The First Book

[f. 1r] The maner an secrete to conserue a mannes youthe, and to holde backe old age: to maintain a man alwaies in health and strengthe, as in the fairest flower of his age.

¶All this is taken out of the long studie, and diuers experiences, that a gentleman made, by the space of many yeres, in the seruice of a noble Ladie. Beyng a thyng moste certain, that an old man, of thre skore and ten yeres, all withered withage, of a verie euill complexion, and subiect to diuers kindes of diseases, was altered and chaunged, as into the age of sxe oir eight and thirtie yeres.

FIrste, menne ought to haue alwaies in remembraunce, and before their iyes, that no grace, gifte, or commoditie, is to be hoped for, but of God onely. In whose greate clemencie and goodnesse, the greate prophete, beyng assured, and stablished in conscience, through his perfect faithe, cried, saiyng: Renouabitur, sicut aquilla, inuentus mea. And by the same mercie & goodnesse, he prolonged, so many yeres, the life of Ezechias: & made Moises to liue a hūdred and .xx. yeres, and more, and not one of his tecthe, at any time mouyng: without any dimnes of sight, or ache of heade. He then, as a moste mightie creatoure, and father of all, hauyng assigned vnto man, the terme of his life, and lefte hym to the arbitremente of his owne will: and also hauyng giuen vertue, strengthe and properties vnto thynges, and leauyng theim to execute ordinarily, their mouynges and nature, hath also left power vnto humaine creatures, to preserue theim selues in healthe, vntill the tearme and prefixed ende of our life, bothe vniuersally and particularly. But, for asmoche as [f. 1v] wee knowe not, how to emploie thynges, accordyng as thei are conuenable and meete for our nature, and our chaunces or necessities, our disordinate maner of life maketh vs to liue, the moste parte in diseases, to precipitate our yougth and to abbreuiate moche our life. Then, hauyng our thought and mynde, alwaies firme and sure in hym, and replete with faithe and deuotion, saiyng in the name of his infinite goodnesse, vnto our selues: Longitudine dierum replebo eum, et ostendam illi salutare meum. We will commence and begin, as inspired with hym, and assured to helpe our selues, with the vertue and strength of thinges, created in the worlde by his diuine power, onely for our benefite. And mindyng for a publike profite, to communicate some thing, as well searched and found out of my self, by long experience, as lately obtained and gotten, of a speciall frende of mine, whiche also, by greate diligence and experience, hath by the space of seuen yeres: proued this maner of preseruing & stablishing, the health and yougth, I will first giue you the maner, how to make a miraculous licoure, conseruatiue, and restoratiue of the naturall heate, and radicall humour, in the whiche twoo thinges consisteth, principally the health, the vigour, the strength, and the life of man.

¶To make a precious licoure, and of inestimable vertue: the whiche taken at the mouthe, strengtheneth and augmenteth the naturall heate, and radicall humidite purifieth the blood, and clenseth the stomacke from all superfluitie of humours: and by that meane conserueth the health and yougth, and prolongeth the life of hym that vseth it.

IN the moneth of Maie, at the Sonne risyng, thou shalt take vp in a peuter dishe, or some vessell of glasse, beyng very cleane, the dewe that is fallen vpō Rosemarie, Borrage, and other good herbes, Sage onely excepted, for it is a thing moste certain, that vnder Sage certain venemous beastes, are wonte to assemble, whiche infecte and poison it, with their breathe: and though that the leaues, [f. 2r] maie by wasihing be purified and clensed, from soche exhalatiō and breathing, yet neuerthelesse, if the dewe that falleth vpon the leaues, chaunce to take soche venim and poison, it is not possible by any meanes to purifie it: and therefore you shall not take vp the dewe of Sage. Then, after hauyng gathered as moche dewe, as you thinke good, haue three glasses ready, of soche greatnesse as you will, the whiche glasses you shall fil, some what more then halfe full: the one with Suger, the other with Manna, and the third with Honnie, the rest of the glasses remaining still emptie and voide: and then fill them all vp, full with the said dewe, stopping them fast with white waxe, and couer them with a linen clothe. Kepe theim also in a cupborde, or some other place out of the Sonne, as long as nede shall be to vse of it, as we will declare afterward. And then take the inice of Quinces, & haue redie in a litle glasse, some good Agaric, broken in pieces onely, and not in poulder: the whiche you shall couer, with thesaid iuice of Quinces, in soche sorte as you haue doen with the Suger, and other thinges in the glasses, and kepe it well couered. Then, take the Iuice of all these thinges followyng, of redde Roses, or incarnate, of Succorie, of Endiue of Fumiterie, of Buglosse, of Borage, of Mallowes, of Hoppes, of the leaues and flowers of Marche violettes: & of eche of these iuices a like quātitie: then mixe them wel together. That doen, take a pound or two of Aloes Epaticā or as moche as you wil: for the more there is, the better it shall be, bicause that thesaid Aloe beyng sosteeped, watered, and prepared, as we will she we you, is a verie exquisite & familiare medecine, to kepe in a house, and take of it by litle lumpes or pilles, ones in the weke, when a man goeth to bed: for it kepeth the body from putrifaction, and from all euill humours: and is very profitable and good, against the ache or paine in the ioinctes, and also for the Frenche Pockes, as herafter we will declare orderly.

Take of the saied Aloe, of the best and the freshest, soche a quantitie as you will, and put it in a cup of glasse, or cleane platter, as is aboue said, and set it in a windowe [f. 2v] or some other place in the Sonne, watryng or stepyng it in thesaid iuices mingled together, giuing it therof as often as shalbe sufficient to make it moist, and to make of it as it were athicke sirop. Then couer the cup with a clene linen clothe, or paper, to kepe it onely from the duste, and leaue it so in the Sonne. And when it is almoste waxen drie, embibe or water it again as before, and let it stand in the Sonne. This shall you doe, so often, vntill you haue made it soke and drinke vp as moche iuice, as the weight of halfe the Aloe onely: that is to saie, if the Aloe weighe twoo pound, make it drinke vp at diuers times, one poūd of thesaid iuices. This doen, take these thinges followeyng, Turbit halfe and vnce, fine Sinamom, Spica Nardi, Fole foote, alias Astrabacca, Squinantum, Carpobalsamum, ¹ Xilobalsamum, Lignum Aloes, Bdellium, Mirrhe, Mastic, of eche of them an vnce, with halfe an vnce of Safron: All these thynges beyng well beaten into pouder, and put into a cleane panne, you shall poure into theim, so moche common water, that it surmounte thesaied matieres, a good hande breadth, lettyng theim boile with a a small fire, the space of an hower or more. After this you shall straine the saied decoction, and by litle and litle, water from tyme to tyme, the said Aloe in the Sonne, as you haue afore doen: and this you shall doe so long, vntill the Aloe haue dronke vp all the decoction. This doen, take it out of the Sonne, and it shall be a precious thing, to kepe in your house, as we haue all ready declared, whiche also maintaineth the body in health, kepeth the heade cleane, and causeth to haue a good colour, and a quicke and liuely spirite, to them that vse of it. He that is not of abilitie to make this mixtion, in the maner aboue said, maie make it in this wise. Kepe diligently the saied Aloe, in litle disshes of woode, to make this that wee will speake of, here followyng. Take Aqua vite, not to fine, nor of the first stillyng, but stilled twise, or thrise at the moste. And putte in diuers litle violles of glasse (the one bigger then the other) all these thynges followyng, well beaten into pouder, at the lest those that maie be beaten, puttyng also [f. 3r] in eche of theim, asmoche of the Aqua vite, as shall bee three fingers aboue them in the Violles, doyng as hereafter foloweth. Take an vnce of smalle fine Perles, well wasshed three or fower tymes in cleare water: and then beyng dried, and laied in the iuice of Lemons, or Cytrōs, well strained, leaue theim so by the space of three daies: and so put the saied perles, that thei maie be with thesaid iuice, remaining in the glasse, putting to them Rose water, three fingers high or aboue the perles, as is afore mē tioned. Then take an vnce of fine read. Corall, and put it likewise in the Iuice of Lemons or Citrons, vsyng it in al poinctes, like as ye did the perles, puttyng it in a glasse by it self with Rose water, with fower vnces of blew V• triol, well burned in a close pot. This doen, take the flowers & tender stalkes of Rosemarie, of Burrage, of Buglosse, of Sage, of Selandine, of Isope, of Scabiose, of Rue, of sainct Ihons worte, of Primroses, together with all the tender leaues of the saied herbes: and then stampe them slightly in a morter of stone or wood, and put them altogether into one glasse, or into diuers, with as moche Aqua vite, as will be aboue them, three or fower fingers, as we haue saied of the other thinges, and let them frande so in the glasse, wel stopped with ware or bombase. Take after this, halfe an vnce of Saffron, well beaten into pouder, and put it in a glasse by it self, with Rose water, after the maner of the other thynges: then put to it fower vnces of Triacle, with Rose water, in an other glasse, after the foresaied maner: and take one vnce of fine Cinamom, a quarter of an Vnce of Cloues, an Vnce of Lignum Aloe an vnce of Anise seede, and vnce of Fenell seede, halfe an vnce of Smallage seede, fiue or sixe vnces of Ieniper berries, halfe an vnce of Cheruell seede, of the seede and bark of a Cedartree, of eche of them twoo vnces, halfe an vnce of Myrrhe, a quarter of an vnce of Storax or Styrax Liquida, an Vnce of Bengewine, an vnce of Sandali, of all sortes of Mirabolanes, of eche of thē three vnces, of Pine apple kernelles mondified three vnces, of yelowe Ambre whiche the Apoticaries call Carabe, twoo vnces, thre vnces [f. 3v] of white Dittanie grene or drie, the eight parte (or as litle as you will) of an vnce of Muske. Let all these thynges hee well stamped, and mixed together, and putte in a glasse with their Aqua vite, as is saied of the other. You must then stoppe well all the saied violles or glasses, or other vesselles, with waxe or bombase, and with parechement ouer it: and so set them a daie in the Sonne, and the night followyng, in the aire abrode. The morowe after, take some great vessell of glasse, as thicke as you can get, hauyng no couer, bicause you maie alwaies loke into it: and thereinto you shall powre faire & softly the Rose water, that is in all the glasses, eche of them beyng coloured with their substaunce, in soche maner that no part of the substaunces, whiche are in the bottome, be mixte with it. And after, hauing put al the saied Aqua vite, into the said vessell, as is aboue said, ye shal set it in some place, where as no Soonne can in any wise come vnto it. But beware that the three first glasses, that is to saie, with the Suger, the Māna, and the Honie in the dewe, ought neuer to be set in the Sonne, but must be kept vntil you put it in vre, as we wil shewe you. And after that you haue poured, the Aqua vite, out of all the saied glasses, ye shall put in other freshe, and set them well stopped in the Sonne, and in the night in the aire, as is afore saied. Then put them all together with the other, in the said vessell of glasse, and put again in euery violle other Aqua vite, and doe as before: and thus must ye doe eight or tenne tymes, or till you see that the Aqua vite, will bee no more coloured, or haue taken all the substaunce of the drooges, that are in the violles. A man can not chaunge the saied Aqua vite to often, bicause ye must passe all the saied waters of life, through a bath called Balneum Marie, as wee will hereafter declare by the whiche ye maie passe, as well a greate quantitie as a smalle, and by this meane also, ye shall lose no parte of the vertue, or substaunce of the said thynges, hauyng drawen and taken it all with the saied Aqua vite, of the whiche ye must first haue made prouision, of fower or fiue flagons. Then, ye must take all the saied Aqua vites, beyng [f. 4r] put into one vessell, and mixte theim well together, with the three first violles, where the Suger, the Manna, and the Hōnie, with the dewe, is: and then the violle with the Agarie, and three vnces of the saied Aloes, prepared and watred. After this, put all these thinges in a greate violle made of good and thicke glasse, to thende it be not in daū ger of breakyng, in handelyng of it. And to be more assured, after ye haue well mixed all together, ye maie deuide all the substaunces, into diuers smalle glasses, or violles, to passe theim through the saied Balneum Marie, at sondry times or at ones in diuers litle fourneises, in this mananer. You shall set and trimme the violles with strawe or Towe, in the bottome of a panne or caudron, wherein there must be water, and set the saied caudron vpon a furnaise of yearth, and this is called stillyng per Balneum Marie: Then set vnto the violle, his Limbecke, with his recipient that the substaunce take no winde or vent: then you muste make your fire so, that the caudron maie seeth or boyle faire and softly, and so shall you distille and make come into the recipient, all the Aqua vite as clere as Cristalle, the whiche, bicause it hath been passed through, by distillation diuers tymes, will bee better for all thynges then the other, and principally to be taken at the mouthe, bicause it kepeth parte of the vertue and strengthe of the thynges, that it was put into. Also you must vnderstande that of the fiue partes onely, of all the substaunce, whiche shall be in the violle or violles three or fower partes must bee distilled: and the rest to remaine in the bottome of the saied violles. This doen, let the ouen or foruaise and the caudron coole, and in vndoyng the Limbecke, and the recipient, ye shall take awaie the violles, kepyng well this distilled water for to serue you, as wee haue afore saied: and then put all the substaunce, whiche remaineth in the said violles not distilled, into some other greate and thick violle or glasse, wel couered or bound in wicker or osiers, stoppyng it well with waxe or bombase, and aboue that, with a double parechemente, and locke it handsomely in some place, farre from the Soonne, and out of all heate.

[f. 4v] This licoure hath not his like in vertue, the whiche takē euery weke ones or twise, the quātitie of a sponefull, preserueth health, driueth awaie all euill complexions from the body, maintaineth and strengthneth so the naturall heate, and radicall moistnesse, and vpholdeth a man in his strengthe and vigoure of the heads, and of the witte, maketh the visage well coloured, the breath swete, the bodie yong and lustie, that a mā is not able worthely to esteme, or iudge the vertue thereof: and lesse able to expresse and praise the greate goodnesse of God the creatoure, that giueth soche vertue vnto thynges created, and openeth the witte and vnderstandyng of man to knowe them, and to vse them to the profite and commoditie of his creatures.

Now the maner how to vse it, is this: In the Spryng time, ye maie take it alone, or with a little broth of Veale, Pigeons or Chickens, or els in Maluoisie, or some other good white wine. In Sommer, ye must take it with water of Buglose, or the decoctiō of Borrage, Buglose, Lettese, Succorie, Endiue, or els some of the said herbes: and at all tymes it is good to take of it a sponefull, putte into halfe a glasse ful of the milke of a woman, new brought a bed of a man child, or of a nurrice that giueth a man child sucke, or els in Gotes milke. And the quantitie & oft vsing of it must be obserued, accordyng to the persones, & tyme: for, vnto a weke and aged man and those that haue been lately sicke, or weake of nature, ye muste giue it oftener, and a greater quātitie, then vnto a yong and lustie man. Also a man maie take of it oftener, and more in Winter, then in Sommer. Now ye must vnderstande, that all the flowers, herbes, and other thinges rehersed, are not foūd together in one time and season: wherefore the said licour can not be made at one tyme, but beginnyng the firste or seconde weeke of Maie, it shall be at the least, the ende of September or October, before ye can make an ende: and therefore you must gather from tyme to tyme, eche thing in his season, as you maie get them, and put them in some vessell, euery one by them selues, or with the other thynges that thei ought to be ioyned with, after the maner aboue [f. 5r] saied: and vse to dresse and trimme the said thynges, accordyng to the tyme that you maie get them in. And yet if you can not furnishe your self, with al soche thinges as I haue declared, take those that you can gette, prouided, that the reste whiche you can not get, bee not of to greate importaunce: but it should be more expedient and sure, to haue of all, seyng there is nothyng of any greate coste or charge, or to hard to be gotten. Moreouer, if you wil haue your matter in good perfection, there resteth but to make a naturall dissolutiō of fine gold: and when you will take of it, take twoo partes of the said licoure, & one part of the dissolutiō of the gold, whiche we will teache you to make hereafter: although that in this presente booke, wee will make no mention of the perfitest maner, of making soche a dissolution, whiche we haue gotten by great studie, and obseruation, and by often expertēce of the thyng, that we will doe, aswell for not being verie possible to shewe it by writyng, without makyng demonstration thereof: as for other causes but we wil put here some other maners and waies, bothe good & true, and of soche importaunce, that peraduenture better hath not, vnto this daie, been found.

