aduisemente good order in diet preceding to preuent y e speciall causes thereof then not onlye of their maladies they shuld be y e soner cured but also phisitions shuld auoide y e reprocheful rebukes â—uyl reportes which of longe tyme they haue susteyned consequentlye the noble science of Phisycke shuld be eftsones restored to her pristinat honour dignitie And verelye that parte of physycke surmounteth all the other whych do the tracte and deuyse necessarie and conuenient forme of lyuynge whych we shulde diligentlye and circumspectlye obserue in tyme of our health and welfare if affectionatly we couet the preseruacion long coÌ„tinuaunce therof ¶ A dyet prescribed for olde men with certeyne medicines agaynst the incommodities of age The seuenth Chapter THey whych are past the dauÌ„gerous passage of youthe nowe approche to olde age whych is about fyftie yere what tyme bothe naturall heate and strength begyn to decaye must diligently haue respecte and regarde to .ii. of the seuen planets Uenus and Saturnus The fyrste dothe signifie storyshyng youth the later withered and teble age Thei therfore whych ve vnder Saturne as olde men must vse circumspection that they be not entangled wyth the blandimeÌ„â—es of Uenus of waÌ„ton appetites chief patronesse Also they must beware that they suffer not extreme colde nor vse not to bee oute of theyr houses in the ayre of the night tyme which thinges are knowen to bring damage to that age Also thei must vse such meats as ingender good and pure bloud as the yolkes of rier egges newe layed Also wyne fragrante and somthing swete whych ingenderith good spirites They muste not vse much honger or thyrst and specially auoyde much watchyng of the nyghtes Remedies for the prouocation of sleepe shall be remembred in the nexte Chapter Exercise of the bodye wold not be muche vsed in age also heauynes and sorow of the mynd wold be aboue all thinges expelled For the bodye can not seme yonge and lusty onles the mynd bequiet merie and pleasaunte Yf olde men be verie colde let them laye thys fomente or applicacion to their stomackes whyche is of wonderfull efficacie and power in prolonging lyfe R. all the inwarde parte of a hotte newe baked loafe sieped a lytle space in good maluissye and then rolled in poulder of mintes and so layde to the stomacke or holden to the nose is to olde men wonderfull profitable for as Diogenes Laertius writeth By vertue of this fomente dyd the renoumed and famous philosopher Democritus belong sicknes at deathes dore keepe and retayne the liuelye spirites wythin hys body and lyued a good space after Furthermore lyghte frications and baynes be verie good and necessari for aged men Also the iuyce of good licorice is supposed of manye to encrease naturall heate and moysture Almond mylke suger and raysynes wolde be also vsed Rasis doth greatly commend mirabolanes called kebuly condite in India and doth coÌ„maund olde men agaynste the incoÌ„modities of age dayely to eate of them Remedies for olde men or any other that can not sleepe The eyght Chapter LAcke of slepe cometh of great driues of y e brayn which maketh short y e course of lyfe and nothing so much eÌ„creseth melaÌ„choly so that men hereby be oftentimes disposed to frensies and madnes the veste remedies to resyste thys euil be these that folow After supper to eate rawe lettes with a litle bread to drynke after a litle good and pure wyne For lettes eaten in the euenynge as Diascorides recordeth prouoketh slepe merueilously Wherfore Galene the most noble phisicion for this intent and purpose was accustumed to haue his poryge made wyth lettes Moreouer vehement prouocations shall be to take a confectioÌ„ at nyghte made on thys wyse â— .ii. vnces of whyte poppie seede and .i. vnce of lettes seede halfe a drame of safron .vi. vnces of white suger and sethe all together in the sirupe of poppie and eate of thys confection .ii. draÌ„mes at one tyme and also by itselfe a lytle of the syrupe of popie For the same purpose it is good to anoynt the forehead and temples with oyle of violets with the oyle of the hearbe called nymphea in englyshe called a water rose and wyth oyle of almondes and to holde at their nose a lytle vynegre or rose water Also it is good to beset the bedde and strawe the chamber wyth colde hearbes as endiue purslane mallowes camomile vinetree leaues