the desyre of eatyng growe dayly more and more yet must he remembre to absteyne comfortynge him selfe with the suretie of helth if he so do For the bodye beynge so wasted and emptied not only with hunger but also with sweat ye being longe tyme as a deed bodye through the greuousnes of this euyll shall hyghe faste to the appetyte of meate and drynke ¶ Whan this cure is comme to an ende â—o that the sycke is almosâ—e redy to go abrode he muste than take agayne some medicine to purge hym with but so that after that purgaâ—ion he may drinke agayne as he dydde before .iiij. or sixe dayes space wherwith they make vp the hole cure Some wyl not that he shulde go out of the chambre where he lyeth before he be through hoole Some thynke .xxx. dayes suffycient to kepe his chambre and that he may than go forthe but yet warely by lyttell and lyttell and not streyght in to the open ayre but fyrste he must walke in the same house from chambre to chaumbre and than to some neyghbours house nat ferre of vntyll he be vsed to suffer the ayre For there may be no sodeyne chaunge but muste vse hym selfe to all thynges by lyttell and lyttell And that whiche remayneth of the syckenesse they say wyll lyghtely be hoole after he ones stere abrode And that to be trew I haue proued in my selfe For whan the .xxx. dayes were passed the soores of my legges were nat yet closed and therfore I kepte .x. dayes more And whan these .x. days were gone yet was not I hoole Wherfore feryng the colde bycause wynter than begonne I intended to kepe in other .x. dayes but I was compelled by the phisitions counsell to go abrode and put it in auenture which thyng happed not amysse Howe be it the soores that I had than were not depe in the fleshe or swollen outwarde but onely in the hier parte of the skynne and lacked nothynge els but skynne to couer them with whiche they had scantly the .xl. daye after I went out And I that tyme in very sharpe wynter made my iourneye frome Vindele into Fraunce The causes of this slowe healyng I dyd coniect this to be The phisition suffred me to eate more mete as I after perceyued than I shulde haue done and also he sodde my drynke thynner than he ought For I occupied nat fully .v. pounde of this wodde where as other oâ—cupye .viii. and some .x. wherin my phisition was deceyued For he seinge my body weke of nature and moreouer extenuated consumed with the longe contynuance of this grefe thought that a lyttell thynge was sufficient to driue away the disease and for that cause fedde me the largelyer fearynge soore leeste my strength shulde fayle me which was double erroure For so moche as he oughte not to haue loked what my body was thanne but what maner body it was wonte to be and agayn the nature of this medicine is suche that it wyl suffer none to faynt for lacke of strengthe Wherfore be they neuer so weke they ought not therfore to ministre the lesse but rather somwhat the more For it dothe nothing sodenly but werketh helth by lytel litel And therfore I alow best that decoction that was longest at the fyre and is comme to a lyttell of moche wode so that I wolde counsaylle them to the intente hit mought be the stronger to sethe hit often tymes to the thyrde parte ¶ And if any wolde be lose belyed that is wonte to be bounde they wyll hym to take the pouder of Guaiacum soddeÌ„ in the water and to drynke halfe and vnce therof in the mornynge And if that helpe not at the fyrste to go thâ—â—vnto agayne But this framed nat with me no nat whanne I toke it agayne ¶ Howe a man muste lyue and dyet hym selfe in this cure Capitulo .ix. THere is yet moche a doo for the orderynge of a man as touchynge his dyet Some thynke beste to ete nothynge but breade whiche Galenê° calleth the cleannest fedynge with a fewe rasins whiche breadde they gyue to the weyght of .iiii. vnces withoute salte or other sauce And they thynke best to absteyne generally from all maner meate excepte it be a lyttell brothe made with a chekyn whiche they are contented he suppe or eate with his bread moysted therin ones a day For at nyght they gyue nothyng but a fewe rasins and an vnce of breadde Other wyll that he haue halfe a chekyn if it be yet yonge and tender but if it be any thynge growen they thynke a quarter ynough whiche muste be sodden in clene water Whervnto they put nother salte nother other sauce but somme put a lyttell suger therto Of breadde they gyue .iiij. vnces at nyghte as