if you list or else it may be drunk with Ale Béere or Wine The distilled water may be drunk by it selfe alone or else with white Wine before meate or with Sack after meate specially if the stomack be weake and colde The licour or brothe in the whiche the hearb is boiled maye be made thus Take a quart of running water séeth it skim it theÌ„ put into it a good handfull of the hearbe and let it boile vntill the better parte of the licour be consumed then drinke it with wine or if you liste with Honie or Sugare to make it the more pleasaÌ„t in the tast Or else make a potion on this wise Take a good handfull of the leaues wyth an handfull of raisons of the Sun washed and stoned and some sugar Candie Licorise slyced small boyle them all togither in a quarte of water ale or wine if it be too bitter it maye be made swéete as is afore saide Moreouer it is to be noted that the pouder and water of the hearb is moste to be regarded and specially the water for they may be long preserued so that a man may haue them alwayes in a readinesse to vse as néed shall require wheÌ„ as he cannot haue the iuice nor the grene leafe And the water which only is void of bitternesse may be drunke by it selfe alone for the stomacke and taste wyll beare it and like of it aswel as of Rose-water Notwithstanding if the séede bée sowne as soone as it is ripe a man maye haue the hearb both winter and soÌ„mer froÌ„ the time that it beginneth to grow vntill the séede waxe ripe againe Therfore I councell all them that haue Gardens to nourish it that they may haue it always for their owne vse and the vse of their neighbors that lacke it ¶ The thirteenth Chapiter speaketh of the time and quantity to be obserued in taking of Carduus Benedictus HEre perhaps some man will aske a question of the time quaÌ„tity which things are to be considered in taking of medicines As touching the time if it be taken for a preseruatiue it is good to take it in the morning or in the euening before a man go to bed bicause that is a conuenient time to sweat for him that féeleth not himselfe greatly diseased But if a maÌ„ take it to expel any disease it is good to take it wheÌ„soeuer he féeleth any gréefe in his body and immediatly to go to bedde and sweate Howbeit it is not necessarie vppon euerye griefe to sweat after the taking of the medicine As touching the quanâ—â—e a man néede not be so carefull in taking this hearbe as in taking those medicines that doe purge vehemeÌ„tly by egâ—â—â—â—on as some terme it or by vomite For in taking them if great discretion be not vsed in considering the time the quantitie and the state of a maÌ„s body they may cause presente deathe or otherwise they maye muche trouble a man But in ministring this hearb it is not so in taking wherof a man may vse his owne discretion and the iudgement of his stomack This I counsell all men that minde to vse it that when they or anye of theirs are diseased they deferre not the time but take it presently as soone as it may be gotten and that they do not think it sufficient to take it once but that they take it thrée or foure times at the least ¶ The fourteenth Chapter sheweth the properties of Angelica NOw I haue written that I thinke sufficieÌ„t of Carduus Benedictus bicause perhaps ynough of it cannot bée gotten for them that haue néede I will adde vnto it an other herb of much like vertue called Angelica that if the one be lacking â–ª the other may be taken As touching the name the latest writers in my iudgemeÌ„t most to be credited in this matter find no other name for it neither in Englishe nor in Latine Howbeit I knowe that some much to be commended for their learning also for the publishing of the same to the benefite of their countrie haue giuen it other names but I thinke by errour If we English it as the Latine word soundeth we may call it Hearbe Angel or The Angelical or Angelike Hearbe Vppon what occasion this excellent name was first giuen vnto it I know not vnlesse it were for the excellent vertues thereof or for that God made it knoweÌ„ to man by the ministerie of an Angel. I suppose the former cause rather to be true Howbeit as I am not able to proue the other so I thinke no maÌ„ can giue any good reason to the contrarie For this we know that GOD hath made his Angels ministring spirites to serue vs for the safegarde of our soules and also of our bodies But vppon what occasion so euer the name was giuen it is excellent and so are the properties which be these that follow ¶ The Vertues of Angelica out of D. Turners Herball ANgelica is hote and drye at the leaste in the third degrée All the latter writers agrée vppon this and experience proueth the same that it is good against poyson pestilent aires and the Pestilence it selfe The Practicioners of Germanie write thus of it If any man be sodenly taken eyther with any Pestilence or with any sodaine