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* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
A boke or coun-
seill against the disease
commonly called the
sweate or swea-
tyng sicknesse
made by Jhon Caius
doctour in phisicke
uery necessary for everye
personne and much requi-
site to be had in the handes
of al sortes, for their better
instruction, preparation and
defence, against the soub-
dein comyng, and fear-
ful assaultyng of the
same disease
1552
TO THE RIGHTE HONOURABLE
WILLIAM EARLE OF PENBROKE, LORDE
HARBERT OF CARDIFE, KNIGHT OF THE HONOUR-
ABLE ORDRE OF THE GARTER, AND PRESIDENT OF
THE KYNGES HIGHNES COUNSEILL IN
THE MARCHES OF WALES:
JHON CAIUS WISHETH
HELTH AND HONOUR.
In the fereful tyme of the sweate (ryghte honourable) many
resorted vnto me for counseil, among whome some beinge my frendes
& aquaintance, desired me to write vnto them some litle counseil
howe to gouerne themselues therin: saiyng also that I should do
a greate pleasure to all my frendes and contrimen, if I would
deuise at my laisure some thing, whiche from tyme to tyme might
remaine, wherto men might in such cases haue a recourse &
present refuge at all nedes, as then they had none. At whose
requeste, at that tyme I wrate diuerse counseiles so shortly as
I could for the present necessite, whiche they bothe vsed and
dyd geue abrode to many others, & further appoynted in my self
to fulfill (for so much as laye in me) the other parte of their
honest request for the time to come. The whiche the better to
execute and brynge to passe, I spared not to go to all those
that sente for me, bothe poore, and riche, day and night. And
that not only to do them that ease that I could, & to instructe
them for their recouery: but to note also throughly, the cases
and circumstaunces of the disease in diuerse persons, and to
vnderstande the nature and causes of the same fully, for so much
as might be. Therefore as I noted, so I wrate as laisure then
serued, and finished one boke in Englishe, onely for Englishe men
not lerned, one other in latine for men of lerninge more at
large, and generally for the help of them which hereafter should
haue nede, either in this or other countreis, that they may lerne
by our harmes. This I had thoughte to haue set furth before
christmas, & to haue geuen to your lordshippe at new-yeres (3)
tide, but that diuerse other businesses letted me. Neuertheles
that which then coulde not be done cometh not now out of season,
although it be neuer so simple, so it may do ease hereafter,
which as I trust this shal, so for good wil I geue
and dedicate it vnto your good Lordshippe, trustyng the
same will take this with as good a mind, as I
geue it to your honour, whiche our Lorde
preserue and graunt long
to continue.
At London the first of Aprill.
1552.
The boke of Jhon Caius
against the sweatyng sicknes.
Man beyng borne not for his owne vse and commoditie alone, but
also for the common benefite of many, (as reason wil and al good
authoures write) he whiche in this world is worthy to lyue,
ought al wayes to haue his hole minde and intente geuen to
profite others. Whiche thynge to shewe in effecte in my selfe,
although by fortune some waies I haue ben letted, yet by that
whiche fortune cannot debarre, some waies again I haue declared.
For after certein yeres beyng at cambrige, I of the age of XX.
yeres, partly for mine exercise and profe what I coulde do, but
chefely for certein of my very frendes, dyd translate out of
Latine into Englishe certein workes, hauyng nothynge els so good
to gratifie theim w^t. Wherof one of _S. Chrysostome de modo
orandi deum_, that is, of y^e manner (4) to praye to god, I sent
to one my frende then beyng in the courte. One other, a woorke
of _Erasmus de vera theologia_, the true and redy waye to reade
the scripture, I dyd geue to Maister Augustine Stiwarde Alderman
of Norwiche, not in the ful as the authore made it, but
abbreuiate for his only purpose to whome I sent it, Leuyng out
many subtile thinges, made rather for great & learned diuines,
then for others. The thirde was the paraphrase of the same
Erasmus vpon the Epistle of S. Jude, whiche I translated at the
requeste of one other my deare frende.
These I did in Englishe the rather because at that tyme men ware
not so geuen all to Englishe, but that they dyd fauoure &
maynteine good learning conteined in tongues & sciences, and did
also study and apply diligently the same them selues. Therfore I
thought no hurte done. Sence y^t tyme diuerse other thynges I
haue written, but with entente neuer more to write in the
Englishe tongue, partly because the commoditie of that which is
so written, passeth not the compasse of Englande, but remaineth
enclosed within the seas, and partly because I thought that
labours so taken should be halfe loste among them whiche sette
not by learnyng. Thirdly for that I thought it beste to auoide
the iudgement of the multitude, from whome in maters of learnyng
a man shalbe forced to dissente, in disprouyng that whiche they
most approue, & approuyng that whiche they moste disalowe.
