helped very much with this Methridatū drunken with stilled waters palsies sickenesses in the midriffe the liuer reines and bladder be cleansed therby it prouoketh the menstrual termes in womē being drunk with posset ale If Isop or Germander bee sodden in the said ale it is excellent against the pestilence or poison if it be drunke but a little quantitie thereof according to the disease strength or age of the person It is very good against the stone or for womē which haue a new disease peraccidents called the gréene sicknes there is nothing better against the biting of a mad dogge than to drinke of this and to annoint the wound If it be giuen in drinke to any sicke bodie a little before the accesse or comming of the olde fittes of quotidians tercians or quarteins so that it be drunke with wine temperately warmed This Methridatum is a medicine of no small price Democrates hath a goodly composition of it an other excellent composition is of Cleopatre as Galen writeth An other and the most excellent is the description of Andromachus phisition vnto king Nero but the chief father of this act was king Mithridatus the noble king of Ponthus after whose name it is called Ioh. Indeed this is an excellent medicine but I pray thee where shall I buy it Hum. The blind fellow Iohn doe eate many a flie and the plaine meaning man is oft deceyued There is no trust in some of the Apothecaries for although the vsurpation of quid pro quo is tollerable for their Succidanes yet to abuse their simples or compounds it is not onely theft to rob simple men but also murther to kill the hurtlesse Ioh. Of late time we haue beene so afflicted with sundrie sickenesses and strange diseases that in many places we could get no physitions to helpe vs and when men be sodainly sicke 200. miles from London Cambridge or Oxford it is too late for the patient to sende for helpe being infected with the pestilence I pray thee tel me some good regiment for me my family if it please God that it may take place Hum. I shall be glad forasmuch as thou hast taken paines to heare me all this while to teach thée a pretie regiment for the pestilence Ioh. Reade it faire and softly and I will take my pen and write it Hum. Certainly the occasion of this most feareful sicknesse commeth many waies as the change of the aire from a good vnto an euill qualitie taking his venemous effect of the vital spirits which incontinent with all spéede corrupteth the spirituall blood And sodenly as it were an vnmercifull fire it quickly consumeth the whole bodie ouen vnto death vnlesse the wholsome medicine doe preuent and come to the heart before the pestilent humor And because it is a very strong sicknes it is requisite to haue a strong curing medicine For weake things will not preuail against so strong a matter Therfore I pray you note these six sayings as aire diet sléepe or watch quietnes or trouble and finally medicine First walk not in stinking mists nor by corrupt marrish ground nor in extreme hot weather but in fair cleare aire vpon high ground in swéet fields or gardens hauing fire in your chāber with swéet perfumes of the smoke of Olibanum or Beniamen Frankensence being cold weather And in hote weather roses willow branches sprinkled with vineger often shifting the chamber is wholsom fléeing the South winde Secondly diet moderate eating meate of good digestion as all that haue pure white flesh both of beasts and foules good bread of wheate partly leauened Eate no raw hearbs purslein Lettise yong Lettish or sorrel except with vineger Drinke of cleare thin wine not chaunged and vse often times vineger with your meates and mingle not fish and flesh together in your stomacke to drinke a tisant of barly water rose water sorrell water betwene meals is good eight spoonfuls at once Thirdly beware you sléepe not at noone it bringeth many sicknesses and giueth place to the pestilence and abateth memory For as the marigold is spred by the day and closed by the night euen so is man of nature disposed although through custome otherwise altered vnto great domage and hurt of body Eight hours sléepe suffiseth well to nature but euery complexion hath his proper qualities to sléepe vpon the right side is best euill vpon the left and worse vpon the backe Fourthly vse moderate exercise and labor for the euacuation of the excrements as swift going vp hilles stretching forth armes and legges lifting weightes not verie ponderous for by labour the first and second digestion is made perfite and the bodie strengthened and this is a mightie defence agaynst the pestilence and many mo infirmities wheras through idlenesse be engendered all diseases both of the soule and bodie whereof man is compounded made Fifthly aboue all earthly thinges mirth is most excellent and the best companion of life putter away of all diseases the contrarie in plague time bringeth on the pestilence through painefull melancholie which maketh the body heauy earthly Company musicke honest gaming or any other vertuous exercise doeth helpe agaynst heauinesse of mind