The regiment of life, whereunto is added a treatise of the pestilence, with the boke of children, newly corrected and enlarged by T. Phayre

¶Here beginneth a goodly bryefe tretise of the Pestilence, with the causes, signes, and cures of the same: composed, and newly re∣cognised by Thomas Phayer studious in Philosophie and Phisicke, to the ayde, comfort, and vtilitie of the poore.

¶To the good reader a preface of the authour.

AFter that God al∣mightye, father and crea∣toure of all thynges, had by his vnsearchable pro∣uidence, ordeined mankind to eternall felicitie, and ioye at the beginning, he thought it not ynoughe to haue created him of nothīg, a bodye

moost excellent, perfect & ••ure both in mēbres and senses, aboue al other his creatures here in earth, but also of his inestimable goodnesse endewed him with diuers & sondry gyftes of grace, as wi••te, vnderstandyng, minde & rea∣son, wherby he myghte not onelye (as nere as is possible) approch vnto him in the knowledge of his heauenly ma∣iestye (as concernyng soule) but aswel ymagine, searche and fynde out, by all maner wayes, aydes, comfortes & re∣medyes, wherby also the body mighte be saued and defended, agaynst all as∣saultes of any thyng that shulde anoy it: so bounteous and plentifull are his giftes implāted in our nature, that o•• al creatures we myghte haue bene th•• happiest. But after that synne had en∣tred into y^e world, and by synne deat•• (as saint Paule sayth) our corrupt ly¦uynges haue made vs more corrupt, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y^t nowe the life whiche we leade here is not onlye not very pleasaūt vnto •• moost of men, and yf it be to some, ye

it is vncertayne, mutable, and shorte: but to many other it is excedyng gre∣uous, sorowfull, and tedious, subiecte to dyseases, infortunes, and calamy∣tyes innumerable, which for the most parte doe encrease daylye, euer the iuste vengeaunce of God fallyng vpon vs for our greate abhominacions, and wythoute doubte wyll euermore en∣dure, vnlesse we doe repente, and liue in his commaundementes.

And to passe ouer al the hole swarmes of so many, both olde and newe dysea∣ses, wherewith the body of man (alas for oure synnes) is continuallye tour∣mented and vexed, to speake nothynge of these common and familier infyr∣mytes, as lepryes, agues, cancars, pockes, goutes, palseys, dropsyes, ru∣mes, phtisys, and other oute of num∣ber, which as yf they had conspyred to fight against phisicions, can scantly be appeased with anye cure of medicine, what payne or punishement can there be imagined to put vs ī remembraūce

of our own wickednes, cause vs to de∣test our abhominable liuinges, and to cal for mercy with lamētable heartes, more then this only plage and scourge of god commōly called the pestilence? Is ther any syckenesse that is halfe so violent, so furious and so horrible, as this sickenes is? What disease is ther in the world, so venemous ī infecting, so full of payne in sufferynge, so hastye in deuouryng, and so di••ici••e in curing, as the plage is? And yet are we nowe a dayes, so stubburne and so froward, or els so drowned in the myre of fyl∣thy and carnall appetites, that wee nothynge doe regarde these open and manifeste tokens of our condemnacy∣on in the syghte of God, but apply our hole studyes to perseuer in our synnes euer worse and worse: wherefore it is no meruayle though the sayde disease encreaseth, but rather to bee feared, that almyghtye God wyll poure hys indignacion vpon vs with some other kynde of plage, more violente and ter∣rible

then the same is.

But to them that doe repente, and put their onely truste in him, who can doe but wonder at his infinyte benygni∣tie, and goodnes, that euen in the mid∣deste of al the saide affliccions, prouy∣deth them of remedyes lest thei should dyspayre: cureth and amendeth all theyr grieuous sores, languours and diseases: he created medicine euen out of the earth, and of the wyse manne it shall not bee dyspysed. And surelye a∣monges all other sickenesse, is there none so daungerous▪ as is the foresaid plage, for any man to cure by the way of medicine: for it turneth it selfe in so many maner of kyndes, likenesses and fashions, y^t thei y^t are infected, are ma∣ny times dead, afore it can be knowen, that thei haue y^e same disease. Whiche thing although many noble and moste excellente learned men haue in times paste worthely considered, and there∣vpō according to their singuler know∣lage and industries geuen to them of

God, haue written vpon the causes, sygnes and cures of the said dysease, so exactly, so learnedly, and with so great eloquence, and cunnyng, that there se∣meth nothyng either to be omitted, or possible to be added, to the perfect cu∣racion of thesame: and so it would bee hard for a man of my slender witte, to inuent the thing that thei haue not in∣uented, much more in vayne should I goe about to write thesame thynges y^t they haue written alreadye: Yet not∣wythstandyng forasmuche as this dis∣ease when it once beegynneth, enfec∣teth none so much, as the commō peo∣ple, among whome it is not geuen to all men, to vnderstande the foresayde volumes, yf they hadde them present, muche lesse can they get theyr healthe by theyr owne imaginacions or expe∣rimentes, speciallye when almoste no phisicion wyll vouchesafe to visite a∣ny suche infected of the common sorte (so great is the daunger of this cruell syckenes) by reason whereof, the paci∣entes

caste themselues oftentimes in∣to despayre, and so manye of the poore people, creatures of God, whiche by good medicines myght well ynoughe recouer, for lacke of suche knowelage are vtterly destroyed and caste awaye, to the great pitye of al christē heartes, continuall ruine of the cōmon weale, with diuerse other greuous and huge incommodityes, as is daylye seene where the sayde dysease raigneth.

I therefore at the reuerence of al∣myghtye God, and for the loue that I beare vnto myne euen christen, accor∣dyng to the talent wherwith the lorde hath endewed me, vnder the correcci∣on of my frendes the phisicians, haue taken out of diuers & sondry volumes, of the moste famous authours, that haue most exactly written of the saide dysease, one peculier, certain and com∣pendeous treatise, addinge thereunto such holsome & singuler remedies, as I my selfe haue proued and knowe to be effectuall, in curyng of thesame.

Desyring god almighty, the onelye author and restorer of all health, so to gyde the heartes of hys suppliauntes, that the sayd medicines maye take ef∣fecte in them, accordyng to hys giftes: and as for my laboure, I doe nothyng desire, but the loue and fauoure of the gentle readers, whome I praye God continuallye to encrease in all goodnesse.

A treatise of the pestilence. What is ment or signified by this worde pestilence,

PEstilence is none o∣ther thing but a ve∣nemous infecciō of the ayre, enemye to the vital spirites, by a certayne malicy∣ouse and euyll pro∣perty (and not of a∣ny quality elemen∣tal that is within it self.) For euen as pure triacle is a coumforter of life, not because of heat, cold, moistnes or dry∣nes, but forasmuch as out of al his cō∣posicion there redoundeth a certayne fourme agreing to the forme of the vi∣tal spyrites of our body: so is the fore∣said vapour enemy to our natures, not for any quality, as is saide before, but for that, y^t his proporcion is direct euē contrary to our vital spirites, cōsisting in y^e heart, which vital spirites, if by y^e wil of god, & ordinary diet, be stronger in the paciēt thā y^e foresaid vapour is,

thei driue it from the bodye, & wil not bee infected. And if it happen that the foresaid spirites bee weaker then the venim, or the body ful of humors apte to putrefaccion, then it dothe inconty∣nent assaut the liuelye membres, & ex∣cept remedy, bring the body quickly to destruccion. But when we do saye the vapoure to bee venemouse, we meane not that it is a poysō of it self in dede, for then shoulde euery creature be in∣differently infected, and none shoulde escape that draweth it in breath: but I cal it venemouse, for that it is of suche a naughty qualitye, y^t it may be light∣lye conuerted into venime, that is to say, apt to burnyng and corosion, as do mercury sublimed, quicke lime or rat∣ten bane, and other such like kindes of venims. Thus ye maye perceiue that all the greate daunger that is in thys disease, commeth of the noughtines of humors, which are made apt to receiue the said vapours, & not by violence of y^e infected aire only.

¶Of the .iiii. rotes, or causes princy∣pal of the saide disease, whereof it doth arise and grow, & why it raygneth in one time more then in ano∣ther.

THe fyrst roote superior & cause of the pestilence is the wil of god, ryghtful∣lye punyshynge wycked menne, of whiche roote the holye scripture trea∣teth in manye places, as in Deu. the xxviii. chapter. If thou wylt here the voice of thy Lord God, and worke and fulfil al his cōmaundementes, y^t which I commaund to the this daye, thy god shall make the more excellent then al the people that be vpon the earth. &c

And in diuerse other places, he ge∣ueth manye blessynges to them that kepe his lawes.

And lykewyse to the people rebellinge and breaking his commaundementes,

he threateneth many curses, as where he sayeth.

If thou wylte not here the voyce of thy lorde God, to kepe and woorke all his commaundementes, whiche I cō∣maund the this daye▪ there shall come vpon the these curses, and catche the. Thou shalt be cursed in the citye, and in the fyelde, thy barne shal be cursed, thy liuing shalbee cursed, the fruite of thy wombe shalbe cursed, the fruite of thy grounde shalbe cursed, the heardes of thy shepe and cattell, shal be cursed, thou shalt be cursed at thy commyng•• in, and cursed at thy goinge out. Also a litle after he saith: The lord shal ioin•• to thee the pestilence, tyl he hath con∣sumed the out of y^e earth, to the whic•• thou shalte goe to take possession. Th•• lord shall strike the with pouertye, fe∣uers and colde, burnyng and heat, an•• with a corrupte ayre. &c,

Also in an other place. The Lord shall strike thee wyth the pestilence o•• Egypte, and the parte of thy bodye b••

the whiche thou auoydeste thy donge, with a scabbe and itche, and shalte not be able to be cured thereof: and let the heauen that is ouer thee be as hard as brasse by cruell constellacions, and the earth on whiche thou doest treade, bee like yron that euer wasteth, and wax∣eth worse and worse.

There be many other malediccions which our lord hath threatened the re∣••ellious people wythall, expressed in many places of holy scriptur, but these may be sufficient as touching our en∣tente, to shewe that many tymes the cause of this disease is the vengeaunce of almightye god, rightfully punish∣inge men for their offences.

¶The seconde roote of the pes∣tilence, which doth de∣pende of the hea∣uenly constel∣lacions.

NOow that we haue spokē of the first rote superiour, of the whiche this disease procedeth, it is also cōue∣niēt that we declare som∣what of the seconde roote or cause su∣perior, that is to wete, of natural in∣fluences of the bodyes aboue.

