he so is it indéed vnto all the godly but vnto the wicked it is an entrance into a continuall and eternall punishment from the which Christ that hath died for vs deliuer vs. Amen Now hauing shewed sin to be one cause of the Pestilence and sometimes the onely cause when it pleaseth God to punish the impietie of his people vsing it as the executioner of his wrath it followeth that I shewe the other causes whereof the Pestilence may arise The second cause is the corruption of the aire Galen the most excellent and famous Physition in his booke de Differentijs Febrium saith there be two causes of the Pestilence Vnam aërem vitiatum ac putridum alterā humores corporis vitio so victu collectos ad putreso endum paratos The one cause is saith he an infected corrupted and putrified aire the other cause is euill and superfluous humors gathered in the body through haughtie and corrupt diet which humours be apt and ready to putrifaction And this is most true and not onely the opinion of Galen and Hippocrates the Fathers and princes of Physicke but of all the learned and iudiciall Physitions of latter time and at this day Now let vs consider how and by what meanes the aire may be corrupted and altered from his wholsom qualitie vnto a venemous dispositiō Entring into due consideration therof I finde many causes that may corrupt the aire all which I will compose or include in these two The first cause whereby the aire may bée corrupted is through the vnholsom influence of that planets who by their malitious disposition qualitie and operations distemper alter and corrupt the aire making it vnholesome vnto humane nature When the temperature of the aire is changed from his naturall estate to immoderate heate and moisture then it corrupteth and putrifieth and ingendreth the Pestilence I emit to write what I haue read concerning the alterations and mutations that are sometimes caused by the superior bodies or planets here below vpon the earth for vnto the learned it were superfluous and vnto the vulgar or common sorte it woulde rather bréede admiration then credite but this euerie man is to vnderstand Deus regit Astra GOD rules the starres and yet I doubt not but through the Eclipses Exaltation Coniunctions and aspectes of the Planets the aire may bée corrupted and made vnholesome sometimes in somuch that diuers griefes are bred thereby The second cause whereby the aire may be corrupted is a venemous euaporation arising from the earth as from fennes moores standing muddie waters and stinking ditches and priuies or from dead bodies vnburied stinking chanels and mixsones and multitudes of people liuing in small and little roome and vncleanlie kept all these are causes and meanes whereby the aire may be corrupted The third cause of the pestilence is the euill disposition of the body which is bred by euill diet the bodie being repleat with corrupt and superfluous humors which humors bereadie to putrifie and rot vpon anie light occasion And when such a person doth but receiue into his bodie by inspiration the corrupted and infections aire he is therewith by and by infected his bodie being disposed thereunto through superfluous and corrupt humors abounding whereas contrarie wise a body of a good disposition I meane a body frée from grosse corrupt and superfluous humors is not castlie or lightlie infected because there is not that matter for the infectious ayre to worke vpon And againe nature is more stronge to repell the infectious or corrupted ayre if it be receiued and this is the cause why one person is rather infected then another namelie the disposition of the bodie Now hauing shewed all the causes of the pestilence I will GOD assisting mée set downe the cure and remedie for euerie cause which causes being taken away the effect which is the sicknesse must néedes cease The first cause I say is sinne and this ought first to be taken awaie and then I dare vndertake by Gods assistance my corporall medicines shall soone staie this furious sicknesse Sinne is a sicknesse of the soule the cure thereof dooth consist in these two points The first is true hartie and faithfull repentance with all contrition of heart confessing thy sinnes vnto the Lorde with faithfull prayer vnto Christ Iesu that it will please him to be an aduocate and mediator vnto the Lorde for the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Do this and thou shalt find GOD mercifull hee is readier to forgiue then we to aske forgiuenesse of him He would not the death of a sinner but with all mercy patience and long suffering wayteth and expecteth our conuersion vnto him The second point is newnesse of life for what shall it auaile vs to haue forgiuenesse of our sinnes if we fall into the same againe and walke in our former euilnesse of life This will but increase Gods wrath and indignation against vs and exasperate him to punish our impietie of life with all seueritie Therefore I counsell thee as thou tendrest the saluation of thy soule flie from euill and do the thing that is right walke vprightlie before him in newnesse and holinesse of life for the Lord séeth all thy waies and knoweth the thoughts of thy heart long before Remember thy time here is but short and death will sommon thee thou knowest not how soone to giue an account how thou hast spent thy time and vsed the talent that the Lord hath