parts and if the like substance be not restored which is dissolued in short time they dye and perish diuine bountie minding to prouide a remedy for this inconuenience gaue vs meate and drinke to the end that meate might restore whatsoeuer was consumed by the drier substance and so that by drinke all the same might be restored which was consumed by the humide humours P. Obserue sir the great and enormious abuse hereof amongst Christians confuted of an Ethnicke Philosopher who being demaunded why hee eate so little made this answere Vt viuam esse decet viuere non vt edam It is conuenient that I should eate to liue And not liue to eate And questionlesse it is an vndoubted point that few things will serue a man endued with Faith A. But if a man be invred to fill himselfe what then P. Vse against reason beares no excuse besides surfet hurteth the body more then any thing else so as he that would liue in health must take heede of surfetting otherwise hee shall suffer all distemperatures chollericke fluxes vpward and downeward vomite prosternation of appetite heauinesse of head griefe of the stomacke opilation of the Liuer and Mylt dissenteries and malignant Agues the which wee see goe and spread from house to house A. I am of your opinion being needfull to keepe that rule Nihil nimis nothing too much and yet sir you must vnderstand how requisite it is that euery one should liue within the termes of ciuill policie that is conformable to his state with honour and reputation P. Honour so we seeke true honour as we will speake in my tract of single combat is purchased with vertue and with valour and not with such things as are common to vs with beasts and when true honour and true vertue is wanting then we begge it with meanes void of all vertue from the vulgar sort in such a case we are clad with adultrate honor A. Your opinion arrides me following more the spirit the other sense and vaineglory of no moment but opposing my selfe to you before I vnderstood it of certaine obseruations and rules of diet which Physitians often prescribe to others because they will not follow them themselues P. I know well that there are some of opinion that the body growes the more infirme and weake through good regular and orderly life which contradicts the Wise-man who testifies that Physicke was created of God and shall not be despised of the wise A. I speake not of Physicke because I know it to be naturall to the creatures and therefore we read that the birds of Aegypt purge themselues by thrusting their beackes softly into the water The Harts vse Dictamus The Swallow the hearbe Celedonia The Weasell Fennell seede for the duskishnesse and blearishnesse of her eyes The Dragon wilde Lettuce against vomit The Panther Libbards-bane which operates against the poison of Wolfes-bane The Beares Ants against the Mandragora The Black-birds and Partriges vse the leaues of Laurell against their infirmities The Cranes wilde bull-rushes The shee-Beare being wounded heales her selfe with Woolblade The Tortoise vseth Origanum against the Vipers poison The Foxes with the teares of Lorice doe heale their wounds And so almost euery creatrue I beleeue hath a particular remedie but I meane not such things but certaine obseruations in eating drinking sleeping which make a man vnhappy and as one lunatick P. Although I know the authoritie of the Arte is diminished by the great number of some who were the other day but Pedantes and now beare themselues like arch Doctors to whom you may ioyne a troope of feminine Physitians and Practitioners Notwithstanding vnderstand good sir that regular life is annexed and connexed inseperably vnto medicine which Auicen cals another Physicke whithout which Physicke effects nothing Besides this to draw neare to my purpose the matter of our bodies that is not like the stones or mettals but of a slimy and therefore fragile nature we are also more apt to slip easily out of the bounds of health and therefore a rule of life is requisite which may preserue vs though not wholy free vs from death A. Any prolixe disputation of the selfe same thing is but tedeous to me I consent yet I beleeue that you know sir the temperatures are diuers though hee may rule himselfe in his diet it seemeth to me he cannot in sleepe P. I said before to you speaking of diet we ought to regard the complexion so also in sleepe therefore if a man by nature be sanguine with a iust proportion of cold and moist though he be of a good temperature yet to keepe himselfe in health it shall be needfull for him to sleepe moderately A. But what if he exceede in hot temperature P. Why he would be apt to euery infirmitie by reason of the putrifaction and abundance of humours opilation and fulnesse of bloud and besides other remedies such an one must take heede how hee erre in his first digestion wherein the humours are vitiated by superfluitie and for such an one fasting venery and watching by reason of his quicke digestion would be healthfull A. But what if he be chollericke P. It will helpe him much to vse moderate sleepe because of the quiet of his minde and in respect of the amendement of his complexion A. If flegmaticke P. Sleepe does good to flegmaticke men because it concocts the crude humours whereof afterwards good bloud being engendred a man growes hot his naturall heate being assisted