forth Only except aduersitie and extreme misery all prosperous men haue enemies let this suffice and consider what Galen saith that immoderat ireful motions cast the bodie into a cholericke heate wherof commeth feuers and all hot diseases dangerous to the bodie of this writeth Petrus de ebano The passion of the mind called dreade or feare is when the bloud and sprites be drawen inwardly and maketh the outward partes pale and trembling to this be sides pitiful experience Haliabas Galen and Aristotle do witnes the same The suddayne passion of ioy or gladnes is cleane contrary to feare For the hearte sendeth fourth the spirituall bloud which in weake persons the heart can neuer recouer againe but death incontinent as Galen saith and as we may see by experience As in the meeting of men and their wiues Children and their parentes which either by prison or banishment were without all hope euer to sée each other and in ioy of meeting the delating and spreding of the heart bloud haue cast the bodie into sowning And thus my frend Iohn I do conclude vpon certein effections of the mind wishing doctor Diet Quiet and Merie man to helpe when thou shalt néede For mirth is beloued of musicions plesant birdes and fishes as the dolphins What is mirth honestly vsed an image of heauen A great lordship to a poore man preseruer of nature Salomon saith Non est oblectatio super cordis gaudiuÌ„ c. yet I say The irefull man is euer a thrall The ioyfull minde is happiest of all Zeale burne like flames of fire When honest mirth hath his desire Loue well mirth but wrath despise This is the counsell of all the wise Ioh. I would verie faine know the natures of sorts of simples first what is worme wood Hum. A common knowne hearbe it is of diuerse kinds as Ponticum Romanum c. It is hot in the first and drie in the second degrée and it is verie bitter and being dried kéepeth clothes from wormes and mothes and the sirop thereof eaten before wine preserueth men from drunkennesse if it bee sodden in vineger it will helpe the sores that bréedes in the eares being laid warme vpon it is good to be drunke agaynst Appoplexia and Opthalmia Which is a sicknes of the eye is greatly helped with the wormwood if it be stamped and made luke warme with rose-rosewater and laid vpon the eie and couered with a cleane pyked walnut shell the syrop helpeth the bloodie flixe it doeth helpe a colde stomacke if it be drunke ten dayes togither euerie morning two spoonefull of the syrop is good against the dropsie euerie day drunke two ounces fasting and thus saith Auicen figges cocle wormwood nitre stamped togither made in a plaister is good against the disease of the splene and also killeth wormes in the bellie vsed in the foresayde maner one dram of the powder may bee drunke at once in wine it hath manie mo goodly vertues Iohn What is the properties of Annis seedes Hum. It is much like vnto fennell séede and is called Roman fennel that is warme and swéete and hote in the second and drie in the third degrée the new séedes are the best It ingendereth vitall séede openeth the stopping of the reines and matrix being drunke with Tysants or cleane temperate wine Iohn What thinkest thou of Mouseare Hum. An hearb commonly knowne colde and moist in the first degrée as Galen saith the decoction of this hearb soddeÌ„ in water w t suger is good against the falling sickenes beeing oftentimes drunke and put a lease thereof into the nose it will prouoke sternutation or neesing which wonderfully doeth clense the veines Ioh. I woulde faine knowe what is Chiken weede Hum. Almost euery ignorant wontan doth know this hearbe but there bee of diuers kindes they be very good to keepe woundes from impostumations stamped and applied vnto them and draweth corruption out of woundes and sodden with vineger doth draw fleugme out of the head if it bee often warme put into the mouth and spit it out againe In this same maner it helpeth the teeth and sodden in wine and so drunke it will clense the reignes of the backe Ioh. What is Sorrell might I know of thee and the property thereof Hum. Thy Cooke doeth right well knowe it and all they that make greene sauce but the description I leaue to Dioscorides and Leonard Futchius not only in this hearbe but in all other and to tell thee the vertue I will it is colde and drie in the seconde degree it also stoppeth it is like endiue in propertie because it ouercommeth choller and is much commended it helpeth the yellow iaundies if it bee drunke with small wine or ale also quencheth burning feuers to eate of the laaues euery morning in a pestilence time is most holesome if they bee eaten fasting This hearbe doth Dioscorides Galen and Auicen greatly commende besides the great learned men of this time Ioh. What is Planten or Waybreed Hum. The greater Planter is the better it hath seuen great veines it is colde and drie the seede of it drunke with reade wine stoppeth the bloudy flix the rootes sodden and drunke in wine stoppeth the bloudy flix the rootes and leaues beeing