and suche other Marcilius Ficinus approueth ofte whashyng of the head wyth water wherin poppie lettes purslan malowes roses camomile the leaues of wyllowes and vyne trees be sodden of ech a like quantitie also wyth thys water not only to washe the head but also the armes legges and al the bodye And here I haue purposely lefte oute many other more vehement prouocations whiche be not vsed but when great nede doth require and they be only vsed when phisicious caste theire patientes into sleepe to the entente to cutte them wythout paine or griefe They be called of the Grecianes Narcotica and Anodoyna of the Latines Stupefaciencia indolorifica or molestia vacaÌ„tia And here I coÌ„clude to speake of remedies agaynst immoderate watchyng whereby the incommodities of age maye be somethyng mitigate also life time proloÌ„ged Of the golden drinke Auxum potabile and somethyng of the vertue therof The nynth Chapter THere is no man hauynge the fre vse of reason that wyl denye mannes lyfe chiefelye to bee conserued by the strengthe and power of that whyche is extracted as well forthe of the vertue oâ— hearbes as other metalles called the quint essence Foreseyng that not onlie the opinions of sage and wyse Philosophers haue in thys thyng concluded but also we maye see the experience of it in our owne bodyes For forthe of the meates beyng grosse of substance whych we receiue daylye to the sustentation of nature is extract by power digestiue the quinte essence of those same meates where doyth nature is fedde and noryshed that whyche is grosse and euyll beyng seperate awaye by power eâ—puâ—siue as gobbettes not agreynge to her dyer Wherefore she abhorryng them desyreth to haue them expelled by sundrye kyndes of excrementes but nowe to my purpose Of al other that quint eiseÌ„ce is the best and moste precious which is extracte forth of the precious metall golde for it of al other is most temperate not obiect to corruption and as Astronomers aflirme for the goodly and shynyng colour and also for hys temperature it is resembled to two of the most worthy planettes hauynge supremitie ouer the reste that is to wyt Sol and Jupiter Of thys is made a golden drynke called aurnm potabile whych is of great strength vertue in producinge of oure lyfe Of this aurum potabile is a boke intituled CeluÌ„ philosophicuÌ„ vnto the whych boke for the more ample and playne declaration hereof I remitte the studious reader for this litle treatise can not receiue it Of the opinioÌ„ of theÌ„ which
¶ A compendious or shorte Treatise gathered out of the chyefe and principall Authors of Phisycke conteynynge certeyne preceptes necessary to the preseruacion of healthe and longe continuaunce of the same verye pleasaunte and profitable to reade ⸫ ⧠To the ryght honorable mastie Wylliam Cicyll Esquier one of the two principall Secretaries to the kyng his most excellent maiestie Henry Wyngfield wysheth long coÌ„tinuaunce of true welfare and like prosperouse successe Hâ—uyng wythout anye my desert enioyed the coÌ„moditie of your beneuolence and good wyll I haue often deuised ben desirous â—accomplyshe some thyng whych I myght exhibit vnto you as a testimonie and pledge of my pore earnest zeale entier affection And knowyng by late profe that if my power wer to declare y e same by some gyft of price ye wold not wel take it beyng so syncere and vpryght rather to esteme the good wyll then the value The consideracion of the whyche thyng hathe moued me at thys my presente beynge here to take in hande thys small and simple treatyse presenting it vnto you for a newe yeres gyfte that it myghte openly appeare how inwardly I beare you accordyng to my bounden duety my pore hert and seruyse And albeit that lacke of tyme and lette of busines as it is well knowen hath withdrawen from me leasure requisite to the absolute finyshynge here of Yet I truste wel in your wonted gentlenes that you wyll both in good part take my simple labour here imployed vntyll some wor thyer thyng may happen and also for lacke of power â—accepte my poore good wyll hertely wyshyng that suche profite may procede vnto you by thys processe as you maye euermore enioye a healthful mynde in a whole and sounde body beyng worthy for your excellenâ—e desertes longe continuaunce of the same At London the fyrste of January An 1551. Who so wyl haue his dayes in healthe