CHAP. I. The causes of corruption and destruction of our humane bodies.

THAT we may come to our purpose, the first and chiefest cause of corruption and destru­ction of our Bodies, of old Age, Death, and all other miseries, which doe happen vnto vs in this life, is the fall of our first Parents, and the reliques of Sinne, remayning in our corrupt Nature, as the Apostle doth witnesse in the eighth Chapter of the Romans: Corpus nostrum, [Page 2] morti destinatum est propter pcccatum. For, euen as death is the last of all euills, which may afflict vs in this life; euen so, by the name of Death we endure in this life all miseries and afflictions; Heere-hence come our errours which leade vs by our blinde will, and through the perswasion of the Deuill driue vs to commit all wic­kednesse and euill, wherby we accumulate and heape vp the iust wrath and indigna­tion of God, to afflict vs with euery kinde of disease, miserie, and calamitie.

Another cause of diseases, destruction, and deprauation of our bodies, is the sini­ster and maleuolent influence of the cele­stiall Planets, and the infelicitie of our temperaments: for, as in euery thing there are certayne naturall properties, which God from euerlasting hath endued with naturall effects; so euery effect and vertue is incited in our bodies from Heauen, which God created not only in a certayne order and greatnesse, that we should dis­cerne the Yeeres, Dayes, and Moneths, but that there should be signes also from whence wee might take certayne Argu­ments of things to come.

For the inferior bodies doe depend vp­on [Page 3] the Superior, and are contayned in a certayne mutuall knowledge amongst themselues; for the Superior doth infuse a certayne secret force and vertue into the Inferior bodies, by which the humours of our bodies are changed, increased, and diminished according to the placing and qualitie of the Starres: and this is more cleerely and euidently taught vs by daily experience the Mistris of all things, then that it needeth farther demonstration. If no man will giue credit to our wordes, let him consider the Moone which doth challenge vnto her selfe the chiefe domi­nion in Humours, and they shall well per­ceiue their error. Seeing then it is mani­fest, that the humours of our bodies are gouerned by the Superior bodies: And of the euill humours of our bodies to grow Diseases, and from disease death; there­fore not vnworthily of death: and the cause of other diseases to depend in some part vpon the celestiall bodies, is de­clared.

Besides this there are two other kindes of causes, that doe change and destroy our bodies, which doe grow from the su­perior Planets.

One kinde is that, that is ingendred with vs, and is therefore said to be In­terne, necessarie, and ineuitable, and they are in number three, that is, Drynesse, which by the course of Age bringeth to death, a daily wasting of substance, or the great varietie and mobilitie of the matter in our bodies, and the abundance of ex­crements.

Another kinde of them are, which hap­pen outward, and therefore are called Ex­terne, of which the reason is said to be twofold, for some of them are which doth not change or affect our bodies of necessi­tie; for although when these things hap­pen, their hurt may be by vs auoyded, not­withstanding, there are some of them that our life may be safe without them. They are such things which doe bruise, hurt, and wound our bodies, which for the most part hapneth by some outward force, as in the warres, and other cases of Fortune, as either being drowned or made away with poyson.

There are other things also, which are said of necessitie to alter Mans body, which although we may auoide particu­larly, yet generally we cannot, when we [Page 5] cannot liue without them. These things, I say, doe destroy and ouerthrow the tem­perature, constitution, and naturall health of man, if they be not rightly vsed as ne­cessity and the state of the body requireth. And those are those sixe things, which are called not naturall, which we will consi­der in particular; which sixe things are placed in our power and election, and they are of sixe kindes.

1.The first is, Ayre, Water, and Fire.

2.The second is, Meate and Drinke, and all those things which are giuen the body for nourishment.

3.The third is, Motion and Rest, both of the whole body, as of euery part thereof.

4.The fourth is, Sleepe and Watchful­nesse.

5.The fifth is, Excretion or Expulsion of excrements or retention, vnder which is contayned the opening of a veine, Purga­tion, Vomit, auoyding of Urin, Sweate, Bathing, the act of Generation, and such like.

6The sixth are, the Symptoms, Pertur­bations, Affections or Accidents of the minde, such as are Feare, Anger, Sorrow, [Page 6] Ioy, and such like, of which we will speak more afterwards.

These things being duely and rightly vsed, doe conserue man in good health, but vsed contrarily, they destroy; for, as health doth consist in a meane and a me­diocritie, so also in a meane vse of things necessary it is conserued.

CHAP. II. Generall precepts to conserue the Health.

