Patronesse That will defend thee from their furious rents To fauour thee her mind she will addresse If she finde true thine Artes experiments Adiew vntill as pledge of Brothers loue I shortly send three bookes of Golden-groue Momi obiectio in Authorem Fâ—rtiuis olim varijsque superbijt Oscen Plumis ex multis fit liber iste libris Redde câ—iquesuum vilescit protinus Oscen Hic sinâ— Naturâ foetet Arte liber Authoris Responsio ad Momum EX herbis fit mel hominis ceu simia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aemula Naturae est Moeonidisque Marâ— Sit licet ex multis opus hoc tamen vtile quonis Teste voluminibus candidiissque tuis NATVRALL and artificiall directi ons for health The first Section Chap. 1. What be the causes of the preseruation of mans health THe causes of the preseruation of mans health be sixe The first Aire fire and water The second meate and drink and such as wee vse for nourishment The third exercise and tranquillitie of the body The fourth moderate sleepe and early rising The fift auoydaunce of excrements vnder which Phlebotomie purgations vomits vrine sweat bathes carnall copulation and such like are contained The sixt cause of health is mirth temperatly vsed What is Aire Aire by it selfe is an element hot and moist whervpon the whole constitution of our liues dependeth The attractioÌ„ of this natural body is so necessarie vnto vs that if any one of the instruments of our bodies be stopt we cannot chuse but forthwith be strangled In respect whereof the chusing of a good aire must for the preseruation of health obtaine the chief place Which is the best Aire That which is a mans natiue and countries aire is best This by the Philosophers is approued in this principle Euery mans naturall place preserueth him which is placed in it And by the Poet confirmed Sweet is the smell of countries soile Also a good Aire may be knowen both by his substaunce as when it is open pure and cleane free froÌ„ all filthie dunghilles noysome chanelles nut trees fig trees coleworts hemlockes mines forges for these haue a contrarie qualitie vnto the animall spirit and make men to fall into consumptions and by his qualities as extremitie of cold heat and moysture What shall a man doe if the Aire be either too hot or too cold Hee must vse cold things to keepe away the heat and hot things to expell the cold He must adde dry things to moyst and moyst to dry To depart thence into another place were not amisse For oftentimes it is seene that sick folkes do recouer their former health onely by chaunge of aire But if the aire be corrupt and that a man caÌ„not remoue thence very quickly he must artificially rectifie it by perfuming his chamber with Iuniper Rosemarie Bay tree or with wood of Aloes and then by sprinkling vineger heere and there in his chamber In briefe a man in such cases must get him a nosegay composed of Roses Violets Maioram Marigold and such lyke And when hee goeth abroad he must hold in his mouth eyther the pill of an Orenge or a peece of the roote of Angelica Lykewise hee must haue an especiall regard that his chamber bee at least once a day neatly swept Aduise mee how I should build mee an house for pleasure health and profit First you must chuse out a fine soile which hath water and wood annexed vnto it and forecast in your minde whether the prospect too and fro be decent and pleasaunt to the eye For I am of this opinion that if the eye be not satissied the minde cannot be pleased if the minde be not pleased nature doth abhorre and if nature doth abhorre death at last must consequently follow Next you must marke whether the aire which compasseth the situation of your house be of a pure substance and that shortly after the sunne is vp groweth warme and contrarily groweth cold after the sunne is set Thirdly you must make your foundation vpon a grauell ground mixt with clay vpon a hill or a hilles side Fourthly looke that your windowes be Northward or Eastward Lastly wheÌ„ your house is finished you must prepare a garden replenished with sundry kindes of hearbâ—s flowers wherein you may recreate and solace your selfe at times conuenient Chap. 2. Of water What is water Water is an element cold and moyst and doth not nourish but help digestion How shall I know good water By the clearenesse of it That water is best which runneth from an higher to a lower ground and that water which runneth vpon clay is better clarified then that which goeth vpon the stone When is water wholesomest In summer time it is most wholesome yet notwithstanding seldome to be drunke But if at any time you be compelled to drink it see first that you seeth your water gently for by seething the grosse substaunce of it is taken away How shall I reuiue waters that begin to putrifie This is performed by the addition of some small proportion of the ovle of sulphur or else of Aqua vitae well rectified incorporating them both together Cap. 3. Of fire What