by the bloud but ouermuch will be hurtfull for him though it make him more able for Venus delights A. Me thinkes I heard that it benefits euery one and therefore to stengthen this Luther addes crescite multiplicamine P. It delights euery one but profits not all A. But what if he were peraduenture Melancholy P. Because sleepe onely changeth their temper through the new purchased heate and humiditie which be things contrary to the complexion therefore Venerian exercises hurt them and sleepe doe them good A. But how should one know the sufficient quantitie of sleepe for euery complexion and age P. It must be conceiued by the perfection of concoction which is discerned by the vrine for if it be of white colour it shewes that there is a kinde of raw humour in the veynes and therefore he must sleepe the more but if the vrine be of Citron colour it shewes that the iuyce is concocted and that extraordinarie sleepe is no more requisite A. But considering as hath beene said that the quantitie of sleepe must vary according as the age complexion and also the seasons vary how might one gouerne himselfe in this point without any defect P. They that be of an hot age as young men sixe howers sleepe may suffice them but for others of a cold complexion the vertue digestiue being in them very weake they had neede haue longer sleepe A. But how should we discerne such a debilitie P. By the frigiditie which we perceiue in the region of
they being slipt from the stone cause vrine their kernels kill wormes If they be dryed with the Sunne or in an ouen not ouer-hot being first clouen in the middest and taken as oft as is possible and then sprinckled ouer with powdred sugar they are of the same effect as Past of Genoa so as being made into paste they be prepared after this manner But yet they moue fluxe of the belly they swell the bloud are conuerted into choler they are of euill nourishment generate pestilentiall Feauers putrifying the bloud they are hurtfull for flegme the Liuer and milt they are corrected by eating annise-seeds or salt meats with them or seasoned with spices and afterwards also drinking good wine thereupon A. I hope you will not forbid me to eate a few of these cherries seeing others eate of them euen while their bellies cracke againe P. Follow not others but rather reason it selfe I would not finde by experience how hurtfull they are to me A. He is a foole that knowing how will not seeke to auoid euill Which are the best P. Those of hard substance well ripened by the Sunne and not by Art and those which are not ouer wet by the raine such as are of hard substance for the watrish ones such as are in England are to be auoided of those called Marastie the best are the Palumbine the good sweet ones open the dry ones especially the Visciole doe bind slake choler and cut flegme if they be boild with sugar A. Doe they not hurt then P. The sweete ones are enemies to the stomacke they generate wormes in the belly and putrifying humours they sodainely corrupt and putrifie By reason of their ventositie they puffe vp the stomacke if they be eaten plentifully their vice is corrected by eating few or if none at all it is the better especially for faire women for they breeding putrefaction in their stomackes and contaminating their bloud they make them sallow pale wanne and vnpleasant to behold Another way to correct them is after the eating of them without any intermission of time to take meates of excellent substance salted and sharp and let them not be eaten for meate but to quench thirst and the heate of choller but they are wonderfull bad for old men and flegmatickes and so consequently for women the most part of whom and in a manner all are flegmaticke and therefore we see that corporall coniunction is so pleasing to them as with a thousand chaines they cannot be detained from it hereupon a lawyer sayes Mulier est de illis bonis adeo corruptibilibus quae conseruando conseruari non potest A. There is no minde can thinke nor heart imagine nor eye discerne nor locke can locke in nor dore shut vp nor bar stop nor chaine that can binde a womans deceit let vs leaue them that with their liberty the dishonest may whip themselues and the honest may more clearely shine Well for their sakes I will taste of one of these dates P. You doe well to say for their sakes their loues being euen as the kernell in the dates they generate a blood which is sodainly changed into choler they cause the morene to come forth they opilate the liuer milt bowels and veynes wherevpon long feauers are ingendred being sodden with sugar they are lesse hurtfull or eating them after eager meates and with vinegar If they be not prepared with sugar they hurt at all times to all ages and to all complexions but yet they make fat make the belly slippery helps coughes A. Now let vs come to Oliues P. They are able to make one laugh they yeeld little nourishment digest slowly and sallets of them enflame the liuer and hinder sleep Those steept in vinegar are best they help in cold seasons to all ages and complexions and they must be eaten at the end of meales to corroborate the stomacke and to aide digestion and he that doth otherwiâ—e proceeds without reason or order A. Will you haue any peaches they are heere ready at your pleasure P. I could wish to haue them pluckt and taken off the