinge, the quantitie of a pynte, and re­stinge on it, without eating or drinking any other thinge the space of thre houres after, haue abun­dauntly pourged and comforted the stomake, but where there is no fleume, but onely choler, it is not so holsome, but rather hurteth, makynge fu­mosities in the heed, wherof commeth heed ache.

¶ Of Lassuude. Capitulo. ii.

LAssicude is a disposition towarde sycknesse, wherin a man feleth a soorenesse, a swellynge or an inflammation. Sorenesse hapneth of hu­mours sharpe and gnawing, as after great exer­cise and labours, whyche lassitude hapneth to them, whose bodies are full of yl iuyce and excre­mentes. Also after cruditie in them, whiche ar not exercised, or doo abyde longe in the heate of the Acti^• li. 3. sonne. It may also be in the body, wherin is good iuyce, if he be fatigate with immoderate exercise. In them, whiche do fele this lassitude, the skinne Galen' de menda sa ni. lib. 5. appereth thicke and rough, & there is felt a grefe somtyme in the skynne onely, somtyme also in the fleshe, as it were of a soore. The cure therof, is by moche and pleasant rubbyng, with swete oy­les, whyche haue not the vertue to restrayne or close, and that with many handes, and afterward to exercise moderately, and to be bayned in water swete and temperate in heate. also than muste be gyuen meates of good iuyce, potage but selde, wyne is not to be forboden. for vnto wyne, vneth any thynge may be compared, that so well dyge­steth crude humours. it also prouoketh sweatte & vrine, and maketh one to slepe soūdly. but if this lassitude do abyde the nyght and day folowyng, or waxeth more and more, than if the paciente be of good strength and yong, and hath abundance of bloude, let hym be let bloud, or prouoke the he­moroides or piles to blede, if they do appere. But [Page 79] yf it procede of the malyce of any humour, with­out abundance of bloud, than resort to purgatiōs apte for the humour that greeueth. The tokens wherof, shall appere as well by the colour of the skynne and die [...]e precedyng, as by vrine, ordure, sweate, thirste, and appetite, as it is rehersed be­fore in the complexions. If the yll bloudde be ly­tell in quantitie, and the crude humours aboun­dant, than shal he not be let bloud, nor vehemēt­ly pourged, neyther shall exercyse or moue hym self, nor be bayned, for all exercise carieth humors throughout al the body, and stoppith the powers. Wherfore these maner of persons, shuld be kept in rest, and suche meates drynkes and medicines shuld be gyuen to them, whiche shulde attenuate or dissolue the grossenes of the humors, without notable heate, as oxymell, barley water, & muise, if the pacient abhorre not hony. And for as moch as in the sayde personnes, commonly there is a­bundance of wynde about their stomackes, ther­fore pepper, speciallye longe pepper, or whyte, is very conuenient to be vsed, and the medicine be­fore writen, callid Diaspoliticum. Whan the humors are dissolued, thā is it good to drinke white wine, or small clarette wyne moderately.

¶ Lassitude extensiue. Capit. iii.

VVhan one thinketh that he doth fele a swel­lyng or bollyng of the bodye, where in dede there doth not appere in syght or touchynge any [Page] swellyng, that is callyd Lassitude extensiue, if it hapneth without exercise or vehement mouynge. This doth happen of excessiue multitude of hu­mors, which do extende the muscules or fyllettes. In this no sorenes is felt, but onely an heuynesse with extension or thrustyng out of the body. And bycause that there is abundance of bloude in the body, best remedy is to be letten bloude about the the elbow or ancle, after to be purged, than to vse softe fricasyes with oyles afore rehersed, after­ward moche rest and temperate bathes, and mea­tes lackyng sharpnes, and beinge abstersiue.

¶ Lassitude with the feelynge of inflam­mation. Capitulo. iiii.

