ſtriueth to beare downward the member or lymme. And ſo of this double contrary mouing one heauing vpward, and another thruſting downward, a tremblyng or quaking of the lymmes is ofte ingendered. And at laſt if this vertue of ruling be all ouercome, then the palſie or death hath maſterie in ſuch bodyes. And therefore the wiſe mans counſayle is beſt, that ſaith: Hurt not thy ſelfe vpon all manner of meate.[1]Many meats haue diuers taaſts, that breedeth ſundry operations, & is the cauſe of incurable diſeaſes, in nice and daintie mouthed bodies: for in many manner meates is diuers ſickneſſe. Alſo too much ſléeping, breedeth the ſame euill and ſickneſſe in the body. For in ſléepe the vertues are féebled, and the working of féeling, and of kinde be ſtrengthened within. And ſo the gates being cloſed without, yt heate is comforted and ſtrengthened within, and draweth too many humors, yt which it may not diſſolue neither waſt.
And then great ſuperfluitie hauing the maſterie, the which kinds can not rule, then of neceſſitie, followeth death and ſtiffeling.[2]Alſo licoureſnes of meates waſteth the powers, & lecherie the ſenſes: Theſe bee two delectable Diuelles, that kill the bodye, beſide the ſoule. As it is ſéene in them that ſléepe after that they haue taken medicines, and alſo in them that be newly let bloud. In them that wake too much, the contrary cauſe lykewiſe worketh. For in them the humours & the ſpirites be waſted too much, and therfore oft death threateneth or menaceth. Alſo the ſame cauſe of ſtifling, is in them, that eate and drinke beyond meaſure: and the ſame reaſon of fayling, is in them yt faſt more then nature can beare: and be conſumed and waſted. Alſo be that trauayleth ouer meaſure, deſtroyeth & waſteth himſelfe by too ſtrong heate, that waſteth the humours too ſore. In them that reſt too much, the cauſe is contrary: For in them yt drawing too of moiſture, paſſeth meaſure. And there is none euaporation, neither deliueraunce of the ſuperfluities, neither ſubtiliation of the ſpirites. And therefore neceſſarilye the ſuperfluitie of moyſture is diſpoſed to rotting and corruption. In theſe manners, and in many other infinite, the elementall qualities be in theyr kindly workings hindred. As it is knowen by the foreſayd reaſons that we haue ſhortly gathered of the words of Conſtantine in Pantegni, and of Galen in Commento Aphoriſio, Hippocratis, & Epidimiarum, of euills yt commeth by ouermuch moyſture. And therfore we will paſſe ouer, and deſcribe the properties of humours, that be compoſed of theſe qualyties: of the which euerye bodye is made, that hath a ſoule and feelyng, either reaſon.
¶Of humours, and of the generation, effect and working of them. Cap. 6.
A Humour is a ſubſtaunce actuallye moyſt, by ioyning of elementall qualities, and is apt to nouriſh and to feede the members, and to comfort the working thereof kindly, or caſually to let the workings thereof. For humour is the firſt principall materiall of bodies that haue féeling, and chiefe helpe in theyr working, and that becauſe of nouriſhing and féeding. Conſtantinus ſaith, That the humours be called the children of the Elementes. For euerye of the humours commeth of the qualytie of the Elements. And ther be foure humours, Bloud, Fleame, Cholar, and Melancholy: and are called ſimple in compariſon to the members, though in reſpect of the Elements, whoſe children they bée, they be compoſed. Theſe foure humors in quantitie and qualytie, obſeruing euenneſſe, with due proportion, make perfect and kéepe in due ſtate of health, all bodyes hauing bloud: lyke as contrariwiſe, by their vnequalneſſe or infection they ingender and cauſe ſickneſſe. Theſe humors be néedful to the making of the bodye, and to the ruling and kéeping thereof: and alſo to reſtore what is loſt in the body, as ſaith Galen ſuper Aphoris. The body runneth and droppeth, as in ſweating, ſpitting & other ſuch. Alſo alteration chaungeth oft cold into heate and returneth.
