amending or preseruing the bodies of men women and children c. Ioh. It seemeth to be a goodly science Hum. Herodotus sayeth they greatly erre that call it a Science for it is an excellent Art in doing of notable things And science is but to know thinges There is also in this excelleÌ„t art sundry sectes of phisicions some be called Emperici who suppose that only experience doeth suffise and so by vse and experience dooe take in hande to heale diseases not knowing the cause of the said disease or sickenes Philinus was one of that secte at the first beginning Then folowed Serapion and after that the Apolonis And then came Glaucius Menadotus Sextus c. Another kinde of phisicions be called Methodici which neither obserue tyme place age state nor condition think them things of smal profit but onely their respect is to their disease they loue not loÌ„g study in phisick are greatly deceyued because they would build without foundation and haue the fruits before they haue planted the trées These mens cures bee but by chaunce medly One Sirus began this which receyued certaine rules of Asclepiades The chiefe and best sect of Phisitions called Dogmatici These be the wise men which set not the cart before the horse nor the rootes of the trées vpward They doe prudently consider the chaunge of mans nature the dwelling place the alteration of the aire the time of the yeare the custome of people the maners of diseases the fashions of mens diet And this they will proue by true arguments and reasons and will bee verie carefull for their patientes· The disciples of those men be the best scholers therefore I counsell thee Iohn to loue wel Hippocrates the prince of Phisicions which began the best maner to giue rules to al the louers of phisicke Of this writeth Galen much lauding Hippocrates and his followers and in these daies Leonhardus Futchius Matheolus c. Ioh. Seeing thou hast spoken of sundrie partes of Phisitions I pray thee what partes be there of phisicke Hum. Truly there be fiue thinges to be noted in phisicke as fiue principall parts as Galen saith in lib. de Elementis The first is to consider the nature of mans bodie The second is to kéepe the bodie in health and to defend it from sickenes and infirmities The third is to know all the causes rules and seedes whereof the sicknes doth grow The .iiii is Crises or iudgemeÌ„t of the disease of thinges present past and to come The fifth is the best and most excelleÌ„t for it sheweth the maner of healing dieting fashion order and way to helpe the sicke bodie and preserue the same as long as man doth remaine in the state of life Ioh. Thou hast spoken of the partes of phisicke what is the forme maner or distribution thereof Hum. It is distributed in 3. formes one is natural another vnnatural the iii. against nature The first is by those things whereof the body is compact constituted or made as Galen saith in his .iii. booke of his Temperamentis Cap. 4. The second is called not natural as meates or things to preserue the bodie 〈◊〉 health they be not called vnnaturall because they be against the bodie but because the 〈◊〉 taking or glotonous vsing of theÌ„ may bring many thinges to the vtter destruction of the bodie The third bee things against nature which doth corrupt the bodie or poâ—â—on nature wherof Galen writeth Ioh. Now thou hast taught me short rules of the partes and formes phisicall I pray thee shewe me some pretie rules of the complections of men and that I may aptly knowe them with their properties elements temperaments and humours Hum. Upon my Lute some time to recreate my selfe I ioine with my simple harmonie many plaine verses Among all other one small song of the foure complections wilt thou heare it take that chaire and sit downe and I I will teach thee my song Ioh. I thanke thee Humfrey The bodies where heat and moysture dwel Be sanguine folkes as Galen tell With visage faire and cheekes rose ruddy The sleepes is much dreames be bluddy Pulse great and full with digestion fine Pleasantly concocting flesh and wine Excrements aboundant with anger short Laughing very much and finding sport Vrine grosse with colour red Pleasant folkes at boord and bed Where cold with moisture preuaileth much Flegmatike folks be alwaies such Fatnes softnes haire plaine and right Narrow veines and colour white Dull of wit no heart too bold Pulse very sloâ— disgestion cold Sleeping ouer much vrine grosse and pale Spittle white and thicke thus ends the tale Choler is hot and drie as fire Leannesse of lims and puffed with ire Costiue bellies with lite sleepe Dreames of fier or wounds deepe Sallowe coloured or tawâ—ie red Feeding on salt meats and crustes of bread Voice sharpe and quickenes of wit Vrine yellow and saltnes of spit Pulses swift and verie strong Cruell countenance not anger long Melancholy is cold and very drie As here in rime the signes will trie Haire plaine and verie thin A leane wretch with hardnes of skin Colour whitelie or like to lead Much watch