tree they are cold and moist and their kernels hot and dry the hard ones that are not pluckt participate more of the nature of the Quince and therefore they are called Quince-peaches They must be eaten in the beginning of dinner because they loose and they must be infused into wine whose spirit they drawing in by their poares they remaine intepide but in conclusion they are hurtfull in that they generate the dropsie and some seeke as was formerly said to correct them with wine but they are the worse for so their hurtfull iuyce is the quicklier carried to the veynes The kernels of Peaches being eaten preuent the hurt of the fruites they are excellent for collickes and the wormes for ventosities and to mundifie the stomacke as also for opilations of the lyuer they dissolue the stone of the reynes and bladder they free them from flegmatical excrements that take euery morning eight or ten and if one haue too hot a Lyuer two preserue a man healthfull A. Behold here are Prunes which are visited and shall not wee visit them see here are seauen to restore and comfort you P. Oh they are cold and moist the Damascens are much commended if they be sweete and ripe and they are called Damascens of the Citie of Damascus of Soria they purge choler coole heate quench thirst refresh and moisten the body their iuyce being boyled excites appetite quencheth the thirst of Febricitants and with Scammonie and Manna there is made an hard Electuarie which is much vsed in Rome adding thereunto the infusion of Sene Polipodie Annises and Synamon but the aboue named fruits hurt weake stomackes but not if they be eaten in the beginning with Sugar and that afterwards wee drinke excellent wine after it A. If you please to haue a Cucumber or of that which is a kind of Pompilion see they are here ready at your seruice P. If I were assailde by a violent Feauer which God forbid to diminish the heat and fury therof I would make vse of them or else of their seedes for the reynes and bladder to prouoke vrine or yet if I had an hot and dry stomacke and that it did abound with superfluous heate I would vse their solid substance or if I were affected with the drynesse of my tongue but thankes be to God I being free from all these accidents they can generate nothing but bad nourishment for corrupting sodainely they conuert into an humour like to mortall poison but that which is worst it diminisheth seede extinguisheth Dame Venus and breedes in the stomacke slimie flegme which procureth long Agues by reason of their diffusion into the veynes And to those that haue flegme in the stomacke they bring vomite and they doe generate collicall griefes and Hypocondriacall passions In the beginning of meates they ascend vp like a hot Raddish roote they are lesse hurtfull in the end and are easily
all this doe not cease let him prouoke himselfe to a vomit A. In your opinion a man may vse it after fruits P. No sir not in any great quantitie because it accelerates too much the penetration of the euill humour to the members but yet drinking thereof in small quantitie it corrects the malignant qualitie of meates A. But what say you to the vsing of diuers wines at one and the selfe same table P. Why let them drinke the small first and in the end the stronger wines so comforting the mouth of the stomacke and ayding digestion but by how much the more grosse cold that the meate is by so much the more you ought to drinke the stronger wine after it but if your meate be hot sleight and digestible you must vse the weake and smaller wine and regularly he that drinkes much wine must content himselfe with the lesse meat Nature being hardly able to digest both the one and other A. But whether iudge you to be best that which is naturally small or that which is made small with water P. That made with water is best because the other easily putrifies moreouer wee must obserue that they which dwell in cold countryes and are otherwise of a cold complexion may drinke the strongest wines but yet lesse in Summer and more in Winter and finally Plato said that wine should be denied to children not to adde fire to fire to young men it may be permitted moderately and largely to those in yeeres and this diuine discourse hauing caused in mee a great drought or thirst honest friend if you please reach mee a cuppe of wine A. If he please ah sure sir if it stood with you as he pleased you should be in an euill case P. God blesse me is it possible A. He loues a stranger as a dog loues a bone a cat a dog or a Wolfe a lambe P. And yet I daily see many seruants who besides their naturall modestie doe also loue other nations A. You two iumpe together in Antithesis beleeue me hee is not of that race looke in his countenance P. Me thinkes he hath both a body members and countenance very well proportioned I would iudge he should be the like in his minde also A. All Philosophicall rule failes in him before me he carrieth his head low he brings forth his words in measure and speaketh by ballance P. It is a signe of great wisedome A. Know you not that fained goodnesse is double deceit P. I know it not except I feele it A. I know it very well but all his fraud doth little good with me P. To iudge with discretion was neuer any errour A. If you did but see him after I haue once turned my back how negligent he is in my profit and in what