¶A potion or drinke, to be vsed in steade of Sirop, good for men of al ages and complexiōs, that will be purged the whiche, taken what daie you will, driueth a waie the euill humours, without mouyng or troublyng the good, or doing any burte: And is also very good for the great Pockes, and all infinnities, as well of the stomacke, as of the heade: and is like wise profitable for them that be in health, to take twise in the yere, in steade of an ordinary purgation, that is to saie, in the Spryng tyme, and in September.

TAke Mallowes, and boile them in water, vntill thei bee softe, that thei can almoste bee no softer: then strain the decoction, and take pouder of Sene, and of the barke of Lignum sanctum, called Guatac, of eche of them seuen vnces, well beaten to pouder, and clensed or sifted, Salt Armoniac twoo dragmes: and in the meane tyme, set the decoction of the Mallowes vpon the fire, with halfe a pound [f. 5v] of Honie, and let the said decoction be aboute twoo common glasses in quantitie, whereunto ye must put halfe a pounde of wine lies, and then let it boils faire and softly, the space of halfe an houre, skimmyng well the Honnie. After this, ye must straine it, and put it hotte as it is into a potte by litle and litle, where the foresaied thynges be, that is to saie, the Sene, the Guaiac, and Armoniac salte. Now in powryng, you must alwaies sturre the saied thinges with a Spone, or some other thing. And then immediatly ye must couer the pot with his couer, in shuttyng it close, and closyng it vp with claie, round aboute the sides, so that nothyng maie breath or respire out, and so set the pot vpon the fire, by the space of twoo Pater nosters, and no more. Then take it from the fire, and wrap it in a pillowe of fethers, well warmed by the fire, or in a tubbe or barrell, full of branne well heated, or in some clothe very hote, to thende it maie be well nurrished and kept warme and leaue it so by the space of ten or twelue houres. Then afterward ye must open the pot, and straine the saied substaunce, through a strainer or thicke canuesse, & you must haue ready before, halfe a glasse of white wine, and in the same three or fower vnces of Rubarbe, cut in smalle pieces, and that the Rubarbe haue been in it, the space of a daie or twoo before: the whiche wine ye shall powre into the decoction of the said thinges, as sone as it is strained, as is aforesaied: and put thereunto an vnce of Aloe Epaticum, prepared and ordered, as is aboue saied: or at the lest as the Apoticaries doe sell it, and call it Aloe Lotum, with the iuice of Roses, or other wise, the whiche ye muste put in, well beaten to pouder, with halfe an vnce of Cassia Lignea, and kepe all this cōposition in a violle, or other vessell well couered. The maner of receiuyng it, is to heate it a litle at the breake of the daie, and to take halfe a glasse full or more of it, accordyng to the exigent of the sicknesse, and the qualitie of the persone, & hauing taken it, he must kepe his bedde a while, and slepe, if it be possible: and then rise and walke aboute the house, or els where at his pleasure. Neuerthelesse, it were better that he kept the house, [f. 6r] and specially bicause of the mouyng of the body. And this maie he vse .v.vij.ix. or .xj. mornynges: for the pluralitie can not hurte. Also this potion or drinke, is of soche exquisite boūtie for mannes body, that we nede to vse none other maner of purgation, or medicine.

¶A verie easie and good remedie, for to heale all maner of Pockes, whiche is made with litle cost, and requireth not that a manne kepe his bedde or his house, but maie vse it going in the streetes: And it is also verie good for all sortes of grief in the iointes, in what part of the bodie so euer it be.

TAke .iij. poundes of rawe Honie, and a poūd of the Iuice of the flowers of an herbe called Molis or Lung worte, whiche hath his leafe somewhat long, fatt, or full of carnosite, and somewhat white, his flower Yelowe, fassioned like a belle: and for lacke of the flowers, the Iuice of the herbe: then take halfe a pounde of Lignum Sanctum, beaten into pouder, and hauing let it boile in cōmon water, a good while, ye must straine it, and put the said iuice with the saied Honnie, into a pot, puttyng to it three vnces of Aloe epaticum, ordered as is afore said, or as the Apoticaries sell it, wasshed with the Iuice of Roses. And then, vpon the saied Aloe beaten to pouder, ye must poure as moche of the saied water, wherein the Guaiacum hath boiled, as wyll mounte in the potte fower or fine fingers high:² then adde thereunto twoo vnces of the Vineigre of Squilla, and lette it boile faire and softly, by the space of halfe an houre, or a litle more, skummyng well alwaies the H•unie, and when it hath almoste boiled inough, put vnto it three vnces of fine Sinamō, well beaten into pouder, set it again a while vpon the fire: then, hauyng taken it of, and setten it vp to keepe, ye muste heate of it in the morning a glasse full: and after you haue dronken it, eate a litle piece of a Quince, or of a fruite called in Latine Sorbum, in Frenche Corme, or grene Grapes, Pome Granade, or of some other bindyng thyng, what ye will: and keepe your bedde, sleapyng as long as you will: and also [f. 6v] after you be risen, and haue doen your businesse, yea, out of the house, if it come so to passe. But (as we haue said) to keepe your bedde or house, is alwaies the best for you, when ye vse Phisicke. And this potion or drinke, muste you take from daie to daie: but if the paine be not to vehement, it shall suffice being taken twise in the weeke: and this doyng, you shall see a wonderfull operation, and ye shall not nede to vse Lignum sanctū, nor any other thing. This remedy onely is sufficiente for all menne, and hath been proued and experimented diuers tymes, and vpon diuers persones.

¶To dissolue and reducte gold into a potable licoure, whiche conserueth the youth and health of a manne, as well taken by it self, as mingled with the foresaied licoure, spoken of in the second Chapiter of this presente booke, and will heale euery disease that is thought curable, in the space of seuen daies at the furthest.

TAke a glasse full of the Iuice of Limons, and heate it ouer the fire, vntill it beginne almoste to seeth: then take it from the fire, and strain it three or fower times through a Linnen clothe, and afterwarde distille it through a long gutter of Felte: then take twoo pounde of rawe Ho•nie, and sette it on the fire in a pot, mixyng with it the said Iuice of Lemons, and adding thereunto halfe a pounde of common salte, that is clene, white and well beaten: mixe well all together, and let it seeth faire and softly, vntill there remaine no more skum of the Honnie. Then take that remaineth in the pot, and distill it in a vrinall of glasse, makyng but a smalle fire at the beginnyng, encreasyng it by litle and litle, and at the ende greate and sharpe: and whē all is cooled again, open the violle, and powre the water out of the recipient, into an other violle, stoppyng it sure for takyng vente. This dooen, ye muste breake the vrinall of glasse, and take the lies that shall remain in the bottome, and put it into a couered pot, the whiche pot you muste couer ouer and ouer with claie or morter, to the entente it maie the better endure [f. 7r] the fire: and after put it into some fournesse, where glasse is made, or into a potters fournesse or Lune kill, or some other semblable thing, so that it maie be in a greate fire, by the space of twoo or three daies. And after that the saied substaunce shall be taken out again, stampe it well, and for a pounde of the same, put in fower vnces of Manna, and twoo vnces of Suger candie, and if there be more or lesse of the substaunce, ye must put in a good proportiō of the Manna and Suger candie, in equall quantitie with the substaunce. Then put al into an other vrinall of good glasse, well claied, and powre vpon it the water, whiche you kept before in the violle, puttyng thereunto twise as moche fine Aqua vite, as was in the saied first violle. And hauyng trimmed and sette the vrinall of Glasse vpon the fournesse, with his limbecke, and his recipient, and well closyng all the iointes with claie or morter, ye shall make the matter distill faire and softly, with a smalle fire: for it will easely distill: & when it will distill no more, augment your fire, so that ye maie distille all that is possible. But you must leaue the water, with the violle, vpon the fournesse, without mouyng it any whit, vntill you will put it in experience. This doen, take fine golde foile, that is of xxiiij. Carates well fined with Antimonium: and take of the saied fotle, what quantitie ye will, in a cup of glasse, in minglyng theim well with Honnie, or with Iulep roset or Violet, as men are wont to dresse it to write withall, whereof we will put parfitely all the maners and fasious, in the fift boke of this volume. And after you haue well vnmixed, and purged it from the saied Honnie with hotte water, as shall bee saied in the same place, you shall put them to stille in a violle of glasse: and then hauing taken of the recipiente, put the saied water into a long necked glasse, well stopped with white waxe, hauyng firste put vpon the said gold, whiche is in the violle, the height of fiue fingers of the saied water: and then set to the limbeck with his recipiēt, stoppyng well with clate the iointes, makyng the water, whiche shall be vpō the said gold, to distill with a small fire, not augmenting it at the ende, [f. 7v] to make all to distill: and care not if the gold remain some what moist. This doen, take awaie the Limbeck frō the Violle, without takyng awaie or vntiyng the recipiente from the said Limbeck, not sturryng the water out of the recipient. But take some man to helpe you, who, whiles you take the Limbeck of from the Vrinall, shall powre vpon the saied gold, the same water that you kept in the violle, stopped with white waxe: & let hym put in as moche as at the firste tyme, that is to saie, the heighte of fiue fingers: then immediatly set the Limbeck vpon the Vrinall again, closing well with claie the iointes or sides a newe, makyng the distillation as afore, and so consequently, vntill all the water of the saied violle, bee distilled vpon the saied gold. And finally, ye shall powre the gold out of the violle into a glasse, somewhat greate, to holde the water that you haue distilled into it at diuers times, as we haue said in the Chapiter before: then set to the Limbeck with his recipient, and see that by the space of .xv. or .xx. daies, the water of the bathe be hotte, without seethyng, so that yet nothing maie distille. Then after make the water to seeth, and distille all that maie be distilled: and in the bottome of the violle, the golde will remaine dissolued into a licoure moste precious, whiche you must keepe in some litle glasse well stopped. And if you will haue it yet finer, you maie make it without takyng it out of the said glasse, in puttyng to it again the saied water, and distillyng it a freshe, not kepyng (for all that) the water from seethyng, as you did before, but make it seeth and distille all at ones and this distillyng maie you reiterate as oftē as you will: for the oftener it is distilled, the better it is. Thus doing ye shall haue a right, naturall, and perfite potable golde, whereof somewhat taken alone, euery monethe ones or twise, or at the leaste with the saied licoure, whereof wee haue spoken in the seconde Chapiter of this booke: is verie excellente to preserue a mannes youth and health, and to heale in fewe daies, any disease rooted in a manne, and thought incurable. The saied gold will be also good and profitable, for diuers other operations & effectes: as good [f. 8r] wittes & diligent searchers of the secretes of nature, maie easely iudge. In this same maner (obseruyng all thynges diligently) a man maie make of s•iluer beaten into foile to haue likewise a potable s•iluer, of a meruellous vertue, yet not soche as the golde: And I assure you, that I sawe aboue, .v. yeres ago, an Englishe man haue a water made of siluer, paraduenture, trimmed & dressed after an other sort, accordyng to diuers differēt waies, tēding (notwithstandyng) all to one ende, with the whiche water the saied Englishe man did many thinges, estemed as miraculous, in healing many painfull diseases and infirmities of mā.

¶To heale an excrescens or growyng vp of the fleshe, within the yarde of a man, albeit it were rooted in of a long tyme.

TAke the lies of Honie distilled, or, if you cā not haue soche, take Honie, and burne it in a pot: and put the blacke leefe that shal remain in the bottome, into an other pot, or into an irō pan, & set it to burne or calcine in a vernishers fournesse, or soche other in a great fire, by the space of .iij. or .iiij. daies, wherof ye shal haue a substaunce as yelowe as gold, the whiche will be excellent, to laie vpon all manner of woundes: for it eateth awaie the euill fleshe, mondifieth, and healeth the good, without pain or grief, whiche maketh to be moche better for all woundes, then is the Precipitatum, that the Syrurgens comonly vse. Take then of this pouder an vnce, of Dogges turdes .ij. vnces, leese of wine halfe a dragme, whiche is the halfe of theight part of an vnce, fine suger• a dragme, roche Alume burned a dragme, of Nill a dragme let all these thynges bee well beaten to pouder, and sifted through a fine seeue & then take grene leaues of an Oliue tree, and beate them in a morter of stone, moisting them a litle with white wine, the whiche being well stamped, ye must strain in a presse, or betwene .ij. trāchours, for to get out the Iuice, and putte to it as moche Plantaine Iuice: then set it to the fire in a litle potte, and afterward put in it by litle and litle the saied pouder, minglyng altogether [f. 8v] continually: And laste of all ye muste adde vnto it, a litle grene waxe, and a verie litle Honie rosat, that it maie be a liquide ointemente and so keepe it. This ointemente is very precious, to consume all maner of ercrescence, or growyng vp of fleshe, in any tender place of the body, as in the secrete members, or in the nose, whereunto a man dare not applicque any strong or smartyng thyng. Now when ye muste vse it for the carnosite, within a mannes yarde, you shall take firste of all a Squirte, and fill it with white wine, wherein drie Roses, and Plantaine leaues haue been sodden and boiled, wherewith also ye shall mix a litle womans milke, or the milke of a Gote: then washe well the mannes yarde within, with this Squirte: After this take a litle waxe candell, somwhat long, and of soche greatnesse, as it maie enter into his yarde, at the poincte whereof ye shall put a litle of the saied ointemente, warming it a litle, and thrust it as farre into his yarde as you can, vntil you feele the Carnosite, and leaue the said ointmente within the yarde a litle while: then take it out again, and doe thus mornyng and euenyng, liyng a bedde his bealie vpward, when ye shall put in the candell with the ointement, and you shall see a meruellous effecte: for it shall heale hym throughly, in fewe daies, without any daunger.

To heale all maner of inflamatiō and euill disposition of the liuer, and by this same secrete haue been healed certain persones, whiche had their faces as it were Leparie, greate swollen legges, their handes inflambed, and rough within side.

TAke flower, or Amilum made of Barley, whiche ye shall easily finde at the Apoticaries, and seeth it halfe an houre in common water: then straine it, and put it in an other newe pot, that is clene and not, puttyng to it a fewe Mallowes, Succorie, Hoppes, Endiue, and Burrage: and seeth all these together, vntill it bee dissolued, and adde to it an vnce of Sandal: and then straine all, and take in a linnen clothe, as moche Cassia extracta, as will goe in to twoo Nuttes, and put it [f. 9r] within the saied linen clothe with the Cassia, while the water be hote, pressyng it so harde betwene your twoo fingers, that all the substaunce of it, maie goe into the saied water: then putte it to the Suger or Penides, as moche as you will. Of this drinke, whiche is of a very amiable sauoure, ye must take from daie to daie, a litle glasse ful in the mornyng, liyng in your bed, with your brest vpward: then laiyng some linen clothe vpon your stomack, slepe if you can, and take of it also after you be vp, and haue dooen your necessaries, the whiche doyng you shal finde your self very well healed in fewe daies. But here note, that this must be doen in Sommer, and not in Winter: and he that hath his stomack very cold, maie weare before his brest, some pece of Scarlat, or other clothe, and sometyme annointe his stomacke with an oile, made for the weakenesse of it, the perfecte composition whereof, we will put hereafter.

To heale the Emorhodes or Piles in a nighte, a rare secrete and verie excellente.

TAke the leaues of grene Elder, and boyle theim in water, vntill thei be dissolued: Then take a piece of redde cloth, a litle bigger then the palme of your hand, and stretche it a long vpō your palme. Now, must the pacient be in his bed, with his bealy douneward, bicause ye must laie the said leaues vpon the Emorhodes, hot as thei wer taken out of the caudron, hauyng laied vpon them before, a litle oile Oliue. Then take an other litle piece of cloth, with other leaues, and take awaie the first, continuyng thus, and chaungyng alwaies the leaues, if not all the night, at the least as long as ye maie: and also in the meane time, ye must let the patient slepe as moche as he will, who, in the mornyng shall finde hym self as lustie, and as well disposed as if he had neuer had the disease.

[f. 9v]

A singuler ointment, whiche healeth all burnynges with fire, not leauyng any cicatrice or skarre where it hath been.

TAke the white of twoo Egges, twoo vnces of Tutia Alexandrina, twoo vnces of quicke Lime wasshed in .ix. waters, an Vnce of new Waxe, with as moche Oyle Rosatte, as shall suffice, and make thereof an ointmente, whiche ye shall finde verie good, for this that we haue spoken of.

A perfecte and proued remedie for them that bee weake of stomacke, and can not keepe their meate, without vomityng it vp again.