before a fewe rasins with an vnce of breadde But as long as he is vnder cure he muste take hede that he neuer so moche as taste salte They allowe white breade made of wheate well bulted whiche made for the nones they season with suger Whiche thynge is not euyl There be som that adde to this feding not so moch in the place of meate as of medicine a lyttel borage other of the leaues onely or if there be any of the flowers which he shall eate sodden in water alone or with his chekyn And this is the order of fedynge that some do kepe continually some thynke .xv. dayes sufficient for this dyete and thaÌ„ they wyll his hunger to be easâ—d and the .xx. day they gyue hym meate twyse But lette them take hâ—dâ— that folowe that For truly this medicine requireth that the pacient be made as thynne with hunger as maye be possible Howe be hit somme chaunce to be through healed within .xv. dayes and yet that not withstandynge they put to a fewe dayes more therto They drynk vnto their meate of that seconde decoction not warmed but colde And this is all the fare for hyderto none durste passe this measure Not withstandynge I dispyse not the phisitions that dispute of the daungers that maye chaunce to drye and hotte bodyes if they be dryuen to this strayte dyete bryngynge for them Galen and also Hipocras whiche seme in many places to be agaynst this exquisite dyete in fedynge But of these that vsed Guaiacum I sawe as yet none in ieoperdye and I gather at this tyme preceptes and monitions out of experience not doctrine out of bokes And also I my selfe am of drye and hotte complexion and yet this huÌ„ger brought me nother into a ptisike nor etike whiche thyng they seme to feare ¶ For as moche as it is thought wysedom to prouyde for all thynges I wyll that if any man feare hym selfe that he get phisitions to kepe hym and that this is sufficiently spoken of this thynge I wyll nowe go forwarde with other thynges ¶ In the tyme of this cure the pacient muste forbeare all busynes and cutte away all sadde thoughtes and rest from al care And therfore they commaunde reste and quietnes from
the sooner obteigne their helthe tylle throughe vehemente heate their hertes fayled them and and perceyued not them selfe to dye and so were wretchedly strangled Other I sawe dye whan theyr throtes were swollen in the intrie that first the filthy matter where they shulde haue auoyded in spyttynge coude fynde no waye oute and at lengthe theyr breth was lyke wyse stopped and an other sorte whan they coude not pisse Very fewe they were that gatte theyr helth and they passed through these â—ieopardies these bytter peynes and euyls ¶ What helpe I vsed in this sickenes cap. v. AS often as I was anoynted to kepe these euylles from my mouthe that customably came I vsed only alam whiche I kept in my mouthe rollynge it frome one syde to an other vntyll it melted And whan I went aboute to wrappe vp my sores and comforte my membres I vsed these herbes absinthio camomilla hyssoppe pulegio arthemisia sage other suche boyled in wyne and water ¶ And ones for my sores I made an oyntment by the counsell of Eytelvolfe of alam vardegrese purist hony and vinegre by equall portions ¶ And afterwarde I lerned of a souldiour in Italy an other oyntement made of lyme and water after this maner I put well water or ryuer water into a newe potte neuer seasonned before with any lyquor and sod it therinâ— and whan it boyled feruently I powred it vppon vnsleyt lyme that is it that no water hath touched in a bason or a clene vessell of wodde before not occupied with any lycour And whan the lyme was dissolued and after a lyttell reste laye in the botom I toke awaye the skome that swom aboue and mouinge not the lyme powred oute the clerest water and kepte that for my pourpose whan I wolde occupie it I toke a sponge or a lynnen clothe and depped hit in the water somme tyme rolled as I moughte and often tymes warmed and moysted my sores therwith wasshynge and wypynge away all the fylthynesse Thanne I toke a peece of clothe so moysted and lapte it aboute my sores And with this water my peynes were eased and the swellynge swaged the sores were clensid and the heate and enflamations dryuen awaye whiche thynge is to be meruaylled at seing the nature of lyme otherwise is to kendle I founde nothynge lyke this And me thought I was well holpen therwith and had auoyded the distruction that was at hande In so cruel assautes of this disese I vsed also cassia if I wolde be laxatiue and dyd often tymes sweat let go bloode drawen oute with gourdes And whan I was in Italy monysshed that to eate in the mornynge the quantite of a walnutte of rasins terebinthia shuld be of great efficacite to amende the fautes of the bloode what maner of thyng it is I knowe not and to make the bely lanke and helpe the stomak whiche bothe thynges I founde trewe I vsed the same They sayde also that it dyd helpe no lyttell thynge the synowes and strengthed the ioyntes and membres And by this meanes and abstinence of meate and drynke and good dyete I auoyded many thynges whiche moughte haue vtterly distroyd me in so longe iniurious seson for the mooste parte wandrynge abrode in the worlde and through pouerte dryuen to moche aduersite neuer at rest and quietnes but alwayes vexed and troubled And haue so preserued my selfe that all thoughe my legges were eaten with so many depe and greuous soores yet was there not one synewe hurte nor one bone perysshed And if at any tyme the disease toke my face no euylle happened in my mouthe and tongue so that the inwarde partes were preserued For I voyded awaye those thynges that myghte hurte my stomake and with a rare helpe defended my lyghtes and lounges and by these helpes I moughte suffer and dryue forthe this dysease but clerely putte hit awaye I coude not whiche thynge was the easynge of peyne and nat the cuttynge away of the cause of payne the differryng of euyll and not the takynge away therof A better remedy came of Guaiacus ye of that onely came helthe which I do intend nowe to discribe ¶ The discription of Guaiacum and the fyndynge therof and name Cap. vi IF we ought to giue thankes vpwarde vnto god bothe for good and euylle howe moche are we bounde for the gyfte of Guaiacum ye howe moche doth the gladnes and ioye of his benignite towarde vs passe the sorow and peyn of that infirmitie The vse of this wod was brought to vs out of an ylond namyd Spagnola this ylonde is in the west nigh to the contrey of Amerik set in that place where the length of Amerike stretchynge into the northe doth ende and was founde af late dayes amonge the newe londes which were vnknowen by the olde tyme. All the inhabitauntes of that ylonde somtyme be diseased with the french pockes lykewyse as we be with the mesels small pockes Nor they haue no other remedy for it but this ¶ A certayne noble man of Spayne being tresaurour in that prouince was greuously troubled with that infyrmitie And after the people of that londe hadde taught hym that medicine he broughte the maner and vse therof into Spayn shewing of what power vertu it was in those partes The phisitioÌ„s wold not alow it ê‘ceyuyng that theyr profyt wold decay therby not withstanding at leÌ„gth they toke in hande to cure with the same wood but with such arrogaÌ„cie attributyng so moch to theyr preceptes and order that excepte they were obserued they affirmed this woode shulde be spende in vayne Whiche thinge I meruayle they coude perswade to any man and make hym beleue it seinge it is playnly knowen that in that ylande were neuer phisitions And yet hath this woode Guaiacum alwayes bene there vsed But in this cure what besynes is mete for the phisition I wyll here after declare Nowe I wylle speke of the thynge intended They haue gyuen it this name Guaiacum For so the Spaniardes wryte it with latyne letters folowynge theyr owne maner of sounde whiche worde the people of that ylande pronounce with open mouthe Huiacum ¶ And Paulus Ritius shewed me at the citie of August that he harde say of a Spanyarde whiche had ben in that yland that the fyrste syllable Gua of this name was nat pronounced of the Spagnolenses with G but that his owne tonge dydde requyre it so to be wryten And they of that Ilonde sounde it with V puffed out as though it were Huiacum a worde of .iii. syllables with them and not Guaiacum We maye gyue vnto it some excellent name callynge it lignum vite as Philo the phisition called his dregges the handes of god and thiâ— daye the phisitions with great boste calle their coÌ„fections manus Christi apostolicuÌ„ gratia dei Antidotum Paulium and many other such superstitious names They say it groweth lyke an ashe with vs in height is rounde bryngyng forth a nutte moche like a chesse nutte