pestilente Ague or with too much sodayn sweatting let him drinke of the pouder of the root halfe a dramme mingled with a dram of Triacle in thrée or foure sponefulles of the water of Angelica distilled out of the rootes and after go to bed and couer himselfe well and fast at the leaste thrée houres after which if he doe he shall beginne to sweate and by the helpe of GOD he shall be deliuered from his disease For lackeof Triacle a man may take a whole dramme of the root of Angelica in pouder with so much of the distilled water as is aforesayde it will haue the same effect The roote of Angelica wel stéeped in Vinegre and smelled vpon in time of the Pestilence and the same Vineger being sometime dronke fasting saueth a maÌ„s body from the Pestilence But in my iudgement it is better to take an Orenge or Lemmon cutte off the toppe picke out the meate pricke it fall of small holes put into it a piece of a Sponge Wool Cotten or fine linnen Cloth dipped in the foresayd Vineger and diuerse times smell vnto it For the better keping in of the sponge or cotten c. you maye fasten the toppe vnto it againe with a thréed as they do a cappe vnto a paire of kniues With this you may be bolder to venter where the Pestilence is than if you had a great sort of other medicines The water distilled out of the rootes of Angelica or the pouder of the same is good againste gnawing and paine of the bellie that commeth with colde if the bodie be not bounde withall And it is good against all inwarde diseases as the Pleurisie in the beginning before the heate of the inflamation be come into
The Poore mans Ievvel that is to say a Treatise of the Pestilence Vnto the which is annexed a declaration of the vertues of the hearbs Carduus Benedictus and Angelica which are very medicinable both against the Plague and also against many other diseases Gathered out of the Bookes of diuers learned Physitians Imprinted at London for George Byshop ANNO. 1578. TO THE RIGHT Honorable Sir Thomas Ramsey Knight Lord Maior of the Citie of LondoÌ„ Thomas Brasbrige vvisheth continuall and godly prosperitie RIght Honorable as you being the Head and gouernour of the Cittie are careful and paineful for the preseruatioÌ„ of the helth and wealth therof so if euerie member and inhabitant be readie to do that he may and ought to do â—our care and paine maye take the betâ—â—r effecte For the heade deuiseth and prouideth for all the bodie but the haÌ„ds â—eete mouth stomacke and other partes serue it as God hath ordained by which meanes it continueth in liuely estate so long as God hath appointed So I being one of the leaste members of the Citie haue taken paines to penne a short treatise of the Pestilence wherewith it is oftentimes annoyed being persuaded that if it be generallye receyued it maye doe much good for the preseruation of the Citizens and other inhabitauntes from the daunger of this disease Therefore I haue thought good to present it to your Honor not doubting but as your office moueth you to be carefull and you are carefull according to your office so you wil haue care to publish this little Boke so farre forth as you shall vnderstand by your owne iudgemente and by the aduice of other both wise and learned that it may profite the Citie vnto the which vnto the whole Realme I wish continuall health and godly quietnesse and vnto your Honor perpetuall and true felicitie To the Reader FOr as much as the famous Cittie of London wher I am an inhabitant is eftsoones infected with the dangerous disease called the Pestilence to the hindraunce as wel of them that are cleare as also of them that haue the sicknesse in their houses I vnderstaÌ„ding that the hearbes Carduus Benedictus and Angelica are preseruatiues and medicines for this and many other diseases haue thoughte good to gather out of the writings of learned Phisicians a treatise of the Pestilence annexing thervnto the vertues of the sayde herbes to the vse and commoditie of Londoners and al men elsewhere that shal haue need of theÌ„ The vse of the hearbe and the like treatise hath bene set forth before time I graunt both 〈◊〉 Latine and English but in diuerse bookes â—â—â—arately the one from the other The one in â—â—arbals conteyning besides the properties of many other hearbes the other most commonly in bookes conteyning medicines for a greate number of diseases and therefore more costly than that euery man could buy them But I haue ioyned the vertues of these hearbes with the treatise of the Pestilence without the addition of any further matter and haue set theÌ„ foorth more perfectly than euer they were before in any one booke and that in a few leaues of Paper not heauie to be carried nor long to be read nor deare to be bought For besides the properties of many hearbes and medicines for a great number of diseases euen in this treatise of the Pestilence I leaue out