amending or preseruing the bodies of men women and children c. Ioh. It seemeth to be a goodly science Hum. Herodotus sayeth they greatly erre that call it a Science for it is an excellent Art in doing of notable things And science is but to know thinges There is also in this excelleÌ„t art sundry sectes of phisicions some be called Emperici who suppose that only experience doeth suffise and so by vse and experience dooe take in hande to heale diseases not knowing the cause of the said disease or sickenes Philinus was one of that secte at the first beginning Then folowed Serapion and after that the Apolonis And then came Glaucius Menadotus Sextus c. Another kinde of phisicions be called Methodici which neither obserue tyme place age state nor condition think them things of smal profit but onely their respect is to their disease they loue not loÌ„g study in phisick are greatly deceyued because they would build without foundation and haue the fruits before they haue planted the trées These mens cures bee but by chaunce medly One Sirus began this which receyued certaine rules of Asclepiades The chiefe and best sect of Phisitions called Dogmatici These be the wise men which set not the cart before the horse nor the rootes of the trées vpward They doe prudently consider the chaunge of mans nature the dwelling place the alteration of the aire the time of the yeare the custome of people the maners of diseases the fashions of mens diet And this they will proue by true arguments and reasons and will bee verie carefull for their patientes· The disciples of those men be the best scholers therefore I counsell thee Iohn to loue wel Hippocrates the prince of Phisicions which began the best maner to giue rules to al the louers of phisicke Of this writeth Galen much lauding Hippocrates and his followers and in these daies Leonhardus Futchius Matheolus c. Ioh. Seeing thou hast spoken of sundrie partes of Phisitions I pray thee what partes be there of phisicke Hum. Truly there be fiue thinges to be noted in phisicke as fiue principall parts as Galen saith in lib. de Elementis The first is to consider the nature of mans bodie The second is to kéepe the bodie in health and to defend it from sickenes and infirmities The third is to know all the causes rules and seedes whereof the sicknes doth grow The .iiii is Crises or iudgemeÌ„t of the disease of thinges present past and to come The fifth is the best and most excelleÌ„t for it sheweth the maner of healing dieting fashion order and way to helpe the sicke bodie and preserue the same as long as man doth remaine in the state of life Ioh. Thou hast spoken of the partes of phisicke what is the forme maner or distribution thereof Hum. It is distributed in 3. formes one is natural another vnnatural the iii. against nature The first is by those things whereof the body is compact constituted or made as Galen saith in his .iii. booke of his Temperamentis Cap. 4. The second is called not natural as meates or things to preserue the bodie 〈◊〉 health they be not called vnnaturall because they be against the bodie but because the 〈◊〉 taking or glotonous vsing of theÌ„ may bring many thinges to the vtter destruction of the bodie The third bee things against nature which doth corrupt the bodie or poâ—â—on nature wherof Galen writeth Ioh. Now thou hast taught me short rules of the partes and formes phisicall I pray thee shewe me some pretie rules of the complections of men and that I may aptly knowe them with their properties elements temperaments and humours Hum. Upon my Lute some time to recreate my selfe I ioine with my simple harmonie many plaine verses Among all other one small song of the foure complections wilt thou heare it take that chaire and sit downe and I I will teach thee my song Ioh. I thanke thee Humfrey The bodies where heat and moysture dwel Be sanguine folkes as Galen tell With visage faire and cheekes rose ruddy The sleepes is much dreames be bluddy Pulse great and full with digestion fine Pleasantly concocting flesh and wine Excrements aboundant with anger short Laughing very much and finding sport Vrine grosse with colour red Pleasant folkes at boord and bed Where cold with moisture preuaileth much Flegmatike folks be alwaies such Fatnes softnes haire plaine and right Narrow veines and colour white Dull of wit no heart too bold Pulse very sloâ— disgestion cold Sleeping ouer much vrine grosse and pale Spittle white and thicke thus ends the tale Choler is hot and drie as fire Leannesse of lims and puffed with ire Costiue bellies with lite sleepe Dreames of fier or wounds deepe Sallowe coloured or tawâ—ie red Feeding on salt meats and crustes of bread Voice sharpe and quickenes of wit Vrine yellow and saltnes of spit Pulses swift and verie strong Cruell countenance not anger long Melancholy is cold and very drie As here in rime the signes will trie Haire plaine and verie thin A leane wretch with hardnes of skin Colour whitelie or like to lead Much watch and dreames of dread And stiffe in folish fantasie