sodden with sweete water and with suger or borage water and giuen to him that hath an ague either tertian or quartaine two howres before his fit proue this for thus haue I helped many it is very comfortable for children that haue great flixes agues and is a friend vnto the liuer this hearbe is greatly praised of the Doctours Ioh. What is Camomill and the operation thereof Hum. This hearbe is very hoat it is drunke against colde windes and rawe matter being in the guttes the Egyptians did suppose it would helpe all colde Agues and did consecrate it to the sunne â—s Galen saith Also if it bee tempered and streined into white wine and drunke of wâ—men hauing the childe dead within the body it will cause present deliuerance it doeth mightely clense the bladder and is excellent to be sodden in water to wash the feete the oile is precious as is declared hereafter Ioh. Hoppes be welbeloued of the beere brewers how doe the Phisicions say to them Hum. There bee which doth coole be called Lupilum those that wee haue be hote and drie bitter sower hote saieth olde herbals And Fucchius saith they clense fleugme and choller and the water betweene the skinne and flesh the sirupes will clense grosse rawe fleugme from the guttes and is good against obstructions sodden If the iuice be dropped in the eare it taketh the stinke away of rotten sores the roots wil helpe the liuer and spleene beeing sodden and drunke the beere is very good for fleugmaticke men Io. What is Sage for that I loue wel Hum. There be two kindes of sage they be hearbes of health and therefore they be called Saluia this
good collours And this haue I proued it helpeth crampes and sickenesse in the sinewes being drunke in wyne sodden with sage it helpeth the splene the liuer and raines and will clense the secret termes of women and augmenteth naturall seede Ioh. What is ginger Hum. It is hot in the third degree and moist in the end of the first if it be vncollered White and not rotten it is verie good most chiefly if it be conserued and greene as Mesua saith it maketh warme a colde stomacke and consumeth windes helpeth euill disgestion and maketh meate goe easely downe into the stomacke Ioh. What is Setwall Hum. Hot and drie in the second degree and is good if the pouder thereof be drunke is most of effect against the pestilence except Methridatum It is good against poison winde chollericke and colde passions of the heart and doeth restraine vomites The weight of eight graines doth suffice to be drunke in ale or wine vpon an empty stomacke Iohn What is sinamon Humf. Dioscorides saieth there bee many kindes of sinamon but generally their vertue is this to helpe dropsies windes or stopping of the liuer and is hote and drie in the third degree Iohn What is Cassia Fistula Seneca and Rewbarb Humfrey Cassia Fistula if the cane be heauie and the Cassia within blacke and shining that is good Cassia if this bee drawen newe out of the cane halfe an ounce or more at one time and mingled with suger and eaten of a fasting stomacke in the morning it hath power to purge choller to cleanse the raines of the backe it will fret and consume the stone it purgeth very easily and is pleasant in taking and may bee taken of children weake women and sicke men in the time of their feuers the accesse of their fittes excepted Reubarbe doeth purge yellow choler by himselfe two or three drammes may be taken or a little more so that there be a dram of Spikenard or Sinamon put vnto it In Summer to drinke it with whey in Winter with white wine but the cleane yellowe rubarbe sliced and put into infusion al the night with whey white wine or endiue water and streyne it in the morning doth greatly purge the blood and liuer thrée or foure drams with Spikenard a dram or more Séeny Alexandria if it be sodden in the broath of a cocke or a henne doeth purge the bloud and melancholie verie gentlie and comfort the heart One ounce of the cleane small leaues of séeny without cods or stalkes halfe a quarter of one ounce of ginger twelue cloues finkle séede two drammes or else two drams of Sinamon tartar halfe a dram beaten al together in powder these do purge the head mightily to be taken before supper the weight of one dram in a little white wine Ioh. I would bee glad to learne the vertue of Aloes Hum. There be two kinds of Aloes one is named Succo trina which is like a liuer cleare brittle bitter coloured betwéene red and yellow this is best for medicines A little of this being tempered with Rose water being put vnto the eies helpeth the dropping and watery eyes Also it is put in many excellent medicines laxatiue as saffron myrrhe aloes mingled together In the forme of pilles is the most excellent medicine against the pestilence as it is written in this booke folowing Honie and aloes mingled togither doe take away the markes of stripes and also doth mundifie sores vlcers it doeth cleanse the abundance of choler fleugme from the stomacke It is not good to be taken in Winter for Auicen doeth forbid it but in the