many preseruatiues and medicines too costly for them that are of smal ability hauing respect to the poore who as they can not haue the counsel of the learned Phisitian at al times when they nede so are they not able to take those things which commonly are by him in wordes or writing prescribed Therefore gentle Reader whether thou be rich or poore take this my labor in good part and vse it to thy coÌ„meditie with thankesgiuing to God as the Authour of all things that are healthful both to the bodie to the soule T. B. ¶ A Treatise of the Pestilence ¶ The first Chapter sheweth the first cause of the disease INtreating of the disease called the Plague or Pestilence I minde not to be ouer long or curious as they that write exquisitely and perfectly of the matter onely I will set downe a few thinges necessary and sufficient for the commoditie profite of them which in this cause shall haue néede of helpe First therfore I wyl shew the causes of the disease secondly preseruatiues whereby a man may be kepte from the sicknesse thirdly the tokens whereby he that is diseased maye gather and vnderstande whether he be infected wyth the plague or no fourthly and last of al I wyll sette downe some remedies and medicines to cure the diseases Some Physitians recite foure principal causes of the Pestilence The first pertayneth to Diuinitie the seconde to Astronomie the third and fourth to Physick As touching that which pertaynes to diuinitie our sinne and wickednesse the principal cause of al our miserie and calamitie is one cause of this disease As may apeare by the words of Moses vnto the Israelites who among manye other curses and punishments for sinne reciteth the Pestilence as one saying If thou wilte not obey the voice of the Lord the God to kéepe and to doe all his commaundementes and his ordinaunces whiche I commaunde thée this day then all these curses shal come vppon thée ouertake thée Cursed shalt thou be in the towne cursed in the fielde c. The Lord shall make the PestileÌ„ce cleaue vnto thée vntill he haue consumed thée from the land which thou goest to possesse Moreouer we reade that seuentie thousande of the Israelites died of this disease for the sinne of Dauid their king I thinke no man wil deny but that hereby it is euident that sinne is a cause of the Pestilence euen among vs For whatsoeuer thyngs are written afore time are written for our learning and the punishment of the Israelites is an example to vs that we should auoyd sinne lest their plagues fal vpon vs For their God is our God and he hateth sinne in vs as he did in them and there fore punisheth it in vs as hée did in them Therefore I saye sinne is a principal cause of the Pestilence wherby God punisheth not so muche those whom he taketh therby out of this life as those that remaine aliue For they that liue féele the smarte of the plague when as the other manye of them dye Gods seruants and for this transitorie life enioy that which neuer shal end If oure owne experience doe not teache vs this we may perceiue it by the foresayd punishment of King Dauid to whom it had not béene so gréeuous to haue dyed himselfe as to léese his subiectes in the multitude whereof he through a worldly wisdome trusted more than in the almightye power of god Therefore God diminished the number of them by the Pestilence to teache him and all other Princes not to put their trust in the multitude of menne bicause it is his
owne worke to preserue the state of Realmes to giue victorye in battell and also to teache vs and all men that sinne is a cause of the plague aswel as of other calamities that happen vnto men Although this cause be supernaturall as some tearme it and not properly pertayning to Phisicke yet those Phisitions are not to be misliked which in reciting the causes of this sicknesse note this in the first place as the roote of the residue vppon the whiche the other do depend consequently doe followe the whiche béeing expelled the other shall not bée perceyued to our hurte but shall vanishe euen as the smoke when the fire is taken away Therfore these Phisitions are like vnto good faithfull Chirurgians whiche séeke the bottome of the wound and heale it throughly But they that prescribe preseruatiues onely againste the third and fourth cause of the plague are like vnto vnskilfull Chirurgians that heale the wounde withoute and leaue corruption in the fleshe whiche shortely after breaketh out to further incōuenience For they that are preserued from the Pestilēce or are healed of it may be sure if the corruption of sinne remaine within them that a greater plague wil folow For God sendeth this and diuers other calamities for the punishment of sinne as oure sauiour signifieth saying to the man that he hadde healed Behold thou art made whole sin no more leaste a worse thing happen vnto thée Howbeit I graunt that we may learne by