Melancholye whych humours are called y e sonnes of the Elementes because they be complexioned lyke the four elementes For lyke as the ayre is hote and moyste so is the bloud hote and moyst And as fyer is hote and dry so is choler hote drye And as water is colde and moist so is phlegme colde and moiste And as the yearth is colde and dry so melaÌ„choly is colde and dry Whereby it apereth that there be nyne complexions Whereof .iiii be symple y t is to wete hote colde moyst and dry and .iiii. coÌ„plexions compounde that is hote and moyst which is the complexion of the ayre and of blood Hote dry whiche is the complexion of the fyre and of cholere Colde and moist which is the coÌ„plexcion of the water of phlegme and colde and dry that is the complexion of earth and of melancholie The nynth complexion is temperate neyther to hote nor to colde nor to moyst nor to drye whych yet is a thing very seldome sene amonge men After the phisicions the sayde foure humours gouerne rule euery one in his place and enduce meÌ„ to be of the complexions folowyng ¶ The complexion of the phlegmatyke Phlegme enclyneth a man to be well fourmed a sleper dul of vnderstandyng full of spattle full of coloure ¶ The coÌ„plexcions of the sanguyne Blood causeth one to be full of fleshe liberall amyable curtyse merye inuentyue bolde lecherous of red coloure ¶ The coÌ„plexcions of the cholerike Cholere causeth a maÌ„ to be hastye enuyous couetous subtyle cruell a watcher prodigall leane and of yelowe coloure ¶ The complexions of the melancholyke Melancholy maketh one Solytarye Soft spirited Fearfull Heauye Curyous Enuious Couetous Blacke of coloure ¶ These be the foure humours wherof the bodyes are compounded euery one of them hath a special dominioÌ„ in respect of al the other according to the age that is to say from a mannes natiuitie til he come to .xxv. yeres the bloud hath most power and from that time to the yeare of his age .xxxv. raygneth the Choler for then commethe heate into the vaynes and the choler begynneth to aryse and be strong Then coÌ„meth myddle age and bryngeth forthe melancholye an humoure colde and dry and hath his endurauÌ„ce tyl fyfty yeres or ther about at which tyme all the humours of the body begynne to diminyshe and the naturall heate by lytle and lytle dothe abate And theÌ„ succedeth olde age vnto deth in the which age phlegme hath y e priÌ„cipal power and dominion Wherfore it shalbe necessarye for al that be of y e age to coÌ„fort their bodyes with some natural heate and meates of good noryshyng as yolkes of egges potched good and yonge fleshe wheate bread good wyne and all suche thynges as engendre good bloud and spirites whereof we entende by the sufferaunce of God to declare more aboundauntly hereafter ¶ Here followeth the descripcion of inwarde and outwarde diseases wyth the moste holsome and expert remedies for the cure therof appropriat to euery membre thoroughout the body The fyrste chapter of the sickenesse and remedyes of the heed HEad ache chaunceth often times of diuers and sondry causes as of bloud cholere fleâ—â—e or melancholy or of ventositye and sometimes of heat of the sunne or of to great cold of y e aire Ye maye knowe heade ache when it commeth of bloude for in the face and eyes there appeareth a darke redenes prickyng and heauines with heat Remedye Ye must let hym bloude on the head veine on that side that the peine is on then laye vpon the place oyle of roses vineger and rose water or a bag with roses sprinkeled with rose water And here is to be noted as wel iÌ„ this cause as all other that yf his belly be harde and bounde fyrst ye must geue him an easye glister or elles halfe an ounce of Cassia newly drawen out of the cane or some other easye laxatyue to prouoke the duety of the womb els al applicacions of medicines wyll bee nothyng worth at all One maie know heade ache that procedeth of cholere when in the face ther is a clere rednes enclining somewhat towarde yelowe holownesse of y e iyes the mouth drye and hote And sometymes bytternesse small reste greate heate with sharpe paine chiefâ—y on the ryght syde of the head ¶ Remedye Ye muste geue hym morne and euen to drinke sirupe of violettes or pomegranades with a meane draught of endiue water in a glasse or of comin water sodden and cooled agayne And in stead of these sirupes ye maye drynke water