And ſo drineſſe is the worſt qualitie and ſlaieng, if it excéed, when it is not cleane put out by abundance of moiſture:[1] but yet by hap it giueth life. For ſometime rumatike humours commeth to the ſpirituall parts, and ſtoppe the waies of the ſpirit, and bee in point to ſtifle the bodie. Then commeth drineſſe or drie medicines, and worketh and deſtroyeth ſuch humours, and openeth the waies of the ſpirit, and ſo the bodie that is as it were dead, hath liuing. Though drineſſe be néedfall in euery bodye that is made of Elementes, to waſt the ſuperfluitie of moiſture, and to coarte the ſame moyſture, and alſo to excite ſlacke heate: yet drines ſlayeth, and is the worſt qualytie, when it paſſeth the due proportion in bodies. For it is wont to gender in bodyes full euill ſickneſſes and hurtful, as the Tiſike, and Etike, and other ſuch euills, the which may ſcarcely be holpe by ſuccour of medicines. Alſo by conſuming & waſting of the humours of feeding it drieth the bodie, and draweth the ſkinne togethers, and maketh it riueled, and haſteth age, and maketh the bodie euill couloured and deformed, and is cauſe of inordinate thirſt. And maketh the organes the enterance into the ſtomarke, rough, and letteth the voice, and maketh it hoarſe, and ſpoileth the head of the haire, and maketh it bald, & draweth togethers, & maketh crooked the toes and fingers of the féete and hands: as it is ſéene in leporous men. This that is ſayde of the effects and properties of drineſſe is ſufficient at this time.
¶Of moiſture. Chap. 4.
MOiſture is an Element quality paſſiue, able to ſuffer, obedient to working and printing of the Actiue, & working qualities, and taketh ſodeinlye the working of heate and colde. Moiſture féedeth all bodies, and ſpecially the bodies that haue ſoules, and maketh them ware and growe, and keepeth them, and reſtoreth that which is left in the body. For by moyſture and heate all thinges be bread, as the Philoſopher ſayth, and things ingendered both nouriſheth and féedeth, as we ſee in rootes and ſeedes. For the graine that is put in the earth muſt firſt bée nouriſhed with moiſture of water and of aire, and be ſpread and opened abroade by kindly heate that is cloſed therein. And at the laſt by kindly working of heate, the moyſture béeing reſolued, ſendeth the more groſe and rarthlye partes thereof downewarde to the earth, the which parts the earth faketh within it ſelfe, and mixeth and quaileth them by heate that is therein. And tourneth them into the kinde of a root by conioyning of moiſture. And that moiſture of the roote left behinde, and ſo bread in the roote, the humour that it findeth, draweth into the earth lyke it ſelfe. And alſo it draweth by the drawing vertue of heat that is cloſed within. And when it hath ſo drawen, it turneth into the féeding thereof, as much as ſufficeth. And heate diſſolueth and dealeth, and maketh ſubtill that other part, that néedeth not to the féeding thereof. And the root ſendeth it vpward, and turneth it firſt into the ſubſtaunce of the chawing, and then into the ſubſtance of the ſtocke either ſtalke. And at the laſt into the ſubſtaunce of boughs & twigs, and leaues, and bloſſomes, and of fruit. And for moiſture it is the ſéeding and matter of all thing that liueth. It ſheweth that moiſture féedeth all thing that liueth, & is ioyned thereto: and moiſture by ſhedding of it ſelfe, maketh ſuch thinges waxe and grow in length, déepneſſe, breadth and thickneſſe. Alſo moyſture reſtoreth what is loſt in bodies that haue life and ſoule. For by heate working alwaie within and without, bodies be conſumed and waſted, & ſhuld baſtely and ſoone be deſtroyed: but if it were reſtored againe by moyſture. And therfore by cōtinual drawing to of moiſture is néedfull, that the reſtoring of what is loſt by continuaunce, the bodye may bée reſtored and ſaued. Alſo moyſture kéepeth and ſaueth theſe neather things that bée vnder the Moone. For by continuall gathering of beames and light in the ayre and earth, ſo great ſhoulde be bréeding of heate and of drineſſe that the ayre ſhoulde fall a fire, and burne the vtter ſide of the earth.
- ↑ Addition.
