Healths improvement: or, Rules comprizing and discovering the nature, method, and manner of preparing all sorts of food used in this nation. Written by that ever famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: corrected and enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.

The dressing of Eggs.

Concerning the preparation of them, a rare egg any way drest is lightest of digestion, a hard egg is most re∣bellious, an egg betwixt both is of strongest nourish∣ment. Brassavola reporteth a Monk to have been made so costiff with hard eggs, that no art was available to give him on stool. Furthermore all hard eggs, especial∣ly hardened by frying, get from the fire a smoky and hot nature, and from the frying-pan and burnt butter a maligne quality, not onely as offenssive to the stomack as rotten eggs, but also sending up bad vapours to the brain and heart. Eggs potcht into water or verjuce are fittest for hot complexions, or men distempered with agues; sodden rare in the shell they are soonest con∣verted into blood; but being rare-roasted in embers they make thickest and strongest blood, and are fit∣test for weak, cold and watrish stomachs. Thus much of Birds eggs, which in a little quantity nourish much, and are called of Ficinus, the quintescence of flesh; be∣cause

they yeild so speedy and fine nourishment.

Now it resteth to discourse something of Tortesses eggs, which be not poisonable nor hurtful (as the eggs of Snakes, Lizards, and Chamaeleons) but very fit to nourish men in hot agues, when all birds eggs may be suspected of inflaming the blood; for they are of a more flegmatick nature, tempering hot humours, procuring sleep to the watchful, moisture to the dryed person, and inspiring as it were a second life, to such as seem despe∣rately consumed of hot fevers▪ Sir Wil. Pelham (that wor∣thy & valiant Knight) kept them in his garden at the Mi∣nories by the Tower of London, where I wondred much at the beast and more at her eggs: for contrary to the nature of hens eggs, the most spotted were the best, and the hardest of shell the best likewise; and they are worst when they are newest, best when they are three months old.

Last of all, as touching that question made by Plutack, and disputed of him more wittily then wisely of either side, Whether the Hen or the Egg be first in nature, I omit it as a foolish and superfluous doubt, sith common sence and reason telleth us, that the perfecter creatures were first made, and the whole is more ancient then that which is gotten of the whole.

Notes

• Avic. Fen. 1. tract: 1. cap. 8. Lib. de san tu▪
• Pisanel de esc. & potul.
• l. sym. 2. quae. 3.