THe cōſeruaciō of youth and withſtandyng of age, conſyſteth in the mayntenynge of the powres, the ſpyrites, & the naturall heate of the body in theyr ſtate and temperancy: & in the cōfortyng and repayrynge of theym beynge defertyue. For ſo longe as the powres, the ſpyrytes and the naturall heate of mannes body are not debylitate nor wekened, ſo longe (I ſaye) neyther ſhall ye ſkynne wrynkle, for the debylyte of ye natural heate de • lynynge to coldenes and drynes throughe the which the fode & noriſſhement of the body is corrupted & hyndered: is cauſe of rorrugacyon or wrynklyng of ye ſkynne. For the meate beynge fyrſte dygeſted in the ſtomacke, and then ſhortly after ſent in to euery parte of the body, is dygeſted agayne of ye naturall heate of the ſame parte, where it is receyued: than yf that this naturall heate be by any occaſyon corrupted or deſtroyed: the foode alſo is ſent to the ſame place, ſhall be lykewyſe corrupted, & then ſo enſueth corrugacyō of ye ſkynne, & hore heares, as ye maye ſe in ye auncyent & aged men, when they be colde & drye, for horenes cōmeth of ye defecte of naturall heate, the which defendeth the body frō age, age properly doth make mā colde & drye, & therfore they be of ly • el blode, and the powres & natural heate in them very weke, & vnable to cō coctyng & dygeſtyng of meate, wherfore there increace great plēty of humidites and crude rawe humours, & therfore the thre ſprytes & the thre digeſtions in age be decayde, & in thē rayneth ye debilite of heate, & this foloweth with ye courſe of tyme, ye whiche courſe may be ſomwhat let & defēded by Phiſicke, & by auoyding of ſuche accidentall cauſes as do induce age, as ſorowe, ſtudy, heuynes, deſperacion, ouer moch venery, labour, traueyl, or reſt, & whē age by any of theſe cauſes is come, then to amputat or cut awaye the cauſe by thynges apropriat. And for the preſeruacyō of the powres, is no better thynge then a ſyrupe made of wyne and ſuger, myxte togyther. iii. partes of wyne, &. ii. partes of ſuger dronke with fayre water, or borage water. This ſyrupe is both meate and drynke, and in it be two thynges confycte togyther, whiche are moſte frendly to nature, & when the powres be weke they nede ſuch thynges as may cōforte them, both meates, drynkes, and other ſpyces, and moyſtynge medycynes, and this is a very ſecrete thynge. Corrugacyon and reuelynge of the ſkynne requyre ſuche thynges, as do clenſe & make playne & ſmoth ſkynne, wt certayne oyles, waters, & oyntementes. Goodlynes and freſſhenes of coloure, is by fedinge vpon ſuch meates & drynkes, as do engender good & laudable blode, & are lyght of dygeſtyon, and by ſuch thynges, as do clenſe ye blode corrupted, and the other powres is, ouermoch euacuacyon, or to often lettynge of blode, or ſuche other lyke thynges. Theſe thynges may be amended with thus, earynge of chekyns, and chekyn broth, with due reſt and ſlepe, and alſo with ſwete and odoryferous thynges, and ſuche other lyke.

¶ Thynges engenderynge euyl and rotten flume, be fruytes, fyſſhe, all thynges made of mylke, & ſuch other, of the whiche be engendred watery humours, not dygeſtyble in the membres, & then in the ſame membres it cauſeth horeneſſe, and wryncles. But amonge all other thyngꝭ there is nothynge, the which ſo ſtrongly doth cauſe a man to loke oldely, as feare and deſperacion. For becauſe in that paſſyon and effectyon, all the naturall hete of the body doth reſort inwarde, and forſaketh the outwarde partes, and yt moſt chefely, when the mānes complexyon is diſpoſed to the ſame, and that is the cauſe that many beynge • oſ • e, turmoyled, and vexed, with this worldly ſtormes ſo day • ly theyr heer waxe hore, or whyte.

¶ Nowe thynges that do reſyſte or put away theſe cauſes, are choſē the ioyce of Pomegranate, & chefely golde, & the ioyce of Borage, & of fumytorye, & ſpecyally grene and puryfyed, and ye vertue of the rote of Playntayne and ſuche other.