long endure And wythout payne or griefe to lyue and fare well These preceptes let hym practise or faythfully put in â—re And of health he may be siker sickenes so expell ¶ The preface to the gentle Reader THe sharpenes and quicke capacitie of mannes wyt whych is the best gyfte greatest treasure grauÌ„ted to mankynd The memorie trusty firme strong in reteyning keping thynges coÌ„mitted to her custodi are not so much necessarie or expediente to the hauynge of a perfecte and exacte knowledge of the tongues and liberall faculties wherein all treasures of science wysedome are comprehended as is a pure and sincere iudgemente Furthermore to haue so vncorrupt or vpryght iudgement truelye to iudge esteme euery thyng to be as it is is a thing very hard and difficulte Not onlye for because of the great varietie and dissention in opinions but also for the vayne and vncerteine confectures whych be in many sciences as Palmestry Pyromancie and Astrology and other faculties vn leful by the lawes oâ— God man Wherfore onles man know such secrete mysteries and hyd operacions of nature bi experience he can neuer come to the knowledge ther of the iudgement is so amased opressed and ouerwhelmed wyth darkenes Moreouer experience also is oftentymes vncerteine and fallible bothe for the imbecillitie of oure iudgement and also for that oure lyfe tyme is feble frayle and of shorte continuaunce Wherfore of these premisses the noble Physicion Hippocrates of most worthy memorye dyd plainlye gather that no man can come to the perfecte and exacte knoweledge of learnyng in short continuaunce so that it is requisite that life be prolonged And there is no man so dul no such lacke wyt but that knoweth wel inough y t thys thyng may be easely performed if he vse wysedome and diligent prouision in the ordryng therof Whiche thyng to be true not only experience but also the diligent and expert cure of phisycke is a sure witnes and testimonie For it is dayly sene that feble and weake boâ—ies by thys prouidence and moderacion in liuynge lyue as longe as those which be valeaunt lusty and strong To the confirmacioÌ„ wher of Plato and Aristotle beare me witnes that a man of excellente lernyng and wisedome named He â—odicus which was in all hys lyfe as feble and syckely as anye man liuyng at that tyme by suche prouidence and order in diete to haue iyued vntyll he was an hundred yeres olde I lette passe manye other of whom Plutarche maketh mencion whyche althoughe they were verye feble and weake yet they by obseruynge these precepts of liuyng and vsyng great diligeÌ„ce to preserue the same haue lyued long tyme wythout any greuous or paynefull syckenes Whyche thynges considered and kept in remembraunce causeth many not a lytle to meruell what shoulde bee the cause of so sodaine a chaunge alteracion in our bodies at thys tyme froÌ„ their nature which haue ben before vs. For now adaies if a man lyue to fyfty or lx yere it is thought a great age And the most parte of men ere this tyme euen in their florishyng youth are attached with fearful death which shaketh of their freshe colour their bewty and their streÌ„gth And yet the case is playne that mans lyfe myghte continue as longe nowe as it hath done afore tyme if we in leadyng forth thereof wolde vse suche diligence and circuÌ„spectioÌ„ as dyd our progenitors Whiche thynge I speake not as any derogatioÌ„ vnto gods honor as who say that we can appoint or constitute ani time excepting alway y e power of God which is wonderfull also merciful aboue mans reasoÌ„ or counsell preseruing or striking whoÌ„ wheÌ„ or wher it shal like his diuine power For oftentymes as holy scripture doth record horrible syn hath ben y e cause of short life And as it is writteÌ„ y e first boke of Moses in y e first age one maÌ„ liued as long as v. or vi do now but shortly after lyke as men so dyd synne encrease on the earthe Wherefore the Lorde sayde my spirite shal not alway striue in maÌ„ because he is fleshe and his dayes shall be a. C. xx yeres but none at all or very few doth approche nere vnto thys age And truely to speake as I thynke our imtemperance continuall bankettyng and dayely ingurgitacions of meates and drinkes is greate occasion of short lyfe nowe adayes The spirite of glotonie so triumphyng amonge vs in his glorious chariot called welfare driuynge all smelfeastes and bealye guttes as hys prisoners afore him into the dungeon of surfet where they be tormented wyth sondrie painfull diseases driuen drawen and finally drowned Such miserable nature remayneth in some meÌ„ that to liue idelâ—y and voluptuously they wyl chose rather to be sycke then to be whole rather to haue payne then pleasure rather to dye then to liue For thys is not a rare thyng but in dayly experience that by suche reuell gourmandise and daily surfetyng many cruellye are putte to deathe oftentimes in floryshynge youth in the most pleasaunt tyme