I Haue declared vnto you the chiefe causes, through which the diuers mu­tations, destructions, and corruptions of our bodies doe arise. Now, on the con­trarie I will declare vnto you also those things, which if we vse them in right or­der and manner, doe contayne the safe­tie of life, restore health lost, and dimi­nish some kindes of diseases and expell them.

For this thing it is first needfull and re­quisite, that you know certainely and be [Page 7] sure of, that although the celestiall bodies doe exercise a certayne force and admi­rable vertue, in the affaires of Man, yet notwithstanding, GOD Almightie, the Worke-man and Creator of all Nature and Humane things, being the Lord of Life and Death, who hath the gouerne­ment of all Inferior bodies that cannot be remoued, but that he doth gouerne and rule the influence of all Stars and Planets, and remoue the course and efficacy of them; and likewise doth moderate all in­clinations that grow from the Planets, and oftentimes according to his great good­nesse, doth turn away diseases, and change them into better: sometimes also accor­ding to his secret and iust iudgement for our sinnes, to exasperate and turne them into worse.

For the diuine Maiestie is not in the Starres, which the God-head hath framed for the profit and conseruation of man­kinde, neither is it inclosed within a cer­tayne fatall necessitie, as it were shut vp in prison, but doth worke freely, and as the chiefe cause doth gouerne and moderate all other causes. This therefore eternall God, the most louing Father of our Lord [Page 8] Iesus Christ, which proroged the life of King Hazechias for fifteene yeeres, is hum­bly to be prayed vnto daily, that he would bestow vpon vs also a long and a safe life, with a right constitution as well of body as strength of minde, and to preserue the same: for rightly is it said:

Next, when for our sinnes our bodies are affected with often and diuers kindes of diseases, we must carefully striue that we gouerne the inclinations and wandering motions of our mindes, and that we vse a bridle to our outward members, and that we doe not only flye wickednesse, but that we auoide the occasions also thereof. It becommeth you, my deare Sonnes, to vse this diligence in the gouernement of your life and manners, and chiefly to embrace true Religion, and due obedience and loue to your Parents, which if you shall doe, God will in like manner, as he hath pro­mised in the Decalogue, giue vnto you hap­pinesse and long life: for as S. Paul saith truely in the 1. of Tim. 4. Pietas ad omnia vtilis est, &c. Godlinesse is profitable vnto [Page 9] all things, which hath the promise of the life present, and of that that is to come: the which in some manner was vnderstood by an Ethnick, Zoroaster King of the Ba­ctrians, where he saith, Qui mentem arden­um ad opus pietatis intenderit, labile corpus seruabit: and Cicero saith, Pietatem esse ma­trem, & fundamentum omnium virtutum: That Godlinesse is the mother and foun­dation of all vertues. Secondly, when it is said, that the Starres be the working causes of destruction and mutation, and the causes of diuers diseases in our bodies: and whereas the obseruation of the cele­stiall effects is not forbidden, I will that you take this care, that as well the yeerly directions, as the figures of your natiuity be obserued, which I haue diligently and exactly computated, I leaue to euery one of you: which notwithstanding you shall examine without all superstition, and shall be aduised by the iudgement of the lear­ned Astrologians and Physicians, that you may the better auoid the euill foreseene, and the good things shall be brought to their wished euent, for that is true which some doe affirme, that coelum esse fatalem picturam in coel [...]sti tabula; and very well [Page 10] was it said by Hipp. and Galen, the Princes of Physicians, that the Arte of physicke, without the supportation of the Heauens, to be oftentimes in vaine, yea also often­times to be hurtfull.

This obseruation doth profit very much for the preseruation of the health, and for the preuention of diseases; therefore you must regard the more your naturall incli­nation, with the greater vigilancy, that you may bee the better able to gouerne your manners, and the euents of which we are admonished by Astrologers, & which wee fore-know, wee may the more easier beare. Auoid and decline them more wise­ly, that you may seeme to passe them ouer prouidently and discreetly, without griefe or tediousnesse: for, free-will and electi­on is left to vs, so farforth that by the help of God, a minde supported, may be able to resist the allurements of the Flesh and th [...] Deuill, to rule and gouerne the affections▪ and if some great calamitie against an [...] man may be presaged and declared by th [...] Starres, we may be able to flye and auoid it; notwithstanding in which matter [...] would that you should regard the couns [...] of honestie: for if we may flye and auoi [...] [Page 11] the perill that hangeth ouer our heads, without shame, we shall not refuse it, for better is it with honestie to die quickly, then with shame to liue long: therefore, we must thinke that Reason, and the best In­tellect, to be gouerned by the Heauens, neither is the libertie of the minde, and our actions, restrayned to the necessitie of the Starres.