And ye shall vnderstande, that accor∣dyng to the saying of Marsilius Fici∣nus (a man of excellent knowlage, and no lesse learnyng) in his boke De tri∣plici vita, & in an other which he wry∣teth also of the pestilence: that among al other heauenly dodyes, ther be two bodyes called euil and malicious, that is Saturne and Mars, whiche often∣times by theyr vnholsome influences, are cause of manyfolde infyrmityes, speciallye of the pestilence. Saturn•• through colde, and Mars by excesse o•• heate. Saturne throughe colde, is th•• cause of reumes, of the leprye called elephancia, and al dyseases commyn•• of colde matter.

Mars by reason of his heate, bryn∣geth foorth feuers pestilēcial, spitting of bloud, water vnder the mydrife, and the pleuresye, the whyche is a dysease engendred lyke an apostome of chole∣ryke matter in a thicke panicle, or f••me vnderneth the ribbes.

A prouident phisicion among many other thynges, ought to consider the entring of the sūne into Aries, by true equacion of the houses and planetes, for that influēce hath more dominaci∣on, thē haue all the other influences of the hole yere beside, excepte the supe∣riour coniuncions of the planetes, or els some greate eclyps. And this en∣tryng of the sunne into Aries, passeth al the entringes of the sunne into any other signe.

Therefore you muste consyder how the lorde of the .vi. house in the figure is disposed, for he is lorde of sickenes, that is to say, you must consider whe∣ther he be impedite or no, and yf he bee impedite, there shal be many sickenes∣ses,

accordynge to his nature and hys house, that is the .vi. house, as by ex∣ample thus.

Be in case that Saturne is the lord of the .vi. house, and some earthy signe is in thesame house, then most cōmon∣ly the sickenes of that yere, shalbe of like nature, that is, colde and drye.

And ouer this thou muste consyder, whether that the lord of the .vi. house hath any aspecte with the lorde of the house of death, or the lord of the house of death to him, then moste commonly the ende of those sickenesses that are colde and drye shalbe death.

And likewise as it is declared of the entring of the sunne into Aries, so it must be saide of the coniunccions of y^e sunne and moone, through al the yere, marking euer the nature of the planet beyng in the .vi. house, yf ther be any, and the aspectes to those twoo houses aforesayde. &c.

Also he must consider, whether this entryng of the sunne into Aries, or a∣nye

of the coniuncions of the lumina∣ries, bee in the eighte house or no, for then it should be much worse.

And note, that if the eclipse of the sunne or mone, be in any of the angles of the natiuity of any person, or in any of the angles of the reuolucion of hys natiuitye, then he shal suffer sickenesse accordynge to the nature of the same angles. And if the saide eclypse bee in the myddeste of heauen, he shall suffer hurte in his honoure and fame: and yf it be in the ascendente, he shalbe grie∣ued in his body, and so foorth of other houses, but it shalbe the worser, in case the eclipse be in the ascendent, special∣ly if it be the eclipse of the sunne, for y^t is the more daungerous of the two, for asmuch as the effect of y^e eclipses of y^e mone, is alwayes finished in the space of one yere at the moste, sometyme in lesse, and for the moste parte in three monethes. But y^e effect of the eclipses of the sunne, is very long or it come to passe, somtime .12. yeres, as witnesseth

Ptolome in his centiloquio.

The Astrologians take the iudge∣ment of the yere, by the entryng of the sunne into Aries, in the firste minute, and if it then happen that al the yl pla∣netes be in the eyght house, whiche is the house of death, they saye that yere shall ryse a pestilence, and diuers other sickenesses, accordinge to y^e nature and condicion of those planetes.

And yf the moone in the same en∣tryng be nere vnto the coniunction of y^e sōne, as sometime happeneth, with∣in .ii. or thre, or four degrees, that yere shalbe a death and pestilence vniuersal and that shortely after that coniuncci∣cion, speciallye at the comminge of the mone and the euyl planetes to infor∣tunes, & as y^e infortunes be, y^t effectes shall so appeare, be they more or lesse.

Furthermore, ye muste consider the great coniuncciō of y^e .ii. hier planetes, as was the coniunccion of Saturne and Iupiter, the yere of our lorde .M.ccccc.xxv. in the last daye of Auguste, &

y^e .xiii. degre of Scorpio: whiche con∣iunccion chaunged from an ayrye tri∣plicitie to a watry, & it was in a watry signe, whereof there chaunced verye moche raine, & therupon folowed the excessiue humectacion or moystyng of mannes body, which by and by turned to putrefaction, and therupon ensued peryllous & corrupt feuers, pestilen∣ces, and agues, speciallye because in the coniuncciō, Saturne was exalted, in the north aboue Iupiter, whiche Saturne is of yl influence.

¶Of the thyrde roote or cause of thys outra∣gious sicknes. THe third rote or cause being in∣feriour, is the stynch and filthy sauours that corrupte that ayre whiche we lyue in: for we can not liue wythout drawynge of the breath, and we haue none other breth but of the ayre rounde aboute vs, which yf it be stinking, venymous & corrupt, and we

by necessitie drawe the same vnto vs, immediatly corrupteth and enfecteth the hart, and the liuely spirites of the same, and after y^t inuadeth al the other membres of the bodye to enfect them in likewise, by reason whereof is en∣gendred a corrupt & venymous feuer of pestilence, very contagious to all y^t are about thē, for the venymous ayre it selfe, is not halfe so vehement to en∣fect, as is the conuersacion or breathe of them that are enfected already, and that by reason of the agreyng of the natures, which is the very cause why our bodies be infected by contagyon of men, more then any other beastes.

Of the fourth roote or cause of the sayd disease. THe fourth rote is, the abuse of thinges not natural, that is to wete of meate and drynke, of slepe and watching, of laboure and ease, of fulnesse and emptynesse, of the passions of the minde, & of the im∣moderate

vse of lechery, for the excesse of al these thinges, be almost the chefe occasion of all such diseases as raigne among vs now a dayes.

For all that of our meate and drinke is not digested, turneth anon to putre∣faction and to euyll qualities.

And to muche slepe replenisheth the body with to great aboundance of hu∣mours, but ouer muche watching doth drye vp the natural humidities.

And as watching doth, so doth im∣moderate labour, and as slepe doth, so doeth rest and ease out of measure, put the body in greate distemper, and ma∣keth it apte vnto thys siknes, as is dayly sene.

And whoso wyl be ruled as becometh him in thys case, shal neuer be lightly infected, & if chaūce he be, he shal ease∣lye with a lytle helpe, ye somtyme by verye nature onlye, saue him selfe and ouercome the sicknes.

Nowe seyng that the causes of thys sayd disease be so great as is afore re∣hersed,

it is not to be wōdered, though the thinge it selfe be verye huge and daungerous, and of harde curacion▪ wherfore sayeth Auisen in his first of methaphisikes (althoughe he were no christian:) we must with good and ver∣tuouse lyuing mitigate the wrathe of god, and by continuall prayers kepe our selues styll in the state of grace. Therfore wold I counsel euery chri∣sten mā, that is in dout of this disease, to cure first the feuer pestilentiall of his soule, calling for y^e holsome wa∣ter, y^e wel of life, wherof it is written. Omnes sitientes venite ad aquas. &c. Whiche waters he onlye giueth, that said to his disciples. Qui biberit ex a∣qua quam ego dabo illi: erunt in ven∣tre eius aque viue salientes in vitam eternam. And this done vndoubtedly the syckenesse of the bodye shal be the easyer to be cured,

And for because the other soueraine remedy preseruatiue is to flie the cor∣rupt ayre, accordyng to the prouerbe,

Longe, cito, tarde. Flye be tymes, flye farre, and come slowelye agayne.

¶Yet for so muche as euery man can not, nor is of abilitye so for to do, it is good for them to loke vpon this litle regiment, wherin with the ayde of al∣myghtye god the hye Phisicion, yf the venyme be not to outragyouse, he shal fynde howe to preserue him selfe well ynough from it.

And for the better knowlege and vn∣derstandynge of thys treatyse, ye shall knowe y^t it is deuided into .ii. partes.

¶The first is of y^e maner of preserue a manne from the pestilence only by dyete, in suche thynges wythout the whyche, one can not be longe alyue in healthe.

¶The seconde treateth of the cure of the sayd disease by the way of holsom medycine.

¶The first part is distribute into .vii lytle chapters,

• ¶The fyrste chapter treateth of the election of the ayre.
• ...

• ¶The .ii. of meates and drinkes.
• ¶The .iii. treateth of sleaping and of wakynge.
• ¶The fourth treateth of excercyse.
• ¶The fifth of emptynes and fulnes.
• ¶The syxt speketh of the accidentes of the mynde.
• ¶The .vii. of medicines preparatiue.

The second parte is deuy∣ded into .vi, chapters.

• ¶The fyrste, howe to knowe whan a man is infected.
• ¶The second, of the cure of the pesti∣lence by the way of dyete.
• ¶The thyrde, of the cure of the pesti∣lence by the power of medicines.
• ¶The .iiii. of cure therof by lettynge of blood, ventoses, and purgacions.
• ¶The .v. of the cure of the same by outwarde applicacions.
• ¶The .vi. how to cure the botch cal∣led a Carbuncle, or Anthrax.

¶The fyrste chapter of the fyrste part, treating of the elec∣tion of the ayer.

ALthough the dispo∣siciō of the aier cold and drie, or els mo∣derately moiste, be moche commenda∣ble in y^e time of pe∣stylence, yet there must be moderatiō in the same, as well as in the .vi. thinges not natural here∣tofore declared. For ye muste haue a good respecte vnto the complexiō, the age, the custome of lyuing, the region, composicion of the bodye, strengthe, sicknes time, and many other thinges. For some requyre an ayer more hote, than other some do, and likewise in o∣••her thynges, the whiche I do remyt vnto the good discreacion of euery wel lerned man, and to such other as haue any knowlege of naturall thynges. For the more suerty, it is good for thē y^t may, to dwel in hygh or hylly groū∣des, hauing in the mornyng whan the sunne is vp, a wyndowe open toward

the easte, and whan the sonne goethe downe, an other windowe open to∣ward the west, and close vp al y^e win∣dowes on the south syde, for that wīd is verye yll in time of pestilence.

Also it is good to rectifie the ayre within the house, yf it be in somer, by sprynklyng in the chamber vynegre, & water of roses: if it be winter or colde make a lusty fier of clene wood, & put in it encence, mirre, laurel tre, or iuni∣per, or cipres: and in tyme temperate, mingle the hote thinges with y^e colde aforesayde.

Whiche sprincklinges, and burnin∣ges, ye maye make at all times whan ye wyll, but specially in the morning, to correcte the vapoures of the night.

I rede in Plotyne, that the egip∣tians were wont to fume their houses and theyr bodyes in the day with tur∣pentine or rosin, and in the night with mirre caste vpō the coales, and so resi∣sted al venimous ayres & contagions.

The fyrste hath so greate vertue a∣gainst

the pestilence, that we rede how Hypocrates preserued the hole coūtry and citye of Athenes, by makynge of great fyres in the stretes, and al about the towne by nighte, and so deliuered them from the certayne death y^t shuld haue comen among them. For which cause the citizens of the sayde towne, made vnto hym an ymage al of golde, and honoured hym alyue as yf he had bene a god.

And it is good in hote time, to s••we the chambre ful of wyllowe leaues, & other fresh boughes, which must be ga∣thered after the sunne setting, & lay a∣bout your bedde and windowes, vine leaues, quinces, pomegranades, oren∣ges, lymons, citrons, and suche other frutes, that are odoriferous, as roses, floures of nenuphar, violettes, & other like. And in cold times, take sage, lau∣rell, minte, wormwood, nept, bawme, rue, and galingale, whiche thynges ye maye somtyme cary aboute wyth you in a cloth to take the ayer of them.

And in time of heate, temper a sponge or a cloute in water of roses, & vine∣gre. And in tyme of cold ye may adde to it a litle cinamome, & thus he that is disposed to haue precious sauours, as pomeaunders, or other such, may cōpose them according to necessitie, & as y^e cōplexiō of his body shal require. Alway takyng hede y^e women whiche are wyth chyld, and they that haue y^e suffocation of the mother or els catar∣res, take no such odour, as shal put thē selues to any daunger, or displeasure.

In a colde tyme it is good to hold in the mouth, zedoary, enulacampana, cinamome, cloues, the rinde of a citrō, lignum aloes, or any one of them. But yf the season of the yere be hoote, then take corianders prepared, graines of paradyse, saunders, seedes of orenges, or of lymons. And in tēper at wether myngle the one with the other. But it is good in all tymes, to beare about you preciouse stones, (yf ye haue thē) speciallye a iacincte, a rubie, a garnet,

an emeralde, or a saphyre, whiche hath a special vertue agaynst the pestilence, & they be the stōger, yf they be borne vpon youre naked skinne, chieflye vp∣on the fourth finger of the left hande, for that hath greate affinitie with the hert aboue other membres.

And as touchynge them that are con∣tynually among the sycke of this dis∣ease, they muste take hede in any wise, to kepe them from theyr breathe, and that they do not stande betwene them and the fyre, nor receiue the odoure of theyr swettes, vrynes, vomites, and o∣ther excrementes of the bodye nor to eate and drynke with thē, nor in their vesselles, nor to lye in theyr couches, nor weare any of theyr apparel, except they be well sunned, or wethered in the cleane ayer.

It is also good to flye from al pla∣••es that be corrupte, or stynkyng, and to kepe the stretes & houses very swete and cleane. And the rulers ought so to prouide, that no filthy donge, nor any

deade caryons, be cast into the stretes, for that shulde sore enfecte the ayer, & bryng many mē to death. And during al the time of this disease, there ought to be no hote houses vsed, but forbid∣den and locked vp, tyl suche tyme they se no further daunger,

¶The second Chapter, of eatyng and dryn∣kyng.

THe meates oughte to be of very lyghte digestion, more in somer then in winter, hauing alwaye an eye vnto the cōplexi∣ons, customes and other thinges aforesayde. The houre what tyme ye shal receyue your meat, is when your appetyte cū∣meth vpon you, after the fyrst digestiō made. Great repletion ought to be ab∣horred, but a sufficient meale is verye holsome. Neither is diuersitie of mea∣tes alowed of anye phisike, but yf ye wyll haue diuers sortes, then beginne

wyth them that are the lyghtest to di∣gest, and that best nourisheth y^e bodye.

Your bread muste be of pure corne, kept in good ayre, and not fusty, mete∣ly well salted, with sufficient leuen, & baken in a place where none euyl▪ aire is, and it must be of a day or two daies olde, or there about.

Wheate is beste among al other cor∣nes, euen as wyne amonge al other li∣cours, althoughe the ba••lye bread be good for them y^t minde to kepe them leane. Meates of euil taste, after they be longe dead, & stynkyng fishe in lyke maner, and the fattes of al fishes, and meates that haue bene twise sodden, thicke wyne and troublous, or other∣wyse corrupte, waters of ma••ishes, & blacke groundes, and al such corrupte meates & drinkes, be very peryllous. But good wyne, sauoury, and cleare, and good meates taken with an appe∣tyte are cause of health, and preserua∣tion from the pestilence.

Vinegre is a noble thyng in tyme of

pestilence, yf ye haue none other impe∣dimēt to let you to receiue it, & ye may correct it accordyng to the nature of y^e cause, in suche wyse, as may be cōfor∣table to the vital sprites of the harte.

Borage and buglosse, are very good preseruatyues in this case, and so is a lytle quantitie of saffron, orenges, ly∣mons, pomgranades, citrons, prunes of damaske, & other such, in good con∣ueniente quantitie, addyng to them a lytle suger, and cynamone for correc∣cion,

A nutte is called the triacle of fishe, shaled & sugered with a lytle rose wa∣ter: and as sayth Isaac, a nut & a figge drye taken afore dynner, preserueth a man from al maner of poisons.

The thyrde Chapter, of slepynge and watchyng.

TO moche slepe engen∣dreth many humoures in the body, specially yf it be in the daye tyme; & it dulleth the memorye, and maketh a man vn∣lusty and apte to receiue the pestilence. Therefore▪ created al∣mighty god y^e night, wherin we shulde rest, & the daye for to kepe vs waking that we fal not into synne and slouth. Surely, to slepe on the day time is ex∣ceadyng hurtfull, for when the sunne ryseth, he openeth y^e poores of the bo∣dy, and bryngeth the humors and spi∣rites from within, to the outwarde partyes, whiche prouoketh a man to watching, and excercyse or workes.

And contrary wise when the sunne goeth downe, al thinges are closed & coacted, whiche naturally prouoketh a man to reste.

Moreouer, the stomake by the vehe∣mēt heat of the day is naturally dila∣ted and spredde abrode: so euer against 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

¶The .v. Chapter, of empti∣nesse and fulnes.

IT is holsome for you, e∣uery day once to procure the duety of the womb, yf ye can not naturally, yet at y^e least waies seke some other meanes, as by a glister or suppository, for the long witholding of anye superfluities, is in this tyme very daungerous and hurt∣full. And all the time the sayde disease endureth, they that haue any fistules, ought not to be cured.

And they that haue anye yssues by theyr hemoroides, may not be restrai∣ned without the fluxe be sore excessiue, & they that had y^e foresayd hemoroides and wer cured afore, let them open thē agayne for feare of further daunger. Also thei that are disposed to be scab∣bye, hauyng great ytche, and such dys∣eases of the skinne, ought to bring the matter out by rubbyng, and vehement clawing with their nales.

Excesse of women, is exceadyng pe∣rillous, but yf ye can not rule youre selfe, take good hede, ye do nothinge a∣fore the firste digestion, and tyl nature doeth prouoke you, for euery such ex∣cesse weakeneth more y^e body, thē if ye should be let bloud .xl. times somuche, as witnesseth Auicenna, and is cause many times of pestilence, & of death.

¶The .vi. Chapter, of acci∣dentes of the minde.

YE must beware of a•• thinges that should make you to be pen∣sife, heauy, thought∣ful, angry or melan∣cholike, for all suche thinges are inoughe to enfecte a manne alone.

Passe the time ioyfully ī good thinges honest and decent, euery manne accor∣ding to his owne heart, and the estate that God hath called hym vnto.

¶The .vii. Chapter, of medi∣cines preseruatiues.

ALl they that are of good complexiō and of holesome dyete, neede not to be pur∣ged. For an hole bo∣dye and voyde of all humours, is not lyghtly taken of the pestilence, as the o∣ther are.

But yf it be a bodye ful of humors, or a greate eater without any exercise or trauayle, suche ought to lette them∣selues be purged, and thei that haue to much quantity of bloud, or if y^e bloude be anye thing corrupte, they oughte to aske counsayle of some good experte phisicions, and not to put theyr truste in any vayne bosters that detracte o∣ther, which in al cases and at al times, geue them mercury precipitant, and o∣ther medicines corrosiue, whiche for y^e moste parte are venime of themselues

and vnder coulor of an other medicine do disceyue the pacient, a wōder to be∣holde, how craftely they couer it, some time in sirupe, sometimes in suger, o∣therwhiles in figges, lozenges, or rai∣sins, leste it should appeare (as it is in dede) that thei geue the pacientes very quickesiluer. Some other affirme that the mercury is quenched, or throughly mortified, & worketh none otherwyse but by secrete quality againste all dys∣eases in the bodie of manne: for the ex∣cesse of elementes saye they, is clerely corrected in precipitacion and adustiō of the fier. How commeth it to passe (if this be true) that when a litle of it is set vpon a cole and a pece of fine gold adioyned to it, we maie se plainely the verie quicksiluer, cleuing to the golde, and wil make it as brittle as if it had lien in verye raw mercurye? Yea how chaunceth it that when it is mingled with hote creame, it will bee crude a∣gayne as it was afore. And to saye the trueth the quicke siluer raw, is better

to be dronken, then suche as is subly∣med, for y^t hath bene permitted, bothe of Dioscorides & of diuers other: But we neuer read of anye good phisicion y^t euer gaue counsell to take the preci∣pitate, because of the copporose & other venimous ingredience being with it.

And although that for the time per∣aduenture some escape, & fele not their effect in dede as mani other do (that is to saye, debility of the vertue radycall, of the stomake & other membres prin∣cipal, purging of the good humors and leauynge the euyll wythin the bodye, wherof ensueth many times death) yet they leaue a certaine euill qualitye or impression of the bodyes in al that do receiue them, and so they make worke for good phisicions, to the great hurte of them that haue beleued them. Such galauntes should go proue their pouder made of quicksiluer, amonge y^e Turkes and Sarisins, and not vpon theyr euen christen, and theyr neygh∣bours. But nowe to our entente.

The pylles called pylluse com∣munes, aboue other pylles preserua∣tiues, are allowed to bee of hyest o∣peracion, by reason of a certayne pro∣pertye that they haue within them, as Rufus the composer of them sayeth, that he neuer sawe any manne that v∣sed them, but he was preserued from the pestilence.