IF withoute any mouynge, the muscules and fleshe ryse vp in the bodye, as it swelled with great peynes and excedyng heate, than sone after foloweth most hottest feuers, except it be preuen­ted by letting of blud, and that in abundance, and almost to sowning, but it were more sure to be let Aetius. bloud twyse in one daye, the firste tyme withoute sownyng, at the next tyme sownynge is not to be fered. If the grefe be in the neck or hed, the bloud must be lette of the vayne called Cephalea, or the shulder vayne. If it be in the bulke or vppermost part of the body, than must the vaine be cut, whi­che is callyd Basilica, or the innermost vayne. If all the body be greued, thā cut the veyn, which is named Mediana. or the myddel vayn. If a feuer [Page 80] remayne after bloud letting, than order him with the diete of them that haue feuers, which ye shall fynde written hereafter. If noo feuer remayne, than vse moderate fricasies, and lyttell eatyng, & that of meates hauyng good iuyce, increacynge by lyttell and lyttell to the naturall diete.

¶ Diete of them that are redy to falle into syckenesse. Capitulo v.

NOwe retourne eftesones to speake of diete, it is to be remembred, that they, whiche are redy to fall into diseases, they are prepared ther­vnto, either by replecion of superfluous humors, orels by cruditie or malice of humours, which ar in them. As touchyng the fyrst, the generall diete must be suche, as therby the humours may be at­tenuate, and by conuenient euacuation, brought to a moderate quantitie. As for the seconde muste be corrected with meates and drinkes of contra­ry qualities, hauyng alway respecte to the age of the person, tyme of the yere, place of habitation, and most specially the vniuersall complexion, for choler offendynge in an olde manne, in wynter tyme, in a colde countreye, or the persone beinge of his natural complexion fleumatike or melan­coly, wolde not be so habūdantly expulsed or sub­dewed, as if it be in one yong and lusty, in the hot sommer, in the coūtreys, where the sonne feruent­ly burneth, or the persone of his proper nature is verye colerike. And in lykewise contrarye. Wher­fore euery manne, knowynge his owne naturall [Page] complexion, with the qualitie of the humour that offendeth, lette hym make temperance his chiefe coke, and remembrynge that whiche I haue be­fore declared, ordeyne to hym selfe suche diete, as may refourme the offence with none or lyttel an­noyaunce, to his vniuersall complexion. And yf he can so do, he shall happily escape, not only dy­uers syckenesses, but also the mooste pernicious dāger, proceding of corrupted drowges or spices, wherof som couetous poticaries do make medy­cynes, maugre the hedes of good and wel lerned phisytions.

¶ Sickenes moste commune to particular tymes of the yere and ages. Cap. vi.

ALthoughe I do not intende to wryte of the cure of egritudes or syckenesses confyrmed, as well bycause it moughte be reputed in me a great presumption, as also forasmoche as it were very peryllous, to dyuulgate that noble scyence, to commune people, not lerned in lyberall scien­ces and philosophy, whych be required to be suffi ciently in a phisition. And moreouer, many bokes of Hipocrates and Galene ought to be radde, be­fore that one do take vpon hym the generall cure of mennes bodies: yet not withstandyng, I trust I maye without any note of arrogaunce wryte, what diseases do most commonly happen in son­dry tymes of the yere and ages of men and wo­men, with some significations, wherby the dys­crasy [Page 81] or distemperature of the body is perceyued, to the intēt that the phisition being farre of, may be truly informed, consyderyng that vrines farre caried, do often deceyue them, and lykewyse lack of the syght of the paciēt, and inquisition of thin­ges, which do precede or folowe the sycknes. And with this I trust none honest and charitable phi­sition wylle be offended, but rather gyue to me thankes for my dilygence, in the aduauncyng of their estimation, whiche by lacke of perfytte in­struction hath ben appaired.

The generall significations and tokens of syckenes. Cap. vii.

YF the body be hoter, colder, moyster, dryer, leaner, fuller, the colour more pale, or swart, the eyes more holowe, than is accustomed to be, it signifieth that the body is disposed to sicknes, or alredy sycke.

The brayne sicke.

• Rauynge.
• Forgetfulnesse.
• Fantasye.
• Humours commynge from y^• roufe of the mouthe, the eyes, the nose, or the eares.
• Watche.
• Slepe.

The harte sycke.

• Difficultie of breathe.
• Tremblynge of the hert.
• Beatynge of the pulse.
• Feuers.
• Colde.
• Diuersitie of colours.
• Griefe about the hart.

The lyuer sycke.

• Lacke or aboundaunce of humours.
• The forme of y^• body altered.
• Palenesse.
• Concoction.
• Digestion.
• Alteration of excrementes accustomed.
• Peyne in the place of y^• lyuer.
• Swellinge.
• Difficultie of breth.

The stomake sick.

• Concoction, slowe or quicke.
• Appetite of moyst or drye, dul or quycke.
• Separacion of excrementes moyst or herde with their co­lours.
• Yexynge.
• Belkynge.
• Vometynge with peyne and difficultie of breth.
• Vrine moch or lytell with the colour and substaunce, to red or to pale, to thicke or to thyn.

The brest.

• Difficultie of breath.
• Cowghe.
• Spyttinge.
• Peyne in the brest.

¶ This haue I written, not to gyue iudgement [Page 83] therby, but onely for the pacient to haue in a re­dynesse, to thintent that what so euer he feleth or perceyueth in euery of the sayde thinges, therof to instructe his phisition, whervnto he maye ad­apt his counsayle and remedies.

¶ Of urynes. Cap. viii.

FOrasmoch as now a dayes the most common iudgement in syckenesse is by vrynes, whiche beynge farre caryed or moche meued, or standing longe after that it is made, the fourme therof is so altered, that the phisition shall not perfytly perceyue the natural colour, nor contentes, although it be neuer so well chaufed at the fyre, as Actua­rius and other great lerned men do affirme. I wil therfore somewhat speake of vrines not so moch as a phisition knoweth, but as moche as is ne­cessary to euery man, for to perceyue the place and cause of his griefe, wherby he maye the better in­structe the Phisition.

¶ First in vrine, foure thinges are to be consy­dered, that is to saye, the substance, the colour, the regions or partes of the vryne, and the contē tes or thinges therin conteyned.

Also forasmoch as in the body of man be foure qualities, heate, colde, moysture, and dryth, two of them, heate and cold, are causes of the colour, dryth and moysture are causes of the substance.

Moreouer in vrine, beynge in a vessell apt ther vnto to be sene, are thre regiōs. The lowest regiō [Page] in the bottome of the vrynall, conteynynge the space of two fyngers or lytell more. The myddel region, from whens the lowest ended vnto the cerkle. The hyghest region is the cerkle.

The hyghnesse of the colour sygnifyeth heate, the pale, blacke, or grene, sygnifieth colde.

Also the grossenes or thyckenesse of the vryne sygnyfyeth moysture, the clerenes or thynnes, si­gnyfieth drithe.

¶ The substance of the vrine. Cap. ix.

AT the first pissyng, all vrines well nigh do appere thyn, as longe as they abide warme. for natural heate, duryng the tyme that it preuai­leth, suffreth not that the lycour, which is the sub­stance of the vrine, to congele or be thycke for any occasion: but after that heate is gone, some vri­nes shortly, some a longer time after, waxe thick, lyke wise somtime, some at pissed thicker, and af­ter waxe clere, some remayne stylle as they were made, some be metely thycke, as they were trou­bled, some very thick and grosse. They that waxe clere, sone do gather that, which is thicke into the bottome of the vrinal, some remayn troubled, the grossenes not withstandyng gathered in the bot­tome. Semblably the diuersitie of thyn or subtyl vrines, must be perceiued, that is to say, that som are very subtyll as water. some lasse subtyl, some in a meane betwene thycke and thynne.

[Page] ¶ Of thynges conteyned in the vrine, some doo discende downe to the bottome, and be callyd in a greke worde Hypostasis, in englysshe some calle it the groundes, some the resydence, whiche yf it be whyte, lyght, risynge vp from the bottome of the vrinall, lyke a peare, it sygnifieth helth, if it be of any other fygure or colour, it betokeneth some a­noyance. If lyke thynges be sene in the myddell of the vrynall, they be called sublations, if they approche vnto the hyghest region of the vryne, they be named cloudes, in latin Nebulae. The groū ­des or residences not perfite, some is lyke lyttelle redde vetches, and is callyd in latyn Orobea, some is lyke to branne of wheat grounde, and seuered from the meale, and is callid branny residence, in latyn Furfurea, some be lyke vnto plates, hauynge bredth and length without thicknes, and may be named platy residence, in latyne Laminea. some is lyke to meale, wheate, or barley, and may be na­med mealy residence, in latyn Similacea.

¶ There is also seene in the vrine lyke to whyte heares, some lengar, some shorter. somtime like to ragges somwhat red. there is also sene in the vp­permoste parte of the vrine, sometyme a fome or froth, somtime belles or bobles. sometyme there swymmeth in the vrine a thing lyke a copwebbe, otherwhile ther is about the cerkle, as it were the rentynge of clothe, somtyme there is in the vrine lyke motes of the sonne, somtyme lyke the matter of a sore, otherwhyle lyke the sede of a man. also grauelle or sande. And in these thynges maye be [Page 85] dyuers colours, some whyte, some red, some be­twene bothe, some yelow, some graye, and some blacke. All this muste be diligently marked, and therof separatly to aduertise the Phisition, vnto whome I referre the iudgement of the syckenes, for the cause afore rehersed, and for as moche as the iudgement of them is very subtyll.

Semblably of ordure, whyther it be very thyn or very thicke: what other matter yssueth out with it, what colour it is of, the sauour very great, ly­tell or none, yf it were easyly expulsed, or peyne­fully, how oft or how seldom.

Moreouer of sweat, what colour it is of, and of what sauour, yf in tastinge it be salt, sowre, bit­ter, or vnsauery.

Also the vomyte, yf it be of one colour or ma­ny, yf it do smell horribly, of what humoure it had most habundaunce, yf it were fasting, or af­ter meales, yf it were peynefull or easy.

Lykewyse spettyl, whether it be thicke or thin, or mixt with bloude or matter corrupt, accordin­gly of the humour issuynge out at the nose, and if that be bloude, than whyther it be red, watrye or blacke.

Moreouer, it maye not be forgotten, to aduertyse the Phisition of the dyet vsed by the pacient, aswell afore the syckenesse, as in the tyme of the syckenesse, his age, the strength of his body, his exercyse, and place, where he lengest abod [...] in his youth, whether it were hye or lowe, watry or dry, hotte or colde.

[Page] This I trust shall be sufficient, to instruct a phisicion, he that desyreth to knowe more particularly hereof, let him rede the bokes of Hipocrates Galene, Cornelius Celsus, Actuarius, Paulus, and dyuers other late wryters, for this lytell treatyse maye not receyue it.

The preceptes of the auncient phisition Diocles vnto kynge Antigonus. Cap. x.

VVe will nowe diuide the bodye of man into foure partes, the heed, the boulke, called in latyn thorax, which conteyneth the brest, the sydes, the stomake, and entrayles. The bely, called in latyn venter, conteyneth the panche and the bowels. Also the bladder, called in latyn vesica, in the whi­che name is also conteyned the cundytes, by the which brine passeth. Whan any dysease appro­cheth to the heed, these tokens do commonly pre­cede, swymmynge in the heed, heed ache, heuynes of the browes, soundynge in the eares, pryckyn­ges in the temples, the eyes in the mornynge do water, or waxe dynime, the smellynge is dulle, y^• gummes do swelle. Whan thou felest suche to­kens, forthwith pourge the heed with somwhat, not with vehemēt medecines, but takynge Isope or Organum, and the croppes of them boyle with whyte or claret wyne halfe a pynte, and therwith gargarise your mouth fastinge, vntyl the fleume be purged oute of poure heed, this is the easyest [Page 86] medicine in discrasies of the heed. It is also very holsome to gargarise the mouthe and brest with hony water, wherinto mustarde is put and myn­gled, but firste the heed must be rubbed with a warme clothe, that the fleume maye easyly come out of the heed. And yf these tokens be neglected, these maner of syckenesses do folowe sone after, bleared eyes, & humour lettinge y^• sight, cleftes in the eares, swellynges in the necke full of matter, called the kynges euyll, corruption of the brayne, poses, or reumes, heuynesse of the hed, and tooth ache.

Whā the boulke is lyke to suffer any sickenes it is perceyued by these tokens, all the body is in a sweatte, the bulke most specially, the tunge waxeth thicke, the spettyll is eyther salt or bitter, or cholerike, the sydes and shoulders do ake with­out any occasion, the pacient gapeth often, also there dothe happen moche wakynge, suffocati­ons or lacke of breth, thirst after slepe, the mynd is vexed with heuynesse, also the brest and armes are verye colde, and the handes do tremble. Against these thinges this remedy may be prouy ded. After a moderate soupper, assaye to vo­mite withoute any medycine, vomyte is also pro­fytable, whiche meate dothe folowe: He that in suche wyse will vomite, let him eate hastyly small radysshe rootes, townketsis, rokat, synuy, or purslane, and drynke after it a greate quantitie of warme water, and prouoke him selfe to vo­myte. He that setteth lyttell by the sayde to­kens, [Page] let hym feare these sycknesses folowing, the pleuresie, the sickenes of the lunges, melancolye or madnes, sharpe feuers, the fransye, the letar­gie, inflamation with yexinge.