Sixtly medicine the partie being chaunged in nature and condition trembling or burning vomiting with extreame paine in the day colde in the night and strange imaginations c. Apt to sléepe when these signes doe appeare giue him medicine before xij houres or else it will be his death Take therefore with all spéed sorrel one handful stamped with Rew Enulacampana Oringe rindes Citron seedes the great thistlerootes Geneper berries walnuts cleane picked of each one ounce stampe them all together then take pure sharpe vineger a quarter of a pynt as much buglesse water as much white wine and temper your sayde receytes with these licours Then put in two ounces of pure Methridatum and romachi which is an excellent triacle and two drams weight of the powder of pure Bolearmein mingle them all togither in a verie close vessell and giue the pacient a spoonefull or more next his heart and etfsoones asmuch more let them that take this not sléepe during twētie hours or else take pure triacle and setwel mingled in posset ale made with white wine wherein sorrel hath boyled a good draught and let an expert Chirurgion let the pacient bloud vpon the middle veine called Mediana or the heart veine Basilica a good quantitie according to the strength and age of the pacient except women with childe and children For the retaining the said bloud would all turne to venom and incurable poison And note this that blood bee lette vpon the same side that the sore doth appeare If any appeare for many causes and sléep not viij houres after and vse this most excellent pill oftentimes Take pure aloes epatik and myrre well washed in cleane water or rose water of each 2. drams and one dram of the powder
whence the veines doe spring and the stones of generation from whence the seed of life springeth but those compounded members that bee principall bee all the other members except the simple as the nose the eares the eies the face the necke the armes and legges and the braines and chiefe substaunce of our flesh bee compounded members of sinewes and couered with panacles which bee of a sinew nature but that sinewes giue féeling to all the whole bodie euen as the arteries giueth spirituall bloud from the heart to euerie member The whole body is couered with filmes and skinnes Out of the head springeth hard matter issuing from the places called the pores to purge vapours and smoke from the braine which ascendeth out of the stomacke into the head and is cleansed through pia mater called the tender couering of the braine or spirites animall And therefore as some partes of the bodie being diuided in sunder be each like vnto the other and yet called by the name of the whole as for example When the bones be broken in sunder or the flesh cut into diuerse péeces or the blood powred into sundrie vessels a péece of flesh is still called flesh a fragment of a bone is called a bone and a droppe of blood is called bloud Euen so an hande arme veyne or such like vnseparate partes beeing diuided into péeces or called by the name of péeces and not by the name of the whole part as is before But my friend Iohn to make a large description of Anatomie it were too long for mee but shortly I will say some thing And first the definition thereof is when the bodie of a dead man or woman is cut and opened and the members diuided or for the want of dead bodies to reade good bookes as Galen Auicen c. And it behooueth them that cutteth a deade corpse to note foure things First the nutrimentall members as the liuer with the veynes the second is the members spirituall as the heart with the arteries the third is the animall members as the head braines and sinewes the fourth and last be excrements of the bodie as armes legges skin haire c. Of these said members with the bones is all the bodie compounded And like as euerie trée and hearbe haue their rootes in the earth and their braunches springeth vpward euen so the rootes of mankinde haue the beginning in the braine and the sinew and branches groweth downeward in the which braine dwelleth the vertues of imagination fantasie memorie c. And these animall vertues be placed as it were heauenly aboue al the mēbers communicating their heauenly influences down vnto the heart as to a prince or chiefe ruler within the body which giueth life to euery part thereof Thou shalt consider that the hart was the first that receiued life from the spirites and shalbe the last that shall die Note also that as there be noble sences giuen to the body as seeing hearing smelling tasting féeling euen so nature hath foure principall vertues first Attractiue the second Retentiue the third Digestiue the fourth Expulsiue Attractiue is that by the which euery part of the body draweth the food of life serueth the vertue disgestiue and the Retentiue doeth holde the meate vntill it be readie to be altered and changed Digestiue doth alter and maketh the foode like vnto the thing that it nourisheth as fleme bloud c. Expulsiue separateth them from the other the good from the bad Thou oughtest also most chiefly to learne the knowledge of the veines and for what sicknesse they must bée opened and what medicins either in sirups or pils thou must vse And first marke this figure of the Anatomie here present before thee with the heauenly signes because I haue not painted at large the seuerall parts of the said Anatomie The middle veine of the forehead is good to be opened against Megrim forgetfulnes passions of the head And they that be let blood of this or any other veyne must first haue their head purged with pillule Chochi Rasis or some purgation but first vse thinges to extenuate matter as syrruppe of Buglosse c. Against Leprosy and deafnes Let bloud the two veines behind the eares and vse the said pilles or els pillule Aurea Nicholai or Arabice or cōfectio Hameth minor Against replexion or too much blood or bloud in the eies flowing in the head vpon the temple veines called Artiers for they bée euer beating And vse to purge with pillule Artritice Nicholai or puluis ad epithema Hepatis Against Squinancie stopping the throte and stopping of the breath Let bloud the veines vnder the tongue And for this vse Philoniūmaius Necholai and Gargarismes pilule Bechie and oxymel Simplex Ueines called Originales open not without great counsaile of a learned Physicion or cunning Chirurgion They be in the necke and haue a great course of bloud that gouerneth the head and the whole body Against short winde and euill bloud aproching to the heart and spitting bloud Open the vaine called Cordiaca or heart veine in the arme Use thinges to extenuate as Aromaticum Chariophillatum Mesue serapium ex Absinthij in colde time serapium Boraginis hote time and pillule stomachi Agaynst palsie yellow Iaundies burning heats and apostumations of the liuer Open the liuer vein vpon the right arme Take Serapium exendiue Diamargariton frigidum Auicennie Against dropsy open the veine betweene the belly and the braunch the right side against the said dropsy and the left side against the passions of the milte but bée not rash vnlesse ye haue the consaile of one well seene in the Anothomie Use pillule Hiere cum Agarico Agaynst the stopping the secrete tearmes or fluxions of women or helping the Emerods and purging sores Open the veine called Sophane vnder the ancle Theriaca Andromachi Pillule Mastichine Petri de Ebano Within twentie houres after one is infected with the pestilence comming sodenly Open the vein betwéen the wrest of the foote and the great toe Use Serapium Cichorij and Pillule pestilentialis Ruffi Against stinking breath Open the veyne betwéene the lip and the chin Use for this Catharicum imperiale Nicho Alexandri Against the toothake Open the veine in the roofe of the mouth And first purge with Pillule Choci Rasis or with pilles of masticke Against quartens tercians and paines of the left side Open the splene veine commonly called the low veine with a wide cut and not deepe For Chirurgions nicely pricking or opening veynes with little Scarisfactions doe let out good pure bloud and still retaine grosse colde and drie earthly matter to the great hurt of their patients And albeit many more veynes might here be spoken of and their vtilities yet this shall well suffice by Gods grace to kéepe all people in health that vpon iust cause haue these veynes opened except olde men women with childe and children vnder xiiii yeares of age or men after diuerse agues For
forth Only except aduersitie and extreme misery all prosperous men haue enemies let this suffice and consider what Galen saith that immoderat ireful motions cast the bodie into a cholericke heate wherof commeth feuers and all hot diseases dangerous to the bodie of this writeth Petrus de ebano The passion of the mind called dreade or feare is when the bloud and sprites be drawen inwardly and maketh the outward partes pale and trembling to this be sides pitiful experience Haliabas Galen and Aristotle do witnes the same The suddayne passion of ioy or gladnes is cleane contrary to feare For the hearte sendeth fourth the spirituall bloud which in weake persons the heart can neuer recouer againe but death incontinent as Galen saith and as we may see by experience As in the meeting of men and their wiues Children and their parentes which either by prison or banishment were without all hope euer to sée each other and in ioy of meeting the delating and spreding of the heart bloud haue cast the bodie into sowning And thus my frend Iohn I do conclude vpon certein effections of the mind wishing doctor Diet Quiet and Merie man to helpe when thou shalt néede For mirth is beloued of musicions plesant birdes and fishes as the dolphins What is mirth honestly vsed an image of heauen A great lordship to a poore man preseruer of nature Salomon saith Non est oblectatio super cordis gaudiuÌ„ c. yet I say The irefull man is euer a thrall The ioyfull minde is happiest of all Zeale burne like flames of fire When honest mirth hath his desire Loue well mirth but wrath despise This is the counsell of all the wise Ioh. I would verie faine know the natures