There goeth into their composicion▪ myrre & aloes, whiche haue great ver∣tue to kepe the bodye from putrefacti∣on, and are made thus.

Take of aloes epatik wel washed▪ it drammes, myrre washed, and saffron, of eche a dramme, make them vp with white wine, or the iuyce of lymons, or of orenges and suger.

Some take them euery third day, the weight of halfe a dramme, in the mor∣nyng .iii. pylles, and euery daye one a¦fore supper. Let eueri mā do according to his nede, and as his body is replete with humors, but it is good to drinke after thē a good draught of wine, tem∣pered

in a litle water of roses, or of wormewoode, and yf they be to hard, let them be resolued in the sirupe of li∣mons, or a litle wine.

Some doctours ioyne vnto them o∣ther spyces, after the complexion of y^e person, and the humour that they nede to purge. And thei wash the aloes and the myrre, in an hote season, and for hym that hath an hote liuer, in water of roses and of endiue, but in that let euery manne be his owne iudge: yet I woulde counsayl them to sticke rather to the good experymentes that haue bene accustomed, than the fantasies of theyr owne imaginacions.

The Apoticaries ought to haue in store bothe the twoo sortes, and to see that they be sufficiently leuened, and that the foresaid aloes be elect & pure.

They which haue the hemoroydes and woulde vse the foresayde pylles, lette them adde a litle mastike, or the gumme that is called bdellium. Yf a∣ny haue a bloudye fluxe, or excoriacion

of the bowels, lette hym not receyue thē without a better counsel. Women also greate with chylde, and they that are subiect to any fluxe of bloud ought not to receyue them.

Amonge other thynges, it is a good preseruatiue, and a thynge wel experte and commended, to eat in the morning fastyng one drye fygge, one walnutte, and foure or .v. leaues of rue, chopped all together, and afterwarde to drynke a draught of good wyne. But it shalbe sufficient for them that are with child to take the sayde thynges, leuyng oute the rue.

In an hote season it is good to tem∣per the sayd wine with a litle rosewa∣ter or of violettes. Some other take .v houres afore diner, thre times a weke, the weight of half a crowne of mithri∣datum, or of fine treacle, tempered in a litle good wine. But in time of heat and for hote complexions, it is good to put in it a litle conserua roses, & to mingle them with water of sorell, or

of borage, or of buglosse.

Mithridatum is a greate medicine a∣gainst al kind of venime, for we reade that the founder of it, kynge Mythry∣dates, who dydde vse to eate thereof, coulde neuer be hurt by anye kinde of poison. Thesame Mithridates beyng ouercome in battayle of y^e Romaines, woulde haue killed himselfe with the moste swyftest poyson that coulde bee deuysed, but when he hadde dronken manye sortes of suche, and neuer a one wroughte anye thynge to purpose, he caused hymselfe to bee slayne of hys seruauntes, after whose death Pom∣peius, the graund captain of the hoost, founde in hys secrete coffers, a certain byll written of hys owne hande, in effecte thus.

Twenty leaues of rue .ii. fatte figges, two walnuttes, and a litle salte, who∣soeuer eateth of this shal be sure from al kynde of venime that daye.

The good triacle also hath a greate vertue, but there ought to be a punish∣ment

of them that dooe abuse it wyth counterfaicted stuffe, which deceiueth many people and causeth them to dye, that put theyr truste in it.

Some other take in tyme of colde, a cloue or .ii. of garlike, which is called y^e housebandmans triacle, & after drinke a draughte of good wine, and in hote time take and eate a few leaues of so∣rell, and drynke a draughte of the wa∣ter therof distilled, for it is excellent & good in all complexions, tymes and a∣ges. Also it is good to drynke euerye mornynge a draughte against the pes∣tilence that is thus made.

¶A drinke for the pestilence. Take in the moneth of Iune or at any other conueniēt time, our lady thistle, burnet, scabious, gētiane, sorel, of eue∣ry one a like much, floures of buglosse, red roses, herbe dragons, and matfe∣lon or marsus diaboli, twise as much as all the other, stepe them al in white wine & rosewater, during one nyghte, then set them al in a cōmon stillatory,

waying in for euery pound of herbes, half an ounce of bole armeny poudred, augmentynge the proporcion, accor∣dynge to the quantitye of the herbes: then styl a water, and for euerye pynte of it, take the weighte of a crowne of saffron, half an ounce of yelowe saun∣ders finelye poudred, and put them all in a violle with the foresayde water stopped, and set them in the sunne one moneth. This is a noble water for a manne whiche hath the pestylence, to drynke.

And he that wil, maye put a litle su∣ger, and pouder of cinamome in it, that it maye be more pleasaunt in the taste. He that can not fynde the sayde herbe called matfelon, or morsus diaboli in latine, let him take the double weight of dragons. It hath a roote as it were halfe eaten of by the myddes, and it is so called, because the fable is, the deuil bit it of, for thenuy he hath to mā, lest we shoulde obtayne the great vertues of the same.

The horne of an vnicorne put in the drinke, whole or ī pouder, hath a great effecte against the said dysease, and a∣gainste all kyndes of poyson.

¶Here foloweth a very good preseruatiue for the com∣mon people, ready at al tymes and of smal coste. Take an ounce of leaues of rue, half an ounce of good figges, one ounce of Ienuper buries, twoo ounces of wal∣nuttes piked .iiii. ounces of vineger, & a good quantitye of saffron, stampe all the foresaide thynges together, and reserue them in an earthen cuppe, or a glasse faste stopped, that no ayre yssue, whereof yf ye receyue in the mornyng vpon a knifes poynte, the quaintity of a beane, or more, ye shalbe sure by the grace of god not to be infected in four and twenty houres after.

¶An other pouder for the same. Take pure and electe bole armony∣acke,

not counterfaict, but suche as is without grauel, smoth, somewhat shi∣nynge, and to the eye a farre of moste like a very stone, not to brittle, nor to hye coulored, for such is commonly so∣phisticate. Take I saye, the sayde bole armoniake, & grynde it vnto fine pou∣der, than washe it in white wyne or in rosewater, or water of buglosse, sorell, or wormewoode, or scabious, after∣warde drye it and pouder it agayn, and doe so .v. or .vi. tymes, euer washinge, drying and pouderyng the same, and at laste set it vp in a cleane vessell, tyll ye nede to vse it.

Men of hote complexion, yf they wil receiue it, muste take of it a sponefull with vineger, or water of sorel.

And they that be of colde complexi∣on, maye take it in a litle wyne, or sca∣biouse water in the mornynge. For it preserueth the bodye, from all corrup∣cion, consumeth the superf••uous hu∣mours, and driueth awaye the venym from the herte.

An other singuler remedy preseruatiue for ryche men and delicate of complexion. TAke zedoarie, lignum aloes, a∣grimoni, saffron, aristologia ro∣tunda, yf it maye bee gotten, whyte dyptanye, gentian, the rinde of a citron, the sede of citron, of euery one a scruple, corianders prepa∣rate, turmentil, red saūders, red coral, red roses, iuori, mirabolanes, emblike, of eueri one a dramme, terra sigillata, two drammes, bole armonyake three drammes, pouder all these, and wyth fyne suger, and sirupe of acetositate ci∣tri, make a noble electuarye, and kepe it as a treasure of mans health, in the tyme of pestilence.

An other soueraine and good∣ly receite bothe preser∣uatiue and cura∣tyue.

TAke a hēnes egge, newly laid, and make a hole in the crown, by the which ye shall draw out al the white thereof, and leaue the yolke within the shell, which done fyll the same egge, with good englysh saffron whole, as much as may be stuf∣fed in the shell, than drye this egge a∣gainst the fyer, or in an ouen, whan the bread is out, so longe tyl the shell bee vtterlye blacke and brent, and the rest sufficiently brittle and drie, make it in pouder in a morter, and adde to it as∣much pouder of mustarde sede as shall weye al the hole egge: than take thys ingredience at the apothecaries. Dita∣my, turmentille, nux vomica, of eche a dramme, pouder euery one of them by it selfe, then put them altogether, and put to it rewe, pionie roote, zedoarye, camphere, and fyne tryacle, of eche e∣qual portion, so that the weight of thē v. be asmuche as al the rest, beat them in a morter by the space of .ii. houres, tyll all bee incorporated together in a

lumpe, than put it in a glasse, and kepe it couered with a lefe of gold, in a cold place, for it wyl laste thus .xxx. yeres, without corrupcion, and is a thing of inestimable value in this case: the dose of it to preserue, is but one halfe peny weight, or lesse, yea the weyght of one barlye corne, hath in it a marueylouse strength, in defendyng the body.

But yf one were infected alredy, than he muste receyue afore lettyng blood ii. or .iii. graynes, after his bleedynge gyue hym in the name of god, an hole scruple, or, ii. or, iii. (yf his strengthe wyll serue) tempered with wine for a hote takynge, and in great colde with a litle aqua vite, and therupon sweat. ¶I haue knowē whan the sicke hath bene vtterlye desperate, and could re∣teine nothing, yet by the grace of god, thorough y^e meanes of two scrupules hereof, myxte with a litle aqua vite, bothe the vomyte immediatly ceassed, and nature recouered, escaped the daunger of death.

AS concerning swete waters to sprinkle vpō your clothes and thynges of pleasaunt o∣doure, to be caste vpon the coles when ye aryse on mor∣nynges, and also the makynge of good and holsome pomaunders, to smel vp∣on in tyme of pestilence, for the con∣tentacion of them that are desyrous, I shall here rehearse i. or .ii. of euerye sorte, to the entent ye maye (whan ye be disposed) eyther vse them, or deuise other of the same makynge: as it shall be requisite accordyng to necessitye.

Fyrste a swete water that is made thus. TAke water of roses, violettes or nenuphar, or one of them, or of al togyther one pound, good vinegre two oūces, ma••ueseie, muscadyne, or other pleasaūte wyne, three ounces, of bothe the saun∣ders, of eche one dramme & an halfe, ••amphore, one scruple, and yf ye haue

any gallia muscata, adde thereto halfe a dramme, mingle them togither, and sprinkle vpon your clothes, whē ye be disposed. The ryghte excellente, and famouse doctoure Iohannes Manar∣dus also, in the thyrde epistle of hys fyfth boke, doeth shewe, how to make in tyme of Pestilence, two soueraigne perfumes, the one for to serue in som∣mer whyche is made thus.