Disgestion slowe and long angrie Fearefull of minde with watrie spitle Seldome laughing and pulse little Vrine waterie and verie thin The colde earth to him is kin Ioh. This is a good song and I will learne it for though it seeme not verie pleasant yet I perceiue it is profitable Now thou hast spoken of the signes of the .4 complections I praie thee teach mee shortly howe to knowe the elements Hum. They be the foure beginners vnmingled and vntempered from whose mixtures euerie corporall thing hath his substance Ioh. What be the partes I pray thee tel me Hum. Foure the one is earth the heauiest matter and grossest which is colde drie and melancholy And the other is water which is lighter and more subtil then the earth and of nature is cold moist and fleugmeticke Then is ayre more purer and lighter then water and if it bée not altered with any other straunge cause it is hot and moist and sanguine Then fier is most light pure and cleare a clarifier and a clenser of al the other elementes when they are corrupted and is of his owne nature hote drie and cholericke And of these foure Elements both man beast fishes foule hearbe stone mettall haue their proper working not of one of the Elementes alone but of all some more and some lesse according to their natures Hippocrates saieth after the soule is gone from the bodie the body doeth returne to the first matter whereof it was made And to conclude all things that be made vpon earth shall returne vnto the earth againe in tyme. Ioh. What might not men beasts fish or foule hearbe or tree bee of one element aswell
as of foure I pray you tell me Hum. No for Aristotle saith Deus natura nihil agunt frustra God and nature hath doone nothing in vaine And if any thing vpon the earth sencible were of one element no sicknesse could hurte it nor disease corrupt it but euerie thing liuing vppon the earth seeing it hath had beginning it must néedes haue ending to whom these foure complexions doeth belong if they do greatly abound or diminish or withdraw their vertues with quantities or qualities Ioh. May a man see any of the Elements Hum. The thing which men do see be none of the foure Elements not earth but earthie not water but watrie not ayre but airie not fier but firie But the things which man doth féele be the foure Elements as earth aire fier and water And these be the vttermost simples of complexions diuersly and specially alone of them selues or mingled with other taking sundrie and diuers effectes maners condidions formes and qualities both in man and beast and euery liuing thing sensible and insensible Ioh. What is the complexion of the quarters of the yeare and names of the signes Hum. The spryng time when bloud doeth increase Summer when red colour doeth rule Haruest when colour aduste or melancholy doth reigne Wynter when fleugme doeth abound in full strength It is called wynter from the twelfth day of December vnto the tenth daie of March This season is colde and moiste it is called spring time from the .xii. day of March and endeth about the .xii. day of Iune Summer begins about the xii day of Iune and endeth about the .xii. day of September Autumne or Haruest beginneth about the .xiii. daie of September and endeth about the .xi. daie of December Capricornus Aquarius Pisces be winter signes Aries Taurus Gemini be signes for the spring Cancer leo and Virgo be the signs for Summer Libra Scorpio and Sagitari be the signes for haruest And the sun goeth through al these xii signs in xii months And y e Moone goeth xii times through each of the foresaid signs once in the yeere and do take sundry effects in man beastes and fruits in the said signes hote or cold moist or drie Iho. What be the complexions of medicines Hum. Those things that ouercome and gouerne the body as purgations expulsiues c. These be called medicins and those things that nourisheth and augmenteth the bodie bee called meates For the complexions of meats and medicines bee knowne by their tastes as coldnes hotnes moistnesse drines bitternes saltnes swéetnes fatnes sharpnes stipticke and clammie And because thy request is to haue prescribed vnto thée but onely a little gouernment of health I will shewe vnto thée another of my little songs in plaine méetre how thou shalt know meates and medicines by their tastes Iohn That is my chiefe desire I will heare thee say on Humfrey Cold quencheth the cholers pride Moist humecteth that which is dried The flowing moisture by proofe I trie Is wasted of humours hote and drie The subtill foode that is piersing quicke The clammy meates maketh it thicke Bitter things cleanse and wipeth oft And expell fleugme and maketh soft Salt drieth and resolueth fleugme tough Fat nourisheth and makes subtile inough Stiptike or rough taste on the tongue Bindeth and comforteth appetite long Sweet things in clensing is very good It dissolueth much and nourisheth blood These things well vsed nature will please But abusing them beastly bringeth disease Iohn In good faith me thinks thou sayest well for there apeare