Hitherto in generall, we haue briefly declared, by what meanes we may defend vs from euills, and diseases of euery kind: and to defend vs from the other destructi­ons of our bodies, which diligence, if the children of God shall diligently inuocate him, they shall happily auoid them.

Now, that we may follow our purpose, I will entreat of those things, which in some manner resteth in our industrie, of which if we vse them rightly and lawfully we shall nourish health, and conserue it, but otherwise we shall ouerthrow and de­stroy it.

CHAP. III. Speciall precepts of preseruing Health.

THat we may begin from the definiti­on, Health is a constitution of the bo­dy, in which wee are neither tormented with griefes, nor hindred in the actions of our life, for if the body shall decline from that constitution, it is sicknesse: to per­serue health, according to Rasis in Alman­sore, is in motion and rest, meate & drinke, neither to obserue a iust measure in super­fluities and expulsions, the house and o­ther places wherein we liue, to be made sweet with odors, according as reason re­quireth, and agreeing with the time, and to meet with euill accidents before they take their increase, and to refraine volup­tuousnesse and delightfull pleasures, and to conserue custome. Cicero saith, That health is preserued with the knowledge of a mans owne body, as well in those things which are wont to profit as hurt, for in those things in which consisteth conser­uation, from them corruption springeth, for as conseruation is made by the like thing, so curation is made by its contra­ry a little otherwise saith Isidore, where he [Page 13] saith, Eam esse integritatem corporis, & tem­perantiam naturae ex calido & humido, in qui­bus cum illa consistit. Sequitur, qui plurimum calidi & humidi habent, hos maximè esse lon­gaeuos: qui verò contrariae sunt naturae, frigidi & sirci, hos citius senescere & mori.

For as healthfull men are gouerned by the foure Humours, so the infirme are hurt, and when humours encrease more then of equitie they should, they bring forth sick­nesse: so those that are by nature onely grosse, do sooner die then thinner bodies, for they haue little bloud and spirits. But as the conseruation of health doth consist in the order of euery thing, being lawfully vsed, the iust qualitie, quantitie, and time being obserued, we haue spoken of: Now of the ayre that doth incompasse our bo­dies, we will speake of.

CHAP. IIII. Of the ayre.

CHAP. V. Of Meates and Drinks.

CHAP. VI. Of Exercise and Labour.

BEcause a great part of health doth consist in [...] fit and conuenient exer­cise of the body, as Auicen, Hippocrates, and Galen, doe witnesse, it is therefore [Page 24] needfull to haue a diligent and carefull consideration thereunto: labour then or exercise is a vehement mouing, the end whereof is the alteration of the breath or winde of man: of exercise doe proceed many commodities: And especially three, the first is hardnesse and strength of the members, whereby labour shall the lesse grieue, and the body be more strengthned to endure labour. And that exercise or la­bour doth strengthen the body, as Galen witnesseth in his booke de Sanitate tuenda. It is proued by experience in labourers, who for the most part be stronger then men that liue at ease, and can endure grea­ter toyle, as may be obserued in the ex­ample of Milo Crotoniatos, who by the vse of carrying a Calfe euery day certayne furlongs, was able to carry the same being a Bull. The second commoditie of labour is, the increase of heate, whereby hapneth the more alteration of things to be dige­sted; also more quick alteration and bet­ter nourishment. The third is more vio­lence of the breath or winde, whereby the pores are cleansed, and the excrements of the body naturally expelled. These things are so necessary to the preseruation of [Page 25] health, that without them no man may long be without sicknesse: for as the flow­ing water doth not lightly corrupt, but that which standeth still, euen so, bodies exercised are for the most part more helth­full, and such as be idle more subiect to sicknesse, according to the saying of the Poer Ouid,

The which thing also Cornelius Celsus af­firmeth, where he saith, Slothfulnesse dul­leth the body, it is strengthned by labour, the one doth make vs soone old, the other doth make vs long yong.