HAuyng taken twoo pounde of redde waxe, and made prouision of a dishefull of oile oliue, take peces of Alablaster, and heate thē in the fire, and then quenche theim in the saied Oile: heate them again, and quenche them as before: and so three or fower times. This doen beate the Alablaster to pouder, and mixe it with the said ware and oile, wherein it was quenched: then put all to distill through a croke necked violle, like a Bagge pipe claied rounde about, sauyng the bottome, whiche distillers beyonde sea doe vse, the Frenche men cal Retorte or Cornue, and make soche a fire, as the Oile maie distille, w^t al the rest y^t possible maie be distilled: and then keepe it, puttyng to it halfe an vnce of Mirrhe, beaten in pouder. And when you will put it in effecte, ye must take a litle pan of Brasse, or Iron: and hauyng the toppes and leaues of Worme woode, whiche is a bitter herbe, put them in the saied Oile, and seeth or frie all together: then take it, hote as it is, and rubbe the patientes breast with it, vp to the throte, doyng thus alwaies at night, when he is in his bedde, and it shall make his stomacke strong. He must vse in his meate, as moche Rosemarie as he can, bee it rawe or otherwise, and specially in his drinke. He must vse likewise the moste excellente Aqua vite, whereof we will speake hereafter.

[f. 10r]

An excellente remedie, wherewith a woman of .xxxvi. yeres was healed, that had so marred her stomacke, that in the space of twoo yeres and an balfe, she was neuer naturally purged douneward: and as sone as she had eatē any thing, she vomited it vp againe, so that she became yelowe, and as drie as a sticke.

A Monke, of the order of saincte Augustine, a man of greate knowledge, and full of meruelous secretes, healed the saied woman, with this remedy followyng: &, in the space of .xvij. daies, made her as whole and sound faire, and wel coloured, as she was before her sicknesse.

First of all, he had made a litle ouen, like vnto soche as men bake breade in, y^e which he did heate with rosemarie: and the sayd Ouen was in facion like a Bakers Ouen, wherein he baked litle pretie loaues and cakes, whiche he gaue her a lone, without any other thyng to eate, viij. or .x. daies, and gaue her white wine to drinke without water. He gaue her also gentle meates, with Sinamom and Suger: and euery mornyng gaue her in a glasse, aboute a finger heighte of water, made after this maner folowing. Aqua vite halfe a glasse ful, wherin he put the yelowe pille of halfe a Citron, or Orenge cut in pieces, the flowers of Rosemarie a handfull, fine Sinamom an vnce, Safron a quarter of a dragme, Bē gewin a dragme, with a litle Muske: and made her to bee washed ouer and ouer, or bathed in the decoction of Rosemarie, and other swete herbes, ones a weeke: and euery night annointed her breast with the saied Oile, distilled and sodden with Wormewoode. And aboue al thynges, commaunded her to keepe a Cushen vpon her stomacke, in the night tyme, and caused her to lye long a bedde in the mornyng: he made her also eate the confection of Diambre. And in this wise he made her in xvij. daies, as whole and as faire, as she was before, whom no Phisicion could euer finde remedy for, duryng al the tyme of her sicknesse.

[f. 10v]

Three remedies verie good against he wormes in litle children.

TAke the flower of wheate well boulted, as moche as will lye vpon three crounes of gold, and put it in a glasse, and powre vnto it well water, or foū tain water, so moche as will stiepe the said flower, and make it looke like as it wer milke, and no thinner: then giue the childe drinke of it, and you shall see that with his siege, the Wormes will come forthe starke dedde, whiche is a verie good remedy.

¶The seconde remedie.

TAke a Citron or Orenge, and make in hym a hole, as big as a peny, by the whiche hole with wringyng, ye shall make the licoure come out: and hauyng made a hole into the middle and more, ye shall powre in to it oile of Baie free or leaues, the Iuice of Rue, the Iuice of Wormewood, Triacle, flower of a kinde of poulse corne, called Lupinum or Lupinus in Latine, hauyng one stalke, the leafe in fiue diuisions, the codde creuised aboute, hauing in it fiue or sixe graines, harde, broad, and redde. Thei be common in Fraunce & Italie, but here vnneth knowen. And seeth all this a while: and then powre it in a dishe, and annointe therewith the childes nauell, stomacke, temples nosetrilles, and the vttermoste part of his poulses, and ye shall immediatly see a wonderfull operation.

¶The thirde remedie.

FOr children that be so litle, that a man can not minister the medecine in at the mouth, you shall take very good Aqua vitae, wherewith ye shall washe or weate the stomacke, or the breast of the childe: then pouder ouer the said places, with the pouder of fine Mirrhe, and laie the child doune a litle while, with his breast vpwarde, and you shal see incontinent, that with the dunge of the child, the worme shall come out dead.

[f. 11r]

To heale children of the Lunatike disease, whiche happeneth vnto theim, by reason of a worme with twoo heades, that breedeth in their bodies, the whiche worme, commyng vnto the harte, causeth theim to haue soche a passion, that often tymes it killeth theim.

TAke the tender stalkes of a Wildyng tree, and drie theim in the shadowe: then stampe theim well, and sifte theim, and take of the saied pouder, and the roote of Gentian, & of long Perne of eche of them a quarter of an vnce, and half a quarter of an vnce of Mirrhe. All these thynges well beaten in pouder, ye shall put in a disshe, or in some other vessell, as you thinke good: moist them with a litle water: then take of it with your twoo fingers, and weate the lippes and the mouthe of the child. Doe this three or fower times, and you shall see the worme come out deade with his siege. This haue I often tymes seen by experience, and many children, whiche, for lacke of good help, haue died with soche maner of Wormes, the whiche afterwarde beyng opened, menne haue founde the Worme stickyng vpon their hartes. And for the same accidente the other remedies, whiche we haue written before, against the Wormes, be also very good.

A remedie for the fallyng sick nesse.

TAke Germander gathered in Ma••, when it is in blosome: drie it in the shadowe, and make it in pouder. And when you will vse it, take the yelke of an Egge or twaine, and sturryng or breakyng it with a sponefull of the saied pouder: then seeth it, and giue it to the paciente to eate. Dooe this, Mornyng and Euenyng, eight daies long: but all this while he must abstaine from wine, and carnall company of women, from al sorte of poulse, as Beanes, Peason, Vetches, Tares, and soche other, from Salades, salte Fleshe, and from all other thynges, whiche are of a harde concoction or digestion. A verie goodly and notable secrete.

[f. 11v]

To make oile of Brimstone, to heale all maner of Cankers diseases or sores, whiche come of a putrified humoure, and renne cōtinually, commonly called Fistules, and also to heale olde and inueterate woundes.

TAke Brimstone beaten in pouder, and hauyng steeped and mollified it, with common oile, put it in a Gourde, apte to still out of, so that it bee brought as it were like pa••e, the whiche you shall distill through the mouthe of the said Gourde: and the oile that shall drop out, ye shall put into a violle, fillyng it halfe full: and afterwarde fill vp the saied violle with Plantan water, and with the Iuice of Cardus benedictus, and so let it boile a pretie while. Then washe the wounde with Aqua vite, or white wine, and laie to it of the said oile, and in fewe daies ye shall heale it parfitly.

To take awaie the venim or poyson from a wounde, made by some poisoned weapon or arrowe.

TAke Assa Fetida, and a gomme called Galbanum, of eche of them an vnce, and steepe them in Vinaigre, the space of a night, then sette it to the fier to dissolue, and straine it through a Linen clothe, miring with it twoo vnces of Vnguentū diabasilicū: and laie it to the wounde, and incontinent the said ointmente will drawe vnto it self, and kill all the venim, so that the wounde maie afterward be healed, as all other maner of woundes bee: and in case ye lacke, or can not get Galbanum, it shall suffice to haue onely Assa Fetida, to drawe the venim out of the saied wounde.

Against the bityng of all venemous beastes.

AS soone as the person feleth hymself bitten, with any venimous beast (or at the leaste as sone as is possible) take grene leaues of a figge tree, and presse the milke of them, three or fower times in to the wounde. And for this serueth also Mustard seede mingled with vinagre.

[f. 12r]

To drawe an arrowe heade or other Iron, out of a wound.

TAke the iuice of valerian, in the whiche ye shall weate a tente, and put it into the wounde, laiyng the said herbe stamped vpon it, then make your bindyng or bande, as it appertaineth, and by this meanes ye shall drawe out the Iron. And after heale the wounde, accordyng as it shall require.

Against a vehement cough of yong children.

TAke the Iuice of Persely, pouder of Commin, womannes milke, and mixe all well together: then giue the childe drinke thereof, and after, make this ointment folowing. Take the seede of Line or Flaxe, and Fenigreke, and seeth them in cō mon water: then presse with your hand, the substaunce of the saied herbes, whiche you shall mingle with Butter, and so annointe the childes breast with it, heatyng it often tymes.

For hym that hath a bunche or knobbe in his heade, or that hath his heade swollen with a fall.

TAke an vnce of Baie salt, rawe Honie thre vnces, Commin three Vnces, Turpentine twoo vnces, intermingle all this well vpon the fire: then laie it abrode vpō a linen clothe, and make thereof a plaister, the whiche ye shall laie whote to his heade, and it will altogether aswage the swell yng, and heale hym cleane and nete.

A good remedie for one that is deffe.

TAke Mint, Sage, Penniroiall, Rosemarie, Isope, Mugworte or Motherworte, wilde Minte, Calaminte, Camomille, Millefoile, Yarrow or Noseblede, herbe saincte Ihon, Wormewood, Southernwood, Centorie, of eche of them a hand•full: Seeth theim in a cleane pan, with as moche good white wine, as there be herbes, and let it seeth altogether, [f. 12v] vntil the third part be diminished: then cause these oiles folowyng, to be made at the Apoticaries: old Oile twoo vnces, oile of Leeke, oiles of Almondes, of eche of them an vnce, of the iuice of Rue halfe an vnce, of Maluoisie an vnce and a halfe: put all these thynges in a lōg neckt glasse or violle, and let it seeth with a smalle fier, vntill the Iuice and the Maluosie bee almoste all consumed: then take it from the fire, and putte in to it these Drogues folowyng, well beaten into pouder, that is to saie, Spiknard, Coloquintida, the stone of a Beuer, called Castoreū, Mastic, of eche of them a grain and a halfe: stoppe wel the said violle, that nothyng maie take vent: then put it in a pan full of water, and make it seeth the space of three howers. Then take it from the fire, and powre the said licours in some platter, whiche you shall set in the sonne, and leaue it there vntill it shall become verie cleare, and hauyng strained it through some fine linen cloth, and pressed well the substaunce, ye shall put a grain and a half of Muske in a disshe, and incorporate it well by litle and litle, with the saied Oile, and then keepe it in a violle, well stopped with waxe and Parchmente. After this, take the pan with the saied herbes, and heate theim vpon the fire: then take, for a couer or lidde, a fonnell made of white Iron: and when ye go to bedde, couer the pan with the saied fonnell, and see that the pan be good and hote: then, by the litle hole aboue, let the patient take the smoke into his eare, by the space of halfe an hower. This doen, heate the said oile, vntill it be luke warme, and let it droppe into his eare two or three droppes: and stoppe his eare with a litle Musked bombase, or Cotton, and let him slepe therevpon. Now he muste, in receiuyng the parfume or smoke into his eare, haue in his mouth some drie Beanes, and after he hath chewed theim, spit them out again, to thende that in chewyng, he maie open the conduites of his Eares. And with the grace of God, he shall find hymself healed in fewe daies, prouided, that the disease be in aniwise curable. If in case this helpe not, ye neede not seeke any [f. 13r] other remedie in the worlde. If a man haue also anie hummyng or noyse in his eares, let him vse the sayde medecine, & you shall se, with Gods helpe a wonderfull thinge: for it will heale the defenesse of a man, though he haue had it .xxx. yeres, so that he be not borne deafe. Let him vse also to take pilles to purge his head, and to eate good meate alwaies.

To heale a woman that hath the Matrice out of her nanaturall place.

TAke a Flinte stone that hath bene alwaies in the earth, and not taken the ayer, and put it in some basket, couered in a greate fire: and whan it is verie hote, put it in a litle Tubbe or barrell, and weete it wyth Vinagre cast vpon it, and cause the woman to stand ouer it, to receiue the smoke or parfume of it, and than let her go to bed, for this must be doone at night. Ye shall, after this, take of the iuice of Rue, & make a litle rounde balle of Cotton, wherunto ye shal tie a threede: and than dippe the saied balle in the sayd iuice of Rue, and put it into the mouth of the Matrice, the which wil incontinent take the balle, and draw it in, and than it will returne into his naturall place agayne. But you muste binde and tie the ball sure and well, least paraduenture it should remayne within. After this, make an oyntment as foloweth, wherwith ye shall anoynte the reynes of her backe. Take an herbe called in Greeke Ciclaminos, of the latines Rapum, Tuber terrae, or Vmbilicus terrae, of the Apoticaries Panis porcinus, of the Frenche men Pain de pore, and Rue, as muche of one as of the other, and stampe them well: and than seeth it in a pan with olde oyle, vntill the whole be diminished by the thirde part. This doone, let it coole againe, and hauing pressed out all the substaunce, ye shall power it into an other new pan, adding to it a litle new waxe, and heatyng it all together, vntill it be well incorporated: thā annoynte her raynes with all, and lay hote Tow vpon [f. 13v] it, and than swaddel her as women do yonge infantes. And so she must be layed in her bed, with her belly vpwarde, and her head lower than her buttockes. Thys must ye do from night to night, three times, & she shall be healed. She must also eate whote thinges in operation, as Pigeons, and Hennes, with spices and other like thynges. She shall be healed without any greefe, and if she had had it .xxx. yeres.

¶To make a womans milke to come and encrease.

TAke the greene leaues of Fenell, & make therof a decoction, be it in wine or water, wherof ye shall geue the woman drinke, as wel at her meales, as other wise, as often as may be, and she shall be abondant in milke. Furthermore, if the woman haue not ordinarilie her naturall purgacion called Floures, this wll serue her for a good medecine.

¶A verie goodly secrete for the gommes or burgeons that remaine of the great Pockes, as well olde as new.

TAke Bole armenick, Vinagre, and oyle Roset, and make thereof a defensife,³ or oyntment, annoynting the burgeons round aboute .iij. or .iiij. fingers large: thā take .ij partes of the oyle of an herbe called Euphorbium, first founde out by Iuba the kyng of Libia. Looke Ruellius, Lib. 3. cap. 53. and one part of oyle Violet: and mixe them together, and annoynt the burgeons with all, hauynge first well wasshed them with Redde wine, vorie hote. And whan you haue thus annoynted them, with the sayd oyle of Euphorbiū, lay vpon it some litle bande annoynted with Butter, leauing it so three or foure houres, or as longe as you will: than vncouer the Burgeons, and if you finde no bladders, do once agayne as before, vntill you se some. And than you maie pricke and breake the saied bladders, or let them breake of them selues: & than ye may heale them with some healyng oyntment.

[f. 14r]

Another remedie for the same bourgeons of the Pockes.

WAshe the burgions with Wine, and make the defensif aboue saied: than take .iij. partes of Vnguentum aureum, and one parte of Sublimatum, well broken or beaten: mengle the saied Sublimatum w^t the said oyntment, and lay it with a plaster vpon the burgeons, leauing it therupon, a day or more, if you can, & ye shal find the burgeons or buddes, and the flesh fayre and neate, whiche will seeme to be a miraculous thynge, and if it worke not well at the firste, ye must renew it agayne, twise or thrise, accordyng as the burgeons shalbe hard and olde. Now, whan they be thorowlie dissolued and leused, take Butter wasshed with Wyne, and lay it vpon a linnen cloth, and put it vpon them, and so shall you heale them perfectlie. Note also that the saied ointment, with the Sublimat, will draw vnto him all the aquosite, and euil humours of the arme or legge, whervnto it is layde. Wherfore it will not onlie heale the place where you laye it, but will also purge the whole member of all euill humours, that is in it, and therfore there is a verie good water confect and made of it, for to heale scabbes, as we will tell you afterwarde. It healeth also all other accidentes, wherupon you make any outwarde application: and (as we haue sayed) draweth to him selfe al the watrishnes, and humour of the member, wherupon it is layde. Now, whan you wyll lay it vpon the burgeons, or vpon anie corrupte place, weete wel the linnen clothe, and the band that you wil binde it withall: weete well also rounde aboute the infect or sore place: for the said medecine, will draw all the corruption thorow the saied places. And this is a verie worthie and cra•i••te secrete, for all thinges, so that it be well vsed, made and applied.

A verie easie and parfite remedie for him that hath anie blow with aswo• d•staffe, or stone, or other like thyng, yea, though he were gr•uouslie wounded.