the word of God that he sēdeth sicknesse trouble and miserie often tymes to good men not for sinne onely but for diuers other causes yet this that I haue saide remaineth moste true that Sinne is one and the principall cause of the Pestilence ¶ The second Chapter sheweth the second cause of the Pestilence THe second cause is giuen by Astronomers and is called an euill constellation which they know by the placing of the Sunne Moone and Starres in the firmament or circles of Heauen and by their coniunctions oppositions other aspectes of the one to the other Of this cause I do not thinke it néedfull here to speake especially in such maner as the Astronomers doe who by their Ethnicall phrases and kindes of speach in their Alminackes and Prognostications do séeme to fauor or foster the Idolatrie of the Heathen who worshipped those celestiall creatures as Gods. For they speake of them either as of Gods or at the least as of liuing Princes indued with reason and béeyng in great power and authoritie Moreouer wheras they write their Prognostications to the vse of the vnlearned I know not to what purpose they set downe the motions of the planets with their termes of Arte only known to themselues If the Art be profitable for Phisicke let them kéep it to themselues and vse it in their practises if it bée profitable for husbandrie let them write that onelye whiche is according to the capacitie of husbandmen Whiche being done I thinke husbandmen shall haue little vse of their writings For although husbandrie did perhaps first procéede of the knowledge of Astronomy as diuerse other trades necessary for the life of man haue their beginning of Geometry and natural Philosophy yet I think husbandmen and men of other faculties whiche are altogither ignorant in these Artes are more skilfull and wise through their daily practise in the vse therof than they themselues that are professors of the Artes. Thus much by the way by occasion of the seconde cause of the Pestilence ¶ The third Chapter sheweth the third cause of the Pestilence THe thirde cause whiche more properly belongeth to Phisicke is the corruption of the ayre whiche beyng corrupted is apte to infect mans body For euery man that liueth draweth the breath which we haue of the aire round about vs If it be stinking venomous and corrupt the body of man that is neare to it is in danger of corruption wherof oft times is ingendered the Pestilence The aire is corrupt either generally in diuers Cities or Countries or particularly in some one place Generally as Astronomers write by an euil constellation or by the filthy matter of a Comete caused by the constellation Particularly in a fewe houses or stréetes through the stinche of chanels of filthie dung of carion of standing pudles and stincking waters of séeges or stinking priuies of sheding of mans bloude and of deade bodies not déeply buried which happeneth among Souldiors of common pissing places and such like Finally a gret company dwelling or lying in a smal roome especially if those roomes be not very clenly kept perfumed do ingēder a corrupt aire apt to infect those that are in it whiche infected persōs and their infectious clothes may infect a whole Citie and the Citie may infect the country that resorteth vnto it or vnto the which the inhabitants thereof do resorte For a venomous aire is like vnto fire whiche burneth that is nighe vnto it if the matter be apt to take fire Wherby it commeth to passe somtimes that as a litle sparke consumeth a whole Town so one house or stréete infecteth the whole Citie and Country rounde about it the persons I meane of the Citie and Country that come within the compasse of the infectious aire if their bodies be apt to be infected I say a venemous aire infecteth not all but those only whose bodies are apte to be infected For if the ayre were of power to infect all that come wythin the compasse of it then in a generall corruption of the aire none should escape infection whiche commeth not to passe For as fire burneth but not Iron and stone as it dothe strawe cole and wood so a corrupte aire hath power to infect but those bodies onelye that are apte to receiue the venomous operation thereof Therefore vnlesse vnto this thirde cause of the Pestilēce the fourth be added it is of no force ¶ The fourth Chapter sheweth the fourth cause of the Pestilence THE fourth cause is the aptnesse of mans body through euill humors to receiue the effecte of a venomous aire putrifying and corrupting the bodie whereof the disease is ingendered The bodie is made apte to be infected by the abuse of things not naturall as Phisitions tearme them that is to saye by taking of meate and drinke out of measure specially by féeding of many dishes at one meale or by toomuch lack of good nourishing meate by too much sléepe or watching by too much laboure or ease Finally by too muche anger griefe of minde and feare of the disease As all these things are dangerous so the laste is sufficient of it selfe to infect the body and consequently to bring deathe as I haue heard it declared by dyuerse examples Hitherto I haue shewed of what things chiefly the Plague doth procéede to the end that euery man may the better escape it from the whiche there is no better preseruatiue than to auoide the causes For as it is an olde saying so euerye man maye easily perceiue
