De morbo Gallico·

¶Into what disese the french pockes are tour∣ned. Ca. iii. (Book 3)

THe peynes of this dysease all redye rehersed are este∣med in maner as no peines: for this disease tourneth it selfe into great inconueniēce and peyne that naturally it

hath of hym selfe: In so moche that all maner of syckenes, hauynge or causynge any peyne in mannes ioyntes, semeth to be conteyned therin. For fyrst there is sharpe ache in the ioyntes / and yet nothynge appe∣reth: afterwardes the gatheryng to gether of humours causeth the membres to swell, but after that suche vyle matter is waxed harde, that a man shall fele the vehemente peynes therof. This is the fyrste commyng therof. For it semeth to edifye and fortifye a castelle, there to rest a longe season, and thens to disperse and caste into euery part of the bodye all maner of ache and peynes. And the longer the sayde swellynges tarye fro rottynge•• and rypynge / the more peyne shall the pacient suffer. And aboue all other peynes of this infyrmitie, this is the violē∣test, and that troubleth man moste. I my selfe had suche a lyttell knobbe, and swel∣ling aboue my left hele in the inner syde, the whiche after it was indurate and harde, by the space of .vij. yere, coude by no power of oyntementes or any maner lappynges and cherysshynges be made softe / or caused to putrifie and rotte, but contynued stylle lyke a boone, vntylle that by the helpe of Guaiacum it vanysshed away by lyttel and

lytel. This thing as touching womē resteth ī their secret places, hauing in those places litle prety sores ful of venom{us} poison, being very dāgerous, for those y^t vnknowingly medle with thē. The which sicknes gottē by such infected womē, is so moch the more vehemēt & greuous, how moch they be in∣wardly poluted and corrupted. By this the senowes (at somme tymes) do slacke & wax hard again, at somtime they shrinke, & some time the sicknes turneth it self into the gout, or into the pal••ey or īto apoplexi & infecteth many one with lepre. For it is thought, that these infirmities be very neighbours one to an other. And y^t for many resons, which are comē to both euils. They that be takē with pockes, of••en times becom lepres, and often times through the sharpnes of their peynes they shake and queuer as men in a fevre.

¶After all this ther buddeth out & appere smal holes & sores, which turne thē self into cākers & phistuls, or cōtinual sores: & the more they putrifie, the more thei diminishe y^e bone. And whā the bones be putrified & cor¦rupt, the paciēt through longe cōtinuāce of siknes, waxeth lene, for the fleshe consumeth awey / & ther remayneth but onely the skyn to couer the bones withal•• & through this

many a one chāseth to be thisiques, the whi∣che inwardly be full of corruption. Beside all this, out of this infirmitie floweth an other, whiche some men do calle cacesia / the whiche fylleth a mans flesh & also his skyn full of water: Somme haue sores in theyr bladder, & oftē tymes many mens lyuer & stomake is vtterly consumed by this infyr∣mite. And in this thing their opinion is fals that say that the gathering to gether of hu∣mours & swellinges, wrinkels, and knottes come not of the nature of this infirmite, but that it chanced only to those that haue bene rubbed and anoynted with oyntmētes made with quick siluer. I am sure, the most part of the phisitions of Almayne be of this opi∣nion, but yet they haue ben disceyued in this sickenes, as they be in many other. For I knowe it for a suretie, there be some, that haue had these infirmities & sicknesses, whi∣che were neuer noynted with quicke siluer, as I haue had experience in my father Vl riche de hoten.