SECT. 2. MEMB. 1. SUBSECT. 1. Dyet rectified in substance.

Diet Διαιτητικὴ, Victus or Living, according to Fuchsius and others, comprehend those six non-naturall things, which I have before specified, are especiall causes, and being rectified, a sole or chief part of the cure. Iohannes Arculanus cap.16. in 9. Rhasis, accounts the rectifying of these six, a sufficient cure.

Guianerius Tract.15. cap.9. calls them, propriam & primam curam, the principall cure: so doth Montanus, Crato, Mercurialis, Altomarus, &c. first to be tried, Lemnius instit. cap.22. names them the hinges of our health, no hope of recovery without them.

Reinerus Solenander in his seventh consultation for a Spanish young Gentlewoman, that was so melancholy she abhorred all company, and would not sit at table with her familiar friends, prescribes this physick above the rest, no good to be done without it. Areteus. lib.1. cap.7. an old Physician, is of opinion, that this is enough of it self, if the party be not too farre gone in sicknesse.

Crato in a consultation of his for a noble patient, tells him plainly, that if his Highness will keep but a good diet, he will warrant him his former health. Montanus Consil.27. for a Nobleman of France, admonisheth his Lordship to be most circumspect in his diet, or else all his other Physick will be to small purpose.

The same injunction I finde verbatim in I. Cæsar Claudinus, Respon.34. Scoltzii consil.183. Trallianus cap.16. lib.1. Lælius à fonte Æugubinus often brags, that he hath done more cures in this kinde by rectification of Diet, then all other physick besides.

So that in a word I may say to most melancholy men, as the Fox said to the Wesell, that could not get out of the garner, Macra cavum repetes, quem macra subisti, the six non-naturall things caused it, and they must cure it.

Which howsoever I treat of, as proper to the Meridian of Melancholy, yet neverthelesse, that which is here said with him in Tully though writ especially for the good of his friends at Tarentum and Sicily, yet it will generally serve most other diseases, and help them likewise, if it be observed.

Of these six non-naturall things, the first is Diet, properly so called, which consists in meat and drink, in which we must consider Substance, Quantity, Quality, and that opposite to the precedent.

In Substance, such meats are generally commended, which are moist, easie of digestion, and not apt to engender winde, not fryed, nor rosted, but sod (saith Valescus, Altomarus, Piso, &c.) hot and moist, and of good nourishment; Crato Consil.21. lib.2. admits rost meat, if the burned and scorched superficies, the brown we call it, be pared off. Salvianus lib.2. cap.1. cries out on cold and dry meats;

young flesh and tender is approved, as of Kid, Rabbets, Chickens, Veale, Mutton, Capons, Hens, Partridge, Pheasant, Quailes, and all mountain birds, which are so familiar in some parts of Africa, and in Italy, and as Dublinius reports, the common food of Boores and Clownes in Palestina.

Galen takes exception at Mutton, but without question he means that rammy mutton which is in Turkie, and Asia minor, which have those great fleshie tailes, of 48. pound weight, as Vertomannus witnesseth, navig. lib.2. cap.5.

The lean of fat meat is best, and all manner of brothes, and pottage, with borage, lettuce, and such wholesome hearbs are excellent good, specially of a Cock boyled; all spoonmeat. Arabians commend brains, but Laurentius c.8. excepts against them, and so do many others;

Egges are justified as a nutritive wholesome meat, Butter and Oyle may passe, but with some limitation; so Crato confines it, and to some men sparingly at set times, or in sauce, and so sugar & hony are approved.

All sharp and sower sauces must be avoided, and spices, or at least seldome used: & so saffron sometimes in broth may be tolerated; but these things may be more freely used, as the temperature of the party is hot or cold, or as he shall finde inconvenience by them.

The thinnest, whitest, smallest wine is best, not thick, not strong; and so of bear, the midling is fittest. Bread of good wheat, pure, well purged from the bran is preferred: Laurentius cap.8. would have it kneaded with rain water, if it may be gotten.

Pure, thin, light water by all means use, of good smell and taste, like to the ayr in sight, such as is soon hot, soon cold, and which Hippocrates so much approves, if at least it may be had. Rain water is purest, so that it fall not down in great drops, and be used forthwith, for it quickly putrefies.

Next to it fountain water that riseth in the East, and runneth Eastward, from a quick running spring, from flinty, chalky, gravelly grounds: and the longer a river runneth, it is commonly the purest, though many springs do yeeld the best water at their fountains.

The waters in hotter Countries, as in Turkie, Persia, India, within the Tropicks, are frequently purer then ours in the North, more subtile, thin, and lighter, as our Merchants observe by four ounces in a pound, pleasanter to drink, as good as our Bear, and some of them as Choaspis in Persia, preferred by the Persian kings, before wine it self.

Clitorio quicunque, sitim de fonte levarit Vina fugit gaudetque, meris abstemius undis.

Many rivers I deny not are muddy still, white, thick, like those in China, Nilus in Ægypt, Tibris at Rome, but after they be settled two or three dayes, defecate and clear, very commodious, usefull and good.

Many make use of deep wels, as of old in the holy Land, lakes, cisterns, when they cannot be better provided; To fetch it in Carts or Gundilo's as in Venice, or Camels backs, as at Cairo in Egypt, Radzivilius observed 8000. Camels daily there, employed about that business; Some keep it in Trunks, as in the East Indies, made four square with descending steps, and it is not amiss: