¶ A compendious or shorte Treatise gathered out of the chyefe and principall Authors of Phisycke conteynynge certeyne preceptes necessary to the preseruacion of healthe and longe continuaunce of the same verye pleasaunte and profitable to reade ⸫ ⧠To the ryght honorable mastie Wylliam Cicyll Esquier one of the two principall Secretaries to the kyng his most excellent maiestie Henry Wyngfield wysheth long coÌ„tinuaunce of true welfare and like prosperouse successe Hâ—uyng wythout anye my desert enioyed the coÌ„moditie of your beneuolence and good wyll I haue often deuised ben desirous â—accomplyshe some thyng whych I myght exhibit vnto you as a testimonie and pledge of my pore earnest zeale entier affection And knowyng by late profe that if my power wer to declare y e same by some gyft of price ye wold not wel take it beyng so syncere and vpryght rather to esteme the good wyll then the value The consideracion of the whyche thyng hathe moued me at thys my presente beynge here to take in hande thys small and simple treatyse presenting it vnto you for a newe yeres gyfte that it myghte openly appeare how inwardly I beare you accordyng to my bounden duety my pore hert and seruyse And albeit that lacke of tyme and lette of busines as it is well knowen hath withdrawen from me leasure requisite to the absolute finyshynge here of Yet I truste wel in your wonted gentlenes that you wyll both in good part take my simple labour here imployed vntyll some wor thyer thyng may happen and also for lacke of power â—accepte my poore good wyll hertely wyshyng that suche profite may procede vnto you by thys processe as you maye euermore enioye a healthful mynde in a whole and sounde body beyng worthy for your excellenâ—e desertes longe continuaunce of the same At London the fyrste of January An 1551. Who so wyl haue his dayes in healthe long endure And wythout payne or griefe to lyue and fare well These preceptes let hym practise or faythfully put in â—re And of health he may be siker sickenes so expell ¶ The preface to the gentle Reader THe sharpenes and quicke capacitie of mannes wyt whych is the best gyfte greatest treasure grauÌ„ted to mankynd The memorie trusty firme strong in reteyning keping thynges coÌ„mitted to her custodi are not so much necessarie or expediente to the hauynge of a perfecte and exacte knowledge of the tongues and liberall faculties wherein all treasures of science wysedome are comprehended as is a pure and sincere iudgemente Furthermore to haue so vncorrupt or vpryght iudgement truelye to iudge esteme euery thyng to be as it is is a thing very hard and difficulte Not onlye for because of the great varietie and dissention in opinions but also for the vayne and vncerteine confectures whych be in many sciences as Palmestry Pyromancie and Astrology and other faculties vn leful by the lawes oâ— God man Wherfore onles man know such secrete mysteries and hyd operacions of nature bi experience he can neuer come to the knowledge ther of the iudgement is so amased opressed and ouerwhelmed wyth darkenes Moreouer experience also is oftentymes vncerteine and fallible bothe for the imbecillitie of oure iudgement and also for that oure lyfe tyme is feble frayle and of shorte continuaunce Wherfore of these premisses the noble Physicion Hippocrates of most worthy memorye dyd plainlye gather that no man can come to the perfecte and exacte knoweledge of learnyng in short continuaunce so that it is requisite that life be prolonged And there is no man so dul no such lacke wyt but that knoweth wel inough y t thys thyng may be easely performed if he vse wysedome and diligent prouision in the ordryng therof Whiche thyng to be true not only experience but also the diligent and expert cure of phisycke is a sure witnes and testimonie For it is dayly sene that feble and weake boâ—ies by thys prouidence and moderacion in liuynge lyue as longe as those which be valeaunt lusty and strong To the confirmacioÌ„ wher of Plato and Aristotle beare me witnes that a man of excellente lernyng and wisedome named He â—odicus which was in all hys lyfe as feble and syckely as anye man liuyng at that tyme by suche prouidence and order in diete to haue iyued vntyll he was an hundred yeres olde I lette passe manye other of whom Plutarche maketh mencion whyche althoughe they were verye feble and weake yet they by obseruynge these precepts of liuyng and vsyng great diligeÌ„ce to preserue the same haue lyued long tyme wythout any greuous or paynefull syckenes