of endiue succorye purcelane nenuphar myngled together or one of them by them self two or .iii. daies at euenyng and morning Then geue a draÌ„me of pillule sine quibus at night to bedwarde or about midnight the day folowing kepe you iÌ„ your chaÌ„ber In stede of those pilles it is good euery morniÌ„g to take an houre afore suÌ„ne a medicine to drynke y t shall be made of halfe an ounce of Succo rosarum mixt with two ounces of water of endiue In steade of the saied succo rosarum ye may take halfe an ounce of diaprunis laxatiue ye must take hede in gyuyng suche purgacions that the pacient be stroÌ„g for if he be weake ye may gyue hym but the halfe of y e sayd pylles or of the other laxatyues And yf in diminishyng the quantitie of the sayde medicines it worketh not with the pacient as it shuld it is conuenieÌ„t to gyue hym a common glister ¶ An other remedy for the same peyne Ye must laye theron a lynnen clothe moysted in rose water plantayne water morel water and vinegre or elles take the iuyce of lettuce and roses a litle vineger and warme it together and dippe therin a linnen clothe and laye it to the payne An other Ye must take the whytes of .ii. egges wyth rose water and beate it well togyther and wyth towe or flaxe lay it to y e greued place Also ye must shaue his heed and mylke thereon womans mylke that nourysheth a wenche or wasshe hys heed wyth warme water wherein haue bene sodde vine leaues sage floures of water lilies roses Also it is necessary to wash his feete legges wyth the sayde water so that the pacient haue no reume for if there be reumatike matters ye oughte nether to shaue his heed wash his legges nor to lay any colde thing or moist to his heed Ye maye knowe that fleume is cause of the peine in the heed when ye fele coldnesse with great heuinesse speciallye in the hyndre parte when one spytteth often and hath his face lyke sunne brent ¶ Remedye Ye must drynke .iii. or .iiii. morninges sirupe of sticados with water of fenel or sirupe of wormewood with a decoction of sauge and maiorym Then ye must pourge the heade from the sayde fleume wyth pillule cochie and wyth pilles of agarici or pillule auree made with one of the sayde sirupes fyue in a dramme and
effecte in them accordyng to hys giftes and as for my laboure I doe nothyng desire but the loue and fauoure of the gentle readers whome I praye God continuallye to encrease in all goodnesse A treatise of the pestilence What is ment or signified by this worde pestilence PEstilence is none other thing but a venemous infeccioÌ„ of the ayre enemye to the vital spirites by a certayne malicyouse and euyll property and not of any quality elemental that is within it self For euen as pure triacle is a coumforter of life not because of heat cold moistnes or drynes but forasmuch as out of al his coÌ„posicion there redoundeth a certayne fourme agreing to the forme of the vital spyrites of our body so is the foresaid vapour enemy to our natures not for any quality as is saide before but for that y t his proporcion is direct eueÌ„ contrary to our vital spirites coÌ„sisting in y e heart which vital spirites if by y e wil of god ordinary diet be stronger in the pacieÌ„t thaÌ„ y e foresaid vapour is thei driue it from the bodye wil not bee infected And if it happen that the foresaid spirites bee weaker then the venim or the body ful of humors apte to putrefaccion then it dothe incontynent assaut the liuelye membres except remedy bring the body quickly to destruccion But when we do saye the vapoure to bee venemouse we meane not that it is a poysoÌ„ of it self in dede for then shoulde euery creature be indifferently infected and none shoulde escape that draweth it in breath but I cal it venemouse for that it is of suche a naughty qualitye y t it may be lightlye conuerted into venime that is to say apt to burnyng and corosion as do mercury sublimed quicke lime or ratten bane and other such like kindes of venims Thus ye maye perceiue that all the greate daunger that is in thys disease commeth of the noughtines of humors which are made apt to receiue the said vapours not by violence of y e infected aire only ¶ Of the .iiii. rotes or causes princypal of the saide disease whereof it doth arise and grow why it raygneth in one time more then in another THe fyrst roote superior cause of the pestilence is the wil of god ryghtfullye