the ground twelue or twentie houres space Others doe couer their foule in wheat What is the vse of mutton Young mutton boyled and eaten with opening and cordiall hearbs is the most nourishing meate of all and hurteth none but only flegmatick persons and those which are troubled with the dropsie What is the vse of beefe Young beefe bredde vp in fruitfull pasture otherwhiles wrought at plow being powdred with salt foure and twentie houres and exquisitely sodden is naturall meat for men of strong constitutions it nourisheth exceedingly and stoppeth the fluxe of yellow choler Howbeit Martlemas beefe so commonly called is not laudable for it ingendreth melancholike diseases and the stone What is the vse of veale Veale young and tender sodden with young pullets or capons and smallage is very nutritiue and wholesome for all seasons ages and constitutions What is the vse of swines fiesh The leane of a young fat hogge eaten moderately with spices and hot things doth surpasse all manner of meate except veale for nourishment it keepeth the paunch slipperie and prouoketh vrine but it hurteth them that bee subiect to the gout and Sciatica and annoyeth old men and idle persons A young Pig is restoratiue if it be flayed and made in a ielly To be short bacon may be eaten with other flesh to prouoke appetite and to breake flegme coagulated and thickned in the stomacke What is the vse of Kid The hinder part of a young Kid roasted is a meate soone digested and therefore very wholesome for sick and weake folkes It is more fit for young and hot constitutions theÌ„ for old men or flegmatick persons What is the vse of Venison Young fallow deere very well chafed hangd vp vntill it be tender and in rosting being throughly basted with oyle or well larded is very good for them that be troubled with the rheume or palsie Yet notwithstanding it hurteth leane folkes and old men it disposeth the body to agues and causeth fearefull dreames Some say that venison being eaten in the morning prolongeth life but eaten at night it bringeth sodaine death The hornes of deere being long and slender are remedies against poysoned potions so are the bones that grow in their hearts What think you of Hare and Conies flesh Hare and Conies flesh perboyled and then rosted with sweet hearbes cloues and other spices consumeth all corrupt humours and fleagme in the stomack and maketh a man to looke amiably according to the prouerb He hath deuoured a Hare But it is vnwholesome for lazie and melancholick men What is your opinion of Capons Hennes and Chickens A fat Capon is more nutritiue then any other kinde of foule It increaseth venerie and healpeth the weaknesse of the braine But vnlesse a man after the eating of it vse extraordinarie exercise it will do him more hurt theÌ„ good As for chickens they are fitter to be eaten of sick men then of them that be in health Shew me a way to fallen capons in most short time You must follow Maister Plats aduise namely to take the blond of beastes whereof the butchers make no great reconing boyle it with some store of branne amongst it perhaps graines wil suffice but branne is best vntill it come to the shape of a bloud pudding and therewith feede your foule so fat as you please You may feede turkies with brused acornes and they will prosper exceedingly What is the vse of Pigeons Pigeons plump and fat boyled in sweet flesh broth with coriander vineger or with sower cheries plummes do purge the reines heale the palsey proceeding of a cold cause and are very good in cold weather for old persons stomackes full of fleagme What is the vse of goese A young fat goose farsed with sweet hearbs and spices doth competently nourish Notwithstanding teÌ„der folkes must not eate therof for it filleth the body with superfluous humours and causeth the feauer to follow What is the vse of Duckes Young duckes stifled with borage smoke being eaten in cold weather strengthen the voyce and increase naturall seede What is the vse of Partridges Young henne Partridges eaten with vineger doe heale all manner of fluxes and dry vp bad humours in the belly What is the vse of quailes Quailes eaten with coriander seede and vineger doe help melancholick men VVhat is the vse of woodcockes and snites Woodcockes and Snites are somewhat lightly digested Yet hurtfull for cholerick and melancholick men What is the vse of swannes turkies perockes hernes and craâ—es These birdes if they be hanged by the neckes fiue daies with waightes at their feete afterwards eaten with good sauce doe greatly nourish and profit them which haue hot bellies What think you of larkes and sparrowes Larkes and sparrowes are maruellous good for them that be diseased of the colick What is the vse of egges New henne egges poched doe ingender good bloud extend the winde pipes and stoppe bloud spitting If the white of them being rosted be strayned there will proceede a kinde of oyle which being applyed to the eyes will heale their griefes Chap. 5. Of Fish What is the vse of Carpe A fresh Carpe salted for the space of sixe houres