Fourthly for that the common settyng furthe and printing of euery
foolishe thyng in englishe, both of phisicke vnperfectly, and
other matters vndiscretly diminishe the grace of thynges learned
set furth in thesame. But chiefely, because I wolde geue none
example or comforte to my countrie men, (whom I wolde to be now,
as here tofore they haue bene, comparable in learnyng to men of
other countries) to stonde onely in the Englishe tongue, but to
leaue the simplicite of thesame, and to procede further in (5)
many and diuerse knoweleges bothe in tongues and sciences at
home and in vniuersities, to the adournyng of the common welthe,
better seruice of their kyng, & great pleasure and commodite of
their owne selues, to what kinde of life so euer they shold
applie them. Therfore whatsoeuer sence that tyme I minded to
write, I wrate y^e same either in greke or latine. As firste of
all certein commentaries vpon certein bokes of William
framingham, maister of art in Cambrige, a man ot great witte,
memorie, diligence and learnyng, brought vp in thesame scholes
in Englande that I was, euer from his beginnyng vntil his death.
Of the which bokes, ij. of _continentia_ (or continence) wer in
prose, y^e reste in metre or verse of diuerse kindes. One a
comforte for a blinde man, entitled _ad Aemilianum caecum
consolatio_, one other _Ecpyrosis, seu incendium sodomorum_, the
burnyng of Sodome. The thirde _Laurentius_, expressyng the
tormentes of Saincte Laurence. The fourthe, _Idololatria_,
Idolatrie, not after the trade and veine of scripture (wherein
he was also very well exercised) but conformable to scripture
and after the ciuile and humane learnyng, declaryng them to
worshippe _Mars_, that warre, or fight: _Venus_, that lyue
incontinently: _Pluto_, that folowe riches couetousely; and so
forth through all vices vsed in his time. The fiueth boke
_Arete_, vertue: the sixth, Epigrammes, conteined in two bokes,
whiche by an epistle of his owne hand before y^e boke yet
remainyng, he dedicated vnto me, purposyng to haue done many
more prety thynges, but that cruell death preuented, and toke him
away wher he and I was borne at Norwiche, in the yere of our
Lord M.d.xxxvij. the xxix. daie of September, beynge then of the
age of xxv. yeres, vij. Monethes, and vj. daies, a greate losse
of so notable a yonge man. These workes at his death he willed
to comme to my handes, by (6) which occasion after I had viewed
them, and perceiued them ful of al kyndes of learnyng, thinkyng
them no workes for all men to vnderstande with out helpe, but such
as were wel sene in all sortes of authours: I endeuoured my
selfe partely for the helpe of others, & partly for mine owne
exercise, to declare vpon theim the profite of my studie in
ciuile and humane learnynge, and to haue before mine eyes as in
a worke (which was alwaies my delyght) how muche I had profited
in the same. Thys so done, I ioyned euery of my commentaries to
euery of hys saied bokes, faier written by Nicolas Pergate puple
to the saied Maister Framyngham, myndyng after the iudgement of
learned men had in thesame, to haue set theim furthe in prynte,
if it had ben so thought good to theim. For whyche cause, at my
departynge into Italie, I put an Epistle before theym
dedicatorye to the right Reuerend father in God Thomas Thirlbye,
now Bishoppe of Norwiche, because thesame maister Framyngham
loued hym aboue others. He after my departure deliuered the
bokes to the reuerende father in god Jhon Skippe, late bishop of
Hereforde, then to D. Thirtle, tutor to the sayd maister
framyngham, from him to syr Richard Morisine, now ambassadoure for
y^e kinges maiestie with themperour, then to D. Tailour Deane of
Lincolne, and syr Thomas Smithe, secretarie after to y^e kynges
Maiestie, all great learned men. From these to others they wente,
among whome the bokes died, (as I suppose,) or els be closely
kept, that after my death they may be setfurthe in the names of
them which now haue them, as their workes. Howe soeuer it be,
well I knowe that at my returne out of Italie (after vj. yeres
continuance ther) into England, I coulde neuer vnderstand wher
they wer, although I bothe diligently and desirousely sought
them. After these I translated out of Greke into Latine a litle
boke of _Nicephorus_, declarynge howe a man maye in praiynge
confesse hym selfe, which after I dyd geue vnto Jhon Grome
bacheler in arte, (7) a yong man in yeres, but in witte &
learnyng for his tyme, of great expectation. That done I beganne
a chronicle of the citie of Norwiche, of the beginninge therof &
thinges done ther from time to time. The matere wherof yet rude
and vndigested lyeth by me, which at laisure I minde to polishe,
and to make an end of that I haue begunne. And to be shorte, in
phisicke diuerse thynges I haue made & settefurth in print bothe
in Greke and Latine, not mindyng to do other wise, as I haue
before said, al my life: For which cause al these thinges I haue
rehersed, els superfluous in this place. Yet see, meaning now to
counseill a litle agaynst the sweatyng sickenes for helpe also
of others, notwithstandyng my former purpose, two thynges
compell me, in writynge therof, to returne agayne to Englishe,
Necessite of the matter, & good wyl to my countrie, frendes, &
acquaintance, whiche here to haue required me, to whome I thinke
my selfe borne.
