Part 56 (1/2)
[Sidenotes to Footnote: [a] Of Frication [b] and combing the head.]]
[Footnote 4: Drunkards, bench-wislers, that will quaffe untill thei are starcke staring madde like Marche Hares: Fleming-like Sinckars; brainlesse like infernall Furies. Drinkyng, braulyng, tossyng of the pitcher, staryng, p.i.s.syng[*], and sauyng your reuerence, beastly spuyng vntill midnight. Therefore let men take hede of dronke{n}nes to bedward, for feare of sodain death: although the Flemishe[] nacion vse this horrible custome in their vnnaturall watching all the night. _Bullein_, fol. lxix-lxx, see also fol. xj.]
[Footnote 4*: Compare A. Borde of the ”base Doche man,” in his _Introduction_.]
[Footnote 4: I am a Flemyng, what for all that Although I wyll be dronken other whyles as a rat.
A. Borde, _Introduction_.]
William Vaughan's
Fifteen Directions to preserve Health.
(From his _Naturall & Artificial Directions for health_, 1602, p. 57-63.)
Declare vnto mee a dayly dyet, whereby I may liue in health, and not trouble my selfe in Physicke.
(1) I will: first of all in the morning when you are about to rise vp, stretch your self strongly: for thereby the animall heate is somewhat forced into the outward partes, the memorie is quickned, and the bodie strengthened.
(2) Secondarily, rub and chafe your body with the palmes of your hands, or with a course linnen cloth; the breast, back, and belly, gently: but the armes, thighes, and legges roughly, till they seem ruddy and warme.
(3) Euacuate your selfe.
(4) Put on your apparell: which in the summer time must be for the most part silke, or buffe, made of buckes skinne, for it resisteth venime and contagious ayres: in winter your vpper garment must be of cotton or friezeadow.
(5) When you have apparelled your selfe hansomely, combe your head softly and easily with an Iuorie combe: for nothing recreateth the memorie more.
[Sidenotes: 1. Stretch yourself. 2. Rub yourself. 3. Go to stool. 4. Put on your clothes. 5. Comb your head.]
(6) Picke and rub your teeth: and because I would not haue you to bestow much cost in making dentrifices for them; [a] I will aduertise you by foure rules of importance how to keepe your teeth white and vncorruyt (_sic_), and also to haue a sweete breath. First, wash well your mouth when you haue eaten your meat: secondly, sleepe with your mouth somewhat open. Thirdly, spit out in the morning that which is gathered together that night in the throate: then take a linnen cloth, and rub your teeth well within and without, to take away the fumositie of the meat and the yellownesse of the teeth. For it is that which putrifieth them and infecteth the breath. But least peraduenture your teeth become loose and filthy, I will shew you [b] a water farre better then pouders, which shall fasten them, scoure the month, make sound the gums, and cause the flesh to growe againe, if it were fallen away. Take halfe a gla.s.se-full of vineger, and as much of the water of the mastick tree (if it may easily be gotten) of rosemarie, myrrhe, mastick, bole Armoniake, Dragons herbe, roche allome, of each of them an ounce; of fine cinnamon halfe an ounce, and of fountaine water three gla.s.sefulles; mingle all well together and let it boile with a small fire, adding to it halfe a pound of honie, and taking away the sc.u.mme of it; then put in a little bengwine, and when it hath sodden a quarter of an houre, take it from the fire, and keepe it in a cleane bottle, and wash your teeth therewithall as well before meate as after; if you hould some of it in your mouth a little while, it doth much good to the head, and sweetneth the breath. I take this water to be [c] better worth then a thousand of their dentifrices.
[Sidenotes: 6. Clean your teeth.
[a] (How to keep the teeth sound and the breath sweet. [b] Use Vaughan's Water made after this recipe. [c] It's better than 1000 Dentrifices.)]
(7) Wash your face, eyes, eares and hands, with fountaine water. I have knowne diuers students which vsed to bathe their eyes onely in well water twise a day, whereby they preserued their eyesight free from all pa.s.sions and bloudsheds, and sharpened their memories maruaylously. You may sometimes bathe your eyes in rosewater, fennell water, or eyebright water, if you please; but I know for certaintie, that you neede them not as long as you vse good fountaine water. Moreouer, least you by old age or some other meanes doe waxe dimme of sight, I will declare vnto you, [a] the best and safest remedie which I knowe, and this it is: Take of the distilled waters of verueine, bettonie, and fennell one ounce and a halfe, then take one ounce of white wine, one drachme of Tutia (if you may easilie come by it) two drachmes of sugarcandy, one drachme of Aloes Epatick, two drachmes of womans milke, and one scruple of Camphire: beat those into pouder, which are to be beaten, and infuse them together for foure and twenty houres s.p.a.ce, and then straine them, and so vse it when you list.
[Sidenotes: 7. Wash. [a] The best remedy for dim sight.]
(8) When you haue finished these, say your morning prayers, and desire G.o.d to blesse you, to preserue you from all daungers, and to direct you in all your actions. For the feare of G.o.d (as it is written) is the beginning of wisedome: and without his protection whatsoeuer you take in hand, shall fall to ruine. Therefore see that you be mindfull of him, and remember that to that intent you were borne, to weet, to set foorth his glorie and most holy name.
(9) Goe about your businesse circ.u.mspectly, and endeauour to banish all cares and cogitations, which are the onely baits of wickednesse. [a]
Defraud no man of his right: for what measure you giue vnto your neighbour, that measure shall you receiue. And finally, imprint this saying deepely in your mind: A man is but a steward of his owne goods; wherof G.o.d one day will demaund an account.
[Sidenotes: 8. Say your Prayers. 9. Set to work. [a] Be honest.]
(10) Eate three meales a day vntill you come to the age of fourtie yeares: as, your breakefast, dinner, and supper; yet, that betweene breakefast and dinner there be the s.p.a.ce of foure houres, and betwixt dinner and supper seauen houres: the breakfast must be lesse then dinner, and the dinner somewhat lesse then supper.