spring time or haruest the powder thereof The weight of a french crown mingled with the water of honie or mead and so drunke in the morning it doth cleanse both choler and fleugme There is another grosse aloes which is good for horse tempred with ale and ministred aswell to other great beasts as horses the weight of half an ounce and thus much haue I sayd of aloes but if aloes be cleane washed it is the wholsomer many vnwashed aloes wil cause emerodes Ioh. Is the saffron that groweth in England as good as that that come from the other side of the sea Hum. Our English hony saffron is bâ—tter than any that commeth from any other strange or forrein land But to thy question of saffron it hath vertue either in bread or pottage to make the heart glad it warmeth the body it preserueth from druÌ„kennes drunke in ale or wine prouoketh acts venerous iuduceth sléepe purgeth vrine Myrre aloes saffron make an excellent pill against the pestilence 2. peny weight of saffron pouder rosted with the yolk of an egge very hard the said yolke beaten in powder 12 graines drinke in mornings is good against the pestilence saffron planten and iuory sodden The decoction drinke helpeth the yellow iaundeys it is drie in the first degrée and hath vertue to restraine Ioh. We plaine men in the country dwel farre from great cities our wiues and children be often sick and at deaths doore wee can not tell what shift to make wee haue no acquaintance with the apothecaries coÌ„monly we send for aqua vitae or malmesey whatsoeuer our diseases be these be our common medicines or else we send for a box of triacle and when these medicins faile vs we cause a great posset to be made and drink vp the drink thinkest thou these medicines to be good Hum. For lacke of medicine God helpeth the people oftentimes by myracle or else a great number of men should perish But because the almightie God hath couered the whole face of the earth with many precious simples whereof rich coâ—positions bee made therefore bee neither so rude nor barbarous to thinke these medicines good that thou hast rehearsed for all diseases although not hurtfull to some but because many doe receyue more mischiefe than medicine in counterfeite triacles I shall rehearse vnto thee what Valerius Cordus and others doe write vpon the vertue of the precious triacle called Methridatum Ioh. I would be glad to heare of that precious triacle and his vertues Hum. This excellent triacle Methridatum is next in qualitie and vertue to Theriaca and so differ but little but onely Theriacha is a little hotter and stronger against venom of snakes adders and serpents It helpeth all paines of the head of men or women if it be come of cold most chiefly of melaÌ„cholie and feare It helpeth megrime falling sicknes and all paines of the forehead dropping of eyes It helpeth toothake paines of the mouth chéekes if it be put in maner of a plaister or else annoint the pained place It helpeth paines of the throte called Squinancie and also cough appoplexia and passion of the lunges and manie grieuous dolors and pains within the bodie drunke with the decoction of the flowers of Pomgranats or Plantine it helpeth and stoppeth flixes in the Ilias and long guts winds or collicke The extention or cramps be
helped very much with this Methridatū drunken with stilled waters palsies sickenesses in the midriffe the liuer reines and bladder be cleansed therby it prouoketh the menstrual termes in womē being drunk with posset ale If Isop or Germander bee sodden in the said ale it is excellent against the pestilence or poison if it be drunke but a little quantitie thereof according to the disease strength or age of the person It is very good against the stone or for womē which haue a new disease peraccidents called the gréene sicknes there is nothing better against the biting of a mad dogge than to drinke of this and to annoint the wound If it be giuen in drinke to any sicke bodie a little before the accesse or comming of the olde fittes of quotidians tercians or quarteins so that it be drunke with wine temperately warmed This Methridatum is a medicine of no small price Democrates hath a goodly composition of it an other excellent composition is of Cleopatre as Galen writeth An other and the most excellent is the description of Andromachus phisition vnto king Nero but the chief father of this act was king Mithridatus the noble king of Ponthus after whose name it is called Ioh. Indeed this is an excellent medicine but I pray thee where shall I buy it Hum. The blind fellow Iohn doe eate many a flie and the plaine meaning man is oft deceyued There is no trust in some of the Apothecaries for although the vsurpation of quid pro quo is tollerable for their Succidanes yet to abuse their simples or compounds it is not onely theft to rob simple men but also murther to kill the hurtlesse Ioh. Of late time we haue beene so afflicted with sundrie sickenesses and strange diseases that in many places we could get no physitions to helpe vs and when men be