Whyche thynges considered and kept in remembraunce causeth many not a lytle to meruell what shoulde bee the cause of so sodaine a chaunge alteracion in our bodies at thys tyme froÌ„ their nature which haue ben before vs. For now adaies if a man lyue to fyfty or lx yere it is thought a great age And the most parte of men ere this tyme euen in their florishyng youth are attached with fearful death which shaketh of their freshe colour their bewty and their streÌ„gth And yet the case is playne that mans lyfe myghte continue as longe nowe as it hath done afore tyme if we in leadyng forth thereof wolde vse suche diligence and circuÌ„spectioÌ„ as dyd our progenitors Whiche thynge I speake not as any derogatioÌ„ vnto gods honor as who say that we can appoint or constitute ani time excepting alway y e power of God which is wonderfull also merciful aboue mans reasoÌ„ or counsell preseruing or striking whoÌ„ wheÌ„ or wher it shal like his diuine power For oftentymes as holy scripture doth record horrible syn hath ben y e cause of short life And as it is writteÌ„ y e first boke of Moses in y e first age one maÌ„ liued as long as v. or vi do now but shortly after lyke as men so dyd synne encrease on the earthe Wherefore the Lorde sayde my spirite shal not alway striue in maÌ„ because he is fleshe and his dayes shall be a. C. xx yeres but none at all or very few doth approche nere vnto thys age And truely to speake as I thynke our imtemperance continuall bankettyng and dayely ingurgitacions of meates and drinkes is greate occasion of short lyfe nowe adayes The spirite of glotonie so triumphyng amonge vs in his glorious chariot called welfare driuynge all smelfeastes and bealye guttes as hys prisoners afore him into the dungeon of surfet where they be tormented wyth sondrie painfull diseases driuen drawen and finally drowned Such miserable nature remayneth in some meÌ„ that to liue idelâ—y and voluptuously they wyl chose rather to be sycke then to be whole rather to haue payne then pleasure rather to dye then to liue For thys is not a rare thyng but in dayly experience that by suche reuell gourmandise and daily surfetyng many cruellye are putte to deathe oftentimes in floryshynge youth in the most pleasaunt tyme
put in to much at one tyme they drowne the lyghte or elles if by negligence they forget to putce any oyle in for lacke of humiditie the lyght is extingwyshed goth forth By exaÌ„ple wherof we maye learne discretelye to temper heate and moysture in oure bodyes by vertue and power of the whych lyfe tyme may de prolonged Fyrste therfore bycause this life is inclosed in a mortal body a vessell frayle bryckle and of short coÌ„tinuaunce we may not refuse and caste awaye all regard or respecte thereof or neglecte our dueties in attendyng of it for asmuche as it coÌ„teineth in it precious treasures but with vigilaÌ„t custodie intreate and order it not in much cherysheyng or pamperyng of it not sufferyng it to be subdued to all ioyes pleasures delicacie and voluptuousenes For by suche belye chere all the powers are weakened the goodlye bewtye of the visage and shape of mankynde also strengthe of the bodye decayeth and vanisheth away in short time Wherfore we must accustume oure selfe to a moderacion in dyet whyche maye comforte nature and not fyll the belye It is wrytten that Galene the prynce of all Phisitions whyche in hys tyme was had in wonderfull reuerence dyd neuer in all hys Lyfe eate so muche but that he left wyth a greate appetite and desyre to eate more Neyther dyd he vse to eate by and by after he had rysen whych we call breakefastes that be geuen to asswage the guawyng and complayntes of a yonge stomacke and yet he lyued as Celius writeth xx yeres or as some other affirme a hundred and fortye albeit breakefastes to be necessarye in thys Realme a certeyne worshypfull and well lerned man deseruing notable remeÌ„brauÌ„ce hath proued by good reason for asmuche as choler beyng feruent in the stomacke seÌ„deth vp fumosities vnto the heade and causeth headache or sometyme becometh adust wherby happeneth perilous syckenes if the heate inclosed in the stomacke haue not coÌ„uenient matter to worke on Wherfore they be necessarye in thys Realme specially to yonge men or colericke But to returne to our purpose it is to be remembred that the lampe burneth long the lyght wherof is tempered according to the oyle so that it do not hastelye but by lytle and lytle burne and waste vp the same Lykewyse we in all oure lyfe tyme specially in youth