Wellcome Collection: The Regiment of Healthe (MS674)

and feeble and then it behoved him to spare and gather least he want when he comethe to stoopinge age and his [pte] of mans life conty [nuethe] to [Lve ] yeares, after which yeare he still declyning, comes to stoopeinge and docrepite old age, which may swell be compiared to the winter season cold and mayst by reason of abundance of humors that [...] cold and thorought desert of naturall heate at which tyme man spewethethese goode which he gott in his youthe and that he hathe spared and Layed vpp nothing agaynst that tyme then he remaynethe poore and maled as the earthe and trees doe in the tyme of winter and this tyme of mans age endure the vntill [lebelpy] or more in such men as have by nature stronge constitutions By this which hath bene sayd may be knownt that he Spring or pryme tyme is hott and muyst, of he nature of the ayre, and of sanguine complexion, which is freshe blod which ingendrethe in the liver [.] longes lieke the ayre , and reignethe in May, September & Jannuarie when the mane is in Gemmeni, Libre & Aquarius which signes be orientall [Aeso] Sommer is hott and drye of the nature of ffyre and of colericke complexion, masculyne, & raiguethe in Marche July and November when the Moone is in Aries Leo and Sagitarius which signes be orientall, [Syervest] is cold and drye of the nature of earthe, and is of melancholie complexion and feminine kynd & raignethe in Aprill August and December when the moone is in Taurus Virge & Caprcorne, which signes are [Merioiall] [..ne] winter is cold and moyst of the nature of water and of [ffleg] matipe complexion, and raignethe in June, Ootober & ffebruarie when the moone is in Cancer Scorpio & Piseis which signes be Septentrionall signes of the northe Of these fower complexions everie man is made, composod

{&}

and man hath alsoe fowre prime qualities in him to wett moysture and drynes which are contrarie, heate and cold, which are alsoe contrarie and cannot stand togither without a meanes for moystnes bynedthe on the one fire and drynes on the other. moysrnes is cause of werie him substtante and drynes is the cause of werie thick substante moystnes is the cause of werie sweete tast and drynes of powder faste and unsavorie. [.ottnes] is cuase of redd coler and large quantitie and on the contrarie whitnes is caused by coldnes and smale quantitie & Low these fewer pryme quantities combyne and knitt togither tooe yeald fewer kyndes of elements [wiz..]. The Ayre which is Hott and moyst The ffyer which is hott and drye The Earthe cold and drye, The water cold and moyste. The Ayre and the Earthe are two contraries and cannot ioynt togither, but that the fyre byndethe them in on one side and the water on the other, And liekwise the fyer and matter are two contraries that cannot wyne togither but as the Ayre byndethe them in one side[...] and the Earthe on the other side. And soe the fowre Elements are combyned togither. The Ayre and the fyre are swift subtile, sharpe, comfortable and moveable, the water and the earthe be corpulent and dull. Thw water is moutable The Earthe is vnmoutable. And like as an Egg shell covereth the thinn skin, and the skin coverethe the white and the whitethe yolke and in the midest of the yolke is a little round hole, even soe the fyer over goethe the ayre ten times more then the ayre over goeth the Earthe [.n] the hart of the earthe is the Center of the world that is to saye the middle poynte and in that myddle poynt of the Center is a hole and [eirstlie] about that in the ffirmament is ffyer of the starres, and above that is the christ all heaven and waters of all Blisse devided amongst the nyne ordres of Angelle. Then is Seaven in the hiest [p..te] of all, and is most bright, and hathe most rome for it compassth about all the Elements.

And as ther are fowre Elementes soe ther are fower complexions accordinge and agreeing in all manner of qualities to the said Elements [.ou.] sanguine, colerique, malencolique, flegmatique

The sanguine man hath his nature of the ayre and is hott and moyst and hathe freshe blood growinge in his liver and he is of statare large loving, ientill, hardie, pleasinge, seemelie redd of colure,abundant in nature and may performe the workes of nature plenteouslie.

The colerique man hathe his nature of the fyer, that is hott and drye for coler ingendrethe in the gall, and naturally he is leane slender covetus, irefull, hastie, backbitinge, brawling deceytfull, subtill of venus but little he is able to performe.

The ffilgmatique man hath his nature of the water which is cold & moyst and fleame engendrethe in the lunges, and he is naturally disposed to be heavie, loathefull, lumberinge, sleepenige & ever spittinge, dull and hard to conceyve pale visaged and hathe little desire to[ venerie], but it able to performe muche.

