] Modo dicamus de hijs que purgant humorem generantem accidencia senectutis et senij.

[Capitulum 6.] Modo dicamus de hijs que purgant humorem generantem accidencia senectutis et senij.

Now tel we of thiese thynges whiche purgen the humour gendryng acci- 1040 dentis of age and elder men. Al sapient men the whiche han treated of this matier accorden in this, that al thyng that purgith l eame avoidith the humour inducyng whitnes and sum accidentis of age and of elder men. But it semyth to be saide in the chapitre of complexiouns the state and kynde, that nat only l eame gendrith the accidentis abovesaide but

1029. it] poss. corrected to in 1036. haaste] marg. in later hand: age to hast 1037–1038. Modo dicamus . . . et senij] in display script 1039. Now tel we] marg. in small later hand: cap. 10

1025–1026. inowgh rosted without right and vsed with water: L assatis absque iure, et vtatur aqua ciceris ‘fried without juice (taken as ‘without right’), and let him use water of chick-peas.’

1035. for the state: L ad preces ‘at the prayers’ (successfully translated elsewhere, as in lines 675, 1329, etc.; perhaps the Latin source was already corrupt). 1043–1044. the state and kynde: L etatum et generum ‘of ages and kinds.’

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1045 eueriche straunge humour. And eueriche is oon. But l eame gendrith more thiese accidentis and whityng than anoþer humour, forwhi nat- ural heete meetith in ij maners: oo maner in stranglyng, to another qualite meetyng. 115

<Avicen in 4 o canone> Vomite purgith l eame makyng whitnes and 1050 accidentis of age, and propirly aftir mete bifore oþer [farmacie], 116 as Avicen in the iiij canon in the treatice of decoracioun. 117 And þis vomyte is to be made j or ij euery moneth and after fulnes of mete, as Rasis in the rule of the Booke of Almaser, of vomyte. 118 And so al the Latynes in this accorden. Ierapigra seith 119 and pillules of mastik and aloes purgen

1055 l eame makyng whitnes and sum other accidentis of age, as Isaac in the chapitre of ballidnesse and white heeris. 120 Also pigra, that Haly puttith in Kyngly Rule 121 and Avicen, hath the propirte to purge moist humours without natural humydites, <Avicen in capitulo de catheria> as Avicen in the chapitre of catheria. 122 And after this pigra is propir medicyne

1060 on that place. And this is to vndirstande that pigra in whiche is no lax- atief but aloes. But pigra ought to be made and don with aloes of the lyver, as Haly seith of Kyngly [fol. 14v] Rule. 123 And of his attraccioun is nat fer but from hym to whom he meetith, that is to say, the stomac and bowellis. And further of is to withdrawe from the lyver without veynes,

1065 as in the chapitre and canon of yerum. 124 But it semeth that the vertu of euery kynde rubarbe, if it be don after that it ought to be don, it makith the thynges abovesaide. <Aristotiles precepit Alexandro> Forwhi Aristotil comaundid to Alisaundre euery mornyng that ruberbe to take. It let- tith that withdrawith l eame from the stomac and is the lif of the lyver

1070 and excitith natural hete and l eeth ventosite. <Haly in suo regimine> Also Haly in his Rule that an old man ought nat to purge with abhomynable laxatives, so as is pigra, but with the

1045. l eame] marg. in later hand: Flewme 1050. farmacie] om., with 5-char. space left in text L farmaciis (see Explanato- ry Note) 1054. pillules] marg. in later hand: Pillules 1066. rubarbe] marg. in later hand: Rubarbe underlined; N[ota] symbol

1045. eueriche is oon: L vtrumque est verum ‘each (opinion) is true,’ reading verum as vnum ‘one.’ 1062. of his attraccioun: L eius attractio ‘its attraction’ (nom. sg.).

1066. it be don . . . to be don: L exhibeatur . . . exhiberi ‘is shown . . . to be shown’ (see Language Notes to lines 1309 and 1454 below).