A Fumigation for Somer. TAke redde ambre .ii. partes, the leaues of mirte, f••oures of ne∣nuphar, roses, vyo∣lets, saffron, maces, & yelowe saunders, of eyther of them .i. part, camphore, am∣bre, beniamin, halfe a parte, muske the tenth of one part, myngle al togyther, this is a pleasaunte and comfortable sauour in the tyme of somer.

¶But in winter season ye maye vse this. TAke storax calamita, yreos, ma∣styke, of ech two partes, cloues, maces, nutmigges, cinamome, saffron, of eche one parte, aumbre the fyfthe of one parte, mushe the tenthe of one parte, mingle all togither and make a fumigacion.

And of these pouders ye may make litle balles or pomaūders, to beare a∣bout with you at al times, but the last receyte must be wel incorporate with a lytle storax liquida, and lapdanum, & the other with lapdanum, gumme, dragagant, and rosewater.

¶An other goodly pomaun∣der for gentlewemen and ladyes. TAke the rind of an orenge, clo∣ues, lignum aloes, of eche, one dramme, calamus aromaticus half a dramme, alipta muscata one dramme, roses, myrtylles, of eue∣ry one half a dramme, nutmigge, cina∣mome,

beniamin, of euery one a scru∣ple make it vp in a morter, with Sto∣rax liquida, with sufficiente waxe, and maluesey addinge in the ende, of cam∣phore halfe a scrupule or more.

ANd in the tyme of pestilence, ye ought to kepe the house eue¦ry day til the sonne be vp, and if it chaunce that ye go amōg a great multitude of people, wher is a¦ny daunger to be feared: ye may chew a litle zeddary in your mouth, ones in an houre or two, but hold it not cōty∣nuallye for hurtynge of the gummes, zedoarie (as sayeth Auicenne in hys boke de viribus cordis) cōforteth the herte, and engendreth good blood, it is holsome for the stomake (as affyrmeth Plinie) maketh good digestyon, and prouoketh appetyte.

¶Constantyne in his booke of de∣grees, sayeth it hath a great power a∣gaynste venyme, and the stynkyng of the mouth, it breaketh wynde, and cu∣reth y^e bytinges of venemous beastes

and serpentes.

When the sunne shinethe in a cleare day, ye maye walke in gardeynes, me∣dowes, hilles & by riuers, but beware of lakes, standyng pooles, and fennes, for oftentymes the enfection of the ayre, aryseth of the corrupte va∣poures, boylyng out of suche vnholsome places.

The seconde parte, of the cure of one that is enfected with the pestilence alreadye.

Howe to knowe a man that is infected, the fyrst chapter.

WE sayd in the beginninge, how y^e pestilence was en∣gendred of the corrupt and noughtie ayer, turning all the humoures of the body quycklye to corrupcion & to venyme. Wherefore we muste take hede be ty∣mes, lest the vital mēbres be infected

of the sayd poison, for it euer seketh to the hert, and yf it come vnto the hert, afore the medicine, then is there no recouery, for not one amōg an hūdred lyueth. For the sayde venyme is so swyfte, so fearce, and so boystous of it selfe, that it wyll not (without greate difficultie) be put out of possession, but dryueth awaye the medicine from the herte agayne.

But yf the medicine come vnto the hert afore the venym hath the vpper∣hande, then he dryueth it oute, by the helpe of the vertue expulsyue, of the spyrituall membres, and that expulsiō commonly is by swette.

And for because somtimes a man is poysoned, & can not tell him selfe, nor none that is about him, wherof many daūgers doth arise, for as y^e prouerbe is, one scabbye shepe enfecteth a hole flocke, therfore it shalbe necessary that euery man take hede vnto hym selfe, & consydre all the signes & tokens that shal be sayd herafter: for the more care

that he hath about that, the soner shal he escape out of the daunger.

And yf a mā feleth hym selfe infecte, aboue all thynge let hym remembre god, for it is a sycknesse y^t in a twink∣līg of an eie may bring a mā to death.

Firste let hym loke whether in hys arme holes, flākes, or vnder his necke there be any aposteme or swellyng, or whether in any other partes of his bodi ther appeare any grene, blacke, or euil coulored sore, for that is the signe that neuer fayleth, but the person cer∣taynly is enfected, Notwithstanding euery man enfected with y^e pestilence hath not such vlcers, botches or sores, wherefore ye muste take heede of the other signes hereafter, that ye be not deceiued for lacke of y^e said apostemes. But what is the cause y^t such aposte∣mes somtimes doth appeare, & some∣times doth not? no doubt, but because that whē the venim is so vehement & so furious, and hath gotten hold in the bodye of man, nature by reason of the

swyftenesse of the infecciō, is so trou∣bled, letted, and entangled, that she cā∣not tell whiche waye to succoure, & so can driue out none apostemes, & that is more perillous, thē yf ther wer ma∣ny sores. But againe, when y^e venim is but meanely furious, & the nature of y^e pacient strong ynough by reason of good humours, thē it defendeth itself and driueth the venim from the hert & principall membres, to such places as it may be best auoyded at, which brea∣keth forthe by comuvlsion in botches, carbuncles and other sores.

The seconde sygne is, yf ye feele a greate pryckyng and shotyng in youre bodye, and specially in any of the .iii. clensyng places, y^t is to say the necke, the armeholes and the flankes.

The thyrde signe is when ye fele an outragious heate within you, as yf ye were in the fire. Which heat somtime spreadeth it self abrode through al the hole body, and otherwhyle ther ary∣seth suche a colde, that it maketh a mā

to shake as yf he were in a feuer. Wherin al ye that be infected, muste take hede: for some there be y^t in the beginning fele not such a feruēt heate outwardly, but it is within as greate as yf they burned, with moche heuy∣nesse of y^e head, drynesse of y^e mouth, & extreme thirst. Wherby many one are compelled for to slepe euen for verye labour of the spirytes, and some other watch, and are so out of quyete that a man wold thynke they were fallen in to a phrenesye.

The fourth sygne is, yf great vapours and fumes arise out of the body, when a man is in a bathe, and wolde fayne sweate, but he can not.

The fifth signe is yf the paciente can not drawe his breath easely, for many one is so strayte wynded, that he can not speake, and when he breatheth it is with great laboure and difficultie.

The sixt signe is vehemente payne of the heed, suche as is wont to be in a frenesy. But there be some for al that,

that in the beginning of the infeccion, fele nothīg so great peyne as we haue spoken of in the heed. Notwithstan∣ding this is a general rule, y^t the pesti∣lence can not be in the body, without some payne, or heuinesse in the heed▪ The .vii. signe is great desyre to slepe, frō y^e which many one can not abstaine him selfe in any wise, nor can not be kept waking of thē y^t are aboute him. The .viii. sygne is chaungynge of the syght, for somtimes there commeth to the pacientes eies, as it wer a yelowe colour, somtimes al that he beholdeth he thynketh it to be grene.

The .ix. signe is peine of the mouthe, or an vnnatural tast, bytter, soure, or∣stinkinge. The tenthe sygne is often ••omiting, bitter, & of diuers colours. The .xi. is heuinesse and dulnes of al the hole body, and swownynge, and weakenesse of the limmes, These be y^e principal signes & tokens whereby ye may perceyue whē any mā is infected. Notwithstandyng all these signes are

not euer manifest, for somtymes it is sene, that one hath had the pestilence, & felt nothyng at all, yea and somtimes the vrine wyl be as fayre and as good to sight, as in a hole man, because the humours come not at the lyuer, and the feuer wylbe smal or none, for that the venime is not in a hote humoure, and so driueth out no heate, and yet the pacient by and by dyeth.

Somtymes also he shal thynke hym selfe hole, bycause that nature in the fyrste brunt droue the venome from the herte, and yet anon after his lyfe passeth from hym, for that nature was not strong ynough at the next assult, eyther by reson it was vexed & weried in the firste, or els the venime perad∣uenture multiplied or chaunged into more malignitie or nerer to the herte than it was afore. Euery one in the begynnyng seme lightly to be better, for then the strength of nature is ga∣thered al togither to stād againste hys enemye, but it is not so in other euyll

sickenesses. The paciente also manye tymes thynketh hym selfe stronge ynoughe, because the venime worketh not so cruellye vpon the other mēbres as it doth vpon the herte.

Wherfore in time of pestilence, when ye fele your selfe in any thing diseased, dryue not forth y^e time in loking whē the signes aforesaid shuld appeare, nor stande not in examining or doubtyng whether ye be infected or no, for ye maye be sure, that so longe as thys dysease raigneth in y^e country where ye are, ye shall haue fewe sicknesses, but eyther is pestilence alreadye, or els wyll be within a whyle: and so gyue your selfe to y^e cure of the Pesti∣lence, for while the noughty influence of that infecciō dureth, al superfluous humours may lghtly be enfected, and that is the onlye cause, why in time of pestilēce, ther is so few of other infir∣mities. For as soone as many sortes of other syknesses doo arise, the pesti∣lence abateth and is gone.

And here is to be noted, that what∣soeuer chyld in the tyme of pestilence, be vexed with the wormes, ye maye safely affirme y^t he is infected, for it is a matter so disposed to the pestilence, euen as is brymstone, to be kindled of the fyre. This haue many phisicions not considered, & bicause of that, haue bene deceiued in theyr cure. Here I haue declyned by occasion, but now to our intent.

When one or two, or more of these sygnes aforesaid are knowē to be in a bodye, let hym not despyse them, nor put any foolyssh trust in the strēgth of his cōplexiō, as many one haue done, & by and by dyed, nor let no man trust y^e colour of his vryne, or mouing of the pulse: for somtymes the strength is so excessyue in the venyme, that a man is deed afore the naturall vertues are a∣ble for to succour him, or to dryue a∣waye the venim from the herte. And herein haue many wise phisicions also ben deceyued, and haue euyl iudged of

the pacientes pronostyke.

Therfore by and by without delaye, ye muste admynystre some good and holsome medicine, as shalbe sayd her∣after, or elles the stylled water that we spake of in y^e former Chapiter, or some other valiaunt medicine against the pestilence, that it may descend vn∣to the hert afore the venyme haue the vpperhande of nature.

For yf it bee once settled at the hert, I affirme plainely, ther is no hope at al. Yet there be some fooles, that tarye tyl the twelueth houre, or the foure & twentye, after the infeccion, and they boost them selues that they wil heale the pacient, but that is a manifest & a a shameful errour, for yf any by chaūce is so recouered, it commeth of God, & not of any medicine, for where as one so escapeth, an hundred other perisshe.