If any syckenesse be towarde the bealye, they maye be espied by these tokens, the bealy is fyrste wrapped together, and in it selfe is troubled, all meates and drinkes do seeme bytter in tast, he fe­leth heuynesse in his knees, a styffenes in his loy­nes, a wearynesse in all his body without any oc­casion, a slepynesse in his legges, with a lyttel fe­uer, whan thou feleste these tokens, mollyfie the bealy, not with medicyne, but with good order of diete, for it is best and most sure, to vse those thinges, wherof lyghtly may ensue none annoyance, in the number of them are betes boyled in water of hony, garlike sodden, malowes, sorel, mercury, and al thinges condite in hony. All these do expell the ordute of the bely: but if any of the said signes dothe more & more increase, the lyquour, wherein the sede of Carthamus, callyd also Cnicus, is boyled, is a plesant & sure medicine. smal colewortes boi­led in a good quantitie of water, the licour therof in measure .ii. pintes, sauyng the thirde parte of a pint, with hony & salt being drunken, shal profite moch. Cicer, & the pulse callid in latin eruum, in en­glishe I suppose chittes) in water drunk fasting, hath the same effect. To them, which set lyttell by the said tokens, these diseases do sodenly happen, Fluxe of the bealy, bluddy fluxe, slyppernes of the bowels, peines in the guttes, ach in huckle bones [Page 87] the feuer tercyane, the gowte, the apoplexie or pal sey in the lymmes, hemoroides, aking of ioyntes.

Whan the bladder is towarde any sickenes, it is perceyued by these tokens, fulnesse felt after ly tell meat, brekyng wynde downewarde and vp­warde, palenesse of colour in all the body, heuy or troublous sleapes, the vrine pale, and passinge forth peynefully, swellynges about the coddes & priuy members. Whan these tokens appeare, thā is it expediēt to haue remedy of odoriferous thinges, which do expell vrine, whiche shall be done without any peryll with the rotes of fenell & per­sely stieped one or two dayes in good whyte wyne and to drinke therof fastinge euery mornyng thre ounces and two drāmes, with the water of wilde carettes, or elycampane, which of these is next at hande, euery of them haue lyke effect. Also water, wherin the peasyn called in latyne Ciceres, are stieped, beynge drunke with wyne, is lyke commodiouse: he that neglecteth the sayde tokens, let him loke for these syckenesses folowynge, the dropsy, the greatnes of the splene, griefe in the lyuer, the stone, ache of the backe, or peynes in the raynes, the difficultie of vrine, fulnesse of the bely. In all these thinges that we haue spokē of, we shal gyue to childrē most easy medicines, to men those, whi­che be stronger in workynge.

This diete of Diocles, although at this tyme it semeth not moste pleasaunt, nor accordinge to the practise nowe vsed, yet beynge tempred with that, which I haue before remembred, some thing [Page] maye be founde in it, which beynge experienced, maye be as commodious for the helth of mās bo­dy, as that diete, which is morecuryous or plea­saunt.

Of them in whose stomakes meat is cor­rupted. Cap. xi.

THey in whome customably meat is corrup­ted, let them afore that they eate any meate, assay to vomyte, drynkyng swete wyne, absteyne frome meat, that ingender botches, inflammati­ons, fumous ructuations or vapours, and take suche as nourysh good iuyce, and chose them out, which do mollify the bely, & at sondry tymes take them. It is also good to take temperatly y^• which lowseth the bely, as the medicine called picra, and to absteyne from suche thinges, wherby yll iuyce is gathered, and do ingender syckenesses, harde to be cured or neuer, as goutes, boneache, pey­nes of the raynes &c.

Of the vertue of meates. Cap. xii.