of sorts of simples first what is worme wood Hum. A common knowne hearbe it is of diuerse kinds as Ponticum Romanum c. It is hot in the first and drie in the second degrée and it is verie bitter and being dried kéepeth clothes from wormes and mothes and the sirop thereof eaten before wine preserueth men from drunkennesse if it bee sodden in vineger it will helpe the sores that bréedes in the eares being laid warme vpon it is good to be drunke agaynst Appoplexia and Opthalmia Which is a sicknes of the eye is greatly helped with the wormwood if it be stamped and made luke warme with rosewater and laid vpon the eie and couered with a cleane pyked walnut shell the syrop helpeth the bloodie flixe it doeth helpe a colde stomacke if it be drunke ten dayes togither euerie morning two spoonefull of the syrop is good against the dropsie euerie day drunke two ounces fasting and thus saith Auicen figges cocle wormwood nitre stamped togither made in a plaister is good against the disease of the splene and also killeth wormes in the bellie vsed in the foresayde maner one dram of the powder may bee drunke at once in wine it hath manie mo goodly vertues Iohn What is the properties of Annis seedes Hum. It is much like vnto fennell séede and is called Roman fennel that is warme and swéete and hote in the second and drie in the third degrée the new séedes are the best It ingendereth vitall séede openeth the stopping of the reines and matrix being drunke with Tysants or cleane temperate wine Iohn What thinkest thou of Mouseare Hum. An hearb commonly knowne colde and moist in the first degrée as Galen saith the decoction of this hearb soddeÌ„ in water w t suger is good against the falling sickenes beeing oftentimes drunke and put a lease thereof into the nose it will prouoke sternutation or neesing which wonderfully doeth clense the veines Ioh. I woulde faine knowe what is Chiken weede Hum. Almost euery ignorant wontan doth know this hearbe but there bee of diuers kindes they be very good to keepe woundes from impostumations stamped and applied vnto them and draweth corruption out of woundes and sodden with vineger doth draw fleugme out of the head if it bee often warme put into the mouth and spit it out againe In this same maner it helpeth the teeth and sodden in wine and so drunke it will clense the reignes of the backe Ioh. What is Sorrell might I know of thee and the property thereof Hum. Thy Cooke doeth right well knowe it and all they that make greene sauce but the description I leaue to Dioscorides and Leonard Futchius not only in this hearbe but in all other and to tell thee the vertue I will it is colde and drie in the seconde degree it also stoppeth it is like endiue in propertie because it ouercommeth choller and is much commended it helpeth the yellow iaundies if it bee drunke with small wine or ale also quencheth burning feuers to eate of the laaues euery morning in a pestilence time is most holesome if they bee eaten fasting This hearbe doth Dioscorides Galen and Auicen greatly commende besides the great learned men of this time Ioh. What is Planten or Waybreed Hum. The greater Planter is the better it hath seuen great veines it is colde and drie the seede of it drunke with reade wine stoppeth the bloudy flix the rootes sodden and drunke in wine stoppeth the bloudy flix the rootes and leaues beeing sodden with sweete water and with suger or borage water and giuen to him that hath an ague either tertian or quartaine two howres before his fit proue this for thus haue I helped many it is very comfortable for children that haue great flixes agues and is a friend vnto the liuer this hearbe is greatly praised of the Doctours Ioh. What is Camomill and the operation thereof Hum. This hearbe is very hoat it is drunke against colde windes and rawe matter being in the guttes the Egyptians did suppose it would helpe all colde Agues and did consecrate it to the sunne â—s Galen saith Also if it bee tempered and streined into white wine and drunke of wâ—men hauing the childe dead within the body it will cause present deliuerance it doeth mightely clense the bladder and is excellent to be sodden in water to wash the feete the oile is precious as is declared hereafter Ioh. Hoppes be welbeloued of the beere brewers how doe the Phisicions say to them Hum. There bee which doth coole be called Lupilum those that wee haue be hote and drie bitter sower hote saieth olde herbals And Fucchius saith they clense fleugme and choller and the water betweene the skinne and flesh the sirupes will clense grosse rawe fleugme from the guttes and is good against obstructions sodden If the iuice be dropped in the eare it taketh the stinke away of rotten sores the roots wil helpe the liuer and spleene beeing sodden and drunke the beere is very good for fleugmaticke men Io. What is Sage for that I loue wel Hum. There be two kindes of sage they be hearbes of health and therefore they be called Saluia this
wormes Ioh. What saiest thou of Parsly and Saxifrage Hum. They haue vertue to breake the stone Parslie is hote in the second dâ—gree and drie in the middest of the third The seede drunke with white wine prouoketh y e menstrual termes as Dioscorides saith also Smallage hath the like vertue Ioh. What is thy iudgement of Liuerwort Hum. It hath vertue to cleanse and coole Dioscorides sayth it doth heale the wounds of the liuer quencheth the extreme heat therof tempred with honie and eaten doeth helpe a disease called regius morbus and paines of the thraote and lungs Ioh. What is Betonie Hum. They be of diuerse kindes Leonardus Futchius doth call the swéet Gilliflowers by the names of Betonie but the one séemeth to talke of that which is commonly knowne of the people called the lande Betonie which hath the vertue to kill wormes within the bellie and helpeth the quartaine cleanseth the matrixe and hath the vertue to heale the bodie within If it bée brused it is of great effect if it bée sodden with wormewood in white wine to purge fleugme and is hot in the first degrée drie in the second Ioh. I haue heard small commendations of Beetes Hum. They be of two kindes and bée both prayse worthie Simeon Sethy wryteth that they be hote and drie in the thirde degrée the white Béete is the best they haue vertue to cleanse as Niter hath but hath euill iuice The iuice of this hearbe with honie applyed into the Nose doe purge the head it is a wholesome hearbe in pottage if it bee well sodden or else it is noysome to the stomacke If it be perboyled and eaten with vineger it is good against the stopping of the liuer Notwithstanding the iuyce of this hearbe doe stop the belly béeing simply taken Ioh. What is Maidenhaire Hum. It is an hearbe betwéene hote and drie if it be sodden in wine it breaketh the stone it cleanseth the Matrix bringeth downe the secondes as Dioscorides and Galen saith the best doth grow vpon hard rocks Ioh. What is Melilot Hum. It hath vertue to ripe and is more hoter than colde Mellilot flax séede Rose leaues Campher and womans milke tempered together doth make a goodly medicine agaynst the hote inflamation of the eyes If this hearbe bée drunke with Wine it doeth mollifie the hardnesse of the stomacke and liuer the most excellent plaister against the pains of the splene doth Mesue describe which is made of Melilot Ioh. Be pease and beanes any thing beneficiall to nature Hum. Beanes be more groser and fuller of winde then pease be and maketh euill matter except they bee well sodden and buttred and so eaten with the whitest and swéetest Onions that may be gotten Because they bee hard of digestion howbéeit they do make fatte and partly cleanse yet they are not to bee compared with tender white peason well sodden and buttered or else made in pottage with garden mints and grosse pepper which haue vertue to cleanse the reynes of the backe and bladder Lentilles bee of the same vertue Barlie being clean hulled and sodden with milke cleaue water and suger maketh a verie comfortable and wholsome pottage for hot cholericke persons or young people And of this is much vsed in the north parts of Englande and is called bigge kele Ioh. What be the vertues of Leekes and rootes of Radish Turneps Persneps Rapes or naues Hum. Léekes bee euill engender painfull sléepe but eaten with honie then they purge bloud but rootes eaten rawe bréedeth ill iuice therefore being first sodden and the water cast away and then sodden with fat mutton or tender fatte biefe those rootes nourisheth much Rapes and Naues be windie Turneps causeth one to spitte easilie that haue corrupt stomackes but maketh rawe iuice Carets doe expurse winde Radish rootes prouoketh vrine but be verie euill for fleugmaticke persons hauing griefe in their bones or ioynts and must bée eaten in the beginning of the meale as Galen sayeth but many doe vse them in the ende of meales and finde ease as sir Thomas Eliot that worthy knight and learned man reporteth in his booke called The Castell of health And thus I conclude of those hearbes and rootes that I haue written vpon Admonishing thée that hearbes pulse and rootes be all windie engenderers of Melancholie and ingrossers of the bloud except Lettis Bourage and Purslain Therefore the grosse binding together and séething of hearbes in brothes and pottage be more holsomer than the fine chopping of them Thus Iohn I haue declared vnto thée the vertues of certaine hearbes which if thou wilt follow and obserue my rules in them I doubt not but thou shalt receiue much profite thereby I would haue also taught thée some prety waies for distillation of waters but am preuented therein and I am glad thereof forasmuch as thou shalt sée verie shortly both Thesaurus Euonomi and Vlstadius which be excellent learned men in the science wherein I am sure thou wilt much delite For I ensure thée the like bookes neuer were set foorth in our mother tongue with the liuely fashion of the furnasses and also of the Stillatories Ioh. What will digest or purge choler fleugme melaâ—cholie prouoke sternutation and stop flixes tell me Hum. Things to digest choler Endiue Purslein