THe conseruacion of youth , and withstandynge of age , consysteth in the maintening of the powres , the spyrites , and the naturall here of the body in their state & temperancy , & in the comfortyng & repayringe of them beynge defectiue . For so longe as the powers the spirites , & the natural here of mannes body are not debilitate nor wekened , so longe ( I say ) neyther shall the skin wrincle , for the debilite of the naturall hete declynyng , to coldenes & drynes through the whiche fode & noryshment of the body is corrupted & hindred , is cause of corrugacion or wrinkling of the skyn for the meat beyng fyrst dygested in the stomacke , & then shortly after sent in to euery parte of the body , is dygested again of the natural hete of the same parte , where it is receiued , thē yf the this natural hete be by any occasyon corrupted , or destroyed , the fode also is sent to the same place shal be lykewise corrupted & thē so ensueth corrugacion of the skyn , & hore heres as ye may se in the auncy eut & aged men when theyde cold and dry , for hotenes commeth of the defect of natural hete , the which defendeth the body from age , age properly doth make man cold and dry and therfore they be of lytell blod and the powres and natural hete in thē very weke , & vnable to concectyng & degestynge of meate , wherfore there encrease great plenty of humidites & crude rawe humours , & therfore the in sprites & the .iii. degestyons in age be decayed , & in them rayneth the debylytie of hete , & this foloweth with ȳ course of tyme the whiche course maye be somwhat let & detended by phisicke , & by auoydynge of suche accidentall causes as do induce age , as sorowe , sludy , heny nes , disperacion , ouermoch venery , labor , trauel , or rest , & when age by any of these causes is come , thē to amputat or cut away the cause by thinges apropriat , and for the {pre}seruacion of the powers is no better thyng then a syrupe made of wine & suger , mixt togither .iii. partes of wine and .ii. partes of suger dronke with fayre water , or borage water this sirupe is both meat and drinke , & in it be .ii. thynges confyct togyther , whiche are most frendly to nature , and when the powers be weke they nede such thinges as may corupt them both meate . drinkes , & other spyces , & moystynge medicines and thi● is a very secret thynge . For ●ugacion and reu●●yng o● the skyn require such thynges , as do clense and make playne & smoth skyn with certayne oyles , waters , & oyntementes . Goodlines and fresshenes of colour , is by fedinge vpon such meates and drynkes , as do engendre good & laudable blod , & are lyght of digestion , & by such thinges as do clense the blod corupted , and the other powers is ouermoche euacuacion , or to often lettyng of blod , or such other lyke thinges . These thinges may be amended with thus , eatyng of chekyns , & chekyn broth , with oewe rest and sleepe , and also with sweete and Odoryferous thynges , and suche other lyke . ¶ Thinges engendrynge euyil & rotten flume , be fruytes , tysshe , all thynges made of mylke , & suche other , of the which be engendred waterye humours nor dygestable in the membres & thē in the same membres it causeth horenes , and wrincles . But amonge all other thynges there is nothynge , the whiche so stronglye doth cause a man to loke oldely , as feare , and desperacion . For bycause in that passyon and effection , al the naturall hete of the body doth resorte inwarde , and forsaketh the outwarde partes , and that moste chefelye , when the mans complection is dysposed to the same , and that is the cause that many beynge tost turmoyled , and vexed with this worldly stormes sodaynely theyr heere waxe hore , or whyte .

¶ Nowe thyng{is} that do resyst or put away these causes , are chosen the ioyce of pomegranate , & chyefely golde , the ioyce of Borage , and of Fumytotye , and specially grene and purified , and the vertue of the roote of Plantayue , and suche other .