of their lyfe Wherfore the saying of the wise man Salomon is trulye on them verified mo dye sayth he by surfet and inteÌ„perance then dothe by battell and outward bostilitie For the reformacion wherof and to restraine their prompte disposicion from suche beastlie nature and wantoÌ„ appetire I haue gathered of the moste principall writers of phisicke this compendious extract wherin are conteyned certein obseruacions and preceptes very necessary and profitable to the proloÌ„ging of lyfe which beyng well obserued put in due execution and discretelye ordred doth conserue and keepe oure lyfe longe in health wythout the whythe all pleasures be paynful ryches vnprofitable yet fewe consider this the more pitie it is but thys omittyng I haue proceded in this place wyth ouer farre circumstaunce and also wyth somewhat to much libertie of wordes more then in a preface is requisite for that it greueth me that meÌ„ns myndes be taken prisoners and subdued to glotonie and intemperance And nowe wyll I come to my matter purposed and fyrst enterpryse begon whych excepte I be muche deceyued shall mâ—nister to the diligent readers both commoditie and profite †⸫ ☜ ¶ The heat in our bodies which is called vitall because as longe as it endureth the body is liuyng and quicke and all the powers thereof which be three in number naturall vitall animall do performe their operacions is noryshed and sed wyth moystnes by the superfluous increase or diminucion wherof ouer or vnder his naturall assignment the lyfe runneth on hasard the body is dissoluid death immediately foloweth which many men haue in extreme hate and most fearfully abhorre The fyrst Chapter THat same quicke and liuelye power in our bodyes which is called lyfe supported by naturall heat and moysture liueth and dwelleth in the body whiche two so together are conglutinate or knyt that the one can not be seperate froÌ„ the other the humiditie or moystnes is a very noryce to this naturall heat whych by power digestiue for her sustentacion receyueth of her noryce suche inyce as is coÌ„formable to her appetite These two qualities be the materiall causes of oure liuinge For a more playne declaracion whereof I wyll vse a familier example daylye represented before our eyes As the lyghte and bryghtenesse of the lampe cometh of the oyle and the weke semblably this vitall power comenly called lyfe procedeth of natural heate moysture and when the oyle is consumed and wasted the lyght of the lampe is extinguyshed and quenched also when there is to muche excesse or abundaunce therof beynge wateryshe or corrupte the lyght is in dauÌ„ger to be drowned Lykewise it fareth by the encrease and diminucioÌ„ of humiditie in our bodies For if moysture be wantyng or superfluous if it be more or lesse then is conuenient to the naturall proporcioÌ„ and temperature of the body it doth shortly debilitate make feble and weake naturall heate whyche so weakned in short continuaunce is clene extinct and so the bodye is dissolued and lyfe distroyed MorieÌ„di necessitas obduas causas Ob humoris resolutionem cuinullis modis resisti potest Ob humoris pâ—trefactiout de qua quomodo vitari potest est nobis hoc loco explicandum Yf for lacke of moystnes naturall heate be destroyed the bodye dyeth by resolucion or consumpcion Yf the naturall heate be drowned by superfluouse moysture or elles by moysture viciate and vnnaturall the bodie dyeth by suffocacion putrefaction or corrupcioÌ„ Thys suffocacion commeth vnto the bodie when anye of the foure humors which euery man is composed and made of doth exceade their proportion that nature hath limited or elles when any of them be putrified and rotten speciallye when there is eyther great abundaunce of flewme in the bodie or elles when it doth approche to putrefaction or rottennes