and dreames of dread And stiffe in folish fantasie Disgestion slowe and long angrie Fearefull of minde with watrie spitle Seldome laughing and pulse little Vrine waterie and verie thin The colde earth to him is kin Ioh. This is a good song and I will learne it for though it seeme not verie pleasant yet I perceiue it is profitable Now thou hast spoken of the signes of the .4 complections I praie thee teach mee shortly howe to knowe the elements Hum. They be the foure beginners vnmingled and vntempered from whose mixtures euerie corporall thing hath his substance Ioh. What be the partes I pray thee tel me Hum. Foure the one is earth the heauiest matter and grossest which is colde drie and melancholy And the other is water which is lighter and more subtil then the earth and of nature is cold moist and fleugmeticke Then is ayre more purer and lighter then water and if it bée not altered with any other straunge cause it is hot and moist and sanguine Then fier is most light pure and cleare a clarifier and a clenser of al the other elementes when they are corrupted and is of his owne nature hote drie and cholericke And of these foure Elements both man beast fishes foule hearbe stone mettall haue their proper working not of one of the Elementes alone but of all some more and some lesse according to their natures Hippocrates saieth after the soule is gone from the bodie the body doeth returne to the first matter whereof it was made And to conclude all things that be made vpon earth shall returne vnto the earth againe in tyme. Ioh. What might not men beasts fish or foule hearbe or tree bee of one element aswell
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
bloud letting will then engender perillous palsies as verie excellent Phisitions haue well declared And after one be infected with the pestilence xxiiii houres before hee haue receyued medicine or bloud letting miracle helpeth him but truly no medicine hath vertue to doe it Ioh. This same figure although it appeareth in many bookes yet verie fewe do vnderstand it in all points such be the secrete workes of nature And whereas thou hast well spoken of some veynes and apt medicines for the body I woulde faine see the true forme and shape of the bones Hum. Oh Iohn it were a long time to shewe the singular members with compounds as Galen doth in his booke of the partes and bones It requireth onely one worke but I haue taken in hand to teach thee but a Gouernment of health notwithstanding at thy request I will briefly rehearse the number of the bones no lesse true than newe which is the verie timber or postes whereupon our fraile flesh is builded beginning in our mothers wombes and ending in earth the mother of all things And as the noble prince Auicen affirmeth the number of all the bones be two hundred fourty and foure beside Sasamina Os laude Ioh. Thou hast spoken of the opening of veynes and medicins conuenient to cleanse the bloud with the number of bones but thou hast not spoken of conuenient time when to let blood nor of the state or age of them whose veynes should be opened Therefore I would be glad to learne not onely time of bloud-letting but also of purging the belly vomits bathings neesings and rubbing of the bodie c. Hum. Euery thing hath his time conuenient and must bee done with sober discretion and not with rash ignorance which killeth an infinite number Therefore the cause must be knowne and the time obserued as Galen writeth in the Commentarie of the Afforismes of Hippocrates manie bodies be extinguished by suddē death in whom is extreme fulnesse or aboundance For aboundance of blood or any other humor sayth Aristotle is the cause of many sickenesses and those men that vse much gluttonie in Winter shall bee apt to receyue manie diseases in the Spring time Therefore when the bodie hath extreme heat fulnes of veynes flushing with sodain rednesse in the face grosse and red vrine and such burning heate in the night that let the sleepe c then it is tyme to euacuate the bodie with some purgation bloud letting or abstinence as the strength and age of the patient will serue For manie diseases be helped by discrete bloud letting as Plurises hot Feuers Frensies Repletion or Surfets taken with ouermuch eating or drinking as Galen sayeth The letting of bloud dryeth vppe the superfluous moysture of the bellie helpeth memorie purgeth the bladder quieteth y e braine warmeth the marrow openeth the organs of hearing helpeth digestion induceth sleepe c. Unto this agréeth Rasis saying it helpeth greatly against Leprosie Squinances Appoplexes Pestilences c. But olde men children or women with childe ought not to be let bloud nor also those people that dwell in colde regions may not be let bloud because the bloud is the chief warmer of nature The people that dwell in hot regions if they be letten bloud it will dry their bodies for blood is the chiefe moister of nature Therefore is the heate of Sommer and the coldnesse of Winter forbidden to open veynes or let bloud except for a stripe or sudden chaunce as Rasis sayth the spring of the yeare is the chiefe time to let bloud in the right arme or right foote in the veyne called Mediana Which veyne must bee opened aswell at other times in the beginning of sicknesses as hot feuers and plurisies c. as Basilica should bee opened in the middle or toward the ende of a sickenesse Purgations ought to bee ministred with great discretion and not rashly to be taken for euerie trifle as thou hast heard me speake of bloud letting So obserue the selfe same rules in purgation as time person qualitie or quantitie For Hippocrates sayeth without doubt it is needfull to purge the superfluitie of the bodie As if bloud doe abound to take things to purge blood If fleugme be superfluous then take things to cleanse his superfluitie If choler bée too ardent hote vse things to extinguish If melancholy be too extreme then taste things to bring him into a meane And not to purge one humour with the medicines of an other but to take them in due order and aptnes For the said humors as Valarius Cordus Mesue and Nicholas teach the maner of making of the most excellent purgations with their quantities And as in blood letting sléepe must bee auoyded for viii or xii houres after them so when your purgations be taken aire is to be auoided and to be kept close for ii or thrée daies or more as the malice of the disease or power of the purgations be the counsaile of Rasis must bee followed which sayth oftentimes to take Purgations or laxatiue medicines doeth make the bodie weake and apt to the Feuer ethicke and specially in verie leane or weake persons they that bee verie fat haue small guts and veynes purgations bee verie noisome vnto them But strong bodies hauing large vessels may sustaine purgations without any hurt but strong purgations either in pils or potions if they any thing do excéede be verie hurtfull therefore the doces or quantities may not excéede And also they must bee made as pleasant as Art can doe them vnlesse they offend the stomacke Hippocrates giueth counsell that men should not mingle medicins with meate but to take them thrée or foure hours before meat or else so long after Unlesse they bee pils called Antecibum which may bée taken at the beginning of supper or else Pilli chochi a little before sléepe two hours after supper The best time of purgations is in the spring time as the doctors doth affirme the apt dayes and signes are commonly knowne in the English Almanacks calculated into English As in the writings of master Leonard Digges and of William Kenningham a learned student both in Astronomie and Phisicke with manie mo good men that taketh paynes to profite the common wealth There is another maner of purging of the bodie by vomit for it clenseth from the midriffe vpward if they haue large brests and be cholericke persons It is good against dropsies leprosies better in summer than in winter as Hippocrates saith and wholsomer one houre before supper than at any other time and not to be vsed as a custome for the custome of vomits hurteth greatly the head and eies and maketh the stomack so féeble that it will scant beare anie meates or drinkes but eftsoones cast them vp again They which haue narrowe throtes and breastes and long neckes vomits be neither apt nor good for them And Auicen saith that vomits
to idle people seeme verie painefull vnto them selues that trauell no paine but pleasure because of custome These people can digest grosse meats eating them with much pleasure and sléeping soundly after them whereas the idle multitudes in Cities and noble mens houses great numbers for lacke of exercise doe abhorre meates of light digestion and daintie dishes Marie in deede they may bee verie profitable to Phisitions But if trauaile be one of the best preseruers of health so is idlenesse the destroyer of life as Auerois writeth and Hippocrates saying euerie contrarie is remooued and helped by his contrarie as health helpeth sicknes exercise putteth away idlenesse c. But euery light mouing or soft walking may not bee called an exercise as Galen sayeth therefore tennis dauncing running wrastling riding vpon great horses ordained as well for the state of mens health as for pleasure whereunto it is now conuerted rather to the hurt of many than the profite of fewe exercise doeth occupie euery part of the bodie quicken the spirits purge the excrements both by the reynes and guts therefore it must be vsed before meate for if strong exercise bee vsed immediately after meate it conueyeth corruption to each part of the bodie because the meate is not digested but when thou séest thy water after meate appeareth somewhat yellowe then mayest thou begin exercise for digestion is then well But sicke folkes leane persons yong children women with childe may not much trauaile The exercise of dice cardes fighting drinking knauish railing of bauderie and such like rather may be called an exercise of diuels than of men And thus to conclude with Salomon quam pretiosus sit sanitas thesaurus Ioh. After painfull labor and exercise or disquietnesse of the mind there was neuer thing that hath done mee so much comfort as sleepe hath done Hum. Auicen saith that sléepe is the rest and quietnesse of the powers of the soule of moouings and of senses without the which man can not liue And truely sléepe is nothing else but an Image or brother to death as Tullie sayth And if by imagination thou didst perceiue sléeping waking weied in the ballance together there thou shouldst sée them equall in weight for Aristotle saith that man doth sléepe as much as he doth wake But this is to be considered in sléep that natural heat is drawen inwardly digestion made perfite the spirites quieted and all the bodie comforted if the true order of sléepe be obserued in sixe points First a quiet minde without the which either there is no sléepe or else dreadfull dreames tormenting the spirites Secondly the time of sleepe which is the night or time of most quiet silence for the day sléepes bee not good most chieflie soone after dinner except to sick persons or young children in their tymes conuenient Thirdly the maner of sleepe that is to eschew the lying on the backe which bringeth manie grieuous passions and killeth the sleeper with sodaine death To lie vppon the left side is verie euill in the first sleepe but tollerable in the seconde but the most surest way to make the digestion perfite is to lie vpon the right side with one of the handes vpon the breast Fourthly sléepe hath the quantitie which must be meane for superfluous sléepe maketh the spirits grosse and dul and decayeth memorie sixe or eight houres will suffice nature For like as much watch dryeth the bodie and is perillous for falling sicknes and blindnes euen so too much sléepe is as perillous for extremes be euer ill Fiftly in the time of colde feuers the patient must not sléepe vntill the trimbling fitte bee past for then the hot fit that followeth will bee extremer than any other fit and hard to helpe Note furthermore that those bodies that be full of hote inflamations sleepe not well therefore they must vse things to extenuate and to make colde as Tizantes and colde sirops or gentle purging froÌ„ the bellie and liuer or finally to haue the median veine opened according to time state and age Sixtly the chamber must bee considered that it bee cleane swéete comely clothes fit for the time of the yeare and the age of the people to kéepe the head warme is very holsom for in sléepe natural heat is drawne into the body for the braine of nature is colde moyst Windowes in the south part of the chamber be not good it is best for them which haue colde rheumes dropsies c. to lie in close lofts for dry bodies to lie in low chambers and in the time of the Pestilence often to shift chambers is healthfull lying vpon the ground in Gardens vnder trées or neere vnto stinking priuies bee hurtfull to the bodie and this shall suffice for thine instruction of sleepe prouided that thou doost not long retain thine vrine for feare of the stone and paine in thy reynes Ioh. There is nothing which I more feare than the stone for my father was sore vexed therwith what shal I marke in mine vrine Hum. Among all mortall diseases the stone is the greatest a preuenter of time a deformer of man and the chiefe weakner of the body and a grieuous enemie to the common wealth Howe manie noble men and woorshipfull personages hath it slaine in this Realme manie one which commeth of hote wines spices long banquets repletions fulnesse costifenesse warme kéeping of the backe salt meates c. The remedie whereof is in all poyntes contrarie to these causes small wines temperate béere or ale no spices but wholsome hearbs as Time Parcely Saxifrage c. Light meales most chiefly the supper no baked nor rosted thing but onely sodden meates and oftentimes to relaxe the bellie with Cassia Fistula newe drawne from the Cane with sugar and to eschew salt meates and not to kéepe the backe warme the stone is often found in yong children which commeth of the parents and oftentimes in old folke Which stones bee ingendred as I haue saide besides milke fruites hearbes saltfiâ—h and flesh hard chéeâ—e c. Now marke well this lesson following for thine vrine Ioh. That shall I gladly reade but softly and I will write thy wordes Humfrey First in vrine foure things marke Thus said Actuarij the good clearke Colour regents and contents therein Substaunce grosse thick or thin A faire light an vrinall pure Then of thy sight thou shalt be sure Colour of bright gold or gilâ—e Is health of liuer heart and milte Red as chery or saffion drie Excesse of meat in him I spie Colour greene or like darke red wine Or â—esembling the liuer of a swyne Is adustion with fiery heate Burning the liuer and stinking sweate Leaddy colour or blacke as inke Death draweth neare as I doe thinke Except the terms which women haue Or purging blacke choller which many do saue Colour grey as horne or cleare water Is lacke of disgestion saith mine
taken Preserued olifes in salt eaten at the beginning of meales doe greatly fortifie the stomacke and relaxe the belly cleanse the liuer and are hote and dry in the second degrée Ioh. I beseech thee shew thy opinion of the natures of some kind of flesh and first of the properties of beefe Hum. I will not vndertake to shew mine opinion to thy request but I wil declare the mindes of some wise and learned men first of Simeon Sethi which sayth that the flesh of oxen that be yong doe much nourish and make them strong that be fed with them but it bringeth melancholy and melancholious diseases it is colde and drie of nature and hard to digest except it bée of cholericke persons but béeing tenderly sodden it nourisheth much Much béefe customably eaten of idle persons and nice folkes that labour not bringeth many diseases as Rasis saith And as Auicen saieth that the flesh of Oxen or Kine be verie grosse ingendring ill iuise in y e body Whereof oftentimes come to scabs cankers biles but vnto hot strong cholericke stomackes it is tollerable and may be vsed as wee haue the dayly experience thereof The broath wherin béefe hath béene sodden is good to be supped halfe a pint euery morning agaynst the flixe of the bellie and running foorth of yellowe choler if the sayde broth be tempered with salt mustard Ueneger or Garlicke c. bée commonly vsed for the sawces to digest béefe withall for the saide sawces doe not onely helpe disgestion but also defendeth the bodie from sundrie inconueniences and diuerse sicknesses as dropsies quartains leprosies and such like The gall of an Oxe or a Cowe distilled in the Month of Iune and kept in a close Glasse doeth helpe to cleanse the eyes from spots if you put a droppe of this water with a fether into your eies when ye go to bed The mylt of a Bull dryed and the powder thereof drunke with red wine will stoppe the bloudie flixe Light powdered yong béefe is better than either fresh or much powdered In specially those Cattell that be fedde in faire and drie Pastures and not in stinking fennes The great learned man Gesnerus in his description of beastes doeth write more of the vertues of Bulles Oxen Kine and Calues than anie other hath done And thus to conclude the flesh of the male beastes is more better than the Female and the gelded beastes be more commodious to nature than any of them And the yong flesh more commendable than the olde for it is more moyst and a friend to the bloud as Haliabas saith Rosted flesh doeth nourish the bodie much for it is warme and moyst Baked meates be very drie Cleane boiled meates with wholsom hearbs and fruits be excellent to comfort the bodie if they bee nutramentall flesh Calues flesh doe greatly nourish and make good blood Ioh. Thou hast said well of beefe but what goodnesse may bee reported of porke I thinke verie little or nothing Hum. There be many goodly commodities in the flesh of Bores gelded swine and pigges for they be good for mans nature Ioh. For mans nature that is maruell For how can those bee good for mans nature which bee so vile of their owne nature Their foule feeding of most stinking filth and carion The noysome wallowing in the myre and durt the eating of their owne pigges and oftentimes pulling children out of the cradle for their dinners if the good wife be not at home Who is able to beholde such noysome spirites or helhounds Did not almightie God commaund the Iewes to eate none of them and the Mahomets at this day will kill that man that eateth of their flesh why should we then commend them for they are most vile Hum. All the ancient and wisest phisitions that euer were in this world did all consent that of al flesh the flesh of yong gelded swine partly salted or powdered was euer a meate of the best nourishing moysture and colder than other flesh for Isaack sayeth it is flesh verie moyst except it bee the flesh of lambes as Galen reporteth Yet it is not good to euerie complexion nor euerie age but vnto youth and middle age Whereas thou hast spoken agaynst the vile nature of swine calling them vnreasonable thou dost vse more words than wit for there is no beast that may bee called reasonable but man only And wheras God did prohibite the Iewes to eate swines flesh it was a figure to abstain from vncleane things which I leaue to the Theologians The Mahumites abhorre swines flesh because their drunken false prophet and Psewdo Apostle was torne and rent in péeces with swine being drunken and fallen in the myre So the one must giue credence to time and to learned Physitions The bloud of swine doeth nourish much as it is séene in Puddings made with great Otemeale swéete sewet and Fennell or Annis séedes Pigges be verie moyst therefore Sage Pepper and Salt doe drie vp the superfluous humours of them when they bee rosted They bée not wholsome to be eaten before they be thrée wéekes olde The Tripes and Guts bee wholsomer and doe nourish better