Necessite, for that this disease is almoste peculiar vnto vs
Englishe men, and not common to all men, folowyng vs, as the
shadowe the body, in all countries, albeit not at al times.
Therfore compelled I am to vse this our Englishe tongue as best
to be vnderstande, and moste nedeful to whome it most foloweth,
most behoueth to haue spedy remedie, and often tymes leaste
nyghe to places of succourre and comforte at lerned mennes
handes: and leaste nedefull to be setfurthe in other tongues to
be vnderstand generally of all persons, whome it either haunteth
not at all, or els very seldome, as ones in an age. Thinkynge it
also better to write this in Englishe after mine own meanyng,
then to haue it translated out of my Latine by other after their
misunderstandyng.
Good wyll to my countrie frendes and acquaintance, seynge them
wyth out defence yelde vnto it, and it ferefully to inuade them,
furiousely handle them, spedily oppresse them, vnmercyfully (8)
choke them, and that in no small numbers, and such persons so
notably noble in birthe, goodly conditions, graue sobrietie,
singular wisedome, and great learnynge, as Henry Duke of
Suffolke, and the lorde Charles his brother, as fewe hath bene
sene lyke of their age: an heuy & pitifull thyng to here or see.
So that if by onely learned men in phisicke & not this waye also
it should be holpen, it were nedeful almost halfe so many
learned men to be redy in euery toune and citie, as their should
be sweatynge sicke folkes. Yet this notwithstandynge, I wyll
euery man not to refuse the counseill of the present or nighe
phisicen learned, who maie, accordyng to the place, persone,
cause, & other circumstances, geue more particular counseil at
nede, but in any wise exhorte him to seke it with all diligence.
To this enterprise also amonge so many learned men, not a litle
stirreth me the gentilnes and good willes of al sortes of men,
which I haue well proued heretofore by my other former bokes.
Mindynge therefore with as good a will to geue my counseil in
this, and trusting for no lesse gentlenes in the same, I wyll
plainly and in English for their better vnderstandynge to whome
I write, firste declare the beginnynge, name, nature, and signes
of the sweatynge sickenes. Next, the causes of the same. And
thirdly, how to preserue men from it, and remedy them when they
haue it.
[The beginnyng of the disease] In the yere of our Lorde God
M.CCCC.lxxxv. shortly after the vij. daye of august, at whiche
tyme kynge Henry the seuenth arriued at Milford in walles, out
of Fraunce, and in the firste yere of his reigne, ther chaunced
a disease among the people, lastyng the reste of that monethe &
all September, which for the soubdeine sharpenes and vnwont
cruelnes passed the pestilence. For this commonly geueth iij. or
iiij. often vij. sumtyme ix. as that firste at Athenes whiche
_Thucidides_ describeth in his seconde boke, sumtyme xj. and
sumtyme xiiij. dayes respecte, to whome it (9) vexeth. But that
immediatly killed some in opening theire windowes, some in
plaieng with children in their strete dores, some in one hour,
many in two it destroyed, & at the longest, to them that merilye
dined, it gaue a sorowful Supper. As it founde them so it toke
them, some in sleape some in wake, some in mirthe some in care,
some fasting & some ful, some busy and some idle, and in one
house sometyme three sometime fiue, sometyme seuen sometyme
eyght, sometyme more some tyme all, of the whyche, if the haulfe
in euerye Towne escaped, it was thoughte great fauour. How, or
wyth what maner it toke them, with what grieffe, and accidentes
it helde theym, herafter then I wil declare, when I shal come to
shewe the signes therof. In the mene space, know that this
disease (because it most did stand in sweating from the
beginning vntil the endyng) was called here, the Sweating
sickenesse: and because it firste beganne in Englande, it was
named in other countries, the englishe sweat. Yet some
conjecture that it, or the like, hath bene before seene among
the Grekes in the siege of Troie. In themperor Octauius warres at
_Cantabria_, called nowe Biscaie, in Hispaine: and in the
Turkes, at the Rhodes. How true that is, let the aucthours loke:
how true thys is, the best of our Chronicles shewith, & of the
late begonne disease the freshe memorie yet confirmeth. But if
the name wer now to be geuen, and at my libertie to make the
same: I would of the maner and space of the disease (by cause
the same is no sweat only, as herafter I will declare, & in the
spirites) make the name _Ephemera_, which is to sai, a feuer of
one natural dai. A feuer, for the feruor or burning, drieth &
sweating feure like. Of one naturall day, for that it lasteth
but the time of xxiiij. houres. And for a distinction from the
commune _Ephemera_, that Galene writeth of, comming both of
other causes, and wyth vnlike paines, I wold putte to it either
Englishe, for that it followeth somoche English menne, to whom
(10) it is almoste proper, & also began here: or els pestilent,
for that it commeth by infection & putrefaction, otherwise then
doth the other _Ephemera_. Whiche thing I suppose may the better
be done, because I se straunge and no english names both in
Latine and Greke by commune vsage taken for Englishe. As in
Latin, Feure, Quotidian, Tertian, Quartane, Aier, Infection,
Pestilence, Uomite, Person, Reines, Ueines, Peines, Chamere,
Numbre, &c. a litle altered by the commune pronunciation. In
Greke, Pleuresie, Ischiada, Hydrops, Apostema, Phlegma, and
Chole: called by the vulgare pronunciation, Schiatica, Dropsie,
Impostume, Phleume, & Choler: Gyne also, and Boutyre, Sciourel,
Mouse, Rophe, Phrase, Paraphrase, & cephe, wherof cometh
Chaucers couercephe, in the romant of the Rose, written and
pronounced comonly, kerchief in y^e south, & courchief in the
north. Thereof euery head or principall thing, is comonlye
called cephe, pronounced & written, chief. Uery many other there
be in our commune tongue, whiche here to rehearse were to long.