HE that is studyous aboute the conseruati­on of healthe, he nedeth to knowe the ver­tue of meates. The meate whiche hath vertue to Oribasius de medici na simpli. extenuate, or make humours subtylle, it openeth the poores, and bryngeth forthe that whych is faste in the flesshe, it maketh that whyche is clammye, subtylle, and doeth extenuate, or [Page 88] relent that whiche is fatte, it bringeth forthe that whiche abideth longe in the bealy, but that which is eaten, is a superfluitie watry and colerike, and at length maketh melancolyke bloud. Wherfore moche vsyng of them is prohibited, speciallye to them; that are colerike, and only serueth for them that are replete with fleume, crude or vndigested humours, clammy or fatte. The diete of fattinge thinges, dothe nourishe abundantly, soo that the stomake and lyuer do digest well: meate of good iuyce, maketh good bloude, but yet it stoppeth the lyuer and splene. These do they, whiche make fat humours onely, as the poulse callyd Lenticula, and they that are slymy lyke malowes, some do make fat humours, & be also slymy, as fishes with hard shelles. Fynally the diete, whiche doth extenuate and make leane, is more sure for kepyng of helth, than that, whiche fatteth moch. Norishyng mea­tes wold be therfore moderately vsed, whan a mā perceyueth hym selfe to haue nede therof, it may be most surely vsed of them that be exercised tem­perately, and can slepe whan they lyst. They that can not slepe by reason of exercise, lette theym es­chewe fattynge meates, lette none ydelle persone attempte to vse theym. In the preseruation of helth, sluggardy is the greattest mischiefe. Like as the temperate mouing is good, so is the meate whiche betwene thycke and thynne, is to mannes helth most conuenient, which ingendreth bloude, according to the competent constitution of mans body, & therfore is it to be chiefly vsed. Meate of [Page] yll iuyce is alway noyfull, wherfore it ought to be eschewed. Lykewise the varietie of meates is to be obserued diligently, for it is a great thynge to couple wel togither thinges of contrary vertues. for if they be not well digested, that whiche is re­ceyued, may bring displeasure.

¶ A diete preseruatiue in the tyme of pe­stilence. Capitulo. xiii.

