Philosophers owne simile our heate is like the flame of a burning lampe the moisture like the foâ—eson or Oâ—le of the lampe wherewith it continewâ—s burning As in the lampe if there bee not a symmetrie and a iust measure of the one with the other they will in a short time the one of them destroy the other For if the heat be too vehemeÌ„t and the oyle too little the latter is speedily exhausted and if the oyle be too aboundaÌ„t the heat too re misse the fire is quickly suffocated Euen so it fares with these two in the body of man man must striue against his appetite with reason to shunne such thinges as do not stand with reason whatsoeuer will not keepe these in their equality of dominion must be auoided vnlesse we will basely subiect our selues to fond desire which is as wee say euer with child To what end is reason placed in the head as in her tower but that she may rule ouer the affections which are situated farre vnder her like Eolus whom Virgil faineth to sit in a hie turret holding the scepter and appeasing the turbulent windes which are subiect vnto him thus Maro discribes him celsa sedet Aeolâ—s arce ceptâ— a tenens mollitquâ— animos teÌ„perat iras We must especially bridle our vntamed appetite in all luxury surfeit which wil suddeÌ„ly extinguish our natural flame suck vp the natiue oile of our liuely lampe ere we be a ware die long before the complet age of man as many most excellent men we read of haue brought a violent death vpon them selues long beefore the lease of their life were expired though not by that means for death is of two sorts either natural or violeÌ„t Violent as when by surfet by 〈◊〉 by sword by any sudden accident a man either dies by his owne hand or by the hand of an other this is that death wher of Homer speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—pit illum purpurea mors violent a parca Hee dyed suddenly by one forceable stroke so purple death is to bee vnderstoode of Purpurea or Murex the purple fish who yeldes her purple-dying humor being but once strucke as they that be learned knowe for this accidentary death instance mote be giuen of many Aâ—acreon died beeing choc't with a kornell of a ray sinne Empedocles threw himselfe into Aetnaes flakes to aeâ—ernise his memorie Euripides was deuourde by Thracian curres Aeschilus was kild with a Tortisse shell or as some write with a deske that fell vppon his head whiles he was writing Aâ—aximander was famisht to death by the Athenians Heraclâ—us died of a dropsie beeing wrapt in oxen dung before the Sunne Diogenes dâ—ed by eating raw Lucretiaâ—heathed â—heathed her knife in her owne bowels to renowne her chastity Regulus that worthy Romane mirrour rather then he wold ransoÌ„e his owne life by the death of many suffered himselfe to be rould to death in a hogshed full of sharp nayles MenaÌ„der was drownd in the Pyraean hauen as Ouid in his Ibis witnesseth Socrates was poysoned with chill cicuta Homer staru'd himselfe for anger that he could not expound the riddle which the fishers did propound vnto him when hee demaunded what they had got they answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What we haue taken we haue left behinde What 's not taken about vs thou maist find Eupolis the poet was drownd c. For a naturall death euery man knowes it is when by the course of nature a man is coÌ„'d to the full periode of his age so that with almost a miracle a man can possibly liue no longer as al those decrepits whom Plautus calls silicernia capularii senes Acherunticâ— all old men that dying are â—ikned to apples that beeing mellow fall of their owne accord from the trees Such a one as Numa Pompilius was the praedecessour of Tullius Hostilius in the king â—ome wâ—om Dionysius Halicarnassaeus hiely praising for his vertues at length comming to speake of his death sayes but first he liued long with perfect sense neuer infortunate and hee ended his dayes with an easie death beeing withered away with eld which end happens more late vnto the sanguine then to any other complexion and the soonest comes vpon a melancholicke constitution Feâ— die naturally but wise men which knowe their tempers well many dye violently by them selues like fooles which haue no insight into themselues especially by this great fault of surfeite partely by the ignorance of their owne state of complection and partely these of their reason beeing blindfold by their lasciuious wantonesse and luxurie amid their greatest iollity For variety of meats and dainty dishes are the nourses of great surfeite and many daungerous diseases to the which that speach of Lucian is sutable where he saith that Goutes Tislickes Exulcerations of the Lungs Dropsies and such like which in rich men vsually are resident are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ofsprings of suÌ„ptuous bancquets so also did Antiphanes the physician say as we read in Clemens Surfeite is an ouer cloying of the stomach with meates or drinkes properly which hinder the second concoction and there fester and putrifie corrupting the spirits infecting the