¶ The rotten fleume is deſtroyed with the vſe of Myrabolaues compoſed, and Aloe roſatum, and Agaryke, thynges to be had at the Apothecaries. And y• wher with properly both melancolye & fleume be expelled out of the body, is Eleborus niger, called in Englyſſhe Beares foote, prepared by a certayne maner vnto few knowen. For in the rectifying of ye maly cyouſneſſe of this herbe, ſtandeth all the ſecrete of his operacyon, for by hym a man ſhal be altered from euyl cōplexion to good, and it reſtoreth youth agayne, but it is not conuenyent for delycate bodyes and noble complexyous, & therfore I wyl ſay lytel of hym. Beware ye neuer entermedle with this herbe, without the aduyſement and coūceyll of ſome experte and well learned Phyſycyon.

¶ Alſo •• anthos compoſed with ſuger, the whiche properly doth conſume the fleume and melaneoly being in the heed, and it tarieth and letteth the hore heres coroborateth and ſtrengneth the cenſes, and prolōgeth the lyfe, & chefely when a quātite of it is diſolued in aqua vita wel and craftely made, & ſomtyme it is diſolued in wyne, & lyeth ī it. ii. or. iii. dayes, & then ſtrayned, & ſo vſed conueniently, accordyng to the coūceyll of a Phyſycyon.

¶ Other thynges alſo there be, whiche quycken & maketh luſty ye body, as Diacameron, Mirabolany, Chebuly compoſed, which by theyr property do conſume and waſte the flematycke ſuper fluytyes of the ſtomacke & do comforte hym, and do clarify the blode and be of great force agaynſt melancoly, and thuſe of thoſe do comforte youth, and cauſeth a man to waxe yonge agayne, & defendeth a man from hore heares, alſo the decoction of ſene with Diaboraginatum, & the whey of gotes mylke and ſuch other. And one of the chefe thyngꝭ, wherby age is defended and youth prolōged, is once in a moneth to haue a vomyte, to expel the fleumatyke humour, and once in a weke to receyue aclyſter, and ſpecyally that compoſed of the ioyce of Mercury, walwort elder, and bete wt halfe an ounce of yeropegara, the whiche is a great ſecrete.

¶ And alſo ſubiction made with yeropigra, or Caſſia fiſtula, and the ioyce of freſſhe Roſes, preparate with ſugre, is a goodly eaſer of nature, mynyſtred wyſely, and it is a bleſſyd medycyne to make a▪ man ſoluble, and therwith alſo it comforteth the pryncypal membres in man, and altereth the euyll dyſpoſiciō of man to good, it openeth opilatiōs or ſtoppynges. It cōforteth the herte, and clenſeth it, and to ſpeke of the prayſe of this medycyne wolde requyre a longe proceſſe.

Other thyngꝭ alſo deſtroyinge and conſumyng the humours, which cauſe age are thoſe temperate Spyces knowen to euery body, Cloues, Cinam • me, Liquiryce, and ſuch other, but moſt pryncypally, when they are conficte & incorporate with good wyne, and ſo (beyng fyrſt ſomwhat watered) receyued and dronken.

¶ Alſo it is not vnknowen, howe that pylles made of myrtha, be of an excellēt goodneſſe in the conſeruacyon of helth & lyfe, for it withſtandeth putrefactiō rectifieth and ſincereth that which is redy to putrefaction, wherfore this Myrtha is confycte with ſuche thynges as deade bodyes are incered with all, to defende the corſe from putrefactiō. And the fore ſayd ſpyced wyne, when it is receyued of man, it ſpredeth it ſelfe abrode in ye partes of the body and comforteth all the partes of the body, and dryeth vp the ſuperfluous humydyties of the body, alſo the powder of the ſame ſpyces vſed with meate, profyteth wonderfully.

¶ Howebeit, yf the man be of a dry dyſpoſycyon, then ſhall it be nedefull to adioyne to theſe ſpyces, ſome more temperate thynge, as the ioyce of Pomegranates, Roſe water, Sugre, Lyckeryce, Reſyus, and ſuch lyke. Diacamerō reſtoreth dygeſtyon, loſ • e and comforteth it, and Trifera paſſeth all declynynge, ſomwhat more to calidite. The naturall hete then & the meate cōmyng to the membres beyng decayed or corrupted, which cōmeth of putryfyed colour, furthwith enſueth corrugacyon, and olde lokynge as ye may ſe in ſuch as are ſcaby, in any parte of theyr body, for that parte beynge enfected, it ſemeth ryuyled and olde ſkynne. The infection beyng once departed agayne, the ſkynne ſheweth it ſelfe fayre, ſmothe, and yongly, and to thoſe golde preparate is ſ • uerayne, & the wyne of Pomegranate, and this is ſpecyal good for the lepry. And this wyne of granates taken and receyued howe ye lyſt, hath properte to extenate the humours, and to alaye the hete of the lyuer, and to comforte all partes of mans body offended with heate, and it is good agaynſt wekenes of herte, fortyfyeth the mouth of the ſtomacke, & comforteth the herte. Alſo Mirabolani Rebul • conditi be very good both in hote and colde dyſeaſes they comforte the ſtomacke, and dryeth vp the ſuperfluous moyſtenes of the ſame, and be ſydes this they helpe the melancolicke people, they clarefy and make clere the blode, and the ſpyrytes, neyther is there any thynge more excellent for that purpoſe then theſe.