punyshynge wycked menne of whiche roote the holye scripture treateth in manye places as in Deu. the xxviii chapter If thou wylt here the voice of thy Lord God and worke and fulfil al his coÌ„maundementes y t which I commaund to the this daye thy god shall make the more excellent then al the people that be vpon the earth c And in diuerse other places he geueth manye blessynges to them that kepe his lawes And lykewyse to the people rebellinge and breaking his commaundementes he threateneth many curses as where he sayeth If thou wylte not here the voyce of thy lorde God to kepe and woorke all his commaundementes whiche I coÌ„maund the this daye â–ª there shall come vpon the these curses and catche the. Thou shalt be cursed in the citye and in the fyelde thy barne shal be cursed thy liuing shalbee cursed the fruite of thy wombe shalbe cursed the fruite of thy grounde shalbe cursed the heardes of thy shepe and cattell shal be cursed thou shalt be cursed at thy commyngâ— in and cursed at thy goinge out Also a litle after he saith The lord shal ioinâ— to thee the pestilence tyl he hath consumed the out of y e earth to the whicâ— thou shalte goe to take possession Thâ— lord shall strike the with pouertye feuers and colde burnyng and heat anâ— with a corrupte ayre c Also in an other place The Lord shall strike thee wyth the pestilence oâ— Egypte and the parte of thy bodye bâ— the whiche thou auoydeste thy donge with a scabbe and itche and shalte not be able to be cured thereof and let the heauen that is ouer thee be as hard as brasse by cruell constellacions and the earth on whiche thou doest treade bee like yron that euer wasteth and waxeth worse and worse There be many other malediccions which our lord hath threatened the reâ—ellious people wythall expressed in many places of holy scriptur but these may be sufficient as touching our entente to shewe that many tymes the cause of this disease is the vengeaunce of almightye god rightfully punishinge men for their offences ¶ The seconde roote of the pestilence which doth depende of the heauenly constellacions NOow that we haue spokeÌ„ of the first rote superiour of the whiche this disease procedeth it is also coÌ„uenieÌ„t that we declare somwhat of the seconde roote or cause superior that is to wete of natural influences of the bodyes aboue And ye shall vnderstande that accordyng to the saying of Marsilius Ficinus a man of excellent knowlage and no lesse learnyng in his boke De triplici vita in an other which he wryteth also of the pestilence that among al other heauenly dodyes ther be two bodyes called euil and malicious that is Saturne and Mars whiche oftentimes by theyr vnholsome influences are cause of manyfolde infyrmityes speciallye of the pestilence Saturnâ— through colde and Mars by excesse oâ— heate Saturne throughe colde is thâ— cause of reumes of the leprye called elephancia and al dyseases commynâ— of colde matter Mars by reason of his heate bryngeth foorth feuers pestileÌ„cial spitting of bloud water vnder the mydrife and the pleuresye the whyche is a dysease engendred lyke an apostome of choleryke matter in a thicke panicle or fâ—me vnderneth the ribbes A prouident phisicion among many other thynges ought to consider the entring of the suÌ„ne into Aries by true equacion of the houses and planetes for that influeÌ„ce hath more dominacion theÌ„ haue all the other influences of the hole yere beside excepte the superiour coniuncions of the planetes or els some greate eclyps And this entryng of the sunne into Aries passeth al the entringes of the sunne into any other signe Therefore you muste consyder how the lorde of the .vi. house in the figure is disposed for he is lorde of sickenes that is to say you must consider whether he be impedite or no and yf he bee impedite there shal be many sickenesses accordynge to his nature and hys house that is the .vi. house as by example thus Be in case that Saturne is the lord of the .vi. house and some earthy signe is in thesame house then most coÌ„monly the sickenes of that yere shalbe of like nature that is colde and drye And ouer this thou muste consyder whether that the lord of the .vi. house hath any aspecte with the lorde of the house of death or the lord of the house of death to him then moste commonly the ende of those sickenesses that are colde and drye shalbe death And likewise as it is declared of the entring of the sunne into Aries so it must be saide of the coniunccions of y e sunne and moone through al the yere marking euer
