OF all pleasures & pastymes my thynke there is none like vnto good chere , The epicure desireth too liue al together in belly chere . wh●t should man do but passe a waye the tyme with ●ood felowes and make mery , seynge ●e haue but a tyme to liue , cast away ●re , wherfore is meate and bellies or●eined but the one to serue the other ▪ ●e fleshe that we dayly increase is our ●wn . Abstinence & fasting , is a mighty ●●emy and nothing pleasaunt to me , ●d be vsed of very fewe that loue thē●lues , but only of beggers , and coue●us sparers , whiche dooe spare muche ●d spende litle .

Knowe well youre goodly expence of tyme , I wys it is no ●eruayle , althoughe you make ●ur belly your God : and boste of 〈◊〉 You se that al lusty reuilers , & ●ntinuall banket makers , come to great estimacion , as example to Varius Haelyogabalus , which was daily fedde with many hundreth fisshes and foules , and was accompanied with manye brothels , baudes , harlottes , and glottons , and thus it doth apeare by your abhorring vertue , that of ryght you might haue cleamed a great office in Haeliogabalus court , Heliogabalus court ●it for belly gods . if you had been in those daies , but you haue an infinite number of your conuersacion in these daies , the more pitty .

What good sir , I require not you● counsell , I pray you be your own● caruer , and geue me leaue to serue my fantasy . I wyll not charge you , you ar● very auncient and graue , and I ar● but yonge , we be no matchis .

GOod counsell is a treasure 〈◊〉 wyse men , but a very trifle to● foole , if thou haddest sene those thinges whiche I haue seene , I know , thou wouldest not be such a man , nor thus spend thy tyme .

What haste thou sene , that I haue not seen ?

I Haue seene many notable and greuous plages , whiche haue fallen vpon greddy gluttons , as ●asting their substaunce , The iust rewarde of belly gods . disfor●ing their bodies , shorting their ●leasaūt daies , and in this point ●o conclude with thee , where as ●lotony remaineth , from thence 〈◊〉 moderate diat banyshed : and ●ose bellies that folowe the lust ●f the eyes ( in meates ) in youthe , ●all lacke the health of all their ●odies , in age if they liue so long .

My thinke thou canste geue good counsell , thou semest to be seen in ph●●sicke . I praye thee is it so great hurt 〈◊〉 delight in plenty of bankettes ?

SIr , The frutes of inordinate banquets . if it will please you to be somewhat attentiue , I wyl te● you . It is the very grayne whero● commith stinking vomettes , saue faces , dropsies , vertigo , palseis obstructions , blindnes , flixes , applexis , caters and rewmes . &c.

IS it trewe that you haue sayde to mee ?

WOulde to God dayly ex●perience did not trie i● I dooe perfectly knowe it . An● once thou shalt be a witnes ther● of , if thou come to age .

THen I beseche thee gentle fren● Humfrey , declare to me , why the● is suche diuision among phisicions ?

●Ome dooe report that men of great estimacion , Anobie●tion against phisicke . say : what nedeth phisicke , ●is but an inuention only for money , ●e see ( say they ) who liueth so wel , as ●ey whiche neuer knew phisicke , and ●euill as these pothicary men ?

Why is phiscke of suche great authoritie ? or hath it ben in estimation among olde fathers ? May that be proued of thy parte ?

Yes that I can .

PHisicke hath ben in so hye an estimacion , that the gentilles did all consent , it came from the immortall goddes . Moises . The Hebrues did well knowe it , as Moises in the moste auncient boke , called Genesis primo , doth discribe the worke of the almighty God : Adam . of herbes , fruites , and plantes , that Adam might teache the vertues of them to his children . Iesus Sirack . cap. xxxviii . Iesus Sirack which was endued with the spirit of god , haue lefte a laude behinde him greatlie commendinge Physick amongest the diuines of the Hebrues . Diodoro . Test . Ouid. Metamor Mercuri amongst the Egiptians , Ouide doeth greately commende Apollo , the inuenter of herbes , when they were almoste oute of ●emory , he reuiued their vertes , and taught their nature to ●hers that folowed him . After ●at came in Aesculapius , whiche ●d many moste excellent cures . ●nd chiron , Chiron centaurus . the instructer of Achil whose name can neuer die as ●●ge as the herbe centauri , gro●eth vpon the earth , whiche is ●led after his name . Podalirius Podalirius & ●echaon , Machaon . were twoo brethren in 〈◊〉 time of the battell of Troy , ●●iche were excellent phisicions , ●●d be greatly commended of Ho●●re , who was more excellent than ●●ppocrates , Hippocrates . in the Ile of Coose : ●ose workes will neuer die , for brought in phisicke , and dige●● it into faire bokes , for mans ●at health . Gallenus . Then came Gallene , 〈◊〉 vnknowen to all wyse and ●●ned phisicions . I coulde reherse many moo , but this sha● suffise to proue phisicke to bee 〈◊〉 greate authoritie amonge old● fathers .

I Pray thee frende Humfrey , what phisicke : I would bee glad to learn some of thy knowledge , for thou hast good order in talking , & seme to be g●ded of authoritie . Therfore I am so that I haue contended with thee : I pr● that be not angry , with my former tal●

HIppocrates in his booke of wi●des or blastes , Hippocrates in lib. defla . saith that phisic● or medecine , is but a putting the body whiche it lacketh , or 〈◊〉 king from the bodie thinges 〈◊〉 perfluous . A diffinition of physicke . And althoughe o● life be shorte , yet the arte of 〈◊〉 sicke is long , because great n● bres of thinges be in it , and 〈◊〉 quireth muche study , labour a● ●actise , Hippocrates in primo and first of all , it requi●th much contemplacion or know ●dge , in studying good bookes , ●hich is called Theoricha . Aphoris . Second● the very effect of contempla●on or study , Theoricha . is practica or actiua , whiche is doing of the thinges , at learninge haue taughte as ●pairing , amending , or preser●ing , the bodies of men , women and children . &c.