sodainly sicke 200. miles from London Cambridge or Oxford it is too late for the patient to sende for helpe being infected with the pestilence I pray thee tel me some good regiment for me my family if it please God that it may take place Hum. I shall be glad forasmuch as thou hast taken paines to heare me all this while to teach thée a pretie regiment for the pestilence Ioh. Reade it faire and softly and I will take my pen and write it Hum. Certainly the occasion of this most feareful sicknesse commeth many waies as the change of the aire from a good vnto an euill qualitie taking his venemous effect of the vital spirits which incontinent with all spéede corrupteth the spirituall blood And sodenly as it were an vnmercifull fire it quickly consumeth the whole bodie ouen vnto death vnlesse the wholsome medicine doe preuent and come to the heart before the pestilent humor And because it is a very strong sicknes it is requisite to haue a strong curing medicine For weake things will not preuail against so strong a matter Therfore I pray you note these six sayings as aire diet sléepe or watch quietnes or trouble and finally medicine First walk not in stinking mists nor by corrupt marrish ground nor in extreme hot weather but in fair cleare aire vpon high ground in swéet fields or gardens hauing fire in your chāber with swéet perfumes of the smoke of Olibanum or Beniamen Frankensence being cold weather And in hote weather roses willow branches sprinkled with vineger often shifting the chamber is wholsom fléeing the South winde Secondly diet moderate eating meate of good digestion as all that haue pure white flesh both of beasts and foules good bread of wheate partly leauened Eate no raw hearbs purslein Lettise yong Lettish or sorrel except with vineger Drinke of cleare thin wine not chaunged and vse often times vineger with your meates and mingle not fish and flesh together in your stomacke to drinke a tisant of barly water rose water sorrell water betwene meals is good eight spoonfuls at once Thirdly beware you sléepe not at noone it bringeth many sicknesses and giueth place to the pestilence and abateth memory For as the marigold is spred by the day and closed by the night euen so is man of nature disposed although through custome otherwise altered vnto great domage and hurt of body Eight hours sléepe suffiseth well to nature but euery complexion hath his proper qualities to sléepe vpon the right side is best euill vpon the left and worse vpon the backe Fourthly vse moderate exercise and labor for the euacuation of the excrements as swift going vp hilles stretching forth armes and legges lifting weightes not verie ponderous for by labour the first and second digestion is made perfite and the bodie strengthened and this is a mightie defence agaynst the pestilence and many mo infirmities wheras through idlenesse be engendered all diseases both of the soule and bodie whereof man is compounded made Fifthly aboue all earthly thinges mirth is most excellent and the best companion of life putter away of all diseases the contrarie in plague time bringeth on the pestilence through painefull melancholie which maketh the body heauy earthly Company musicke honest gaming or any other vertuous exercise doeth helpe agaynst heauinesse of mind Sixtly medicine the partie being chaunged in nature and condition trembling or burning vomiting with extreame paine in the day colde in the night and strange imaginations c. Apt to sléepe when these signes doe appeare giue him medicine before xij houres or else it will be his death Take therefore with all spéed sorrel one handful stamped with Rew Enulacampana Oringe rindes Citron seedes the great thistlerootes Geneper berries walnuts cleane picked of each one ounce stampe them all together then take pure sharpe vineger a quarter of a pynt as much buglesse water as much white wine and temper your sayde receytes with these licours Then put in two ounces of pure Methridatum and romachi which is an excellent triacle and two drams weight of the powder of pure Bolearmein mingle them all togither in a verie close vessell and giue the pacient a spoonefull or more next his heart and etfsoones asmuch more let them that take this not sléepe during twētie hours or else take pure triacle and setwel mingled in posset ale made with white wine wherein sorrel hath boyled a good draught and let an expert Chirurgion let the pacient bloud vpon the middle veine called Mediana or the heart veine Basilica a good quantitie according to the strength and age of the pacient except women with childe and children For the retaining the said bloud would all turne to venom and incurable poison And note this that blood bee lette vpon the same side that the sore doth appeare If any appeare for many causes and sléep not viij houres after and vse this most excellent pill oftentimes Take pure aloes epatik and myrre well washed in cleane water or rose water of each 2. drams and one dram of the powder