than any other beasts guts or in-meates Bacon is verie hard of digestion and much discommended and is hurtfull Onelie vnto a hote cholericke labouring bodie the fleshe of a Bore is more wholesomer than the flesh of any Sow The braines of a Bore and his stones or any part of them stamped together and laide warme vpon a pestilente sore in the maner of a plaister it will breake it incontinent Swines grease is verie colde and good to annoynt burning hote places of the bodie or a disease called saint An tonies fire and thus much haue I spoken of swine Ioh. I pray you tell me of the flesh of the Rammes Weathers and Lambs and how profitable they are to mans nature Hum. Simeon Sethi sayth Lambes flesh is partly warme but superfluous moist and euill for fleugmaticke persons and doeth much harme to them that haue the dropsie boneache or a disease called Epiolus which is spiâ—ting of fleugme like glasse Therefore if lambes flesh were sodden as it is rosted it would bring many diseases vnto the bodie without it were sodden with wine and some hote Groceries hearbes or rootes When a Wether is two yeares olde which is fed vpon a good ground the flesh thereof shall bée temperate and nourish much Hippocrates sayth that the lambe of a yeare olde doth nourish much Galen séemeth not greatlie to commende Mutton but that which is tender swéete and not olde is verie profitable as experience and custome doth dayly teach vs. The dung tallow and wooll be verie profitable in medicines as Plini sayeth And Conradus Gesnerus de animalibus and Galen in his third booke de alimentis Io. What is the flesh of goats or kids Hum. They be beasts verie hurtful vnto yong trées and plants but Simeon Sethi saieth that
kids flesh is of easie digestion in health and sicknesse they be verie good meate They bée drie of nature Hippocrates saith It behoneth that the conseruers and kéepers of health doe studie that his meate bee such as the flesh of kids yong calues that bee sucking and lambs of one yeare olde For they bée good for them that be siâ—ke or haue euill complexions Haliabas doeth say that the flesh of Kiddes doe engender good bloud and is not so fleugmaticke waterie and moyst as the flesh of Lambes They remaine Kiddes for sixe Moneths and afterwarde come into a grosser and hotter nature and be called Goates The flesh of them that be geldâ—d is wholsome to eate the lungs of them eaten before a man doe drinke doeth defende him that day from drunkennesse as I haue read in the reportes of learned men But the flesh of the olde hée or male Goates bée ill and ingender the Agues or Feuers If the vrine of Goates be distilled in May with Sorrell the water distilled is not hurtfull nor noysome but whom soeuer vse to drinke thereof two drammes morning and euening it will preserue him from the pestilence The milke of Goates I will describe in the place of milke Ioh. What is the flesh of red and fallow Deere Hum. More pleasant to some than profitable to many as appeareth once a yeare in the corne fieldes the more it is to be lamented Hipocrates and Simeon Sethi doe plainely affyrme the flesh of them to engender euil iuise and Melancholie colde diseases and quartaines the fleshe of Winter Déere doe lesse hurt the bodie than that which is eaten in Summer For in Winter mans digestion is more stronger and the inwarde partes of the bodie warmer and may easilier consume grosse meates than in Summer as we see by experience In colde weather and frostes healthfull people bée most hungriest The lungs of a Déere sodden in Barlie water and taken forth and stamped with Penedice and Honnie of equall quantitie to the sayde lunges and eaten in morninges doeth greatlye helpe olde coughes and drynesse in the lunges There bee many goodly vertues of their hornes bones bloud and tallowe Ioh. What is the properties of hares and conies flesh Hum. Auicen saieth the flesh of Hares bée hote and drie ingenderers of Melancholie not praysed in Physicke for meate but rather for medicine For in déede if a hare be dried in the Moneth of March in an Ouen or Furnace and beaten into powder and kept close drunken in mornings in Beare Ale or white Wine it will breake the stone in the bladder if the paciente be not olde If childrens gummes be annointed with the braines of an Hare their teeth will easily come forth and grow The gall of an Hare mingled with cleane hony doth cleanse waterie eies or redde bloudie eies The flesh of Hares must be tenderly rosted and well larded and spiced because of the grosnesse but it is better sodden The flesh of Conies are better than hares flesh and easier of disgestion But rabbets be holsomer And thus to conclude of Conneis experience teacheth vs that they are good they be colde and drie of nature and small â—â—â—tion is made of them among the ancient phisitions as Galen saith I need not to speake long of euerie kind of beasts as some of the beastes that be in Hiberia like little Hares which be called conies Ioh. If the olde and ignorant