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 the vertue of meates. Cap. 12.

HE that is studious about the cōseruation of healthe, he nedeth to knowe the vertue * 1.1 of meates. The meat whiche hath vertue to extenuate, or make humours subtylle, it openeth the poores, and bryngeth forthe that whych is faste in the fleshe, it maketh that whi∣che is clammye, subtylle, & doeth extenuate, or relent that which is fatte, it bringeth forthe that which abideth long in the bealy, but that which is eaten, is a superfluitie watry & coleryke, and at length maketh melancolike bloud. Wherfore

moche vsinge of them is prohibited, specially to them, that are colerike, & only serueth for them that ar replete with fleume, crude or vndigested humours, clammi or fatte. The diete of fattinge thinges, dothe nourish aboundantly, so that the stomake & lyuer do digest well: meate of good iuice, maketh good bloud, but yet it stoppeth the lyuer & splene. These do they, whiche make fat humours onely, as the poulse callid Lenticula, & they that are slimy like malowes, some do make fat humors, & be also slimy, as fishes with hard shelles. Finally the diete, whiche doth extenuate & make leane, is more sure for kepyng of helth, than that, whiche fatteth moch. Norishing mea∣tes wold be therfor moderateli vsed, whan a mā perceyueth hym selfe to haue nede therof, it may be most sureli vsed of them that be exercised tem¦porately, & can slepe whan they lust. They that can not slepe by reasō of exercise, lette theim es∣chewe fattinge meates, lette none ydelle persone attempte to vse theim. In the preseruation of helth, sluggardy is the greattest mischiefe. Lyke as the temperate mouing is good, so is the meat which betwene thycke & thynne, is to mannes helth most cōuenient, which ingendreth bloude, according to the competent cōstitution of mans body, & therfore is it to be chifly vsed. Meate of yll iuyce is alway noiful, wherfor it ought to be eschewed. Likewise the varietie of meates is to be obserued diligently, for it is a great thinge to couple wel togither thinges of cōtrarie vertues. for yf they be not well digested, that whiche is receyued, may brynge displeasure.

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

Notes

• * 1.1

  ribasius 〈…〉〈…〉 medici 〈…〉〈…〉 fimp. 1.