perfite reasons in these thy prety rules Now thou hast declared vnto mee the signes of complexions of men with the way and apt knowledge of meates by their tastes I would faine learne shortlie the temperaments and complections of mankinde Hum. There was neuer so discreet nor wise phisition that either feared God or pitied mankind or loued his owne honestie would take in hand either to prescribe diet or to minister medicin to any body before he wel did consider and wisely wey with himself the temperament mixture or cōplexion of mankind first whether he were hot or colde moist or drie fat or leane or indifferent betwene them both tempered by health or distempered by sicknesse as the extremities of hotenesse coldnesse moistnesse and drynesse Therefore Iohn these things may not bée forgotten you must note also the foure ages of mankinde first the tender state of children which beginneth at the birth so continueth vntill xv yeres next after their said birth Their temperaments or complections be hot and moist very like vnto y e seed wherof they bee procreated then next vnto childhood or innocēt age Youth which is the second part of life beginneth to reigne his temperament or complection hath rather more firy heat than perfite naturall heat and this second age continueth for ten yeares as Galen sayth Well in these two first states of life let all naturall fathers mothers bring vp their youth set God before their eyes for they haue no smal charge committed vnto them that must giue account to God how they haue brought vp their children and they that in these yeres do space correction truly be grieuous enemies vnto their children and at last shalbe recōpensed with shame when they shall sée misfortune wretchednesse fall vpon the fruites of their owne séeds For men haue smal profite of their corne which be choked and ouercome with Thistles Bryers and Brakes which were not weeded in time much lesse of their children which haue receyued neyther correction nor honest learning in due season If the kéepers of gardens be carefull ouer their late sowne séedes and tender hearbes which are in daunger to bee destroyed of euerie frost What shoulde good fathers and mothers doe for their children whose tender and youthfull yeares bee caryed away and ouercommed of euerie foolish fantasie and it is no maruaile But this shall suffice for the wise and smally profite the fooles but to my matter which I tooke in hande I will returne vnto the thirde age of mankinde which is called the lustie state of life and beginneth at xxv yeares and continueth vnto xxxv This age is hote and drie and verie cholericke as Galen sayth This part of life is subiect to manie burning and extreeme feuers and hote vlcers therefore it is necessarie to knowe this temperament of complection which is called cholericke as plainely may appeare by age strength diet vrine c. This is the best time for mankind to trauell in with godly exercise in science arte and profitable trauelles in his vocation putting in practise the vertues which he hath learned in youth for this is the sommer part of life wherein all goodly frutes do florish in euerie good occupation This is the very haruest to gather the precious corne and the frute of their labours against the colde stormes and cloudie daies of their aged winter wherein the bodie
the fresh water bee sodden in pure greene oile oliue this oile dropped into the eare luke warme doeth heale hote burning obstructions and stopping matter that hindereth the hearing As for lempetes cockles scallaps as Galen saieth they bee hard of disgestion muscles and oisters would bee well boyled rosted or baked with onions wine butter sugar ginger and pepper or else they bee verie windie and fleugmatike Chollericke stomackes may well disgest raw oisters but they haue cast many a one away Iohn What is the vertue of oile Hum. Greene oile of oliues is the mother of all oiles which doeth drawe into her owne nature the vertues of hearbs buddes floures fruites and rootes Sweete sallet oile is wholsome to disgest cold hearbs and sallets tempered with sharpe vineger and sugar New oile doth moyst and warme the stomacke but olde oile corrupteth the stomacke and cleaueth to the lungs and maketh one hoarse Oile of roses and sharpe vineger tempered together is good to annoint the foreheades of them that are troubled wyth extreme heate or fransie so that Buglos be sodden in their posset ale or else drinke the sirops of Endiue or Buglosse There be many goodly vertues in compounded oiles both to callisie and make hote And also to coole the body when it is extreame hote as the great learned man Iohn Meiua hath described in his Antidotarii Iohn Wilt thou be so good as to tel me the properties of water Hum. Water is one of the foure elementes more lighter than earth heauier than fire and aire But this water the which is heere amongest vs in Riuers pondes springs flouds and seas be no pure waters for they be mingled with sundry aires corruptions grosenesse and saltnes notwithstanding in all our meats and drinkes water is vsed and amongest all liuing creatures can not be sorborne both man beast fish foule hearb and grasse And as Auicen saieth the clay water is pure for clay cleanseth the water and is better than water that runneth ouer grauell or stones so that it bee pure clay voyde of corruption Also waters running toward the east be pure comming out of hard stony rockes and a pinte of that water is lighter than a pint of the standing water of welles or pooles The lighter the water the better it is Also waters that are put in wine c. ought first to bee sodden ere it be occupied colde and so the fire doth cleanse it from corruption Standing waters and water running neare vnto cities and towns or marish ground woods and fennes bee euer full of corruption because there is so much filth in them of carrions and rotten dung c. Ice and snowe waters be very grose and bee hurtefull to the bodies of men and beasts To drinke colde water is euill for it will stoppe the body and engender melancholy Salt water helpeth a man from scabbes itch and moist humours it killeth lice and wasteth bloud betweene the skinne and the flesh but it is most hurtful to the stomacke but the vapour and smoake of it is good for them that haue the dropsie Ioh. What is Vineger Hum. Uineger is colde and drie and is hurtfull for them that be melancholy but when it is drunke or poured vpon an outward wound stoppeth the bloud it also killeth hot apostumations of erisipilus it is an enemie to the sinewes Uineger and brimstone sodden together is good for the Gout to wash it withall Uineger tempered with oyle Oliue or oyle of Roses and sodden with vnwashed woll helpeth a disease called Soda in the head applied warme vnto the place it doth helpe hot diseases in the head called Soda it is good in sauce for all warme and moist men Uineger with cleane clarified hony penidies and faire water sodden together doth greatly helpe the paine in the throte or lunges or stopping of the winde and quencheth hot diseases And sharpe vinegar mingled with salt and put vpon the biting of a dog doth heale it and against poyson it is excellent chiefly to drinke a little thereof against the pestilence in a morning Iohn What vertue hath our common salt Hum. Rasis saith salt is hot and drie Dioscorides saith salt hath vertu to stop to scour and mundifie and of that mind is Oribasius saying salt is compounded of matter abâ—â—ersiue and stiptik which matters be both binding and driyng moist humours and is good to powder fatte flesh both biefe and porke and other fatte meate for it hath vertue to drie vp superfluous humours as water and bloud c. But it is not good for leane bodies or hot complexioned people for the much vse of it maketh the body cholericke appeare aged and to be angry The verie vse of it is onely to season meates but not to be meate Much good salt is made here in England as at Witch Hallond in Lincolneshire and in the Shires neere vnto Newcastel Ioh. What is honie or the vertue thereof Hum. Auerrois sayeth honie is hot and drie in the second degree and dooeth cleanse verie much and is a medicinable meat most chiefliest for olde men and women For it doth warme them and conuert them into good bloud It is not good for cholericke persons because of the heat and drinesse They do greatly erre that say hony is hot and moist but if it be clarified from the wax and drosse and kept in a close vessel there is nothing that is liquid vpon the earth that remaineth longer And this precious iewel hony hath beene euermore praysed aboue suger for it will conserue and keepe any frute herb rote or any other thing that is put into it an exceeding long time Marueilous is the worke of God in honie being a heauenly dewe that falleth vppon flowers and leaues as Auicen saith is neither the iuice of leaues nor fruit but onely the heauenlie dewe Wherevnto the Bees come in due time and doe gather the said hony and lay it vp in store in their curious builded houses whereas they dwell together in most goodly order O Bees bees how much happier are you then any wretched man which dwelleth neuer together in vnitie and peace but in continuall discord and disquietnesse as Virgil saith En quo discordia ciues produxerit miserosê Behold what discord wretched citizens haue brought foorth But now to make an end of the most excellent vertues of hony it is good in the meates of them which be fleugmaticke Hony newly taken out of their combes bee partely laxatiue but clarified hony doth binde and dry vp fleugme and keepeth the bodies of fleugmaticke and olde persons from corruption The best hony is gathered in the Spring time the second in Summer but that which is gathered in Winter is ill and hurtfull One part of hony and some part of water sodden together vntill the froth bee all scummed off and when it is colde kept in a close stone pot this drinke saith Galen is wholesome for Summer cleanseth