men of Connyes which were seene in the nature of manie other beastes that had dwelte in diuers places of England they should haue knowen them right wel and perhaps receiued of them as small pleasure as many husband men haue found profite by them in their Corne. Now thou hast well satisfied me of the foure footed beasts which commonlie English men fedeth vpon Now I pray thee tell mee some of the vertues of foules and first of Cockes Capons and Hennes Hum. Chickens of Hennes saieth Auenzoar is most commended and most laudable of any flesh and nourisheth good bloud It is light of disgestion and doeth comfort the appetite cocke chickens be better then the hennes the capon is better than the Cocke they doe augment good bloud and seede as Rafis reporteth and experience proueth in men both whole and sicke An old Cocke which is well beaten after his fethers be pulled off vntill he be all bloudy and then cut off his head and draw him and seethe him in a close potte with fayre water and whyte wine Fenill rootes Burrage rootes Violet Planten Succory and Buglos leaues Dates Prunes great Raysins Maces and suger and put in the marow of a Calfe and sanders This is a most excellent broth to them that be sicke weake or consumed The braines of hennes capons or chickins be holsome to eate to comfort the braine and memory And thus to conclude these foresaide foules be better for idle folkes that labour not then for them that vse exercise or trauel to whome grosse meates are more profitable Iohn What are the properties of Geese Hum. Wild geese and tame their flesh be verie grosse and hard of digestion as Auicen saieth The flesh of great foules and of geese be slowe and hard of disgestion for their humiditie they do breade feuers quickly but their goslings or yong geese being fatte are good and much commended in meates And Galen saieth that the flesh of foules be better then the flesh of beastes Of great foule But vndoubtedly goose malard pecocke swanne and euerie foule haueing a long necke be all hard of disgestion and of no good complexions But if geese be well rosted and stopped with salte sage pepper and onions they will not hurt the eaters thereof There be great geese in Scotland which breedeth vpon place called the Basse There be also Bernacles which haue a strange generation as Gesnerus saith and as the people of the North partes of Scotland knoweth and bicause it should seeme incredible to manie I will giue no occasion to any either to mocke or to meruaile And thus I giue warning to them which loue their health to haue these foresaid foules somwhat poudred or stopped with salte all the night before they be rosted Ioh. I pray thee tel me of the flesh of Duckes Hum. They be the hotest of all domistical or yard foules and vncleane of feeding notwithstanding though it be â—ard of disgestion and maruelous hot yet it doth greatly norrish the bodie and maketh it fatte Hipocrates saith they that be fedde in puddels and foule places be hâ—rtfull but they that be fedde in houses pennes or coopes be nutratiue but yet grose as Isack saith Ioh. What be Pigions Turtles or Doues Hum. The flesh of Turtles be meruailous good and equall to the best as Auicen saith They be best when they be yong and holsome for flegmaticke people Simeon Sithy saith the house doue is hoter then the field doue and doth engender grose bloud
the fresh water bee sodden in pure greene oile oliue this oile dropped into the eare luke warme doeth heale hote burning obstructions and stopping matter that hindereth the hearing As for lempetes cockles scallaps as Galen saieth they bee hard of disgestion muscles and oisters would bee well boyled rosted or baked with onions wine butter sugar ginger and pepper or else they bee verie windie and fleugmatike Chollericke stomackes may well disgest raw oisters but they haue cast many a one away Iohn What is the vertue of oile Hum. Greene oile of oliues is the mother of all oiles which doeth drawe into her owne nature the vertues of hearbs buddes floures fruites and rootes Sweete sallet oile is wholsome to disgest cold hearbs and sallets tempered with sharpe vineger and sugar New oile doth moyst and warme the stomacke but olde oile corrupteth the stomacke and cleaueth to the lungs and maketh one hoarse Oile of roses and sharpe vineger tempered together is good to annoint the foreheades of them that are troubled wyth extreme heate or fransie so that Buglos be sodden in their posset ale or else drinke the sirops of Endiue or Buglosse There be many goodly vertues in compounded oiles both to callisie and make hote And also to coole the body when it is extreame hote as the great learned man Iohn Meiua hath described in his Antidotarii Iohn Wilt thou be so good as to tel me the properties of water Hum. Water is one of the foure elementes more lighter than earth heauier than fire and aire But this water the which is heere amongest vs in Riuers pondes springs flouds and seas be no pure waters for they be mingled