Elementes NOw after that I haue declared and opened the sectes and opynions of the mooste noble and moost auncient Physitions I I thynke it verye mete to shewe the nature of the Elementes whyche be iiii in numbre the fyre ayer water and earth But to auoyde ambiguitie I wyl by goddes grace fyrst declare the signification of this worde Elementum which we maye verye well call in our tonge a begynnynge of any thynge and thereof it cōmeth y t the Alphabete letters be called elemētes bicause they are beginners of al maner of languages the principles also of euery arte be called Elementes bycause they are begynners of the same The Phisitions also do call the veynes pulses and bones w t all other suche partes as the Latyne men call similares sensible elementes bycause they are the fyrst beginners of mannes bodye as moche as maye be perceyued by sense For the fyre ayer water and earth of the which all thynges vnder the moone be made can not be perceyued by any sence wherfore as they are y e fyrst begynners of mannes bodye so they are not the fyrst sensyble begynners For yf they coulde be perceyued by sence then euerye man as he passeth other in quycknesse of sence so shuld he se and feale moost fyne elementes as the Aegle bycause his syght is moost perfyte shoulde easelyest perceyue the least Element but percase some wyll saye vnto me that there is no man so madde to saye that the fyre ayre erth and water can not be felte and perceyued by sense But whosoeuer shal moue this doubt I wyll answer hym of thys fassyon that yf he meane our fyre our water or our earth I wyl saye as he sayth which is that they may be felte and perceyued by sense For in dede they are no Elementes but thinges mixt and corruptyble hauyng theyr composition of dyuerse thynges where as the pure element is a body moost simple withoute all generation or corruption Nowe be it of fyre made thycke commeth ayer and of ayer made thycke cōmeth water and of water made thycke commeth earth And yet here is neyther corruption nor yet generation of the whole for this is a mutatiō of the partes only Then as I sayde before Elementū in this signification is a body moost pure and simple and the leest parte of the same wherin it is whiche can not be deuyded into any other kinde and of it all thynges naturall haue theyr originall begynnynge This definition is taken both out of Gallen and Aristotle therfore I truste no man wyll be so impudent to contrary or impugne it And there be also as is aforesayd .iiii. Elementes of the whiche the fyre is extreme hotte and moderatly drie the ayer extreme moyst and moderatly hotte the water extreme colde and moderatelye moyst the earth is extreme drie and moderatelye colde In heate the fyre with the ayer and in drynesse w t the earth in moysture the ayer w t the water in heate with the fyre in coldenesse the water with the earth in moysture with the ayer the earth in drynesse w t the fyre in coldnesse w t the water doeth consent and agree And as y e water to y e fyre is extreme contrarye so is the ayer to the earth Of the myxture of these elementes al natural bodies haue theyr composition yet it is nothing necessary y t they be equally myngled in the body but accordyng to that that hath dominion the bodye is named eyther choleryke sanguyne phlegmatycke or melancholye and these names be gyuen of .iiii. natural humours that is choler blood flegme and melancholie whyche take theyr qualityes of the elementes for choler is hotte and drye accordynge to the nature of the fyer and blood is hote moyste accordyng to the nature of the ayer flegme is colde and moyst according to the water and melancholye in no poynt dyssenteth from the earthe The thyrde Chapiter ¶ The differences of temperatures HOwe that I haue declared vnto you howe all naturall bodyes be made by the mixture of the elementes I thinke it most necessary to shewe in as fewe woordes as I can the differences of temperatures Temperatures in numbre are .ix. of the whyche .viii. do excede therfore in my fantasie they maye better be called distemperatures than temperate crases the nynthe in dede is temperate for it excedeth in no qualitie Of the distemperate .iiii. be simple and .iiii. be composide the simple are heate colde drynes moysture of the whych coupled and ioyned togyther the rest whyche be distemperate are made The nynth is neither hote colde drye nor moyst and yet is made of them all and therefore the grekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whyche is as muche to saye in latyn as Bene temperatum and in Englyshe wel tempered And this is that whyche Arithmetricions call Temperamentū ad pondus whyche we maye cal in our language a complection measured by weyght bycause there are as many degrees of heat as there is of colde of dryenes as of moysture the other whyche are distemperate crases be measured not by weyght but by dignitie as in the heart wel tempered heate doth excede in