blood and other internall parts to the great weakening and enfeebling of the body and often to the separation of the soule improperly of anger Venus and the like all which in a parode imitating Virgil wee may set downe but chiefely touching surfeite a sedibus imis Vnà ardor luxusque flâ—nt et crebra procellis Dira Venus moestos generant in corpore luctus Corporis insequitur tabes funesta vaporum Nubes obienebrant subito sensuÌ„que 〈◊〉 Fumantis crapulâ— cerebro nox incubat atra * Intonuere exta crebris angoribus algent â—nfaustamque guloso intentant ilia mortem Of all sinnes this gluttony and gourman dizing putrifieth and rotteth the body greatly disableth the soule it is tearmed crapula of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of shaking the head because it begets a resolution of the sinnewes by cold bringing a palsey Or for this when nature is ouercharged the stomach too full as he saith in his Theatre du monde all the braines are troubled in such sort that they caÌ„not execute their functioÌ„s as they ought For as Isocraâ—es writes the mind of man being corrupted with excesse and surfet of wine he is like vnto a chariot running without a coachman This fault of luxury was in Sardanapalus whose belly was his God and God his enemie in Vitellius who had serued vnto him at one feast 2000. fishes and 7000. birdes in Heliogabalus that centre of al dainties who at one supper was serued with 600. ostriches in Maximianus who did eate euery day 40. pound of flesh and drincke 5. gallons of wine Concerning rauenous eaters learned Athenaeus is aboundant and copious this no doubt was in the priests of Babylon who worshipped God Bell onely for God belly Great was the abstinence
will endamage and impaire their healths infect the conduit pipes of their limpid spirits what will dull and stupefie their quicker intelligence nay disable all the faculties both of soule and body as instance mought be giuen of many to them that haue had but a meere glympse into the histories and ancient records of many dish moungers who running into excesse of riot haue like fatall Parcas cut in two the lines of their owne liues as Philoxenus the Dythirambiok poet of whome Athenaeus speaks Deipnos 8 who deuoured at Syracusa a whole Polypus of two cubits long saue onely the head of the fish at one meale whome being deadly sicke of the crudity the PhisicioÌ„ told that he could not possibly liue aboue seuen hours whose wouluish appetite not with standing would not stint it selfe euen in that extremety but he vttered these wordes the more to intimate his vultur-like insaciate paunch Since that Charon and Atropos are comd to call me away from my delicies I thinke it best to leaue nothing behind me wherefore let me eat the residue of the Polypus who hauing eaten it expir'd who had the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Chrysâ—ppus as Athenaeus records and of others he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Aristotle And what of others who although they did not so speedilie by ignorance of their estate curtaile their owne dayes by vntimely death yet notwithstanding they haue liu'd as deade vnto the world and their soules dead vnto them selues Dyonisyus Heracleota that rauenous gourmandyzing Harpy and insatiable draine of all pleasant liquors was growne so pursie that his farnes would not suffer him to set his breath beeing in continuall feare to bee stifeled although others affirme that hee easily could with the strong blast of his breath haue turned about the sayles of a winde-mill Whose soule by his selfe ignorance not knowing what repast was most conuenient for hiâ— body was pent vp and as it were fettred iâ— these his corps as in her dungeon So Alexander King of Aegypt was so grose and fat that hee was faine to be vpheld by two men And a many moe by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by excessiue eating drinking more vpon meere ignorance theâ— rebellion against nature physicall diet and discretion did make their soules like the fatned sheepe whereof Iohannes Leo relates which he see in Egypt some of whose tailes weighed 80. pound and some 150 pound by which waight their bodies were immoueable vnlesse their tailes like traines were caried vp in wheel-barrowes Or like the fatned hogs Scalliger mentions that could not moue for fat and were so senselesse that mise made nests in their buttocks they not once feeling them But those which I whilome named and millions besides neuer come to the full period of their daies dying soone because as Seneca saith they knowe not that they liue by deaths and are ignorant what receit of foode into the body whose constitution they are as ignorant of also will bring endammagement both to it and to the heauenly infused soule For the body this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is requisit that as the meager one is to be fed with spare diet so the massier and more gyantly body must be maintained with more large and lauish diet For it is not consonant to reason that Alexander Macedo Augustus Cesar who were but littlemen as Petrarch saith and so low-staur'd Vlâ—sses should haue equall diet in quantity with Milo Hercules Aiax and such as Atheneus makes mention of as Astâ—damas Herodorus the first of them being so capacious stomacht that hee eat as much alone as was prepared forix men and the latter Herodorus a strong-sided Trum peter who was 3. els and a halfe long and could blow in two trumpets at once of whome Atheneus speakes These might well farce and cram their mawes with far more alimente because their ventricles cels veines and other organons of their bodies were far more ample and spatious And aâ— aine it is soueraigne in this regard because in the ful streame of appetite or brauery many wil take vpon ignorance rather the sumtuous dish prepared for vitellius by his brother which one dish amounted to aboue seuen thousand eight hundred and xii pounds perchance a ranke poyson to their natures then Estur and 〈◊〉 2. sauoury and holsome hearbs which poorâ— Hecale set on the table as a sallet before hun gry Theseus the best dish of meat she could present vnto him a great deale peraduenture more conducible vnto their healtheâ— But they are as ignorant what they take as Cambles was who being giuen to Gastrimargisme as Athenaeus relates in the forementioned booke in the night did eat vp his owne wise and in the morning finding her hand in his deuouring iawes slew him selfe the fact being so hainous and not worthy as also they are pilgrims and strangers in the knowledge of their bodily estate which euer or often is an occasion of ouer-cloying their ventricles with such meates as are an vtter ruin and downefall to their healthes as ill or worse then Toxicum for although they do not efâ—soones inforce the fatall end yet in a short progresse of time they are as sure pullies to draw on their inexpected destenies Without this knowledge of our bodily nature we are like to crasie barkes yet ballist with prizelesse marchandise which are tossed too and froo vpon the maine of ignorance so long till at length we bee shattered against the huge rocke of Intemperance and soe loose our richest fraught which is our soule This ought euer to controule and curbbe in our vnrulie appetites it ought to be like the Poets Automedon to raine our fond desires in which raigne in 〈◊〉 for as Seneca saith sunt quaedam noâ—itura impotranâ—ibus c. so wee may say sunt quaeâ— appetentibus as there be many thinges which are obnoxious to the asker if it chance he obtaine them so are there many nutriments as dangerous to man that babishly couets theÌ„ for if he square not his diet according to the temper of his body in choise of such fare as may banish and expell contagion and violency from nature or be a speciall preseruatiue in her spotlesse and vntainted perfection meats are soe far from holding on the race of his life as that will rather hasten it downe far sooner vnto the hemispheare of death theÌ„ he expected A cholericke man therefore by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing himselfe to be ouerpoizd with it predominancy na but euen foreseeing his corporall nature to haue a propension or inclination to this humour hee must wisely defeate and waine his appetite of all such dainty morsels though the more delicious and toothsome and delude his longing thirst of al such honey flowing meates and hote wines as are foison to his distemperature and which in tract of time will
vulgar sort tearmeâ— the night-mare or the riding of the witch which is nothing else but a disease proceeding of grosse phleume in the orifice of the stomach by long surfet which sends vp could vapors to the hinder cels of the moistened braine and there by his grosenesse hinders the passage of the spirits descending which also causes him that is affected to imagin hee sees something oppresse him and lie heauily vpon him when indeed the fault is in his braine in the hinder part only for if it were had possession of the middle part the fansie shoulde bee hindred froÌ„ imagining which also seemes to bee tainted with darkesome fumes because it formes and â—aignes to it selfe diuers visions of things which haue no existence in verity yet it is not altogether obscured and it may bee proued specially to lodge in that part I meane in the head because of the want of motion in that part cheifly This disease neuer takes any but while they lie vpon their backe There is an other diet for Venus we must not spend our selues vpon common curtizans wee must not be like Sparrowes which as the Philosopher saies goe to it eight times in an hower nor like Pigeons which twain are fained of the Poets to drawe the chariot of Cythâ—raea for their salacitie but rather like the stockdoue who is called palumbes quoniam pâ—rcit lumbis as contrariwise columba quippe colit lumbos because she is a venerous bird it were good to tread in Carnâ—ades his steps for chastity follow Xâ—â—crates example who as Frid. Millemanâ— reports was caused to lie with a curtezan all a night for the triall of his chastity whom the curtezan affirmed in the morning non vt hominem sed vt stipitem