it to be true Sublata causa tâ—llitur effectus when the cause is remoued the effecte followeth not If the cause of warre bée taken away wée shall haue peace so if wée auoide the cause of sicknesse wée shall haue healthe If fire bée not laide to the woodde it cannot burne so if there bée nothing that bringeth or causeth the Plague we cannot be infected Therefore it serueth our tourne very much to know the causes therof For it is a very true saying Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas he is happy that can vnderstande the causes of thinges By vnderstanding the causes of good thinges we may the more easilye obtaine that which is profitable for vs and by vnderstanding the causes of euill thynges wée maye the more easily auoyde that whych is hurtefull vnto vs. Therefore I haue sette downe the causes of the Plague Nowe it foloweth that I write of the preseruatiues whereby a man may be kept from this disease ¶ The fift Chapter wherein is mentioned a preseruatiue against the first cause of the Pestilence IN this part we must haue an eie to the causes For except the preseruatiues be of force and also contrary or as I may saye enimies to the causes they cannot preuaile against them For preseruatiues are to the causes of diseases as watchmen are to théeues If the watchmen be strong ynoughe and also haue a minde to resist the théeues they will kéepe the house from robbing but if they lack of streÌ„gth or if they consent vnto the robbers and let theÌ„ haue their purpose they rather doe harme than good to him that appointed them to watch So the preseruatiues must be suche as are contrarie to the causes of diseases and able to resist them or else they can not kéepe a man from sicknesse The first cause of the plague is Sin. Therefore it is requisite if possibly it might be that we did in all points abstaine from it But forasmuch as the corruption of our flesh is suche that we sinne often times and there is no man liuing that without Pharisaicall Papisticall and Phantasticall arrogancie can say hée is voide of wickednesse it remaineth that with al spéed before the ripenesse of our sinne stir vp Gods wrath againste vs to plague vs it remaineth I say that we purge and cleanse oure selues from all sinne and wickednesse Sinnes are eyther Publique or Priuate Publique offences or to speake more properly offences that are committed by a multitude openly so that they are manifest to the eies of al men must be purged by Publique aucthoritie and Priuate or secret offences euery priuate man must séeke to purge of hymselfeâ— Although I knowe that of the twoo publique offences are more daungerous as the which are cause of warre famine and pestilence of captiuitie of the spoyle of mens goods of destruction of the people and of the subuersion of kingdomes Yet forasmuche as it perteineth not to my purpose in this treatise to speake of these offences I let them passe For as in many things perteining to Phisicke I referre the richer sorte to the counsell of the lerned Phisitions so in this matter I referre them that are in authoritie to the sermons and writings of the lerned diuines But as it doth little good to cut off the toppes of wéedes in a garden and not to dig vp the roote bycause most commonly they wil come vp thicker than they did before so it is almoste a laboure in vaine to shew means how to purge the wickednes of priuate meÌ„ vnlesse publique offences bée firste cured For as from the root commeth nourishment to herbs both good and badde whereby they grow and flourishe so by publique offences the wickednesse of priuate men is encreased maintained or at the least so hid and couered that it cannot be perceyued These offences whiche I call publique doe annoye the whole bodie not without some griefe of the principall members of the common weale which being vncured I persuade my selfe that the operation of my poore medicines prescribed vnto the inferior partes wil be very small Therefore I wishe all them that are in authoritie to aske counsell of God who speaketh vnto vs in his word If they be not students of Diuinitie and therfore mistrust their own iudgement let them resort to Sermons and to the writings of the learned Diuines Let theÌ„ ask of them whether these dayly customes of running to playes and enterludes and to bearebaitings aswell vppon the Sabboth daye ordeined for the seruice of God as vpon