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
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
wilde beastes Thirdly let them vse Borage and Buglosse in their drink Fourthly musick is meete for thē Fiftly they must alwayes keepe their bellies loose soluble Chap. 3. Of medicines to-prolong life Shew me certaine remedies to preserue health and to prolong life To liue for euer and to become immortall here in earth is a thing impossible but to prolong a mans life voyde and free from all sicknesse to cause the humours in the bodie by no meanes to predominate one ouer an other to preserue a man in a temperate state I verely beleeue it may be done first by Gods permission and then by vsing weekely either the weight of one scruple of the spirite of the herbe called Rosa solis or the essence of Celandine or the quintessence of potable gold wherein pearles are dissolued Also who someuer hath any of these well prepared may helpe all the diseases of mans body whether they be curable or vncurable Reasons I neede not alledge for that which is openly seene with eyes need no proofes It is an absurd thing to be ignorant in that which euerie man knoweth Is not the falling sicknesse onely cured by the spirit of vitrioll doth not mercurie heale the French poxe and the filthie scabbe doeth not oile of antimonie plucke vp at once the impurities of the feuer They doe none can denie the same Mineralls are of most efficacie if they be rightly prepared and purged from their poyson and superfluities Truely it is a wonderful thing in this life that mans vnderstāding can bring these inferiour works to so great perfectiō without doubt it is the prouidēce of god that learning in this latter rotten age should wax lightsom therby to defēd life which otherwise through the cōtagion of the world would soone decay frō these new strange maladies which are in all places very rife cōmon so that the saying of that great prophet is now verified come to passe my age shal renew it selfe like an Eagle O rare gift of the mighty God! who made Moses liue 120. years without dimnesse of sight without griefs not loosing any of his teeth who prolonged Hezechias life by 15. yeares hath inspired into mens hearts such excellent knowledge These quintessences which you speake of may not be gotten without great difficultie wherefore reueale those preseruatiues which I may easily get Doctor Steuens water is an excellēt preseruatiue to prolong life is made after this māner take a gallō of gascoigne wine thē take gin ger gallingal cāmomill cinnamon nutmegs grains cloues mace aniseed carrawayseed of each of thē a drachme thē take sage mints red roses time pellitorie of the wal wild mariorā pennymountayne otherwise wilde time cammomille lauender of euerie of them one handfull then bruse the spices small bruse the herbes put all into the wine and let it stand twelue houres stirring it diuers times then distill it in a limbeck and keepe the first pinte of the water for that is the best and then will come a second water which is not so good as the first The vertues of this water are these it comforteth the spirites it preserueth the youth of man it helpeth old goutes the tooth-ache the palfie and all diseases proceeding of cold it causeth barren women to cōceiue it cureth the cold dropsie the stone in the bladder in the reines of the backe it healeth the canker comforteth the stomacke prolongeth a mans life Take but a spoonefull of it once in seauen dayes for it is very hot in operatiō Doctor Steuens that vsed this water liued one hundred yeares wanting two The sublimated wine of M. Gallus physition to the Emperour Charles the fift of that name is most admirable For the vse thereof caused him to liue sixescore and nine yeares without any disease which I thinke to be better then Doctor Steuens water it is made in this sort take of Cubebs cinnamon cloues mace ginger nutmegges and galingall three ounces of rheubarbe halfe anounce of Angelica two drachmes of masticke foure drachmes and of Sage one pound and two ounces steepe these in two poundes and sixe ounces of Aqua vitae which was sixe times distilled then distill them altogither This wine comforteth the braine and memorie expelleth melancholy breaketh the stone prouoketh appetite reuiueth weake spirites and causeth a man to wax younge and lustie It may be taken twise euery weeke and not aboue one spoonefull at each time To conclude there is a iuleppe made only of white wine and sugar which comforteth and refresheth the body much causing the spirites to waxe liuely it is made thus put two pound of sugar in three pound of wine and one pound of rosewater seeth it till it come almost to a syrupe This iuleppe is so acceptable to nature that it supplies the vse of meat and drinke Declare vnto me a dayly dyet whereby I may liue in health not trouble my selfe in Physicke I will first of all in the morning when you are about to rise vp stretch your self strongly for thereby the animall heate is somewhat forced into the outward partes the memorie is quickned and the bodie strengthned 2. Secondarily rub and chafe your body with the palmes of your handes or with a course linnen clothe the breast backe and bellie gently but the armes thighes and legges roughly till they seeme ruddy and warme 3. Euacuate your selfe 4. Put on your apparel which in the summer time must be for the most part silke or buffe made of buckes skinne for it resisteth venime and contagions ayres in winter your vpper garment must be of cottō or friezeadow 5. Whē you haue apparelled your selfe handsomely combe your head softly and easilie with an Iuorie combe for nothing recreateth the memorie more 6. Picke and rub your teeth and because I would not haue you to bestow much cost in making dentifrices for thē I will aduertise you by foure rules of importāce how to keep your teeth white and vncorrupt and also to haue a sweete breath First wash well your mouth when you haue eaten your meate secondly sleepe with your mouth somewhat open Thirdlie spit out in the morning tha◠which is gathered together that night in the throate then take a linnen cloth and rub your teeth well within without to take away the fumositie of the meat and the yellownesse of the teeth For it is that which putrifieth them and infecteth the breath But least peraduenture your teeth become loose filthy I will shew you a water farre better then pouders which shall fasten them scoure the mouth make sound the gums and cause the flesh to growe againe if it were fallen away Take halfe a glassefull of vineger as much of the water of the masticke tree if it may easilie be gotten of rosemarie mirrhe masticke bole Armoniake Dragons herbe roche allome of each of them an ounce of fine cinnamon halfe an ounce and of fountaine water three glassefulles mingle all well