proptâ—r dormisse not to haue laide by her as a man but as a stocke For our exercise wherein a diet also is to be respected it must neither be too vehement nor too remisse adruboreÌ„ non adsudorem to he at not sweat There be two other the one of nutriment the other of attire which are in physick to be had in account which for breuity I passe ouer malleÌ„ eniÌ„ as he saith in minimâ— peccare quam non peccare in maxiâ— But note here that the first diet is not only in auoiding superfluity of meates and surfet of drincks but also in eschewing such as are not obnoxious and least agreable with our happy teÌ„perate state as for a cholericke man to abstaine from all salte scorched drye meates from mustard and such like things as will aggrauate his malignant humour al hot drincks enflaming wines for a sanguine to refraine from all wines because they engender superfluous blood which without euacuation will breed eyther the frenzie the hemoroihds sputam sanguiâ—s dulnes of the braine or any such disease for Phlegmaticke men to auoide all thinne rhumaticke liquors cold meat and slimy as fish and the like which may beget crudities in the ventricle the Lethargie Dropsies Cathars rhumes and such like for a melancholicke man in like maner to abandon from himselfe all dry and heauy meates which may bring an accrument vnto his sad humour so a man may in time change and alter his bad complection into a better Wee will therefore conclude that it is excellent for euery complection to obserue a diet that thereby the soule this heauenly created forme seing it hath a sympathie with the body may execute her functions freely being not molested by this terrestriall masâ—e which otherwise will bee a burthen ready to surpresse the soule Cap. 5. How man derogates from his excellency by surfet and of his vntimely death AS natures workemanship is not little in the greatest soe it may bee great in the least thinges there is not the abiectest nor smallest creature vnder the firmament but would astonish and amaze the beholder if he duly consider in it the diuine finger of the vniuersall nature admirable are the works of art euen in leâ—er things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little workes shewâ— forth great Artificers The image of Alexander mounted vpon his courser was so wonderfully portrayed out that being no bigger theÌ„ mote wel be couered with the naile of a finger hee seemed both to iercke the steede and to strike a terrour and an amazemeÌ„t into the beholder The whole 〈◊〉 ades of Homer were comprized into a compendious nutshell as the OratormeÌ„tions and Martiall in the second of his distichs The Rhodes did câ—rue out a ship in euery point absolute and yet so little that the wings of a flie might easily hide the whole ship Phydias merited great praise for his Scarabee his Grashop his Bee of which saith Iulian euery one though it were framed of brasse by nature yet his art did add a life and soule vnto it None of all these workes though admirable in the eye of cunning it selfe may enter into the lists of compare with the least liuing thing much lesse with that heauenly worke of works natures surquedry and pride that little world the true pattern of the diuine image man who if hee could hold himselfe in that perfection of soule and temprature of body in which he was framed and should by right preserue himselfe excels all creatures of the inferiour orbs from the highest vnto the lowest yet by distempering his soule and misdietting his body inordinatly by surfet luxury he far comes behind many of the greatest which are more abstinent and some of the lesse creatures that are lesse continent Who doth more excell in wisedom then he who 's more beau tified with the ornaments of nature more adorn'd with the adiuments of art indowed with a greater summe of wit who can better presage of things to come by naturall causes whoe hath a more filed iudgement a soule more actiue so furnisht with all the gifts of contemplation whoe hath a deper infight of knowledg both for the creator and creature whoe hath a body more sound and perfect who can vse soe speciall meanes to prolong his daies in this our earthly Paradise and yet we see that for all this excellency and supereminence through a distemperate life want of good aduice and circumspection by imbracing such things as proue his bane yea sometimes in a brauery hee abridges his owne daies pulling downe vntimely death vpon his owne head he neuer bends his study and endeauor to keepe his bodie in the same model and temper that it shold be in Mans life saith Aristotle is vpheld by two staffs the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natiue heate the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 radicall moisture now if a man do not with all care seke to obserue an equall portion mixture of them both so to manage them that the one orecome not the other the body is like an instrument of musicke that wheÌ„ it hath a discordancy in the strings is wont to iarre and yeelds no melodious sweete harmony to go vnto the
