Whether the ordinary vse of two meales in a day, be best for the preseruation of health?

I Answer, omitting the precise obseruation of the time, countrey, and custome, that the vse of two competent meales in a day, viz. of Dinner and Supper, is generally best for them that are within the limits of 25, & 60 yeeres, leading a studious, or sedentary kinde of life, if they desire to auoyd crudity, the originall of most diseases. But such as vse much exercise, or are of an hot and cholericke tem∣perature, may eat oftner, as three times in a day, and that more largely at each meale, for the restitution of the sub∣stantiall moysture, which by reason of exercise, and a strong naturall heat, is much exhausted. Wherefore I aduise them, not to bee altogether fasting till dinner, but to breake their fast with this threefold caution, that they finde their sto∣macks * to be cleane and empty, that the breake-fast be slen∣der, and that of meats of light digestion, and that it be ta∣ken about foure houres before dinner. And heere I may not omit to aduertise all such as haue plethoricke and full bodies, especially liuing at rest, and which are of a phleg∣maticke * temperature, that they not onely eschew the vse of breake-fasts, but also oftentimes content themselues with one meale in a day: for by this meanes, nature being for a time disburthened, as it were, of meats, vseth all her power, in digesting and expelling the reliques, whereby it commeth to passe, that the ouer-plus of bloud is abated, raw humours concocted, all manner of excrements expel∣led, Page  178 and the whole body consequently, reduced to a sound and healthy mediocrity. Heere it may bee demanded of such, as for the health of their bodies, can oftentimes bee contented with one meale a day, whether it were better to take it at supper, then at dinner. Whereunto I answer, that * at supper, because in the night season, and in sleep, the spi∣rits are more intense to concoction, being not withdrawne vnto outward and animal actions; yet with this prouiso, that they sup not late, for great and late suppers are very offensiue to the whole body, especially to the head and eyes, by reason of the multitude of vapours, that ascend from the meats that haue been plentifully receiued. Wher∣fore they must, after supper, refraine from sleepe, or lying downe, three houres at the least, and bee sometimes walk∣ing, sometimes standing, and sometimes sitting, that the meats may be the better digested, and passed from the sto∣macke, the vapours in some measure consumed, the eyes and the whole head consequently lesse annoyed. But if any shall erroniously accustome the vse of one meale in a day, and shall then lurch and deuoure so much, or more, as may well serue for two competent refections, as some, that vsually make but one meale in a day, are wont to doe, I must tell them, that two moderate refections were farre more commendable, and better for their health, then vn∣reasonable feeding and glutting of themselues at once, whereby all the powers and faculties of the body are op∣pressed, the stomacke weakned, crudities and obstructions occasioned.

Heere also may those demand, that vsually make two * meales a day, what space of time ought to intercede the re∣fections. Our vsuall time for dinner, in all places, is about eleuen of the clocke; and for supper, in most places, about six, according to which rule, wee commonly sup about six houres after we haue dined, allowing an houres space for a meale. I doe well approoue of the distance betweene the meales, and also of the allowance of an houres space for a meale; but if Students, that may command the time, Page  179 and others also, that lead a generous kinde of life, shall alter the time for refection, as to dine about ten, and to sup a∣bout fiue, or six, according as their appetite, strengths, and disposition of body shall require, they shall haue my better approbation, and that for three reasons. The first is, be∣cause it is not good to be so long fasting in the morning, ex∣cept for moyst and phlegmaticke bodies, as aforesayd: for the stomacke being ouer-long empty, attracteth from the intestines, and other parts, naughty fumes, and putrid humours, which doe not a little hurt both it and the head, especially in such as are of a cholericke temperature. The second is, because a larger time may be allowed, as shall be requisite, for the concoction and distribution of the meats receiued at dinner: for we ought not to cat againe, if wee will be diligent obseruers of our health, vntill the meat ea∣ten before, be first concocted, and well auoyded out of the stomacke, and the appetite thereupon certaine, as it is for∣merly demonstrated. The third reason is, that they, who being subiect vnto rheumes, hauing supped by six, which order for Students is very well obserued in our Vniuersi∣ties, will be the freer from nocturnall diseases and rheumes, vnto which Students, and such as liue a delicious, easie, and sitting kinde of life, are most subiect: and others that are free from rheumes, and nocturnall passions, hauing supped by seuen, will afterwards be the better disposed to rest, for it is not requisite, that they, especially hauing dry braines, should refraine lying downe to rest, aboue an houre or two after supper, which is onely conuenient to preuent obstru∣ctions. And this order of supping being obserned, there will remaine a competent time, both for one and the other, before they goe to bed, as the space of three or two houres, for the meats in some measure to concoct, and descend from the stomacke: for there is nothing more hurtfull to such as are subiect to rheumes and obstructions, then to sleepe, or lye downe within two or three houres, euen after an ordinary and frugall meale, because the vapours that then arise from the meats, residing and concocting in the Page  180 stomacke, beside the inhibiting of the distribution of them, are very offensiue to the head, being not by conuenient watching, and moderate motion of the body, in some mea∣sure discussed. Thus much concerning the ordinary refe∣ctions, for such as are within the limits of 25, & 60 yeeres, wherof euery one may make vse and application agreeable to his state of body, and course of life. Now concerning the refections of others, that are not within the aforesayd limits of yeeres, a word or two breefly.

They therefore that are past their declining age, and en∣tred within the limit of olde age, as those bee, that are past 60, or 63 yeeres of age, may not precisely bee tyed to any fixed times for their refections, but may eat three or foure times a day, or oftner, as their stomackes shall require, a little at a time, by reason of the imbecility of their digestiue faculty. Neither may children by any meanes bee tyed vn∣to fixed meales, for they, by reason of their great encrease of body, continuall motions, and dissipable substance through the pores, require much and often nourishment. And those also that are in their youthfull age, as from 14, to 25, being of hot and cholericke tempe•…ature, both be∣cause they haue not attained vnto the Acme, or full height of their growing, as also by reason of their strong naturall heat, require much nourishment, and are not alwayes to be limited to two or three meales in a day. But such as are in their youthfull age, hauing grosse bodies, and of a phleg∣maticke temperature, may neuer exceede three meales in a day, but rather oftentimes content themselues with two at the most, that by this meanes, their moyst and crude hu∣mours may be concocted and abated, and their bodies kept within a laudable mediocrity. And heere I aduise all such as are solicitous of their health, to obserue at their meales three things, which I adde as an Appendix to that which hath beene spoken.

The first is, that putting aside all businesses, and sha∣king off all serious cogitations, they take their repast quiet∣ly * and merily, and not eat, or come to their meat with a Page  181 troubled or meditating minde, for that will peruert the concoction, and cause the meats to corrupt in the stomack, by reason of the retracting of the spirits to the head. The second is, that they giue the meat due preparation for the stomacke, which is the exact chewing of it in the mouth: for the well chewing of the meat is a great furtherance to the well digesting of the same: and therefore they greatly erre, that eat ouer greedily, and snatch vp their meat hastily, because it is both hurtfull and indecent. The third is, that they reside not in the chaire of intemperance, that is, prolong not the time in eating and drinking superfluously, but onely sit so long at meale, as that they may giue vnto Nature a competent refection: for the ingestion of too much meat is burthensome and iniurious to all the bodie. But if they shall at any time exceed in eating and drinking, they must make amends with a following parcitie; as if the dinner shall be larger then ordinarie, let the supper be the lesse, or none at all: for there is no man, albeit very carefull of his health, which doth not in this now and then transcend his limits.