Notwithstandyng yf the case so be that ye be not called, or can gette no remedy afore the said time, caste not your selfe into dispayre, or put not the

paciēt in discomfort, take or giue your medicine in y^e name of God, and yf ye can not brooke it, take asmuch agayn and do so many tymes til ye maye re∣tayne it, thē lay ye downe to sweate, and lyft vp your hert to God, callinge vpon hym, without whom there is no helth, and by the grace of Iesu, ye nede not to be feareful of death, for that y^e is impossible to man, is easye ynough with God, yea many times nature worketh it selfe, aboue al natural ex∣pectaciō. But I counsaill at the firste begynnyng to receyue the medicines, when any of the forsayde signes ap∣peareth, or when ye fele your selfe diseased, for the venyme perceth soner to the herte, of the cholerike, thē either of the sanguyne or the melancholyke, although the sanguynes are apter to infeccion, then the other are, chefelye yf the sycknesse be in somer.

They that are of melancholy be not lyghtly taken, but in case they be, thē the cure is very daūgerouse and hard.

Therefore I saye take heede at the beginnyng as the prouerbe is. Prīcipiis obsta, sero medicina paratur Lū mala per longas inualuere moras.

Take the medicine quickely, and let thy selfe bloud, and remember god the phisicion of thy soule, and withoute doubt, thou shalt well inough recouer.

Nowe we haue declared the signes by whiche ye maye easily know whan a person is infected, and wee sayde it was conueniente to take the medicyne as soone as anye of them appeareth, without any longer tarying, afore the venime commeth to the hearte, here wee wyll enfourme you, howe ye shall perceiue whether the saide venime bee setled in the hearte or no.

Take a dramme of bole armeny made in pouder accordyng to the doctrine of y^e last chapter in the first part, and if ye can not get it, take some other excellēt medicine against y^e pestilence, namely one of the receites that shall bee sayde hereafter, and geue it to y^e pacient, but

there can nothyng be better, then the foresaide pouder yf ye haue it at hand.

Take I saye thereof one dramme, & an ounce of white wyne, and odorife∣rous, with two ounces of water of ro∣ses, mingle them, and geue them to the pacient. The blacke receit declared in the Chapter of preseruatiues, maye be wel vsed in stede of the bole.

And yf he maye retayne the drynke within his stomake, it is a good signe that the venime was not at the hearte afore he toke the medicine, and there∣fore he may be let bloude wel inough.

But yf the pacient cannot broke the saide drinke, but cast it vp and vomite, then ye maye be sure, that the venyme hath bene at y^e heart afore y^e medicine.

Therfore by and by wash his mouth with wine, or with water of scabious, of sorel, or of roses, and it ought to be very wel mundified and clensed.

Then geue hym an other dose of the said drinke, and heat a cruste of bread, and holde it to his nose, that he maye

the better kepe the foresayd pocion▪ And if the seconde tyme he caste it vp againe, and is not able to reteine it, wash his mouth as is saide before, and geue it him the thyrde tyme, with a li∣tle vineger, that it may perce the bet∣ter, and so .vi. or .vii. times, if he do not holde it, geue it hym agayne, and then whether he retayneth it, or retayneth it not, by and by ye ought to lette hym bloude.

But in case the paciente were infected xxiiii. houres afore ye geue the drinke, neuer let him bloud, for y^e can nothing helpe him, but rather make him feble, but administer a medicine ordeyned for the pestilence, as is sayde afore, or such as shalbe spoken of hereafter, and that done prouoke hym to sweate.

Nowe to oure purpose as concer∣nyng dyet.

¶The seconde Chapter, of the cure of pestilence, by the waye of dyet.

FYrst as soone as e∣uer the paciēt feleth himselfe infected, it is verye good to a∣uoid y^e corruptaire, by chaunginge into some other place: or els if he can not so, let him rectifye the ayre of his own house, or of his cham∣ber, with water of roses and vineger, or els with fumigacions as is spoken of before, according to the quality of y^e time, & the cōplexion of his own body.

Moreouer it is good for him to shif∣ten his bedde out of one chamber into another, and from that to the fyrste a∣gayne the nexte daye, euer rectifying the ayre, of them both, as is aforesaid.

And as touchynge meat and drinke, he ought not to abstaine, or yet to take anye superfluities, for to eate good meates measurablye (thoughe it be a∣gainst his stomake) yet in this disease it shall doe him muche good; Let him

eate the brothe of chickens, capons, or coleyses of rabbettes, and suche lyke meates, with a litle sorell sauce, or vy∣neger, & rosewater, or wine of pome∣granades, (yf they maye be gotten) or wyne of barberyes, and suche other.

If ye wyl haue other kynde of sau∣ces, or a pouder to strowe vpon youre meate, ye may make it after this sort.

Take graynes of paradise, whyte dyptanye, of eche an ounce, fine poudre of cinamome, and cloues, of eche halfe an ounce, make them al in pouder, and mingle it with suger. In this disease ye maye eate no quesye meates, as eles, gese, duckes, and other suche as bee euyll.

I call them euyll meates, whych (accordyng vnto Galene De differen∣tiis febrium) are eyther euil of theyr owne nature, or els if thei be natural∣lye good, yet by reason of some putre∣faction, are as muche or more vnhol∣some, as the other are, partelye so, be∣cause of longe kepynge, vncleane and

naughty dressyng, or when thei be lai∣ed vp in a filthye or stinking place, and partly by some yl infeccion, when thei were aliue: for he that vseth such kind of meates, is oftentimes accoumbred with manye naughtye sycknesses, as corrupte & pestilencial feuers, scabbes, pustles, lepries, and other euyll infir∣mytyes.

All fyshe in this case are to be auoi∣ded. Brothe or gruell, made with bo∣rage, buglosse, endiue, succorye, sorell, purcelane, and other like herbes, with a litle saffron, and cleane wheat floure, or the crommes of breade in a broth of chickyns, or without a broth, maye be wel administred.

Potched egges also with sorell sauce and cinamome, vineger & rosewater, are meruelous good in this case.

And yf the heate be very vehement, as well after meat, as afore, he maye wel drinke a draughte of sodden water with the iuyce of orenges, limons, ci∣trons, or of sowre apples, wel mīgled

together, to quēch y^e venimous fumes, that might ryse vp to the brayne. And yf the paciente be younge, and stronge hauyng a good stomake, hole winded, hoate of complexion, and in tyme of heate, not subiecte to the colike, nor to none hydropsye, nor apostomes in the bowelles, he maye drynke a good draughte or twoo of cleare and colde water commynge out of a rocke, or of a runnynge water, or of a faire spring. For when nothynge elles can myty∣gate the thyrste, yet wyll cleare water by lytle and lytle, dymynishe all the heate. But ye must beware ye take no greate excesse.

Aptisane with suger of roses, is ve∣rye good to drinke betwene meales.

The pacient oughte not for to sleape duringe the fyrste .xxiiii. houres, and in the time y^t he receiueth his medicines. Afterward he mai slepe a litle at once, to comforte the weakenesse of the spi∣rites, and he ought euery daye to go to syege once.

And aboue al other thynges let him not dispayre, but bidde him be of good comfort, and doubt not of his health, so he take no thought, but as much as is possible, make him to reioise, as wel by communicacion as by musike, and bringyng in vnto hym good and hole∣some herbes, fruites, boughes and other thynges of coumforte, but yet notwithstanding see that he remember God, and not∣forget his own cōscience, for in this sickenesse the worst is euer to be feared.

¶The thyrde Chapter, of the cure of pestilence by the waye of medicine.

AS soone as euer ye fele your self infect, take of y^e poudre of bole armoniake, in maner and forme a∣fore declared, or of y^e blacke receite the weyghte of halfe a crown, more or lesse according to the vertue of the pacient, myngled with the water of roses, and a litle vineger, as is sayde afore, and drinke it all at one draught.

And if ye can not get the foresaid pou∣der, or paraduenture ye wil abhorre to take it, thē drink a litle pocion of y^e re∣ceit folowing, which is very excellēt.

¶A receit against the pestilence. TAke y^e rote of turmētile dryed in the shadowe, of saffron, and of mustarde sede asmuch of one as of an other, make of them a pouder, and incorporate it with the thyrde part of mithridatum, or of fyne triacle, wyth a lytle stronge venyger,

ī maner of an opiate, kepe it in an ear∣then vessell close, and in tyme of nede vse it. The weighte of it at once is frō halfe a dramme vpwarde▪

This receite woorketh more vpon the venime then it doth vpō the feuer. And euery daye folowing it is good to take a litle sirupe of limons, with wa∣ter of sorell, or of matfelo••, or of oure lady thistle.

And he that hathe none of the sayde sirupes, let hym vse the waters of the same herbes, or the good water that I haue discribed in the chapter of medi∣cines preseruatiues.

Auicenne sayeth that whosoeuer ta∣keth an onyon & drynketh it in mylke fastyng in a mornyng, he shal bee safe that daye from all infeccyons of the pestilence. Therfore some are wont to rost two or thre onions, and to eat thē with vineger and browne bread nexte their heart afore they enter into anye suspecte ayre. And haue founde health in their so doinge.

IOhannes Manardus, •• man of hye knowlage in the arte of medicine, and of greate auctorytye a∣monges al learned men, describeth in his boke of Epistles, a very good receit aswel pre∣seruatiue as curatiue deuised by him∣self for lacke of good triacle, and is of merueilous operacion, as well in this disease, as in healing all maner veny∣mous woūdes, both of adders, snakes, and other kinde of serpentes. The re∣ceit of this noble medicine is this.

¶Manardus medicine for the pestilence. TAke the dried bloud of a drake, and of a ducke, of a gose, and of a kid, rue, fenell seede, the seede of cumine, dylle, and of wylde nepes, or gardē nepes, or rapes, of euery one .iii. drammes, the roote of gētiane, trifoile, squinantum, frankē∣sence, roses dried, of ech .iiii, drammes. White pepper and long, cost, valerian,

anyse, cinamome of eche .ii. drammes, myrrhe, nard, of eche .vi. drāmes, ben∣iamin, assarum, gumme armoniake, of eche thre drammes, aloes, agarike, of eche two drammes, carpobalsami .xx. graynes, ireos, saffron, reubarbe, and reupontike, gynger, mastike, of ech one dramme, sticados, fiue drammes.

Make a fyne pouder of these, and with foure times asmuche of claryfied honye, mingle all together, and kepe it in a siluer vestel or a glasse stopped, for it is an hie treasure, ī such a case. The dose of it is two drammes in wine or water of sorel.