muste be aduertised that thys heat naturally graffed in vs be not superfluous or abundaunt then verye lyke shortly to consume all humiditye called radicall whych oftentymes is great occasion of shorte lyfe Furthermore by our outwarde senses we perceyue the lampe not to burne clerelye if the oyle be not pure and clere but thycke turbulent and full of dregges For shortly bubbels which ryse on the dregges drowne and extincte the light But we in the tyme of our natiuitie haue receiued of nature oyle I meane moysture radicall pure ayerye Wherefore that whych is dayly ingendred in our body in the place of that whych is consumed by heate wherwyth thys heate is fedde and noryshed ought not onlye to be of iust and equal porcion and quantitie to that whyche was before but also in all condicions lyke vnto it and that it may be so conformable vnto it it muste not onlye be pure and ayerye but also not hauynge anye parte of fece or dregges Whych if you wyll escape and auoyd you must beware of cruditie which is a vicious concoction of thynges receyued they not beynge wholly or perfectly alterid Remedies conuenient fitte therefore shall be expressed in the chapter folowyng Also much reste idlenes or slug gyshenes wherfore we muste not neglecte competente exercyse and that in due and coÌ„ueniente tyme whych surely is a thynge so necessary to the preseruacion of health that wythout it no man may long be wythout syckenesse whiche is affirmed bi Cornelius Celsus saiyng that sluggyshnes dulleth the bodye labour doth strength it the fyrst bryngeth the incoÌ„modties of age shortly the laste maketh a maÌ„ longe tyme lustie and moste of all to absteyne frome suche meates which engender dregges making yll iuyce and norishyng and suche as ingender melancholy as biefe very olde fleshe or fyshe very salt chese hard olde wyne thicke and blacke gose ducke swanue also fruits not rype much vsed Ther be also manye mo lyke kyndes of meates which I purposely pas oueâ— forasmuche as I desyre to be in this treatise coÌ„peÌ„dious But he that wyl know more abundantly of these such other let hym reade the boke of Galene wher he intreateth of the nature and operacions of meates and he shall be therein fully satisfyed ¶ What thynges diminy she or coÌ„sume naturall moysture and what super fluoufly increasâ— the same Also that good digestion is very necessarye to the prolongation of lyfe The thyrd chapter THese thynges folowynge in short continuaunce exhausâ—e and dri vp natural moisture Greate and abundante esfusion of bloud either by fyghting or by other chaunce of fortune violente lâ—wsâ—â—es of the belye beinge long soluble Immoderate sweatynge the pâ—res conduites of the body â—oâ—uch opened Ouermuch â—amiliâ—â— acquaintance with â—â—â—â—s of wanton delite the goddes patrones great thyrst or honger â—mmoderat watch ouermuch vse of thiges hot dry Also affectes passions of the myud as ire wrathe also sorowe heuines daylye lan guishyng in tormentes incurable then the whiche there is nothynge more enemy to life for it coÌ„sumeth both natural heate moysture of the body also it doth extenuate or make the bodye leane dulleth the wytte darkeneth spirites letteth the vse and iudgemente of reason and oppresseth memorye Whych thynges be ratified by the authoritie and witnes of SalomoÌ„ Sorowe saythe he dryeth vp the bones For lyke as the mothe in the garment and the worme in the tree so dothe heauinesse anoye the herce of manne Thinges contrary to these whiche wente before make moysture vnnaturall and superfluous to redound in the bodye as often drun kennes whych doth both exhaust heate and maketh abundaunce of euil moysture and also causeth cruditie For when the meate is not well concocte or boyled in the stomacke then there is tomuche euyl and corrupt iuyce where by naturall heate is drowned oppressed and ouerwhelmed Foresene therfore that good digestion is so necessary to the prolongacion of life let vs if affectionatly we couet the preseruation therof wyth all oure indeuour and â—â—udye vse diligence and circumspection that we runne not into thys cruditie But consideryng that it is great occasion both of consumption of humiditie and also of suffocation of heat diligently to auoyde it in vsynge a moderation bothe in meate and drynke For ouer muche ingurgitacion of meates and drynkes or the vicious qualitie thereof or the receyuing of them out of order gredy and hasty fedynge wythout mastication or good chewyng or much and verye ofte drinkyng at meales or betwene meales be the chiefe causes of this affecte or dissease Let vs therefore geue good attendaunce that
