Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Fatnesse. Cap. 63.

* 1.1FAtnesse is a moyst thing, and sitteth vppon the small celles and places as sayth Constantine. For subtill bloud and vnctuous gathereth no fatnesse in hot places, there it may enter and pearce. But when it commeth to places, that kindlye are colde, there it congealeth at last, and tourneth into fatnesse. And that kinde doth for right greate néede, to temper with the moysture of fatnesse the sinewes and selles,* 1.2 which be kind∣ly drye, that they shoulde not lyghtlye breake by some happe that might fall: And also to kéepe and saue with fat∣nesse that that is betweene the inner partes from colde aire that is without, as sayth Constantinus liber. 2. cap. 14. And Aristotle. liber.2. saith, that fatnesse is bread in the bodies of beasts, of bloud vndigested and vndested, and namely for scarcitie of moouing. And the more the fatnesse increaseth and waxeth, the more the bloud minisheth and vanisheth. And therfore in right fat men, is little bloud. And hée sayth, Libro. 16. Moouing wast∣eth and destroyeth fatnesse, and so doth heate also. Therefore in all beastes the right reine hath lesse fatnesse then the left reine, and is higher in place and stéede. For in the right side, the heate is more stronger then in the lefte side, and of more mouing. And Constantine saith, That fat bodies and too full of grease, be worst, and appropried to most worst euills and sicknesses. For in such bo∣dies oft kinde heate is stiffeled: And by stopping of fatnesse, the waye of the spi∣rit is closed and forbarred: And the in∣fluence of the spirites maye not come to rule the sinewes and arteryes. And hée sayth, that all fat bodyes fall into long sicknesse, which bée harde and slowe to heale: and that is for the great superflu∣itie of humours gathered together in them. For such bodyes charged with fatnesse, moue not themselues to trauell, whereby kindly heat should be augmen∣ted. And so the fatnesse congeled is dissol∣ued: and then kindly heate fayleth, and sodeine death followeth, but if there bée succour the sooner, as sayth Constantine liber. 11.cap..17 Then consider, that fat∣nesse by vnctuositie therof is fire nutra∣tiue: & for light aire that is therin, it pas∣seth into the vttermost part that is of a thing: & diminisheth the strength of y^t si∣newes and ioynts, & defendeth them: and flaketh the strength therof; & maketh soft the skirt and stoppeth the neather pores and kéepeth and saueth kindly heate: and filleth and replenisheth the hollownesse and voidnesse of the body. And stretcheth

out the wrinkling of the skinne: And presseth the vaines and arteryes of the body, and letteth the working of féeling and reason, and sloweth perfect gene∣ration of beasts. Also it is said in Aph. That a woman y^t is too fat, conceiueth not till-shée become leane: and it is no wonder:* 1.3 For the fatnesse letteth & stop∣peth the way of the mother. Also greace and fatnesse doth moyst things: and are not soone drie. Wherefore. li. 3.Aristotle sayth, That the broth of beastes with much greace renleth not, as the broth of a horse, or of a Swine. Item, euerye beast with greace not departed from the flesh, hath but lyttle fatnesse in the wombe. And when the wombes bée but lyttle, the flesh is verye fattie. Item hée sayth, that that is nigh the blarke of the eie in all beastes is full fat, though the eye be hard. And euery beast with much tallowe hath little séede: whether it bée male or female. And beastes with téeth in either iawe, haue no tallowe. Tallow congealeth anone when it is taken out of the bodye and set in colde ayre. Pin∣guedo, Adeps, and Aruina, bee all one touching theyr substaunce. But Isidore saith, Aruina is that fatnesse, that clea∣ueth to the skinne: Adeps is that fat∣nesse that beclippeth the guttes, and kée∣peth and saueth the members within. Zirbus is called a thinne skinne, vnto the which that fatnesse cleaueth that ma∣ny call Alluta: whereof followeth this verse. Intus adeps, aruina foris, pingue∣doque queuis. Which is to vnderstand, that in the beast is fatnesse, that is cal∣led Adeps, Aruina without, & both with∣in and without it is called Pinguedo, fatnesse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pinguedo puueli, vvordes that sig∣nifie fat∣nes which cometh to pore men through sloth, refu¦sing lavv.
• * 1.2

  full exer∣cise: vnto rich men by too much su∣perfluous feeding and rest.
• * 1.3

  Nota.