¶ The roten flume is destroied with the vse of Mirabolanes composed , and Alot rosarum and Agarike , thinges to be had at the Pothecaries And that wherwith properly both melancoly & flume be expelled out of the bodye , is Cleborus niger , called in Englysshe , Beares fote , prepared by by a certayne maner vnto fewe knowen . For in the rectyfynge of the malyciousnes of this herbe , standeth all the secrete of his operation . For by hym a man shal be altered from euyll compliction to good , and it restoreth youth again but it is not conuenyente for belycate bodies & noble complections , and therfore I wyll say lytel of him . Beware ye neuer entermedle with this herbe without the aduysemente and counsayle of some experte and well learned Physycion .

¶ Also Dianthos composed with suger , the whiche properly doth consume all the fleume and melancoly beyuge in the heade and it taryeth and letteth the hore heere s coroborateth and strengneth the sences , and prolongeth the lyfe , and chyfely whe● a quantite of it is dysolued in aqua vyte well and craftely made , and somtyme it is dyssolued in wyne , and lyeth in it .ii. or .iii daies , and thē strayned , & so vsed conueniently according to the counsayle of a Physytion .

¶ Other thynges also there be , whiche quicken & maketh lusty the body , as Diacameron , Mirabolany , Chebuly composed whiche by theyr propertye do consume and wast the fleumatike superfluites of the stomacke and do comforte him , and do claryfy the blod , and be of gret force against melancoly , and the vse of those do comforte youth , and causeth a man for to waxe yonge againe , and defendeth a man from hore heres . Also the decoction of sene with Dlaboraqinatum , and of the whey of Sotes mylke , and such other . And one of the chefe thinges , wherby age is defended & youth prolonged , is once in a mouth to haue a vomet to expell the fleumatycke humour , and once in a weke to receyue aclyster / and specyallye that composed of the ioyce of Mercury / Walworte / Elder / and bete with halfe an ounce of Yeropegara / the whiche is a greate secrete .

¶ And also subiection made with ye ropigra , or Cassia fistula , and the ioyce of fresshe roses / preparate with suger , is a goodly easer of nature , mynystred wysely , & it is a blessed medy eyne to make aman soluble , and ther with also it comforteth the pryncypall membres in man , & altreth the euyll disposycion of man to good , it openeth opilacions or stoppynges , it comforteth the hert , and clenseth it , and to speke of the prayse of this medycine wolde requyre a longe processe .

¶ Other thynges also destroyenge & consumynge the humours , which cause age are those temperat spices knowen to euery booy , Cloues , cinamom Liquirice , & such other , but most princypally , when they an confyet & incor perat with good wine , & so beynge fyrit somwhat watred ) receiued & dronken .

¶ Also it is not vnknowen , howe that pylles made of myrtha , be of an exellente goodnes in the conseruacion of heith & lyfe , for it withstandeth putrifaction rectyfyeth & syncereth the whiche is redy to putrif action , wherfore this Myrtha is confyete with suche thinges as deade bodyes are incered withall , to defende the corse from putrifaction . And the foresayd spyced wyne , when it is receiued of man it spredeth it selfe abrode in the partes of the body , and comforth all the partes of the body , & dryeth vp the superfluous humydytes of the body , and also the powder of the same Spyces oft vsed with meate profyteth wonderfully .

¶ Howbeit , yf the man be of a dry disposytion , then shal it be nedeful to adioyne to these spyces , some more temperate thing , as the ioyce of Pomegranates , Rosewater , Suger , Lyckerice Resyns & suche lyke . Diacameron restoreth dygestion lost , & comforteth it and Trifera passeth all declynynge , somwhat more to calidite , the naturall hete then & the meat comynge to the membres beynge decayed or corrupted , which commeth of putrifyed colour , forthwith ensueth corrugation and olde lokynge as ye may se in suche as ar scaby in any parte of theyr body , for that parte beynge infected / it semeth riuyled and olde skyn . The infection beyng once departed again the skyn sheweth it selfe fayre , smoth and yongly , and to those golde preparate is souerayne , & the wyne of Pomegranat , & this is speciall good for the lepry . And this wine of granates taken and receiued howe ye lyst , hath properte to extenate the humours , & to alay the hete of the liuer , & to comforte all partes of mans body offended with hete , and it is good against wekenes othert , fortefieth the mouth of the stomacke , & comforteth the hert . Also Mirabolani , rebuli conditi be very good both in hote & colde deseases , they comforte the stomacke , and dryeth vp the superfluous moystnes of the same , & besydes this they do help the melancolyke people / they claryfy and make clere the blod & the spyryt{is} neither is there anythinge more excellente for that purpose then these .