sort he vseth to glut and panch himselfe euery one that knowes him would auoid acquaintance with him P. You must employ him in some office A. An idle nature commonly proues good for nothing know you not his fatall name it is Asmodeus P. Peraduenture hee was produced by chance and not by destinie A. If he were not so by destinie yet hath hee made himselfe such an one by habite I am no sooner gone out or that I cannot heare or see or crosse him in his way but that presently changing himselfe into Ansima he begins to brabble and braule with others P. Peraduenture it is not without some occasion A. To the purpose sodainly they agree together then is hee transformed into a flye-bitten generall absurd and disordered lust P. We are all flesh A. So it is but yet hee in my presence with fained hypocrisie faineth himselfe a Saint and shewes and declares that Peter Anthonie and Martin or else more willingly some stranger is drowned in all vice making no conscience to paint him forth for such a one as he is but whilst that hee falsely defameth others he doth manifestly shew himselfe to be infamous P. A false wicked tongue stinkes of an hereticall conscience but what then A. Furthermore when I am once gone forth without any delay romaging both aboue and below for to shew himselfe a louing one with lust with his head lift vp sobbing hee goes nieghing and gadding sometimes to one and other whiles to another of the freshest and fairest wenches neither doth he euer stay whiles hauing brought her too neare to his bent which he onely expects he graspe with her to slake his fury and so consenting with one or another but first quipping grinning smiling and ieasting with Asinine gestures without being thrown one vpon another at last falling of themselues in manner of a crosse they ducke together and yet forsooth the loose not nor diminish not the least iot of the fame title and name of virgins or of honest maides for by fauour of dishonestie all defend it for honestie and dishonestie makes vse of honestie onely for a cloake or mantle P. Is he peraduenture a true friend A. Demaund of the host whether he hath good wine he holds a kinde of Aristocraty ouer women P. Of what house is he A. He is the Apocripha and Apocripho of gurmondize the keeper of lust and the arch-type of hypocrisie P. He is but young and may mend P. Oh sir beleeue me for I doe not erre such as a man is borne such an one a man must dye the more you beate an Anuill the more blacke it is P. Yet with time blowes it consumes it is otherwise with man A. Change ah oftentimes vse and rust first consumes it but if he change he changeth when vices doe leaue him no Apologie preuailes with him P. I doubt that being so well apparrelled as hee is hee is your speciall fauourite and therfore it pleaseth you out of affection to ieast with him A. My giuing him apparrell of silke and cloakes lined with veluet is an expresse signe of my folly and the onely cause of his insolencie and carelesnesse P. May I beleeue that he hath such a blind base and ingratefull minde that he growes proud of his owne miserie wearing of other mens cloathes and vsuall liueries hee may easilie discerne if hee hath any wit that herein he weares a visible bridle of his owne pride and manifest marke and a continuall memoriall of his abiect estate and how much the more he receiueth so much the more he is bound otherwise he should be vngratefull to his Benefactor A. When hee sees himselfe well appointed like another foolish creature of lesse wit then a Peacocke not looking downe to his feete or of his basenesse he is so puffed vp and lifts vp his hornes as beginning wholy to Lord it hee winckes at the maides and women of the house I say be it as it will be he blusheth to follow me to doe seruile businesses but onely like a maister commaund ouer and sit in the first place and as a great ignorant is not worthy to sit in the lowest place being full of ignorance and of all vice he
well they excite Venus being beaten with honey and salt they cure the biting of a mad dog the like doth the flesh of a Tunnie fish broiled vpon hot imbers they stay vomit but are hard of digestion they bring stitches to the body generate ventosities but most of all when they are raw but they are lesse hurtfull when they are roasted vnder the ashes in cold seasons and then eaten with pepper sugar salt A. Chest-nuts euen as Akornes seeme to be meate for animals P. Why I pray you is not man a creature if hee be passionate hee is the worst Creature Nature could haue created after the premeditation of a thousand yeeres A. Out of question an honest man represents the Image of God but a wicked man is worse then an hundred Wolues or ten thousand vnchained Diuels P. But concerning our purpose though all maste is meate for beasts yet hath it many vertues for in time of dearth it makes bread for the poore being grownd and drunke with wine it cures the bitings of venemous beasts and those that haue taken any kinde of poyson or drunke cantharides so as they pisse blood and fall into many bad accidents The pouder of them drunke with the decoction of camok or of dogs tooth helps the disease of the stone and being drunke with Cowes milke it is good against poyson Their oyle is good for wollen cloathes and so is sope A. Shall I taste of a greene Limon P. If it be ripe and haue