Poppie Sorrell Mercurie Liuerwort Whey Tesants Tarmerindes The foure cold séeds of gourds and cucumbers Sanders Buttermilk or the milk which commeth of the pressing of chées To purge choler MaÌ„na 6 drams Rubarbe two drams or 3 but put into infusioÌ„ from v. to vii Pilles of aloes Wilde hops Syrrop of wormewood Syrrop of fumitorie Diâ—prunes The digester of flegm Puliall Mints Bettonie Egrimonie Mugwort Honie Pepper Hysop Pimpernel Ieniper beries Neppe Finkle Persely rootes Smallage Purgers of fleugme Agaricke infused from two to fiue drams Sticaus The myrabolanes of all the kinds Polipody of the oke Centorie Horehound Maiden haire Good purgers of melancholy Eleberus Niger Capers Lapis Lazule Sene of Alexander Borage Harts tongue Hony sodden in swéete wine Sauorie Time Trosses of capers of Coloquintida and of wormwood Good things to prouoke vrine Perslie Time Saxifrage Cassa Fistula Rammes Radix The flesh of an Hare Pilles of Tycibenthen Mayden haire The berries of the Eglentine Broomeseede Comforters for the braine to smell vpon Roses Uiolets Gilloflowers in Sommer but in Winter Cloues Spike Muske Amber grace Things good to stop flixe Sinaber called dragons blood Sloes or their decoction Sinamom Bolearmoniak Red wine Planton Olibanum Hard egges Hard chéese scraped into redde wine drinke Things good to prouoke sternutation or neesing Betony leaues Primrose roots moderatelye vsed Eleborus albus and Ginger Good comforters for the heart Muske Ambergrece Roses Pearles maces Diamuschi dulcis diambra The flowers of Rosemarie and Nutmegs Spikenard Galanga Ioh. What bee the vertue of Dates and Figs Hum. Seraphio saith that the dates which be preserued with sugar be
good collours And this haue I proued it helpeth crampes and sickenesse in the sinewes being drunke in wyne sodden with sage it helpeth the splene the liuer and raines and will clense the secret termes of women and augmenteth naturall seede Ioh. What is ginger Hum. It is hot in the third degree and moist in the end of the first if it be vncollered White and not rotten it is verie good most chiefly if it be conserued and greene as Mesua saith it maketh warme a colde stomacke and consumeth windes helpeth euill disgestion and maketh meate goe easely downe into the stomacke Ioh. What is Setwall Hum. Hot and drie in the second degree and is good if the pouder thereof be drunke is most of effect against the pestilence except Methridatum It is good against poison winde chollericke and colde passions of the heart and doeth restraine vomites The weight of eight graines doth suffice to be drunke in ale or wine vpon an empty stomacke Iohn What is sinamon Humf. Dioscorides saieth there bee many kindes of sinamon but generally their vertue is this to helpe dropsies windes or stopping of the liuer and is hote and drie in the third degree Iohn What is Cassia Fistula Seneca and Rewbarb Humfrey Cassia Fistula if the cane be heauie and the Cassia within blacke and shining that is good Cassia if this bee drawen newe out of the cane halfe an ounce or more at one time and mingled with suger and eaten of a fasting stomacke in the morning it hath power to purge choller to cleanse the raines of the backe it will fret and consume the stone it purgeth very easily and is pleasant in taking and may bee taken of children weake women and sicke men in the time of their feuers the accesse of their fittes excepted Reubarbe doeth purge yellow choler by himselfe two or three drammes may be taken or a little more so that there be a dram of Spikenard or Sinamon put vnto it In Summer to drinke it with whey in Winter with white wine but the cleane yellowe rubarbe sliced and put into infusion al the night with whey white wine or endiue water and streyne it in the morning doth greatly purge the blood and liuer thrée or foure drams with Spikenard a dram or more Séeny Alexandria if it be sodden in the broath of a cocke or a henne doeth purge the bloud and melancholie verie gentlie and comfort the heart One ounce of the cleane small leaues of séeny without cods or stalkes halfe a quarter of one ounce of ginger twelue cloues finkle séede two drammes or else two drams of Sinamon tartar halfe a dram beaten al together in powder these do purge the head mightily to be taken before supper the weight of one dram in a little white wine Ioh. I would bee glad to learne the vertue of Aloes Hum. There be two kinds of Aloes one is named Succo trina which is like a liuer cleare brittle bitter coloured betwéene red and yellow this is best for medicines A little of this being tempered with Rose water being put vnto the eies helpeth the dropping and watery eyes Also it is put in many excellent medicines laxatiue as saffron myrrhe aloes mingled together In the forme of pilles is the most excellent medicine against the pestilence as it is written in this booke folowing Honie and aloes mingled togither doe take away the markes of stripes and also doth mundifie sores vlcers it doeth cleanse the abundance of choler fleugme from the stomacke It is not good