diligent serche and studious labour I haue founde oute the power and vertue of GuaiacuÌ„ whiche if I do not wel perceyue it is a faute But if I haue lerned it as it is in dede I do not greatly couet rewarde ne laâ—de I wyl shew you al the hole faythfully For that hath this medicine deserued of me excepte I wolde be vnthankfull for so great benefites And therfore seynge many well lykynge men of nature are corrupted through the diuersitie of medicines yea and some of them vtterly distroyed my sentence is that nothyng shall be added to helpe this medycine for this wodde of hit selfe is suffycient to plucke vppe this dysease by the rootes If anye thynge be putte vnto hit specyallye of these thynges that are inwardely receyued this medicine takethe no helpe therof but rather is corrupted and lette from his workynge This thynge muste be added herevnto that they whiche drynke of this Guaiacum of whatte so euer state they be in this sycknes haue so litel nede of bathes that they be vtterly forbede by them that be experte to wasshe so moche as theyr heed as longe as thay shal be in this cure and are permytted very seldome to wasshe theyr handes but neâ—er with colde water ¶ What place phisitions haue in this cure Capitulo .xj. BVt nowe I know that some suspecteth me to be of this mynde that I wold no phisition to be vsed in this cure whiche thynge is far otherwise For my mynde is that somme that is well lerned and wise shulde be gotten whiche is not bolde ne liberall in poâ—rynge in of poticarye ware his custody and also his order if he haue lerned the vse of the admynistracyon of Guaiacum I wolde the sycke personne shulde vse And these myscheuous busy felowes whiche are so gladde to offer to vs this straunge waare and medicines if any be broughte from the heedes of Nilus of whiche the more they coste the more they make of theÌ„ auaÌ„syng them aboue the mone these I saye I wolde haue dryuen away and in no wyseâ— to se the sycke no nat through a latis I haue proued this thyng euen so to be as Asclepiades iudged whiche thought all maner drenches vnfrendely to the stomake And Celsus also saythe that medicines for the moste parte hurte the stomake ye and moreouer that hapâ—ened to me that the same author shewed before shulde happen that medicines receyued into the body whan they had ben kept in the lower partis were driuen back again into the heed and caused great peyne whiche thing lette all remembre that wyll enter into this cure that they coÌ„myt not them selfe rasshly to suche tourmenters not only bycause the nature of this woode is not yet well knowen but also bycause it is theyr maner neuer to knowledge ignorance but always to commaund somewhat to ministre and gyue some what vnto whome a man shall at no tyme shewe his water howe well and helthfull so euer he be but they wyll make theyr bylle to the poticaries recipe recipe take take sayinge that other they suspectâ— some sycknes to be begonne other els that the whiche is nowe at hand must be preueâ—ted or it come excepte thou swallowe this saye they or drynke that thou haste the axes O myscheuous menâ— if they maye be called men and worthye to be hated of all the worlde But what so euer they be they haue bene bolde to take vppon them many thynges of late about the administration of Guaiacum thrustynge in them selfe vnto that worke the sellers therof helpynge them forwarde through some conuention bargayn made betwene them I beleue For whaÌ„ they sawe that by meanes of this rude vile and contemptible medicine there shuld be hereafter no nede of theyr disceptations and yet durste not for I know some that wolde withstonde so fauorable good a thynge And of the other syde whan the marchantes feared leest they shulde selle but lytel if the phisitions allowed it not for no man wolde lyghtly go vnto a medicine that came from so strange a place and was ministred so farre from the commen maner of medicines than they agreed betwyxte them I beleue that this shulde be spredde amonges the commen people that the phisitions labour was necessarye in this cure So that they sellynge a remedye approued of the phisitions moughte gette as they were wont and the phisitions in the meane tyme shuâ—de lose nothynge of theyr stipendes seynge that they were called vnto this cure ¶ I knowe certayne phisitions of a better sorte that went into Spayne in the emperours name and in the name of a bysshop here onely to enquere and serche for this thing And these whan they were taught of them that lerned knew the thing in Spagnola tolde