with sundry aires corruptions grosenesse and saltnes notwithstanding in all our meats and drinkes water is vsed and amongest all liuing creatures can not be sorborne both man beast fish foule hearb and grasse And as Auicen saieth the clay water is pure for clay cleanseth the water and is better than water that runneth ouer grauell or stones so that it bee pure clay voyde of corruption Also waters running toward the east be pure comming out of hard stony rockes and a pinte of that water is lighter than a pint of the standing water of welles or pooles The lighter the water the better it is Also waters that are put in wine c. ought first to bee sodden ere it be occupied colde and so the fire doth cleanse it from corruption Standing waters and water running neare vnto cities and towns or marish ground woods and fennes bee euer full of corruption because there is so much filth in them of carrions and rotten dung c. Ice and snowe waters be very grose and bee hurtefull to the bodies of men and beasts To drinke colde water is euill for it will stoppe the body and engender melancholy Salt water helpeth a man from scabbes itch and moist humours it killeth lice and wasteth bloud betweene the skinne and the flesh but it is most hurtful to the stomacke but the vapour and smoake of it is good for them that haue the dropsie Ioh. What is Vineger Hum. Uineger is colde and drie and is hurtfull for them that be melancholy but when it is drunke or poured vpon an outward wound stoppeth the bloud it also killeth hot apostumations of erisipilus it is an enemie to the sinewes Uineger and brimstone sodden together is good for the Gout to wash it withall Uineger tempered with oyle Oliue or oyle of Roses and sodden with vnwashed woll helpeth a disease called Soda in the head applied warme vnto the place it doth helpe hot diseases in the head called Soda it is good in sauce for all warme and moist men Uineger with cleane clarified hony penidies and faire water sodden together doth greatly helpe the paine in the throte or lunges or stopping of the winde and quencheth hot diseases And sharpe vinegar mingled with salt and put vpon the biting of a dog doth heale it and against poyson it is excellent chiefly to drinke a little thereof against the pestilence in a morning Iohn What vertue hath our common salt Hum. Rasis saith salt is hot and drie Dioscorides saith salt hath vertu to stop to scour and mundifie and of that mind is Oribasius saying salt is compounded of matter abâ—â—ersiue and stiptik which matters be both binding and driyng moist humours and is good to powder fatte flesh both biefe and porke and other fatte meate for it hath vertue to drie vp superfluous humours as water and bloud c. But it is not good for leane bodies or hot complexioned people for the much vse of it maketh the body cholericke appeare aged and to be angry The verie vse of it is onely to season meates but not to be meate Much good salt is made here in England as at Witch Hallond in Lincolneshire and in the Shires neere vnto Newcastel Ioh. What is honie or the vertue thereof Hum. Auerrois sayeth honie is hot and drie in the second degree and dooeth cleanse verie much and is a medicinable meat most chiefliest for olde men and women For it doth warme them and conuert them into good bloud It is not good for cholericke persons because of the heat and drinesse They do greatly erre that say hony is hot and moist but if it be clarified from the wax and drosse and kept in a close vessel there is nothing that is liquid vpon the earth that remaineth longer And this precious iewel hony hath beene euermore praysed aboue suger for it will conserue and keepe any frute herb rote or any other thing that is put into it an exceeding long time Marueilous is the worke of God in honie being a heauenly dewe that falleth vppon flowers and leaues as Auicen saith is neither the iuice of leaues nor fruit but onely the heauenlie dewe Wherevnto the Bees come in due time and doe gather the said hony and lay it vp in store in their curious builded houses whereas they dwell together in most goodly order O Bees bees how much happier are you then any wretched man which dwelleth neuer together in vnitie and peace but in continuall discord and disquietnesse as Virgil saith En quo discordia ciues produxerit miserosê Behold what discord wretched citizens haue brought foorth But now to make an end of the most excellent vertues of hony it is good in the meates of them which be fleugmaticke Hony newly taken out of their combes bee partely laxatiue but clarified hony doth binde and dry vp fleugme and keepeth the bodies of fleugmaticke and olde persons from corruption The best hony is gathered in the Spring time the second in Summer but that which is gathered in Winter is ill and hurtfull One part of hony and some part of water sodden together vntill the froth bee all scummed off and when it is colde kept in a close stone pot this drinke saith Galen is wholesome for Summer cleanseth