And hateth moiſture and filleth it, as hid contrarye, and putteth of anone to the rootes of the hearbes that be in the vtter part of the hill, and be put out of the inner partie, as it were things ſuperfluous and néedleſſe. And ſo rootes draw to them humours, that be nouriſhed therwith, and made moiſt. Héereto accordeth the Commentours reſon ſuper librum Methororum, where he ſaith, that wels and riuers ſpringeth out of mountains, and hilles, for mountaines be full of holes, cliffes, and dennes: and haue within much hot aire: And the mountaines drawe much thinges to them, by reaſon of voydneſſe, and alſo becauſe of hotte ayre, that is cloſed therein. And what that is drawen like to the hill in drineſſe, is corporate and faſtned thereto. And what is vnlike or diſagréeing in moiſture, is put of, and gathered in one place, and that the laſt is put out by heads of Welles. And pearcing, hollowing, and ſpringeth awaye, and thereof come riuers. Then dryneſſe draweth to it ſelfe what is néedfull, and faſteneth thereto what is like, and putteth therefrom thinges that bée ſuperfluous and vnlyke thereto. Alſo drineſſe by kinde maketh things leane in fleſh, and barren in grounde. For if drineſſe haue the maſterie in a thing, it waſteth the moiſture that it findeth therein, and ſo that thing becommeth leane. Alſo drineſſe maketh things hard. For it deſtroyeth the moiſture that maketh it ſofte: as wée ſée in many things, eſpecially in clay, the which when it is drie, is hard. Alſo drineſſe working in a ſubtill thing, as in airely ſubſtaunce or watrye, maketh it more ſubtile and more cléere. As we ſée when the Northerne wind bloweth, the aire is the more drie and ſubtill. It may happen that drines maketh things ſoft. For when the drineſſe waſteth the moiſture that faſteneth the parts together, then followeth conſequently the ſeparation and ſoftneſſe of the partes, as wee ſée in old trées and timber when drought hath waſted the moiſture thereof, they be ſoft and fall into pouder, that is ſofte to handle and to féele. Alſo kindly drineſſe maketh things rough. For drineſſe working waſteth the moiſture that hee findeth, & hardneth the moiſture yt he maye not waſt in the vtter partes, and ſo the vtter parts be vneuen with hollownes ſunk, & with hardneſſe crumpled, wherof commeth roughneſſe, which is nothing elſe but an vneuenneſſe in a hard thing. But ſo it happeneth, yt ſometime it maketh things ſmooth: as when ye heate is ſharped by drines, which heat by his accident diſſolueth the humours, & the humours ſo diſſolued, ſweateth outward, & maketh the thing ſoft & ſmooth. Alſo drineſſe maketh ſlow moouing. For by maſtery of drineſſe, the parts that are airely and watrie be made thicke & groſe, & turne into earth, and the thing is more heauy and more ſlow to mouing. Alſo by too great drineſſe the ſpirits be put out, and by the multitude of them the bodye moueth the more ſwiftlye,[1] then when drineſſe maketh the leſſe ſpirits, the bodie moueth the more ſlowly. But ſometime drineſſe helpeth moouing. For drineſſe mouing to the middleward equally, it leadeth the vtter parts to the middle. And the partes binde about in a roundneſſe that may be rowled. And by reaſon roundneſſe hath no corners to let it, by his rowling is the more able to moue. Alſo moderate drines waſting the ſuperfluities of moiſture, maketh ſpirits ſubtill and pure, and maketh them more ſwift. For they béeing purged from the ſuperfluitie that grieued the bodye, they make the bodie more apt and able to the ſame mouing. Alſo by kinde drineſſe deſtroyeth and waſteth the humours:[2] it maketh the bodie voyde and leane, and poore of féeding and waſted. Alſo by kinde, drineſſe derſtroyeth:[3] for it deſtroyeth and conſtuneth the moyſture ſubſtantiall, that féedeth the bodie materially, and ioyneth the partes togethers. And deſtroieng of ſuch moiſture is cauſe why a bodie that hath a ſoule, or a bodie without ſoule, is deſtroyed and waſted. Alſo ſpeciallye drineſſe deſtroieth bodyes that haue ſoules: for kindly ſpirits and natural ſpirits that be of moiſt ſmoke it diſſolueth, when that moiſture is waſted: then lacking matter and ſpirit, of neceſſitye the body dieth.