the meate be not hard to concocâ—â— or that it be not ouer sweete as bankettynge dyshes or â—lles that they bee not of diuerse qualities whych do speciallye corrupt digestâ—oÌ„ Nature teacheth vs thynges necessarye whyche be but fewe and sone prepared folishnes hathe inuented thynges superfluous whych are without number hard to comby If thou geue necessaries vnto nature she is delited and made strong as with thinges fiâ—te for her appetite But if thou geue her superfluous she is weakened and afflicted as wyth gobbets not agreyng vnto her dyete Last of al let vs beware of slepe at after nonnes of long watching and sittyng vp of nyghtes which al wyth many other mo do greatly let digestion When I speake of digestioÌ„ I do not meane that only whych is in the stomacke but the seconde also whych is in the liuer and the thyrde in the vaynes and the fourth or last whych is finished in al the members which surely to their perfeccion haue neede of good space and continuance whiche in nyne houres space as some meÌ„ thinke is brought to pas And if the least of theÌ„ al be in any wyse letted or troubled noryshment is not dueli ministred Moreouer as it is necessary to the prolongacion of lyfe to help digestion and make it perfite So lykewyse â—urgynge of excâ—emeÌ„tes is as necessary Also to keepe the skynne cleane from any fylth and those places wolde be ofte clensed out of the whyche filthines coÌ„meth from the inward partes as the head the eares the nosethiâ—les the eyes y e armeholes and y e other secret places y t nature hydeth honesty scase wold haue named The. iii. thyng which doth make strong lusâ—y the liuely and quick power of y e body is exercise and labour whych thyng to be ne cessarye is knowen by thys that those originall thynges corruptible whereof all liuynge creatures are composed and made be euer more in continuall motion as the ayre the fyre and the water But in this place it semeth expediente seynge I dyd promise the same before to declare some remedies agaynst thys cruditie where wyth manye be affected and troubeled and therewyth to make a perfite conclusion of thys chapter Galene and all other do agree in this case that peper brused and eaten wyth meate is verye expediente And where there is muche wynd in the stomacke then to eate all tymes of the daye the medicine made of thre kyndes of pepper â–ª tyme anise seede and hony clarified which is called diatrion piperi on and if flewme be abundaunt then oximel that is to saye honye and water soden together wyth the rootes and seedes of fenâ—l and persley and a quantitie of vinegre put thereto in the boylyng is very commendable The rest are fullye handled and set forth of Galene in his bookes de Cacoclymia ¶ By what tokens one may know whether the bloud in bys bodye bâ— good or â—â—o if it be viâ—â—ate or yll how to rectifie it For nothyng is more necessary to the producing of lyfe then good bloud The fourth Chapter THe most famous and expert Phisitions among all other preceptes whych speciallye apperteme to the prolongacion of mannes lyfe do aduise and counsell vs to eate suche meate as maketh good iuyce and suche we cal fyne and holesome meates whych ingender good norishment y t is to wyt good laudable blud which causeth aboue all thynges the lyfe loÌ„g to coÌ„tinue in health And good bloud is knowen by this it is not cold not dry not darke â—urbuleÌ„t nor of y e colour of a beastes liuer but it is hot moist clerâ— Yet it is not of ferueÌ„t burning hotâ—â—s as is fyre nor yet of thyn humiditie or moysture as is water For if y e bloud aproche nygh to y e nature coÌ„dicion of fyre it maketh natural heate ouermuch to surmouÌ„t in the body by the superfluous increase whereof humour radical is lightly coÌ„sumed And if y e blud aproch neâ—er to y e nature of water it doth extenuat abate diminyshe natural heate and wyth ouermuch thynne and waâ—ry moisture doth drowne and opresse it Wherfore such euyl bloud maketh both heat and moisture to exceade their bouÌ„des and transcend their limites appointed by nature whereby lyfe is lyke to fall in ruine And verely if naturall moysture be mingled with waâ—ry and thyn bloud it sone receyueth putrefaction which is oft cause occasion of feuers agues called putride And for this cause it is not holesom to eate frutes or hearbes cold for thei much abuÌ„dantly eaten do shortly fil y e vaines w t iuyce crude rawe which sone wyll receiue