lent thée here on earth Then shalt thou stād before the tribunall seat of the Almightie iust Iudge where all thy whole life shal be laide open and all thy actions and thoughts of thy heart made manifest and knowne Then happy and ten times happie are they vnto whom the Lord shall say Come yee blessed of my Father receiue ye the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the worlde But how vnhappie and in what miserable estate are they vnto whom the Lord shall say Goe you cursed into eternall darknesse a place of punishment appointed for you where there is horror weeping and gnashing of teeth This is the place appointed for the vngodly worldlings that wallow and continue in their sinne neglecting the seruice of the Lord for which end they were created Consider this good Christian Reader and defer no time to turne vnto the Lord for this life of ours is fraile vnconstant and very vncertaine We haue examples daily before our eies of the vncertainty thereof to day a man to morrow none Homo natus Muliere paucorum dierum est repletur inquietudine saith Iob Man that is borne of a woman his daies are fewe and is full of misery For thy further instruction I refer thée vnto the godly and learned Diuines heare them for they are the messengers and ministers of the Lorde appointed to teach his people and in mée it might be noted for presumption to take vpon mée the office of another man hauing in this point more
herewith offended or enuy my endeuours considering it is for the benefit and helpe of many in this or such like dangerous time wherein many perish for want of counsel and helpe in their sicknesse at the beginning thereof And where anie ouersight or defect hath passed in my booke as I doubt not but that there are some hauing so short time and so little opportunity to ouerlooke it I desire the learned Reader to correct and amend the same and in so doing I shall be vnto him beholding And so now taking my leaue I beseech God of his great mercy to blesse the meanes that we shall vse for our health vnto the honour glorie and praise of his holy name and vnto our health comfort Farewell luly the ninth Non quaero quod mihi vtile est sed multis Thine in all friendly loue and good will Thomas Thayre A Treatise of the Pestilence wherein is shewed all the causes thereof with most assured preseruatiues against all infection THis contagious sicknes which is generally called the Plague or Pestilence is no other thing then a corrupt and venemous aire deadly enemie vnto the vital spirits most commonly bringing death and dissolution vnto the body except with spéede good remedy be vsed I mean not that the aire of it self is a verie poison for then consequently all persons for the most part that liue within the aire so corrupted should be infected and few or none escape the danger thereof but my meaning is that the aire hath in it selfe a venemous qualitie by reason whereof those bodies wherein there is Cacochymia corrupt and superfluous humours abounding are apt and lightly infected those humours being of themselues inclined and disposed vnto putrifaction Now I will proceede to shew the causes of this dangerous sicknesse and also the cure thereof Now hauing briefly defined what the Pestilence is I will God assisting me prosecute mine intended purpose First in shewing all the causes thereof and the cure and remedie for euerie cause Entring into due consideration of the causes of the Pestilence that now raigneth Christian Reader I find there are thrée causes thereof The first and chiefest is sinne The second is the corruption of the aire The third and last cause is the euill disposition of the body bred by euill diet and the abuse of things called Res non naturales things not natural not so called for that they are against nature but because through the abuse of them nature is debilitated corrupted and oftentimes vtterly destroyed The first cause I say is sinne The holy Scriptures sufficiently proueth the same and giueth manie examples how the Lord oftentimes punisheth his people for their sin and impietie of life with the Pestilence Reade the 14. chapter of the booke of Numbers and the 11. and 12. verses where the Lord speaking vnto Moses saying How long will this people prouoke me and how long will it be ere they beleeue me for all the signes I haue shewed among them I will smite them with the pestilence and will destroy them and will make thee a greater mightier nation then they Why doth the Lord here threaten the children of Israel his chosen to strike them with the Pestilence the reason is shewed in the same chapter because saith he they haue murmured against me and haue rebelled not keeping nor obseruing my lawes And as the Lord spake vnto the children of Israel by Moses so speaketh he vnto vs dayly by his ministers and preachers of his word Also reade Deuteronomy the 28. chap. the 1. 2. 