These for an example shortelye I haue here noted. But for the
name of this disease it maketh now no matter, the name of Sweat
beyng commonly vsed. Let vs therfore returne to the thing, which
as occasion & cause serued, came againe in the M.D.vi. the xxii.
yeare of the said Kyng Henry the seuenth. Aftre that, in the
yeare M.D.xvii. the ix. yeare of Kyng Henry the viii, and
endured from July, vnto y^e middest of Decembre. The iiii tyme,
in the yeare M.D.xxviii. the xx. yeare of thesaied Kyng,
beginning in thende of May, & continuing June and July. The
fifth tyme of this fearful _Ephemera_ of Englande, and pestilent
sweat, is this in the yeare M.D.LI. of oure Lorde GOD, and the
fifth yeare of oure Souereigne Lorde king Edwarde the sixth,
beginning at Shrewesbury in the middest of April, proceadinge
with greate mortalitie to Ludlowe, Prestene, and (11) other
places in Wales, then to Westchestre, Couentre, Oxenfoorde, and
other tounes in the Southe, and such as were in and aboute the
way to London, whether it came notablie the seuenth of July, and
there continuing sore, with the losse of vii. C. lxi. from the
ix. day vntil the xvi. daye, besides those that died in the vii.
and viii. dayes, of whom no registre was kept, from that it abated
vntil the xxx. day of the same, with the losse of C. xlii. more.
Then ceassing there, it wente from thence throughe al the east
partes of England into the Northe vntill the ende of Auguste, at
whiche tyme it diminished, and in the ende of Septembre fully
ceassed.
This disease is not a Sweat onely, (as it is thought & called)
but a feuer, as I saied, in the spirites by putrefaction
venemous, with a fight, trauaile, and laboure of nature againste
the infection receyued in the spirites, whervpon by chaunce
foloweth a Sweate, or issueth an humour compelled by nature, as
also chanceth in other sicknesses whiche consiste in humours,
when they be in their state, and at the worste in certein dayes
iudicial, aswel by vomites, bledinges, & fluxes, as by sweates.
That this is true, the self sweates do shewe. For as in vtter
businesses, bodies y^t sore do labour, by trauail of the same
are forced to sweat, so in inner diseases, the bodies traueiled
& labored by them, are moued to the like. In which labors, if
nature be strong & able to thrust out the poison by sweat (not
otherwise letted) y^e person escapeth: if not, it dieth. That it
is a feuer, thus I haue partly declared, and more wil streight
by the notes of the disease, vnder one shewing also by thesame
notes, signes, and short tariance of the same, that it
consisteth in the spirites. First by the peine in the backe, or
shoulder, peine in the extreme partes, as arme, or legge, with a
flusshing, or wind, as it semeth to certeine of the pacientes,
flieng in the same. Secondly by the grief in the liuer and the
nigh stomacke. Thirdely, by the peine in the head, & madnes of
(12) the same. Fourthly by the passion of the hart. For the
flusshing or wynde comming in the vtter and extreame partes,
is nothing els but the spirites of those same gathered together,
at the first entring of the euell aire, agaynste the infection
therof, & flyeng thesame from place to place, for their owne
sauegarde. But at the last infected, they make a grief where
thei be forced, which commonly is in tharme or legge (the
fartheste partes of theire refuge) the backe or shulder: trieng
ther first a brunt as good souldiers, before they wil let their
enemye come further into theire dominion. The other grefes be
therefore in thother partes aforsaid & sorer, because the
spirites be there most plentuous as in their founteines, whether
alwaies thinfection desireth to go. For from the liuer, the nigh
stomack, braine, and harte, come all the iij. sortes, and kyndes
of spirites, the gouernoures of oure bodies, as firste spronge
there. But from the hart, the liuish spirites. In putrifieng
wherof by the euel aier in bodies fit for it, the harte is
oppressed. Wherupon also foloweth a marueilous heauinesse, (the
fifthe token of this disease,) and a desire to sleape, neuer
contented, the senses in al partes beynge as they were bounde or
closed vp, the partes therfore left heuy, vnliuishe, and dulle.