hearbe is hote and dry and prouoketh vrine clenseth the matrix stoppeth the bloud in a wound If it be put in a pigge it dryeth the humours that would engender fleugme it is good against the paulsie oftentimes eaten or sodden in wine it will helpe and clense itch scabs and filth from the pudent and secret members Aetius doeth greatly commend this hearbe and the excellent regiment of Salern where it saith Cur moritur homo cui saluia crescit in horto enquiring why men doe die that haue Sage growing in gardens But truely neither Phisicke hearbe nor cunning can make man immortall but assuredly Sage is holsome for old folkes to be put into their meates for it clenseth fleugme from the sinews which fleugme will relax the sinewes The wine of sage drunke vpon an emptie stomake is holesome for fleugmaticke persons or them which haue the falling sicknes or dropsie Ioh. What is Polopodie that groweth vpon the Oke tree Hum. If this hearbe bee sodden with Beetes and Mallowes in the broth of a henne and drunke it will loose the belly and clense fleugme the roote of this hearbe beeing drie and beaten into fine powder and drawen into the nostrilles helpeth a disease called Polipus Ioh. I haue hearde talke of Hoorehound I would faine heare of his working Hum. It is a hearbe hote and drie if it be sodden with faire water suger or hony and streine it this drinke doeth clense the stomake from stinking fleugme it is an excellent hearbe for women to clense their moneth tearmes the water of this is good to helpe them which haue a moist rewme falling from the head vpon the lunges beeing often drunke but it is hurtefull to the bladder and reines the sirope thereof doeth clense the kings euil and also put into the eares doeth greatly comforte the hearing if the eares be troubled and stamped with hony and applied into the eies it clenseth the sight Ioh. What is Verben Hum. It is called the holy hearbe it dryeth and bindeth if it bee sodden with vineger it helpeth a disease called saint Anthonies fier oftentimes waâ—hing the pained place the leaues of Uerben and Roses and fresh swines grease stamped togither will seace paine and griefe in euery wounde and will keepe woundes from corruption it is good for people that haue the tertian or quartaine Agues and thus saith Dioscorides moreouer he saith the weight of a dram of this hearb with three halpenies weight of Olibbulom and put in nine ounces of olde wine tempered togither and drunke fortie daies of this quantity fasting it wil helpe a disease called the kings euill or paine in the throate Ioh. What is Rew or hearbe Grace Hum. I tell thee this hearbe is verie hote and bitter and doth burne because of his hotenes in the third degree if a littie of this Rew be stamped and sodden with wine and drunke it is an excellent medicine against poyson and pestilence with Roses and vineger and Rew stamped togither and put in forred cloth or biggen applied vnto the temples of the head or forehead doe cease grieuous paines itn the head And in like maner it healedh the bitings of serpentes or dogs stamped with vineger many nice people cannot abide it crying fie it stinkes The seede of this hearbe beaten in powder and put in fresh clarified butter and pitch melted togither is good for them to drinke that are brused Ioh. What is burnet Hum. It is of the nuture of fiue finger drie and binding and not moist as many saith stampe it and put it to the eies doeth take away the dropping and pricking and doth heale woundes and is good to drinke for the tercian Ague Ioh. What is Dandilion Hum. It is trmperate colde and drie with Roses and vineger tempered togither it helpeth the head in hote diseases The sowthistle called Soncus hath the same vertue and so hath Suckery if they be sodden they lose the belly and quencheth heat which burneth in the stomake and defendeth the heade from hote smoking vapours and purgeth yellow choller and rebateth venerous aâ—d fleshly heat and is good to be sodden and drunke in hoate burning Agues though this hearbe be commonly knowen and counted of many as a vile weede yet it is reported of Dioscorides to be an excellent hearbe Ioh. What is Spynnage Hum. An hearbe much vsed in meate colde and moist in the first degree it mollifieth and maketh softe the belly it is good for them that be hote and drie and ill for fleugmatike men Ioh. What is Cucumbers Hum. They be truely in the seconde degree very moist and colde The seedes be good to be giuen in hote sickenesses the powder of the said seedes drunke in cleane wine is good against diuers passions of the heart this fruit wil cause one to make water well the roote dried in powder therof drunken in water and hony prouoketh vomite if they be moderately eaten they bring good blood tempered with hony and annointe the eies that helpeth a disease called Epinictidas which troubleth men with strange sightes in the nightes the best of this fruit is which beareth the best seedes the sauour of that is not holsome mellons citrons pompons and this kinde of pepons or great apples be much vsed in England