the nature of the planet beyng in the .vi. house yf ther be any and the aspectes to those twoo houses aforesayde c. Also he must consider whether this entryng of the sunne into Aries or anye of the coniuncions of the luminaries bee in the eighte house or no for then it should be much worse And note that if the eclipse of the sunne or mone be in any of the angles of the natiuity of any person or in any of the angles of the reuolucion of hys natiuitye then he shal suffer sickenesse accordynge to the nature of the same angles And if the saide eclypse bee in the myddeste of heauen he shall suffer hurte in his honoure and fame and yf it be in the ascendente he shalbe grieued in his body and so foorth of other houses but it shalbe the worser in case the eclipse be in the ascendent specially if it be the eclipse of the sunne for y t is the more daungerous of the two for asmuch as the effect of y e eclipses of y e mone is alwayes finished in the space of one yere at the moste sometyme in lesse and for the moste parte in three monethes But y e effect of the eclipses of the sunne is very long or it come to passe somtime .12 yeres as witnesseth Ptolome in his centiloquio The Astrologians take the iudgement of the yere by the entryng of the sunne into Aries in the firste minute and if it then happen that al the yl planetes be in the eyght house whiche is the house of death they saye that yere shall ryse a pestilence and diuers other sickenesses accordinge to y e nature and condicion of those planetes And yf the moone in the same entryng be nere vnto the coniunction of y e sōne as sometime happeneth within .ii. or thre or four degrees that yere shalbe a death and pestilence vniuersal and that shortely after that coniunccicion speciallye at the comminge of the mone and the euyl planetes to infortunes as y e infortunes be y t effectes shall so appeare be they more or lesse Furthermore ye muste consider the great coniuncciō of y e .ii. hier planetes as was the coniunccion of Saturne and Iupiter the yere of our lorde M. ccccc.xxv in the last daye of Auguste y e .xiii. degre of Scorpio whiche coniunccion chaunged from an ayrye triplicitie to a watry it was in a watry signe whereof there chaunced verye moche raine therupon folowed the excessiue humectacion or moystyng of mannes body which by and by turned to putrefaction and therupon ensued peryllous corrupt feuers pestilences and agues speciallye because in the coniuncciō Saturne was exalted in the north aboue Iupiter whiche Saturne is of yl influence ¶ Of the thyrde roote or cause of thys outragious sicknes THe third rote or cause being inferiour is the stynch and filthy sauours that corrupte that ayre whiche we lyue in for we can not liue wythout drawynge of the breath and we haue none other breth but of the ayre rounde aboute vs which yf it be stinking venymous corrupt and we by necessitie drawe the same vnto vs immediatly corrupteth and enfecteth the hart and the liuely spirites of the same and after y t inuadeth al the other membres of the bodye to enfect them in likewise by reason whereof is engendred a corrupt venymous feuer of pestilence very contagious to all y t are about thē for the venymous ayre it selfe is not halfe so vehement to enfect as is the conuersacion or breathe of them that are enfected already and that by reason of the agreyng of the natures which is the very cause why our bodies be infected by contagyon of men more then any other beastes Of the fourth roote or cause of the sayd disease THe fourth rote is the abuse of thinges not natural that is to wete of meate and drynke of slepe and watching of laboure and ease of fulnesse and emptynesse of the passions of the minde of the immoderate vse of lechery for the excesse of al these thinges be almost the chefe occasion of all such diseases as raigne among vs now a dayes For all that of our meate and drinke is not digested turneth anon to putrefaction and to euyll qualities And to muche slepe replenisheth the body with to great aboundance of humours but ouer muche watching doth drye vp the natural humidities And as watching doth so doth immoderate labour and as slepe doth so doeth rest and ease