Laste foloweth the shorte abidinge, a certeine Token of the
disease to be in the spirites, as wel may be proued by the
_Ephemera_ that Galene writethe of, whiche because it
consistethe in the Spirites, lasteth but one natural day. For as
fire in hardes or straw, is sone in flambe & sone oute, euen so
heate in the spirites, either by simple distemperature, or by
infection and putrefaction therin conceyued, is sone in flambe
and sone out, and soner for the vehemencye or greatnes of the
same, whiche without lingering, consumeth sone the light matter,
contrary to al other diseases restyng in humoures, wherin a fire
ones kindeled, is not so sone put out, no more (13) then is the
same in moiste woodde, or fat Sea coles, as well by the
particular Example of the pestilence, (of al others most lyke
vnto this) may be declared, whyche by that it standeth in euel
humors, tarieth as I said, sometyme, from iiij. vii. ix. & xj.
vntill xiiij. dayes, differentlie from this, by reason therof,
albeit by infection most lyke to this same. Thus vnder one
laboure shortelie I haue declared both what this disease is,
wherein it consisteth, howe and with what accidentes it grieueth
and is differente from the Pestilence, and the propre signes,
and tokens of the same, without the whiche, if any do sweate,
I take theym not to Sweate by this Sickenesse, but rather by
feare, heate of the yeare, many clothes, greate exercise,
affection, excesse in diete, or at the worst, by a smal cause of
infection, and lesse disposition of the bodi to this sicknes. So
that, insomoche as the body was nat al voide of matter, sweate
it did when infection came: but in that the mattere was not
greate, the same coulde neyther be perilous nor paineful as in
others, in whom it was greater cause.
[_The causes._] Hetherto I haue shewed the beginning, name,
nature, & signes of this disease: nowe I will declare the
causes, which be ij.: infection, & impure spirites in bodies
corrupt by repletion. Infection, by thaire receiuing euel
qualities, distempring not only y^e hete, but the hole substance
therof, in putrifieng thesame, and that generally ij. waies. By
the time of the yere vnnatural, & by the nature & site of the
soile & region--wherunto maye be put the particular accidentes
of this same. By the time of the yeare vnnaturall, as if winter
be hot & drie, somer hot and moist: (a fit time for sweates) the
spring colde and drye, the fall hot & moist. To this mai be
ioyned the euel disposition by constellation, whiche hath a
great power & dominion in al erthly thinges. By the site &
nature of the soile & region, many wayes. First & specially by
euel mistes & exhalations drawen out of the grounde by the sunne
in the heate of the yeare, as chanced among the Grekes in the
siege of Troy, wherby died firste dogges & mules, after, (14) men
in great numbre: & here also in England in this m.d.lj. yeare,
the cause of this pestilent sweate, but of dyuers nature. Whiche
miste in the countrie wher it began, was sene flie from toune to
toune, with suche a stincke in morninges & eueninges, that men
could scarcely abide it. Then by dampes out of the earth, as out
of Galenes _Barathrum_, or the poetes _auernum_, or _aornum_, the
dampes wherof be such, that thei kil y^e birdes flieng ouer them.
Of like dampes, I heard in the north country in cole pits, wherby
the laboring men be streight killed, except before the houre of
coming therof (which thei know by y^e flame of their candle) thei
auoid the ground. Thirdly by putrefaction or rot in groundes aftre
great flouddes, in carions, & in dead men. After great fluddes,
as happened in y^e time of Gallien themperor at rome, in _Achaia_
& _Libia_, wher the seas sodeinly did ouerflow y^e cities nigh
to y^t same. And in the xi. yeare of _Pelagius_, when al the
flouddes throughe al Italye didde rage, but chieflye _Tibris_ at
Rome, whiche in many places was as highe as the walles of the
citie.
In carions or dead bodies, as fortuned here in Englande vpon the
sea banckes in the tyme of King Alured, or Alfrede; (as some
Chroniclers write) but in the time of king Ethelred after
Sabellicus, by occasion of drowned Locustes cast vp by the Sea,
which by a wynde were driuen oute of Fraunce thether. This
locust is a flie in bignes of a mannes thumbe, in colour broune,
in shape somewhat like a greshopper, hauing vi. fiete, so many
wynges, two tiethe, & an hedde like a horse, and therfore called
in Italy _Caualleto_, where ouer y^e city of _Padoa_, in the
yeare m.d.xlij. (as I remembre,) I, with manye more did see a
swarme of theim, whose passage ouer the citie, did laste two
hours, in breadth inestimable to euery man there. Here by
example to note infection by deadde menne in Warres, either in
rotting aboue the ground, as chaunced in Athenes by theim of
Ethiopia, or els in beyng buried ouerly (15) as happened at
Bulloigne, in the yere M.D.xlv. the yeare aftre king Henrye
theight had conquered the same, or by long continuance of an
hoste in one place, it is more playne by dayly experience, then
it neadeth to be shewed. Therefore I wil now go to the fourth
especial cause of infection, the pent aier, breaking out of the
ground in yearthquakes, as chaunced at Uenice in the first yeare
of _Andrea Dandulo_, then Duke, the xxiiij. day of Januarye, and
xx. hour after their computacion. By which infection mani died,
& many were borne before their time. The v. cause is close,
& vnstirred aire, & therfore putrified or corrupt, out of old
welles, holes in y^t ground made for grain, wherof many I did se
in & about _Pesaro_ in Italy, by opening them aftre a great space,
as both those countrimen do confesse, & also by example is declared,
for y^e manye in opening them vnwarely be killed. Out of caues,
& tombes also, as chaunced first in the country of _Babilonia_,
proceding aftre into Grece, and so to Rome, by occasion that y^e
souldiers of themperour _Marcus Antoninus_, vpon hope of money,
brake up a golden coffine of _Auidius Cassius_, spieng a litle
hole therin, in the temple of _Apollo_ in _Seleucia_, as
_Ammianus Marcellinus_ writeth. To these mai be ioyned the
particular causes of infection, which I cal the accidentes of the
place, augmenting thesame. As nigh to dwelling places, merishe &
muddy groundes, puddles or donghilles, sinkes or canales, easing
places or carions, deadde ditches or rotten groundes, close aier
in houses or ualleis, with suche like. Thus muche for the firste
cause.