¶Here foloweth an electuarye of a wonderful vertue, in the tyme of pestilence, THis electuarye is of so great ver∣tue, in thē that do receiue it once in .xxiiii. houres, that they maye be sure from all euil infeccions of cor∣rupte ayres and contagious, all the daye after.

But in them that are infecte alrea∣dye,

and are taken with the pestilence, yf they drynke of it but one sponefull, as shal bee sayde hereafter, (speciallye after letting bloude yf it bee conueny∣ent to the pacient) and laye him down and sweat vpon thesame, yf the venim hath not vtterly ouercome the hearte, he shal vndoubtedly recouer.

It hath bene lately proued, that after drinkynge of thesame medicine whan y^e pacient made his water in an vrinal, the glasse hath bruste in pieces, by rea∣son of the venime that it purged out.

¶This is the makyng of the sayde electuarye Take cinamome electe, one ounce, terra sigillata .vi. drāmes, fine mirrhe iii. drāmes, vnicornes horne .i, drāme the sede and rinde of citron, rootes of diptany, burnet, turmentille, zedoary, redde corall, and, drammes .ii. yelowe saunders .iiii. scrupules, red saunders, ii. scruples, white ben and red, floures of marigoldes, ana. one dramme, iue∣rye raced, scabiouse, beronici tunici,

anyse, cinamome of eche .ii. drammes, myrrhe, nard, of eche .vi. drāmes, ben∣iamin, assarum, gumme armoniake, of eche thre drammes, aloes, agarike, of eche two drammes, carpoba••sami .xx. graynes, ireos, saffron, reubarbe, and reupontike, gynger, mastike, of ech one dramme, sticados, fiue drammes.

Make a fyne pouder of these, and with foure times asmuche of claryfied honye, mingle all together, and kepe it in a siluer vestel or a glasse stopped, for it is an hie treasure, i such a case. The dose of it is two drammes in wine or water of sorel.

¶Here foloweth an electuarye of a wonderful vertue, in the tyme of pestilence, THis electuarye is of so great ver∣tue, in thē that do receiue it once in .xxiiii. houres, that they maye be sure from all euil infeccions of cor∣rupte ayres and contagious, all the daye after.

But in them that are infecte alrea∣dye,

and are taken with the pestilence, yf they drynke of it but one sponefull, as shal bee sayde hereafter, (speciallye after letting bloude yf it bee conueny∣ent to the pacient) and laye him down and sweat vpon the same, yf the venim hath not vtterly ouercome the hearte, he shal vndoubtedly recouer.

It hath bene lately proued, that after drinkynge of the same medicine whan y^e pacient made his water in an vrinal, the glasse hath bruste in pieces, by rea∣son of the venime that it purged out.

¶This is the makyng of the sayde electuarye Take cinamome electe, one ounce, terra sigillata .vi. drāmes, fine mirrhe iii. drāmes, vnicornes horne .i, drāme the sede and rinde of citron, rootes of diptany, burnet, turmentille, zedoary, redde corall, ana, drammes .ii. yelowe saunders .iiii. scrupules, red saunders, ii. scruples, white ben and red, floures of marigoldes, ana. one dramme, iue∣rye raced, scabiouse, beronici tunici,

sede of basile, y^e bone of a stagges heart, saffron, ana .ii. scruples, make a fyne pouder, and adde vnto it of bole armo∣niake preparate two ounces, white su∣ger thre pounde, and with a sirupe of acetositate citri, make a goodlye elec∣tuary, and kepe it in a glasse.

If the pestilence commeth with great excesse of heat, drinke it vpon rosewa∣ter, and vineger, but yf ye fele it colde, take it in a draught of wyne, and couer ye with clothes, so that ye may sweate as longe as is possible, for wythoute dout, it is a presente remedye as I my selfe haue oftentimes proued.

¶An other deuine medicine, in a liquide fourme. TAke rue, wormewood & bawme the herbe, of ech a like porcion, of celido∣ny, both herbe & rote as∣muche as al the other, so that ye haue of them .iii•• a good bigge handful, wash the rote of

celidony, very clene & purely, in wine or in fayre clere water, than put them all into a new pot of earth neled with∣in, and poure vpon the herbes, halfe a pounde of the moste strongest vineger ye can gettte, couer them iust, and lute the mouth of the potte, with luto sapi∣encie, which is made of wheate floure and y^e white of an egge, that no breath maye issue, and seeth it eyghte or .ix. houres, with a softe fyer, than lette it ••ole by litle and litle, and after straine the herbe, and sette the licoure in the sonne to rectifye.

¶Whan a person is infected with the pestilence: First as I sayde afore, lette hym bleede in a due vayne, than geue hym a sponefull of this lycoure, with as muche as a nutte of triacle, yf so be ye haue any, luke warme, by and by let a cruste of breade all hote, be dipped in vineger, and holden to his mouth, that he may the better broke the medicine.

And yf he chaunce to vomite, incon∣tinente washe his mouth with wine,

and cause hym to receiue againe an o∣ther sponful, and so if nede be .v. or .vi. times, til ye se that he reteine it, which is a very good signe, yf he so doe.

After this set hym in a warme bed couered, that he may sweate out y^e re∣sydue of the venime, and by the grace of God he shall escape the daunger. This is a medicine of infinite vertue. But if the pacient haue a greate heate geue hym no triacle, or els very litle.

¶The .iiii. chapter of the cure of pestilence, by lettyng of bloud, ventoses, and purgacions

ALthough phlebotomy or lettyng of bloud, be one of the chief thinges that are requyred to the cure of the pestilence, yet for lacke of vnderstandyng, and letting bloud other∣wyse than behoueth, manye one is cast awaye: and therefore euerye good bar∣boure

ought for to take heed, y^t he hurt not them, whiche come vnto hym for helpe (for that were a greatte shame) whiche he shal neuer do, yf he ponder wel y^e thinges, y^t shal be said herafter.

¶Thys is a general rule. IN the time of pestilence whā a body is infect, ye maye not haue respecte either to y^e signe, y^e daye or y^e houre: but whether the mone be there or not, or what aspectes so euer be in y^e planettes lette him blede forth with in the name of God.

Younge men and sanguine, and they that haue aboundaunce of ••••e••, and of blood mingled with other ••ors, ought to blede somwhat more in quā∣titie, but alwayes kepe a moderacion, that ye take not out to gre•••• quāti∣tye at once.

It is better to let hym blood twyse, leauynge the wonde of the fyrst stroke open, and annoynt it with a litle oile,

and after foure or fiue houres, let him blede in the same wound agayne, but wythout strykyng yf it be possible.

But alwayes gyue an eye, to the strength of the paciente, that it be not enfebled, and agayne beware that ye haue taken awaye the rankest, and the strōgest venime, wherin yf ye be dout∣ful, take the counsaile of some good expert phisicion.

Also ye must note, that ye may not let blood, to any children within the age of .xiiii. yere, nor to olde men aboue fyftye yere olde, nor to women great with childe, specially nere vnto theyr tyme, nor when theyr due purgacions is vpon thē, nor to thē that are newly brought to bed, or within a wekeor, ii. after she is purified, generally to none whiche is weake & feble in hys body. Ye shal also note, that there are some olde menne of better strength & complexion, than many yong are of, & agayne dyuers young children often or twelue yeres olde, are of higher co∣rage,

and of as good strengthe, as they that are many yeres elder. In suche cases, a litle euentaciō of the enfected blood, may be y^e sauing of theyr liues, so that all thinges be done with good discretion.

It is wisdome also to let them blood liyng vpō theyr backes, whō ye thinke would fainte in stāding or in syttyng. And yf the case do requyre the letting of blood, and the paciente be not able to beare it for any of the causes afore rehersed, it is good to apply ventoses, in maner and fourme as I shall de∣clare hereafter.

And here we shulde saye somwhat of the greate errour that many do com∣myt in taking one veyne for an other, for by such errours is the venym dra∣wen many tymes vnto the herte, and so procureth deathe vnto the pacient.

Wherefore that ye may not be dis∣••eyued, euer in the pestilence lette him blood on that syde that the sore is on, and not on the contrarye syde, in anye

wyse, for that shulde drawe the venim ouerthwarte the membres spirytuall, and so destroye the man.

But or euer ye lette him blood, it is good to gyue some good and holsome medicine agaynst the venyme, such as is declared in the chapters herbefore.

If the botche appeare vnderneth the eares, let him blood in the hed veyne of y^e same arme, or els in the braunche of the same veyne, which is vpon the hand, betwene the myddle fynger and the nexte that is adioynynge,

If it appeare vnder the throte, take the same veyne, and within a whyle after, it is good to open the .ii. veynes vnderneth the tongue.

If the sore be sette within the arme∣holes, take the veyne called me••••ana, whiche is betwene the foresayd heade veyne, and the veyne commynge from the lyue••.

If the sore be sette within the stan∣kes, than ye muste open the veyne cal∣led saphena, whiche is about the ancle

of the fote, on the inner side: and yf ye can not fynde it there, take the branch of it, y^t is betwene the greate too, and the nexte vnto him, but the lettyng of bloode in that vayne is forbiddē vnto women when they be in healthe.

And yf there apere .ii. botches, one on euery syde, Manardus gyueth coūcell to take the right side and not the left. And in case there doth appere no signe of botche or swellyng, than he biddeth you to open both the veines saphenas on the right side and the lefte.

Notwithstandynge, Marsilius Fi∣cinus is of a contrarye opinion, and sayeth that it is best when there doth no sore appere, to take the common veyne on the ryghte arme.

I thynke herein Manardus councel rather to be folowed.

But yf ye se the botche standyng out∣warde more towarde the bounche, thā ye must open the veyne called sciatica, whyche is aboute the ancle of the fote on the outsyde. The whiche openynge

of the veines muste be done as sone as is possible, alwaye presupposed, that he hath receiued one or other medicine agaynste the venym, and that he sleape not in any wise, as is afore mēcioned.

And to them that can not lawfullye be letten blood, ye must in all hast ap∣plye many ventoses, with scarificatiō or withoute scarifienge, as it semethe best to your discretiō, so ye take a rea∣sonable order thus. If the soore be vn∣der the eares, or about the throte, lette youre ventoses be applyed behynd v∣pon the necke.

If the botch appeare vnder the armes, set your ventoses behynde vpon the shulders. If the sore be in the flanke, or thyes, lette your ventoses be sette vp∣on the buttockes.

And yf the pacient be replete wyth humours and stronge, hauing no fluxe nor other impediment, & ye thynke he nedeth to be purged: ye may gyue him in y^e mornyng .i. ounce of cassia, or of māna, with a litle dy aprunis laxatiue

more or lesse, according to y^e pacientes necessitie, tempered with water of sca∣biouse, sorell, or endiue, euer takynge hede, that he do receiue some medicine against the venim, during al the time of his disease.

