LIFE AND DEATH. 383 



22. Mead (as we suppose) would not be ill if it were 

 strong and oldf but because all honey hath in it some 

 sharp parts (as appears by that sharp water which the 

 chymists extract out of it, which will dissolve metals), it 

 were better to take the same portion of sugar, not lightly 

 infused in it, but so incorporated as honey useth to be in 

 mead, and to keep it to the age of a year, or at least six 

 months, whereby the water may lose the crudity, and the 

 sugar acquire subtilty. 



23. Now ancientness in wine or beer hath this in it, that it 

 ingenders subtilty in the parts of the liquor, and acrimony 

 in the spirits, whereof the first is profitable, and the second 

 hurtful. Now to rectify this evil commixture, let there be 

 put into the vessel, before the wine be separated from the 

 must, swine s flesh or deer s flesh well boiled, that the 

 spirits of the wine may have whereupon to ruminate and 

 feed, and so lay aside their mordacity. 



24. In like manner, if ale should be made not only with 

 the grains of wheat, barley, oats, pease, and the like, but 

 also should admit a part (suppose a third part to these 

 grains) of some fat roots, such as are potado roots, pith of 

 artichokes, burre roots, or some other sweet and esculent 

 roots ; we suppose it would be a more useful drink for long 

 life than ale made of grains only. 



Also such things as have very thin parts, yet notwith 

 standing are without all acrimony or mordacity, are very 

 good salads; which virtue we find to be in some few of 

 the flowers, namely, flowers of ivy, which infused in vinegar 

 are pleasant even to the taste, marigold leaves, which are 

 used in broths, and flowers of betony. And touching the 

 operation upon the juices of the body, thus much. 



v. The Operation upon the Bowels of their .Extrusion 

 of Aliment. 



The History. 



1. What those things are which comfort the principal 

 bowels, which are the fountains of concoctions, namely, the 

 stomach, liver, heart, and brain to perform their functions 

 well (whereby aliment is distributed into the parts, spirits 

 are dispersed, and the reparation of the whole body is ac 

 complished), may be derived from physicians and from their 

 prescripts and advices. 



2. Touching the spleen, gall, kidneys, mesenteries, guts, 

 and lungs, we speak not, for these are members ministering 

 to the principal, and whereas speech is made touching 

 health, they require sometimes a most special considera- 