of Aurelianus the Emperor who when he was sicke of any malady as Fl. Vopiscus records neuer called for any physicion but alwaies cured and recouered himselfe by a sparing thinne diet such temperance is to be vsed of all them that haue iudgement to expell and put to flight all discrasies and diseases whatsoeuer least by not preuenting that in time which will ensue we be so far spent that it is too late to seeke for helpe But all too late comesth ' electuary Whâ—n men the corse vnto the graue y carry Ecquid opas Cratero magnos promitterâ— moÌ„â—es if thou wouldst giue whol mountaines for the physicions help al 's too late sitheÌ„ce thou arâ— past cure Let iudgement and discretion therefore stay thy fond affections and lusts let them be like the little fish Echiâ—eis or Remora which will cause the mightiest AtalaÌ„tado or highest ship to stad still vpon the surging waues so thou must stay the great shippe of thy desire in the Oceane of wordly pleasures lest it going on thou make shipwracke of thy life and good name Whosoeuer prophesieth thus foretelleth truth yet he is accounted vain and too sharp vnto the Epicures of our age as whosoeuer in any prophesie So Euripides or rather Tiresias in Euripid. his Phaenissae saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The poet Persius is this prophet that foretels of death and a suddaine end to them that are giuen to luxury and surfet Turgidus hic epulis atque albo ventre lauatur Gutture sulphureas lentè exhalente mephites Sed tremoâ— inter vina subit calidumque trieÌ„tal Excutâ—t e manibus dentes crepâ—ere retecti Vncta cadunt laxis tunc pulm eâ—taria labris Hinc tuba candelae tandemque beatulus alâ—o Compostus lecto crassisque litatus amomis c. With surfets tympany he ginning swell All wan eft lauers in Saint Buxtons well He breathing belketh out such sulphure aires As Sunne exhales from those Aegyptian mares Death's shuddring fit while quaffing he doth stoÌ„d With chilnes smites the boule out of his hond Grinning with all discouered teeth he dies And vomits vp his oily crudities Hence i' st the solemne dolefull cornet cals And dimmer tapers burne at funeralls At length his vehement malady being calmed In 's hollow tombe with spice he â—ies eâ—balmed But Cassandra may prophesie of the sacking of the citty and bid the Troianes be warned of the woddeÌ„ horse as Tryphiodorus speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some will step out as Priame did too fond in that yea not a few and will cry with him frustra nobis vaticâ—aris tut thou art a false prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wilst neuer bee tired or cured of this phrenetical disease but was not thou Epicure the Cyclops his eye put out as Telemus Eurimid prophesied vnto him yet the Cyclops as the poet witnesseth laught him to scorne Risit O vatum stolidissime falleris inquit He laught ' in 's sleeâ—e and said to Telemus Fondling thou errest thus in telling vs. Thou that art wise Telemus speakes to thee that being fore-warnd thou maist bee fore arind by physicking thy selfe thou maist liue with the fewest and outliue the most Be not addicted to this foule vice of Gastrimargisme and belly chear like Smyn derides who when he rid a suiter to Clysthenes his daughter caried with him a thousand cooks as many fowlers and so many fishers saith AElian although Athenâ—us say hee caried with him but a hundred of all This Smyâ—derida was so giuen to meate wine and sleepe that hee bragd hee had not seene the Sunne either rising or setting in twenty yeares the same author reportes whom it is to bee meruailed how he in that distemper could liue out twenty We must not like the Parasite make our stomachs caemeterium ciborum lest we make our bodies sepulchrâ— animarum Dum os delectatur coâ—dimentis anima neâ—atur comedentis Gregory out of Ludolphus Too much doth blunt the edge of the sharpest wit dazell yea cleare extinguish the bright and cleare beames of the vnderstanding as Theopompus in the fift of his Phil. reports yea it doth so fetter captiuat the soule in the darkesom prison of discontentednesâ—e that it neuer can enioy any pure aire to refresh itselfe till it by constraint be enforced to breake out of this ruinous jayle the disteÌ„pered ill affected bodie which will in a moment come to passe if a man be inclined to luxury the suddaine shortner of the daies I would wish that euery one that hath wisedome could vse abstinence as well as they know it but it is to bee feared that they that neuer haue attained to that pitch of wisdome vse abstinence more though they know it lesse Cap. 6. Of Temperaments We must know that all naturall bodies haue their composition of the mixture of the elemntes fire ayre water earth now are they either equally poisd according to their waight in their combinatioÌ„ as iust so much of one element as there is of another throughout the quaternio or whole number as imagin a dupluÌ„ quadrupluÌ„ or decupluÌ„ of earth so much iust of fire as much of ayre and the like quantity of water and no more thâ— they bee truly ballanced one againe another in