The schoolemaster, or teacher of table philosophie A most pleasant and merie companion, wel worthy to be welcomed (for a dayly gheast) not onely to all mens boorde, to guyde them with moderate [and] holsome dyet: but also into euery mans companie at all tymes, to recreate their mindes, with honest mirth and delectable deuises: to sundrie pleasant purposes of pleasure and pastyme. Gathered out of diuers, the best approued auctours: and deuided into foure pithy and pleasant treatises, as it may appeare by the contentes.

The. 10. chap. Of Egges, conteining. 9. quest.

THis Chapter requireth now some speciall treatice of Eg∣ges, wherin the first question which offreth it self most fit∣ly to be demaunded, is this:

which is the hoater of the yolke or the white? Amonge all hu∣mours blood is warmest in temperate warmth, so that the yolke as cūming neerest vnto the blood, is surely y^e warmer. Moreouer, the Liuer is hoater then the breastes, and the blood warmer then the milke, and the yolke in the egge is in temperature vnto the white, as is the blood in the Liuer.

Secondly, why doth the yolke beeing cast into water, sinke downe to the bottom, and the white fleete on top? The white is very slimy, and cleaueth vnto that which is next vnto it, and by reason of the slimines swimmeth aboue the water, and the yolke bicause of the soundnes and want of pores, sinketh downe.

Thirdly, why haue birdes fewer egges and bigger then the fishes, and they haue moe and smaller then birdes? The greatnesse in a thinge which is continuall, is procured by a strong heate: but a multitude in that which is diuided is long of the matter, bicause the matter is the beginning of di∣uision. And bicause birdes haue more heat then fishes haue, therfore haue they great egges in continuall, and but few in diuision, and contrariwise it fareth in fishes.

Fourthly, why haue birdes egges an hard shell, and fishes egges a soft? Fishes lay their egges in a moist place, and ther∣fore they néede no hard shell. But birdes lay their egges in hard and sound places, as vpon the ground, stones, trees, and such like, and therfore haue néede of an harde shell to keepe them frō hurt, vntil such time as the chick or bird be hatched.

Fiftly, why are birdes egges speckled and of diuerse coulers, and it is not so in fishes? In birdes ther is a strong naturall heat which is able to seperate thinges of diuerse natures a∣sunder, as the yolke from the white, and in fishes this heate is so weake that it is not able to worke the like effect.

Sixtly, why are birdes egges long, and fishes egges round? Heat moueth from the centre, and especiall causeth a forme like a piller, broad beneath and sharpe aboue, as appeareth in flame of a fire which riseth vp into a sharp poinct. Wherfore, heat béeing more abundant in birdes then in fishes, the birds

Egges are long, and fishes round, for the weake heat carieth the matier equally round.

Seuenthly, what breaketh the eggeshell when the chicke is hatched? There bée two causes hereof alledged, the one is, for that by long and continuall lyinge the shell waxeth softe and thin, as it is if an egge bée stieped nine daies in vineger: the second is, for that when the young bird lacketh nutrimente, hée breaketh the shell to séeke meat.

Eightly, why doth the yolke of an egge which is layd in the full of the moone, and in the light therof, scoure spottes out of cloth? The fatty drop in the middes of the egge béeinge the meanes of the generation, conceiueth a pearcinge and a diui∣ding heat both by the great light, and the moisture which the Moone moueth, which it can not do at another time.

Ninethly, why do some egges crack when they bee laid into the fire and some not? Such crack as haue within them win∣dines, which is perceiued when the shell reueth, to issue forth with great noise and force. And this hapneth when the fire is great. For if a birds egge were cast into the middes of the fire, the shell would soone breake, & the windines would start forth with great noise and force, which it would not do if the fire were small. But proportionably, there is mutch more windines in the egges of fishes, and therfore they make a great noyse when they bee cast into the fire, as appeare for example in the rowe of an hearring.

Notes

• Auicen.
• Rhasis.