the brayne well tempered moysture doth exceade in the fatte well tempered colde in the boones well tempered dryenes And thys is called Temperamentum secundum iustitiam distributatiuam Whyche is as muche for to saye as a temperature measured accordynge to iustice whiche gyueth euery man hys owne But peraduenture thys declaration shall seeme some what harde to suche as be vnlearned and therfore I entende to declare y e same agayne bothe more largely and also more playnelye Fyrste ye shall vnderstande that these .iiii. heate colde dryenes and moysture whych are called the first qualities because all other come of them haue eche of them .iii. diuers significations Whansoeuer ye fynd heate colde drynes or moysture absolutely and simply spoken than vnderstande that it is meante by those simple bodyes which be hote colde drye and moyste in the hygheste degree and that is onely the fyer water earthe and ayer whyche be the .iiii. elementes whereof we spake before And whan ye fynde the same qualities myxt in any natural body by the which it is named eyther hote colde drye or moyste than suppose y t it is spoken eyther by comparison as hote for hotter colde for coulder dry for dryer or moyst for moyster orels that it is hote colde drye or moyste by nature as whan there is in one bodye more heate than colde more drynes than moysture or otherwise as Summer is called hote bycause it hath more heat than colde Winter also is called colde be cause that it hath more colde than heate hereof it commeth that one bodye is choleryke because in the myxture of the foure humoures whyche is choler blood flegme and melancholy there is more of choler than of anye other and therfore choler hath the dominion causynge the bodye to be named cholerycke after it
intent that the veynes may minister nourishmeÌ„t to the spyrites And agayne the spyrites may refresh the blood w t lyuely heate and as ye se in a laÌ„pe y e flame to be nouryshed w t oyle or waxe so y e spirit plucketh to him blood out of y e veynes with the which he is fed w t. And here as me thinke nature hath shewed vs a marueylous notable example of doinge one for an other in this ciuile lyfe Synowes growe of the brayne also of the marye of the backe bone From whence they bring sense and voluntary mouynge to all partes of the body There hath bene moche to do amongest the olde Phisitions whether the synowes haue any holownesse or coÌ„cauitie in theÌ„ to receyue the animal spirit wherwith they gyue mouyng fealing to y e body or els whether they take their power of the spirit as the lute or harpe strynge doth of the fynger howbeit it is now coÌ„cluded y t ther is none holowe but only .ii. which bring spirit to y e eyes be called Optici and y t the rest do take their power of y e spirites There grow of y e brayne .vii. paire of synowes of y e which som be distributed to y e seÌ„ses some to other partes as to y e stomake or maw and those y t growe of y e brayne be moche fyner softer thaÌ„ those y t grow of the backe which be not only y e instrumeÌ„t of seÌ„se but also of voluÌ„tary mouyng there be of theÌ„ .xxx. paire which be dispersed euery where through all y e body The .vii. Chapter ¶ Of humours ALthough that the spryng well of humours maye then best be perceyued when the maner and waye how to nourish the body is delared yet bycause we be styll occupyed in descrybynge y e partes of the body I am not wyllyng to omytte the differences of humours which be .viii. in numbre .iiii. natural and .iiii. vnnaturall The naturall is blood fleume yellowe coloure and blacke the vnnatural is the same also turned by putrifaction or els som otherwyse from theyr owne natyue qualities As concernynge the generation of the naturall humours I haue some deale mentioned before wherfore I wyll omyt at this tyme to speake or reasoÌ„ any further in that matter sauyng y e I put you in remeÌ„braunce that the same foode whych is receyued by the wesaunt into the stomake for the preseruynge of the bodye is the matter and substaunce whereby by the vertue of the liuer they be made and engendred The .viii. Chapter ¶ Of bloode BLood is hotte and moyst and the greatest parte of y t that nourysheth the body For notwythstandynge that other humours be caryed togyther with the blood to nourysshe the body as blood delayed with fleume both greatly nourysh suche partes y t be colde and moyste as the brayne and coleryke bloode the lyghtes and melancholycke blood the bones and splen yet the especiall part of the noryshment is that that is properlye called bloode For the nouryshmente ought to be swete or els delayed w t swete iuice and suche is the blood The .ix. Chapter ¶ Of fleume FLeume is a watrysh humour colde and moyst which is begone to be altered into blood and is not yet throughly coÌ„coct therfore it is whyte thynne and vnsauery not fatte nor coloured like blood it serueth to mittigate the outragyous heate of the bloude and nourysheth