The Melancholie man hath his nature of the earthe which is cold and drye and he is disposed to be lumpi he and heavie. malencholie ingendrethe in the [my.te] lieke to the drigge of blood. he is by nature covetous, malitious, envious, dreadfull froward & fastholding he is of claye color. And he delightge not soe little in fashlye lusts but as little he may performe he is soe drye and cold.

I ster the deluge and greate vniversall fflood of water which drowned all the world save noe and his sonnes which by the devine providence and power of God were preserved in the arke which he had made. [.oe] seatinge him sees vppon the lame planted vynes for his comfort which would in noe wise bare any frute vntill he had taken the blood of ffowre beastes and powred it at the rootes of the vynes which made them to bear plenteouslye: and that was with the blood of an Ape, of a lyon of a cheepe, and of a snyne, and vnto this daye the operation of the myndaccorddethe to the nature of these beastes, in men of severall naturue

{The}

The sanguine man in takinge of his wyne resemblethe the Ape for the more he drinckethe the merryer he is amongst companie and he delightethe to weare highe colored clothe.

The Colericke man in takeinge his wyne resemblethe the Lyon for when he is droncke then will he reddilie fight brawle and chyde and he lovethe to weare black cloathe russett and graye.

The Flegmatique man takes his wyne of the sheepe for when he hathe druncke hard then he thinkes him self the wisest in all the companie and he loves to weare greene coler.

The Melancholie man in takeinge his wyne is swinishe for when he is well whittled then he desirethe to sleepe, and he delightes in black colers in his garments.

A Question with the answere thervnto. viz.

Whether a man shall contynue all his lyfe in the same complexion wherin he is borne or noe. Or whether a mans complexion may be altered by misfortunes & sicknes &tc.

For the disssoluinge of his Question it is to be vnderstood that a man hathe two complexions a Naturall and an accidentall. {1}The Naturall never changethe from the tyme of a mans byrthe vntill he dye. and his complexion comethe of humors that be in a man, that is to saye, of his bones, senewes and of his other members. {2}The Accidentall complexion may be changed for it comethe of the fower humors before specyfied & they may be changed in two manners, Eyther naturallye or vnnaturallye. {1}Complexion may change naturallie fowre tymes in a mans lyfe for when he is borne he is of sanguine complexion hott and moyst, of the nature of the Ayre, and disposition of [ver.] the springe or pryme tyme, which is in februarie Marche & Aprill the first quarter of the yeare. In which complexion he endurethe vntill he xxv. yeares old without alteration.

{The}

The second tyme complexion alterthe is when a man entrethe into the colericke complexion which is hott and drye of the nature of ffyre and of the disposition of the sommer which is May June & July which is the second quarter of the yeare and endurethe vntill a man be xl years old be sure he change his complexion.

The third tyme compexionalterethe is when a man entrethe into melancholie that is cold and drye of the nature of Earthe and disousition of Harvest [ v..] August September & October the third Quarter of the yeare and his endurethe vntill a man be of the age of Lvi before he change complexion.

The ffowerthe tyme that complexion do the alter in a man is when he entrethe in to the flegmatique complexion which is a constitution cold and moyst of the nature of water and dispostion of Winter. which is November, December & Jannuary which is the ffowrethe and last quarter of the yeare, and contymethe all the reside of a mans lyfe. And thus these Accidenfull complexions doe change naturallie without fallinge into sicknesses.

{2 } A mans complexion may vnnaturallie be changed and then it causethe him to fall into a fevor or other sickness. And it may be changed dwerse and sondrye wayes. As in changing of dyett in meate and drinke. or in changinge the place wher in a man hathe bene brought upp. alsoe in takinge meate or drinke eyther to much or to little, eyther in muche sleepe, or watchinge, studdie, Travell, rest, sorrowe, ioye, anger, heate, cold, Thirst, Cronkennes, any of all these may alter and change a mans complexion, for he [epcesse] or super fliutie of any thinge maybe hurtfull and contagious vnto man Wherfore moderation is one of the best preservitves that can be for the heal the of mas bodie.

That meates and drinckes will change the complexion of a mans bodie into such nature and qualitie as they be of themselves is most evident: ffor hott meates and hott drinkes drawe a man from a cold constitution to a hott, and on the contrarie cold meates and drinke bringe a man from a hott temper to a cold, soe liekewise moyst meates drouve a man from a drye, and drye meates from a

{moyst}