3. and 4. verses and there you shall sée the blessings that the Lord promiseth vnto them that walke in his waies and kéepe his commandements And it followeth in the same chapter But if thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God and keep and doe his commandements The Lord shall make the pestilence to cleaue vnto thee And many more curses hee pronounceth against them that continue in their sin and iniquitie of life And further The Lord shal smite thee with a consumption with a feuer and with a burning ague and so forth This spake the Lord vnto the children of Israel his people and this speaketh the Lord daily vnto vs but we are slow to repentance and amendment of life Reade Leuiticus the 26. chap. and the 21. verse And if you walke stubbornly against me saith the Lord and will not obey my word I will bring seuen times more plagues vpon you according vnto your sinnes And in the third verse following he saith I will send the pestilence among you and you shall bee deliuered into the hands of your enemies This spake the Lord vnto the inhabitants of Ierusalem and this speaketh hee vnto vs oftentimes by his Ministers whom we ought with all reuerence to heare and with all diligence to follow Many more places could I cite and inferre out of the sacred Scriptures to proue sinne to be a cause of the Pestilence and sometime the onely cause thereof example in Dauid example in Pharao and diuers other which for prolixitie I omit hoping this may suffice to proue sinne to bee a cause of the Pestilence which is indéede as a messenger or executioner sometimes of Gods iustire Manie and great plagues hath this our land tasted of in times past and it is not yet tenne yeares since this Citie of London was visited and afflicted with this sicknes dispersing it selfe into diuers and many places of this land cutting off and taking away a great multitude of people and I doubt not but sin was a great cause thereof O that man would therefore remember the inconstancie and srailtie of this life And consider the end of his creation was to serue and glorifie God but we daily dishonour him by committing of sinne and not giuing vnto him that honor and seruice that is due vnto the Lord But placing all our affections vpon the vaine delights and inconstant pleasures of this alluring and deceitfull world which do as it were bewitch vs and withdrawe vs from that Christian care that we ought to haue of our saluation abusing Gods mercie and long sufferance with our delayes and procrastination to turne vnto him being misebly deluded by satan and intised by the glittering shewes of this world to the loue thereof and God knowes how soone we must leaue it I pray God infuse his grace and holy Spirit into our hearts that sinne may be mortified in vs and that it may worke in vs a reformation and amendment of life that we may henceforth walk in this our short pilgrimage as Christians and seruants of the Lord seruing him in all holinesse and pietie of life contemning the vaine pleasures of this fraudulent world which are but snares to intrap our soules and the baites of Sathan to draw vs vnto destruction then shall we not need to feare death but say with Saint Paul Mors mihi lucrum Death vnto me is gaine saith
most conuenient when the first and second digestion is complete as well in the stomacke as in the vaines But in such a time of infection as this is I cannot commend exercise because it will too much open the pores and the pores being opened the bodie is apt to receiue the infectious aire Much more would I say of the benefit of exercise and the inconuenience of idlenesse but that I should be ouer-tedious in this place Of fulnesse and emptinesse All fulnesse and superfluitie of meates are to be eschued for as much as they make repletion And all bodies in whom there is repletion are apt to bee infected And such bodies must endeuour to kéepe themselues soluble All euacuations are good for them as purging and bléeding except some speciall cause doth forbid it And let them vse a sparing and frugall diet And they may safely and with great profit vse the pill I haue set downe before in my booke And as I haue said repletion is an enemie vnto health bringing and begetting sicknesse and sometime sodaine death so is too much fasting and emptinesse no lesse hurtfull it weakeneth the braine and drieth the whole bodie consuming the radicall moisture in man and shorteneth life And as repletion is to be abhorred and auoided so is too much emptinesse to be eschewed and as I haue said we must vse a mediocritie in all things Of affections of the mind Affections of the mind are called by M. Cicero Perturbations Galen calleth them Pathemata vel affectus anims and nothing is more hurtfull in this time of sicknesse nor greater enemie vnto life then feare sorrow anger heauinesse and griefe of mind Anger is a dangerous passion it chafeth the bloud and disquieteth the heart it inflameth the spirits which ascending vp into the head annoieth the animall powers or faculties This passion cholericke persons tyrants and fooles are much troubled withall and oftentimes in their wrath perform wicked and vnlawfull actions Feare sorrow and griefe of mind are no lesse hurtfull vnto the body for they waste the naturall heat and moisture wherein life consisteth making the bodie leane and drie whereupon consumption followesh it dulleth the wit and vnderstanding and draweth the spirits and bloud inward to the heart and withall attracteth the venemous and infectious aire if we liue within the compasse thereof If I should here stand to write of all the perturbations for the mind defining and distinguishing them one from another shewing the wonderfull effects of them and the inconuenience therof I should be ouer tedious in this short Treatise and it might seeme impertinent in