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CHeese generally in Physicke is reckoned unwhol∣some, and is thought to annoy the stomacke, to cause oppilations, to engender ill humours, to breed the colicke and stone. Wherfore it is no good meat for students, though labouring men commonly use it without harm. The nature of Cheese standeth chiefly
in three points, as it is in Schola Salerni. First in that it is colde, which is to be understood of new Cheese.* 1.1 Secondly in that it bindeth the bellie, and maketh one costiue. Thirdly in that it breedeth grosse hu∣mors, which is the propertie of all sortes of Cheese as Galen writeth, saying,* 1.2 Vitium omnium Caseorum est commune, craessum generare succum. The foresaide three properties are briefely expressed in this maner.
Caeseus est gelidus, stipans, crassus quoque durus.
Where durus and stipans haue one signification, yet of all sortes of cheese, that which is soft being well made, doth least harme, yea as it is in Schola Salerni,* 1.3 it both nourisheth and maketh far, for so it is saide,
Nutrit triticum & impinguat, lac, caseus infans.
Now what Cheese is well made or otherwise may partly be perceiued by this old Latine verse.* 1.4
Non nix, non Argos, Mathusalem, Magdalanaeue, Esau non Lazarus, caseus ille bonus.
That is to say, Cheese should not be white as snowe is, nor ful of eyes as Argos was, nor olde as Mathu∣salem was, nor full of whey or weeping as Marie Magdalen was, nor rough as Esau was, nor full of spots as Lazarus. Master Tusser in his booke of hus∣bandrie addeth other properties also of Cheese well made, which who so listeth may reade. Of this sort for the most part is that which is made about Ban∣burie in Oxford shire: for of al the Cheese (in my iudg∣ment) it is the best, though some preferre Cheshire Cheese made about the Nantwich, and other also com∣mend more the Cheese of other Countries, but Ban∣burie Cheese shall goe for my money, for therein (if it be of the best sort) you shall neither tast the renet nor
salt, which be two speciall properties of good Cheese. Now who so is desirous to eat cheese,* 1.5 must eate it after other meate, and in a little quantity, A penny weight according to the old saying is enough, for be∣ing thus used, it bringeth two commodities. First it strengtheneth a weake stomacke. Secondly it maketh other meates to descend into the chiefe place of di∣gestion, that is the bosome of the stomacke, which is approved in Scho. Sal. in these words.
* 1.6Languenti stomacho caseus addit opem, Si post sumatur, terminat ille dapes.
But old and hard Cheese is altogether disallowed; and reckoned in Schola Sal. among these ten manner of meates which ingender melancholy,* 1.7 and bee un∣wholesome for sicke folkes, as appeareth before in the Chapter of Beefe, yet an old hard Cheese is good for something,* 1.8 for Galen sheweth, that an old Cheese cut in pieces, and sodden with the broth of a gammon of Bacon,* 1.9 and after stamped with a little of the broth, and made in manner of a plaster, and laid to the ioynt where the gout is, will breake the skinne, and dis∣solve those hard knots which the gout causeth, which experiment hee first proved himselfe, and was after∣ward used of others. Whereby it appeareth that old Cheese, though it doe no good within the body, yet it may doe good without. And surely for students I think an old and hard Cheese is better in their coffers, than in their bellies: yet I know that labouring men eating it daily, feele no inconvenience thereby. But that is not to be mervailed,* 1.10 for (as I say often) Labor improbus vin∣cit omnia, and that sort of men have commonly good stomacks, and so saith Scho. Sal.
Caseus & panis bonus est cibus bene sanis. Si non sunt sani, tunc hunc non iungito pani.
And surely the state of body that many labouring men have, is very sound and perfect, and is named of Galen absoluta 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ And contrariwise the state of stu∣dents, I meane of those which be students in deede,* 1.11 and not loytering Lurdeines, I say the state of their bodies is rather 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For they bee commonly ••aletu∣dinarii, that is sickely, and therefore they have more need to forbeare such meates as be of hard digestion, and of evill nourishment, as hard Cheese and such like. The welch folkes of all other use to eate much Cheese, and oftentimes rosted,* 1.12 which they thinke to be a good meat. But I thinke, rosted cheese is more meet to bait a trap, to catch a mouse or a ratte, than to be received into the body, for it corrupteth in the stomacke both it selfe and other meates, and sendeth up ill vapours and fumes, which corrupt the breath. Wherefore let students let Caus bobi alone. Some folkes by nature doe abhorre Cheese which commeth of a naturall propertie of the stomacke,* 1.13 by reason of the temperature therof, for that reason Galen yeeldeth, Cuilibet corpori proprietas quaedam temperamenti est, quae huic naturae consentit, ab hac vero dissentit. And againe, Omnibus animalis partibus inest desiderium quoddam, &c. Hitherto of white meates.
Cap 37.
Lib. 3· de Ali. fa· cap. 17.
cap. 9.
What cheese is best.
Cheese should be eaten after meat.
Cap 37.
Cap. 7.
Lib. 10. Simp.
A good play∣ster for the gout made of an old cheese.
cap. 37.
Apho 3 com. 1.
Rosted Cheese.
Why some by nature abhor cheese. Lib. 1. de temp. Lib. 1. de Consu.