other daies appointed for meÌ„ to worke whether daily haunting of Tauerns Alehouses both early in the morning in the after noone whereof proceedeth drunkennes the cause of much mischéef whether common dicing and other idle and hurtful pastimes whither resorting to harlots company do displease God and prouoke hym to plague vs or no Let them aske of them whether that playes vpon the Sundayes be godly exercises fitte for the sanctification of the Saboth day or no vnto the which light persons for the most part resorte where throughe lighte communication of one with another occasion is ministred of further inconuenience which is not so secrete nor so small but that honest meÌ„ do both perceiue it and speake of it Finally let the Magistrats ask of the godly Preachers whether they that resorte daily to Bearebaitings are not aswell worthie to be whipped oute of a Common weale as those vagarant persons whiche wil not worke yet séeke to liue vpon other mens labours For if search were made it wold be fouÌ„d that no small nuÌ„ber of them that haunte the Beare gardens are not of anye greate wealth and yet they spend their money and léese their time whiche shoulde rather bée bestowed in labouring for the maintenaunce of themselues and theyr familie But as I saide referring them that are in authoritie to the counsell of the learned Diuines for the redresse of these and suche like matters I let them passe and wil speake of priuate wickednesse ¶ The sixte Chapter sheweth briefly how priuate wickednes may be purged HAd I not said that I mind not to be ouer long or curious some woulde looke here that I shoulde set downe all kinde of priuate or secrete offences For in Phisicke they that are learned in the Art do first shew the disease what it is and after the preseruatiues and medicines for the same The like order in other Artes is commendable But if I followe it I shall make a large volume contrarie to my promise Therefore as in other places I omitte many things so in this I will referre the godly Reader to the writings of the Euangelists Prophets and Apostles and to the sermons of learned men and will onely set down that whiche is written in Ecclesiasticus in the whiche booke Iesus the sonne of Sirach hath these wordes My sonne faile not in thy sickenesse but pray vnto the Lorde and hée will make thee whole Leaue off from sinne and order
thine hands aright and clense thy hearte from all wickednesse Here the wise man teacheth vs twoo thynges whiche are medicines in time of the Pestilence preseruatiues before it commeth that is to saye Prayer and Repentaunce Repentaunce whiche chiefly cōsisteth in forsaking of wickednesse and amendment of life must goe before them our Prayer that followeth shall be acceptable vnto GOD. For hys eies are vppon the righteous and his eares are open vnto their prayers but sinners he will not heare Althoughe all menne are sinners yet when we repent GOD putteth away oure synne and we are accompted as righteous in his sight In this case if wée praye vnto him he will graunt vs those things that are conuenient for vs What are the partes of Repentaunce howe we ought to praye and other circumstances belonging to these things the ignorant reader hath to learne as is aforesayde This may be sufficient in this shorte treatise for the preseruatiues againste the first cause of the Pestilence The seuenth Chapter sheweth the preseruatiues against the second cause of the Pestilence THe second is linked to the first and last causes as the effect of the one and cause of the other For the euyll constellation causeth an infectious aire and an aptnesse of mannes bodie to receiue the effect thereof whiche constellation is not so muche euill of it selfe as per Accidens bycause wée are sinners But if the Astronomers dare saye that the Starres or the motion of them created of GOD from the beginning whiche maketh the constellation is euill of it selfe the trueth therof I referre to the Diuines to dyscusse yet I dare say that the operation thereof coulde haue no force to the hurte of man if we were his faithfull seruauntes and did continuallye walke in his commaundementes For vnto the children of GOD it is sayd Feare not the signes of Heauen So little cause haue they to feare the signes of Heauen that for their sakes GOD altereth the course of the starres whych he hymselfe created For the commoditie of the Israelites he staied the course of the Sunne so that one daye was as long as two For Ezechias sake he brought the Sunne tenne degrées back In that text where this is written if a degrée be taken as Astronomers take it and as I do take it for the thirtith part of a signe in the firmament it may be thought that that moneth was ten dayes longer than other monthes are If it were so it is no more wōderful thā other miracles whiche God hath wrought for his children For where as the