1068–1069. It lettith: L Nam ipse dicit ‘For he himself says,’ poss. read as Nam impedit ‘For it impedes.’

The Accidents of Age

strength of cokkis, &c., and bi oþer light thynges, as with mirabolans and ebulis of other kyndis 125 sauf aceros, whiche bien nat conuenient

1075 in purgacioun of l eame, &c. Takiþ and clense the stomac and the liver

and other thynges whiche bien saide abovefurth in his chapitre.

Clisterie is the best purgyng l eame, taryeng the accidentis above- saide, as Avicen in the iiij canon of þinges whiche tarien ballidnesse and white heeris. And this clister is to þis propir: bi suc mercurie ebule

1080 and sambus, and other, and notis bi clister. 126 <Ipocras dicit testante Avicen> But it semyth that al soluciouns induc- it whitnes of heeris and oþer accidentis of age, for that þat Ipocras seith, witnessyng Avicen in the chapitre of excersice: Of medicynes pur- gith and agith, and the more part of natural humydite (whiche is the

1085 substaunce of lif) from the body leedith. And this is to vndirstande whan medicynes purgen goode humydite and nat evil, and yevith theym whiche nedith no purgacioun, as bien holl and strong.

Blac elebor, whan it is preparat and arraied, purgith humour

makyng accidentis of age, <Avicen in 2 o canone de proprietatibus elebo-

1090 rum> for that Avicen in the secunde chapitre: Of propirtes of blac ele- bor that he chaungith the body from his complexioun and makith hym to seeke and purchace goode complexioun and yougth. 127

<Isaac in capitulo de canis tingendis> To bathe with fastyng stomac gendrith humour and white her and whiche bien deedis of nature 128 1095 and gargarsmes, as Isaac in the chapitre of steyneng white heris. 129 And Aristotil in the Booke of Secretis: Old men bien to be bathed with fast- yng stomac in lewk water, and namly l ewmatick men. Also it is bettir that the man receyve of the humydite of the bath than the bath of the humydite to the superi ce of the nail. And therfor it semyth that the

1074. of] of of 1075. l eame &c.] marg. in later hand: Fleme 1077. l eame] marg. in later hand: Clistere for l eame 1088. elebor] marg. in later hand: Elebor blak 1096. bathed] marg. in later hand: Bathyng

1073. strength: L iure ‘juice,’ read as uire ‘force.’ 1074. ebulis . . . aceros: L kebulis ‘a type of myrobolan (a prune-like fruit)’ [var. ebulis

‘dwarf elders’ S]; aceros: L citrinos ‘a type of myrobolan.’ 1075. &c. Takiþ and clense: L et forte pigra purgat caput et renes, reu ‘and perhaps pig-

ra cleanses head and reins, rhubarb (the stomach and liver).’ 1098–1099. of the humydite to the superfi ce of the nail: L de humiditate corporis

hominis. Sed balneum trahit humiditatem ad superfi ciem cutis ‘of the moisture of the hu- man body. But the bath draws moisture to the surface of the skin’ (eyeskip by scribe or translator or translator's source).

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10 whitnes rather than bath of humydite hastith than tarieth. <Ipocras in regimine> And therfor it is to be vsed with fastyng stomac and after the deposicioun of superl uite, as techith Ipocras in the Rule Sharpe. 130

Trifer is made of blac myrabolans and is oon of the thynges tary- eng the accidentis of age, as Rasy in the dyminucioun in the chapitre 1105 of decoracioun of heeris techith. The [fol. 15r] electuarie of mirabo- lans made of ebul suger tarien whitnes, as Rasis in the Booke of Almaser the v chapiter. 131 <Avicen in eodem capitulo> And triferes more and lasse forwhi he doeth the same, as saith Avicen in the same chapitre. <Avicen in capitulo de rebus> Masticacioun of myrabolans made makyng l eame