shallbe weake and the eies sight decay and the handes tremble and therefore it is not comely to sée the state of age without rest which in the time of youth did honestly trauell For there is a grace giuen to many creatures vnreasonable both beastes and foules to make prouision before hande what is then to be required of men reasonable as foloweth in these verses THe Bird in time her nest can make The Bee will build his hâ—use full fine The Crane with stone in foot wil wake The Conie will carue vnder the myne The Squirel in trees her nuts can keepe Against colde winter to feed and sleepe And should not a man well foresee In youth to know his old degree Then from .xxxv. or few yeres folowing the lusty braunches of youth begin to abate his pleasant leaues flowers and fruit by litle and litle wil decay raw humors crampes dropses quaterns melancholy will then draw neer The riots surfets sore labours bearing of extreame burdens wrestling actes venerous with the abuse of youth wil then spring forth to the detriment of age and sodaine decay of life in especiall of drunkardes Ioh. What be the places of bloud Choler Fleugme Melancoly naturall or vnnatrual Thou hast not made a particular distinction of their proper places but generally thou hast spoken well in thy song Hum. There are also other descriptions of the foure humors very necessarie to bee knowen and their places whereas they dwell within the body and first of bloud as Galen saieth in his first booke of effected places bloud saieth he that is in the pulses doeth greatly differ from the bloud of the veines for the bloud of the pulses is thinner yelower and hotter and this bloud may bée called the gouernor of life The spring and fountaine of the bloud generall is in the liuer which serueth euery veine of bloud and this bloud in colour is verie redde Fleugme is white is ingendred in the stomacke and at length by the vertue of naturall heate pure fleame is turned into bloud There be also watrie slimy glassie grosse salt sower thicke hard binding and extreme cold fleames which in dede be vnnaturall that bée engendred thorowe surfets coldnes or idlenes bringing to the body many noisome deseases There is also choler which is yelowe whose place in the body is the gall which commeth of the clensing or purifying of bloud and this choler is cleare hote and drie and the comforter of decoction Greene choler or choler myngled with fleugme be vnnaturall melancholie naturall in the Splene is nothing but the sixe degrées or heauie residents of the bloud the naturall melancholie is knowen by his blackenesse the vnnaturall commeth of the burning of choler and is lighter and hoter browne of colour sower of taste and putteth the bodie in great daunger as madnesse blacke ianders continuall feuers and sodaine deadly diseases Therefore my friend Iohn remember this short description of humours as the wordes of Galen and Auicen say Iohn Thus I haue heard thy seuerall placing of the foure complections of bloud Choler Fleugme and Melancholie and is there anie distinct hotenesse coldnesse moystnesse and drinesse in anie other creature besides man tell me Hum. Not onely in man but in beastes fish foule serpents trées hearbes mettals and euerie thing sensible and insensible according to their natures and bee equally mingled or tempered togither which is called meane temperance or else exceedeth in degrées which is called intemperance hote and moist may be compounded together so may colde and drie hote and drie colde and moist example A cholericke man hote and drie a fleugmatike man colde and moyst c. Of hearbes as Hysope and Rew hot and drie Purslen and Cowcumbers cold and moist c. But temperaments or complections of men beasts and trées be some hoter some colder according to their natures As a Lion is hoter than a cholericke man Pepper is hotter than Cloues And though there be degrées in more hotnesse or more coldnesse yet they are called but hote or cold as men after labour or trauell they will say they are hot but the fire which people warme them at is hotter Also there bee things repugnant to temperaments as moyste and drynesse together heate and coldenesse together as fyre to bee colde or the water of his owne nature to bee hote which water peraccidence of the fire is made hote and fire quenched by the water And euerie thing exceeding greatly with distemperaunce or wanting temperaunce or complexion do eftsoones come to an end as man by extreme sicknesses surfets or woundes or finally age lacking naturall vertue Of heate and moistnes of trees and hearbes from whom iuice and sap is withdrawen these things of necessitie must needes die and come to corruption as Galen and Aristotle saie Ioh. Whether be men or women of colder complexion Hum. Auicen saieth like as men be hot and drie so be women colde and moist Ioh. Yea but Lucian saieth they be perillous hot of their tongues full of venim though I am no phisicion yet can I make a description of that member for I am oftentimes stinged with it I would to God they had beene wormed when they were young but when they are olde they are past all cure but the best medicine that I haue it is a gentle herbe