[f. 14v] TAke Taxue barbatus, and stampe it, and take the iuice of it: and if the wounde bleede, wipe it, and make it cleane, wasshinge it with white wine, or water: than lay of the sayd iuice vpon the wounde, and the herbe vpon it, of the whiche you toke the iuice, and than make your bindinge, and let it be on it a whole daie: and you shall se a wonderfull effecte.

¶A water to beale all maner of woundes in short space: whiche is a thinge that euerye man ought alwayes to haue in his house, for the accidentes and chaunces that maye fall, seyng it is easye to bee made, and wyth lytle cost, and that it is of so meruelous an operation.

TAke a pounde of newe yelowe waxe, or as muche as you will, and lette it melte vpon a fier in a cleane panne: and then powre it into another panne, or dishe, wherein must bee Malmsey, Muscadel, or other white wyne that is very good: afterwarde take it out of the wine and melt it agayne: then powre it again vpon the said wine, doing so .vii. times. And then take the said waxe, & melt it vpō the fier, mixyng with it a handfull of bricke finely beaten into dust: incorporate all well together, & put it into a croke necked viole of glasse, which distillars, call a Bagpipe, claied about vp to the middes of the necke: & let it distill first with a litle fier, by the space of .viij. houres: & afterward make your fier greater, & at thende verie greate. But you must aboue all thing, close wel the sydes and ioyntes of the saied vessell, and of the recipient, which must be somewhat greate. After that the ouen & all the other thinges bee colde agayn, you shall take the water out of the recipient, and shall powre it into a violl well stopped with waxe and cyred clothe, so that in no race it maye take vent: neither set it in a place where anye heate of the sonne or fier maye come to it: for it is of so fine a substaunce, that it woulde flie and vanishe [f. 15r] awaie immediatlye. The saide lycour is merueylous good for all kinde of woundes: and ye must weate and moist the wounde with it, and hynde vpon it a piece of lynen clothe steeped in the sayd water. And amonge all the experiences that hath been seene, thys was experimented and proued vpon a seruaunt of a noble man called Feonello Pio de Carpe, resydent in Venise, the yere 1548. the whiche seruaunte hauinge receyued a stroke with a dagger vpon the insteppe of the foote, whiche is a place verye daungerous, did nothing but laye therto a lytle of the sayde water, whiche a gentell man of the saide Senyor Leonello had in his house: & in the space of two daies he was so healed that skant coulde a man perceyue the cicatrice or skarre where the cut was: it is also exceding good for shronken synowes. And if thys foresayd water bee well and naturally made or distilled the second time, it is of so fine and persyng substaunce, that if a man laye of it vpon the palme of his hande, ye shal see it perse thorowe incontinent and in a moment, and leaue the place drie as thoughe it had neuer been layde there. Therefore they that haue any knowledge maye helpe diuers diseases, in adding to it some other licour or pouder, suche as they woulde haue perse into the fleshe.

To make oyle of S. Ihons wort, which is called in Venise, and in diuers other places redde oyle: and is of suche vertue that a man can skantly expresse it, as well to heale woundes, as other infinite diseases, whereof we wyll shewe the most notable, and those that haue been founde trew by experience.

YOu must gather in the moneth of May and Iune, the herbe called of the Greekes Hypericon, of the Latynes Perforata, of the Frenchmen Millepertuis, and of vs in Englande S. Ihons worte, before it begin to floryshe or haue floures: and stampe it in a morter of marble, or of wood very cleane, and putte it so stamped [f. 15v] in a violle or glasse: and then powre to it as muche white wine as will couer it all ouer, and adde to it of good oyle olyue aboute the height of two fyngers, leauyng it so in the saide glasse wel stopped, and after that ye must gather the said herbe with his blossomes vpon S. Ihons day in the mornyng after the sonne is rysen, and puttyng the blossomes a part, ye must stampe wel the herbe with the stalkes, and after ye haue cut it very small, take it out of the morter, and stampe it in the same morter also a litle, the floures or blossoms whiche you kepte a parte, and mingle them with theyr herbe, whiche was stamped before. But the blossomes muste wey foure times or very nigh as muche as al the herbe that ye gathered in the moneth of Maye, and before S. Ihons day, and was putte in the saide violle or glasse, with the wine and oyle olyue. You muste after this mingle al these things together, and put them in some violle or glasse, or els in some pan of earth very cleane, with the said wine and oyle olyue, and put to it againe other wine and oyle, vntil al bee couered as before: and then set al this in the Sonne in some vessell well stopped. And twelue or fiftene daies after when the seede of S. Ihons wort shalbe ripe, you must gather of it in the morning after the Sonne is vp: and stampe it well, and so mingle it with the saide herbe, and blossomes: but you must put no wine to it, sauynge onely the oyle oliue. And the saied seede muste in quantitie wey as much as the fourth or thirde parte of the sayd herbe before the wyne bee putte to it: also the oyle must bee of suche quantitie, as maye be aboue all the substaunces a good handfull or twoo. After this set a caudron of water on the fier, with hey or strawe in the bottom: and put the saied violle into it so that it bee not in daunger of breakyng, when the water beginneth to seeth. This maner of setting the violles or glasses in a caudron of boylyng water, is called of our moderne Philisophers, Balneum Marie, and it is dressed and trimmed in thys sorte, as well for to distill with a Lymbecke, as for to [f. 16r] make putrefaction, euaporation, or dissolution: of the whiche thinges we wyll speake afterwarde, when we comme to the matter of distyllyng. Then muste you make the water in the saide caudron to seeth, with the substaunce whiche is in it, by the space of thre or foure houres, according to the quantitie of the said substaunces, vntyl the wine, or at the least the most part of it be dronke and consumed, which ye shal know in this maner. Take a litle of the substaunce on the ende of a sticke, and caste it in the fier, and if it burne withoute anye noyse, it is a signe that there is no moore wyne left. The sayde violle muste bee vncouered whyle the water boyleth, because the wyne maye euaporate and breathe out. And if the sayde substaunce bee so great in the violle, that it passe fyue or syxe pounde, ye shal put to it these thinges folowing, accordyng to the weyght and measure that we wyl shewe you, and kepe alwais good proporcion, accordinge to the quantitie of the weyghte of the water, whiche shalbe moore or lesse then fyue pounde. Fyrst take quicke brymstone, or els when it is made into long canes or stickes half a poūd, commune white salte, eyght vnces, of smallage a dishfull wel washed, fyrst in water, and then in honnye rosat, or other honny (so that it bee sodden and skymmed) foure vnces: ten vnces of Turpentyne, washed once or twise in well, ryuer, or conduite water, of the iuyce of Taxus barbatus, of the iuyce of white or blacke Dictamum, of eche of them foure vnces, of Saffron thre vnces, rootes of Dictamum, rootes of Gentian, the rootes of Imperatoria the rootes of the herbe called Crocodilium or Carlina, the rootes of Valerian, and the rootes of Selandyne, of eche of them two vnces. And if the sayd rootes be greene, you muste stampe them wel: if they bee drie, ye must beate them into pouder: an vnce of myrre, two vnces of redde ware, two vnces of fyne Triacle, an vnce of the seedes of a Cedar tree, thre vnces of yuy seede thorowe rype, foure vnces of the seede of a Bay tree thorowe rype, syxe vnces of aqua vitae, an vnce of [f. 16v] Synamom, half an vnce of lignum Aloe. Let all these be well stamped, and put in a violle or vrinall with the saide herbe, blossomes, and oyle: ye muste stoppe well the saide violle, that the substaunce haue no maner vent or euaporation. Then make a fier vnder the caudron so that the water maie be hotte without seething, and keepe it so the space of two or thre dayes: and the longer the better. If in cace the fier go out in the night there is no greate daunger: ye maie make it againe in the morning, but you must kepe it so much the longer. Hauing then taken the violle out of the caudron, and left it in the Sonne all the rest of the Somer, kepe it in your house well couered: and the older suche oyle wareth, the better it will bee. But it shalbe good to put to it euerye yeare newe iuyce, of the saide herbe S. Ihons wort, and of the blossomes and seede well stamped, and that the saide blossomes, herbe, or seedes bee sodden, by the space of foure or sixe houres in oyle oliue: and then muste you powre all the oyle with the substaunce into some vessell, and presse well all the blossomes and the herbe, and cast them away, and put in other: and yf ye shoulde dooe so euerie yeare the oyle woulde not be the worse but rather better. If al these foresaid things can not be gotten in one season or time it is no matter: for a man maye put them in as he findeth them: and if ye can not get them all, ye may put in theim that ye can finde or get. The vertues of this excellent oile are infinite, of the which we will speake onely of the chiefest, & those that haue been proued by experience, as wel of vs as of other in our presence, and by our appoyntment and orderinge. First, it hath as muche or more vertue, then the true and right baulme, and it is good for all colde griefes, as well within as without the bodie: for the Sciatica, and colde goute, in heating it and rubbing the place withal: for a quartayne, tertian, or quotidian ague, when a man anointeth the raines of the backe an houre before the ague come. Also it healeth meruelous well Colicam passionem, when a man rubbeth or anoynteth [f. 17r] warmely his brest or stomacke withall, and when it is put in glisters with other substaunces, as we will declare in the chapter of the Colicke passion. And if ye anoynt the place about the priuie membres of a man or woman, it will make them to vrine or pisse well. If a woman haue her fruit dead in her wombe taking three or foure dragmes of the saide oyle, she shalbe deliuered incontinent. It is likewise good for all griefes of the brest or stomacke. It is a thing aboue all other most excellent and miraculous for the plage, anoyting the raines of the backe, and in drinking two dragmes or two dragmes and a halfe in good white wine: but note that it must bee dronke before the sixte houre after the sickenesse is begonne, and rubbe the place of the sickenesse with it, it beinge heated. It healeth moreouer all maner vlcers, sores, boyles, botches, and corrupte matter within the skinne couered with a skabbe, as well olde as new, & also brusings, or knockes. And good for other infinite thinges, as euery man maye dayly proue by experience. And specially it is verie good for the retraction or drawinge againe of woundes or such like.

¶To make an oyle of a redde dogge, by the meane wherof (beside other infinite vertues that it bath) I haue bealed a frier of S. Onofres, who had by the space of xij. yeres, a lame and drye withered arme lyke a sticke, so that nature gaue it no more norishement.

TAke a yonge dogge of redde heare, and keepe him thre daies without meate: and then strangle him with a corde, and lette him lye dead a quarter of a houre, and in the meane time boile a kettle of oyle vpon the fier, and putte the dogge in whole or in pieces, it maketh no matter how, so that he bee all there with the skinne and heare: and make him seeth so vntill he bee almost sodden to pieces, keping alwaies the kettle close couered. In the meane time take Scorpions to the number of foure skore or a hundreht, and putte theym in a basyn on the fier, vntill they bee [f. 17v] thorowly burned. Then putte them into the said kettle w^t the oyle & the dogge, putting to it a good dishfull of great grounde wormes,⁴ or smallage well washed, a good handfull of S. Ihons worte, a handfull of wylde or marshe mallowes, and a handfull of wal wort, with an vnce of Saffron. Seeth all these thinges well together, vntill the fleshe of the dogge be broken and fallen in pieces. And because ye must haue much oyle, ye may at the firste putte into the kettle two partes of water, and one parte of oyle: and in sething ye may powre in water, vntill the dogge bee all together broken, as is alreadie saide: then let it waxe colde. After this ye shall take the bones of him and the herbes, and when ye haue pressed and squissed them well, that all the substaunce remaine in the saide oyle, caste them a waye.

This doen, you shall take only that which is aboue vpon the water: that is to saie, the oyle and the grease, and cast away the water, if there be muche: but if there be but a litle, so that you can skant discerne the oyle frō the water, ye shall take all together, for a litle water can not bee but good. Then straine it thorowe a strayner or canuese, firste weated or steeped in white wine: and take then vnguentum Agrippe seuen or eyght vnces, of the marie of the gambon and bones of a hogge, a pounde, of the marie of the hinder thighes of an asse a pounde, or as muche as you maye get. Put all these thinges together, with the saide oyle and grease: and make it seeth vppon the fier: then adde to it a dishefull or an halfe of oyle rosat: & when it setheth, you shal put to it thre vnces of Mastick, two vnces of Gomme Elemi, eyghte vnces of redde Waxe: but the Masticke and the Gomme muste bee well beaten into pouder and sifted. And when all this hath boyled the space of halfe an houre, let it coole againe, and sette it in the Sonne in some kinde of vessel wel couered by the space of certaine daies. Then shal you haue an excellent substaunce and matter for all kinde of colde infirmities, and for many other. And as I haue alredie said, I haue [f. 18r] seene the experience of it in a Frier of S. Onofrey, that is to saie: of them that weare anhabit of Roan colour: but (as he saied) he dwelt not in the monasterie, because of the said infirmitie of his lefte arme, whiche was as drie as the braunche of a withered tree. Moreouer, he saied vnto me, that he did not remember nor coulde tell whether that chaunced vnto him, either by sicknesse, or by some wounde or hurte. The saide arme was become smaller then the other almoste by halfe, so that the saide arme had almoste no strength at all, and coulde not helpe it selfe in no wise. I caused him then to bee annointed with the saide oyle (whiche I had set in the Sonne the Somer of the yeare 1547.) by the space of .ij. miserere, & made him tarie in the Sonne vntill the saied oyle was cleane dryed vp, and had perced thorowe the saied arme: and within .lv. daies, men did perceyue and see perfitelye that the veynes gaue nourishment vnto the membre. Nine daies after, the arme was as full of fleshe as the other: and with the helpe of god, was as whole and sound, as though it had neuer been hurte. This saide oyntment or oyle is a precious thing, and good for al colde infirmities, & for the gout: and speciallye for all contractions or shrinkinges together of synowes or membres, and woundes, albeit, the man were wounded in the middes of the bodie, in putting into it this oyle, shal a miraculous thing beseene: and it is also good for the sinowes. As I came from Ierusalem in the yere 1518. in a shippe, of the whiche the maister was called Peter de Chioggia, we were set vpon by fiue foystes of Pirates, on this side Corphu, and one of the Mariners so attainted with the stroke of a gonne that he had his arme brused and broken, and with the same blowe another hurt in the brest. The Phisition would haue cut of the arme. But among other things that I caried about with me, I found a bore of the said oyntment, wherwith I anoynted his arme, and in the space of sixe or seuen days, he was healed miraculously. I haue made many experiences, aswel vpon myself, as [f. 18v] vpō others: and hauing giuen of it vnto diuers men to ayde them selues withall, they haue tolde me that they haue foūd in it a meruelous vertue & operation. If you make this oyle in the time when the herbe of S. Ihons wort is found, ye shal putte in the herbe, the blossome, and the seede: but if it be in the time when it can not be foūd, after ye haue made the first decoctiō of the dog, as we haue said, ye shal boyle the oyle & the grease once againe, putting to it the oyle of S. Ihons wort, whereof we haue spoken afore, or as ye may get it: that is to sai, halfe asmuch as al the oyle and grease is. And if ye can not find bismalua or wild mallowes, ye may put in stede of it, y^• oyntment called Dialtea, which is found cōmonly at the Apoticaries. And when ye wil boyle the dog in the kettle, it shalbe good to put to it, thre torteses that liue on the lande and not on the water, and so shall the said oyntment be very excellent for the goute. A certein man of mine acquaintaunce, of the age of thirtie yeres, vexed with the gout, whome I made take of this oyle, and anoynt himself a litle in the place of the griefe, and about it, putting to it two partes of oyle rosat, one part of oyle violet, & two partes of the said oyle of the dogge, told me that he had found a merueylous ease and helpe by it. And the said griefe returning againe foure times at sondrie times, yet anoyntinge himselfe therewith thre times (as is aforesayde) the paine came vnto hym no moore in the space of three yeares that wee were in Rome together, whiche was the yere 1514. And thys man was called Diego, a Portugall, and dwelte at the mount Iordan. Sith that tyme, being gone to Venise, and from thence into Leuaunt, I haue heard nothynge of hym.

To make an oyntment, the most excellent in the worlde, whose vertues are infinite, as we will declare afterwarde. VVhiche, Princes ought to commaunde to be made and kept in their cōmon wealthes: and that it should be made in the presence of Phisitions, as Triacle is made: or at the least euerie man ought to haue it in his house, and speciallie bycause a man may make a great quantite of it: and the lenger it is kept the better it waxeth.