Egyptians were plagued with tenne gréeuous plagues the Israelites Gods chosen people whiche dwelled hard by them were not touched therewith And for theyr sakes he made the bitter waters swéete and gaue them drinke out of a rocke and foode from heauen For their sakes he made the waters of the riuer Iordan go backe yea and the waters of the great sea He made the sea drie ground so that his people went safely through the middest therof For their sakes he sent hailestones from heauen and slue their enymies For the thrée yong mens sakes that woulde not bowe downe to the Image that the idolatrous king had commaunded to be worshipped God turned the heate of the fire from them vppon their enimies that put them into the hote burnyng ouen For Daniels sake who woulde not worshippe the idoll Bell nor the Dragon God stopped seuē Lions mouthes into whose den he was put which Liōs though they were kept without meale seuen dayes yet they neuer opened their mouth against Daniel in the meane time God prouided sustenaunce for him These and many other like wonderfull woorkes of Almightie God are written for our learning that we worshipping him aright might haue confidence in him without fear what so euer the signes of the heauens do threaten against vs. For if God for the commoditye of his children after the course of the starres of the waters if for their commoditie he quench the heate of the fire and stay the rage of the fierce and hungrie Lions if he wonderfullye preserue them from plagues and slaye their enimies wée maye be sure if we forsake our wickednesse and kéepe his lawes the operation of the starres shall haue no force to hurt vs Therfore it followeth that the same preseruatiues which serue against the first cause of the Pestilence that is to say Repentance and Prayer are very good and auailable against an euill constellation the which béeing well vsed the other that are to be taken againste the third and fourth causes will take the better effect This that I haue sayde the Astronomers will not deny And if they giue anye other preseruatiue againste the seconde cause than this which I haue set downe I thinke it superfluous vaine as I doe all the publishing of their practises Astronomical ouer aboue that whiche it teacheth vs to discerne one time of the yeare from another and to direct men from place to place from sea to sea from land to land and from countrie to countrie Some reason of my opinion I haue alreadye giuen vnto the whiche I adde that in diuerse points it draweth mens mindes from depending vppon Gods prouidence moueth them to directe their actions by the motions of the Starres Therefore I doe not thinke their Arte necessarie or profytable in a Christian common weale further than is aforesayde I thynke rather that the burning of their bookes woulde be as acceptable a sacrifice to GOD as that of the Ephesians whose bookes of curious Artes consumed with fire were valued at fiftye thousande péeces of siluer For theyr Arte is vnlawfull and forbidden by GOD his lawe in these wordes following If a man or woman haue a spirite of diuination or southsaying in them they shall dye the death they shal stone them to death their bloud shall be vpon them Let none of them be found amōg you that maketh his sonne or his daughter go through the fire or that vseth witchcrafte or is a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of foules or a sorcerer or a charmer or that counselleth with spirites or a southsayer or that asketh counsel at the dead If they say that no clause in these sentences maketh against their Arte I meane diuination or iudiciall Astronomie I doubt not but that the Hebrue Grammarians wil easily proue the contrarie by y signification of the Hebrue wordes out of the whiche language these lawes of God are translated If this question did pertain to my purpose I would stande longer vppon it but I let it passe and will returne to my preseruatiues ¶ The eighth Chapter sheweth the preseruatiues against the third cause of the Pestilence THe third cause was sayde to be the corruption of the ayre The preseruatiue is to auoyde as much as may be those things aforesayde that cause corruption In the which good
