The Hifl ory of Life and Death. 



The fame 7W/fr ufe to wear Saffroned Linnen , and Shirts, which though it were at 

 ftrft deviled to prevent vermine, yet howfoeuer, I take it, to be very ufeftill for length- 

 ning of life : For Saffron of all things chat I know , is the belt thing for the skin,and the 

 comforting of the flefh ; feeing it is both notably Aftringent ; and hath bdidcs> an O- 

 leolity, and fubtile heat , without any Acrimony. I remember a certaine Englishman , 

 who when he went to Sea, carried a bagge of Saffron next his Stomach , that he might 

 conceal it, and fo efcape Cuftome : And whereas he was wont to be alwayes exceed- 

 ing Sea-lick ; at that thittimehe continued very well, and felt no provocation to 

 tromit: .• • • 1 • : 



Hippocrates advileth, in Winter to weare clean Linnen j and in Summer, foule Lin- 

 nen, and befmeared with Oile ; TheReafonmay feemtobe, becaufe in Summer the 

 Spirits exhale molt ; Therefore the pores of the skin would be filled up. 



Hereupon wc are of opinion, that the ufe of Oile, either of Olives , or ivittt. Al- 

 monds, to anoint the skin therewith, would principally conduce to long life: The an- 

 ointing would be done every morning , when we rife out of Bed, with Oile, in which a 

 little Bay- fait and Saffron is mixed. But this Anointtng mult be lightly done, with 

 Wooll, orfomc foft fponge ; not laying it on thick, but gently touching, and wetting 

 the skin. 



It is certain, thatL/^^/.even the Oily themfelves, in great quantities draw fome- 

 what from the body ; but contrarily , m f mall quantities, are drunk in by the body; 

 Therefore the anointing would be but light, as we faid; or rather the fhir; it felfe, 

 would be befmeared with oile. 



. It may haply be obje&ed, that this anointing with oijie , which we commend, 

 (Though it were never in ufe with us ; and amongft the Italian* is caft oft againe) was 

 anciently very familiar amongft the Grecians and Romans, and a part of their Diet; 

 aiid yet men were not longer liv'd in thofe dayes than now. But it may rightly be an- 

 fwered, Oile was in ufe onely after Bathes , unlefle it were, perhaps amonglt (fhampi- 

 ~o>is ; Now hot Bathes , are as much contrary to our operation , as Anointings are con- 

 gruous ; feeing the one opens the paflages , the other ftops them up. Therefore the Bath, 

 without the anointing following, is utterly bad ; the anointing without the Batta is beft 

 of all. Betides \ the anointing amongft them , was ufed , onely for Delicacy : Or, 

 (if you take it at the beft) for Health; But by no meanes in order to long life: and 

 therefore they ufed them with all precious ointments, which were good for deliciouf- 

 nefCe ? but hurtfnll to our lncention, in regard of their heat ; £b thzt firgil feemeth not 

 to have laid amifle ; 



Nec Cafta liquidi corrumpitur ufus Olivi. 

 1'hat odoriferous C*fia hath not fupplanted the ufe of neat OilerOlive. 

 Anointing with Oile , conduceth to healch,both in Winter, by the exclufion of the cold 

 Aire ; and in Summer , by detaining the fpirits within , and prohibiting the Reloluti- 

 onof them ; And keeping oft" the force of the Aire, which is then moft preda 

 tory. 



Seeing the anointing with , is one of the moft potent operations to long life; 

 we have thought good toaddefomc Cautions, left the health ftiould be endangered 

 They are four,according to the four Inconveniences which miy follow thereupon. 



The &d\ Inconvenience is ; that by repreffing fweats, it may engender Difeafes from 

 thofe excrementitious Humours. To this a remedy mull be given by Purges and Cly 

 fters\ that evacuation may be duly performed. This is certain, chit evacuation by 

 fweats,commonly advanceth health, and dcrogateth from long life : But gentle Purgers 

 work upon the Humoui s, not upon i he Spirits, as Sweat doch. 



The kcond Inconvenience is ; that it may heat the body, and in time inflame it : For 

 the Spirits fhutin.and not breathing forth, acquire heat- This incouveniencemay be 

 preventcdjif the Diet moft ulually incline to the colder part; and that at times, fome pro- 

 per cooling Medicines be taken, of which we fhall ftraight fpeak, in the operation upon 

 the blood. 



The third is ,that it may annoy the head'. For all Oppletion from without, ftrikes back 

 the vapours,and lends chem up unco the head. This inconvenience is remedied by Pur- 

 gers, cfpecially, Clyfiers; and by fhutting the mouth of the Stomach ftrongly, with 

 Stiptickes ; and by combing and rubbing the head, and by w^fhing it with convenient 

 .Lies, that fome thing may exhale ; and by not omitting competent and good cxercifes, 

 thatfomething alio may perfpire by the skin. 



G 3 The 



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