out of measure put the body in greate distemper and maketh it apte vnto thys siknes as is dayly sene And whoso wyl be ruled as becometh him in thys case shal neuer be lightly infected if chaūce he be he shal easelye with a lytle helpe ye somtyme by verye nature onlye saue him selfe and ouercome the sicknes Nowe seyng that the causes of thys sayd disease be so great as is afore rehersed it is not to be wōdered though the thinge it selfe be verye huge and daungerous and of harde curacion ▪ wherfore sayeth Auisen in his first of methaphisikes althoughe he were no christian we must with good and vertuouse lyuing mitigate the wrathe of god and by continuall prayers kepe our selues styll in the state of grace Therfore wold I counsel euery christen mā that is in dout of this disease to cure first the feuer pestilentiall of his soule calling for y e holsome water y e wel of life wherof it is written Omnes sitientes venite ad aquas c. Whiche waters he onlye giueth that said to his disciples Qui biberit ex aqua quam ego dabo illi erunt in ventre eius aque viue salientes in vitam eternam And this done vndoubtedly the syckenesse of the bodye shal be the easyer to be cured And for because the other soueraine remedy preseruatiue is to flie the corrupt ayre accordyng to the prouerbe Longe cito tarde Flye be tymes flye farre and come slowelye agayne ¶ Yet for so muche as euery man can not nor is of abilitye so for to do it is good for them to loke vpon this litle regiment wherin with the ayde of almyghtye god the hye Phisicion yf the venyme be not to outragyouse he shal fynde howe to preserue him selfe well ynough from it And for the better knowlege and vnderstandynge of thys treatyse ye shall knowe y t it is deuided into .ii. partes ¶ The first is of y e maner of preserue a manne from the pestilence only by dyete in suche thynges wythout the whyche one can not be longe alyue in healthe ¶ The seconde treateth of the cure of the sayd disease by the way of holsom medycine ¶ The first part is distribute into .vii lytle chapters ¶ The fyrste chapter treateth of the election of the ayre ¶ The .ii. of meates and drinkes ¶ The .iii. treateth of sleaping and of wakynge ¶ The fourth treateth of excercyse ¶ The fifth of emptynes and fulnes ¶ The syxt speketh of the accidentes of the mynde
to the fyre in consuming Wherefore the remedies y t are good for burning are also very holesome here iÌ„ this case And fyrste the grene ointment of herbes described in y e chapter of itche is of good effect also in this cure more ouer y e medicines y t are here described Take at the pothecaries of vnguentuÌ„ Galeni an ounce and an halfe oyle of roses two ounces vnguenti populeon one ounce y e iuce of plantain nightshade one ounce or more the whites of iii. egges heat theÌ„ altogether ye shal haue a good ointmeÌ„t for the same purpose An other Take earthwormes and stampe them in vineger then annoint the grefe euery two houres Item y e donge of a swan or in lacke of it the donge of a gose stamped with the whyte and yolke of an egge is good Item doues donge stamped in salet oyle or other is a singuler remedy for the same purpose Of burnyng and scalding FOr burning and scalding whether it be with fier water oile leade pytch lime or any suche infortune Ye must beware ye set no repercussiue at y e fyrst that is to saye no medicine of extreme colde for that might chaunce to driue the ferueÌ„t heat into the sinowes and so stoppethe poores that it could not issue whereof should happen much inconuenience in a great burnyng but in smal it coulde not be so daungerous wherfore y e best is when ye see a member eyther brent or scalded as is sayde afore Take a good quantitie of brine which is made of water and salt not to excedyng eyger or stronge but of a meane sharpnes and with a clout or a sponge bathe the member in it colde or at the least bloud warm thre or foure houres together the longer the better For it shall asswage muche of the peine open the pores cause also the fyer to vapour and geue a great comfort to the weake member TheÌ„ annoint the place with one of these medicines Take oyle of roses one parte swete creme two partes hony halfe a parte make an oyntment and vse it Item all the medicines described in the last chapter are of greate effecte in this case likewyse the grene ointment made of water betonye Item