Notwithstanding in exercise ought foure things to be considered, that is to say, the Time, the things preceding the Qualitie, and the quantitie of exercise. As concer­ning the time conuenient to exercise in, there ought foure things to be diligently considered, first, the time, the things prece­ding the quality, and the quantity of exer­cise. First, as concerning the time, that the stomacke and bowels be ouer-burdened, and the meate not digested, or the humors crude or rawe, lest thereby perill might fol­low by their conueyance into all the mem­bers. [Page 26] Galen doth say, that the time most fit for exercise, is when both the first and second digestion is fulfilled, as well in the stomacke as in the veines, and that a desire of eating doth draw neere: for if the exer­cise be sooner or later, the bodie shall ey­ther be filled with raw and crude humors, or else yellow choller shall be encreased. The knowledge of this time is well known by the colour of the Vrine, for that which is like vnto cleare water, sheweth that the Iuyce which commeth from the stomacke, is crude & raw in the veines: that which is wel coloured, neither too high or too low, sheweth that the second digestion is per­formed perfectly: where the colour is very high or red, it declareth the concoction is too much. Wherefore, when the Vrine ap­peareth in a temperate colour, neither too red nor too pale, but as it were, gilt, then should we begin our exercise.

CHAP. VII. Of Sleepe and Watch.

THe commodities of moderate sleepe, doe appeare by this, that naturall [Page 27] heate which is busied about the matter, whereof proceedeth nourishment, is com­forted in the places of digestion, and so the digestion is made better and more perfect by sleepe, the body is fatter, and the minde more quiet, the humors more temperate. But by much watch all things happen the cleane contrary. The moderation of sleepe must be measured by health and sicknesse, by age, time, emptinesse, or fulnesse of the bodie, and by naturall complexions: as first to a man in health, hauing no weaknesse of nature, and a perfect digesture of the meat he eateth, a little sleepe is sufficient, but to them which haue weak stomakes, the sleep may be the longer. In like manner, tempe­rance is required both in youth and age at all seasons, winter and Summer. The body being full of ill humors, very little sleepe is sufficient, except the humors be crude and raw, for then sleepe is necessary, which di­gesteth them better then labour.

In like manner, where the bodie is long empty, by long sicknes or abstinence, sleep comforteth nature as well in the principal mēbers, as in al the other. As for the length of sleep, al Authors do agree, that to strong bodies, seuen houres in the night is suffici­ent, [Page 28] and to those that are weaker, eight houres is enough at the most. Plato in Ti­maeo, saith, When the world shutteth vp her eye, we should also close vp our eyes: the eye of the world is the Sunne, therefore sleepe is not long to be deserred after the Sunne setting, neither presently after sup­per can sleepe be wholesome, for as Galen saith in lib. Aphorismorum, à cibis ad som num conuersis, caput impletur. Moreouer, immoderate sleepe maketh the bodie apt to Palsies, Apoplexies, Falling-sicknesse, Rhumes and Apostumes: also it maketh a dull wit, and a slow bodie, and vnapt to honest exercise: as also immoderate watch drieth too much the bodie, and doth wea­kē the Animal powers, hindreth digestion, and maketh the body apt to cōsumptions. Wherefore, in these two things, as well as all other, a diligent care is to be vsed, the moderation is best coniected (for it is hard perfectly to know it) by the sensible light­nesse of all the bodie, especially of the braine, the browes, and the eyes, the pas­sage downe of the meat from the stomake, the will to make Vrine, and to goe to the stoole: contrariwise heauines in the bodie, and also in the eyes, & sauour of the mean [Page 29] before eaten, doth signifie that the sleepe was not sufficient. They that are in health, must first sleepe on the right side, because the meate may come to the liuer, which is to the stomack as a fire vnder the pot, and thereby is digested. To them which haue but weake digestion, it is good to sleepe prostrate on their bellies, or to haue their pare hands on their stomackes, and to lye vpright on the backe, is to bee vtterly ab­horred.

CHAP. VIII. Of Accidents and Affections of the minde.

THose things being alreadie declared, by the which the health of the body is to be preserued: I will now proceed to the Physike of the minde: for as the per­turbations of the minde doe follow the passions of the bodie, as wee may see and behold in drunkards, as Horace saith,

