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.

CHAP. XXI.

Of Fruit and the differences thereof.

NOw we are come to the last course, which in anci∣ent and more healthful ages was the first and onely, whilst mens hands were neither polluted with the blood of Beasts, nor smelt of the most unwholesome sent of fish. This kind of meat is commended (like the Hebrew tongue) for three principal reasons; antiquity, purity, and sufficiency; for it was more ancient then either flesh or fish by two thousand years; it is so pure of it self that it never defiles the hand nor needeth any great dres∣sing: and that it is sufficient to maintain us long in life, not onely the history of the first twelve Patriarches, but also whole nations living at this day in India, Africa, A∣sia, and some parts of Europe do sufficiently declare, feeding wholly or principally of fruit; whereof I find three chief or especial kinds, namely Orchard-fruit grow∣ing upon trees: Garden-fruit growing upon shrubs, herbs and roots: and Field-fruit concluded under the name of Graine.