and then fried in oyle and besprinkled with vineger in which spices haue boyled in all mens censure is thought to be the wholesomest kinde of fish It may not be kept long except it bee wel couered with bay mirtle or cedar leaues What are salmon and trouts Salmon and trouts well sodden in water and vineger and eaten with sowre sauce doe help hot liuers and burning agues What is the vse of Barbles Barbles rosted vpon a gridiron or boyled in vineger are very wholesome If any man drink the wine wherein one of them hath beene strangled to death hee shall euer after despise all manner of wines Which conclu sion were fit to bee put in tryall by some of our notorious swil-bowles What is the vse of sturgeons Riuer sturgeons sodden in water and vineger eaten with fennell do coole the bloud and prouoke lecherie What is the vse of Cuttles Cuttles seasoned with oyle and pepper doe prouoke appetite and nourish much What is the vse of Lampreyes Riuer Lampreyes choked with nutmegs and cloues and fryed with bread oyle and spices is a princely dish and doth very much good What is the vse of tenches Femall tenches baked with garlick or boyled with onions oyle and raisins may be eaten of youth and cholerick men What is the vse of Pikes Pikes boyled with water oyle and sweet hearbes will firmely nourish What is the vse of Eeles Eeles taken in spring time and rosted in a leafe of paper with oyle coriander seede and parsley doe breake fleagme in the stomack What is the vse of Perches Riuer Perches will prouoke appetite to them that be sick of the hot ague What is the vse of Oisters Oisters rosted on the imbers and then taken with oyle pepper and the iuice of Orenges prouoke appetite and lecherie They must not
Patronesse That will defend thee from their furious rents To fauour thee her mind she will addresse If she finde true thine Artes experiments Adiew vntill as pledge of Brothers loue I shortly send three bookes of Golden-groue Momi obiectio in Authorem Fâ—rtiuis olim varijsque superbijt Oscen Plumis ex multis fit liber iste libris Redde câ—iquesuum vilescit protinus Oscen Hic sinâ— Naturâ foetet Arte liber Authoris Responsio ad Momum EX herbis fit mel hominis ceu simia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aemula Naturae est Moeonidisque Marâ— Sit licet ex multis opus hoc tamen vtile quonis Teste voluminibus candidiissque tuis NATVRALL and artificiall directi ons for health The first Section Chap. 1. What be the causes of the preseruation of mans health THe causes of the preseruation of mans health be sixe The first Aire fire and water The second meate and drink and such as wee vse for nourishment The third exercise and tranquillitie of the body The fourth moderate sleepe and early rising The fift auoydaunce of excrements vnder which Phlebotomie purgations vomits vrine sweat bathes carnall copulation and such like are contained The sixt cause of health is mirth temperatly vsed What is Aire Aire by it selfe is an element hot and moist whervpon the whole constitution of our liues dependeth The attractioÌ„ of this natural body is so necessarie vnto vs that if any one of the instruments of our bodies be stopt we cannot chuse but forthwith be strangled In respect whereof the chusing of a good aire must for the preseruation of health obtaine the chief place Which is the best Aire That which is a mans natiue and countries aire is best This by the Philosophers is approued in this principle Euery mans naturall place preserueth him which is placed in it And by the Poet confirmed Sweet is the smell of countries soile Also a good Aire may be knowen both by his substaunce as when it is open pure and cleane free froÌ„ all filthie dunghilles noysome chanelles nut trees fig trees coleworts hemlockes mines forges for these haue a contrarie qualitie vnto the animall spirit and make men to fall into consumptions and by his qualities as extremitie of cold heat and moysture What shall a man doe if the Aire be either too hot or too cold Hee must vse cold things to keepe away the heat and hot things to expell the cold He must adde dry things to moyst and moyst to dry To depart thence into another place were not amisse For oftentimes it is seene that sick folkes do recouer their former health onely by chaunge of aire But if the aire be corrupt and that a man caÌ„not remoue thence very quickly he must artificially rectifie it by perfuming his chamber with Iuniper Rosemarie Bay tree or with wood of Aloes and then by sprinkling vineger heere and there in his chamber In briefe a man in such cases must get him a nosegay composed of Roses Violets Maioram Marigold and such lyke And when hee goeth abroad he must hold in his mouth eyther the pill of an Orenge or a peece of the roote of Angelica Lykewise hee must haue an especiall regard that his chamber bee at least once a day neatly swept Aduise mee how I should build mee an house for pleasure health and profit First you must chuse out a fine soile which hath water and wood annexed vnto it and forecast in your minde whether the prospect