1110 and whitnes to tarie, fforwhi Avicen saith in the chapitre of thynges whiche tarien whitnes, that if euery day masticacioun be made of mira- bolans made of ebulis with his augmentacioun conservith yowth. 132 Al thiese thynges maken mirabolans and triferis bi þe wey of desiccacioun of l eame. Pyne applis, hote and moist in the iij degre (and after sum in

1115 the secunde degre); and that is in litel thyng, but it is greate in equale declyneng to hete and of his humydite augmentith. Forsoth it hath the propirte to drie corrupt humydite whiche is in the body, and pur- chaceth goode humydite and fattith it and comfortith the i eble body. It proi tith to the tisik and to the humydites of the lunges putrei ed, and

1120 wipith the humydite of the reynes and bowels, and comfortith hem, and forbedith the wound of the bladder and the stone and provokith vryne. And is medicynable to old men havyng cold and drie complex- ioun and ought to be take, whiche in age hath nat the propirte. And in this is oon of mervails of the world, forwhi it is both mete and med-

1125 icyne. Forwhi it restorith natural humydite, as metis chewed restoren 1103. Trifer] marg. in later hand: Triferis

1106. ebul] bul above line, marked for ins. in] foll. by dymunycioun canc. (eye- skip back to prec. Rasy) 1114. Pyne applis] marg. in later hand: Pyne Aplis

1119. and (1)] and (line break) and lunges] marg. in later hand: Tyssike of longes 1120. comfortith] marg. in later hand: N[ota] symbol

1100. than bath of humydite: The translator appears to be making explicit the implied subject of the Latin sentence (et ideo videtur quod caniciem potius festinet quam retar- det ‘and thus it [bathing] appears to hasten rather than delay white hair’), though placing the extra words after “than” and adding “of humydite” obscures the sense. 1109. of myrabolans made makyng fl eame: L mirabolanorum conditorum fl euma fa- ciens ‘of prepared mirobalans, generating phlegm.’ 1123. whiche in age: L quia inueterate ‘because stale ones,’ read as que in vetustate ‘which in age.’ Eyeskip of some fi fteen words preceding this clause suppresses a recom- mendation that the pine apples (poma pini ‘pine cones, fruits of the pine’) be fresh.

1125. metis chewed: L euchimia cibaria ‘good juices in foods.’

The Accidents of Age

natural humydite, and lassith straunge humydite and drieth, as med- icynes doeth whiche growith and of whos mynere is planted in the day. Forwhi bi nutrymentis and norisshyng thynges — as chewynges nat sharp nor hard nor hevy nat l ewmy nor corrupt — makith many restau-

1130 raciouns in the stomakes of old men, as wise men seyn, wher thei spek- en of the rule of old men. But evacuacioun of vnnatural humydites, in old men moistyng for accidentaly for the i eblenes of natural heete, made with medicynes whiche voiden and consumen and purgen.

Confecciouns whiche cutten and taken awey the matier of l eam 1135 bien al tho in whiche bien put cyndres and i lynges of irn. <Avicen in

4 canone de rebus> But bettir ther bien in whiche, as Avicen in the iiij chapitre of thynges which tarien the whitnes of heeris. And so gold hath the propirte to cut or departe the matier of l ewme. 133

Medicynes of whiche þe mynere is planted in the day consumyth 1140 superl u humydite gendryng accidentis of age. <Princeps loquitur> Of the whiche the prince spekith, seyeng that is hoote and drye in the secunde degre that he estemeth; that is subtile of complexioun; openyth ven- tosite and comfortith th’entrails; and forbedeth wrath and remoevith the super[f]luite of humyditees [fol. 15v] and makith goode odour of the

1145 mowth; comfortith the witte and gladdith the hert; removith putrii ed humydite of the stomac and hym comfortith; and comfortith the nerves and synewes and purchacith to hem subtile humydite; evene berith to the brayne; and in hym is the vertu constreyneng al vryne and dissintery malici. 134 <Isaac de ea loquitur dicens> Isaac of tho thynges spekyng seith:

1150 Comfortith al the inner membris of þe body; expellith superl uite; expel- lith the stoppyng of the liver and openyth l ux and streyneng of the bled- der repugneth. 135 Tho þinges is to be chosen of whos heete withynfurth

1134. Confecciouns] marg. in later hand: N[ota] symbol; Confecciouns 1127. growith: L vegetatur in aere [var. om. in aere BS] ‘grows in the air.’

