A brief and most pleasau[n]t epitomye of the whole art of phisiognomie, gathered out of Aristotle, Rasis, Formica, Loxius, Phylemo[n], Palemo[n], Consiliator, Morbeth the Cardinal and others many moe, by that learned chyrurgian Cocles: and englished by Thomas Hyll Londoner

Of the coloure of the hole bodye. The. xxxi. Chapter. (Book 31)

ANd that whiche we haue spoken or declared of the mēbres, is the lyke to be iudged of the hole body. For if thou considre the body in the feling thou shalte promptly knowe the qualitie, or cō∣pleccyon therof. Wherfore the body safte and slender, and the skynne cleare wyth softnes of the fleshe, especially, if somwhat ruddye about the knees, declareth that person to be sanguyne of complexcyon The body white, fleashy, and saft, declareth that per∣son to be Phlegmaticke of complexciō. The body fus∣kyshe or swart or reddyshe, declareth that person to be cholericke of complexcyon. The body bleke, blackishe, pale or palishe, declareth a melācholyke qualitie, or ad ust choler: Euen so the bodye wrincled, hauing greate or many sinewes, and thycke skynned, declareth that person also, to be of a choleryke complexcyon. The bo¦dy slender, and the skynne thyn, & white, to be phleg∣matike, and weake. Further of the knowledge of dy∣uers complexcyons. The coloure white, and as it wer inwarde cleare and reddyshe, declareth equally a com∣mon qualitie, and suche a coloure oughte to bee (as it were) thorowe oute the hole body, naturally, wel dys∣posed. Ther be three places in which y^e vertue of colour is shewed. First in the face, secondly in the handes, & thyrdly in the breaste. If suche a coloure be fierte red, declareth hym to be Idle, especially if hys eyes moue fast. If suche a rednes be fuskishe or swarte in colour,

declareth a grosse bloude, and to be a deceauer: suche a coloure of Albertus is named (••nopos), which is a fierie, darke redde:▪ but suche a coloure maye very well be named a deuelyshe coloure as the lyke was noted in one. If suche a read coloure▪ drawe nere to grennes or as it were to graynes more thē to whitnes, declareth blacke c••ole••, and hys qualityes: and▪ if to subtill cit••innes (as it were to whyttynesse) whiche is wonte commonly to bee in healthfull persons, and thys wythout greate matter, declareth the sheading of nature, wyth the losse of the spirites (and especial∣ly thys) if the eies be, or stande deape, and moueable, suche then be taken or rauished with the passyon of loue, whiche vndoutedly (as Locles sayeth) is a gre∣uouse sickenes. The vertue of suche loue is thys, that it ex••incteth vertues, and dulleth or darcke∣••••th vnderstandyng, causing leacherye, makyng the fearefull bolde,▪ and the sobre in maner frantyke And if whi••nes shal abound, and that readnes so litle that it can scarsely be seene, declareth a Phlegmatycke con¦dicion, and suche a coloure was wonte of the auten∣t••ckes to be named a clayishe coloure. And if to thys coloure, be redu••s ••dmixt to, declareth an euil Phleg¦maticke, and his condiciōs: and this colour is named a leadyshe colour, comixt wyth swartyshe and grenishe colour, & thys is the outwardest degre of a maliciouse complexcyon, that is, that heate declareth the mortifi¦cacion naturall. The fealyng temperate and good cosysteth in the dewe proporsyon of the firste quali∣ties, and more approcheth to caliditie and ienyty, thē to coldnes or aspernes, and more to fleashynes, then to leannes: suche a felyng verely argueth the goodnes

of the complexcyon, y^• is, the equal complexcyon wyth the goodnesse of the wyite, and vnderstandyng.

The vaynes verye large and apparante, declare a cho••crycke parson, and hys condicions. The vaynes narrow, and as they were flatte, and somtyme leadish in colour, declare a melancholike nature or complex¦cion. The vaynes depe in the body, seme to declare a Phlegmaticke nature. The vaynes in due proporci¦on apparante and notable, declare a sanguyne nature

Of the shoulder poyntes.

THe shoulder poyntes leane and smal: declare that man to be weake, fearefull, peaseable, and maye not endure to laboure, sone credy¦tyng, and to all thynges conuertible.

The shoulder poyntes large and great, de∣clare that man to be strong, to much constante or hard to be moued, faythfull, of a grosse wytte, and feadyng, simple, a paynful laborer, sufficiently feadig, and soue quieted.

The shoulder poyntes crokyng inwarde: declare that man to be wary, slouthfull, secrete, ingeniouse, and a surmiser.

The shoulder poyntes flatte and brode, declare that man to be simple, a sparer or niggarde, laboryouse, modeste in all hys doynges, especially in tounge and feadyng, quyete, sone credyting, and conuertyble to good or euill.

The shoulder poyntes vnequall, as the one grea∣ter then the other, declare that man to be slouthful, of a dul vnderstandig▪ of a grosse wit & feadyng▪ sipie, of a dul capacitie, faithful, bold, a niggard or one hard to be

moued, and somtymes an vtterer of secretes, false, and not credityng one.

The shoulder pointes very high standing vp, declare that man to bee in maners of an open lyfe, enuiouse, symple, vayne, a liar, vnstable, bolde, inuerycundiouse, and a braller or quareier.