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

¶ The dyuysion of melancoly, and the diete of persons melancolyke. Cap. 18.

MElancoly is of two sortes, the one is cal∣lyd naturall, whiche is onely colde and dry, the other is called adust or bourned. Naturall melancoly is (as Galene saith) the residence or dregges of the bloudde: & there∣fore is colder and thicker than the bloude. Me∣lancoly aduste is in foure kyndes, eyther it is of naturall melancolye aduste, or of the more pure parte of the bloude aduste, or of choler aduste, or of salte fleume aduste. But of all other that melancoly is warst, whiche is ingendred of cho∣ler: fynally all aduste melancolye annoyeth the wytte and iugement of man. for whan that hu∣mour is hette, it maketh men madde, and whan it is extincte, it maketh men fooles, forgetfulle, and dull. The naturall melancolye kepte in his * 1.1 temperance, profyteth moche to true iugemente of the wytte, but yet yf it be to thycke, it darke∣neth the spirites, maketh one timorous, and the wytte dulle. If it be myxte with fleume, it mor∣tifieth the bloudde with to moche colde, where∣fore it may not be so lyttell, that the bloude and spirites in theyr feruentnesse, but as it were vn∣brydelyd, whereof do happen vnstablenesse of wytte and slypper remembraunce: nor yet so mo∣che, that by the weight therof (for it is heuy, ap∣prochynge nygh to the erthe) that we seme to be alwaye in sleape, and nede a spurre to prycke vs forwarde. Wherefore it is ryghte expedient, to kepe that humour as thynne as nature wyll suf¦fer it, and not to haue to moche of it.

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But nowe to the diete perteynynge to theym, whome this humour annoyeth. The knowlege that melancoly reygneth, is oftentymes heuy∣nesse of mynde, or feare without cause, slepinesse in the membres, many crampes without reple∣cyon or emptynesse, sodayne furye, sodayne in∣contynencye of the tongue, moche solycytude of lyght thynges, with palynesse of the vysage, and fearefull dreames of terryble visyons, dreaming of darkenesse, depe pyttes, or death of frendes or acquayntaunce, & of all thynge that is black. The meates conuenient are they, which be tem∣peratly in heate, but specially they that be moyst meates sone dygested, and they rather boyled thanne rosted, temperately myxte with spyces, mylke hot from the vdder, or late mylked, is ve∣ry conuenient for that complexion, swete almon∣des blaunched, and almond mylke, the yelkes of rere egges, and fynallye all thynges, whiche in∣gender pure bloudde, and all that is wryten in the chapyter of age. All these be yll for theym, wyne thycke or troublous, specyally red wyne, meates harde, dry, very salte, or soure, bourned meate, fryed meate, moche biefe, hares fleshe, beanes, roket, colewortes, mustard, radyshe, gar∣lyke, except there be moche wynde in the body, for than is it very holsome, onyons leekes, fynal¦ly all thynges whiche heateth to moche, keleth to moche, or dryeth to moche, also wrathe, feare, compassyon, sorowe, moche studye or care, moch ydelnesse or reste: all thynge that is greuous to see, to smelle or to heare, but most specyally dar∣kenesse. Moreouer moche dryenge of the body, eyther with longe watche, or with moche care

and tossynge of the mynde, or with moch leche∣rye, or moche eatynge and drynkyng of thynges that be hote and drye, or immoderate euacation, labour, abstinence, thyrst, goyng in the ayre vn∣temperately hotte, colde or drye, all these thyn∣ges do anoy them that be greued with any me∣lancoly. It is to be dylygentely consydered, that where melancolye happeneth of choler adduste, there meates whiche be hotte in warkyng, wold be wysely tempred, and drynkynge of hotte wy∣nes wolde be eschewed: semblable cautele wold be in sauours. Not withstandynge moderate vse of small wynes, clere and well verdured, is herein very commendable, the humour thereby beynge clarifyed, and the spyrytes clensed, but the abuse or excesse thereof dothe as moche da∣mage. Also it is ryghte expedyente, to put into wyne or ale, a gadde of syluer or golde, glowing hotte oute of the fyre, to tempre hotte meates with roses, vyolettes, saunders, rose water, bourage, buglosse, baulme called in latyne Me∣lyssa, or the water of all thre drunken with good wyne, whyte or clarette, or made in a Julep with sugar, is wonderfull holsome, chewyng of lykoryse, or raysons of coraunce is ryght expedy¦ent, but mooste of all other thynges, myrthe, good compauye, gladnesse, moderate exercyse, with moderate feedynge. And thus I leaue to speake of dyetes, aptely belongyng to the foure complexions.

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Notes

• * 1.1

  Ex Marci∣lio ficino, de uita sa∣na.