The second cause of this Englyshe _Ephemera_, I said were
thimpure spirites in bodies corupt by repletion. Repletion I cal
here, abundance of humores euel & maliciouse, from long time by
litle & litle gathered by euel diete, remaining in the bodye,
coming either by to moche meate, or by euel meate in qualitie,
as infected frutes, meates of euel iuse or nutriment; or both
ioyntly. To such spirites when the aire infectiue cometh (16)
consonant, then be thei distempered, corrupted, sore handled, &
oppressed, then nature is forced, & the disease engendred. But
while I doe declare these impure spirites to be one cause,
I must remoue your myndes from spirites to humours, for that the
spirites be fedde of the finest partes therof, & aftre bringe
you againe to spirites where I toke you. And forsomuche as I
haue not yet forgotten to whome I write, in this declaration I
will leaue a part al learned & subtil reasons, as here void &
vnmiete, & only vse suche as be most euident to whom I write,
& easiest to be vnderstanden of the same: and at ones therwith
shew also why it haunteth vs English men more then other nations.
Therfore I passe ouer the vngentle sauoure or smell of the
sweate, grosenes, colour, and other qualities of the same, the
quantitie, the daunger in stopping, the maner in coming furthe
redily, or hardly, hot or cold, the notes in the excrementes, the
state longer or sorer, with suche others, which mai be tokens of
corrupt humours & spirites, & onli wil stand upon iii. reasons
declaring y^e same swet by gret repletion to be in vs not
otherwise for al the euel aire apt to this disease, more then
other nations. For as hereaftre I wil shew, & Galen confirmeth, our
bodies can not suffre any thing or hurt by corrupt & infectiue
causes, except ther be in them a certein mater prepared apt & like
to receiue it, els if one were sick, al shuld be sick, if in
this countri, in al countres wher the infection came, which thing
we se doth not chance. For touching the first reason, we se this
sweting sicknes or pestilent _Ephemera_, to be oft in England, but
neuer entreth Scotland, (except the borders) albeit thei both be
ioinctly within the compas of on sea. The same beginning here,
hath assailed Brabant & the costes nigh to it, but neuer passed
Germany, where ones it was in like facion as here, with great
mortalitie, in the yere m.d.xlix. Cause wherof none other there
is naturall, then the euell diet of these thre contries whiche
destroy more meates and (17) drynckes withoute al ordre,
conuenient time, reason, or necessite, then either Scotlande, or
all other countries vnder the sunne, to the greate annoiance of
their owne bodies and wittes, hinderance of theim which have
nede, and great dearth and scarcitie in their common welthes.
