De morbo Gallico·

¶Howe a man muste lyue and dyet hym selfe in this cure. Capitulo .ix. (Book 9)

THere is yet moche a doo for the orderynge of a man, as touchynge his dyet. Some thynke beste to ete nothynge but breade, whiche Galen{us} calleth the cleannest fedynge with a fewe rasins: whiche breadde they gyue to the weyght of .iiii. vnces, withoute salte or other sauce. And they thynke best to absteyne generally from all maner meate, excepte it be a lyttell brothe made with a chekyn: whiche they are contented he suppe or eate with his bread moysted therin ones a day. For at nyght they gyue nothyng but a fewe rasins / and an vnce of breadde. Other wyll that he haue halfe a chekyn, if it be yet yonge and tender: but if it be any

thynge growen, they thynke a quarter y∣nough, whiche muste be sodden in clene wa∣ter. Whervnto they put nother salte, nother other sauce, but somme put a lyttell suger therto. Of breadde they gyue .iiij. vnces at nyghte, as before, a fewe rasins, with an vnce of breadde. But as long as he is vn∣der cure / he muste take hede, that he neuer so moche as taste salte. They allowe white breade / made of wheate / well bulted, whi∣che made for the nones, they season with suger. Whiche thynge is not euyl. There be som that adde to this feding (not so moch in the place of meate as of medicine) a lyttel borage, other of the leaues onely, or (if there be any) of the flowers, which he shall eate sodden in water alone, or with his che¦kyn. And this is the order of fedynge that some do kepe continually / some thynke .xv. dayes sufficient for this dyete / and thā they wyll his hunger to be eas••d: and the .xx. day they gyue hym meate twyse. But lette them take h••d•• / that folowe that. For truly this medicine requireth, that the pacient be made as thynne with hunger as maye be possible. Howe be hit somme chaunce to be through healed within .xv. dayes, and yet that not withstandynge they put to a fewe

dayes more therto. They drynk vnto their meate of that seconde decoction / not war∣med but colde. And this is all the fare, for hyderto none durste passe this measure. Not withstandynge I dispyse not the phisitions, that dispute of the daungers, that maye chaunce to drye and hotte bodyes, if they be dryuen to this strayte dyete / bryngynge for them Galen and also Hipocras, whiche seme in many places to be agaynst this ex∣quisite dyete in fedynge. But of these that vsed Guaiacum / I sawe as yet none in ieo∣perdye, and I gather at this tyme precep∣tes and monitions out of experience, & not doctrine out of bokes. And also I my selfe am of drye and hotte complexion, and yet this hūger brought me nother into a ptisike nor etike: whiche thyng they seme to feare.

¶For as moche as it is thought wysedom to prouyde for all thynges, I wyll that if any man feare hym selfe / that he get phi∣sitions to kepe hym, and that this is suffi∣ciently spoken of this thynge. I wyll nowe go forwarde with other thynges.

¶In the tyme of this cure, the pacient muste forbeare all busynes, and cutte away all sadde thoughtes, and rest from al care. And therfore they commaunde reste and

quietnes from consultations / and also stu∣dyes: so that the minde may vtterly be ••ree from al motions & workinges, & gyue hym self holly to ydelnes and rest, losed from al trouble & care: whiche thynge must be vn∣derstonde of al maner of men, but mooste specially of them, that be naturally melan¦coly: They muste also beware of angre: for that, as Galene sayth, kendleth chefly the colerike mater, And more ouer we must take hede, that nothynge happen in that tyme / that may moue vs to heuynes. Let the sicke person here syngers and min∣strelles, and gyue hym selfe to sportes, pa∣stymes, and musike, and some tyme delyte hym selfe with mery talkynge. But to com∣pany with woman, howe moche he muste eschew that, I wyl shewe hereafter. I toke great pleasure in redynge & makynge mery thynges. And the phisitions spake agaynste hit, and nat without a cause, seinge they be∣leued it to be labour and busynes vn••o me: but I toke it not as my studye, but as a pa∣styme, and for my recreation. But yet wold I not this to be to other for an example.

¶Nowe ••ome begynne to waxe very hun∣gry after the syxte day: but I felt no grefe before the .x. day. And in this case this is

the onely comforte / not to se other eate, nor to see meate, nor to smell the sauour therof. Neuer the lesse whan any perceyueth hym selfe to faynt, and wexe feble for lacke of meate, I wolde not that he shulde by and by receyue meate or straunge confection, to comforte and brynge agayne his strengthe, but to refresshe his spirites with odours & and pleasant smelles: for euen with the sa∣uour and smelle of suche odors Galenus thynketh the spirite and lyfe to be nourys∣shed and comforted. Yet in thi•• thynge as regarde muste be had, what euery mannes complexion requireth, le••te lyke thynges be ministred to them, that be drye and hotte, and vnto them that be moyste and colde, or thynges of one qualitie be ministred vnto them all, that be of bothe extremes.

¶As I do more alow through out the thin¦ges, that growe amonge vs / as familiar & nygh to our nature: so by the example of Democrit{us}, who with the vapour of hote breade made his spirite euen than departing to tarye hole .iii. dayes, thynke I that we shulde helpe them that faynte other with that breed / or els with a rosted oynion hold to the mouthe? For I playnly knowe / that in an oynion was sometyme suche vertue

and power. Whiche thynge is also proued to be done with the odour of wyne. For therwith Philip the phisition dydde recouer Alexander / as we may se in Quintus Cur∣tius. And by the traditions of the olde phi∣sitions we ••e his power and vertue in this purpose preferred aboue all. But by al mea¦nes we must norysshe the spirite with the swete sauours and smelles: for so moch as that is the lyfe, and aboue all th••nge the odour of olde swete wyne is praysed in this thynge: Next is the smelle of hony, speci∣ally rose hony: also of appuls, of the whi∣che thynge Stromer neuer ceasseth to mo∣nysshe me, affermynge that he knoweth, howe stronge / and how helpyng they be in this thyng. Of these som prefer orenges: o∣ther prefer cotonia mala. Vineger is also praised / but specially vineger made with ro¦ses: and musterde is wel alowed. For these thynges, saye they, do refreshe the wyttes, and susteyne the strengthes. As for cyna∣mom / nutmegges, styracke / citrous / saf∣fron, a gisoflower, muske, camphire / and suche costly ware, I leue to deinte felowes, But cummin, anesse, coryander, lauan∣der, amarake, roses, mynt, rue, rosemary, violettes, sage, castorye, with other gro∣wynge

amonges vs, none of the phisitions that haue any iudgemeut, improueth: but they affirme these to be good for this pur∣pose. And I oftentymes do vse such helpes to the great comforte of my helthe. The sycke man may also vse rubbynges, so that they be softely done, by all the tyme of his saide lyinge: whiche as they are for other thynges profitable, so I beleue they wolde not hurte in this thynge. Lette his heed be rubbed with a warme clothe, and combed with an yuory combe.