] De hijs qui naturalem calorem debilitatum ex 1220 naturali cursu nature et resolucione naturalis et augmento extraneo confortant & restaurant

[Capitulum 7.] De hijs qui naturalem calorem debilitatum ex 1220 naturali cursu nature et resolucione naturalis et augmento extraneo confortant & restaurant

Many volumes left of sapient men — and fewe have I founde of medi- cynes whiche heete natural eni ebled and resolute of resolucioun of natural humydite and with straunge augmentyng of any other causes comforten and restoren. But sum sapient men han made a stil men-

1225 cioun of sum medicynes whiche he likeneþ to medicynes whiche goeth

1203. borage] marg. in later hand: Burag 1208. maioran] marg. in later hand: Maioran 1219–1221. De hijs . . . & restaurant] in display script; marg. in later small hand:

cap. 12 1204. fl esshly lunges: L canales [read as carnales] pulmonis ‘passage-ways of the lungs.’

1205. hevenly eeris: L spica celtica [read as celestia] ‘Celtic spikenard (Valerian celti- ca )’; see MED, s.vv. spike n.(2) and spikenard n. The occurrence of celestis coloris in the next sentence (“hevenly colour,” line 1209), describing the leaves of an herb recom- mended by Hermes, may have triggered or reinforced the error here.

1206. in the bookis of medicynes: L in libris medicine scribuntur ‘in books of medicine are written.’

1211. remayneth: L remanet nuda ‘remains bare.’ 1212. huythes of fl oodis: L rupibus fl uuiorum ‘the rocky banks of streams’; ME hithe ‘landing place along a river’ further describes the type of riverside terrain in which the

herb of heavenly-colored leaves can be found. 1222. left: L relegi ‘I have read over,’ read as relicti?

The Accidents of Age

of myners of nobil beestis, assuryng þat tho comfortith natural heete and restorith. And that thyng is likened to a thyng to the sonne only with al his natural disposicions and of holl yowth and equal of com-

1230 plexioun in al the body. And temperat signes or tokenes of equal com- plexioun bien thiese: whan heete is compowned of white and rede, and the heeris bien crul, declyneng to rednes and crisp and temper- ate after many, and his l essh is temperat in equalite and the qualite of hym, delitable in sleepis and dreames, havyng a glad face and jocunde

1235 and mirry, and temperat in desire to eete and drynk. And that thyng whiche is likened to this thyng is with temperaunce of heete, and his fume and breth is temperat and swete, that his feelyng witnessith whan the felynges and touches bien swete and free. Forwhi therfor þat thynge temperatly warmeth, forwhi it is temperatly hoote. And than it helith

1240 whan it is hote and whan it is sike it sikelith and whan it is distemperat distemperith and turnyth the body to his disposicioun, for his symili- tude and liknes that he hath in mannes body. Forwhi the ini rmyte of vnresonable beestis passith nat ouer into man but to another beest of the same kynde. But the ini rmyte of man passith ouer into man, so

1245 and as helth. Vndirstande thow, diere prince, forwhi in this thyng is al the secrete. <Galienus dicit> In whiche Galien saith, that what thyng in euery thyng dissolvith, necessarie is as to that other he be likened, 147 as it shewith in sikenessis and soores passyng from oon to another, as is

1250 the ini rmyte of eyen and sikenes of pestilence. 148 Neither it is thyng of whiche thyng the propirte hath, fforwhi nat only mannes body yieldith more neere or furþer [fol. 17r] of from corrupcioun (with whiche thei bien proporcioned) and þe bodies of many plantis tarieth from putre- faccioun. 149 And that thyng sield is founde. And liefully sumtyme it is

1255 founde, nat that it may have al comodites. And therfor bien th’uses of sapient men, in the stide and place of it, with medicynes whiche lith

1227. assuryng: L asserentes ‘asserting.’ 1228. to a thyng to the sonne only: L vni rei soli tantum ‘to just a single thing.’ 1233. many: L Plinium ‘Pliny,’ read as plurimi. 1233–1234. and the qualite of hym: L et quantitate et ipsius (somnia) ‘and in quantity,

and its dreams . . . .’ 1240. whan it is hote: L quia est sana ‘because it is healthy’ (miscopying of ‘hole’ by

the Hammond scribe?). 1252. more neere or furþer of from: L magis longinqua a ‘more distant from.’ 1253. and: L sed ‘but.’

1255. al comodites: L

ab omnibus comode ‘(it may not be had) by everyone easily.’ 1255–1256. bien th’uses of sapient men . . . with medicynes: L sunt vsi sapientes . . . medicina ‘the wise have used the medicine.’

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in th’entrails of th’erth fuli llith and preparat and other whiche swym- myth in the see 150 (liefully dyuersen bitwene hem).

Whan forsoth that thyng is likened to natural heete of holl yowth 1260 temperat of complexioun, 151 makith noble werkis. Forsoth whan it is likened to natural heete of holl yowth temperate of complexioun in al the body, it makith hye operaciouns. And in this as therfor that I have saide. Forwhi this thei seyn of medicynes and nutritives temperate chaufynges to moistures, whiche bien convenient to old men. Forwhi al

1265 tho medicynes chauffen and warmen principaly and moisten bodies, secundarily the natural hete, but this medicyne principally the natu- ral heete and secundarily the body. Forwhi the propirte of this thyng is the natural heete of old men, whan it declyneth to cold and drie, to reduce it to hoote and moiste temperat without any other nuysaunce.

1270 And this is the propir medicynes of the stomac, if with it be emplas- terd. Forwhi it comfortith hym, and excitith an appetite, and th’old man whiche is in power reducith to yowth, and rectii eth corrupt com- plexiouns. <Galienus in libro simplicium medicinarum / Salamon in lege / Johannes Damascenus in suis afforismis> And many sapient men speken

1275 of tho thynges whiche bien like vnto theym and stillen that, as Galien in the Booke of Simple Medicynes, Salamon in the lawe, and John Dama- scen in his Afforismes. 152

But note that saffron to al the forsaide thynges hath a propirte. And haply this is the medicyne of whiche the sone of the prince spek- 1280 ith in the secunde canon of operaciouns of simple medicynes, wher he saith: Ther is a medicyne whiche settith and dividith euery complex- ioun to the partie that he hath deserued to be put. 153

And forwhi many sapient han writen that sum bien medicynable and nutritief whiche natural heete eni ebled comforten and resolute restoren,

1285 wherof oon is fumus wyne myxt in whiche bie[n] v propirtes. <Galienus in Afforismis> Of the whiche spekiþ Galien in his Afforismes, and of other hesitaciouns 154 seyeng: Wyne tempred with water al the body chaufi th and warmeþ, percyng the membres, temperyng the humours, excityng natural heete; and seith that he put as moche of wyne as of water. [fol.

1290 17v] And this is to vndirstonde that he saith of fumous wyne.

1257. fulfi llith: L completa ‘completed, fulfi lled,’ read as complet. 1262. as therfor: L est proprietas ‘is the property,’ read as ut propter ‘as/so that on ac- count of’? 1263. thei seyn: L differt [var. differunt MPV] ‘is/are different,’ read as dicunt. 1278. saffron: L coitus ‘intercourse,’ read as crocus?

The Accidents of Age

Also [Haly] of Kyngly spekith in the secunde canon of rule of helth, wher he treatith of rule of drynk, seyeng whoso vsith next þe maner and tyme whiche bihovith, comfortith natural heete and strecchith it bi al the body and temperith, purgyng hote humour & bi swet and

1295 vryne; and mollii eth nature, moistyng hard membris whiche fallith of drienes bicause of superl ue labour; and brynggith in joye and gladnes and so forth and swagith malice. And he saith that hym ought to drynk subtil white wyne myxt with moche water. And this to vndirstande ther is tyme to withstande. He saith that wynes sharp and old bien to be

1300 eschewed. And if it is neede that he drynk, with swete and savoury

water tempered and that it stande vj houres or it be drunke. 155 <Isaac

in partibus de vino vinoso> Forwhi Isaac in the parties of fumous wyne, seyeng: Wyne even medled hoote bodies keelith and warmeth, cold and drie moisteth, and moiste drieth, and makith contrary operaciouns.

1305 Wherof auncient men han likened it to a grete cure. Forwhi thei han comparisoned it to have ij contrarie vertues. 156 And al the forsaide bien to vndirstande of fumous wyne evene myxt, in whiche ought to be v propirtes: heete, weight, odour, savour, and substaunce. And after it ought to be don of whos colour is citryne.