too and fro be decent and pleasaunt to the eye For I am of this opinion that if the eye be not satissied the minde cannot be pleased if the minde be not pleased nature doth abhorre and if nature doth abhorre death at last must consequently follow Next you must marke whether the aire which compasseth the situation of your house be of a pure substance and that shortly after the sunne is vp groweth warme and contrarily groweth cold after the sunne is set Thirdly you must make your foundation vpon a grauell ground mixt with clay vpon a hill or a hilles side Fourthly looke that your windowes be Northward or Eastward Lastly wheÌ„ your house is finished you must prepare a garden replenished with sundry kindes of hearbâ—s flowers wherein you may recreate and solace your selfe at times conuenient Chap. 2. Of water What is water Water is an element cold and moyst and doth not nourish but help digestion How shall I know good water By the clearenesse of it That water is best which runneth from an higher to a lower ground and that water which runneth vpon clay is better clarified then that which goeth vpon the stone When is water wholesomest In summer time it is most wholesome yet notwithstanding seldome to be drunke But if at any time you be compelled to drink it see first that you seeth your water gently for by seething the grosse substaunce of it is taken away How shall I reuiue waters that begin to putrifie This is performed by the addition of some small proportion of the ovle of sulphur or else of Aqua vitae well rectified incorporating them both together Cap. 3. Of fire What is fire Fire is an element hot and dry which dissolueth the malicious vapours of the aire stirreth vp naturall heat in mans body and expelleth cold What kinde of fire is best That fire is best which is made of drie and sweet wood For wet and greene wood is discommodious and so are coales because they make the head heauie dry vp naturall moysture Are not sweatings and hot houses wholesome No because they exhaust the good humours together with the bad The second Section concerning foode Chap. 1. Of bread and drink VVhat is the vse of bread BRead made of pure wheat floure well boulted froÌ„ all bran sufficiently leauened and finely moulded baked comforteth and strengtheneth the hart maketh a man fat and preserueth health It must not be aboue two or three dayes old at most for then it waxeth hard to be coÌ„cocted Howbeit neuerthelesse the pith of new hot bread infused into wine and smelt vnto doth much good to the spirits and greatly exhilarateth the heart What is the vse of beere Beere which is made of good malt well brewed not too new nor too stale nourisheth the body causeth a good colour and quickly passeth out of the body In summer it auayleth a man much and is no lesse wholesome to our constitutions then wine Besides the nutritiue faculty which it hath by the malt it receiueth likewise a certaine propertie of medicine by the hop What is the vse of Ale Ale made of barley malt and good water doth make a man strong but now a daies few brewers do brew it as they ought for they add slimie and heauie baggage vnto it thinking thereby to please tossepots to encrease the vigour of it How shall I discerne good ale from bad Good ale ought to be fresh and cleere of colour It must not be tilted for then the best
if a man forceth to suppresse hee is in daunger of the cholick or stone What colour of vrine is most commendable That vrine is most laudable which is of colour somewhat red and yealow like gold answering in proportion to the liquor which you drink Teach mee to prognosticate by vrines White vrine signifieth rawnesse and indigestion in the stomack Red vrine betokeneth heat Thick vrine and like to puddle sheweth sicknesse or excessiue labour If white or red grauell appeare in the bottome of your vrinal it threatneth the stone in the reines In briefe black or greene coloured vrine declareth death most commonly to ensue Chap. 6. Of fasting Is moderate fasting good Moderate fasting as to omit a dinner or a supper once a weeke is wonderfull commodious for them that are not cholerick or melancholick but full of raw humours This Antonie the Emperour knew very well when he accustomed to drink naught saue one cup full of wine with a little pepper after he had surfeted Of the commodities of fasting I haue written more largely in my second booke of the Golden Groue Shew mee a way to preserue my lyfe if perhaps I be constrayned to straggle in deserts Take licoras or Tobacco now then chew it you shall satisfie both thirst and hunger Or else mixe some suet with one pound of violets and you shall preserue your life thereby ten dayes Or to conclude take a peece of allome and rowle it in your mouth when you waxe hungrie By this meanes vou may liue as some write a whole fortnight without sustenaunce Chap. 7. Of venerie What is the vse of venerie Moderate venerie is very expedient for preseruation of health It openeth the pores maketh the body light exhilarateth the heart and wit and mitigateth anger and