our vnderstanding when there are as many degrees of heat as of could of drinesse as of moisture or they bee distemperate or vnequall yet measured by worthinesse where one hath dominion ouer another as in beasts that liue vpon the center earth and water do domineere in fowles commonly aire and fire are predominant Or thus where the true qualities are inherent and rightly giuen vnto their proper subiects as in the heart well tempered heat consists moisture rules in the braine hauing his true temper cold in the fatte drines in the bones The first is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or TemperameÌ„tum ad pondus which is found in none though they haue neuer so excellent and surpassing a temperature onely imaginary yet in some sort held to be extaÌ„t by Fernelius The other is called Temperamentum ad iustitiam which distributes euery thing it owne according to the equity of parts Of the predominion of any element or rather the qualities of the element the complection hath his peculiar denomination as if the element of fire be chieftaine the body is said to be cholericke if ayre beare rule to be sanguine if water bee in his vigour the body is said to be phlegmaticke if earth haue his dominion to be melancholicke For choler is hot and dry blood hotte and moist water cold and moist earth could and drie These four complections are compared to the 4. elemeÌ„ts secondly to the four planets Mars Iupiter Saturne Luna theÌ„ to the four winds then to the four seasons of the yeare fiftly vnto the twelue Zodiacall signes in theÌ„ four triplicities lastly to the foure ages of man all which are here deciphered and limmed out in their proper orbes But to square my
body the blood in the blood the spirits in the spirits soule Thirdly because it is a nutriment for all and singular parts of what qualities soeuer It is tearmed in Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanguis for his nutrition and sure it is as it were the dam or nurse from whose teats the whole body doth suck out and draw life Fourthly in that this humor being speÌ„t our life also must needs vanish away therfore some philosophers as it is wel known to the learned did not onely surmise but constantly auer that the soule was blood because it being effused the soule also doth flit from the body but that was a madde dreame no doubts if the sound of iudge ment had awoke them they woulde haue confessed themselues to haue been enwrap ped in a clowdy errour They also that affirme men of this constitution to be dullards and fooles to haue a pound of folly to an ounce of pollicy they themselues do seeme not to haue so much as a dram of discretion and do erre the whole heauens I confesse a sanguine complection may be so as any other in their discrasie yet not as it is a pure sanguine complection but as there is mixed with the blood either the grosse sediments of melancholy or the lenta materies pituitae tough phleume when the blood is also ouerheated by reason of hot choler or any other accidentary cause that generates a surplussage of blood or endues the spirits with a grosenes and too hot a qualitie more then their nature can well sustaine with keeping their perfection and puritie From whence the blood hath his originall it is apparently knowne especially to them which are skild in the autopsie of Anatomie the seat or fountaine head of it is vena caua a great hollow veine which strikes through the liuer from whence it is conueighed by many cesterns passages and conduit pipes throughout the whole body like spraies and branches from the stemme of a tree It hath his esseÌ„ce from the chymus or juice of our aliment concocted his rednesse is caused by the vertue of the liuer assimilating it vnto his owne colour To speake more of the externall habit and demeanour of man that hath this complection he euer hath an amiable looke a flourishing fresh visage a beautiful color which as the poet saith doth greatly commend one if all other thinges be wanting Nâ—e minor his aderat subliâ—is gratia formae Quae vel si desint coetera cuncta placet With vertues grac'd full debonaire was I Which all defac'd more highly dignifie They that are of this complection arâ— very affable in speach and haue a gracious faculty in their deliuery much addicted to witty conceits to a scholerlike 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being facâ—tosi not acâ—tosi quipping without bitter taunting hardly taking any thing in dogeon except they be greatly moued with disgrace especially wisely seeming eyther to take a thing some times more offensiuely or lesse greiuously then they do â—loaking their true passion they bee liberally minded they carry a constant louing affection to them chiefly vnto whom they be endeared and with whom they are intimate and chained in the links of true amitie neuer giuing ouer till death such a conuerst freind except on a capitall discontent they are very hairy their head is commonly a 〈◊〉 or amber-coloured so their â—eards they are much delighted with a musicall consent and harmony hauing so swâ—e a sâ—pathy