1310 But Haly vpon his Teignes seith that he ought to take white wyne whos colour declyneth to rednesse. <Avicen dicit rubeum vinum est eligendum> And Avicen saith that rede wyne is to be chosen, in substaunce cliere, and in savour nother sweete nor bitter but savoury; 157 and in this thei accorden like, that if it be fumous it ought to be myxt wiþ well water

1315 to whom ne be no straunge savour. Also Haly of Regaly seith: It is to be ware of old and sharp wyne. And Isaac seemyth to sey that of soule and lif begynneth of goode wyne. 158 But no man spekith of space of com- mixtioun and tyme but Haly of Regaly of old wyne, in the chapiter afor- saide, and shewith bi hym fforwhi, but if it be bi space of tyme evene

1320 myxt, he saith that the wyne from the water departith in the decoc- cioun of the stomac, and that is fuyry ascendith vpward and that is erthly goeth dounward and remayneth in the stomac. 159 That shewith bi

1291. Haly of Kyngly] of kyngly L Haly regalis 1292. vsith next þe maner: L vtitur eo iuxta modum ‘uses it (i.e., drink) in the manner.’

1298–1299. this to vndirstande ther is tyme to withstande: L hoc intelligendum est in tempore consistendi ‘this is to be understood (as applying) in the prime of life.’ 1306. comparisoned: L comperuerunt ‘learned, discovered,’ taken as comparaverunt ‘compared’ (poss. due to similar abbreviations of -per- and -par-). 1309. And after: L Potius autem ‘but rather,’ apparently read as postea autem ‘but afterwards.’ to be don: L exhiberi ‘to be shown’ (cf. lines 1066 above and 1454 below).

196 Everest/Tavormina

a glas vessel ful of rede wyne sette and drowned in a vessel ful of water so that non aire may entre. But thei discorden, the forsaide seyenges 1325 of sapient men, of colour and tyme whiche ought to be take. It is no wounder forwhi dyuersites of londes doþ this, forwhy vertues of plant- es varien after the dyuersite [fol. 18r] of placis and provinces, as Haly seith vpon his Teigne Galien, wher he seith of castigacioun of lechis.

Aristotil seyth in the booke whiche he made at the praier of 1330 Alisaunder that wyne availith to old men and to men habundaunt in humydite and cold and noyeth to yong men and hote. But to al men rede wyne gendrith more bloode than white and more laudable is whan wyne availith to al complexiouns. And that is that growith vpon lond strecched bitwene hilles and valeys, of whos braunchis is of goode

1335 swetnes and ripe, pari tely subtiled of the aire, that he be nat cut til the strength of his substaunce be gon out the humydite of the bark, whos colour is a meane, that is to say, half bitwene citryne and rede, of savour sharp and prikyng and delectable and cliere.

Whan suche thyng excitith, take he of it temperatly next after the 1340 age and qualite of tyme, forwhi it comfortith the stomac and strength- ith natural heet and helpith digestioun and conservith the body from corrupcioun, leedith the mete clenly to euery membre, and seeth þat mete in hem til it be turned into bloode. Also it yieldith a redy tung, gladdith the hert and leenyth hardynes, and doeth many other goode

1345 thynges. Also if it be take with grete qualit it doeth the contrarie this, that is to say, derkith vndirstandyng, lettith the brayne, i eblieth the wit to vertu natural, gendrith obliuioun and foryetyng, and hurtith al the v degrees, l eeth appetite, gendrith tremelyng and quakyng of joyntis and membris and blerid eyen, and blakkith the bloode of the

1350 herte. Wherfor ther fallith dreede and tremelyng and i ebilnes of the secrete genitals and distruccioun of natural seede and, that is worst, inducith the lepre. And so wyne folowith the nature of the serpent 160 taken above maner or mesure, of whiche accidentis bien made, forwhi thei curen grete ini rmytes and only be it knowen to al men that thei

1355 gendre in hemsilf dedly venym.

1338. cliere] marg. in later hand: Wynes 1345. with grete qualit: L in nimis magna quantitate ‘in excessively large quantity’ (cf.

Language Note to lines 1233–1234 above). 1348. degrees: L sensus ‘senses’; it is not clear to us how sensus might be read as gra-

dus here. 1353. accidentis: L antidota [var. antitoda BES] ‘antidotes.’

The Accidents of Age