It semeth to be a goodly science .

HErodotus saieth : Herodotus they greately erre that call it a science , for is an excellent art in doing of no●●ble things . And science is but 〈◊〉 knowe thinges . There is also this excellent art sundry sectes 〈◊〉 phisicions , Emperici some be called Em●●rici , who suppose that onely ex●●rience doeth suffise , and so by vse and experience dooe take i● hande to heale diseases , not knowing the cause of the said diseas● or sickenes . Philinus Philinus was one 〈◊〉 that secte at the first beginning Then folowed Serapion , serapion . & after that the Apolonis . Apolonii . And then cam● Glaucius Menadotus Sextus . &c. Another kinde of phisicions , be called Methodici , Methodici . whiche neither obserue tyme , place , age , state , no● condicion : & thinke theim thinges of small profite , but onely the● respecte is to their disease : the● loue not longe study in phisicke and are greatly deceyued , because they would builde withou● foundacion : and haue the frute● before thei haue planted the trees These mennes cures be but b● chaunce medly . One Sirus bega● this , Asclepiades . whiche receyued certayn rules of Asclepiades . The chief ●este secte of Phisitions called Dogmatici . Dogmatici . These be the wyse mē●hiche sette not the carte before ●e horse , nor the rootes of the ●ees vpwarde . They dooe pru●ently consider the chaunge of ●ans nature , the dwellyng place , ●e alteration of the ayre , the time 〈◊〉 the yeare , the custome of peo●●e , the maners of diseases , the ●shion of mens diete . And this ●ey will prous by trewe argu●entes and reasons , and will be ●ry careful for their patientes . ●he disciples of those men , be the ●st scollers , therfore I counsell ●ee Ihon to loue wel Hippocrates ●e prince of Phisicions , Hippocrates . whiche ●gan the best maner to geue ru●s to all the louers of phisicke . ●f this writeth Gallen , much lau●●g Hippocrates & his followers , ●d in these daies Leonhardus Futchius , Matheolus . &c.

SEinge thou hast spooken of sondrie partes of Phisicions , I praye thee what partes be there of phisicke ?

TRuly there be fyue thinges to be noted in phisicke , Gallen de elemen . de temp. de facul . as . v. principall partes , as Gallen saith : in lib. de Elementis . The first is to consider the nature of mans bodie . Phisicke deuided into fyue partes . The seconde is , to kepe the bodie in health , and to defende it from sickenes and infirmities . The thirde is , to knowe all the causes , rules , and sedes , wherof the sicknes doth growe . The .iiii is Crises or iudgement of the disease of thinges present , past & to come . The fifth is the beste and moste excellent , for it sheweth the maner of healing , dietinge , fasshion , order , & waye to helpe the sicke bodie , & preserue the same , as longe as man doth remayne in the state of lyfe .

THou hast spoken of the partes of phisicke , what is the forme maner or distribucion thereof ?

IT is distributed in thre formes one is natural , Gal. lib. 3. de temp. cap. 4. another vnnatural , the .iii. against nature . The first is , by those things wherof the bodie is compact , constituted or made , as Gallen saith : in his .iii. boke of his Tempramentis . Cap. 4. The second is called not natural , as meates or thinges to preserue the bodie in health , they be not called vnnaturall , because they be againste the body , but because the rasshe ●akynge , or glotonus vsinge of ●hem , may bryng many thinges ●o the vtter destruction of the bodie . The thirde , bee thinges against nature , whiche doeth corrupt the bodie or poisone nature , wherof Gallen writeth . Galle . in lib. 2. The rap . metho.

NOwe thou hast taughte me short rules of the partes & formes phisicall , I pray the shewe me some pretie rules of the complexions of men , and that I may aptelie knowe theim with their properties , elementes , temperamentes and humors .

VPon my lute some time , to recreate my selfe , I ioyne with my simple armonie , manie playne verses . Among all other one smal songe of the foure complexions , wilte thou heare it take that chaire and sitte downe and I will teache thee my song

I thanke thee .

THis is a good song , and I wil learne it , for though it seme not verye pleasaunt , yet I perceiue it is profitable . Now thou hast spoken of the singes of the .iiii. complexions , I pray the teache me shortlie , howe to knowe the elementes .

THey be the foure beginners vnmingled and vntempored , Hippocrates de Element . Auic . in cauteca . from whose mixtures euerye corporall thynge hath his substaunce .

What be the partes ? I pray the tel me ▪

Why might not men , beastes , fyshe , or foule , herbe , or tree , be of one element aswell as of foure ? I praye you tell me .

NOo , for Aristotel sayth : Deus et natura nihil agunt frustra . God & nature hathe doone nothinge in vaine . ●turs com●●ded ●ore e●eutes 〈◊〉 one . And if any thing vpon the earth sencible were of one element : no sickenesse coulde hurte it , nor disease corrupt it , but euery thing liuing vppon the earth , seing it hath had beginninge , it must nedes haue ending , to whom these foure complexions doeth belonge , if they do greatly abounde or disminish , or withdrawe their vertues with quantities or qualities .