The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of Fruits.

MOST are of Opinion that Fruits are cold, which we find contrary by the Effect; for Wine which is made of Fruits is hot, as of Grapes, Rasberies, Cherries, Strawberrie∣Wine; and Sider and Perry, which are made of Apples and Pears is hot like Wine too; for it will make a man drunk if he drink enough of it, as well as Grape-wine or of any other Fruit; but some will say it is the spirits that are prest out which are in the Liquor, and by lying the spirits grow stronger, and so be∣come

hot, which otherwise were not; but I answer to that, that the pressing with the Teeth makes the Liquor not less hot than another Press doth, and for the Age it may grow the hotter for being sharpened; but we find that it is very hot in the Press or Vat, for the very Steam where they are prest, will make men drunk, and they will go into the Liquor new prest, finding a be∣nefit in curing cold Diseases; but no question some Fruits are hotter than others (though none are cold) by having more or less spirits; but all spirits have a sufficiency of spirits to heat, and the spirits lye in the Liquor, not in the Solid parts, for all spirits dwell in the thinnest Bodies or Parts, and are the subtillest in Operation; now may the solid part of Fruit be cooling, when the spirits, which are the thinnest Juice, are hot, as being baked, roasted, or boiled; where the effect of the Fire hath evapoura∣ted that Heat: But this Opinion is begot, by seeing many wo∣men, which eat much Fruit, become pale and sickly; so men, by drinking much Wine, will become pale and full of Diseases, and many times will have the contrary operation of Comple∣xions, and become very Red, though the inward cause is all one: for in some it soaks and dries up all the Blood, or rarifies too thin, which makes the Face pale; and in others it burns and crusts the Blood, which makes the Face Red and Pimpled, so that it dries the Body by the Vitriol Humour, and burns the Bo∣dy by the unnatural Heat therein. Another Opinion why they hold them cold, is, by the often Surfets many fall into by the much eating of it; and the reason they give, is, because it is so cold it cannot digest. I answer, that Surfets are caused by the Quantity, and not so much by the Quality: for there are many that surfet of strong Wines, by over-charging their Stomacks therewith; and so in all Meats, which otherwise are good and wholsome, if not immoderately taken, but according to their di∣gesting Stomacks: for some will surfet of that Quantity, as o∣thers shall not with ten times more; such difference is in the Na∣tures and Constitutions of Men. There are many things by the effect cooling, by being applyed outwardly, which applying in∣wardly, work the contrary: for Vinegar cooleth outward In∣slammations, but shal increase an inward one, being too tender for so sharp a Medicine; and all things that corrode, make too much Motion, and all Motion heats. All Limmons, Citrons, Oranges, Pomegranates, Barberies, Currans, and the like, are accounted very cooling, being inwardly taken, and also very wholsome, which may be very good and effectual, being applyed to such Diseases as require a sharp Medicin, thogh not cooling: But if they were cooling by their nature, as there is no great reason to believe it, having as much Spirits as other Fruits have, by reason of their fulness of Liquor, though I do not say that all sorts of Liquor are full of Spirits, but such Liquors of such Natures; yet by the effect inwardly it heats, for the very corroding Quality inflames the Blood more than the Nature can cool; for all things that are

sharp, have an ingraving Quality or Faculty, not onely to cut away Rotten and Superfluous Humours, but to eat upon the Noble Parts.