¶ Alſo borage wyne made (in tyme that grapes be gathered & preſſed) with muſt is pryncipally good for melācoly, faynte herted, and mad people, for it clēſeth the blode, & taketh away euyl fantaſies, and comforteth all the regetyue power, and encountreth all corrupcion. The electuarye alſo of the Myrabolans vſed, is a thynge ryght often proued and alowed, to the conſeruacion of helth, and prolongynge of the lyfe, and to waxe yonge agayne, for it comforteth the ſtomacke, & maketh it apte & luſty, & cōſumeth ye wa tryneſſe lefte of the fore fode, & the vſe of this electuarye withſtandeth age, & cauſeth mā to lyue longe by the help of god.

¶ Agayne certayn ſuffumigations and ſauours made of conuenyent thynges, and accordynge as the man nedeth, is very profytable. ☞ ❧

¶ Bathynge alſo temperatly without any great ſweatyng ſo yt onely the ſkynne be mundefyed and clenſed frō fylthynes, is holeſome and profytable, for therby ye powres are opened, and the ſuperfluous humidities lurkynge within the ſkynne, be waſted and dryed vp. ☞ ❧

¶ But the vſe of good wyne in the whiche ſuch ſpyces, as we haue ſpoken of before, haue ben ſteped, and the vertue of theym in it reſolued, temperatly taken with a lytell water myxte therwith in due ſeaſon, ſhall paſſe and enter in to all the hydde wayes of the body, and it ſhall drye vp all the euyll humydyties, & cōforteth all the inwarde partes, & perfectely doth open all maner of opilactiō or ſtoppynge, the whiche is ſecrete for the aparycyon or openynge of places opilat, or ſtopped, cauſeth ye lyuely ſpyrytꝭ to rūne throughout euery parte of the body, and cauſeth the naturall heate for to waxe ſtronge, and to be of great force, but opilacion or ſtopping cauſeth the contrary, for the naturall hete beynge conculcate, or ſtrangled, not hauyng the fre paſſage throughe euery parte, is therby debylytate and wekened, and ſo not ſuffycyent and myghtye to ſeperate the pure from the vnpure, wherupon the ſuperfluous humydyties rotten & putrefyed be in the body moche increaſed, and therby conſequently enſueth wrynkelinge of the fleſſhe and ſkynne, and age at hande.

¶ An other alſo ſtronge meane there is to defende age, and to recouer youth agayne, by abſtynence, and conuenyēt for bearynge of your quantyte of meate, vnto ſuch tyme as the body be brought very lowe, and made very ſpare, and then to reſtore, and noryſſhe it agayne with laudable, holeſome, and good fode, whiche hath a propertye, to engender cleare and pure blode▪ ☞ ❧

¶ This poynte alſo do they obſerue the which make fat Oxen: whoſe fleſſhe the more it waxeth leane and bare, ye more alſo dothe it be come tender and yonge, and the better afterwerde do they lyke and batten, and ye may alſo ſe the practyſe of this in ſuche as be lately recouered from ſyckeneſſe. ❧ ❧

¶ But to be ſhorte, he yt wyll refrayne age, and conſerue youth, let hym not be neclygent in choſyng of his meate, that it be ſuche, as maye brede good, cleare, fat, thycke and viſcous blode, and then may he withſtande well age.

¶ And when that ſuche humydytyes, or moyſteneſſe, whiche are in the body, and crude humoures are increaſed in man, then hath he nede of ſuch thynges whiche do extenate and exiccat thoſe ſuperfluous moyſtenes, and ſuch thynges as may dygeſt the crude or rawe humours, ſyncere and depure the hole body.

¶ Amonge other thyngꝭ, ſuche as waxe aged, haue great nede of calefactyon, and humyſtation, that is to ſaye▪ warmynge, and moyſtynge, of both equally by meates, and drynkes, and medycynes conuenyent, by exercyſe, and gladneſſe.

¶ Nowe that he maye kepe his body it ſuch temperancy, that he may lyue with out ye horryble daūger of greuous ſyckenes, and the better able to ſerue almyghty God, to whom be all honoure.