68 



THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



the Creator gave these same creatures 

 of His, so that everything which 

 has its being under heaven receives 

 it from the stars and keeps it by 

 their help. I considered further how 

 that in everything which arises, grows, 

 lives or soars in the four elements 

 named, be it metal, stone, herb or 

 animal, the four natures of the ele- 

 ments, heat, cold, moistness and 

 dryness, are mingled. It is also to 

 be noted that the four natures in 

 question are also mixed and blended 

 in the human body in a measure and 

 temperament suitable to the life and 

 nature of man; while man keeps 

 within this measure ... he is strong 

 and healthy, but as soon as he steps 

 or falls beyond . . . which happens 

 when heat takes the upper hand and 

 strives to stifle cold or on the con- 

 trary when cold begins to suppress 

 heat ... he falls of necessity into 

 sickness and draws nigh unto death. 

 ... Of a truth I would as soon count 

 the leaves on the trees or the grains 

 of sand in the sea as the things 

 which are the causes of man's sick- 

 ness. It is for this reason that so 

 many thousands and thousands of 

 perils and dangers beset man. He is 

 not fully sure of his health or his 

 life for one moment. While con- 

 sidering these matters, I also remem- 

 bered how the Creator of Nature, 

 who has placed us amid such dangers 

 has mercifully provided us with a 

 remedy, that is with all kinds of 

 herbs, animals and other created 

 things. . . . By virtue of these herbs 

 and created things the sick man may 

 recover the temperament of the four 

 elements and the health of his body. 

 Since then man can have no greater 

 nor nobler treasure on earth than 

 bodily health, I came to the con- 

 clusion that I could not perform any 

 more useful and holy work than to 



for the grete and tender love, which 

 he hath unto hym, to whom all 

 thinges erthely he hath ordeyned to 

 be obeysant, for the sustentacyon 

 and helthe of his lovynge creature 

 mankynde whiche is onely made 

 egally of the foure elementes and 

 qualitees of the same, and when 

 any of these foure habounde or hath 

 more domynacyon, the one than the 

 other it constrayneth ye body of 

 man to grete infyrmytees or dyseases, 

 for the which ye eternall god hath 

 gyven of his haboundante Grace, 

 vertues in all maner of herbes to 

 cure and heale all maner of seke- 

 nesses or infyrmytees to hym be- 

 fallying through the influent course 

 of the foure elementes beforesayd 

 and of the corrupcyons and ye 

 venymous ayres contrarye ye helthe 

 of man. Also of onholsam meates 

 or drynkes, or holsam meates or 

 dr3mkes taken ontemperatly whiche 

 be called surfetes that bryngeth a 

 man sone to grete dyseases or seke- 

 nesse, whiche dyseases ben of nombre 

 and ompossoyble to be rehersed, and 

 fortune as well in vilages where as 

 nother surgeons nor phisicians be 

 dwellyng nygh by many a myle, as 

 it dooth in good townes where they 

 be redy at hande, wherefore brotherly 

 love compeUeth me to wryte thrugh 

 ye gyftes of the holy ghost shewynge 

 and enformynge how man may be 

 holpen with grene herbes of the 