wherof is the feuer quotidiane ingendred wherefore pituita is so called as some men thynke quia petit vitam Thys necessary therfore and coÌ„ueniente forme or discipline of lyuyng whych to the prolongacion of mannes life is requisite and profitable doth as well instructe vs how to be vigilant and circuÌ„spect least naturall moysture in our bobodies be not lyghtlye consumed and wasted as also to auoyde the daunger of death whych cometh by putrefaction of humors And that euerye man may wyselye and discretelye order these preceptes to the prolongacion of hys lyfe with long continuaunce of health it is expedient and necessarie that euery man knowe the natural habite and disposition of hys owne bodie For if the body be hotte and drye and the conduites thereof open and hys humors subtile or thinne then he must vse those thinges whych do resyst consumption or wastyng for because his body lacking natural moysture is lightlye thereunto disposed And to satisfie the desyre of such whych per adueÌ„ture by these general wordes hotte and drie do not yet perceyue what I meane therby here for the playne vnderstandyng thereof it shal be declared by sensible tokens Such as haue bodies hote dry their poreâ— which be litle holes in the skyn dispersed thorow out all the body be great and open wherfore the skyn in feelyng is rough the vulgare people ignoraunte of letters do cal such as be of that disposition or naturall habite goose skynned Also their vaines be so litle that by the outward seÌ„ses they can not wel be perceyued And a coÌ„trary dispositioÌ„ hath coÌ„trary totokens as a smoth or soft skynne large and ample vaynes and such as be of thys constitucion muste vse such thynges whych specially do resyst putrefaction and corrupcion of y e humors which shalbe declared hereafter But such persons which by aptitude of theyr nature be geuen only to studious meditacion whych wyth vigilant and coÌ„stant study abandon al pleasures and gyue them selues wholely to the exercise of the wyt These most of all other haue nede to be prouident wyse and circuÌ„specte in these thynges for asmuch as their bodies be disposed as wel to consuÌ„ption and wastyng of humiditie as to putrefaction by to much abundaunce and excesse of humors To the euidente profe whereof it is to be noted that their brayne alwaye declineth to drynes and hornes by reason of the continuall mocion of the wyrte whych is alwaye occupyed and the phantasye alwayes conceiuyng thinges and committynge them to memorye and also because the bodies of these menne be alwayes in reste and idlenesse for lacke of competent exercise thei be full of flewme melancholye Wherfore the fyrst cause doth threten consumpcion of humiditie the later putrefactioÌ„ of humors therfore they must vse thynges which resyst the one as well as the other of the which hereafter in place coÌ„uenient shal be spoken abuÌ„dantly ⧠Howe it is necessarie to the prolongation of lyfe to haue equall and iuste portion of naturall heate and moysture called radicall For if inequalitie be thereof the bodie shortly dyeth The second chapter IN ministringe of oyle to a lampe euery man is circumspect for they perceiue well if they
say mans lyfe by degrees of seuen yeres to be in daunger of death or misfortune The tenth Chapter FOr asmuche as shortnes of tyme and busines otherwise taketh from me labour and studye requisite to the exacte and perfite finyshyng of thys my purpose and enterpryse begone wherby I am constrained to leaue many thynges vnspoken concernyng certeyne preceptes of Astronomie by the healpe whereof Astronomers promyse preseruation of health and coÌ„tinuance of the same which thyngs omitted I purpose onlye to remember their opinion whych affirme ourelyfe euermore at seuen yeres ende to be in daunger of death or misfortune which yeres the Astronomers call Auuos câ—â—nactericos they are called also An â—â— scaâ—arâ—s â—tadatii or dectetorii whiche they proue to be by this reasoÌ„ Foreseyng that all the Planettes do raigne by order of successioÌ„ and course Euerye houre of the daye semblablie they raygne in order euery day in the weeke also euery planet in order geueth influence and constellacion for the space of a moneth to the chylde conceiued in the wombe and brought forth vy generation Whereby wyse Astrologers castyng the daye and hour of the chyldes natiuitye