The castell of health, corrected, and in some places augmented by the first author thereof, Sir Thomas Elyot Knight

Of the vertue of meates. CAP. 13.

HE that is studious about the conseruation of health, he néédeth to know the vertue of meats. The meat which hath ver••ue to extenuate, or make humours subtile, it o∣peneth the pores, and bringeth foorth that which is fast in the flesh, it maketh that which is clammy subtile, and doth extenuateor relent that which is fat, it bringeth forth that which abideth long in the belly: but that which is eaten, is a superfluitie, watrie, and cholerike, and at length ma∣keth melancholike bloud: wherefore much vsing of them is prohibited, specially to them that are cholerike, and on∣ly serueth for them that are repleate with fleume, crude or vndigested humours, clammie or fat. The diet of fatting

things, doth nourish abundantly, so that the stomack and liuer do digest well, meat of good iuyce maketh good bloud, but yet stoppeth the liuer and spléene. These doe they, which make fat humours onely, as the pulse called Lenti∣cula, and they that are slimy like mallowes: some do make hot humours and be also slimie, as fishes with hard shels. Finally, the diet which doth extenuate and make leane, is more sure for kéeping of health, then that which fatteth much. Nourishing meates would be therefore moderatly vsed, when a man perceiueth himselfe to haue néede there∣of, it may be most surely vsed of them that be exercised tem∣peratly, and can sléepe when they list. They that cannot sléepe by reason of exercise, let them eschew fatting meats, let none idle person attempt to vse them. In the preserua∣tion of health, sluggardie is the greatest mischiefe. Like as temperate mouing is good, so is the meate which be∣twéene thicke and thinne, vnto mans health most conue∣nient, which ingendreth bloud, according to the compe∣tent constitution of mans bodie, and therefore it is to bée chiefly vsed. Meate of ill iuyce is alway noyfull, wherfore it ought to bee eschewed. Likewise the varietie of meates is to be obserued diligently, for it is a great thing to couple well together things of contrary vertues: for if they bée not well digested, that which is receiued may bring dis∣pleasure.