1131. vnnatural: L naturalis [var. innaturalis SCanM] ‘natural’ [var. ‘unnatural’]. 1132. moistyng for accidentaly: L habundat [misread as a form of humidans] acciden- taliter ‘accidentally abounds.’ 1136. in whiche: L in quibus ponitur aurum ‘in which gold is put.’ 1139. planted in the day: L planta Indie ‘the plant of India’ (i.e., lignum aloes); this error

recurs at several points later in this treatise and the authentic Bacon treatise, “The Bod- ies of Adam and Eve” (ed. below, chap. 9). 1142–1143. openyth ventosite: L opilationem aperit, ventositatem frangit ‘opens block- age, relieves (lit. breaks) gas.’ 1147. evene berith: L confert ‘gathers, brings together’ (and so passim).

1148–1149. dissintery malici: L dissenteriam malencolicam ‘melancholic dysentery, a bloody fl ux caused by excess of melancholy humour.’

1152. heete: L color ‘color,’ read as calor ‘heat.’

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is vndir-blac, and without hath hardnes as an horn, and is within and raw and nat [coct], that he knowith in whatsumeuer quantite in whiche he

15 castith out, anon he askith the bottum. Medicynes whiche growen and thryven in the aire hath the propirte to comforte, dissolve, quenche, mundii eþ, clensith and consume, com- forten the hert and al the principal membris, dissolueþ and weikith, clensith, consumeth superl u l eaume and malencoly, whereuer it be

1160 in the body, and namly of the stomac and the brayne. <Invenitur quod quedam regina scripsit alteri regine> And in suche a booke of the Latynes it is founde that suche a quene wrote to another qwene that th’use of this thyng preservith a man from age and whityng of heeris and vail- ith moche agenst cardiac. 136 <Et invenitur quidam rex yndorum> And it

1165 is founde that a kyng of Ynde wrote to another kyng that the derrest aduersary whiche he had in his realme was thiese plantis; and saide that therof was oile made that taried the accidentis and whitnes of heeris (but how this was don I have nat founde) and comfortith the sight. And therfor he saith this medicyne growith in the aire, forwhi

1170 tho thynges without aire taketh ne receivith non encres: that shewith in rosis, whiche bien replied 137 in ver (or grenyng tyme) vndir erth and vnto the myddis of wynter bien conserved. But the propirte of that l our abidith nat above a yeer. Growyng the moone, thei growen plantis and l ouris; and wanyng the moone, thei discresen and falle.

1175 And in ver and encresyng the moone thei bien vttirly gadred and al the propirtees of theym bien saide in the forsaide chapitre. And med- icynes of whom the mineres is convenient in commixtioun of the for-

1154. coct] blank space approx. 6–7 characters long L coctum 1165. the] prec. at beg. of line by d canc. 1171. rosis] marg. in later hand: N[ota] symbol; Roses

1153. within: L indicum ‘of Indian origin.’ 1154. coct: It is not clear why the translator or the scribe would have left a blank for this

word (see Textual Note), unless there was some problem in the Latin exemplar. 1164. moche agenst cardiac: L melancolicis et cardiacis ‘for melancholic and cardiac

problems.’ The root melanchol- was frequently abbreviated as ml- or mlc- (with barred l or suspension marks), allowing for confusion with abbreviated forms of multus, -a, -um. 1165–1166. derrest aduersary: L carior thesaurus ‘a very valuable treasure.’ Perhaps this odd translation of thesaurus refl ects a misinterpretation of some form of initial th- as adv-, with -esaurus subsequently taken as -ersarius in order to make sense. We have not identifi ed a source for the anecdote about this Indian king, though its eastern setting may mean it derives from the medieval Alexander or Prester John legends.