fury When is it best to vse carnall copulation It is best to vse carnall copulation in winter and in spring time whē nature is desirous and at night when the stomack is full and the body somewhat warme that sleepe immediatly after it may lenifie the lassitude caused through the action thereof What be the incōueniences of immoder at venerie Immoderat venerie weakneth strēgth hurteth the braine extinguisheth radicall moisture hasteneth on old age death Sperme or seed of generation is the one y comforter of nature which wilfully shed or lost harmeth a man more then if he should bleed fortie times so much Teach me how wiuelesse batchelers and husbandlesse maidens should driue away their vncleane dre tming of venerie at nights First they must refraine from wine and venereous imaginations and not vse to lye in soft downe beddes Secondly they must addict themselues to read the Bible and morall Philosophie Thirdly they must exercise often their bodies Lastly if none of these preuayle let them vse the seede of Agnus castus in English Park seede and they shall feele a straunge effect to follow The fift Section Of infirmities and death Chap. 1. What be the causes of infirmities THe causes of hot infirmities be sixe The first are the motions of the minde as loue anger feare and such like The second the motions of the body as immoderate carnall copulation vehement labours strayning hard riding The third long standing or sitting in the sunne or by the fire The fourth cause of infirmities is the vse of hot things as meates drinks and medicines vntimely vsed The fift closing or stopping of the pores which hapneth by immoderat anoynting bathing or otherwise thickning the skinne so that the holes whereby the sweat fumes doe passe out be stopped The sixt putrefaction of humoures by distemperature of meats and long watchings What be the causes of cold infirmities The causes of cold infirmities be eight The first is the cold aire The second is too much repletion The third is want of good meate The fourth is the vse of cold things The fift is too much quietnesse The sixt is opening of the pores The seauenth is oppilation in the veines or arteries The eight is vnseasonable exercise What is the chiefest cause of death The chiefest and vnauoydable cause of our deathes is the contrarietie of the elements where of our bodies be compounded For the qualitie which is predominant ouer the temperature or mediocritie beginneth to impugne and fight with his contrarie which is more weake vntill it see the vtter dissolution of the same Chap. 2. Of the wicked motions of the minde VVhat is loue Loue is an affection whereby the minde lusteth after that which is either good indeed or else that which seemeth vnto it to be so What is the cause of loue The cause of loue among fooles is beautie but among good men the vertues of the minde are the principles of loue for they are euerlasting and when all other things as beautie and riches do decay yet they become more fresh more sweet and inestimable then before Hence is it that wee are counselled to chuse wiues not by our eies but by our eares that is not by prying into their fairenesse of bodies but by inward contemplating of their honest deedes and good huswiueries Ordinarilie the most beautifull and goodlie sort of men and such as are decked with bodilie giftes are most deformed and vicious in their soules There is alwaies a great combat betwixt chastitie and beautie so that wee seldome see faire women to be honest matrons the reason is because they preferre the phantasticall pleasures of their bodily senses before the true and right noble vertues of the minde What is anger Anger is a vehement affection because it seeth things fall out contrarie and crosse-like to reason Why doe some looke red when they be angrie Some when they are angry become red because their bloud ascendeth vp into the head and these are not so much to be doubted Why doe some looke pale Men waxe pale when they are angrie because the bloud is retired vnto the hart wherby they become full of heart and verie daungerous What is sorrow Sorrow is an affection of the minde whereby it is oppressed with some present euill and languisheth by little and little except it finde some hope or other to remedie the griefe thereof What is the effect of sorrow Sorrow stifleth vp the purer faculties of the soule causeth a man to fall into a consumption and to be weary of the world yea and of himselfe What is feare Feare is a griefe which the minde coceiueth of some euill that may chaunce vnto it Why doe fearefull men looke pale The reason why fearefull men looke pale and wanne is because nature draweth away that heate which is in the face and outward partes to relieue and comfort the hart which is welnigh stifled and stopped vp What is enuie Enuie is a griefe arising of other mens felicitie It maketh a mā to looke leane swart hollow eyed and sicklie Doe these affections hurt the soule as well as the bodie Yea doubtlesse For if the bodie be replenished with these diseases the soule can not be