themselues of soule and body And but for one fault they are â—ainted with they more well be tearmed Heroeâ— hominum and that is 〈◊〉 reason of that liuely abounding humour they are somewhat too prone to Venery which greatly alters their blessed state of coÌ„stitutioÌ„ drinks vp their huâ—dum radâ—le enfeebleth the diuinest powers consumes their pith and spends the substance of the braine for sperma is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many philosohhers not without great reason affeuere not ter â—ncoctus sanguis therefore as Macrobius saith Hippocrates cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that coitus est paruus morbus comitialis and but for this they were superemineÌ„t aboue all men but their rare qualities and admirable vertues do more then couÌ„terpoize this naturall fault For his resolutioÌ„ he is like the center immoueable neuer caried away with the heady streame of any base affection but lies at the anchor of confidence and boldnes he is neuer lightly variable but beeing proudly harnest with a steely hart he wil run vpoÌ„ the push of great danger yea hazard his life against all the affronts of death it selfe if it stand ether with the honour of his soueraigne the welfare and quiet of his own country the after fame and renowne of himselfe els is he chary and wary to lay himselfe open to any daunger if the finall end of his endeauour and â—oile bee not plausible in his demur ring judgement Cap. 11. Of the Phlegmaticke humour THis humour is called of the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Latines vsually Pituita which as Aetius noteth is so tearmed quasi petens vitam by reason of the extreame cold moi sture it hath being correspondent to the watry element whereby it doth extinguish the naturall heate in man and being caried with the blood by his grosse substance doth thicken it and stop the currents passages of the blood at least doth taint it with a coÌ„trary passiue destructiue qualitie Yet of al the humors the phisicions say and it is not improbable this commeth nearest vnto the best for it is a dulcet humour which being concocted is changed into the essence of blood and serues especially for the nutriment of the Phlegmaticke parts as the braine the Nuchâ— or soft pappe and marrow of the chein bone but this is naturall which of al these humors doth sonest digres into another grosse cold nature which will in processe of time proue that pernicious humor wherof AEtius speaks their is theÌ„ to be noted phlegma naturale wherof we spok eueÌ„ now non naturale of which these proceed Phlegmâ— 1. Crassum 2 Gypseum 3 Falsum 4 Acetosum 5 Tenue some others For the first that which is thicke is a crude substanee by multiplication in the ventricle the bowels or the braine or the blood whereof Hippocrates aduiseth men to euacuate themselues by vomit euery moneth in his booke de victus ratione priuaâ—rum But for the bowels it needes not so much as for the braine and ventricle for nature hath so ordained that the yellow choler that flowes from the gall into the duodâ—num should purge the entralls and wash away these Phlegmaticke superfluities and this in time will turne to the nature of Gypseum phlegma which is of a slimier and in time of a more obdurate nature insomuch it will grow as hard as plaister with long remaining in one place like fen water that turns into the nature of mudde and this is it that staies in the ioints and causeth
Lo Craesus which was of Lydia king Met he not that he sat vpon a tree Which signified that he should honged be Many moe be rehearsed in that place which is worthy to bee read wherein the poet shewes himselfe both a Diuine an Historian a Philosopher and Phisicion In treating of dreames wee will not intetmeddle with these the ominous and fatall dreames wee read of in the sacred writ One portentous dream I will recite which comes to my memory and which I my selfe heard related of the party that dreamed it There was one that dreamed she was walking in a greenish meade all fragrant with beautifull flowers and flourishing plants who whiles she wondred and stood as amaz'd at the glory of the spring an auncient sire all withered aud lean-fac'd with eld the very embleme of death made toward her with a greene bow in his hand sharpning it at the end whoe as shee fled away from his pursuit did dartit often at her the branch three times comming very neare her yet did not touch her at all who when hee see he could not preuaile with his aime vanished eft away and left the bow behind and shee as astounded and affright with the dreame presently awooke now marke the sequel of it within three daies after shee was for recreation sake walking in a greenish inclosure hard by a pond side and on a suddaine her brain was so intoxicate distempered whether with a spice of a vertigo or what amazing disease soeuer I know not but shee was hurried into a deepe pond with her head forward being in great peril of drow ning and if shee had not caught fast hold by chance on a branch that hung ouer the water shee had beene drowned indeed These