putrefactioÌ„ Of these premisses it foloweth therfore y t the blud in our bodies be nether very hotte like fire neither very thin moyste like water but in keping y e golden meane betwene bothe Hitherto y e qualitie of good bloud is declared and now lyke wise the substance therof shal be sufficientlye expressed Good bloud is neyther ouer thycke nor ouer thynne But as in hys qualitie semblably in hys substaunce doth keepe and retayne the meane and in all condicions is correspondeÌ„t to the qualitie of the ayer If the substaunce of the bloude be thinne it ngendreth humiditie yll vncerteine and not longe continuyng and maketh the spirites apte to be dissolued and consumed wherby nature is mortified Spiritus Naturalis in hepate Uitalis in corde Animalis in cerebro Yf it be ouer thycke it doth debilitate and obfuscate the wytte stoppeth the pores and geueth occasion of suffocation of the lyfe and the spirites whych by thycke bloud be condensat and made tucbulent because of their thyckenes be nothyng fytte or conuenient for lyfe for they put out and suffocate naturall heate vpon the whyche the fâ—ndacion of lyfe is buylded Like as a great thicke smoke doth ouer whelme the flame of the fyre and wyll not suffer it to burne out clerely I let pas that it is so dark that it maketh mans lyfe heauye sad and full of pensiuenes such as for the most parte those that are of a melancholike constitucion be Good and pure bloud is as necessary to the noryshing of the life as good oyles bee for a lampe Wherefore suche meates muste be pycked out and chosen whych ingender pure and good bloud Rayses in a place shewyng vs how to reteyne and keepe styll longe tyme the freshnes of youth kepe back croked feble and withered age aduertiseth vs to vse such meates as ingender good bloud whyche be precordiall confortatiues of the hert also other lyke which wold be knowen of suche as write of the nature operation of meates for this shorte treatise can not receyue them ¶ Howe that he whiche desireth the course of hys lyfe longe to continue must haue diligent respect or regard to the election of his mansion or dwelling place The fyft Chapter THe place where a man purposeth to dwell is diligently to be considered of theÌ„ whiche desyre
to liue long in health for asmuche as the ayer whych is accordyng to the diuersitie of places good or euyll is speciall cause of long lyfe or short Wherfore of all other thinges ayer is chiefly to be obserued because it dothe both inclose vs and also enter into our bodies specially the most noble member the herte For thys cause wee must chose a dwelling place wher the ayre is pure and clere and flie farre from those places where the ayre is euyl stynking and corrupt and corruption of the ayre is eyther impured vnto influences of sundrye starres or elles to greate standynge waters which neuer be refreshed or elles to carion lyinge longe aboue the grounde or els to a greate multitude of people in smal rome liuyng vnclenly or sluttishely Marcilius Ficinus remembreth two thynges whiche moste of all are to be obserued in election of places Neuer thinke saith he y t you can lyue longe in those places where either fruite can not be kept longe from rottennes and corrupcion or elles where men as you maye see be but of shorte time and continuaunce of life And these places be beste whych be hygh wher the ayer is subtile and pure not moyst nor colde Lowe places in valeyes or among fennes and maryshe groundes be worse The same author saythe in the place before alledged that it is vnholesome to vse dungynge of the ground as plowmen be accustomed to do to theâ—tent the grounde may be more batryll and fertyle and also vnholesome for the inhabitaunies to make standyng waters in pastures for beastes to drynke of For in suche places all thynges be sone corrupted wherfore sayth he I can not alowe or approue their iudgement whyche dyd fynde faute wyth Hesiode the greke poete for that he in his bokede re rustica dyd purposelye passe ouer these two thynges before remembred for he very wysely dyd more regarde the holesomnes of the ayer then the rankenes of the grounde But to returne to the election of places most conueniente for habitacioÌ„ Hygh places on mounteines and hylles be beste whyche haue theyr situacion agaynst the east or the north and it is to be kept in remeÌ„braunce as some men thinke necessarye that all the dores and wyndowes of the house be situate either against the east or the north For thys cause as I thynke the windes that come from