So on the other side, the body is affected [Page 30] from the passions of the minde, and is said therewith to consent, as is manifest in the affects of loue and sorow. And seeing ther­fore the passions of the minde, and bodie, are so conioined and linked together with a naturall band, we must as Auicen saith, haue a diligent care to our minde, if we de­sire to auoid diseases, which also Galen held before him, saying, that wee must abstaine from the intemperance and deformity of all the passions and affections of the mind: anger and sorrow, furiousnesse and feare, enuy and thought, do alienate and bring a man from the vse of reason, and do greatly transforme him from the state and order, that is according to nature, for moderate mirth helpeth very much to accomplish all the offices and functions of the minde, to further and make excellent the concoction. As on the contrary, sorrow and heauinesse is the greatest hinderance and let to it: be­ware therefore of heauinesse and despera­tion, for as Salomon saith, Spiritus tristis exiccat ossa: cor laetum exhilerat mentem. Therefore giue your selues to honest mirth and Christianlike ioy: for as Auicen saith, the often vse of mirth disposeth a man to be merry, and thereof commeth no small [Page 31] profit, but commodities very many. Sor­row also is so great an Enemie to nature and bodily health, that to resist the ma­lice and the violence thereof, remedies as well out of the holy Scripture, as exam­ples out of moral Philosophie are needful. Also there be certayne herbs, fruits, and spices, that haue the propertie to resist me­lancholy, and to comfort the liuely spirits. Such are simples that do comfort the heart and spirits: as for example, the beholding of fayre shewes and things that are beau­tifull, the hearing of melodious musicke, smelling of sweet sauours and fragrant o­dors, such as in the Summer, the smell of Rose-water; and in Winter with the smell of Lignum Aloes, which doth comfort the heart and the brayne, and all the other senses very much. But beware of too hot and sharpe sauours, for they send vapours to the brayne. The tasting, as that which is confected of Sugar, and the iuyce of Pomegranates, of Quinces, or some other of like temperature, being not harmefull, neither exceeding in the excesse of any qualitie.

CHAP. IX. Of Ioy.

IOy or gladnesse of heart doth prolong the life, it maketh the body fat, that is growne leane with care and trouble: And looke what effect hapneth by sorrow, the same hapneth by suddaine ioy. And Vale­rius Maximus reporteth, that a Woman of Rome dyed with suddayne ioy. This being considered, we must auoyd such ex­traordinarie gladnesse and suddayne ioy. And we must remember that there is no­thing in this world can reioyce vs so much, but that some occasion or other may cause the same to be displeasant vnto vs.

CHAP. X. Of Venus or the act of generation.

NOw that I haue spoken of Labour, Meate, Drinke, and Sleepe, it now resteth that I speake somewhat of the act of Generation, which delectation must be well measured by a meane: for if it doe exceed and be vsed intemperately, it doth resolue the spirits and naturall heate about [Page 33] measure, and dryeth vp the radicall moy­sture, and so dangerous diseases happen to man sooner, then otherwise by nature they would: Therefore, seeing in the act of Generation there is so great resolution of Spirits, the excesse thereof is carefully to be auoyded, neuerthelesse great regard must bee had of custome. The commo­dities that come by moderate evacuati­on are great, for it procureth appetite to meate, and helpeth digestion, it maketh the body more light and nimble, it pur­geth flegme, it quickneth the minde, it re­fresheth the wit, reneweth the senses, and driueth away sadnesse, madnesse, anger, melancholy: finally, it doth deliuer vs al­together from leacherous imaginations, and nightly pollutions, which although some men suppose that there is no offence thereby, because of the abundance of na­ture, yet let vs consider what is said in Deuter. cap. 23. If there be amongst you any that is vncleane, by that which commeth from him by night, he shall goe out of the Hoast, and shall not enter into the Hoast: but for this matter let euery man vse all honest and lawfull meanes, to suppresse the violent force and fury of his burning lust. Also if [Page 34] a man will abstayne from meates that be hot and windie, and the drinking of sweet headie wines, and auoyd the imaginations of Venus and such like, he shall not easily be much assailed and tempted with the de­sire of any carnall appetite; likewise if he earnestly apply himselfe to the study of the holy Scriptures, and morall Phylosophie, banishing idlenesse, and flie the company of beautiful and amorous Women, he shal easily auoyd the desire of lustfull concu­piscence.

Moreouer, there be also other meanes to ouer-come carnall lust, mentioned in Galen, as to anoynt the reynes with some cooling oyntment made of waxe, oyle of Roses, and the iuyce of some cooling herb, as House-leeke, Lettuce, Purslane, Night­shade or plates of Lead, applyed vpon the reynes, or else Agnus castus, or to eate dai­ly the seede thereof, or the seede of Rue, or the herbs themselues. Also Arnoldus giueth counsell, If thou wilt quench the heat of lust, anoynt the genitories with the iuyce of Rue or Persly, or drinke the iuyce of those herbs. Also to smell often­times to Camphire, is good for the same purpose, & to sit vpon the very cold eart [...] [Page 35] or a cold stone, also to plunge the mem­bers in cold water or in strong vineger, & therewith to wash the reynes of the backe and about the lower part of the belly.

And to end this discourse of Venery, flie idlenesse, the greatest occasion of lechery, for as the Poet saith, with which I wil end:

CHAP. XI. Certayne precepts for dyet to be obser­ued euery day.