The castel of helth gathered and made by Syr Thomas Elyot knyghte, out of the chiefe authors of physyke, wherby euery manne may knowe the state of his owne body, the preseruatio[n] of helthe, and how to instructe welle his physytion in syckenes that he be not deceyued

Of order in receiuynge of meate and drynke. Cap. 29.

HErbes as welle sodden, as vnsodden, al∣so fruytes, whiche do mollyfye and louse the bealy, oughte to be eaten before any

other meate, excepte that sommetyme for the re∣pressynge of fumosities, rysynge in the heed by moch drynkyng of wyne, rawe lettyse, or a colde appull, or the iuyce of orenges or lymons maye be taken after meales in a lyttel quātitie. More ouer all brothes, mylke, rere egges, and meates, whiche are purposely taken to make the bealye soluble, wolde be fyrste eaten. All fruites and o∣ther meates, that are styptike or byndyng, wold be eaten laste after all other. Fruites confectio∣nate specially with hony, ar not to be eaten with other meates. But here is it to be dylygentelye noted, that where the stomacke is coleryke and strong, grosse meates wold be fyrst eaten; where the stomacke is colde or weake, there wold fyne meates be fyrste eaten: for in a hot stomake, fine meates are bourned, whyle the grosse meate is digesting. Contrary wise in a colde stomake, the lyttel heate is suffocate with grosse meate, & the fyne meate lefte rawe, for lacke of concoction, where if the fyne meat be fyrst taken moderatly, it stereth vp and comforteth naturall heate, and maketh it more able to concoct grosse meates, yf they be eatē afterward: so that it be but in small quantitie. not withstandyng, as I late affirmed, one maner of meate is moste sure to euery com∣plerion. foresene that it be alway most comonly in conformitie of qualities, with the person that eateth. Moreouer take hede, that slipper meates be not first eaten, lest it drawe with it to hastily other meates, or they be digested, nor that stiptik or restraining meatis, be taken at the begynning as quynces, peares, and medlars, leste they may let other meates, that they descende not into the

bottom of the stomake, where they shulde be di∣gested, not withstāding the cōfection made with the iuyce of quynces, callid Dacitonites, taken two houres afore dyner, or supper, is commēded of Galene, and other, for restoryng appetite, and making good concoction. Also cōcernyng drynke at meales, it wolde not be afore, that somwhat were eten. And at the begynnyng the drink wold be strongest, & so toward the end more smal, if it be ale or bere, & if it be wine more & more alaide with water. And after the better opinion of phi∣sicions, the drink wold rather be mixte with the meate by sondry lytle draughtes, than with one great draught at thend of the meale, for the mix¦ture tempreth wel the meate without anoyance, a great draught with moch drink, drowneth the meate, rebuketh natural hete, that than worketh in concoction, & with his weight driueth downe the meate to hastily. Hot wines and swete, or cō¦fectioned with spices, or very strong ale or bere, ar not conuenient at meales, for the meate is by them rather corrupted, thā digested, & they make hot and stinking vapors ascende vp to the bray∣nes. All be it yf the stomake be very wyndy, or so colde and feble, that it can not concoct suche a quantitie of meat, as is requyred to the suffy∣cyent nourishement of the body of hym that ea∣teth, or hath eaten raw herbes or frutes, where by he feleth som anoyance, than may he drynke last incontynent after his meale, a lyttell quanti∣tie of secke, or good aqua vite in smal ale: but yf he haue moche choler in his stomake or a heed full of vapours, it were moch better, that he dyd neyther drynke the one, nor the other, but rather

eate a lyttell colyander sede prepared, or a pece of a quince rosted, or in marmelade, and after reste, to amende the lacke of nature with slepe, moderate exercise, and playsters prouyded for comfortynge of the stomake. And here wyll I leaue to wryte any more of the diete in eatyng & drinkyng, sauynge that I wold, that the reders shuld haue in remembraunce these two counsay∣les. Fyrst, that to an hole man, to precise a rule is not conuenient in diete: & that the diseases, whi∣che do happen by to moche abstinence, are wars to be cured, than they whiche come by replecion. * 1.1 And as Cornelius Celsus sayth, A man that is hole and wel at ease, and is at his liberte, ought not to bynde hym selfe to rules, or nede a phisi∣tion: but yet where the stomake is feble, as is of * 1.2 the more parte of citesyns, and wel nigh al they that be studious in lernyng or weighty affayres, there ought to be more circumspection, that the meate may be such, as that eyther in qualitie or quantitie, nature beynge but feble, but not rebu∣ked, or to moche oppressed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cor. Ccl. li. l. cap. 1.
• * 1.2

  Idē, ca. 2.