also are fatall dreames as when we dreame of Eagles flying ouer our heade it portends infortunatenes to dreame of mariages dauncing and banquetting foretels some of our kinsfolkes are departed to dreame of siluer sorrow if thou hast it giuen thy selfe of gold good fortune to loose an axill tooth or an eye the death of some speciall friend to dreame of bloody teeth the death of the dreamer to weep in sleepe ioy to contemplate ones face in the water and to see the dead long life to haÌ„dle lead some melaÌ„cholick disease to see a Hare death to dream of chickins and birds commonly ill lucke all which and a thousand more I will not auer to be true yet because I haue found them or many of them fatall both by mine owne and others experience and to be set downe of I arned men and partly to shewe what an ominous dreame is I thought good to name them in this chapter Vaine dreames be wheÌ„ a man imagins hee doth such things in his sleepe which he did the day before the species being strongly fixed in his phantasie as if he hauing read of a Chimâ—ra Sphynx Tragelaphus Centaurus or any the like poeticall fiction sees the like formed in his phantasies according to their peculiar parts such as when wee dreame wee are performing any bodily exercise or laughing or speaking c. these also may bee fatall as if wee dreame wee do not any thing with the same alacritie with the like cunning and in the same excellency in our sleepe as we did them in the day time they foreshew some perturbation of body so saith the Physicion in his treatise of dreames for hee saith that those dreames which are not aduerse to diurnall actions and that appeare in the purity of their sub iects and eminency of the conceiued species are intimates of a good state of health as to see the Sunne and Moone note clipsed but in their sheene glory to journey without impediment in a plaine soile to see trees shoot out and ladened with variety of fruites brookes sliding in sweete meades with a soft murmure cleare waters neither swelling too hie nor running nie the channell these sometimes are vaine and portend nothing at all some times they signifie a sound temperature of body The last kind which is most appertinent to our treatise is a dreame Naturall this ariseth from our complections when humours beene too aboundant in a wight as if one bee cholericke of complection to dreame of fire-workes exhalations comets streking blazing meteors skirmishing stabbing and the like If sanguine to dreame of beautifull women of flowing streames of bloud of pure purplecolors If Phlegmaticke to dreame of surouÌ„ding waters of swimming in riuers of torrents and suddaine showers c. If Melancholicke to dreame of falling downe from hie turretres of trauailing in darke solemne places to lie in caues of the earth to dreame of the Diuell oâ— blake furious beastes to see any the like terrible aspects Albertus magnus dreamed that he druncke blacke pitch who in the morning when he awoke did voide an abundance of blacke choler Concerning these forenamed coÌ„plectionate dreames looke Hippocrates de in somniis sect 4 But these may belong more vn to a distemperature by a late misdiet in any complection confusedly then to a natural complection indeed as when a man after a tedious wearisome iourney doth inflame his body with too much wine in his sleep he shall see fires drawn swords and strange phantasmaes to affright him of what complection soeuer he be so if wee ouerdrinke our selues we shall dreame our nature beeing welnie ouercome that we are in great danger of drowning in the waues so if wee feed on any grosse meates that lie heauy vpon our stomacke and haue a dispepsy or difficult concoction wee shall dreame of tumbling from the top of hie hils or walls and waken withall before wee come to the bottome as we know by experience in our owne body though not of a melancholick constitution yet it should seeme too that this humor at that instant domineeres especially by reason of the great tickling of our splen in falling from any hie roome which we eath perceine when wee awake suddenly out of that dream They that are desirous further to quench their thirst concerning this point let them repaire vnto the fountaines I meane to the plentifull writinges of such learned authors as write of dreames more copiously as of Cardane that writes a whole treatise de insomniâ—s and the Alphabet of dreames and Peter Martyr part 1. com pla cap. 5. and many others Cap. XV. Of the exactest temperature of all whereof Lemnius speakes THey that neuer haue rellished the verdure of dainty delicates thinke homely fare is a secoÌ„d dish saith the Poet they that neuer haue beene rauished with the sense-bereauing melody of Apollo imagine Pans pipe to be surpâ—ssing musick they that neuer haue hearde the sweet-voicd Swan the Nightingale sing their sugred notes do perswade them selues that Grashops Frogs with their brekekekex coax can sing smoothly when they crouk harshly as Charon in Aristoph bidding Bacchus as he past to hell in his boate ouer Achâ—on to row hard for then he should hear a