this worke onely this I wish thée to remember Sub te erit appetitus tuus tudominaberis illi Vnder thée shall be thine appetite and thou shalt beare rule ouer it saith the Lord. We must therefore maister our affections for if they be not ouer-ruled and gouerned by wisedome they will excéede and proue daungerous enimies both vnto soule and bodie And in this time of sicknes we ought specially to auoid these perturbations of the mind and to vse all vertuous and commendable mirth swéete musicke good companie and all laudable recreation that may delight you and vse the perfumes in your chambers and in other roomes of your houses that I haue set downe being cast into a fuming pot or chafing dish vpon a few coales Do this euening and morning the charge thereof is small but the vtilitie is great It purgeth the aire and taketh away the euill qualitie thereof Now hauing shewed what ought to be auoided it followeth that I set downe preseruatiues that may resist all infection which God assisting me I will do First of all I counsell all men in whom bloud doth abound the which they may easily know themselues by the heate of their bodies colour largenesse and fulnesse of their vaines that they be let bloud in the liuer vaine in the right arme and let the quantitie be according vnto the strength of the person Also that all men in generall auoid all bathes and hote-houses and all vehement exercise that may ouerheate the body and inflame the bloud Also the companie of women this hote and contagious time is verie hurtfull and therefore ought to be vsed with great moderation Also walking verie early in a morning and verie late in the euening is hurtfull and dangerous Also auoide all prease and throng of people where a multitude are assembled al noisome vnsauourie places Now hauing shewed all the causes of the pestilence and set downe the cure and remedie for euerie cause I will by Gods assistance for the care I haue of the preseruation of the inhabitants of this honorable citie and for the loue I beare vnto them and my countrie communicate vnto them most excellent and approued preseruatiues and of singular vertue which whose vseth them shall not néed to feare the infection of this contagious sicknes First with an humble and contrite heart desire mercie of the Lord and then commend thy selfe vnto his protection which being done vse the good meanes he hath ordained for thy health Pilles of especiall vertue in preseruing all that vse them R. Good Aloes half an ounce washed in rosewater of good myrrhe of saffron of each two drams bolearmoniac praep one scruple seed pearle one scruple sir of limons as much as wil suffice to make them in pilles or in a masse Take halfe a dramme hereof made in pilles euerie second or third day in the morning faste after it thrée or foure houres but it shall be good for you to take a little thinne broth or a little alebrue or sixe or eight spoonefuls of wine within an houre after and vse your accustomed diet as before Another pill that doth more moue the bodie and giueth two stooles or three in some bodies and this is good for such as are costiue and in whom humours abound R. Good Rubarbe chosen myrrhe of each one dram chosen aloes two drams zedoarie roote one scruple saffron one scruple sirrup of Roses solutiue as much as will suffice to make the masse This pill purgeth gently and preserueth the bodie from all infection Such bodies in whom humours doe abound and are most commonly costiue may vse these pilles taking half a dram euerie morning for thrée foure fiue or sixe dayes together as they please Take after it either a little thin broth or of an alebrue or a draught of wine if it bée not too hote for your complexion and vse your ordinarie diet as accustomed if it be good Another very good Preseruatiue and worthy of much commendations R. Of good Mithridatum halfe an ounce Angelica root in powder two drams of Theriaca andro half an ounce Bolearmoniac praep two drams conserues of Roses and Borage halfe an ounce seede of Citrons two scruples sirup of Limons one ounce mix them make halfe this receite Or this which is very good R. Good Mithridatum halfe an ounce Conserues of Roses halfe an ounce
good remedie as we see dayly death followeth Now it followeth that I teach the way or meanes to cure such in whom the botch appeareth which God assisting me I will doe The way or meanes to cure such in whom the botch appeareth This sicknesse the pestilence is a fierce swift and dangerous disease and verie quickly destroyeth nature therefore I counsell all men againe to vse at the first some spéedie helpe for giuing it sufferance but a little time it resisteth all cure neither is it in humaine power to helpe it as we dayly see Héere I cannot but lament the follie of manie people who neglect the vse of good means in time Some foolishly conceited that physicke can do them no good Some other vsing some light and trifling medicine to no purpose some other vsing none at all standing vnto the mercy of the sicknesse which is mercilesse and thus manie perish daily not perish neither therein I saide not well Beati mortui qui in domino moriuntur Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. God giue vnto vs his grace that wee may learne to contemne this vaine world and be ready when he doth call and while we liue here to vse thankfully his good