is fire Fire is an element hot and dry which dissolueth the malicious vapours of the aire stirreth vp naturall heat in mans body and expelleth cold What kinde of fire is best That fire is best which is made of drie and sweet wood For wet and greene wood is discommodious and so are coales because they make the head heauie dry vp naturall moysture Are not sweatings and hot houses wholesome No because they exhaust the good humours together with the bad The second Section concerning foode Chap. 1. Of bread and drink VVhat is the vse of bread BRead made of pure wheat floure well boulted froÌ„ all bran sufficiently leauened and finely moulded baked comforteth and strengtheneth the hart maketh a man fat and preserueth health It must not be aboue two or three dayes old at most for then it waxeth hard to be coÌ„cocted Howbeit neuerthelesse the pith of new hot bread infused into wine and smelt vnto doth much good to the spirits and greatly exhilarateth the heart What is the vse of beere Beere which is made of good malt well brewed not too new nor too stale nourisheth the body causeth a good colour and quickly passeth out of the body In summer it auayleth a man much and is no lesse wholesome to our constitutions then wine Besides the nutritiue faculty which it hath by the malt it receiueth likewise a certaine propertie of medicine by the hop What is the vse of Ale Ale made of barley malt and good water doth make a man strong but now a daies few brewers do brew it as they ought for they add slimie and heauie baggage vnto it thinking thereby to please tossepots to encrease the vigour of it How shall I discerne good ale from bad Good ale ought to be fresh and cleere of colour It must not be tilted for then the best
Vpon his right side vntill the meate which he hath eaten be descended from the mouth of the stomack which is on the left side thē let him sleepe vpon his left side and vpon his belly that the meat may be the more easily sodden and digested in a more hot and fleshy place May a man conueniently ly vpright on his back No for it heateth the reines hurteth the braine and memorie and oftentimes breedeth the disease which is called the Riding mare Shew me some remedies to procure sleep Take a litle camphire and mingle it with some womans milke and anoyne your temples therwith or else take an ounce of oyle of Roses and three drachmes of vineger stirre them both together and vse them VVhat think you of noone sleepe Sleeping at noone is very daungerous But if you iudge it good by reason of custome thē do off your shooes while you sleepe for whē the body and the members be heauie with deepe sleepe the thicknesse of the leather at the soles doth returne the hurtfull vapoures of the feet that else should vanish away into the head eyes Also you must if you can possibly sleepe in your chaire and let your head bee meanely couered according to the time For as too much cold so too much heate doth astonish the minde and spirits VVhat are the commodities of earely rising Earely rising is healthfull for the bloud and humours of the body and a thing good for them that be studious of weightie affaires for the animall spirit is then more readie to conceiue Yet notwithstanding it is not amisse to consider and serue the time and place because if the aire be corrupt as in plague time or inclined to moistnesse as in raynie and mistie wether or thundring it is better to abide eyther in bed with some light or to sit in the chamber by some sweet fire VVhat are dreames Dreames are either tokens of things past or significants of things to come And surely if a mans minde be free from cares and he dreame in the morning there is no doubt but affaires then dreamed of will truely come to passe Chap. 2. Of mirth VVhat is mirth Mirth is a motion of the minde whereby it taketh delight and stayeth it selfe in that good which is offred vnto it VVhat are the effectes of mirth Mirth enlargeth the heart and disperseth much naturall heate with the bloud of which it sendeth a good portion to the face especially if the mirth be so great that it stirreth a man to laughter Mirth I say maketh the forehead smooth and cleare causeth the eyes to glister and the cheekes to become ruddie Wherefore did God giue affections vnto men God afforded mirth and such like vnto men that thereby they might be induced to seeke after his diuine Maiestie in whome alone they should finde all mirth and comfort VVhat mirth do the common people loue best Ignorant men doe delight in corporall and outward things which moue their bodily senses As in beholding of faire women pleasaunt gardens rich attires or else in eating and drinking What mirth doe wise men like Wise men receiue pleasure by contemplation which is proper to the minde and spirit This Aristotle approued when as he placed the ende and soueraigne Good in cōtemplation Shew mee a way to make the heart merrie You must vse to carrie about you a sweet