thence be more laudable then the other two â–ª be In bryngynge holesome ayer and in prolongynge of lyfe by expulsyng of euyll vapoures But if wee bee of necessitie compelled to dwell in those places whyche bee lowe watrye and vnclenly Marcilius doth aduertise vs to vse hot and swete fragrant sauoures and to temper our meates with saunders cinamome and safron also to vse moderate and competent exercise of the bodie and not to suffer extreme colde but ofte syttynge in such wether by a fyre syde How wyue is necessary to the prolon gation of life by reason it helpeth digeâ—â—ion and conforteth natur al heate also the incommodities whyche procede of dronkennes The syxte Chapter PLato the wisest of all philophers dothe affirme y t wyne moderatelye drunke norysheth and conforteth as well the bodye as the spirites of manne and therfore god did ordeine it for maÌ„kind as a necessari remedy against the incoÌ„modities of age that therby thei shuld seme to returne vnto youth forget heuines for by his qualities whiche be heate moysture nature is chieflye conserued Also Galene saith that wyne is of good norishmeÌ„t for the bodye and doth preserue health that ther is no other kyndes of meat or drinke that doth so much coÌ„forte natural heate so helpeth digestion The profite that coÌ„meth by moderate drinkyng of wyne is that it dothe clarifye the thicke and troublesom bloud it doth clense opeÌ„ the passages and pores of the bodye and specially the vaines it doth take awaye stopping of the liuer it doth expell froÌ„ the hert darke fumositie which doth ingeÌ„der heauines so row it causeth a man to forget all care maketh him mery ioyful Wherefore it is holesome for all ages for all times and al regions so that it be taken moderately and as he y t drynketh it hath ben accustumed to it if he drynke no more then his nature may wel sustayn beare Albeit concernynge ages touchyng the regimente of wyne Aâ—icene sayeth to geue chyldren wyne to drynke is as one wolde lay fyre to fyre made of dry wood but he sayth that one may geue an olde man as much wyne to drinke as he can beare wythout detrimeÌ„t or hurte Olde folkes are cold and wyne heateth theyr spirites are heauye and wyne maketh them lyght and cleare and comenly old folkes slepe yll but wyne maketh them to sleepe well Also Rayses sayeth wyne vniuersally doth comforte the stomacke and the liuer and it causeth the meates to passe downe easely it doth quycken the corporall myght and wyt But ouer much ingurgitacion of wyne wyne drunke superfluouse doth hurte the liuer the brayne and the senewes it doth ingeÌ„der crampes palseies apaplexies oftentimes dayly experience teacheth sodayne death Drunkennes is ingendred of a grosse and thycke fume which ascending vp to the brayne dothe there couer the places where reason and memorie lyeth no otherwyse then the clouds do couer the lyght of the sunne where by all the senses as wel internall as external be so troubled that they can not execute theyr offices and dueties appoynted of nature the inconueniences whych come by drunkeÌ„nes be these that folowe The fyrste is corruption of the liuers complexion for it resolueth the heate therof wherby the lyuer loseth hys naturall generation of bloud in place of blud ingeÌ„dreth a watrishnes causeth y e dropsye The second is corruption of the braynes coÌ„plection It doeth dispose a hote braine to a woodnes fransie the cold to the falling euyl forgetfulnes and palsey The. iii. is weaknes of senewes and disseases therof as the crampe palseis goute dropsies Whych thynges well considered and kepte in remeÌ„braunce shuld excepte I be muche deceiued refraine something their prompt disposition from such waÌ„ton appetites But trulye there is no man knowyng the dueties beloÌ„ging to an honest heâ—t but wyl sorowfully bewayle piteously lament the folyshe peruersitie of many which by their negligeÌ„t dissolute liuing wylfully coÌ„mit their bo dies to be tormented w t greuous and painful sickenesses the dolour wherof if by counsell practise of physycke at the fyrste brunt be not apeased pacified for whych the art of phisycke is rated accused put in blame And thus the pacientes transpose and laye away the faute whych in them selfe is culpable Unto the imbecillitie or feblenes of the arte But if effectuall report were made vnto suche by the informatioÌ„ of honeste approued phisitions how suche disseases by their negligence procured can not easely be expel'ed onles the original occasions therof be somthyng diminyshed so by