[f. 19r] TAke first oyle Roset, the oyls of Violettes, the Oyle of Neuuphar, oyle of Spick, oyle of the herbe called Costum commonlie called Cocus or herba marie, the oyle of Bay, oile of Nutmegges, the oyle of the blossomes of Iasemin, of eche of them a pounde. The oyle of Nutmegges, and of Sinamom, is made in seething, Nutmegges, or Sinamon wel stamped, in oyle Oliue. And in the like maner, ye may make the oyle or decoction of Xilobalsamum, of Carpobalsamum, of lignum Aloe, of Mirrhe, of Frankensence, of the gūme of Iuie, of Masticke, and of Cloues, and it shall suffise onely, to put in the oyle of these said spices, half as much as eche of the other mounteth vnto, that is to say, half a pound. Likewise must ye make oyle of Campher, but ye muste not seeth it, but onely warme the oyle Oliue, in a litle pan and poure it so vpon the Campher a good way of from the fire: than must you soubdaynlie couer it: for the Campher is so fine and delicate, that it would incontinent breath out and vanish away: and therefore dothe the Campher cleaue vnto the lidde, and sides of the pan bicause it cannot get out. You must put onlie halfe an vnce of Campher, for euerie two or three pounde of the whole quantite of the other oyles together: than adde to it, a pounde of the oyle of Turpentine, made by distillation, and three vnces of the oyle of Storar liquida: after this, put all these oyles so mingled together, into a great cawdron or kettell tinned within, which muste be high and narrow, to the ende that all the thynges, that ye will put in, maie afterwarde be well couered, with the saied oyles: And the sayde cawdron, ought to haue a couer that maie close him well and iustly: than set it vpon a small fire, and put in three of these blacke [f. 19v] Vipers, iij. Todes .x. of these litle beastes, called in latine Tarantulae or Stelliones, which be like vnto Lisardes, hauinge spottes on their backes like Starres, and .l. Scorpions. And if ye can get anie other venimous beastes, put them in quicke, if not at the first time, at the least at euerie time whan ye can haue them: and after you haue well couered and closed the cawdron, giue it but a light fire, the space of .v. or .vi. daies. It shall be good to set the saied cawdron, in maner of a Fornayse, as it were to make Salt peter, or as Sope cawdrons be set: than after, by the space of a day, make the fire a litle greater, vntill all the venimous beastes be broken into pieces, and almost consumed in the sayd oyle, wherinto it should be good, to haue put first, a pot of good white Wine. Than hauing taken the cawdron from the fire and taken all the sayde beastes, presse them or wringe them hard in some canuesse or linnen cloth, weat• with white Wine. Than take the oyle of Saincte Ihons wort, compounde, as we haue before declared, halfe as muche as all the oyle of the sayde beastes, and the thyrd part of the oyle of the redde dogge, mingle all well together, and put to it the blossomes of Selandine, the blossomes of Sainct Ihons worte, suche a quantite as you will, puttinge also to it, a handefull of white salte, the iuice of Taxus barbatus, and of white Dictamū, at your discretion: the iuice of Crispina rubra, if ye can gette it. This Crispina rubra, is a herbe like vnto a Thistle, and is taken of Ioannis Agricola, to be the brier called Respis: but it hath leaues l•sser, and tenderer than a Thistle, and is eaten almost in euerie place, in Italie, in Salades. And there it is called in some places, Cardonello, and in Venise, Sigone. The red Crispin is in al poinctes like vnto the white and greene, and differeth in nothynge, but in colour: it is a verie precious herbe. I saw once a man, that clefte a yonge Kiddes head, almost a sunder: and after layde to it, onely the iuice of the sayde redde Crispin: and ioyned the head together, and bounde it with a bande: and in two daies the Kidde was healed, [f. 20r] as sounde as he was before. Also it is verie good, in the time of a Plage or pestilence, as wee will afterwarde declare. Than, if you can get of the iuice of the saied Crispina, or Cardonello, ye shall put a pound of it, with the said oyles, and as much of the iuice of Carduus benedictus, a pounde of the flouers or blossomes, of the said Carduus benedictus, an vnce of Lignū Aloe in pouder, and an vnce of Saffran. Set all these thinges well mixed together, in the Sunne, all the whole Sommer time, in diuers vessels of glasse, or of earth leaded within, wel couered with paper or linen clothe. And keepe it as a precious thyng: whose vertues to expresse, it is impossible. The saied oyle is excellent good, principallie for all maner of contractions, and shrinkinges of the members, of a mans bodie, and of woundes, as well olde as fresshe, against Fistules, Cankers, and the disease called in latin Struma, whiche is a swelling in the throte, of gathered matter and bloud, whiche wee call in English, the Kinges euil, or the Quinses, whan the place of the sore is rubbed with it, or when Towe weate in the sayde oyle is laied vnto it, and beginnyng in the first quarter of the wane, or decreasynge of the Moone, (with the grace of God) the sayd accidentes, shalbe healed before the new Moone. Also the saied oyle, is good against all maner of venim or poyson, beyng annointed about the hart, if the Poyson be taken at the mouth: and if a man be bitten with anie venimous beast, or hurte with anie intoxicated weapon, ye must wryng well the bloud out of the wounde. and than rubbe the place, and round aboute it with the saied oyle. It is also good for anie mē ber that is stiffe, and nomine, and almost for all diseases that can chaunce vnto mans bodie, wherunto anie outward application is made of it.

¶A verie true and proued remedie, agaynst a Quartayne ague.

[Not in the TCP transcription, whose copy lacks these pages: f. 20v, f. 21r] [f. 21v] iij. or .iiij. graynes of Frankensence, of the male kynde otherwise called Olibanum: than couer agayne the saied hole, with the litle peece that you toke of first, & roste it so vpon the embers, so that it burne not, but that it may waxe tender. Than take it from the fire, and breake it into .iiii. partes, with all the Frankensence in it: and so giue it the pacient to eate, it will by and by, make the Apostume to breake, & heale him cleane. The foresaied Smith, had al readie shutte his teeth, so that men were fayne to open them with a spoone or knife: and so they put of it into his mouthe, as well as they coulde, and straight way he tourned with his breast, vpon the beddes side, and spitte out a great parte of the matter, that was come forth of the Apostume broken: and therupon slept more than .ix. houres, and whan he waked, he called for meate, & found him self thorowlie whole, which was a thyng worthie to giue God thankes for.

Another secret, or remedie, agaynst the saied disease of the Pleuresye.

TAke the flower, that sticketh on the bourdes and walles of a Mille, and make therof paste with water: and so make litle cakes, of the bignesse of a grote, or somewhat more, and hauing baked or fried them, in an yron ladie, or in a friyng pan, with the oyle of Scorpions, lay one of them so vpon the place, where the patient feeleth his greef, and that as hote as he maie endure, rubbynge, and annoyntyng it with the saied oyle of Scorpions: and whan one of the cakes is almost colde. Lay to another very hote, & heate the first againe in the saied oyle, and so consequentlie take awaie one, and put to another .x or .xv. times, and shortlie after the Apostume shal breake, and in spitting the matter oute, the patient (with Gods ayde) shall be healed.

Another good secret agaynst the same disease.

[f. 22r] OPen a white lofe new baket, in the middle, and spread it well with good Triacle, on bothe the halfes, on the crommie side, and heate it at the fyre: than laie one of the halfes, vpon the place of the disease, and the other half on the tother side of his body directly: and so binde them, that they sturre not, leauynge them so a daie and a night, or vntill the Apostume breake: which I haue sometime seen doen, in .ij. houres or lesse. And than take awaie the breade, and immediatlie the patient will begyn to spit, and voide the putrifaction of the Apostume, and after he hath slept a litle, ye shal giue him some meate, and with the helpe of God, he shall be shortlie healed.

Another remedie against the same disease.

TAke a toothe of a wilde Bore: and if the payne holde him in the right syde, ye muste take the tooth of the right iawe: if otherwise, ye must take the lefte tooth: yet not withstandynge. it hath been founde by experience, to be all one of whiche iawe so euer it were. Scrape the saied tooth with a knife, vpon a cleane table, or vpon a paper: than take of the same scrapynges, as muche as you maie laye vpon two grotes, and giue the pacient drinke of it, with a litle Barley water, or in the brothe of litle redde graines like vnto Ciche peason, or with white Wyne with a litle water. This hath alwaies bene founde verie good and true.

To make a water, good for the breast or stomake, of the which men vse to giue them drinke, that be tourmented or greeued with the stitche in the side, or pleuritike Apostumes the whiche water is of a verie good sauour, and mondifieth meruclous well the breast or stomacke.

[Not in the TCP transcription, whose copy lacks these pages: f. 22v, f. 23r] [f. 23v] the space of two Miserere: and then wasshe the legge well (that is to saye the wounde and rounde aboute the wounde) with the said wine luke warme. Then take these pouders folowing, that is to saye, Aristolochia, both of long and rounde, Masticke, Myrre, Dragons bloud, called in Englishe Pellytorie of Spaine, Aloe epaticum, Nyll, called in Latyne Tutia, the barke or ryne of gourdes burned, of eche of these an vnce, Nummia, or as some call it, Humia, and Boale armoniacke, of eche of them a quarter of an vnce well stamped, and strayned, laye all vpon the said griefe: than take the herbes boyled in wine, as is aforesaide, and binde them vppon the wounde with a bande, in chaungyng it twise a day, or at the least once, and you shall see the legge healed in fewe daies.

¶To heale swollen knees or legges, redde, and full of humours: a secrete merueylous good, easie to bee made, and of lytle charge, and often times proued.

TAke the skinne of a dogge, yf you may get it: or if not, take a white lambes skynne, or elles the skinne of a kidde, and cut a piece of it as broade as the palme of youre hande, or moore, and another piece of the length of your hande, or somewhat moore: then melte in a pan on the fier these thinges folowing: rosen of a Pine tree two pounde, Galbanum .v. vnces, Masticke an vnce, Muske, Amber, Tyuet, of eche of them sixe graynes, or as muche as you wyll, & breake the Masticke betwene two papers: then put the rosen and the Galbanum to melte in a panne with a small fier, and when it is well melted, ye shall putte the masticke to it, and sturre them well with a lytle stycke, to the entent that nothing burne. After this lay it abrode whote as it is, vppon the saide skinne halfe a fynger thicke. Then take twelue or fiftene of these litle beastes called Monkes peason or sowes (whereof is founde a greate quantitie vnder stones in moyste places) and theym in a morter, with a litle Barrowes grease• [f. 24r] make thereof an vnction or oyntment to laye vpon the saide plaister of the skinne, heatyng the sayd skynne at the fier, and laye it vnder the knee, or vnder the calfe of the legge, harde bounde, and leaue it so two or three dayes: but if the legge be hearie, ye must shaue the hear awaye with a rasour, for the plaister woulde els cleaue to it, when you take it of agayn, if you find that it hath made litle bladders, perce them, and wipe them cleane. This doen, washe them with the wine, wherin the decoction of the Agrimoyne, the Oliue leaues, the Roses, and plantaine was made: and so wype and drie theym againe. Make cleane also the saide plaister, remouynge and sturryng a litle the oyntment: and after hauynge heated it againe by the fyre, lay it againe vpon the leg. Dooe thus euery thirde or fourth day, and you shall see that the plaister shall haue drawen vnto it selfe in a small time a great aquositie of the legge, and shall haue taken away the rednesse, inflamation, and swellinge. And if there bee a wounde, you shall heale it, as we haue aboue sayde.

A verye sure and perfect remedie agaynst a Sciatica, often tymes proued and experimented in diuers partes of the worlde.

FYrste make this confection that foloweth. Take thre pounde of rawe honny, and put it in a panne with two glasses full of water, and make it seeth or boyle together, vntyll you see the skūme or froth mounte vp, the whiche you muste take away. Then take the rootes of the herbe called in Latine Acorus and in English Galingale, or of the herbe called yelowe Gladen, make them cleane, cut them in smal pieces, and stampe them well. Take of these herbes one pounde for the sayde thre poundes of honnye, and put them by lytle and lytle into the sayde panne, alwaies sturryng them a litle, letting them so boyle, by the space of a good houre.

Then put to it also an vnce of fine Synamom wel beaten [f. 24v] into pouder, take it so from the fier, and keepe it in the same panne, or in some other vessell. Giue vnto the patient of this conserue at night when he goeth to bed, about foure or fyue sponefulles, and in the mornynge early as muche or more. Giue him also thereof before his meales and after: the oftner he eateth of it the better he shal be. If it be in winter, heate it for him a lytle: and while he thus vseth it, let him alwaies sit vpon his buttockes, that is to say: vpon the bone or huckle wher the Sciatica is, with the plaister declared in the chapter before, that is to say, of y^t Rosen, Galbanū, Masticke, the litle beastes called Monkes peason or sowes, with the rest there mencioned. Then, at the ende of ten dayes take it of, and laye it other ten dayes vppon his thigh. And from thence take it agayne, making it cleane, mixing and sturring it a newe, and laye it vnder the calfe of the legge tenne dayes more: and at euerye tyme you shall see that it wyll haue engendred litle puffes or bladers, and drawen to it self al the aquositie and watrishnes, in suche sorte, that it wyll take awaye the griefe and heale it. This is a verye rare secrete agaynst suche a disease, whiche verye fewe Phisitions colde hitherto fynde certayne remedie for. If in case the disease bee olde or hath runne longe, giue the pacient sometyme this glister folowyng. Take Mallowes, Mercurie, Fenell, greene or drie, Wormewode, Rue, wilde Cucumbers broken, as muche of the one as of the other: than, put to it two handfulles of branne, seeth all in common water, vntill the thirde parte bee deminished: and so let it coole againe. After this, take a dishe and a halfe full of this decoction, three sponefulles of skimmed Honnye, oyle of Camemille, and oyle of Rue, of eche of them an vnce and a halfe: mingle all well together, and make a Glister of it, whiche you shall minister vnto the Pacient in the mornynge: and so make him lye vpon that side where the Sciatica is. Two dayes after ye shall giue him another Glister, after three dayes another: and than foure dayes after yet another, continuyng [f. 25r] so a moneth together. If the griefe be so indured and hardened that it wyll not behealed by the aforesaid remedies, you maye giue him Pilles the thyrde daye after, the fourth daye, the fyfte daye, and so vnto syxe or seuen tymes. But the Pylles wyll profit the Pacient nothing at all vnlesse he abstayne from eatinge salte or sharpe meates, and from all sortes of pulse corne, as Pease, Beanes, Tares, and Fitches, and suche other: lykewise from drinking water, or white wyne. Manye haue been healed onely with the saide plaister, not leauinge to dooe their businesse abrode notwithstanding: other haue also vsed the conserue. But in so manye yeres I haue had but two vpon whom (for to take awaye the disease being olde and farre goen) I was constrained to vse the sayde Pilles and Glisters, whereby they were healed. I had also one, whiche vsed but only the plaister and the conserue, of whom the huckle bone was out of ioynt, and hardened, and with the saied remedie he was perfitly healed in the space of three skore and tenne daies, and the saied bone retourned againe into his former place and state: but he tolde me that whilest he vsed the said plaister and conserue, a Nonne counseyled him to take from daye to daye, foure times, the bignesse of a Nutte of Turpentine washed in Borrage water, and that he should not tell me of •t, whereby he founde him selfe healed in short time.

A water for to heale in fiue dayes at the moste, all maner of great skabbes, as well inwarde as outwarde: and is a water cleare and white, and is of an odoriferous sauour, such as a man may present to a Queene.

TAke Plantaine water two glassefulles, Rose water a glassefull, of the water of the floures of Cytrons or Orenges halfe a glasse full, or lesse: put all thys together in a cleane panne or violle of glasse: and put to it an vnce of Sublyme, that is to say: quicke siluer, such as commonly is founde at the Apoticaries: it muste bee well beaten to pouder. Then let it boyle [Not in the TCP transcription, whose copy lacks these pages: f. 25v, f. 26r] [f. 26v] his bodie, as longe as he maie, and he shal finde it verie excellent.

Another remedie against the same disease.

TAke half a glasse, or lesse, of the iuice of Barberies, whan they be verie redde, and ripe, and put into it as muche red Corall, well beaten in pouder, as will lie vpon two grotes, and giue the patient drinke therof.

Another perfect remedie against the same disease, and to make a man pisse that hath bene .iiij. or .iiij. daies without makinge water, and that in the space of half an hower, and will breake the stone within .x. or .xij. daies.

TAke fine pouder of Virga aurea, and put a sponefull of it, into a new laied Egge, soft roste, and giue the patient drinke therof, in the morninge at hys breakefast, and lette him not eate at the least in foure houres after, and than shall he make water in lesse thā halfe an hower. If ye vse this continuallie, the space of x. or .xii. daies, as is a foresaid, you shall make him pisse out the stone without anie paine or greefe.