and are more common than profitable because they vse to eate them raw English men being borne in a temperate region inclining to colde may not without hurt eate rawe herbs rootes and frutes plentifull as many men which be borne far in the South partes of the world which bee most hote of stomacke therefore let them eate these fruites boiled or baked with hony and pepper and fennell seedes or such like there be an other hote kind of bitter cucumers which do purge Ioh. What is garlike Hum. Garlike is very hote and drie in the fourth degree it troubleth the stomacke it is hurtfull to the eies and head it encreaseth drienesse but it will prouoke vrine and is good to be laied vppon the biting of a snake or adder it is good for the emeroids applied to the sore place being first stamped if it be sodden the stinke is taken from it but the vertue remaineth to be eaten against the coughes and paines in the lungs it cutteth and consumeth corrupt fleugme and bringeth sleepe It is not good for hote men nor women with childe or nurces giuing milke to children but Galen calleth it the common peoples treacle if sanguine men do eate much of it it will make them to haue red faces but it is a speciall remedy against poison Ioh. What is onions Hum. They doe make thin the blood and bring sleepe they be not good for chollericke men the long onion is more vehementer than the round and the red more than the white the drie more than the greene and the rawe more vehementer than the sodden or preserued in salt although they doe cause steepe very painefull and
troublous hoate in the third degree and warme in the stomacke clenseth the stomacke and bringeth good colour vnto the face and helpeth the greene sickenesse prouoketh vrine openeth the emeroides If they bee sodden in vineger and laide warme to them peele off the rinde and cutte it at both the endes and cast it into a faire warme water and let it lie an houre or two and then slice it this taketh away the vehement sharpenesse of of it Rew Salt Hony and one onion stamped together is a goodly plaister to lay vppon the biting of a dogge leekes doe purge the blood in March and paine the head and be not greatly praised for their ill iuyce A doge saieth Dioscorides the head being annoynted with the iuyce thereof keepeth haire from falling there is much varietie of this onion amongest writers saieth Plinie but this shall suffise Iohn What is Lettice Humfrey It doth mightily encrease milke in womens breasts and therefore is called Lettice as Martiall saieth first shall be giuen to the vertue and power to encrease milke in the breastes euery houre Lettice is a hearb colde and moist and is comfortable for a hote stomacke bringeth sleepe mollifieth the belly the drier it be eaten the better it is I meane if it be not much washed in water adding thereunto some cleane Salleâ— Oyle Sugar and Uineger it abateth carnall lust and much vse of it dulleth the sight the seede of it is very precious There is an hearbe called Rocked gentle which partely smelleth like a Foxe the which is very hote an encreaser of seede which hearb must alwayes be eaten with Lettis The roote thereof sodden in water will drawe broken bones and will helpe the cough in yoong children Iohn What be mintes Humfrey Mintes be of two kindes garden and wilde mintes they be hote vnto the third and doe drie in the second degree Garden mint is best the poulder of this with the iuice of Pomegranates stoppeth vomites helpeth sighing cleanseth hote choller Three branches of this sodden with wine doeth helpe repletion drunke fasting This iuice tempered with good triacle and eaten of children in mornings will kill wormes and stamped with salt applie it to the biting of a dogge and it will heale it It is wholesome sodden with windy meates and sodden in posset ale with fennell it helpeth the collicke it encreaseth vitall seede It is not best for chollericke complexions but good for fleugmatike and indifferent for melancholy and it will stoppe blood stamped and applied to the place The iuyce of mintes is best to mingle in medicine against poison the poulder of Mintes is good in pottage to helpe disgestion and to make sweete breath Iohn What is fennell Humfrey It hath power to warme in the third degree and drie and maketh sweete the breath the seede eaten oftentimes vpon an empty stomacke doeth helpe the eie sight the rootes cleane washed be very wholesome in pottage and are good in tisants the greene or redde tufts growing vpon the stalkes sodden in wine pottage or ale helpeth the bladder the reines and breaketh the stone encreaseth milke in womens breastes and seede of generation It is good for to vse Endiue or such like with it because it is very hote and good in Barbars baâ—hs washing water and with balme sauerie It is good to wash ones feete to bedward the sirrope is very wholsome it helpeth a fleugmatike stomacke Iohn What is Hisope Hum. An hearb commonly knowen growing in gardens and hote in the third degree it hath vertues to make humors thinne