the bodie For it disolueth and scattereth abroade such humours as vseth to giue matter to the Pleurisie Moreouer it is good for the diseases of the Lunges if they come of a colde cause and for the StranguriaÌ„ of a cold cause or of a stopping It is good for a woman that is in trauell with childe It is good also to driue winde away that is in the bodye and to ease the paine that commeth of the same The roote may be sodden in water or in wine as the nature of him that is sicke doth require The iuyce of the roote put into an hollowe tooth taketh away the ache and so likewise doth the distilled water put in at the eare Moreouer the iuyce and the water also of Angelica quicken the eye sight and breake the little filmes that go ouer the eyes wherof darknesse doth rise Of the rootes of Angelica and Pitche maye be made a good Emplaster against the bytings of madde beastes The water the iuyce or the pouder of the root sprinkled vpon the diseased place is a verye good remedie against old and déep sores For they do scoure and clense them and couer the bones with fleshe The water of the same in a colde cause is good to be layd on places diseased with the Goute and Sciatica For it stancheth the pain and melteth awaye the tough humours that are gathered togither The séede is of like vertue with the root The wild Angelica that groweth here in the lowe woods and by the water sides is not of suche vertue as the other is Howbeit the Surgions vse to séeth the roote of it in Wine to heale gréene woundes These Properties I haue gathered out of the Practicioners of the Germanes I haue not as yet proued them all my selfe but diuerse of them I haue proued and haue founde them to be true Al these are D. Turners woordes sauing that instead of a costly hollowe ball of Siluer Tinne or Iuniper wood I haue set downe the péele of an Orenge or LeÌ„mon the meat whereof is also commended by Physitians to be both a preseruatiue and a medicine agaynst poyson and the infection of the Pestilence ¶ The vertues of Angelica out of an other learned man. THe late writers say that the rootes of Angelica are coÌ„trarie to al poison the Pestilence and all naughtie corruptioÌ„ or euil or infected aire If any bodie be infected with the PestileÌ„ce or Plague or els is poisoned they giue him streight way to drinke a dramme of the pouder of this roote with Wine in the winter and in Summer with the distilled water of Carduus Benedictus then they bring him to bedde and couer him vntil he haue swette well The same roote being taken fasting in the morning or but onely holden in the mouthe doeth kéepe and preserue the bodie from the infection of the Pestilence and from all euil aire and poison They say also that the leaues of Angelica yownd with the leaues of Rue and Honie are verie good to be layde vnto the bitinges of madde Dogges Serpentes and Vipers if 〈◊〉 him to bedde and couer him vntill he haue swett well The same roote being taken fasting in the morning or but onely holden in the mouthe doeth kéepe and preserue the bodie from the infection of the Pestilence and from all euill aire and poyson They say also that the leaue of Angelica pound with the leaues of Rue and Honie are verie good to be laide vnto the bitinges of madde Dogges Serpents and Vipers if incontinent after the hurte the Wine be dronk wherein the roote or leaues of Angelica haue boyled The Conclusion of the Booke THus muche I haue thought good to write of the Plague of these hearbs Carduus Benedictus Angelica whiche as some men vse to speake is called a great secret either bicause it is not knowen to many men or else bycause they would haue it kept close and knowne but to a few But I do not thinke méete that any thing should be secrete which may be profitable for man For GOD hath not made any thing for the vse of a fewe but for the commoditie of all meâ— And we that are the children of God ougâ—â— to frame our selues so that we may bâ— like affectioned vnto our father who 〈◊〉 beneficiall to all men who hath madâ— his Sunne to shine his raine to raine vpon the wicked as well as vpon thâ— good that is to saye who feedeth all meâ— both good and bad For by heat and moâ—sture which proceede from the Sunnâ— and the raine all things growe vpon thâ— earth whereby mans life is mainteined Hereof I conclude that for as much as Almightie God is good vnto all men we ought to be like minded and not to kéepe any thing secrete nor to hide any thing from man that may profite him Thus I make an end willing all men rightly to vse the good creatures of God and to giue him heartie thankes for all his benefites FINIS Deut. 28. 15. 2. Sam. 24. 15. 2. Chro. â—1 14. 1. Cor. 10. 6. Iohn 5. â—4 I speake of the ordinarie vvorking of God vvhich I vvold alvvaies haue so to be vnderstoode that it is nothing preiudiciall to his miraculous operation Eccles 38. 9. Psal. 34. â—5 â–ª 1. Pet. 3. 12. Psal. 66. 18. Esai 55. 7. Iere. 10. 1. Iosu 10. 1â— Ecclesi 46. 4. 2. King. 20. 11. Esay 38. 8. The vvonderful miracle vvroughte for a signe of helth vnto Hezechias vvas noted at the same time as may be thought of the Astronomers at BabyloÌ„ a thousand miles from Ierusalem 〈…〉 dvvelled and therfore the King of BabyloÌ„ 〈…〉 2. Chro. 32. 31. Exod. 7. 8. 9. 10. 12. and. 14. Exod. 15. 16. and 17. Iosua 3. 16. Exod. 14. 21. Iosua 10. 1â— Dan. 3. 25. Actes 19. 1â— Leuit. 20. 27. 〈◊〉 18. 20. Of this name there vvere fiue Emperours the first of them began his raigne vvithin these â–ª 430. yeares that vvas aboue â—100 yeares after the creation of the vvorlde Colicke