But if the working of heate were not mittigated by the moiſture of aire and of water, & wer reduced by due proportion to temperatneſſe. And therefore God ſetteth to the well of heate the well of all humour, as Macrobius ſaith, that the violence of heat might be tempered by the preſence of humour ſet, to withſtand it. And ſo the ſhape of the world may bée ſaued:[1] for elſe by too great heate it ſhuld ſodeinly faile. Alſo moiſture ioyneth togethers the partes of the earth. For the earth is ſo drie, that euery part thereof ſhoulde fall from other; if it were not moiſtened with moiſture of water.
Therefore kinde made mountaines and hills hollow, and the earth with caues, vautes, and cliffes in places, and full of holes. That ſo by cauſe of voydneſſe ſhould bée great drawing in of ayre and of water, to ſlake the kindly drieng of the earth, and the partes thereof, that elſe woulde fall. And ſo as bloud doth, running through the vaines of the bodie, the ſame doth moyſture in the vains of the earth. For it moyſteneth the drineſſe of the earth, and diſpoſeth it to beare fruit. And moyſture hath certeine properties and effectes, that be the firſt and kindly. And ſome that bée ſecundarye, and ſome Caſuall, as other qualyties haue. By kinde moiſture is moueable, fléeting, and euill bounding in it ſelfe but yet it is ſtaide by other bound, as ſayth the Philoſopher. And it maketh moue from the middle outward, and ſhedding it ſelfe in fleeting, it ſhould deſtroy whollye his ſubiect; if nothing letted the fleeting therof, the which ſhoulde bounde his fléeting by reduction to the middle. As wée ſee that of drineſſe of grauell to the Sea, cliffes and ſtronds ſtopped, and holde in the floud of the Sea and turneth it ſomewhat inwarde. Alſo by kinde, moiſture maketh things ſofte.
For by withdrawing and ſpréading thereof, it ſlacketh and draweth abroad, and maketh ſofte the harde compact partes of the matter. And it happeneth that moyſture maketh harde: as wée ſée in Poſtumes and Botches, in the which colde humours come togethers, and ſmiting the moſt partes to the colde middlewarde, they come thicke and harde. And oftentimes the partes chaunge into Skliroſim, that is hardneſſe. The ſame happeneth of ouermuch heate, waſting the moiſt partes, the which when they bé waſted, the greate partes and ſadde be thruſt togethers, and made harde.
Alſo by kinde, moiſture cleanſeth: for by ſoftening therof, and of the parte, by the which it is ſhadde, it ſlacketh the ſenowing partes, and departeth them asſunder, and maketh them ſlipper and ſlidinge, and moueth and waſheth them awaye, as it is ſéene, namely, in water that is moiſt, and waſheth by kinde, and moſt cleanſeth hoarie things. And that is ſpeciallye if it helpe the moiſture: as it is ſéene in Branne of Wheat or of Rie; and in the root of a plant that is named and properly called Bryonie in Latine, and alſo in Sope, & in Meale of Beanes, and in other ſuch.[2] For all theſe waſh away the filth of the face and of all the bodie, and maketh pure and cleane. Alſo for he moueth kindly from the middle towarde the vtter partes, and that moouing is not full ſtrong of it ſelfe, but ſtowe in compariſon to the moouing of the heate: and ſo moiſture ſheddeth it ſelfe principally into the ſideward, and ſtretcheth not much vpward without helpe of heate. But other while heate hath maſterie therin, and worketh therein, the moſt matter béeing obedient, ſtretcheth it ſelfe euery whether, but moſt vpward, & in length: for the ſtrength of heate beareth it vpwarde, & ſheddeth euen to the uttermoſt partes: And ſo it is lifted up and drawen in length. And bodyes, in the which heate hath the maiſtery, kindly and generally they bée higher, longer, and more ſlender, then ſuch bodyes, in the which much moiſture hath the maſterye and little heate worketh, contrarye cauſe is found. And therefore hot men, as cholerike, the ſubſtantiall humour of heate béeing obedient to the working, be more longer, that is to witte, the flumaticke, and in all extremytyes of the bodye, the other partes