called Rewe of which I am neuer without great store Hum. Mankinde was borne naked to this ende that hee might cloathe himselfe with other creatures which hee brought not into this world with him as cloath leather harnesse made of iron for his defence because he is the chiefe creature But horses of nature haue hard hooffes Lions sharpe téeth Porpentines sharpe prickes which is their continuall and naturall armour as thinges euer prepared to debate and strife and by no Art can scant bee tamed The Rose as pleasauntly as shee doeth appeare and as swéetely as shee doeth smell spring not further without a greate number of sharpe prickes Therefore it is tollerable for men to beare with them whom nature hath sealed and marked for his owne With that humour most cholericke digresse from this thy communication and let vs talke of thinges more profitable for in déede this is pleasant to no man Ioh. Seeing thou wilt not describe me these particular members of which wee haue spoken I would bee glad to know the partes of mankinde with a short description of his members Hum. Members be simple and also compound the simples be ten in number the cartillages the gristles the bones veynes and synewes arteries pannicles lygaments cordes and the skinne Members compounded bee those that be ioyned and builded together of simple members as the handes face feete lyuer and heart and so compounded members be made of simple Some of the compounded members be called principalles as the heart from whence the arteries springs the braine from whence the sinewes springes the liuer which is the well of the bloud from
strong trauel soone after meate which coruption of disgestion is the mother of all diseases and the beginner of all infirmities as Auicen reporteth And if you see this will not helpe to disgest your ingorged full stomake then prouoke your selfe to sleepe lying vppon your right side leauing toward your breast and belly laying your warme hand vpon your breast as Auerois saith the power of disgestion is made strong when a man sléepeth For naturall heat that is drawen inwardly with warmnes or heat hath power to digest But if sleepe ease you not prouoke vomit or fast it out and this is the counsell of many learned men For it is no meruaile although many meates corrupt one man which be of sundrie and diuers workinges in the stomake liuer and veine for the qualities doe hinder nature as much as the quantities And take heed these signes and euill tokens be not found in youth The paines of all your members with idlenes and wearines to go or moue your bodie Sodayne great blushing or rednesse in your face veines swelled and puffed vp red vryne and grosse skinne exteÌ„ded or stretched out with fulnes like a blowen bladder and ful pulses small desire to meat il rest griefe in sléepe séeming in sléep to beare some intollerable burden or dreaming to be spéechlesse these be the euill dangerous tokens of replection And of this I giue you warning for it hath slaine as manie by aboundance as hunger hath killed through scarcitie Ioh. I haue heard say that holsome aire is a great comfort to mans nature but corrupt ayre doth much harme I shall require you therefore to tell me of the good and the bad aire that I may learne to vse the good and refuse the bad Hum. Galen in lib. de Sectis saieth A wise phisicion ought to know the natures of men of waters of aire of regions and dwellings generally particularly to thy self being a naturall English man of birth and education this land is very temperat Howbeit our dwellinges in this land be variable as fennes marishes woods heithes valleis playnes and rockie places and neare the sea side But the said Galen geueth counsell in his regiment of health saying a good aire which is pure and holsome is that which is not troubled in standing water pooles Therefore marish grounds and places where hempe and flax is rotten dead carrions be cast or multitudes of people dwelling together or houses enuironed with standing waters whereinto iakes or sinks haue issues or wallowing of swine or carion vnburied or foule houses or such like places be dangerous corrupteth the bloud which is worse than infection of meate for the prince saith that al places of coÌ„cauets as sellers vaults holes of minerals where mettels be digged or houses or wals ioined togither where as the sun with reflexioÌ„ beateth in w c sodain heat whose absence bringeth cold this aire is distempered but pleasant clear aire swéete gardens goodly hilles in dayes temperat when one may sée far off These be good also there be certaine stars called infortunates in their exaltation whose influence bringeth corruption to creatures rot and pestileÌ„ce to man and beasts poisoning waters and killing of fish blasting of fruite in trées and corne in the fields infecting men with diuers diseases feuers palsies dropsies fransies falling sicknesses and leprosies Against the said influences al christian men must pray to God to be their defence for they be Gods instrumeÌ„ts to punish the earth Example