to be taken in Winter for Auicen doeth forbid it but in the spring time or haruest the powder thereof The weight of a french crown mingled with the water of honie or mead and so drunke in the morning it doth cleanse both choler and fleugme There is another grosse aloes which is good for horse tempred with ale and ministred aswell to other great beasts as horses the weight of half an ounce and thus much haue I sayd of aloes but if aloes be cleane washed it is the wholsomer many vnwashed aloes wil cause emerodes Ioh. Is the saffron that groweth in England as good as that that come from the other side of the sea Hum. Our English hony saffron is bâ—tter than any that commeth from any other strange or forrein land But to thy question of saffron it hath vertue either in bread or pottage to make the heart glad it warmeth the body it preserueth from druÌ„kennes drunke in ale or wine prouoketh acts venerous iuduceth sléepe purgeth vrine Myrre aloes saffron make an excellent pill against the pestilence 2. peny weight of saffron pouder rosted with the yolk of an egge very hard the said yolke beaten in powder 12 graines drinke in mornings is good against the pestilence saffron planten and iuory sodden The decoction drinke helpeth the yellow iaundeys it is drie in the first degrée and hath vertue to restraine Ioh. We plaine men in the country dwel farre from great cities our wiues and children be often sick and at deaths doore wee can not tell what shift to make wee haue no acquaintance with the apothecaries coÌ„monly we send for aqua vitae or malmesey whatsoeuer our diseases be these be our common medicines or else we send for a box of triacle and when these medicins faile vs we cause a great posset to be made and drink vp the drink thinkest thou these medicines to be good Hum. For lacke of medicine God helpeth the people oftentimes by myracle or else a great number of men should perish But because the almightie God hath couered the whole face of the earth with many precious simples whereof rich coâ—positions bee made therefore bee neither so rude nor barbarous to thinke these medicines good that thou hast rehearsed for all diseases although not hurtfull to some but because many doe receyue more mischiefe than medicine in counterfeite triacles I shall rehearse vnto thee what Valerius Cordus and others doe write vpon the vertue of the precious triacle called Methridatum Ioh. I would be glad to heare of that precious triacle and his vertues Hum. This excellent triacle Methridatum is next in qualitie and vertue to Theriaca and so differ but little but onely Theriacha is a little hotter and stronger against venom of snakes adders and serpents It helpeth all paines of the head of men or women if it be come of cold most chiefly of melaÌ„cholie and feare It helpeth megrime falling sicknes and all paines of the forehead dropping of eyes It helpeth toothake paines of the mouth chéekes if it be put in maner of a plaister or else annoint the pained place It helpeth paines of the throte called Squinancie and also cough appoplexia and passion of the lunges and manie grieuous dolors and pains within the bodie drunke with the decoction of the flowers of Pomgranats or Plantine it helpeth and stoppeth flixes in the Ilias and long guts winds or collicke The extention or cramps be
shallbe weake and the eies sight decay and the handes tremble and therefore it is not comely to sée the state of age without rest which in the time of youth did honestly trauell For there is a grace giuen to many creatures vnreasonable both beastes and foules to make prouision before hande what is then to be required of men reasonable as foloweth in these verses THe Bird in time her nest can make The Bee will build his hâ—use full fine The Crane with stone in foot wil wake The Conie will carue vnder the myne The Squirel in trees her nuts can keepe Against colde winter to feed and sleepe And should not a man well foresee In youth to know his old degree Then from .xxxv. or few yeres folowing the lusty braunches of youth begin to abate his pleasant leaues flowers and fruit by litle and litle wil decay raw humors crampes dropses quaterns melancholy will then draw neer The riots surfets sore labours bearing of extreame burdens wrestling actes venerous with the abuse of youth wil then spring forth to the detriment of age and sodaine decay of life in especiall of drunkardes Ioh. What be the places of bloud Choler Fleugme Melancoly naturall or vnnatrual Thou hast not made a particular distinction of their proper places but generally thou hast spoken well in thy song Hum. There are also other descriptions of the foure humors very necessarie to bee knowen and their places whereas they dwell within the body and first of bloud as Galen saieth in his first booke of effected places bloud saieth he that is in the pulses doeth greatly differ from the bloud of the veines for the bloud of the pulses is thinner yelower and hotter and this bloud may bée called the gouernor of life The spring and fountaine of the bloud