Another remedie agaynst the Stone and payne of the raynes.

TAke the seedes of blew Violettes, or march Violettes, the seedes of common Burres, with theyr litle poddes and all, or ripe Burres a pounde, put them to drie in an Ouen (for otherwise it wil be a hard thyng to stampe them) stamping them afterward with their seedes. This doone, take a quicke Hare, & strangle him with a corde, to thentent there be none of the bloud lost: put him so whole, or in peeces into some vessel, feete, guttes, head and all: than put him to burne in an Ouen, so that all, as wel the bones, and the skinne, as the flesh bee brought to pouder, this dooen, ye shall stampe it well, and mingle the pouder with the two other pouders aforesaied: drie Oken leaues, well beaten [f. 27r] to pouder .iiij. vnces, drie Saxifrage or Sampire, halfe a pounde, Bay berries .v. vnces. Let all these thynges be well beaten in pouder, sifted, and mixte together.

Giue of this pouder vnto the pacient, as much as wyll lie vpon a grote, makynge him to drinke it, in the mornyng, to his breakefast, in white wine, and let him doo this often times. It is the most exquisite thyng in the worlde, as well for the grauell, as for the stone: but for the grauell, you must take lesse, and not so ofte as for the Stone.

The last, and the moste excellent remedie of all, agaynst the stone, be it in the reignes, or in the bladder, of what qualite or quantite, so euer it be.

IN the moneth of Maie, when Oxen go to grasse, or be at pasture, ye shall take of their dunge, not to fresh, nor to drie: than distille it faire and softlie (to thende it smell not of the smoke) into some vessell of glasse, or earth leaded within, of the whiche dunge will come a water, without sauour or euill stenche, whiche will be verie good, to take of all maner of spottes, or blemishes in the face, if you washe it, with it, morninge and eueninge. You shall keepe the saied water, in a Violle wel stopped: than take .iij. or .iiij. Radishes, such as menne eate in salettes, cut them small, & put them in a Violle, and fill vp the violle with wine greeke, or good Malmsey, or other good white wine, lettyng it stand so in the Sunne, and in the ayre, a daie and a night. Than take one parte of that wine, two partes of the saied water, of the Oxe dunge, halfe a parte of the water of Stawberies. iij. or .iiij. droppes of the iuice of Limons, or Citrons: and let there be of all these waters, so proportioned together, halfe a glasse full, or some what more, into the which, you shall putte a peece of Suger, or a litle Honnie roset: for the one and the other, serue as wel to the sauour, as to the profite of the substaunce. After this, you shal put to it some of the pouder mentioned in [f. 27v] the Chapiter before, as much, as will lie vpon a grote, and than giue the patient drinke of it, and shortlie after you shall se a wonderfull effect• for manie, vnto whome I haue giuen of it, haue not tarried half an hower, but they haue pissed, in the whiche pisse, they haue founde so manie litle stones, that all together, came to the bignesse of a Walnutte, and of others, vnto the quantite of a hasel Nutte: in vsinge often the saied remedie, they haue finally bene perfectly healed. I caused once a gentilman of Millan, to take of it by the space of .xii. daies, whome the Phisitions estemed as dead, & would haue cut him, but in the space of the saied .xij. daies, I made come out of him so many stones, that all together came to the quantite of an Egge, I made him make his water thorow a linnen cloth, laied ouer an Vrinall, to the intente, to take vp the stones together: and the thirde mornynge, he woulde take the glasse, a litle more than halfe full, and shortlie after, beyng about to make water, he began to crie out, for the great paine he felte in his yarde: after this payne was paste, lookyng in the linnen cloth, he founde a stone as longe and as bigge, as a Bene, somwhat pointed at one of the sides, which paraduenture, in passyng thorow his yard, caused him to haue all that payne. Now, although that manie, as well of olde time, as now of late daies, haue written diuers and sondrie remedies, against the saied disease, yet was there neuer founde a surer, truer, or presenter remedie, than this. The saied water and the pouder, may be kept longe, but you must at euerie time renew the wine of the saied Radish, and the iuice of the Limon or Citron, for in the space of two daies (the wine chieflie) giueth such a sent, that a man maie skant endure it.

For him that spittet• bloud, by hauing some veyne of his breast broken.

TAke Myse dunge, beaten in pouder, as muche, as will lie vpon a grote, and put it into half a glasse full, of the iuice of Plantain, with a litle Suger, [f. 28r] and so giue the patient drinke therof, in the mornynge before his breakefast, and at night before he go to bed. Continuyng this same, you shall make him whole and sounde.

Agaynst the greefe in the Lunges, and spittinge of bloud, a thyng experimented.

TAke an herbe called Farfara, or Tussilago, of the Apoticaries Vngula caballina, Coltes foote in English, the Frenche men call it, pate de lion. Incorporate it wel, with the larde of a Hogge, chopped, and a new laied Egge: boyle all together in a panne: and giue the patient of it to eate, doyng this .ix. mornynges, and you shall se a meruelous thynge. This is also very good, to make a man fatte.

Agaynst the paine of t•e flankes, of the reynes, and all other greefes.

TAke three quarters of an vnce of Stora• liquid•, Capons grease, or Hennes grease, the grease of a Goose, the grease of a Ducke, of eche of theim .v. dragmes, of oyle reset .iiii. dragmes, of redde War .ii. dragmes and a halfe, of Butter half a dragme: melt the greases, the oyle, and the Butter altogether, power them together, and mingle them. Than hauyng put to it the Stora•, spredde it vpon a linnen cloth, and so laie it hote vpon the place of the greefe, and you shal incontinent se him whole.

¶Agaynst the stinkinge of the breath.

TAke Rosemarie leaues, with the blossomes, if you can get them, and seeth them in white wine, with a litle Myrrhe, Sinamom, and Bengewin: and takyng of the saied wine often times in your mouth, you shall finde a maruelous effect.

¶Agaynst the bytyng of a madde dogge, and the rage or madnesse that foloweth the man after he is bitten.

[f. 28v] TAke the blossomes or flowers of wilde Thisltes, dried in the shadow, and beaten into pouder, giue him drinke of the same pouder, in white Wine, halfe a Walnut shell full, and in thrise takynge it, be shall be healed: A thynge founde true by experience.

To take a waie the dead flesh, that commeth or groweth in the nose.

TAke the iuice of Leekes, that haue not bene twise planted, and adde to it a litle greene wax, and make an oyntement therof, puttyng to it a litle of the fine pouder of the leese of wine, and put often times of this oyntment in the nose of the pacient, and you shall se a meruelous thyng.

For one, which (with falling from some high place) feareth to haue some thinge broken in his body.

TAke halfe a glassefull of oyle Oliue: and put into it, pouder of the seede of Cresses, the quantitie of halfe a Walnut shelfull, than giue it the patient to drinke, at once, or at twise. It shalbe good to let hym bloud, immediatlie after he is fallen, or as soone as is possible, and as soone as he is let bloud, giue him thys drinke. And he that cannot drinke the oyle, let him take the pouder with wine. If you cannot get the seedes of Cresses, giue him of the pouder of Mene, of the which there is alwaies inough found at y^• Apoticaries: if he be brused or hurt outwardlie, annoynt the sore place with oyle Roset, and than lay vpon it, the leaues of Myrnis, and of dried Roses, and so shall you heale him parfitlie.

A verie good and easie remedie, against the disease, called the Kinges euill.

TAke the herbe called Farfara, Fole foote in English, well stamped with his rootes, and beynge myngled with the flower of the seede of Line or Fla•e, and the grease of a Barrow: make therof a plaister, and laie it vpon the sore, changyng it twise a daie, [f. 29r] and all the sores of the disease, shall bee resolued into sweate. After thei be healed, washe often the place with white wine, by the space of .x. or .xv. daies.

Another remedie against the same disease.

TAke the stones of a horse, and put them in a Fier pan, among the embers and coles, leauyng them there, vntill they may be beaten into pouder, than giue the patiente drinke of the saied pouder, in white wyne, the quantite of two pennie weight, continuyng this the space of .xxi. daies: by this meanes you shall make him cast out at his mouth, all the ordure and filth of the euill, and shall heale him thorowly.

To know whether a woman, shall euer conceiue or not.

TAke of the ruen of a Hare, and hauing frayed and consumed it,⁵ in hote water, giue it the woman to drinke, in the mornyng at her breakfast, than let her stande in a hote bathe: and if there come a greefe or payne in her bellie, she maie conceiue: if not, she shall neuer conceyue.

A verie rare remedie for to take the kernels out of a mannes throte, in fiftie daies at the f•rthest.

TAke the rootes of Walwort, well washed, and boyled in white wine, and take also, these thinges folowyng: Sponge burned half a pound, & two hundred cornes of Peper. Al these thynges beyng well beaten into pouder, boyle them, in the saied wine, with the Walwort rootes: and hauinge sodden them wel, poure out the wine, and kepe it in a viol wel stopped in some moyst place, than giue the patient of this wine to drinke, three times a day, at euerie time a glasseful, that is to say, mornyng, noone, and night.

And while he vseth this, he must eate no other breade but Barley breade, and drinke his wyne without water. He must also abstayne from eatyng any maner herbes, Fysh, Garlick, Beetes, or other such like. Thys [f. 29v] maner of regiment, ought a man to begyn, at the full moone, continuyng vntill the ende of the same, and after vntill the quarter encreasynge, of the nexte Moone: that is to saie .xlv. daies, and without doubt the patient shal be healed.

Another remedie, easier to be made.

TAke drie Camomill redact into pouder, & mengled with Honnie, then take in the mornyng, a sponefull of it, into your mouth, and as muche at night, lettyng it go downe of it selfe: vse this continually, vntill you be healed, vse good gouernemēt as is afore sayde.

A thinge proued, and experimented, to be verie tra• against the same disease.

TAke Polipodium (whiche is an herbe, like vnto Ferne) growyng vpon the stumpe or stocke of a Chestnut tree, if you can get of it: if not, take of the other, and beate it into pouder, giue the patient drinke thereof, with wine or Honnie, twyse a daie, at eche time, as muche as will lie vpon a grote: continue this, by the space of .xxi. daies beginnynge at the quarter decreasyng of the Moone, and keepynge alwaies good diet, as is aboue said, he shall be whole.

To make the skinne stretch and returne agayne into his place, after the kernell is healed.

TAke the knoppes that remaine on the Rose stalke, after the Roses be fallen of (whiche be like beadestones, facioned like an Egge) with the seede that is in them, Alom of the •ocke, the flower or blosome of a Pome granade, of eche of these a like quantitie. Seeth them in white Vinaigre, vntill half be consumed, put to it also half as much as al the rest, of Ros syriacus or Rhus. Which the Apoticaries call Sumach, or Sunach, stamped, & boyle all agayne, vntill all the Vinaigre be almoste wholy [f. 30r] consumed. And of that which remayneth, annoynt the place rounde aboute: and by that meanes, ye shall cause the skinne to stretche, and come to his place, as it was before.

A verie exquisite remedie agaynst the disease called in Latyne Augina, and in Greeke Synanche, whiche is an inflamation of the Muscle of the inner Gargill, the French men call it Squinancie, in English Quinsey.

TAke the water of Scabiose, a pounde, of Aqua vite, an vnce, mengle them together, and laye it vpon the soore, or griefe, and you shall finde the Pacient whole in three houres.

Another agaynst the same disease.

TAke Swallowes, bake them in an ouen, beate thē to pouder, and laye them vpon the griefe thorowe the mouth if it be possible: if not you shall entermingle it with Honnye roset, and a litle Flower or Meale, of Amylum, & then put it in his mouth, letting it goe downe of it selfe, and you shall see a merueylous thinge.

Another agaynst the same sickenesse.

TAke oyle of Romaine vitriolle, and put two or three droppes of it, in white wine, with the which you shall gargle or washe your mouth and throte often tymes.

A verye good remedye agaynst the kinges euyll.

TAke Ceruse or white Leade well stamped foure vnces, oyle Olyue, eyght vnces, let this boyle together fiue or sixe houres, styrring it continually: and when it is waxen or become verye blacke, it is sodden ynough: then spreade it vpon a lynnen cloth, and laye it vnto the place of the soore: yf the soores be broken, [f. 30v] they will be healed incontinent: if not, they wyll resolue and leuse, and shortly heale thorowly.

To heale the same disease by a substance taken at the mouthe.

DResse a Henne as it were to eate, so that she bee boyled in a great potte or caudron, with a greate deale of water without Salt, letting it boyle vntyll all the bones bee seperated from the fleshe: then take the saied bones and drie them in an ouen, or at the fier, so that they bee not burned or waxe blacke, after this beate them well to pouder, and take of the seede of Sesamum, beaten well likewise into pouder, & mengle it with the pouder of the Hennes bones, as muche of the one as of the other. And so take a sponefull of the two pouders, and mingle it with Honnye, causing the Pacient to eate of it at night when he goeth to bedde, and in the morning when he riseth. This ought to be doen from the beginning of the quarter decreasinge of the Moone vnto the ende: It is a verye excellent secrete. It also happened to me of some men, in whome the sayed disease was so olde and so farre gone that this saied remedie coulde not helpe them, whome I caused to take with the saied pouder specified as foloweth, whiche ought to bee made after this maner. Take a certayne litle Serpent called a Slowe worm•: boyle him in oyl• Olyue, vntill he bee broken and consumed, then rubbe the euyll with the sayed oyle, and lay pieces of towe vpon it, leauing it so three or foure daies: and after that, make a newe anoynting, and laye tow to it againe as before. By this saied remedie I healed them perfitlye, thankes bee vnto God.

A heauenlye water which hath many goodly and •• table Vertues, as we shall shewe you after.

[f. 31r] TAke Cloues, Nutmegges, Ginger, Zeduaria, long Pepper, rounde Pepper, the seede of Ienuper, Orenge pilles, the blossomes or floures of Sage, Basyll, Rosemary, Maioram, roūd Mint, Bay berries, Pēnyryall, Gentian, Calamintha, the floures of Elder, the flowres of white and redde Roses, Spicknarde, lignum Aloes, wilde Cubebes, Cardamomum, or graines, whiche the Apoticaries call Granum paradisi, fine Cynamom, Calamum Aromaticum, Sticados, Chamedrios, called in Englishe Germander, Camepitheos, Melligetta, Masticke, Ensence, of the male kinde, Aloe epaticum, Anyse seede, the seede of Maioram, or Maioram gentle, drie figges, drie Raisins, Dates, swete Almondes, kernelles of a Pyneaple, of eche of these an vnce, white Honnie, sixe vnces. Then take Suger waiyng asmuch as all the saied composition, and mengle well all together, putting also to it Aqua vite waiyng as muche as all the saied substaunce, but the saied Aqua vite muste bee distilled fiue times thorow a Limbecke, receyuinge alwaies the best: and mingle all the saied thinges together in the saied water: then put all into a violle well stopped, leauing it so the space of two dayes. Then afterwarde you shal sette it vpon the fornesse w^t his Limbecke and recipient, distillinge it with a smale fier, wherof wil come a cleare and precious water, continue so the fier, vntill the water begin to chaūge his colour, and come forth white: then chaunge the recipient, and receyue the saied white water a part, for it is not good, but for to blaunche and make white the face, and there is neither spotte nor lyntell, or anye kinde of redde burgeons in the face of a man, the whiche, beinge washed with this water by the space of fiftene daies wil not go out, and weare away, leauinge the face and the skynne white, shininge and well sauouringe. This is a verie rare kinde of washinge, and meete for great ladies and princesses. You shall mi•e the first water whiche is [f. 31v] cleare, with Aqua vite of like quantitie, the whiche is called Mel balsami. Nowe hauinge putte and left all these thinges in a violle well stopped, the space of two dayes, set it to distill with a smal fier, then receyue and put the first water by it selfe, whiche will distill verye cleare, and odoriferous. When you see that the water beginneth to come forthe like raine water, chaunge your recipient, and receyue that same likewise by it selfe, vntill you see the thirde water come out, whiche will bee of sanguyne colour, the whiche you shall powre into a violle, and stoppe it well with waxe: keepe it diligentlye as a precious thinge: for it hath many notable and excellent vertues, of the whiche the best bee these that folowe. The first is, that if you laye a lytle of it vpon a freshe wounde, there neede no other medicine to cure it. The seconde is, it is good for al old woundes, against the Canker, the wormes, and against Nolime tangere, and all other diseases growinge, ye must weate the soore places with it euerie seconde or thirde daye once, and by thys meanes, in the space of fyftene or twentie daies, he or thei shalbe healed. The thirde is, that if anye manne haue a Carbuncle, or Saynct Antonies disease, called commonlye in Italye and in Fraunce, S. Antonies fier, or other pestilenciall syckenesse, and washe the place with the saied water, will it kil it within an houre. The fourth is, it is good against the paine of the eyes, so that the eye bee not out, or lost: if you putte a litle droppe of it into the eye in the morninge, and as muche at nighte, it will heale the paine in fiftene daies. And althoughe it bee somewhat prickyng, yet the griefe of it passeth soone away, so that it can not in any wise hurte the eyes. The fifte is, that if any man haue the stone in the raines of his backe, and in the bladder, & drinke three droppes or a dragme of it with a litle white wine, he shalbe delyuered therof in few daies. The sixte is, that it healeth the Emeraudes or Pyles, if they bee washed with it euerye daye once. The seuenth is, that it healeth all maner of disease [f. 32r] or pain of the Matrice & the colick, when a sponeful is dronke of it with the broth of a henne, or of cabbeges. The eyght is, that when a man batheth the shronken and endured synowes of the bodie, they stretche, and heale in fewe daies. The nynth is, that it healeth runnyng and watrie eyes, when a droppe is put into them in the morning. The tenth is, that it is verie good to heale all maner of skabbe, skurfe, and other like thinges, washing them with it often times. The eleuenth is, that if a man put a droppe of it into his eare at night or in the morninge, it taketh awaie all the griefe and wormes that engender in the eare. The twelfth is, that it healeth all venemous bitinge, when ye washe the venemous place with it, and is farre better for such an accident then the triacle is. The thirtenth is, that it killeth all wormes in mannes bodie, if a man rubbe his nosestrelles, or drinke a verie litle of it. And finallie, it is also verie good for venemous hurtes or woundes, and for all woundes incurable. It healeth the kinges euill, and the disease called the fallinge sickenesse, and all other infirmities in the exteriour partes of the bodie, and with this water maye a man washe hym selfe, or elles drinke it. It is also good for euerye colde sickenesse, and restoratiue for olde folkes, or those that are consumed and debilitate with hunger, sickenesse, or sorow of mind. It conserueth the radicall moysture, and naturall heate, it mainteyneth health, and keepeth a man in longe life, who so euer vseth it as it oughte to bee vsed.