¶ Also Borage wyne made ( in tyme that grapes be gathered & pressed ) with must is princypally good for melancoly , faynte herted , & mad people , for it clenseth the blode & taketh awaye euyll fantasyes , and comforteth all the regetyue powers , & encountreth all corrupcion . The electuary also of the Mirabolans vsed is a thing right often proued and alowed , to the conseruacion of helth and prolonging of the lyfe , and to waxe yonge agayne , for it comforteth the stomake & maketh it apt & lusty , and comsumeth the watrynes lefte of the fore fode , & the vse of this electuary withstandeth age , and causeth man to lyue long by the helpe of God .

¶ Agayne certayne suffumygacions and sauours made of couenient thinges , and accordynge as the man nedeth is verye profytable .

¶ Bathynge also temperately without any great swetynge so that onelye the skyn be mundyfyed and clensed from fylthynes , is holsome and profytable , for therby the powers are opened , and the super●luous humydyties lutkynge within the skyn , be wasted and dryed vp .

¶ But the vse of good wyne / in the whiche suche spyces as we haue spoken of before , haue be steped , and the vertue of them in it desolued , temperatly taken with a lytel water myxt therewith in dewe season , shall passe and enter in to all the hyd wayes of the bodye , and it shall drye vp all the euyll humidities , and comforteth all the inward partes , and perfitly doth open all maner of opilations or stoppynge , the whiche is secret for the aparition or openinge of places opilat or stopped , causeth the lyuely spyrit{is} to runne throughout euerye parte of the bodye , and causeth the naturall hete for to waxe stronge , and to be of great force , but opylacion or stoppynge causeth the contrary , for the naturall hete beynge conculcate , or strangled , not hauynge fre passage throughe euery parte , is therby debylytate and wekened , and so not suffyciente and myghty to seperate the pure from the vnpure , whe reupon the superfluous humydities , rotten and putryfyed be in the body moche increased , and therby consequently ensueth the wrynkelynge of the flesshe and skyn and age at hande .

¶ Another also stronge meane there is , to defende age , and for to recouer youth agayne , by abstynence , and conuenyente for bearynge of your quantyte of meat , vnto suche tyme as the body be brought very lowe , and made verye spare , and then to restoore , and norysshe it agayne with lawdable holsome and good foode , whiche hath a propertye to engendre cleare and pure blode .

¶ This poynte also do they obserue , the whiche make faete Oxen , whose flesshe the more it waxeth leane and bare , the more also dooth it become tendre and yonge , and the better afterwarde do they lyke & batten , & ye may also se the practise of this in such as be lately recouered from sycknes .

¶ But to be short , he that wyl refreyne age , and conserue youth , let hym not be neglygent in chosynge of his meat / that it be suche , as may brede good clere fat , thicke & viscous blod and then may he withstand wel age .

¶ And when that suche humydyties or moystnes , whiche are in the body , and crude humours that are increased in man , then hath he nede of such thynges whiche do extenat and exiccat those superfluous moystnes , and suche thinges as may dygest the crude or rawe humours / syncere and depure the hole bodye .

¶ Amonge other thynges , suche as waxe aged , haue great nede of calefaction / and humystacion , that is to say , warmynge , & moistynge , of both equally by meates and drynkes , and medycynes conuenyent / by exercyse and gladnes .

¶ Nowe that he may kepe his body in suche temperancie , that he may lyue withoute the horrydle daunger of greuous syckenes , and the better able to serue almyschty God , to whom be all honoure and glorye . Amen .