generall is in the liuer which serueth euery veine of bloud and this bloud in colour is verie redde Fleugme is white is ingendred in the stomacke and at length by the vertue of naturall heate pure fleame is turned into bloud There be also watrie slimy glassie grosse salt sower thicke hard binding and extreme cold fleames which in dede be vnnaturall that bée engendred thorowe surfets coldnes or idlenes bringing to the body many noisome deseases There is also choler which is yelowe whose place in the body is the gall which commeth of the clensing or purifying of bloud and this choler is cleare hote and drie and the comforter of decoction Greene choler or choler myngled with fleugme be vnnaturall melancholie naturall in the Splene is nothing but the sixe degrées or heauie residents of the bloud the naturall melancholie is knowen by his blackenesse the vnnaturall commeth of the burning of choler and is lighter and hoter browne of colour sower of taste and putteth the bodie in great daunger as madnesse blacke ianders continuall feuers and sodaine deadly diseases Therefore my friend Iohn remember this short description of humours as the wordes of Galen and Auicen say Iohn Thus I haue heard thy seuerall placing of the foure complections of bloud Choler Fleugme and Melancholie and is there anie distinct hotenesse coldnesse moystnesse and drinesse in anie other creature besides man tell me Hum. Not onely in man but in beastes fish foule serpents trées hearbes mettals and euerie thing sensible and insensible according to their natures and bee equally mingled or tempered togither which is called meane temperance or else exceedeth in degrées which is called intemperance hote and moist may be compounded together so may colde and drie hote and drie colde and moist example A cholericke man hote and drie a fleugmatike man colde and moyst c. Of hearbes as Hysope and Rew hot and drie Purslen and Cowcumbers cold and moist c. But temperaments or complections of men beasts and trées be some hoter some colder according to their natures As a Lion is hoter than a cholericke man Pepper is hotter than Cloues And though there be degrées in more hotnesse or more coldnesse yet they are called but hote or cold as men after labour or trauell they will say they are hot but the fire which people warme them at is hotter Also there bee things repugnant to temperaments as moyste and drynesse together heate and coldenesse together as fyre to bee colde or the water of his owne nature to bee hote which water peraccidence of the fire is made hote and fire quenched by the water And euerie thing exceeding greatly with distemperaunce or wanting temperaunce or complexion do eftsoones come to an end as man by extreme sicknesses surfets or woundes or finally age lacking naturall vertue Of heate and moistnes of trees and hearbes from whom iuice and sap is withdrawen these things of necessitie must needes die and come to corruption as Galen and Aristotle saie Ioh. Whether be men or women of colder complexion Hum. Auicen saieth like as men be hot and drie so be women colde and moist Ioh. Yea but Lucian saieth they be perillous hot of their tongues full of venim though I am no phisicion yet can I make a description of that member for I am oftentimes stinged with it I would to God they had beene wormed when they were young but when they are olde they are past all cure but the best medicine that I haue it is a gentle herbe called Rewe of which I am neuer without great store Hum. Mankinde was borne naked to this ende that hee might cloathe himselfe with other creatures which hee brought not into this world with him as cloath leather harnesse made of iron for his defence because he is the chiefe creature But horses of nature haue hard hooffes Lions sharpe téeth Porpentines sharpe prickes which is their continuall and naturall armour as thinges euer prepared to debate and strife and by no Art can scant bee tamed The Rose as pleasauntly as shee doeth appeare and as swéetely as shee doeth smell spring not further without a greate number of sharpe prickes Therefore it is tollerable for men to beare with them whom nature hath sealed and marked for his owne With that humour most cholericke digresse from this thy communication and let vs talke of thinges more profitable for in déede this is pleasant to no man Ioh. Seeing thou wilt not describe me these particular members of which wee haue spoken I would bee glad to know the partes of mankinde with a short description of his members Hum. Members be simple and also compound the simples be ten in number the cartillages the gristles the bones veynes and synewes arteries pannicles lygaments cordes and the skinne Members compounded bee those that be ioyned and builded together of simple members as the handes face feete lyuer and heart and so compounded members be made of simple Some of the compounded members be called principalles as the heart from whence the arteries springs the braine from whence the sinewes springes the liuer which is the well of the bloud from