Pilles of a Meruelous operation and vertu, agaynst the Sciatica, which we promised to speake of in the chapiter of the Sciatica.

TAke •illes Alephangines, of Hermodactil maioris and minoris, of eche of them a scrupule which is the thyrde part of a dragme .ij. graynes of salt Gemma, dissolue and styrre them with the iuyce of roses, and make of all this substaunce fyue pylles, and at the [f. 32v] begynninge, when the Sciatica is feruent and greate, you shall take of the sayde fyue pylles euery fower dayes: and when it begynneth to declyne and asswage, you shall take them onely the fyfte day, than, the syxt, the seuenth, and the eyght daye, vntyll all be done: and take them alwayes in the mornyng at the breake of the day, absteynynge at the least six or seuen howres from meat. Nowe, although that the sayde pylles be not for a man to kepe his chambre, and that they prouoke not to the stoole, yet ye muste not drynke anye whyte wyne, nor water, nor eate anye salte thynges, nor anye kynde of pulse corne, as beanes and peason, with such other like nor oynyons, garlyke, or suche lyke, yf the disease be inueterate, olde, or farre gonne.

☞A notable secrete to heale a madde man, be it that the madnes came vnto hym by a whyrlynge, or giddynesse of the heade or brayne, or otherwyse.

FYrste of all make hym fower Glysters, in fower morninges, one after another. Let the fyrste glyster be symple: that is to saye, made with water wherin ye haue boyled or sodden wheat bran, commun oyle, and salt. Let the seconde be of water sodden with malowes, mercurye, pellitory of the wal, and violet leaues, with oyle and salte. Let the thyrde be of water boyled with oyle, salte, sodden wyne, and honny. And let the fourth glyster be of the lyke decoction that the thyrde was, adding to it end•ue, buglasse, and the toppes of the braunches of Walwort. And after that this decoction is strayned, ye shal put to it an vnce of Cassia fistula, and halfe a quarter of an vnce of Metridate. Nowe, hauynge giuen him these fower glysters fowre sondry mornynges, you shal geue hym this medecyne. Polipodium of an Oke well stamped, a handefull or twayne, and wrynge oute the iuyce of it, and put it in a glasse the quantite of two fingers high, puttinge to it two vnces of hony roset, and a quarter of an vnce of Electuary roset, and as muche of [f. 33r] dyafenycon. All these thinges beynge wel incorporated together, geue them vnto the pacient to drynk at night when he goeth to bedde .ij. or .iij. houres after the sonne sette, and geue it hym luke warme: if in case he wil not take it, bynde hym, and holde hym parforce, make hym open his mouth, put some stycke between his teth, and than powre the medecine into his throte, as men do vnto horses. And when he hath taken all, if it be in Wynter, you shall make hym sytte so vpon his bedde half an howre, well couered rounde about, to thintent he take no colde after it: yf it be in Sommer, ye may let hym go aboute the house where he wyll, but se that he go not out. When the medecine hath done his operation, take this oynctment folowynge: that is to saye, a pound and a halfe of the iuyce of the rootes of Walwort, wherunto you shall adde as muche butter: boyle this together a good whyle, vntyll all the iuyce be almost consumed, than put to it oyle of Camomill, oyle roset, oyle of saynt Iohns wort, of eche of them an vnce. Incorporate well all these thynges on the fyre, and make therof an oynctment, wherwyth you shall annoynt the pacient frome the necke vnto the fete, armes and legges and all: but the oynctment must be hote, and he must be so well annoycted and rubbed that the oinctment may penetrate and perce thorowe. Contynue, doynge this the space of a moneth, annoyntynge hym euery euenyng and mornynge, or at the least once a daye. The thyrde or fourth day after you haue begon to annoynte hym, burne him with a hote yron vpon the seame or ioynynge together of the head, and at the first lay vpon the marke a linnen cloth with barrowes grease, leauynge it so the space of viij. or .x. dayes: and after wrappe a greate Cyche pease in yuy leaues, and put vpon the sayde yuy leaues a pece of the sole of a shoe made fyne and thynne, byndynge it vnder his throte with some bande, or beneth his heade, so that it may bide on, and chaunge it alwayes at night and in the mornynge. If in case he passe fowre monethes and receyue not health, or returne to his wytte, ye [f. 33v] muste begyn agayne to geue hym the same glysters he had before, and the same medecynes, annoyntyng hym as before: and withoute doubte (by the grace of God) he shalbe hole. He must eate at the begynninge chyckens, mutton, and rost veale: after, you maye gyue hym roste and sodde with pottage of Amylum, beetes, and mallowes, and also newe layde egges, puttynge spices in his meate, causynge hym sometyme to eate, (eyther in his pottage or otherwyse) betayne, sage, maioram, & mint, not sufferinge hym in any wyse to take salte, sharp, nor aygre thynges, pulse corne, Garlike, Onyons, nor such lyke, ye may geue hym white wyne with water: let him also cary euer about hym some good odours, and heare melodye or musicke: speake oftentymes soberlye and wyselye vnto hym, admonishinge hym to be wyse and sage, rebuke hym of his folye when he doth or speaketh any fonde thynges. And in suche cace the auctoritie of some fayer woman auayleth much to tell hym all these thynges, for good admonitions are of great vertue, and strength, for to stablyshe and settle a brayne troubled or dysquieted with any sycknesse or passion.

☞Pylles of master Mychael a Scot, the whiche heal the greife or payne of the heade, be it inueterate or recent, purge the brayne, claryfye the syghte, cause a man to haue a good memorye, good colour in face, and be also very good for many infyrmities.

TAke of Aloe washed .iij. scrupules, the rootes of wylde gourdes, of al sortes of Mirabolanes, of the confection made with Scammony, called Diagridion, Masti•, Bay berries, and Roses, of eche of them halfe a dragme, of Saffron a scruple, Myrrhe half a scruple: stampe all well together, and make thereof Pylles with the iuyce of Colewortes, and take three or foure of theim whan you goo to bedde, euery thyrde or fourth daye once.

[f. 34r]

☞Agaynst the payne of wemens breastes, a very excellent remedye.

TAke the yelkes of two newe layde egges, the weyght of two pence of newe Waxe, a lytle oyle roset, a lytle Nyll, called in latyn Tuti•, prepared and trymmed in Rose water, set all this on the fyre to melte in a cleane pan, and whan it is colde agayn, spred it vpon a lynnen cloth, and laye it to the sore breastes, but you muste haue fyrste washed the sayde sore places with whyte wyne, wherein hath ben sodden leaues of Roses, Plantayne leaues, and the leaues of an Olyue tree, both greene and drye, and after hauynge wyped and dryed it agayne, laye the playster to it, dressed and prepared as I haue sayde, and incontinent the sore shal he healed.

☞To ripe a felon, Cattes heere, botch, byle, or other apostumes or swellinges, whiche haue nede of quicke and sodayne ripinge.

TAke crommes of breade, Raysins dryed in an Ouen, or otherwyse, and than well stamped, Butter, Hogges suet, Leuen, cowe mylke, and a lytle Saffron. Make of all this an oyntmente and laye it vpon the sore, puttynge fyrst a lytle Saffron in poulder vpon the very place where you wyll haue it breake, and vpon that the playster, leauinge it so vntyll nyght, and chaunge it mornynge and euenyng, so shall you make it soone rype and breake, then dresse it with oyle roset, and yelkes of egges one whole daye, after that purge awaye the ordure and fylth with some drawynge oyntment. Fynally you shall laye to it the oyntment of Aloe and Tutia, or some consolidatiue or healyng oyntmentes.

☞To resolue a felon, Cattes beare, byle or botche, at the beginninge.

[Not in the TCP transcription, whose copy lacks these pages: f. 34v, f. 35r] [f. 35v] TAke the rootes of wilde or marshe Mallowes called of the Apoticaries Bismalua or Maluauiscus, mū dified and made cleane, and cut in smale pieces, well stamped in a morter of stone. Than take some great potte or caudron that holdeth sixe or seuen great violles filled with water, & boile in it these things folowinge: Lickerous, Isope, greene or drie Sage, Rosemary, Carduus benedictus, figges, drie Raisins, Amylum of Barley, or Barley flower, of eche of these thynges at youre discretion, and as muche of the one as of the other: and adde to it more, a handfull of Succorie, wyth hys rootes, lette all thys seeth in the sayde caudron or kettle, the space of an houre, or a houre and a halfe, and then lette it coole againe so that you maye well endure your hande in it. Than take oute all the said substaunces, and putte them in a cleane canuesse, and wring out all the substaunce into the saied water in the kettell: put in it also two or three pounde of the said rootes of Maluauiscus stamped, as before, then set it to boyle and seeth againe three howres or more: take it from the fier, and doe as you did at the first time: but if it had so muche sodden that all the rootes were broken and consumed, it shoulde not neede to haue strayned or wronge theim thorowe a canuesse. This doen, take the decoction of it, and set in a potte vpon the fier, with as muche Honnie, or litle lesse, leauing it to boile so faire and softlye, taking away the skomme that shall come of the Honnye. After it hath thus boyled a good space, adde to it an vnce, or as muche as you wyll of Sinamon, and a quarter of an vnce or more of Bengewine stamped, & a litle Muske: then take it immediatly from the fier, and couer it, to the entent it take no vent: specially, if you haue putte in the muske, whiche would elles vanishe awaye with the smoke, wherefore you maye putte in the Muske when the water is luke warme after it is taken of: So shall you haue an excellent conserue to vse and occupie all the winter, as well at night, as in the morning, and at all times when you [f. 36r] list, but you muste at euerye time you take warme it againe, and take thereof .ij. or .iij. sponefulles at a time. And if you wil haue it thicker, put to it pouder of suger, or Penides: & if you wil haue it clearer, ye must put to it a litle more of the firste decoction, whiche we haue spoken of. This secret is of suche excellencie, that if a man vse of it in the winter, as afore is saied, it is not possible for him to bee vexed or turmented with the cogh, rumes, murres, catarres, or anye other like disease.

A goodlye and pleasaunt secrete to beale the cogh, in rubbynge the soles of the feete: and is a thing verye easye, and certayne.

TAke two or three Garlike heades, well mundified and made cleane, stampe them well, than put to them hogges suet, and stampe them well a newe: and at nighte when you gooe to bedde, warme well the soles of youre feete, and annoynt them well with the saied confection, and then warme them again as hote as you maye endure, rubbing them well a pretie space: and being a bedde lette your feete bee bounde with some warme linnen clothe, and rubbe also the small of your legges with the saied oyntment, by thys meane you shall bee healed in three nightes were the cogh neuer so vehement. If you wyll at youre meales vse of the saied decoction in youre wine, or otherwise, you shall finde your selfe wel at ease in your stomacke, and head, and shall the better driue away your cogh, and all other euill dispositions of the bodie.

A verye goodly and easye remedie to heale in a daie or twaine, all maner of inueterate and olde woundes, wherein is growen dead and superfluous fleshe, and woundes that can not bee cured by anye other medycynes.

TAke three vnces of Turpentine (firste washed in commune water, and then in Rose or Plantaine water) and the yolke of an egge, an vnce [Not in the TCP transcription, whose copy lacks these pages: f. 36v, f. 37r] [f. 37v] a glasse full of the saied wine: but you must haue taken firste a Walnutte, a Figge, and twoo or three litle braunches of Rue. If you dooe this in the morninge, you shall bee assured for that daye.

An oyntment to make an apostume breake, and the soore of the plage to fall of.

TAke a quarte and a halfe of common oyle, and sette it on the fyre in some vessell, then putte to it foure vnces of Ceruse or white leade well stamped, litarge of siluer verie fine and thinne, three vnces, common Waxe, four vnces, and leaue it so long vpon the fyre, vntill you maye spreade it with youre finger vpon a marble stone. This doen, take it from the fier, and powre a litle vinagre vpon it, but you muste holde it farre of, to the intent it leape not in youre face: than make of this oyntment a plaister, as greate as all the soore, and make a hole in the middes of it as bigge as a peny: after this, make a litle plaister of some oyntment that mortifieth, of the bignes of y^• said hole: than make another plaister of the same bignes, the which you shal laie vpon the soore, so that the plaister with the mortifiyng oyntment bee betwene bothe, and leaue it vpon the soore the space of .xxiiij. houres, than chaunge onely the middle plaister, that is to saie: he that mortifieth, and put another in his place, the which you shal also let lie foure and twenty houres: and before that the plaister bee laied rounde aboute and stretched, annoynt the place verie thicke with freshe Hogges suet, or Hennes grease, to mollifie it, and so you shall make it harde in the middle, and rounde aboute you shall make a circle of tender fleshe, in suche sorte that the soore wyll breake oute and come forth. And the eyght and fourty houres once passed, after you haue taken of the plaister, lay vpon it another plaister made with freshe Hogges grease, and immediatlye will fal of from it a dead fleshe in maner [f. 38r] of a rounde pommell, and there will remayne a hole, the whiche you must heale with some oyntmente or elles with Diaculum magnum: & when the fleshe beginneth to growe, laye to it burned Alom, by the space of foure and twenty houres, and then the saied oyntment vpon it.

❀ Another remedy agaynst the plage.

TAke the toppe of Rue, a garlyke heade, or halfe a quarter of a Walnutte, and a corne of salte: eate this euery morninge, continuing so a moneth together, and be merry and iocunde. This receipt is also good agaynst wormes.

❀ Another very good remedy against the plage.

TAke Aqua vite, the water of wyld perceley, called in Greke Mellissophyllon, Melyphyllon, and Melinon, and in latin Apiastrum, and Plantayne water, of eche of them a pounde, and whan you will vse of it, whiche you ought to do daylye, you shall take as muche of thone as of thother, so that all together mount to the quantitie of two fingers hygh in a glasse, & than drinke it, so shall you be preserued and saulfe from the plague. This water is also good for fistules, and woundes, and is well tryed and experimented.

Another perfecte recept agaynst the plague.

TAke a violle, or some other glasse, and fyll it vnto the thyrde part full with fyne tryacle, and one thyrdendeale, or thyrde parte with Aqua vite, and the other thyrde part with the vryne of a yonge man childe that is a vyrgyne, and helthfull: myxe all well together, and giue the pacient drinke therof three morninges, that is to saye, euery morning a glassefull. This hath ben proued in Venyse, the yeare 1504.