Wherfore if _Esculapius_ the inuentour of phisike, y^e sauer of
men from death, and restorer to life, should returne again into
this world, he could not saue these sortes of men, hauing so
moche sweatyng stuffe, so many euill humoures laid vp in store,
from this displeasante, feareful, & pestilent disease: except
thei would learne a new lesson, & folowe a new trade. For other
wise, neither the auoidyng of this countrie (the seconde reason)
nor fleyng into others, (a commune refuge in other diseases)
wyll preserue vs Englishe men, as in this laste sweate is by
experience well proued in Cales, Antwerpe, and other places of
Brabant, wher only our contrimen ware sicke, & none others,
except one or ii. others of thenglishe diete, which is also to
be noted. The cause hereof natural is onely this, that they
caried ouer with them, & by lyke diete ther incresed that whiche
was the cause of their disease. Wherefore lette vs asserteine
our selues, that in what soeuer contrie lyke cause and matter
is, there commyng like aier and cause efficient, wil make lyke
effecte and disease in persons of agreable complexions, age, and
diete, if the tyme also doe serue to these same, and in none
others. These I putte, for that the tyme of the yere hote,
makethe moche to the malice of the disease, in openynge the
pores of the body, lettynge in the euill aier, resoluynge the
humores and makynge them flowable, and disposing therfore the
spirites accordyngly, besyde, that (as I shewed in the first
cause of this pestilente sweate) it stirreth and draweth out of
the erthe euill exhalations and mistes, to thinfection of the
aier and displeasure of vs. (18) Diet I put, for that they of
the contrarie diete be not troubled with it at all. Age and
complexion, for this, that although it spareth non age of bothe
kyndes, nor no complexion but some it touchethe, yet for the
most parte (wherby rules and reasones be alwayes to be made) it
vexed theim of the middle age, beste luste, and theim not moche
vnder that, and of complexions hote & moiste, as fitteste by
their naughty & moche subtiltie of blode to fede the spirites:
or nigh and lyke to thesame in some one of the qualities, as
cholerike in hete, phlegmatike in moister, excepte thother their
qualities, as drinesse in cholerike, & cold in phlegmatike, by
great dominion ouer thother, did lette. For the clene contrarie
complexions to the infected aier, alwaies remaine helthful,
saulfe and better then tofore, the corrupte and infected aier
notwithstandyng. Therfore cold and drie persones either it
touched not at all, or very fewe, and that wyth no danger: such
I say as beside their complexion, (whiche is so harde to finde
in any man exacte and simple, as exacte helthes) were annoied
with some corrupt humoures & spirites, & therfore mete by so
moch to receiue it, & that by good reason. For nothing can
naturally haue power to do ought against any thing, excepte the
same haue in it selfe a disposicion by like qualities to receiue
it. As the cause in the fote cannot trouble the flanke and leue
the knee (the mean betwixte) except there were a greater
consent and likenes of nature in sufferance (whiche we call
_sympathian_) betwixte those then thother. Nor fire refusynge
stones, canne burne hardes, strawe, stickes and charcole, oile,
waxe, fatte, and seacole, except these same first of al wer
apte, and by conuenient qualities disposed to be enflamed and
burned. Nor any man goeth about to burne water, because the
qualities thereof be contrary, and the body vndisposed to the
like of fire. By whiche reason it may also be perceiued, that
y^e venemouse qualitie of this corrupt aire is (20) [= (19)]
hote and moiste, for it redily enfectethe the lyke complexions,
and those nigh vnto theim, and the contrary not at all, or
hardly: & easely doth putrify, as doe the Southe wyndes.
Therfore next vnto those colde and drie complexions, olde men
escaped free, as like to theim by age: and children, as voide of
replecion consumed by their great hete, and therefore alwaies
redy to eate. But in this disease the subtile humour euill and
abundant in full bodies fedyng y^e spirites, is more to be noted
then the humour complexional, whiche notwithstanding, as an
helper or hinderer to y^e same, is not to be neglected. For els
it should be in all contries and persones indifferently, wher
all complexiones be. The thirde and laste reason is, y^t they
which had thys sweat sore with perille or death, were either men
of welthe, ease, & welfare, or of the poorer sorte such as wer
idle persones, good ale drinkers, and Tauerne haunters. For
these, by y^e great welfare of the one sorte, and large drinkyng
of thother, heped vp in their bodies moche euill matter: by
their ease and idlenes, coulde not waste and consume it.
A comfirmacion of this is, that the laborouse and thinne dieted
people, either had it not, because they dyd eate but litle to
make the matter: or with no greate grefe and danger, because
they laboured out moche thereof. Wherefore vpon small cause,
necessarily must folowe a smal effecte. All these reasones go to
this ende, that persones of all contries of moderate and good
diete, escape thys Englishe _Ephemera_, and those be onely vexed
therewith, whiche be of immoderate and euill diete. But why? for
the euill humores and corrupte aier alone? No, for then the
pestilence and not the swet should rise. For what then? For y^e
impure spirites corrupte in theim selues and by the infectiue
aier. Why so? for that of impure and corrupte humores, whether
thei be blode or others, can rise none other then impure
spirites. (20) For euery thynge is suche as that whereof it
commeth. Now, that of the beste and fineste of the blode, yea in
corrupte bodies (whyche beste is nought) these spirites be
ingendred and fedde, I before expressed. Therfor who wyl haue
them pure and cleane, and him selfe free from sweat, muste kepe
a pure and cleane diete, and then he shalbe sure.
[_The preseruacion_] Infection by the aier, and impure spirites
by repletion thus founde and declared to be the causes of this
pestilente sweate or Englishe _ephemera_, lette vs nowe see howe
we maye preserue our selues from it, and howe it may be
remedied, if it chaunce, wythe lesse mortalitie. I wyll begynne
wyth preseruation. That most of all dothe stande in auoidyng the
causes to come of the disease, the thinges helping forward the
same, and remouyng that whiche is alredy had & gotten. Al be
done by the good order of thynges perteynyng to the state of the
body. Therfore I will begin with diete wher I lefte, & then go
furth with aier where I beganne in treatyng the causes, and
declare the waie to auoide infection, and so furthe to the reste
in order. Who that lustethe to lyue in quiete suretie, out of
the sodaine danger of this Englishe _ephemera_, he aboue all
thynges, of litle and good muste eate & spare not, the laste
parte wherof wyl please well (I doubt not) vs Englishe men: the
firste I thinke neuer a deale. Yet it must please theim that
entende to lyue without the reche of this disease. So doyng,
they shall easely escape it. For of that is good, can be
engendred no euill: of that is litle, can be gathered no great
store. Therfore helthful must he nedes be and free from this
disease, that vsethe this kinde of liuynge and maner in
dietynge. An example hereof may the wise man _Socrates_ be,
which by this sorte of diete escaped a sore pestilence in
Athenes, neuer fleynge ne kepyng close him selfe from the same.
Truly who will lyue accordynge to nature and not to lust, may
with this diete be well contented. For nature is pleased with a
litle, nor seketh other then that (22) [= (21)] the mind voide
of cares and feares may be in quiete merily, and the body voide
of grefe, maye be in life swetly, as _Lucretius_ writeth. Here
at large to ronne out vntill my breth wer spent, as vpon a
common place, against y^e intemperance or excessiue diete of
Englande, thincommodities & displeasures of the same many waies:
and contrarie, in commendation of meane diete and temperance
(called of _Plato_ _sophrosyne_, for that it conserneth wisdome)
and the thousande commodities therof, both for helthe, welthe,
witte, and longe life, well I might, & lose my laboure: such be
our Englishe facions rather then reasones. But for that I
purpose neither to wright a longe worke but a shorte counseill,
nor to wery the reders with that they luste not to here, I will
lette that passe, and moue them that desire further to knowe my
mynde therin, to remember that I sayd before, of litle & good
eate and spare not, wherby they shall easely perceiue my
meanyng. I therefore go furth with my diete, wherin my counseill
is, that the meates be helthfull, and holsomly kylled, swetly
saued, and wel prepared in rostyng, sethyng, baking, & so furth.
The bred, of swet corne, wel leuened, and so baked. The drinke
of swete malte and good water kyndly brued, without other drosse
nowe a daies vsed. No wine in all the tyme of sweatyng, excepte
to suche whose sickenes require it for medicin, for fere of
inflamynge & openynge, nor except y^e halfe be wel soden water.
In other tymes, old, pure, & smal. Wishing for the better
execution hereof & ouersight of good and helthsome victalles,
ther wer appointed certein masters of helth in euery citie and
toune, as there is in Italie, whiche for the good order in all
thynges, maye be in al places an example. The meates I would to
be veale, muttone, kidde, olde lambe, chikyn, capone, henne,
cocke, pertriche, phesane, felfare, smal birdes, pigeon, yong
pecockes, whose fleshe by a (22) certeine natural & secrete
propertie neuer putrefie, as hath bene proued. Conies, porke of
meane age, neither fatte nor leane, the skynne taken awaye,
roste, & eaten colde: Tartes of prunes, gelies of veale & capone.
Yong befe in this case a litle poudered is not to be dispraised,
nor new egges & good milke. Butter in a mornyng with sage and
rewe fastynge in the sweatynge tyme, is a good preseruatiue,
beside that it nourisheth. Crabbes, crauesses, picrel, perche,
ruffe, gogion, lampreis out of grauelly riuers, smeltes, dace,
barbell, gornerd, whityng, soles, flunders, plaice, millers
thumbes, minues, w^t such others, sodde in water & vinegre w^t
rosemary, time, sage, & hole maces, & serued hote. Yea swete
salte fishe and linge, for the saltes sake wastynge y^e humores
therof, which in many freshe fishes remaine, maye be allowed
well watered to them that haue none other, & wel lyke it. Nor all
fishes, no more then al fleshes be so euil as they be taken for:
as is wel declared in physik, & approued by the olde and wise
romaines moche in their fisshes, lusty chartusianes neuer in
fleshes, & helthful poore people more in fishe then fleshe. But
we are nowe a daies so vnwisely fine, and womanly delicate, that
we may in no wise touch a fisshe. The olde manly hardnes, stoute
courage, & peinfulnes of Englande is vtterly driuen awaye, in
the stede wherof, men now a daies receive womanlines, & become
nice, not able to withstande a blaste of wynde, or resiste a
poore fishe. And children be so brought vp, that if they be not
all daie by the fire with a toste and butire, and in their
furres, they be streight sicke.
Sauces to metes I appoint firste aboue all thynges good
appetite, and next Oliues, capers, iuse of lemones, Barberies,
Pomegranetes, Orenges and Sorel, veriuse, & vineigre, iuse of
vnripe Grapes, thepes or Goseberies. After mete, quinces, or
marmalade, Pomegranates, Orenges sliced eaten with Suger,
Succate of the pilles or barkes therof, and of pomecitres, olde
apples and peres, Prunes, Reisons, Dates & Nuttes. Figges (24)
[= (23)] also, so they be taken before diner, els no frutes of
that yere, nor rawe herbes or rotes in sallattes, for that in
suche times they be suspected to be partakers also of the
enfected aire.