nothynge in maner otherwyse than our experience hath but that they added of theyr own braynes what medicines vpon what dayes with what obseruations ought to be receyued by a mathematicall dyete howe they shulde behaue them selfe in eatynge and drynkynge whiche thynge I beleue they dydde of no euyll mynde but â—ftâ—r theyr maner and supersticiousnes vsed of some good phisitions whiche are so â—esyrous tâ— helpe the sycke and are so tender towarde them that sometyme they do more than they shulde Their good mindes I do allowe but yet I thynke it daungeâ—ous to agree vnto all men in all thynges But to retourne agayn to these yf mynded phisitioÌ„s I thynke they be agreed with the marchantes that they may he admitted into parte of the lucre and gaynes For I my selfe dyd se a certayne phisition if we vouchsafe to calle a rude and an vnlerned asse by this name who with many wordes dispreysed this wodde Guaiacum as a vayne thynge nothyng worthe but that the marchaÌ„tes fained it to do these thynges But shortely after this lewde dispreyser was called vnto the cure of a certain ryche man and shortely after to an otherâ— And whan the man beganne to smelle the golde and sawe great gaynes to comme through the multitude of suche sycke men he began fyrste to be more gentylle and to diminishe his cruelnes malice more more within a whyle preysed this wode and greatly auanced it and sayde Nowe at the laste I my selfe haue proued the meruayâ—lous power and vertue of this wodde Naye naye asse but nowe thou haste founde thyne aduantage therin ¶ And after this maner this medicine semeth to come into theyr canons lykewyse as all other medicines haue done whiche thynge if it be done by the auctorite of the wyse experte and lerned phisitions I improue it not howe be it my mynde gyueth me and I verely beleue that they can not do it as yet And agayne I thynke it not very necessarye For eyther in Spagnola where are no phisitions somewhat is lackynge vnto this medicine or elles it oughte here lykewyse to be ministred without suche supersticiousnes and formalities May ther any man be â—o lyght of beleue as to thynke that
thynge may we saye he pretendeth that medleth carnally with women beinge so febled thaÌ„ wyllyngly to â—lee hym selfe or at the lefte spedily to distroy his naturall strength and playnly caste his helth away ¶ And if some be forbodden the companye of women whiche be neuer the lesse of good lykynge in body and haue no disease at all Howe moche ought they to auoyde and flee it that thus haue lost theyr helth myght and must laboâ—r al that they can to repayre the same agayne And if before xiiii yere of age none is stronge inough vnto that act bycause his strength is not full furnyshed to putte so ieoperdous a thynge in experience How than ought he to beware take hede that is thus newe borne agayne and hath so yonge tender a body that he offer not hym selfe to be rasshely plucked and tooreâ— before he haue receyued his strength and is well hardned therin The nexte poynt here vnto is this that though they shall haue a gredye and sharpe appetite to meate beinge emptied with continuall hunger yet they muste resyste the same and as moche as maye be to behaue them selfe very soberly and scarsely in their fedynge And therfore they muste fyrste vse verye lyttell meate and afterwarde some what more goinge forth by lyttell and lyttell so that there maye be a good space er that they come to theyr olde custome of eatynge exercysynge them selfe softely begynnynge no newe thynge hastely or sodenly vtterly absteinynge fro al wynes except it be fyrste delayed with moche water and be also of hit selfe smalle and of good sauour and clere and yet so very moderatly Let hym also that is cured be well fensed agaynst the violence of the ayer and specially in those tymes that be greuous with colde wynde and rayne or els let hym goo forth abrode very seldome He maye take meate twyse aday but at euentyde very lytell and all that tyme he maye neuer folowe his appetite but muste auoyde fulnes as the greattest euyll that can be He must also aboue all thynges forbeare fysshe and feade vpon yonge and tender flesshe suche as is of lyghte digestion and nouryssheth purely whiche they be ye maye knowe by the phisitions teachynges And these thynges must haue place in the sayde two or .iii. monethes for other thynges whiche shall be further obserued maye be serned more playnly in the