376 HISTORY OF 



of olives or sweet almonds, to anoint the skin therewith, 

 would principally conduce to long life. The anointing 

 would be done every morning when we rise out of bed with 

 oil in which a little baysalt and saffron is mixed. But this 

 anointing must be lightly done with wool, or some soft 

 sponge, not laying it on thick, but gently touching and 

 w r etting the skin. 



18. It is certain that liquors, even the oily themselves, 

 in great quantities draw somewhat from the body; but 

 contrarily in small quantities are drunk in by the body; 

 therefore the anointing would be but light as we said, or 

 rather the shirt itself would be besmeared with oil. 



19. It may happily be objected that this anointing with 

 oil which we commend (though it were never in use with 

 us, and amongst the Italians is cast off again) was anciently 

 very familiar amongst the Grecians and Romans, and a 

 part of their diet, and yet men were not longer lived in those 

 days than now. But it may rightly be answered, oil was 

 in use only after baths, unless it were perhaps amongst 

 champions; now hot baths are as much contrary to our 

 operation as anointings are congruous, seeing the one opens 

 the passages, the other stops them up ; therefore the bath 

 without the anointing following is utterly bad, the anointing 

 without the bath is best of all. Besides, the anointing 

 amongst them was used only for delicacy, or (if you take 

 it at the best) for health, but by no means in order to long 

 life ; and therefore they used them with all precious oint 

 ments, which were good for deliciousness, but hurtful to our 

 intention, in regard of their heat; so that Virgil seemeth 

 not to have said amiss, 



Nee casia liquid! corrumpitur usus olivi. 



That odoriferous cassia hath not supplanted the use of neat oil olive. 



20. Anointing with oil conduceth to health, both in winter, 

 by the exclusion of the cold air, and in summer, by detaining 

 the spirits within, and prohibiting the resolution of them, 

 and keeping off the force of the air which is then most 

 predatory. 



21. Seeing the anointing with oil is one of the most 

 potent operations to long life, we have thought good to add 

 some cautions, lest the health should be endangered ; they 

 are four, according to the four inconveniences which may 

 follow thereupon. 



22. The first inconvenience is, that by repressing sweats 

 it may engender diseases from those excrementitious hu 

 mours. To this a remedy must be given by purges and 