the blood making it thinne and beinge myngled with the blood conforteth suche partes as be flegmatik The .x. Chapter ¶ Of choler CHoler is the fome or floure of y e blood which is made of the hottest and driest partes of y e blood or iuice after that it is boyled wherfore it is also hote and drye and of a bytter taste therfore it is called of Galen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in latyn is Amarê° and in Englysh bytter Natural choler is as wel red as yelowe wheÌ„ it is mixt w t the blood it openeth y e veynes doth norysh cholerike partes as the lightes nor it is not caryed al with the blood but the more part of it is reserued in the bladder vnder y e mydle globe of the liuer to clense the lowest bellye or entrayles ye maye and ye wyll call them guttes The .xi. chapter ¶ Of melancholye or blacke choler BLacke choler or melancholie is a thycke terrestrial humour that in the blood falleth downe to y e botome verye lyke vnto olde red wyne that is thicke and blacke it is colde and drye part of it is caryed with the blood both to make it thycker also to helpe and encrease the power reteÌ„tyue in the veynes and other places where it coÌ„meth and also to nourysh the melancholyke partes as the bones and splen The .xii. Chapter ¶ Of the vnnaturall humours NOughty humours be called vnnaturall they be made nought or corrupted eche of them two maner of wayes eyther bycause the substaunce of them without the admixtioÌ„ of any other doth degenerate or elles that they be myngled with suche as be alreadye putrifyed and corrupted bloode is made nought and goeth from hys kynde when he putrifieth in the veynes bycause the pores be shurt or els when he is myngled w t some other euil humour as in the dropsy where he is myxt wyth water The .xiii. Chapter ¶ Of noughty flegme or vnnaturall VNnaturall flegme is a rawe wateryshe humour colde and moyste redoundynge in that body where as is a weake concoction and it is sumtyme muche thinner than spyttle that falleth from the mouthe or nose There is an other kynde of naughtye and vnnaturall flegme whyche is salte in taste that commeth of the mixture of choler w t flegme whyche is plentiful in suche bodyes as feede for the moste parte of salte meates The xiiii Chapiter ¶ Of vnnaturall yelowe choler YElowe choler degenerateth from hys nature whan it is bourned blacke and is made thycke and bytynge or whan sumother humour is mixt wyth it as watrye flegme and this is called citrine choler Galene calleth it pale choler because it is of the colour of leade But yf it be thicke flegme wherwith it is myngled than it is called of y e latynes Uitilina bilis bycause it is lyke in coloure to the yolke of an egge of thys kynde of choler for the most parte are engendred all fyeuers tertian The .xv chapter ¶ Melancholy or blacke choler vnnaturall MElancholye or blacke choler is made vnnaturalle whan other humoures or elles it selfe is burned as drye as aâ—â—hes For Hypocrates saith that bothe blood and red choler wyl be turned soone into Melancholye whan for lacke of ayre they be smothered in the veynes the stoppyng also of the pores doth make a bodye whyche all redye is sanguine or cholerycke of nature melancholye And hereof commeth so manye kyndes of madnesse For yf Melancholy be delayed wyth a lytle blood it maketh a manne merye madde yf it be mixte wyth a
also cokles But although we haue distributed the whole kyndes in .iii. partes yet some that be of one kynde dyffer verye moche one from an other For one is eyther stronger or weaker thā an other For there is more nouryshment in flesh then in any other meat and wheate is stronger and nouryssheth more then myll and myll more then barly and of whete the strōgest and hartyest is that y t we call rye in latin it is called Siligo next in strēgth is the mele hauyng nothynge taken from it weakest of all is fyne wheat floure and beanes also be of strōger nouryshment then pease And of rootes the rape rootes nourisheth more then eyther the pasnepe or radysshe And of herbes beetes be moche strōger then lettuse and offrute grapes fygges and nuttes be stronger thā suche as properly be called apples also of those byrdes whych be of the myddle ordre they be stronger that seke theyr meate on theyr feete then they that flye abrode and of suche as flye continually abrode the byggest be the strongest nouryshmente and theyr flesh is lyghter that lyue in the water thā they that lyue in the land But amōgest the .iiii. footed beastes hogges flesshe is lyghtest and beaffe hardest and also of wylde beastes y e byggest be of the strongest nutrimēt Of those fysshes that be in the myddel ordre the strongest is lynge and suche as be salted then tenche carpe hadocke codlynges and whytinges after these gurnardes pikes roches dace perches gudginges And ther is not onely difference in y e kyndes of beastes but also in them selues as in their age certayn partes in y e tēperature