thynges folowyng For now I wylle aduyse and monysshe with fewe wordes not onely them that are recouered by Guaiacum but other as wel from what soo euer disease they be delyuered if they tender their good helthe and welfare and desyre to be longe in prosperitie whatte thynges they shall folowe And here hit is chiefly to be noted howe be it all doth now knowe it that this one thynge is it that maketh this sycknes to be very greuous bycause there is great difficultie in dyetynge For whan this disease is ouercome hit is not one onely that muste be obserued in the order of our lyuynge but many thynges and dyuerse muste be reckened vppon In so moche as what so euer thynges there be whether they be with or agaynst all the diseases whiche I sayde before folowed this syckenes he that is recouered muste sette them before hym endeuorynge hym selfe with all diligence to obteyn them that make with hym and to auoyde them that be ageynst hym Wherfore he muste be allwayes very carefull in his lyuynge that all thynge may be done ordinately Not withstondynge if this medicine haue saued any there is for them great comforte bycause they that are expert therof plainly thynke that after the pacientes haue ones receyued their helth the tyme of obseruation which foloweth this cure be past nothinge that is not contrary to theyr olde maner of liuyng can putte them in any daunger so that they vsed not before to liue without order vtterly For that same order shal serue hym that is thus restored as shall serue them that neuer had the sycknes Wherfore they think it not so moche to be regarded what a man eateth as howe moche he eateth And ther fore no kynde of meate to be forborne no choise of meate to be hadde concernynge the qualitie of fedynge nothynge to be cared fore but that whiche is knowen to apperteygne to the commen conseruation of helthe and to the vniuersall auoydynge of all maladies and diseases Wherin that that Celsus teacheth perchance shall not be the leeft whiche is that euerye man take hede lefte whyle his bodye is in prosperitie the aydes and succour ageynst aduersite be consumed and wasted ¶ Helthe is preserued as the same Celsê° sayth by dyet by medicines by oyntynges by frictions rubbynges by baynes by exercyse by caryage aboute by clere and pleasant readynge whiche thynges howe they ought to be considered fully and holle I leue you to aske of hym Here wylle I breuely touche a fewe thynges and suche as apperteyne to dyete This I thinke they muste fede pleasauntely and moderately and take suche meates and drynkes as be of lyghtest digestion For as Paule saythe The chiefesâ— poynt of education is that the meate be suche as wyll lyghtly digeste and nourysshe well not slowe in digestynge nor clammye nor plentuous in superfluities and the drynke to be smalle wyne whyte pure and a lyttell delayde with water And Celsus saith Se your meate be nat fatty clammy nor wyndy And by his couÌ„sell ye muste absteyne in all suche diseases from all maner salte meates sharp sowre and bytter For the same reason I thynke wherof I made meÌ„tion before And Paule saythe In eatynge the greattest fawte is satietie and fulnes For al though the bealy digeste well yet the veynes to moche replenysshed laboure soore they swelle they breake they be stopped and fylled with wynde and playne it is that the worst diseases of all comme of sacietie He thynketh this onely to be auoyded that no man fylle hym selfe And I iuge the same but not onely for I wolde more ouer nothynge to be dressed deinteously nothynge to be saâ—ced curiously and that many dysshes of dyuerse kyndes be nat sette before vs nother wyll as these ryche menne vse sixe or .vii. or sometyme .x. meases at one soupper to be brought in For a man wolde not beleue howe moche these thynges hurte not onely the stomake but also the holle digestion And therfore I wil repete agayn this thing whiche is spoken of the same author Varietie of meates is greatly to be auoyded specially whan contrarye operations and vertues be in them For whan they be so thruste in they resist digestion And the same thynketh Galene and Aâ—icene and as many as be of pure iudgement in phisicke ¶ Cato as Tully wryteth commandeth so moche meate and drynke to be receyued as may refresshe the strength and power of the body and not oppresse it Wherfore by the counsell of Xenophon we muste make for the most parte a small dyner that there may be a place for