we haue of mortall pestilence horrible feuers and sweating sicknes and of late a generall feuer that this land is often greatly plaged withall Then one must make a fire in euerie chimney within the house and burne swéete perfumes to purge this foule aire and now in conclusion to answere thy question for the health of dwelling Auicen saith to dwell vpon hils is cold And in vallies comprised with hilles is hote Upon a hill side against the north is cold and drie Towarde the west grose and moist verie subtill towardes the East And cleare and warme towards the South And Rasis saieth in his first booke Afforien A man dwelling néere the Sea side or great waters can not liue long nor cannot be without weaknes of members or blindnes but the best building of a house is vpon a drie ground and a hill towardes the west side and southwest dores and windowes open towards the east and north east hauing neere vnto the said house sweet springs of ruÌ„ning waters from stonie or chaulkie ground which is both pleasaunt and profitable to the house For Hippocrates saieth in his booke of Aire and Water the second chapter cities and townes which are placed toward the east be more sure then the townes builded towardes the north for temperat aire or winde and sicknesses be lesse And in the said book Auicen greatly commendeth pleasant riuers running towards the rising of the sunne the dwellers in such places sayeth he be fayre and well fauored smothe skinned cleare and sharpe voyces and thus to conclude with thée this shal suffise at this time what and where good and pleasant dwelling is Note also that thou must obserue aire in sicknes as thou must do meate in sicknes colde sicknesses warme aire drie sicknesses moist aire and so in the contraries to them that be sick and they that be hole aire of like qualitie is moist holsom they that haue long sicknesses chaunge of aire is a great helpe both in feuers dropsies falling sicknesses and rheumes Ioh. I haue found verie much disquietnes in my body when my sâ—ruants and labouring familie haue found case and yet wee are partakers of one aire Hum. The cause why thy labouring seruants in the fielde at plough pastures or woodde haue such good health is exercise labour and thy disquietnes commeth partly of idlenes and lack of trauell which moderatly vsed is a thing most soueraign to nature Ioh. I pray thee tel me some thing of exercise Hum. The well learned man Fulgentius saith that exercise is a file and chaufer of the heate naturall which chaseth away sléepe and consumeth superfluous strength Of the naturall vertues redeeming of time enemie vnto Idlenes due vnto yong men ioy of old men and to say the truth he which doth abstein from exercise shall lack the ioyes of health and quietnesse both of body and minde And Galen saieth in his regiment of health if wee will keepe perfite health wee must begin at labour and moderate trauell and then to our meate and drinke and so foorth to sléepe and this is the cause why hawkers shooters hunters and plowmen gardeners c. haue so good disgestion and strength of bodie Who be stronger armed men than Smithes because of the exercise of their armes stronger bodied than carpenters which lift great blockes and masons which doe beare great stones not onely in their youth but such men will take maruellous trauels in age which
the lungs and preserueth the bodie in health Oximel simplex and compositum are made with hony and so are many moe things which are of great vertue Suger the which is called mel canne honny of the reede beeing cleane and not full of grosse pannell doeth cleanse and is not so hote as Bees hony and doeth agree with the stomackes of cholerike persons Haliabas saith it mooueth not the stomacke to drienesse and that the cleane white sugar not adulbrated doeth nourish more than honny Of Rosewater Pearles and Sugar is made a goodlie comforter for the heart called manus Christi Iohn What is the propertie of milke Humfrey Simeon Sethi saieth that milke is of three partes whey curdes and creame Whey is wholesome for to drinke in Summer specially of cholerike persons it cleanseth the body Milke of fatte beastes doeth nourish more than the leane beastes and the milke of yoong beastes is better than of the olde And the new milke is wholesomer than that the which hath stoode in the aire as Rafis saieth And also those beasts that are fed in drie pastures amongest hearbes grasse and flowers hauing conuenient water their milke is very good Milke in the beginning of Summer is very wholesome In Winter it is vnwholesome for fleugmaticke persons or them which haue corrupt and foule stomackes For if the milke be sower it doeth ingender the stone in the reines or bladder Cowes milke is the thickest milke and vnctious or full of butter But the best milke that helpeth against consumptions is womans milke the next is goates milke which goates milke rather nourisheth too much if it be taken commonly Sheepes milke is not very pleasant vnto the stomacke And note this that Milke is not wholesome to