and warme sodden with figges rew and hony in cleane water and drunk it greatly helpeth the sickenesse in the lungs olde cough and rotten humours dropping vpon the lungs sodden with erius and graines of paradise called the Cardamon it mightily purgeth and bringeth good colour Figges salt Nitrum and Isope stamped together and applied to the splene helpeth it much and taketh away the water that runnes between the skinne and the flesh sodden with Oximel it cleanseth fleugme Iohn What is Sention Hum. It is of a mixt temperament it cooleth and partly clenseth if it be chopped and sodden in water and drinke it with your pottage it will heale the griefe of the stomacke and purge it from hote choller his downe with saffron and colde water stamped and put in the eies it will dry the running droppes and stamped plaister wise it helpeth many greeuous woundes Ioh. What is Pursleine Hum. Colde in the third and moist in the second if it be stamped with steeped barly it maketh a goodly plaister to coole the head eies and liuer in agues burning heate To eate of it stoppeth flixes and quencheth burning choller and extinguish venerous lust and greatly helpeth the reines and bladder and will kill round wormes in the belly and comfort the matrixe against much fleugme And the iuice is good to drinke in hote feuers it may be preserued with salt and then it is very good with rosted meates Plinie saieth it is supposed to make the sight blunt and weake further hee saieth that in Spaine a great noble man whome hee did knowe did hang this pursleine roote in a threede commonly about his necke which was much troubled of a long sicknesse and was healed Ioh. What is mugwort Hum. Mugwoort and fetherfoy and tansey be very hote and drie in the second degree Muggewoorte Spurge and the oyle of Almondes tempered plaisier-wise and applied colde vnto the sicke pained stomacke will bring health It is good in baths saieth Galen it is wholsome for women it cleanseth and warmeth and comforteth and breaketh the stone Plinie saieth It is good against serpents and wholesome for trauailing men if they carry it it comforteth them from wormes Tansey doeth mightily cast woormes from children drunke with wine A colde plaister stamped and laied vppon the belly of a woman whose childe is dead within her it will separate the dead childe from the liuing mother causing her to neese with betony leaues Iohn There is an hearbe commonly vsed to the great reliefe of very many called Cabbage is it so good as it is reported of Humfrey Cabage is of two properties of binding the belly and making laxatiue the iuyce of cabages lightly boiled in fresh beefe broth is laxatiue but the substance of this hearb is hard of disgestion but if it be twise sodden the broth of it will also binde the belly if it be tempered with allum This herb hath vertue to cleanse a new red leprosie laid on the sore place in the maner of a plaister But to conclude of this hearbe the broth of it hath vertue to preserue from drunkenes as Aristotle Rasis and Auicen do report eaten before drinking time Ioh. What is Philopendula Hum. It is an hearbe hot and drie if it be sodden in white wine drunk It drieth vp windy places in the guttes and clenseth the raines in the backe and bladder Ioh. What is Agremonie Hum.
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 common eating of them is ill for chollericke persons with red faces for feare of Leprosie therefore cut off the feete wings and head of your Pigions or Doues for their bloud is that which is so venemous they be best in the spring time and haruest And Isack saith because they are so lyghtly conuerted into choller they did commaunde in the old time that they should be eaten with sharp Uineger Pâ—rslein Coucombers or Sitron Roosted Pigions be best The bloud that commeth out of the right wing dropped into ones eye doth mightely help the eie if it swelleth or pricketh And thus much haue I spoken of Pigions or Doues Ioh. What is the flesh of Pecockes Hum. Simon Sithy saieth it is raw flesh and hard of disgestion vnles it be verie fat But if it be fatte it helpeth the plurisie Haliabas saith that both swans Cranes Pecockes 〈◊〉 any great foules must after they be killed be hanged vp by the necks two or three daies with a stone weying at their feete as the weather will serue and then dressed and eaten Prouided that good Wine bee drunken after them Iohn What is the flesh of cranes Humfrey Simeon Sethi saieth their flesh is hote and drie the young are good but the olde doeth encrease melancholy they doe ingender seede of generation and being tenderly rosted doth help to cleare the voice and cleanse the pipe of the lungs Iohn What is swanne Hum. Euery grose fowle is chollericke hard of disgestion the signets bee better than the old swans if their galantines be well made it helpeth to disgest their flesh Iohn What is the flesh of herons bittors and shouellers Humfrey These fowles bee fishers and be very rawe and fleugmaticke like vnto the meate whereof they are fedde