do indge hys naturall inclinacion and to what thynges he is of nature aptlye dysposed And consequentlye they saye that euerye planet in order for a yeres space geueth influence and constellacion vnto mans lyfe For a more euident declaracion whereof it is to be noted that Saturne the hyghest planet in the fyrste moneth after the chylde is conceyued hathe supremitie and chiefe rule ouer the chylde lying in the wombe not hauyng perfecte shape of manne or woman and so by discention vnto the loweste In the seueÌ„th moneth Luna hath rule and gouernaunce and so after the chylde is borne and broughte forthe by ascention agayne 〈◊〉 fyrste yeare of the childes age the Moone hath soueraigntie and geueth her influence In the second Mercuri in the thirde Uenus in the fourth Sol in the fifte Mars in the syxt Jupiter in the seuenth Saturne so in order returnyng agayne that suche course there is in all mans lyfe whych causeth in oure bodies euerye seuen yeare a greate alteracion and chaunge Wherefore euerye seuen yeare is thought daungerous and ieoperdous for the causes before mencioned For this cause by y e aduertisemeÌ„t of auncient writers at euery seuen yeres ende we shulde consult with phisicions wyse and well learned to knowe how to escape the daunger then imminent For by certeine remedyes Ptolomeus affirmeth that the manaces and threatnings of the planettes may be repressed Also he affirmeth that mans lyfe maye be prolonged by vertue and power of certeine Images made of precious stones or other metal if they be made at time oportunate and conuenient accordinge to the raygne of the planettes as Philostâ—atus telleth of a manne named Appolonius whych by the vertue of seuen rynges whyche he made geuyng euery one of them a name accordyng to the names of the planettes and vsinge dayly to put the ringes on hys fingers as the planettes raygned in the dayes of the weeke lyâ—ed an hundred yeres reteinyng styll the yong and goodlye bewtie of the visage the liuelye power and quicke vigoure of the mynde and strength of the bodye Albeit I let pas to wryte of suche astrologicall Images for because such witchcraft and sorcerye is superstitious and deuyllishe vnlawfull by the lawes of god and man Wherefore all trust and confidence taken from suche detestable practise these medicines only maye be lawefully vsed to dryue awaye the in commodities of age whych on the earthe God hathe created for mannes necessitie A confutation of the exoniouse opinion of certayne philosophers whyche thought phisycke to be of such efficacie and power to make the body immortal wyth the causes of bodely deathe and the necessitie thereof The eleuenth Chapter THere were in tyme paste certeine philosophers whyche supposed that by suche craft and other lyke as is before hearted the bodi of maÌ„ might be made immortal Whych opinion to be folyshe peruerse and erronions it may sone appeare to al them whiche wyll eyther folowe daylye experience or natural reason to leaue of that I shuld firste haue named and that is the most true and substanciall reason verelye the determinate sentence of almyghtie god Albeit not only philosophers but also phisicions by ouermuche affiaunce and trust had in their science supposed that this thyng myghte be brought to passe against whose presumption arrogancie the noble phisicion Auicene the chiefe of the Arabians in forme folowyng replieth sayenge The science of phisytke doth not make a manim mortall nor doth not defend surely out bodies from outward hurtefull thynges no nor can not assure euery man to lyfe to the last terme and daye of his lyfe But of two thynges it maketh vs sure that is from putrefaction and corruption and also defendeth that naturall moysture be not lyghtly dissolued or consumed Wherfore that cruel Lady of destenie named Aâ—ropos whom we call comenlye death assayleth and pursueth oure bodyes to destroye and kyll them by two sundry maner of wayes Whereof the fyrste is called resolution or consumption of natural moysture whyche in continuaunce and precesse of tyme muste of necessitie be consumed and wasted and can by no phisycke be auoyded And all the preceptes whych here be gathered together if thei be discretelye vsed and put in due execution serue speciallye for thys purpose that it bee not lyghtlye as in floryshyng youthe or chylde age consumed or wasted but be