them which haue paines in the head or teeth But the people that bee brought vp with milke be faire coloured and healthfull bodies Isaac sayeth if honny and a little salte bee sodden in the milke then it is very wholesome and is not windie nor flegmatike If mintes bourage leaues rosemary flowers honny suckles and alittle Suar be layed in a bason and couered with a faire linnen cloth and milke the saide bason full through the cloth and then let it stand all the night This is pleasant to drinke in the morning vppon an empty stomacke two houres before any other meate it cleanseth the rage of hote burning choler and thus I leaue off milke Iohn What is butter Humfrey Butter is hote and moist fresh butter is vsed in many medicines New made butter meanly salted is good with breade flesh and fish it helpeth the lungs and purgeth the drienesse of the throate and helpeth coughes most chiefliest if it be mingled with hony or sugar It is good for yoong children when their teeth doth growe or ake Butter milke if you crumme newe white breade into it and suppe it off there is no milke nourisheth so much goates milke excepted Cheese if it be new it is indifferently well commended but hard salt cheese doth drie the bodie and engendereth the stone as Isaac and Auicene doe say and manie other Doctours more doe rather discommend it than praise it When as pottes or stones bee broken if hard cheese bee steeped in water and made softe and grownd vppon a Painters stone it will ioyne the broken pottes or stones together againe By this I gather that cheese will engender the stone before any other meates Therefore cheese shoulde bee made in Summer when the creame is not taken from the milke And Bittonie Saxifrage and Parcely chopped together be wholesome for to be mingled amongest the curdes And thus I doe conclude with Haliabas that old cheese is vnwholesome Iohn What be egges Humfrey Galen sayeth in his booke of Simples that egges are no parte of the fowles but a portion of the thing from whence it came Simeon Sethi writing of the diuersitie of egges saieth the first propertie is in their substaunce and the second is in their time eyther newe layed or olde The third is in the manner of their rosting potching or seething New laide egges of hennes potched and supped vppon an emptie stomacke doeth cleanse the lungs and the raines of the backe Harde egges are greately discommended vnlesse it bee to stoppe flixes but it were better for to seethe egges hard in vinegar and then vndoubtedly it will drie vp the flixe of the belly Fried egges be very hurtfull for chollericke people and them which haue the stone Duckes and geese egges bee grose and noysome but partrich feasants and hennes egges ingendreth good blood Iohn VVhat is the propertie of wine Humfrey Hipocrates saieth of a customable thing commeth lesse hurt wherof I gather that they that drinke Wine customably with measure it doeth profit them much and maketh good disgestion those people that vse to drinke wine seldome times be diâ—â—â—â—perated White wine if it be cleare 〈◊〉 wholesome to be drunke before meaâ—â—â— for it pearseth quickely to the bladâ—er but and if it bee drunke vpon a full stomacke it will rather make opilation and stopping of the meserates because it doeth swiftly driue foode downe before nature hath of himselfe disgested it And the nature of the white wine is of least warmenesse The second wine is pure Claret of a cleare Iacinct or yellowe colour This wine doeth greatly nourish and warme the body and it is a wholesome Wine with meate and is good for flegmatike folke but very vnwholesome for yong children or them which haue hote liuers or paines in their head occasioned of hote vapours or smoakes for it is like vnto fier and flaxe The third is blacke or deepe red wine which is thicke a stopper of the belly a corrupter of the bloud a breeder of the stone hurtfull vnto olde men and profitable to few men except they haue the flixe And for the election of wine saieth Auicen that Wine is best that is betweene new and olde cleare declining somewhat to red of good odour neither sharpe nor sweete but equall betweene two for it hath vertue not onely to make humours temperate warme and moiste but also to expell euill matter the which corrupted the stomacke and bloud In the Summer it ought to be delayed with pure cleare water as Aristotle saieth in his Problemes And note this that in drie yeeres Wines are best and most wholesome but in watery yeares the grapes be corrupted which wine doth bring to the body many euill diseases as dropsies timpanes flixes reumes windes and such like as Galen saieth And thus to conclude of wyne almightie God did ordaine it for the great comfort of mankind to bee taken moderatly but to be drunken with excesse it is a poyson most venemous it relaxeth the sinewes bringeth palsey falling sicknesse in cold persons hote feuers fransies fighting lecherie and a consuming of the liuer to chollerycke persons And generally there is no credence to be giuen to drunkards although they be