the young be best and ought to bee eaten with pepper synnamom sugar and ginger and drinke wine after them for good digestion and thus do for al water foules Iohn What bee partriches fesants quailes larkes sparrowes plouer and blacke birds Hum. Partriches doth binde the belly and doth nourish much The cockes be better than the hen birds they doe drie vp fleugme and corruption in the stomacke a fesant is the best of all flesh for his sweetenes is equall vnto the capon or partrich but he is somewhat drier And Rasis saieth fesants flesh is good for them that haue the feuer ethike for it is not only a meate but a medicine and doeth cleanse corrupt humors in the stomacke Quailes although they be eaten of many yet they are not to bee commended for they do ingender agues and bee euill for the falling sickenesse For as Conciliatur saieth of all foules that bee vsed for meates it is the worst Dioscorides saith that larkes rosted bee wholesome to bee eaten of them that bee troubled with the chollicke Blacke birds taken in the time of frost be wholesome and good of disgestion the dung of blacke birdes tempered with vineger and applied vnto any place that hath the blacke morphew or blacke leprosie ofttimes anointed with a spunge helps them The flesh of plouers ingenders melancholy sparrowes be hote and prouoketh lust Plinie doth describe their properties the braines be the best parte of them Woodcockes be of good disgestion and temperate to feede vpon All small birdes of the field as Robbin redbreâ—â— Liâ—ettes Finches red Sparrowes Gold wâ—nges and such like if they be fat they be maruellous good and doe greatly comfort nature either rosted or boiled and thus do I conclude with thee of birdes Ioh I Hartely thanke thee gentle maister Humfrey for thy paines taking in these thy rules vnto me concerning the proper vse of beastes and foules in meates I would be glad to know the vertues of some fishes Hum. In many Ilandes of this worlde nere adiacent vnto the Oâ—ient seas the people liue there most chiefly by fishes and be right strong and sound people of complexion as Aristotle saieth Consuetudo est tanquam altera natura Custome is like vnto another nature but because I speake of fish I will diuide them in thre partes First of the fishes of the sea secondly the fish of fresh running riuers thirdly of the fishes in pooles and standing waters The Sea hath many grose and fatte fishes which be noysome to the stomacke but the smaller kind of fiâ—â—es that feede about rockes and cleare stony places be more drier and lesse of moistnes then the fresh water fishes and doth engender lesse flegme and wind by the reason of their salt feeding as Galen saith they be the best fishes that feede in the pure Sea and chiefest of all fishes for the vse of mankinde But Haliabas saieth new fishes lately taken are colde and moist and flegmaticke but least of all the sea fish Fishes that swimme in fresh cleare Riuers or stony places where as the water is sweete being fishes that beare scales bee meruailous good If they feede neare vnto places where much filth is daily cast out there the fish is verie corrupt and vnholsome as the said Haliabas saieth Fishes that do feede in fennes marishes diches muddy pooles be very vnholsome and do corrupt the bloud they be grosse and slymy corrupt and windie But those fishes that be fed in faire ponds wherein two running waters may insue wheras sweet herbs roots weeds that growe about the bankes doth feed the fishes those fishes be holsom Galen saieth Fish that is white scaled hard as pearches cheuens ruffes carpes breames roches troutes c. be all good But vnscaled fishes as eeles tenches lampries and such like be dangerous vnlesse they be well baked or rosted and eaten with pepper ginger and vineger And note this that it is not wholesome trauelling or labouring immediately after the eating of fish for it doeth greatly corrupt the stomacke and as Galen saieth the nourishments of flesh is better than the nourishments of fish And thus much generally I haue spoken of fish Iohn And thus it seemeth by thy words that great fish that bee deuourers in sea as Seale and Porpois such like bee vnwholesome and that the smaller fishes as codlings whitings plaices smeltes buttes solles pike pearch breame roch carpe and such as doe feede in cleane stonie waters thou sayest they be wholesome Eeles lampries and other muddy fishes thou doest not greatly commend There be some kinds of fish soft and hard which be the best Humfrey If fish be soft the eldest fish is the best If fish be hard the yongest is best for it is either soft or hard Of hard fish take the smallest of softe fish take the greatest prouided that your fish be not very slimy thus saith Auicen in his booke of fishes Iohn I pray thee tel me some thing of shell fishes Hum. Crauises and crabbes be very good fishes the meate of them doth helpe the lungs but they be hurtfull for the bladder yet they will ingender seede If crabbes of
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