deferred to olde age as longe as nature wyll permitte and suffer The latter cause by the whyche death assayleth the bodie is called putrefaction or corruption of naturall humiditie whyche maye be easelye auoyded if man be circumspecte in vsyng the counsels before wrytten and to keepe the bodye in safety and health From the daunger hereof dothe belonge the diligent consideration and ryghte vse of those thynges whych be called in phisicke not natural whyche be syxe in number Ayre meate and drinke sleepe and watche mouing and reste emptines and repletion and affectes of the mynde Of the vse whereof is some thyng spoken in master Eliots Castell and ther fore here omitted But nowe to returne to this necessitye of our dying to the which by force and constraynt we are driuen and commeth by thys reason Naturall heate in oure bodies by continuaunce and processe of time is a necessatie cause of her owne de struction For if it shulde alwayes continue in our bodies then shuld we liue but the thyng is contrary for at the lengthe it dothe consume and wast her owne matter wherof she is made that is naturall moysture For a more euidente and playne declaration whereof it is to be considered that lyke as the lyght of the lampe dothe by continuaunce of tyme consume the oyle which is cause of the lyght and so is at length extingwyshed Lykewyse it fareth by naturall heate in our bodies and the more it aprocheth to age the more it becometh drier wherby heat is diminyshed which diminution of naturall heat is caused of two thynges the one is ouermuch drynes in al the meÌ„bers the other is lacke of moysture whych of necessitie immediately after causeth death to come and the body to be dissolued This I thynke sufficient to the confutacion of the opinion before remembred One thynge I had almoste forgotten whych althoughe it be but a faynyng of the poetes yet it is necessarye to the amplifiyng of our purpose and doth conteine in it thynges delectable worthye knowledge The poets fayne there to be iii. fatall Ladies or Ladies of destinye in whose wyll it standeth to prolonge and shorten mans lyfe and they be called of the Latines Parce because as I suppose they fauour no manne The fyrste named Clotho is fayned to holde a rocke or distafe in her hande The second named Lachesis to plucke forthe the threede and the thyrde called Athropâ—s to plucke asunder and breake the same whereby they vnderstand that the fyrste of these Ladyes hathe power of oure lyfe at the begynnyng of it and the seconde ladye to stretche forth and draw along mannes lyfe the third ladye at her pleasure and when she wyll to shorten it so as it runne not hys full course An Epiloge or briefe rehearsall of the prâ—misses THys is sufficiente for the declaracion of those thynges which be necessary and expediente to be knowen to the preseruation of the health and longe continuaunce of the same whych specialye doth consyst in reducing naturall heate and moysture to an equall and iust temperature in makyng digestion good and perfite in rectifieng of bloud viciate or corrupt in consideracion to be hadde concerning a mansion or dwelling place in ordinarie dyet to be obserued in preparing necessarye remedies agaynst inordinate watching finallye in the power and strength of that whych beyng extracte out of hearbes and other metalles is called a quine essence which being studiousely read and put in due execution I trust shall be to the readers both commodious and profitable oâ— whom I praye â—hat my small and symple â—aboâ—â—es heceâ—â— bestowed at vacant tyme from other lettes and busines maye be fauorably accepted and hereafter when I shall perceiue where â—â—her my lytle power or poore â—â—beuoure maye better accomplyshe the thyng for theyr commoditie ther shall no laboure let me from doyng of it Thus fare ye well gentle Readers FINIS Uiue vale Lector si quid scis rectius istis Candidus imperti si non scis viere gratus Imprinted at London by Robert Stough ten dwellynge wythin Ludgate at the sygne of the Bishoppes Myter Ingeniâ—â— memoria Juditiâ— â–ª Experientia Longa vi ta ad scientie cognitionem necessaria Gen. xvi M. ficiâ—â— lib. i de stud â–ª ca â–ª tuâ—nd ca â–ª tercio â–ª Celius auti-lecti lib. xvi Corn. Celsus lib. x. Prou. xv Libr. â— cap. vii Hesiodus 〈◊〉 2. â—â—gou caâ— emeâ—on Rayses li bro. iii al mansoris Diatetici