the odour of a well coloured cytron and hauing some dayes since beene pluckt from the Tree they haue but more defectly the faculties and vertues of a Pome-citron their iuyce procures appetite stayes vomit cuts through grosse humours resists malignant feauers kils wormes and the sharpe iuyce of them being taken to the quantitie of an ounce and mingled with Malmasie expels stones out of the reynes and the greene ones operate the same more effectually Moreouer if they be cut very greene and sugar and rose-water put vpon them and so be eaten with flsh or slesh which is salt they are excellent to prouoke appetite they giue a good taste to our drinke and preualently expell grauell from out the reynes and bladder for the same effect they are eaten in sallets cut small with water hony and vinegar but yet they hurt the stomacke all collicall griefes and generate melancholy they are corrected with sugar and synamon A. I thinke Pomegranets are not without their speciall vertue P. The sweet ones helpes the stomacke breast all coughes and Venus and sharpe ones ease the liuer all burning feuers they quench thirst slake the heate of the stomacke and their iuyce doth the like and their syrrupe for they effectually abate choller they suffer no superfluities to mount vp into the head and both of them prouoke vrine Their rindes preserue clothes from moths and so doth the rinde of the cytron or limon the which likewise preserue rose leaues that they breede no wormes The vices both of the one and the other Pomegranate is corrected by vsing of them both together A. I pray you sir take these foure Wall-nuts for my sake P. I thank you very heartily and for your loue will take them those domestical are the best and especially those red great and thinly couered ones that are full of humour and haue not beene touched with the wormes the long ones are most pleasing to the taste they nourish most of all other nuts and augment the braine A. From hence it may be it comes that they please women so much because they supply in this point their debilitie P. Three or foure eaten continually in the beginning of dinner doe absolutely free vs from the griefe of the reynes and grauell Being eaten with Rue and dry figges fasting they preserue from the plague let the raw ones be couered with Sugar like Corianders and they are very acceptable to the stomacke but they are hard of digestion and yet acceptable to the Liuer they generate some ventositie and much choler and eating many of them they cause head-ach A. Here be small nuts shall we eate of them P. Nuts hurt the throate tongue and palate they excite coughs and head-ach procure crudities thirst and dizzinesse but they loose aking teeth and being infused into wine they doe no hurt or seasoned with sugar and honey but in Winter they heale the stomacke and sometimes helpe flegmatickes and melancholicks if they suffer no restruction of the breast A nut put into the pot makes the flesh to boile presently and so being put into a pullet When Nut-trees bring forth aboundance of fruit they signifie abundance of corne Two dry nuts two figs twentie Rue leaues and a graine of salt pestled and eaten fasting doe not onely preserue from poyson but also from the plague Being eaten fasting they cure bitings of madde dogs and being chewed and laid vpon the biting it is very good the greene huskes of nuts supply the want of pepper in meates A. By no meanes will I forbeare to taste of these Pine-apples P. They are hot and moist and if they be not mouldie they are good they nourish much being sodden with honey and sugar they purge the breast prouoke vrine restore a weake nature cleanse the reynes and bladder ease the griefes of the nerues and of the Seatica and good for Paralitickes for benummed persons and tremulant they mundifie the Lights are profitable for the breast and therefore are very good for Tisickes and to excite lust but they must be vsed soberly because they are somewhat hard For their correction they must first be infused into luke-warme water and then they may be eaten by flegmatickes with honey and by those cholerickes with sugar and in Winter they are very good for old men with honey A. Your Pistaccioes please me beyond measure P. If they be greene within they are wonderfully effectuall in stirring vp venerious appetites they remoue opilations of the Lyuer with other effects formerly mentioned but yet they hurt hot complexions and yet not if they be eaten in the beginning or end of meales taking after them sugar and conserues of Roses They hurt cholericall complexions and help old men and flegmatickes A. We will eate three or foure sower Cherries P. How like you them they binde the belly cut flegme refresh dry vp and corroborate the great ones and those very ripe are best they slake the heate of choler cut the ventositie of flegme excite appetite and are preserued with Sugar but yet exasperating the stomack they hurt old men and those that are weake of stomacke they are very good in the heate of Summer and are best with sugar being much auaileable for pestilentiall Feauers A. These Apricockes by their smell and colour like me well will you haue any they are here at your seruice sir P. They are cold and moist they were brought out of Armenia the best coloured and greatest ones are best with a sweete kirnell called Alberges