The poore mans ieuuel, that is to say, A treatise of the pestilence unto the which is annexed a declaration of the vertues of the hearbs Carduus Benedictus, and angelica, which are very medicinabl[e], both against the plague, and also against many other diseases / gathered out of the bookes of diuers learned physitians.

¶The fourth Chapter sheweth the fourth cause of the Pestilence.

THE fourth cause is the aptnesse of mans body, through euill humors to receiue y^e effecte of a venomous aire, putrifying and corrupting the bodie: whereof the disease is ingendered. The bodie is made apte to be infected by the abuse of things not naturall, (as Phisi∣tions tearme them,) that is to saye, by taking of meate and drinke out of mea∣sure, specially by féeding of many dishes at one meale, or by toomuch lack of good nourishing meate, by too much sléepe, or watching, by too much laboure or ease: Finally, by too muche anger, griefe of minde, and feare of the disease. As all these things are dangerous: so the laste is sufficient of it selfe to infect the body, and consequently to bring deathe, as I haue heard it declared by dyuerse exam∣ples.

Hitherto, I haue shewed of what things chiefly the Plague doth procéede, to the end, that euery man may the bet∣ter escape it, from the whiche there is no better preseruatiue, than to auoide the causes.

For, as it is an olde saying, so euerye man maye easily perceiue it to be true: Sublata causa, t••llitur effectus, when the cause is remoued, the effecte followeth not. If the cause of warre bée taken a∣way, wée shall haue peace: so if wée a∣uoide the cause of sicknesse, wée shall haue healthe. If fire bée not laide to the woodde, it cannot burne: so, if there bée nothing that bringeth or causeth the Plague, we cannot be infected. There∣fore it serueth our tourne very much, to know the causes therof.

For it is a very true saying, Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas, he is happy that can vnderstande the causes of thin∣ges. By vnderstanding the causes of good thinges, we may the more easilye obtaine that which is profitable for vs: and by vnderstanding the causes of euill

thynges, wée maye the more easily a∣uoyde that whych is hurtefull vnto vs.

Therefore I haue sette downe the causes of the Plague. Nowe, it folo∣weth, that I write of the preseruatiues, whereby a man may be kept from this disease.