THe bodies most apte to be infected, are speci­ally sanguine, next colerike, than fleumatike laste melancolyke, for in them the humour being colde and drie, is most vnapt to receyue putrifa­ction, hauyng also strayte passages, by the which venim must passe. The diete cōuenient for y^• tyme is to abstein frō metes, inflamig & openig y^• pores Marfilius [...]inus. also from the heat of the sonne, frō to moch heate of fire, or garmentis, from very hot herbes, & mo­che vse of tart thinges, except onions and cikory, or radishe with vineger. for they do resist ageinst venim, from wine very fumishe, exercise inconti­nent after meales, from swetting, from al thingis that wyll cause oppilations & putrifaction, from thinges hot & moist, where moisture hath the do­minion in degree, specially being not sufficiently boiled: also from milke, except it be in a littel quā ­tite, & that with a litel sugar. Frutis & herbes cold & dry, & therwith soure or somwhat bitter, are not prohibited. If ye eate figges, grapes, or swete cheries, eate after them of an orenge with salt. If ye eate thinges cold & moyst, as cucūbers, melones, [Page 89] fyshe soft and fresshe, or damsyns, eate by and by after some fenell, and orenge with salt, drinkinge therwith a draughte of good wyne. Beware of musherons, moch purslane, gourdis, and al other thinges, whiche wyll sone putrifie: not withstan­ding, I wyll not forbyd eatyng of lettyse, with a fewe myntes, or myxt with cynamom. Al thinges sowre ar cōmended, as wel in diete conseruatiue, as in that whiche is curatiue or healeth, excepte where there is straytnesse of the breste, or weake­nes of the stomak, than ought they to be tempred with sugar, salt, almond milke, cinamom, pepper, fenell, saffron, egges, and some thing that is fatte or vnctuous. Capers ar good to be vsed with vi­neger. Chese very fatte and salt, is not cōmended, no more is colewortes, or any kynde of pulse, ex­cept chittes: great peason, rapes, nor spynache is good. Also there be forboden rokat and mustard, moche wyne and egges, except they be eaten with sorell sauce, vyneger, or iuyce of orenges: persely and also parsnepes be good. newe wynes be noy­full, let the meate be somewhat more than drinke. but yet susteyn not to moch hunger nor [...]hyrst. be­ware of lechery, of a clowdy wether and close, es­chewe moche resorte or thronge of people, wyn­des commynge from fennes or mores, from slepe at none: vse with your meate this poulder, san­ders redde, halfe an ounce, cynamom thre dram­mes and a halfe, saffron halfe a dramme. After your meate, eate a lyttell of coriander sede, welle prepared. In the mornynge, at a temperate fyre [Page] kembe your heed backward, clense your body and heed of all superfluities: vse also moderate fri­casies, with swete perfumes, and odouts, washe oftentymes your face and handes with pure vy­neger myxt with rosewater. In colde wether mixt it with myntes, baulme, rue, or myrtes, and some tyme cloues. In hotte sommer with roses or vio­lettes. Aboue all thynges vse to take white wine good, white vyneger rosette, water of roses, in e­quall porcions, put ther vnto a littell setuale, or of the rynde of a citton, and drynke therof a lyttell, and oftentimes washe ther with your handis and vysage. Medicines preseruatiue ageinst the pe­stilēce, which be alway most redy, at these, a figge with rue, and a wal nutte eaten fastynge, also tri­akle, or mithridate, to old men a dramme weight, to yonge men halfe a dramme, or a scruple dissol­ued in vineger and rose water, or in water of tor­mentill, scabiose, or balme, if the plage be in som­mer: if it be in wynter, putte to the waters some white wine. Also the pilles callyd comonly Pillul [...] Rasis, but in dede they were inuented by Rufus) are very excellent, specially if the aloe, whiche is it, be washed, and there vnto added a lyttell Bolus armenus, & terra sigillata, And if the person be of hot complexion, a quantitie of sorell sede, and red co­tall, this confectioned with syrope of cittons, in cold complexions or to old men with white wine, vse them euery thyrd day one pille at a time, three houres or foure afore dinet or supper. If ye take triakle or Mithridate, absteyne from meate at the [Page 90] least syx houres after. A pece of the rote of setual, borne in the mouth, preseruith from infectiō. In likewise doth sorell chewed fasting, and the iuyce sucked downe. To poore menne, Marsilius was wont to gyue a toste of breade steped in vineger, with a piece of an onyon or rewe. Al thinges whiche be cordiall, that is to say, which do in any wis [...] comfort the hart, do resist pestilēce, vehement an­ger, or heuynesse, be very pernicious. other more exquisite and costly preseruatiues, I pourposely passe ouer, which Marsilius, & other phisitions, do write of abundantly, forasmoch as I desyre to be in this warke compendious. One thing I had almost forgotten, that there is no better preserua­tiue, than to fle from the place corrupted, betyme and farre of, and to let none approche you, that hath made their abode, where the plage is feruēt. More ouer receiue not into your hous any stuffe, that commeth out of a house, wherin any persone hath ben infected. For it hath bene sene, that su­che stuffe lyeng in a cofer fast shutte by the space of two yeres, after that the coffer hath bē opened, they which haue stande nigh to it, haue ben infec­ted, & sone after haue died. But here I alway ex­cept the power of god, which is wonderful, & also mercyful, aboue mās reson or coūsell, p̄seruing or strikig whom, whā, & where it shal like his maie­stie, to whom be glory & praise euerlasting. Amen.

¶ THVS make I an ende of this treatise, de­syryng them that shall take profite therby, to de­fende it ageynst enuyouse dysdayne, on whom I [Page] haue set the aduenture, for the loue that I beare to my countrey: requiringe all honest phisitions to remember, that the intent of my labour was, y^e men and women redinge this warke, and obser­uinge the counsayles therin, shulde adapte ther­by their bodyes, to receyue more sure remedy by the medicines prepared by good phisitions in dā ­gerous syckenesses, they kepinge good dyet, and infourminge diligently the same phisitions, of y^e maner of their affectes, passions, and sensible to­kens. And so shall the noble and most necessarye science of phisike, with the ministers therof, es­cape the sclaunder, which they haue of long tyme susteyned, and accordynge to the precepte of the wyse man, be worthely honoured, for asmoche as the hyghest god dyd create the phisition, for mās necessitie. And of the earth created medicine, and y^• wyse man shal not abhorre it. Thus fare ye wel gentyll reders, and forget me not with your good reporte, and praye to God that I be neuer wars occupyed.