a soueraine medicine for burnynge and scaldynge and all vnkynde heates is thus made Take a dosen or more of hard rosted egges and put the yolkes in a pot on the fyer by theÌ„ self without licour styrre them and braye them with a strong hand tyll there aryse as it wer a froth or spume of oyle to the mouth of the vessell then presse the yolkes and reserue the licour this is called oile of egges a very precious thyng in the foresayde cure Moreouer ther is an oyntment made of sheepes dounge fryed in oyle or in swines grece than putte to it a litle waxe and vse it Also take quicke lime and washe it in veriuce .ix. or .x. tymes than mingle it with oile kepe it for thesame entent Item the iuyce of the leaues of lylyes v. partes and vineger one parte hony a lytle maketh an excellent medicine not onely for this entent but for al other kynd of hâ— and runnyng vlcers Note that wâ—â—tsoeuer ye vse in thys case it must be laid vnto bloud warm Also for auoydyng of a scarre kepe the sore alwaye moyste with medicine ¶ Of kybes The kybes of y e heeles are called in latyne perniones they procede of cold are healed with these subscribed remedies A rape rote rosted wyth a litle fresh butter is good for the same gryefe Item a dosen figges sodden stamped with a lytle goosegrece is good Earth wormes sodden in oyle hath the same effecte Item the skinne of a mouse clapped aâ— hote vpon y e kibe with the heare outwarde and it shoulde not be remoued durynge â—ii dayes ¶ A playster for a kybed heele Take newe butter oyle of roses hennes grece of ech an ouÌ„ce put the butter and the grece in a bygge rape rote or in lacke of it in a greate apple or onion whan it is rosted softe braye it with the oyle laye it playsterwyse vpon the kybe ¶ An othâ— Take the 〈◊〉 of apples and rapes rosted on the coses of eche .iii. ounces freshe butter .ii. ounces duckes grese or swannes grece an ounce stamp theÌ„ all in a morter of leade yf it maye be had or els grynde them on a fayre marble and vse it ¶ Of consumpcion or leanesse WHan a child coÌ„sumeth or waxeth leane withoute anye cause apparaunt there is a bathe coÌ„mended of authours to wasshe y e childe many times is made thus Take the head and feete of a wether seeth theÌ„ til the bones fal a sunder vse to bath y e child in this licour and after annointe hym wyth thys ointmente folowing Take butter without salt oile of roses and of violettes of eche .i ounce the fat of rawe porke halfe an ounce waxe a quarteron of an ounce make an ointmeÌ„t wherwith the child must be rubbed euery daye twyse this with good fedinge shall encrease his strength by the grace of God ¶ Of gogle eyes THis impedimeÌ„t is neuer healed but in a very yong child euen at the beginning whervnto there is appointed no manner kind of medicine but only an order of kepyng that is to saye to laye the chylde so in his cradelle that he maye beholde directe agaynste the light not to turne his eies on either of bothe sydes If yet he beginne to gogle than set the cradell after suche a fourme that the light maye be on the contrary side that is on the same syde froÌ„ whence he turneth his eies so that for desyre of light he may dyrect them to the same part so by custome bring them to y e due fashion and in the night there ought to be a candel set in lykewyse to cause him to behold vpon it remoue his eies from y e euil custome Also grene clothes yelowe or purple are very good in this case to be set as is said afore Furthermore a coyfe or a biggeÌ„ stonding out besides his eies to constraine the sight to beholde directe forwarde Of lyce SOmtimes not only chyldreÌ„ but also other ages are annoyed with lyce they procede of a corrupt humour and are engendred within y e skynne crepiÌ„g out alyue thorough the poores which yf they beginne to swarme in exceding numbre that disease is called of the grekes Phthiryasys whereof Herode dyed as is writteÌ„ in the actes of apostles among the Romaines Scilla which was a great tyraunt and many other haue ben eaten of lice to deathe whiche thing whaÌ„ it happeneth of the plage of god it is past remedy but yf at procedeth of a natural cause ye may wel cure it by the meanes folowynge Fyrste let the paciente abstayne from al kynde of corrupt meates or y e brede fleume and among other â—ygges and dates must in this case be vtterly abhorred ThaÌ„ make a lauatory to wash and