¶The fifth Chapiter, of applyca∣tion of outward medicines.

HEre is to be noted y^t no maner plai∣ster repercussiue, mai be set vpō any botch of pestilēce. But assone as is possible, after let∣tinge bloode, it is good to take an onion, & to make an hole in the middest of it, thē fil it ful of good triacle, after that stoppe it, and set it on the harth to roste, as it were an apple. And when it is rost so longe tylle it be tendre, let it cole a litle: and set it hote vpon the botche, and when it hath bene there by the space of two houres, take

it of, and laye an other on.

Or take a cocke and pull the fethers of, about his foundamente, & put a li∣tle salt in it, and set his foundamente vpō the saide botche, keping him on a good whyle, stoppyng many times his byll, that his breth may be reteyned, & let hym blowe againe. And yf y^e cocke dye, it shall be good to take another yonge cocke, and splytte it quycke asounder, and lay it on y^e botch, but ye muste cōmaūde them that take them of, to cast thē in y^e fyre, and not to take the sauor whē it is remoued: for that is verye daūgerous. Some there be y^t lay aboute y^e sore, water leches called bloodsuckers, and it is very good, so they be well prepared, & clensed, from corrupciō. Other apply ventoses with scarificatiō, but they ought fyrst to be applied withouten any scarifying, so they shal y^e better drawe y^e venym out.

Other lay therto a playster made of galbanū, diaquilō, & armoniake, incor∣porate togyther, & some other lay on it

a plaister made of figges, soure leuē, & reisins without kernels, braied & in∣corporate altogyther in oyle of camo∣mylle. There be also y^t set vpon the botche an herbe called crowefoote, which is very hote, & maketh a blister on y^e skinne, & that same they breake, and kepe the place open many dayes after. And in that case, yf the botch be in the verye arme holes: it is beste to set y^e sayd herbe a loft vpon the arme.

And some other breake the forsayde botche with a stronge ruptory, hauing part of maturatiō, as for exāple thus. Take sowre leuen foure ounces, mus∣tarde, rue, scabiouse, wormewood, of euery one an handfull, white lilly ro∣tes, the thyrde parte of all, grene cop∣porose two drammes, cantharides in numbre .x. galbani one ounce, old nut∣tes, and somwhat fusty, or els newe yf ye can not get them, in nūbre .iiii. oile of white lilles, as moch as shal suffice, seeth al the herbes and rootes in oile, accordyng to arte, with a double ves∣sel,

that is to say: the oyle being in one panne may seeth onely by the boiling of the water in an other greate panne, and make a playster with the residue of the stuffe in a good fourme. It hath a greate vertue to breake a pestilence sore without moch payne, and afore ye lay it on, wash the sore with a sponge dipped in the straynyng of the foresaid herbes and rotes.

Other take oyle olyue & seth it with oken asshes, addynge vnto it a litle of blacke sope, & quicke lyme, and make a plaister of the same, it is not to be v∣sed, but in strong complexions.

And al the forsaid waies are to be cō∣mended. But after one hath vsed thē a whyle, & seyth they begynne to come to maturation, let him take y^e counsell of a lerned surgeon, or any other of good experience, and to set maturatiue emplaysters, vnctions, & bathes, accor∣dyng as becommeth, percing the apo∣steme in the softeste place, afterwarde procede with mundificaciō and incar∣nacion,

euen as in other kindes o fap∣postemes: wherein I humblye desyre them to haue some pytie of the poore, that be diseased, & not to fauoure thē that haue ynough, but rather take so∣moche of the ryche, that they maye the better haue wherwith to helpe y^e nedy. And forbycause the sycke maye haue some comfort, if in case they shuld be destitute of surgeons, I will (besydes the said medicines whiche they may confidentlye vse,) describe some ma∣turatiue emplaysters that are experte and proued in this cure of pestilence.

¶A playster to rype a botche com∣mynge of the pestilence. TAke mallowes, & the rotes of holyhocke, & onions, asmuche as shal suffice, washe them and seeth them in water, & after∣ward bray thē in a morter with pou∣dre of ••ineseed, and of fenugreke, and a good quantitie of swines grese freshe, laying on the plaister euery day once.

¶An other for the same.

TAke white diptany an ounce & an halfe, the rote of walwort an ounce, the rotes of cresses halfe an ounce, white onions .ii. oūces, seeth the rotes in water, and rost the onyon vpon the coles, then stampe thē al to∣gither, addyng of oyle of camomil .iii. ounces, rosyn one ounce, nettle seede syxe drammes, waxe, asmuch as shall suffice, and make a goodlye playster or an oyntmente at your pleasure, for it ripeth the sayd botch in a shorte space and consumeth y^e venyme, and is good aswell for yonge men as for olde.

And afore that it be thorough rype, cause it to be perced as it is said afore. And if after the sayd percing there be great payne, take the yolke of an egge wel beaten, and a lytle oyle of roses, & annoynte a tent therin, and put into y^e sore, for to cease the payne. Afterward mundifye the place with a salue made of yolkes of egges, fine barly floure, & a lytle hony of roses. Last of al, for the perfecte incarnacion, take the iuyce of

dayses, and with a lytle waxe make a softe oyntmente, and vse it, or ye maye lay therto any other salue incarnatiue as ye are wonte to do in other clene sores. Prouided alwaye y^t it is better in this case, to breake y^t sore betymes than to tary for the rypyng long, leste perchaunce y^e venym beyng included, gather strength by the putrefaction, & so returne agayne vnto the hart: ther∣fore open it, afore it come to rypyng, & after procede with your maturatiues, and other holsome playsters.

THus moche haue I spoken of surgery, in the exterior cure of one that hath the botch, so farre is god hath giuen me vnderstandinge to perceyue, accordyng to the mindes of such famouse clerkes, as haue most effectually written of the same. Now will I declare a lytle of the exterior ••••re of him that hath no botch at all. ••nd yet is sore infected with the pesti∣lence. For the noble handy woorke of surgery, is conuenient to thē both, as

wytnesseth Marsilius Ficinus, in his booke of pestilēce in the .xi. Chapiter. And the fourme of it is thys.

After that the pacient hath receiued some good & holsome medicine against the pestilence, and swette (or after let∣tynge blode, yf the case do so requyre) by & by ye muste apple your labour to take away the residue of the venyme, that remaineth in y^e body. And to that intent ye ought to make a ruptorie o•• sowre leuen & cantharides, or other a∣boue rehersed, & set it on the muscule of the right arme, vnder the cubite, o•• the parte where as the pulse lieth, bu•• not vpon the pulse it selfe, and so pro∣cure a blystre, whiche ye shal immedi∣atly cut of, and kepe the sore runnin•• many dayes after, y^e longer the bette•• for the pacient.

An other issue ye maye make in the same maner, vpō his right legge, four fīgers aboue his heele toward the i••¦steppe, and kepe it open lykewise, til moneth or two after he be recouered

¶The .vi. Chapiter, of the cure of carbuncles and anthrax.

AS concernyng the curation both of a carbuncle & the pe∣stilence sore called anthrax, ye maye doe euerye thynge accordyng as we spake afore in the generall cure of the pestilence, bothe as touchinge diete, medicines agaynst the venyme, cordialles, laxa∣tiues, blood lettinges, & ventoses, ye shal heale them as ye heale the botch, in al thinges. But as touching lettīge blood, when ye se a carbūcle or an an∣thrax by him selfe without aposte me of y^e emunctoryes, be it vpō the necke, or vpon the throte, or the face, or the head, ye must let him blood in the head beyne. If it be vpon the shoulders, brestes, or arme or other place aboue y^e ••auyl, take the veine called mediana.

And yf it be beneth the sayde places, downe vnto the knees, take the veyne saphena, but yf it be on the outsyde of the thygh, take the veyne sciatica, euer

vpon the side that the sore is on, (as is sayd afore) consyderyng the complexi∣on, the strength, the age, and the quali∣tie of the blood, euen as is said in the chapter of the botch, and likewise ap∣plye the ventoses vpon them that can not beare flebothomye.

Whyche thynges presupposed, it is good to set vpō the carbūcle, whether it be with botch or without botch, the yolke of an egge, incorporate with as much salt as ye cā tēper with it, renu∣yng it euery houre duryng a hole day. Or els apply the sayd leches or blood suckers round aboute the sore, & after they haue sucked oute the bloode, set theron a cocke as is said of the botch, or els a doue al hote splitte in y^e mid∣dle. And he that can not gette the leches, yet let hym not fayle to applye the residue of y^e sayd medicines, euery one after other as afore is sayde.

Or a hote lofe commynge out of the ouen, or take a sower pomgranad, an•• cut and seeth it in vinegre, or scabious

brused betwen two stones, or the rote of daises, or good sowre dough, incor∣porate with salt and a litle oyle oliue: all these medicines are good to kyl the carbuncle.

The precious stone called a saphyre hath also great vertue against venime and specially against a carbuncle, yf ye touche it with the stone, and drawe it round about the sore by the space of an houre. But whatsoeuer medicine ye set vnto a carbuncle, ye must laye a de∣fensiue about the sore, whiche is made as hereafter foloweth.

¶A good defensiue. Take sanguis draconis, and bole ar∣meni, of ech a like much, make them in pouder and incorporate them wyth oyle of roses, and a litle vineger, and lay it in a cloth al about the sore, with∣out touching any part of it, & renew it when it is harde and drye. But yf the person be of good abilitie and the car∣buncle veri fearce and burning, cannot bee quenched with the meanes afore∣saide,

than ye muste procede with an actual or potencial cauterie, and to re∣moue the escare, laye on capons grece or a litle butter, or els a playster made of mallowe leaues, holihokes, violet∣tes, lily rotes sodden in broth of netes fete or other fleshe, & afterward stam∣ped, streyned, & vpon the fyer mingled with pouder of lineseede, barly floure, beane floure, freshe butter, and swines grece, adding in the ende whan ye take it of, two yolkes of egges and a litle saffron, and styrre it wel about.

This is good also to rype the foresayd sore, afterwarde mundify and heale as is sayde in the other chapter.

I could declare many other remedies, but I set thē that haue bene often pro∣ued, and that be most easye for to gett•• at nede, desyring al them that shall vse these my simple labours, to accept my good wyll vnto the beste, and to pray to God almyghtye for his grace, vnto whom only be al laude glorye and ho¦nor, world wythout end, Amen.