Pomander to haue alwayes in your chamber some good perfumes Or you may wash your face and hande with sweet waters for nothing in the world can so exhilarate purifie the spirits as good odoures Chap. 3. Of exercise What be the commodities of exercise Exercise is that which maketh the body light increaseth naturall heat and consumeth superfluous humours which otherwise would clotter and congeale within the body For in euery concoction some excrements are ingendred which being left alone may be the rootes of diuerse sicknesses Now the thicker sort of excrements are auoyded by sensible euacuations But the thinner may be wasted and purged by exercise At what time is it best to exercise It is best to exercise when the body is fasting and emptie least after meates by violent and vehement motions digestion be hindred and putrefaction follow In sommer exercise is to be vsed an houre after sunne rising for feare of a double heat In spring and haruest time it is to be vsed about an houre and a halfe after sunne rising that the morning cold may be auoyded For as the heat at midday is hurtfull so the morning cold especially in Autumne is to be eschewed What kinde of exercise is good Walking if it be not too slow is a commendable exercise and may be vsed in hot monethes specially of cholerick persons To hang by the handes on any thing aboue your reach so that your feet touch not the ground is good To climbe vp against a steepe hill till you pant and fetch your breath often with great difficultie is a fit exercise to be frequented in cold seasons Old men must content themselues with softer exercises least that the small heat which they haue should be spent They must onely euery morning haue theyr members gently rubd with a linnen cloth To be briefe they must be combd and cherished vp with fine delights Vnto which cóplexiō doth exercise most appertaine Vnto the flegmatick rather thē the cholerick What exercise should short winded men vse They must vse loude reading and disputations that thereby their winde pipes may bee extended and theyr pores enlarged The fourth Section Of Euacuations Chap. 1. Of Bathes VVhat is the vse of Bathes COld and naturall bathes are greatly expedient for men subiect to rheumes dropsies goutes Neither can I easilie expresse in wordes how much good cold bathes doe bring vnto them that vse them Howbeit with this caueat I commend baths to wit that no mā distēpered through venery gluttonie watching fasting or through violent exercise presume to enter into them Is bathing of the head wholesome You shall finde it wonderfull expedient if you bathe your head foure times in the yeere and that with hot lie made of ashes After which you must cause one presently to powre two or three gallons of cold fountaine water vpon your head Then let your head be dryed with cold towelles Which sodaine powring down of cold water although it doth mightily terrifie you yet neuertheles it is very good for thereby the naturall heate is stirred within the bodie baldnesse is kept back and the memory is quickned In like manner washing of hands often doth much auayle the eyesight How shall a man bathe himselfe in winter time when waters be frozen In winter time this kinde of artificiall bathing is very expedient and wholesome Take two pound of turpentine foure ounces of the iuyce of wormewood wilde mallowcs one ounce of fresh butter one drachme of saffron mingle them and seeth them a pretie while and beeing hot wet foure linnen clothes in it and therewith bathe your selfe Chap. 2. Of
together and let it boile with a smal fire adding to it halfe a pound of honie and taking away the scum of it then put in a little bengwine and when it it hath sodden a quarter of an houre take it frō the fire and keepe it in a cleane bottle wash your teeth therewithall as well before meate as after if you hould some of it in your mouth a little while it doth much good to the head and sweeteneth the breath I take this water to be better worth then a thousand of their dentifrices 7. Wash your face eyes eares handes with fountaine water I haue knowne diuers students which vsed to bathe their eyes only in well water twise a day whereby they preserued their eyesight free from al passions and bloudsheds and sharpened their memories maruaylously You may sometimes bathe your eyes in rosewater fennell water or eyebright water if you please but I know for certaintie that you need them not as long as you vse good fountaine water Moreouer least you by old age or some other meanes doe waxe dimme of sight I will declare vnto you the best and safest remedie which I knowe and this it is take of the distilled waters of verueine bettonie and fennell one ounce and a halfe then take one ounce of white wine one drachme of Tutia if you may easily come by it two drachmes of sugarcandy one drachme of Aloes Epatick two drachmes of womans milke and one scruple of Camphire beat those into pouder which