of y e wether coūtrie wher they be brought vp bred For euery sucking beast of .iiii. feet nourisheth lesse thā suche as sucke not also fysh in the mydle age which be not come as yet to their ful bignesse norisheth not so moch as they y t be ful growen And of lambe or kydde the purtenaunce is of lesse strēgth then the other partes be and therfore they may be put in the myddle ordre Of byrdes the neckes wynges be of lyghtest nouryshment as concernyng the grounde that wheate is better that groweth on an hyll then that y t groweth abrode in the felde and fysshe bredde amongest the stones is lyghter nouryshment then that y t is bred in the sande and in the sande lyghter thā in the mudde And therfore suche as be breedde in fennes and standing pooles be harder of digestion then y e same bredde in rūnyng waters or amōgest stones and y t is lighter easlyer of cōcoction which lyueth in the depe thā y t that lyueth in y e shallowe And wilde bestes be of lyghter flesh then tame that y t is bred in moyste wether is lighter thā that y t is bred in drie wether And morouer such as be fatte be better thā such as be lene though they be of one kynde they that be fresh be easelyer of digestyon then they that be salte and newe be better thā stale or olde and that that is sodden better then that that is eyther rosted or fryed Harde egges be of a very stronge nouryshment and softe and rere very weake Of drynkes ale is the strōgest feder and thā mylke and wyne that is made of the mulberye and all olde wynes And therfore such as be of weake natures shulde neuer drynke any olde wyne and of all drynke water nourysheth leest and that is strongest ale which is made of strōgest malte and those wynes whose grapes grow in fatte grounde are of moche stronger nouryshment then the wyne of suche as growe in leane Of waters the lightest is rayne water and next vnto it is the water of a fayre spryng or foūtayne then of a runnyng floude and after of a welle then snowewater worse then snowewater is frosē water and worse then frosen water is the water of a stāding poole worst of all is fennewater and for such as be diligēt serchers it is easy to know the nature of waters for the best is lyghtest and yf there be two lyke in weyght the fynest and best is that y t wyl sonest be hotte and sonest colde And for the mooste parte this is alwayes trewe that euery thynge as it is of strongest substaunce so it is hardest to be digested or altered into good iuice but where it can be altered it nouryssheth more then that that is moche fyner Therfore there muste be an ordre obserued in these meates and drynkes aforesayde As he that hath all his naturall powers and actions lusty and is hymselfe of a stronge and harde complexion leadynge hys lyfe in greate labour maye safelye eate the strongest meates but he that is of a weake body and lyueth ydelye must be fed w t the weakest meate and with that y t is easye of digestion and wyll sonest be turned into good iuyce and blood The .x. chapter ¶ Of the dyuerse qualities in meates NEither be these only the differences for some meates breede euyll iuice and some good and some make moche grosser fleume then other some do and other some be more mete for the stomake then other some be and some be full of winde and other some be not and some engender heate and agayne there be other some breede colde Som putrifieth easely in y e stomake and some wyl not putrify at al some make leuse the belye some bynde y e same some prouoke vryne and some restrayneth it some causeth sleape some styrryng vp the senses prouoketh watche The whyche all ought to be knowen bycause one profyteth the body or the health more then an other doth The .xi. Chapter ¶ What thynges haue good iuice WHeate rye wheat broth and ryesse be of good iuice and be gentle very mete for the stomake makynge it moderately hotte barly broth som call it prysane mylke and softe chese and all byrdes of the myddle ordre with some of the bygger as feysaūt pecocke curlewe and capon breede or engendre very good iuyce and of fysshes suche as be betwyxt tender and harde as mullettes pykes gurnardes and perches And of herbes as lettuce mallowes cucumers and gourdes of egges suche as be reere and softe of fructe all that be swete and also swete wine and to conclude all fatte or chammye flesshe The .xii. Chapiter ¶ What thynges haue euel iuyce MIll barlye and all poudered flesshe and also all salte fyshe and olde chese and the grayne lyke pease called fytches certayn rotes also as rapes and radysshe and moreouer beetes thyme onyons garlyke hysope rue fenell cumyue dyll musterd seede lyekes and also myltes kydneys and entrayles almost of euery great beast bredeth euell iuyce noughty blood furthermore all sower and tarte fruyte and to be brefe al thinges that be sharpe tarte or bytter and almost all fysshe that lyue in fennes lakes or muddye pondes or suche as we cal ouergrowen fysshe The .xiii. chapter ¶