1172. and: L vt ‘so that,’ read as et.

The Accidents of Age

saide thyng and vse of the forsaide medicynes in hote tyme and hote complexioun ought nat to be made or don but with hem bien medlid

a litel safroun and musk.

[fol. 16r] Nunc videndum est de hijs que conseruant iuuentutem in capillis et canos tingunt et eos faciunt cadere et in eorum loco nigros renasci, secundum quod in libris sapientum inveni absque experiencia dicam.

1185 All hote oiles conseruen yougth in heeris and tarien the whitnes. <Avi- cen in 5 o in tractatu> And bien propirly to this of ribbes oile of [nigella], as Avicen in the v of the treatice of oiles and in the iiij of thiese thynges whiche tarien whitnes. 138 And if he chestayne in drynk 139 it tarieth the whitnes, as Rasy in the Booke of Almaser. 140 Oile of olive medled in like

1190 wise conservith heris and forbedith the velocite or swiftnes of whityng, if thei bien mynistred euery day, as Avicen in the secunde canon, in the chapitre of olives. 141 <Aristotiles in i nem libri animalium> Wasshyng with oile and water tarieth whitnes: Aristotil in th’end of the Booke of Beestis. 142 And if al hote oiles tarien whitnes, than oile balsamum

1195 and oile benedictum that makith of the sides. 143 <Obolay in 4 o canone de

rebus> And the prince Obolay saith in the iiij canon, in the chapitre of thiese thynges whiche tarien whitnes: And of thiese thynges whiche bien expert now in this tyme, that to drynke rede dragante of acalar the weight of Ʒ i takith awey the white heeris and makith blac heeris

1200 to grow in their placis. Forsoth this ballith nat, forwhi strongly be it moisted. 144 And it behovith that it be mynistred i rst, this that clens- ith the lung and moistith hym. <Isaac dicit de borago> But Isaac: That

1180. musk] marg. in later hand: Safferon & musk 1181–1184. Nunc videndum . . . dicam] in display script; marg. in small later hand: cap. 11 1185. oiles] marg. in later hand: Oiles 1186. of (2)] foll. by 3- to 4-char. space at line end; see Language Note 1198. dragante] marg. in later hand: Dragons Red

1186. of ribbes oile of [nigella]: L oleum de nigello [var. nigella OSPV], oleum de costo [varr. casto S, castorio M, castoreo VCan, costrinum M marg.] ‘oil of fennel-fl ower, oil of costmary (lesser dittany)’; though nigella and cost are ME words, the translator does not seem to have had them in his repertoire, leading him either to misunderstand costo as a form of costa ‘rib’ — or just possibly to use the plural ribbes with the singular sense ‘cost- mary’ (cf. MED, s.v. rib(be [n.(2)]) — and to leave a blank for the untranslated nigello/-a.

1189–1190. medled in like wise: L inmaturis siluestris ‘young wild (olives),’ read as something like mixtis similiter?

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borage with water and sugre or hony soden and yeven in drynk amend- ith l esshly lunges. 145

Also hevenly eeris often drunke with wyne clensith the brest and the lung; and many other whiche in the bookis of medicynes clensen the lung. <Hermes de quadam herba> Also it is red in sum writynges of Hermes that ther is suche an herbe toguyder with maioran, whos levis bien of hevenly colour and bien rounde as a peny. And growyng the

1210 moone, ther groweth to hym a leef, and discresyng the moone, he cast- ith a leeff successively and remayneth. And growith in mountaignes and huythes of l oodis. And his l oures bien citryne and it is saide that who- sumeuer take of that plante to the weight of an oote and as moche of hymsilf and closith it in a vessel bi iij daies and drynkith it with cow milk

1215 as many daies for mete, the white heeris of hym shuln fall and blac heeris shuln grow in their placis and a man to yowth. After thiese forsaide [fol.

16v]

I am nat expert. But this may falle at a tyme with tincturis to be remoeved; 146 and how it is don, it is founde in bookis of medicynes.