are to be beaten and infuse them together for foure twēty houres space thē straine them and so vse it when you list 8 When you haue finished these say your morning prayers and desire God to blesse you to preserue you from all daungers and to direct you in all your actions For the feare of God as it is written is the beginning of wisedome and without his protection whatsoeuer you take in hand shall fall to ruine Therefore see that you be mindfull of him and remember that to that intent you were borne to weet to set forth his glorie and most holy name 9 Goe about your businesse circumspectly and endeauour to bannish all cares and cogitations which are the only baites of wickednesse Defraud no man of his right for what measure you giue vnto your neighbour that measure shall you receiue And finally imprint this saying deepely in your mind A man is but a steward of his owne goodes whereof God one day will demaund an account 10 Eate three meales a day vntill you come to the age of fourtie yeares as your breakefast dinner and supper yet that betweene breakefast and dinner there be the space of foure houres and betwixt dinner and supper seauē hours the breakfast must be lesse thē the dinner the dinner somwhatlesse thē supper In the beginning of meales eat such meats as will make the belly soluble let grosse meats be the last Content your selfe with one kinde of meate for diuersities hurt the body by reason that meates are not al of one qualitie some are easily digested others againe are heauie wil lie a long time vpō the stomack also the eating of sundrie sorts of meate require oftē pottes of drinke which hinder concoction like as we see often putting of water into the meat-potte to hinder it frō seething Our stomack is our bodies kitchin which being distepered how cā we liue in tēperat order drink not aboue foure times that moderatly at each meal least the belly-God hale you at length captiue into his prison house of gurmādise where you shal be afflicted with as many diseases as you haue deuoured dishes of sundrie sorts The cups whereof you drinke should be of siluer or siluer and gilt 11. Labour not either your mind or body presently after meales rather sit a while discourse of some pleasant matters when you haue ended your cōfabulations wash your face mouth with cold waters then go to your chāber and make cleāe your teeth with your toothpicker which shuld be either of iuorie siluer or gold Watch not too long after supper but depart within two hours to bed But if necessitie cōpell you to watch longer thē ordinarie thē be sure to augmēt your sleepe the next morning that you may recōpēce nature which otherwise through your watching would not a litle be empaired 12. Put of your clothes in winter by the fire side cause your bed to be heated with a warming pan vnlesse your pretēce be to hardē your mēbers to apply your self vnto militarie discipline This outward heating doth wōderfully cōfort the inward heat it helpeth cōcoctiō cōsumeth moisture 13. Remēber before you rest to chew downe two or three drachmes of mastick for it will preserue your body from bad humours 14. Pray feruently to God before you sleep to inspire you with his grace to defend you from al perilles subtelties of wicked fiends to prosper you in all your affaires then lay aside your cares busines as wel publicke as priuate for that nightin so doing you shal sleep more quietly Make water at least once and cast it out but in the morning make water in an vrinall that by looking on it you may gesse somewhat of the state of your body sleep first on your right side with your mouth open and let your nightcappe haue a hole in the toppe through which the vapour may goe out 15 In the morning remember your affayres and if you be troubled with rheumes as soone as you haue risen vse diatriō piperion or eate white pepper now and then and you shall be holpen FINIS The contentes of the sections and Chapters of this booke The first section of the causes of the preseruation of health Of Aire Chap. 1. Of water Chap. 2. Of fire Chap. 3. The second section of food Of bread and drinke Chap. 1. Of wine Chap. 2. Of milke Chap. 3. Of flesh Chap. 4. Of fish Chap. 5. Of sauce Chap. 6. Of graines spices and pulse Chap. 7. Of herbes Chap. 8. Of fruite Chap. 9. The third section of sleepe early rising mirth and exercise Of sleepe and early rising Chap. 1. Of mirth Chap. 2. Of exercise Chap. 3. The fourth section of euacuations Of Bathes Chap. 1. Of bloud-letting Chap. 2. Of Purgations Chap. 3. Of Vomites Chap. 4. Of Vrines Chap. 5. Of Fasting Chap. 6. Of Venerie Chap. 7. Of the causes of infirmities Chap. 1. Of the wicked motions of the mind Chap. 2. Of the age of man Chap. 3. The fift section of infirmities and death The sixt section of the restauration of health Of the foure parts of the yeare Chap. 1. Of the foure humours Chap. 2. Of medicines to prolong life Chap. 3. Of a generall diet Chap. 4. FINIS