¶Another agaynst the plague.

[f. 38v] AS sone as the person fealeth him selfe infected, let hym take the best Triacle he canne finde, and after hauinge swallowed downe a parte of it, let him take of the same the bygnesse of a Chestnut, and lay it vpon the sore that beginneth to rise, rubbinge it well rounde about with the said Triakle. Incontinent after this you muste take a Pygeon, and cut him in the middes quick, fethers and all, lay him to the sore warme as he is, and let him lie on it, vntill that parte of the Pigeon be waxen and become grene, and the Triacle redde: then take it of, and you shall see that out of the Pigeon will come a greene water, whiche is all the venim that was in it. Ye must afterward cure the place with this plaister folowinge. Take two partes of freshe Barrowe grease, and one parte of wormewood well stamped, and laye it vpon the sore.

☞A thing oftentimes proued and experimented against the plague.

TAke Mastic two vnces, Euphorbium an vnce, Spicknarde .v. vnces, beate this into poulder, and geue it the patient to drinke. If he be vnder .x. yeares of age, geue him a scrupule of it. If he be of yeares frome x. to .xx. halfe a dragme: but if he be aboue .xx. yeares olde, ye shall geue him a dragme, than take the herbe called in Greke Pentaphilon, in latine Quinquefolium, and in Englishe Cinkfoile, and wrappe it like a round apple in a piece of linnen cloth, layenge it so vnder whote imbers by the space of fowre Miserere, and after hauing taken it out againe, cut it in three pieces in the myddle, and laye it vpon the sore or griefe, which you shal cause to cease immediately.

❀ A preseruatiue agaynste the plague, oftentymes proued.

IN a daungerous time, take .iij. little braunches of Rue, a Walnutte and a figge: eate all this, and you [f. 39r] shall be safe.

Another.

TAke the dunge or excremente of a yonge boye betwene ten and .xij. yeares of age, and drie it, and after beat it into poulder: This done, put of it at the most two sponefulles in a glasse of white wine, and geue it the pacient to drinke at the leaste sixe houres after the greife taketh him, and the sooner the better. This hath ben founde true in many men.

❀ Another.

TAke the iuyce of a white Onyon, Hony, Vynaigre, the iuyce of Rue, and of Saint Iohns wort, of eche of them a like quantitie, mixe all together, and geue the patient to drinke thereof two thirdendeales of a glassefull, but let him haue it whote, and before the sixt houre after the paine shall haue taken him: This done make him sweate as much as he may in his bedde. This hath ben founde of great perfection, and experimented vpon diuers men.

❀ In a suspecte tyme of a plage.

TAke Pulliole or Peniroyall, in latin Pulegium, with Sugre roset, and make an electuary, the which you shall vse and eate, in a suspect time of a plague, at your breakefast, the quantitie or bygnes of a Chestnut, this haue men proued, and founde good.

☞Another well tried and proued agaynste the pestilence.

TAke Walnuttes when they be grene, tender, and good to make 〈◊〉 or preserues, put theim in Vynaigre 〈◊〉 of .viij. dayes, than take them oute againe 〈…〉 theim in pieces, puttynge theim so into a 〈…〉 Vinaigre, and stille the water of 〈…〉 you shall geue the patient drinke euer 〈…〉 a glassefull, and whan he hath dronke [f. 39v] it, let him sweate well in his bedde.

❀ A very perfyte secrete against the plague.

TAke an vnce of Aloe Epaticū, halfe an vnce of Myrrhe halfe an vnce of Saffron: beate into poulder and sifte the Aloe and the Myrrhe together, than beate the Saffron in poulder, stiepe, and soke it, or washe it with white wyne very stronge, so that it be like a sauce, than put the other poulders to it, and mixe well altogether, yf nede be you maye put more wine to it, so much that of all may be made as it were a lumpe, and so pilles. And if you wil make it very stronge, for euery vnce put to it halfe an vnce of Diagridrum, and halfe an vnce of Camphyre. Maister Frauncesse Albert toke three eight partes of the sayde Pilles, without Diagridium, sokynge and steepinge them in good wine, and gaue them to the patient as sone as he coulde: and so made him sweate muche in his bedde, for by sweatinge the venom dydde resolue.

❀Another very good secrete.

TAke the flowers or blossomes of Walnuttes, and drye them in the shadowe, and whan the Nuttes be in season to confict, you shall cut part of them into small pieces, the whiche you shall put in stronge Vynaigre by the space of three dayes: than take th•im oute, and mengle them with the sayde flowers, distilling them thorowe a Limbecke of glasse, or of earth leaded within: kepe this water diligentlye, and whan anye man feeleth him selfe taken or infected with the plage, geue him of it as sone as is possible two vnces and a halfe, or thre vnces, and you shall dryue awaye the disease by the course of the belly, or by vomitynge, or elles wyl make the sore or botch to come forth, the whiche you shal make rype and breake, as we haue afore declared.

[f. 40r]

☞To make a carbuncle, and al other botches, apostumes and plague soores to breake, a present remedye and very easy to make.

TAke Baye Salte well beaten into poulder and sifted, incorporate it with the yelke of •an Egge, and laye it vpon the carbuncle or sore, and be assured that (with the grace of God) it wil drawe to it self all the venim and poyson of the plague or soore, so that in shorte time he shall be cured: A remedye oftentymes proued.

❀ A very good remedy agaynst the markes of the plage, commonly called Goddes markes.

TAke freshe and greene Rhaponticum, which is the herbe and rote called the more and great Centorie: it is named of Pliny (as Ruellius writeth) Rhacoma, the rotes of the herbe called Sanguinaria Dactilon, of some Dens canis, of Dioscorides Coronopus, that is to saye, crowes fote. Some take it to be Dandelion. The rootes of Turmentylle, white Dictanium, of eche of these an vnce, stampe all well, and put it in a pot or vyole, with well, riuer, or cunduyte water, at your discretion, rather to muche then to litle, vntyll it passe halfe a handfull aboue the other thinges in the potte or more, then let it boyle with a lytle cleare and flaminge fire without smoke, vntil it be diminished of the third part, than straine it out softly, and it will be of the colour of wine, kepe it in some vessell of glasse, and whan necessitie requyreth, you may geue the patient a glassefull of it in the morninge, and as muche at night, two houres before supper, and it, must be very hote: than couer him well in his bedde, and make hym sweate. Whan the markes come forth, he shall become like a lazar or leper and shall be shortly cured.

❀Agaynst the mortalitie of the pestilence, a verye perfyt remedie.

[f. 40v] TAke Gentian, Seduaria, rootes of Turmentille, of eche of them two vnces, redde Sandale, whit and recent Dictanium hartes horne burned, white pearles, Bole armenick, rounde Aristolochia, of eche of theim an vnce, Campher halfe an vnce, white Sugre two vnces, of all these thinges well beaten to poulder, you shal take at euery time a dragme, with thre vnces of endiue water, or sorell water, myre the water and the poulder with the bignesse of a Walnutte of fine Triacle. You must ministre this medicine before the sicknesse hathe continued with the person twelue houres, for it is than surer. If in case after the twelue houres it worke not so well as you woulde haue it, yet muste you haue a good hope. And if the patient be yet in the age of infancy, you shall geue him halfe a dragme of it, with an vnce and a halfe of one of the sayd waters, and with a like quantitie of Triacle. The sayde drinke is not soluble or laxatiue, nor causeth no greif to him, but onelye killeth the poyson. If any man had dronken or eaten anye poison, this is a verye good medecine for him: it is also good agaynst a hote feuer or ague. Note also that (if it be possible) the patient muste be let bloude before he take the sayde medecine: if not, let it be done afterwarde, that is to say, on the same syde that he fealeth the greif.

☞To make litle rounde apples or balles agaynst the plage.

TAke Laudanum halfe an vnce, Storax calamita an vnce, Olambre diamusci, of eche of theym halfe a dragme, Campher two graynes, Cloues fiftene graines, Nutmegges, Mace, of eche of them halfe an eyghte parte, damaskine Rose a scrupule, Synamom halfe a dragme, Spicknarde fiftene graynes, Muske, C•uet, of eche of them eyghte graynes, fine Uiolettes halfe a dragme, lignum Aloes foure graines, Calami aromaetici the bignesse of a Beane, fine Amber foure graines, Myrre the bignesse of a Beane. Stampe firste the Laudenum with a hote pestell, than stampe well the Storax calaminta, [f. 41r] and all the other thinges eche one by it selfe: and than mixe all together, and stampe it still with a hote pestell, addinge to it at euerye time Storax liquida, and Rose water, vntill all the saied thinges bee well incorporated: and than make youre rounde apples or balles.

An oyntment to kill the plage.

TAke Sope makers water, and boyle it vntill it waxe or become as it were an oyntment, than take of the woode of Willowe, or Beeche, and burne it: after, quenche the coles in vinagre, and drie them in the shadowe, in suche sorte that a man maye stampe and sift them. Take also quicke lime at youre discretion, and mingle it with the saied Sope water: then take the same pouder vntill you haue ynough, and halfe an vnce of freshe and sweete Hogges grease or seyme: mixe all together, after this dooen, take of lytle greene wormes shininge with a glosse like golde, bred in the toppe of Asshes or Oliues, called in Latyne Cantharidae or Cantharides halfe a dragme, beate theym into pouder and mixe theym together, with the rest, making an oyntment somewhat harde: leaue it so in some vessell well closed and stopped, and if there arise anye oyle vpon it, take it of fayre and softlye.

A verie perfite oyle against the plage and all poyson.

TAke oyle of the eldest you can finde, and boyle it the space of an houre, & for euery poūd of the said oyle, put in .l. scorpiōs, or as many as you can get, put all this in a pot vncouered, the which pot you shall set in a kettle or caudron of boylinge water, vntill the thirde part of the oyle or somewhat lesse bee consumed. Than take oute the Scorpions, and powre the oyle thorowe a canuesse into another potte, or violle well stopped, whiche you shall sette in the Sunne the space of two or three monethes: if it bee not in Sommer, set it vpon hete asshes, by the space of three or foure dayes. [Not in the TCP transcription, whose copy lacks these pages: f. 41v, f. 42r] [f. 42v] sit vppon the botche or soore, or the place of the plage, and holde her so a good while. Then you shall see that the saied Henne will haue drawen all (or at the least some) the poyson and infection, and that shortlye after she will die. It shall be good to dooe this with twoo or three or moe Hennes, immediatlye one after another, the whiche will drawe all the venom oute of the soore. This doen, annoynt the place with good Triacle, and let not in the meane time to vse other remedies by the mouth, whereof we haue spoken here before, that is to saye, the Yuy or Baye berryes, or some other remedie, that you finde must redie. If the soore bee so harde that it will not breake, you maye vse the foresaied remedies to make it breake, to the intent that all the venom may comme out, and voyde from the heart.

☞An aduertisement and warnynge of greate importauuce, to preserue a mannes selfe in tyme of pestylence.

BEcause the euyll humours that be in mannes bodye, do easelye receiue the corruption & infection of the ayer, it is good to kepe the stomacke, and the head cleane purged, not to ouerlade it with eatinge and drinkinge, but to absteine frō grosse meates, to purge him selfe as ofte as is possible, with some gentill and familier purgation, as Cassia, pilles, as the pilles of Masticke, of Aloe, or of other suche like thinges, and aboue all, to vse often of the leese of wyne, called Tartre, whiche you must beate well in poulder, and stiepe it with hote water, & than straine it or dreane it fayer and softely out: Afterwarde drie it thorowly, as men do white salt, than kepe the same poulder, and put thre vnces of it with a pounde of sugre roset, and in the morninge take a good sponefull thereof vntill there be an vnce or more, and do this from day to daye, for it will kepe your body cleane, and purged: and he that can not do it with Sugre roset, let him take the leese stamped, [f. 43r] and stiepe or wasshe it in the broth of fleshe or of colewortes, sturringe it vntill al be leused and vndone that may be leused, then let it stand a while, and after powre softely the broth into a dishe, cast awaye the substances that go to the bottome, and drinke the broath: do this euery daye at the houres of your meales, or at the least euerie seconde daye, or whan you shall thinke good. It shalbe good also to eate in youre pottage, thinges that purge the bloude, as Buglasse, Borrage, Succorie, Let tyse, and suche lyke: and aboue all not to kepe your stomack ouer charged, nor to emptie: and in the morninge betime, to take some of the foresaied preseruatiues, as the poulder that was experimented in England (as we haue recited) or suche other like. Than .ii .or. iii. houres before dyner to take some of the sayde other preseruatiues, as the Rue with a figge, and with the Walnutte, whiche is a thinge very good, or some of the sayd confections, or a piece of the pille of a Cytron conficte, or a sponefull of the iuyce of Citrons dressed as we wyll declare hereafter, and to vse of it at meales in maner of a saulce, and after meales to vse of the seede of Citrons confict in Sugre, as they make the Coriander, and Almondes, whiche is a thinge verye good agaynst all maner of venim and poysen. And lykewise at your meales to eate the white and the inne side of a Cytron with a litle sugre if you wyll, and to eate it with flesh, or bread (as men eate lemons) in the morninge, at none, and at night when you go to bedde. It shuld be also very good to bath and washe youre handes, youre temples, youre poulses, and poure nose with Vinaygre roset, or with other, wherevnto you muste put a lytle Campher, rose water, Lignum Aloes, Xilobalsamum, if you can gette it, if not, a lytle Sinamom in steede of it. It is good alwaies to kepe suche maner of Vinaigre beside you in some viole, for to vse of it whan time shall require: for it is a very good preseruatiue: and if you can not haue the Vinaygre compounde, as is sayde, vse Vynaygre of common wyne. Also it shall be good to cary about you some [f. 43v] parfume, or good odour, either in your gloues, shurte, handkercher, cappe, bearde, or to hange it aboute your necke, or otherwise. Your house oughte to be kepte as cleane and as nete as is possible, not sauoringe of pysse nor other ordure, ye ought to kepe it shut, washinge often the gutters and priuies. Ye muste also kepe as fewe foule and stincking clothes in your house as is possible. Riche men ought oftentimes to parfume theyr houses with some notable parfume, wherof we will put in the booke folowing a good nombre. Poore men may make prouision of leaues, and of the woode of a Baye tree, of Rose mary, Ienepar, Cypres, and to vse it as often as they may, burninge it in the myddes of theyr chamber, or house, and principally at night and in the morninge. Likewise of Orenge and lemmon pilles, or other swete smellinge thinges. Storax calamita, and Labdanum, be good chepe and are very good for this purpose. As concerninge the disposition of courage and minde, ye must consider that sorowe, sadnesse, or melancolie, corrupte the bloude and other humours, weaken the hearte, and depraue & hurte nature, therefore ought a man to auoide them as much as is possible. Also if a man be to merrye oriocunde, it dilateth, and enlargeth the pores and passages of the seede of man, and the harte, so that he is the more enclined to receiue the euyll ayer, and venim, whiche are thinges▪ that penetrate and pearce sore. Also a man must beware of drinkinge to muche wine, for it maketh merry and chereth a man out of measure. Now because that in time of a pestilence euery man is afraid, so that he thinketh that a man can not ketch the disease, in being to merry (onles it be so that he be dronke, as is sayd) but contrarye in beinge to sadde or sorowfull: for sorow & sadnesse come of them selues, not sought after: Therfore it is good to vse temperance, and moderatiō, walkinge and recreating him selfe honestly, not vsing to muche carnall companie or copulation. And aboue all, a man muste haue alwayes a sure hope and confidence in God, euer to hee readye and disposed to dye, [f. 44r] when it shall please him to call vs, not estemynge so muche this mundaine life, or fearinge so muche death, whiche is none other thinge than an issue or departinge oute of this life full of calamities, and an entring into an eternal life replenished with all ioye, solace, and pleasure.

☞To dresse and order the Iuyce of Cytrons, for to vse of it as is afore sayde.

TAke the Iuyce of Citrons as muche as you wyl, and put it in a panne leaded within in, than adde to it twoo vnces of skimmed Honnye for euerye pounde of the saied Iuyce, a lytle Sugre after your discretion, a litle Synamom in poulder. Let thys boyle a verie litle while together, and than keepe it and take of it before youre meale, and at youre meales, in steede of sauce, whiche is a verye good remedie, as well for to preserue a man agaynst the infection of the ayre, as to driue it awaye after he isfected with it. It is also a very good medicine for to take as soone as a man doubteth to haue receyued some poyson into his bodie.

¶The ende of the fyrste booke.