creatures vnto his glory and our comfort Now vnto the cure of the pestilence which is my purpose When any person féeleth himself infected and that the sore beginneth to arise or appeare if the sicknesse begin hote and that he feeleth in himselfe anie great heate aboue nature being of a sanguine or cholericke complexion strong and bloud any thing abounding then would I haue that person with spéede let bloud if it be within twentie foure houres of his sickening and that the sore or botch be not yet in way of ripening but newly risen For you must note that blood is to be taken at the beginning of the sicknesse and before the botch be growing to suppuration or not at all For at this time the botch hauing béene forth and growing to suppuration you should greatly hinder nature and weaken the person and indanger his life But in the beginning of the sicknesse it is a speciall good thing in all persons in whom bloud doth abound But these persons I doe except women with child or lately deliuered old men that grow towards thréescore and children also weake féeble persons wherin is Cacochymia and little bloud these persons may not bléed but must receiue some medicine before set downe for the cure of the pestilence and sweate therwith and take cordials as I will shew them But such as may bléede must obserue this rule in bléeding according vnto the place where the sore or botch is placed or appearing If the sore or botch appeare in the throate necke or vnder the eares then open the head vaine Cephalica in the arme on that side whereon the sore or botch is And if the sore or botch arise in the armepit then open the vaine mediana which is betwéene the head vaine and the vaine comming from the liuer If the sore or botch arise in the flancke then open the vaine Saphena in the inner side of the foote alway remembring this note that you let blood on that side whereon the botch appeareth For on the contrary side it is dangerous and euill drawing the venome ouerthwart the spiritual members to the great danger of the patient The quantity must be according vnto the strength of the patient in those that be young strong and full of bloud it is good to take much away and in others according vnto their abilitie of body And in this time of necessitie when it may not be deferd you must neither regard time neither signe nor aspect or coniunction of Planets but in the name of God do it Quouis tempore hora mittere sanguinem necessitas concedit iubet two houres delay in bléeding may be the cause of death This being done or not done in those persons aboue named who may not bléede let there be giuen vnto the sicke person of one of the medicines set downe for the cure of the plague before in this booke and procure the sicke to sweate well which if they cannot spéedily do then you may vse the meanes before taught with bottles whereby a sweate shall spéedily be brought forth and let the patient endure it as long as he is able And remember that you kéepe the sicke from sléepe in his sweat and fiue or sixe houres after if he be very faint giue him of one of the cordiall confections to eate of sometime and if he be so thirstie that hee must néedes drinke then giue him of the sirrup set downe in this booke for that purpose But you ought not in any wise to giue him drinke after his medicine vntill he hath sweat well and that which you giue him must bee warme and comfortable And hauing sweat well dry his body with warme and soft clothes and so let him rest kéeping him from sléepe Within two houres giue him some good broth to eat made with a chicken in which broth boile a little whole mace dates raisins of the sunne Endiue Borage Buglosse rings or some péeces of gold Let him haue oftentimes to eate of one of the cordiall confections set down in this booke and let his drinke be the first day Betonie water Scabious and Borage water of each of them halfe a pinte boiled a little with sugar and whole mace After you may giue him ale if not strong boiled with Mace and sugar Let his meate be chickens capon rabbet yong mutton or veale and let him vse orenges limons pomegranets graines of paradise and all thing that doth comfort the heart and coole You must perfume the chamber oftentimes in the day with the perfumes set downe in this booke which will purge the aire of the chamber and sprinkle the floore of the chamber with good vinegar and giue him to smell vnto oftentimes a cloth wet in rose vinegar Now must the sore or botch be looked vnto And to ripen and bring it to suppuration you shall find medicines set downe in this booke If the sore do arise néere the heart I haue set downe meanes to defend the heart and to drawe the sore or botch further off or if the botch appeare in the throte then likwise draw it further for feare of suffocation or choking the patient If watching or rauing trouble him I haue set downe meanes to helpe it If thirst and drinesse vexe him I haue set downe comfortable sirrupes to remedie it or whatsoeuer he shall néed in this cure if aduisedly you follow my direction The patient ought to change his chamber sometimes and to vse often the perfumes before set down and to kéepe the house all the time of his sicknes vntill his sore be well changing himselfe in fresh apparell well aired and persumed before And those that are about him must haue care of themselues and eate daily