¶ Here beginneth a little treatise called the governal of health with the medicine of the stomach. ✚   

IN this treatise that is clipped governal of health. What is to be said with Christ's help of some things that long to bodily health had & to be kept or to bodily health lost & to bear covered & is departed in viii chapters that is to say. ¶ In the first chapter of the profit of good governal of health. ¶ In the second chapter what is first on morrow to be done. ¶ In the iii chapter of bodily exercise that is to say business & his profit. In the fourth chapter of spices of exercise. ¶ In the fifth chapter how a man should behave him in meet eating. ¶ In the sixth chapter how a man should be have him in drinking of his drinks. ¶ In the seventh chapter what should be done after mete. ¶ In the viii chapter of the noise of evil governance.  
IT needeth him that will have long life to know the craft of wholesome governance. And so for to keep continually the health of his body/ for else he may not come to his natural end/ but he shall die or his kindly time come/ and therefore thus saith Galyen the cunning. ¶ He saith of wholesome governance is marvelous/ for it maketh a ma to live till he be old and without sickness in the last of his old age. Therefore the same Galyen after that he knew the craft of wholesome governance/ came never in to no sickness but seld/ that was into a fymeran that is to say a sharp fever & that was for travail in visiting of his friends/ about the common profit/ for thus he saith/ ¶ I take god to record & his angels assigned to keep me that who that wilfully and busily will study in the treatise of wholesome governance & will keep all hole the doctrine thereof he shall never die but on & upon kindly death which death is sweet & soft without great pain as the same Galyen witness the in the difference of feveries. But understand that wholesome governance may not duly keep that most needs be occupied will him or nill him and may not when him needeth leave of for thy it needeth him that he have that needeth him to his life without travail and pencyfull and in all things that he be of free condition. And furthermore it is to weet that viii things at the least been need full in wholesome governaylle of the which the first is a discrete chose of thoo things that shall be eeten or drunken. ¶ The second is welfull bodily exercise to foore meet and that till the sweating begin/ of namely till his wind change fro sloughe to sweetness. ¶ The third is well profitable and well needful that all that shall be eaten be weal and small chewed. ¶ The fourth is that thou eat while thou hast talon to eat. The .v. is that thou speak on morrow till thou wake by thine own will/ for as Arystotle saith not only in meats & drinks be we nourished and fostered but also in sleep. ¶ The vi is that thou take no meet & drink in sorrow ne in care but in joy as much as thou may The vii is that thou have ne hold no cold in winter ne in summer after blood letting. The viii is that thou use saffron in thy meet/ for it quickeneth kindly heat and comforteth thy digestion and tarrieth thine old age and bringeth in gladness & letteth thine humours fro roting and drying.  
IT is in stories of our elders that on a time a mighty king brought together three of the best leches that might be/ of Ynde/ of Mede/ and of Grece. and he commanded them that each of them should study to assign the best medicine which if a man would use should profit him to help of body & him should need none other medicine. Truly the leech of Grece assigned and said that every day a man to take ii his mouth full of hot water/ should make a man so hole that him should need none other medicine. And the leech of Mede assigned and said that it should profit much every day fasting to take gromel sede/ & I say said Arystotle that he that sleepeth so moche that he hath no heaviness in his womb of meet that he took to fore him dare not dread of any great sickness ne of the gout Also who that eateth every day early seven drams that is to say xxi penny weight of sweet raisins he dare not dread of flewmy sickness & his mind shallbe amended and his understanding shall be slere/ and who that useth in the time according to his complexion may be sure & dread not of the fever quarteyne. ¶ Also who that etethe nots & figs with a few leaves of rue that day shall no venom him noye. It was axed of Galyen what medicine were most profitable & he answered abstinence. And constantyne saith in his book that height vyaryk that who so will keep his continual health keep his stomach so that when him needeth meet leave it not ne take no more thereof than him needeth/ & the same understand of drink/ also in wholesome governance sleeth/ wrath great thought/ heaviness/ anger & such other. ¶ For all ghostly accidents that is to say sudden falling in to a man's mind outaken joy alonely dry & that moisteth nevertheless some heateth as wrath/ for thy wrath profiteth to phlegmatic men and it harmeth cleryk men. Moreover it is to wete that in lente season/ that is to say in veer & in the beginning of summer children be well at ease after the likeness of tempered qualities but other aeges been well at ease in contrarious times as old men in summer & young men in winter/ also in wholesome governance keep this rule if thou wilt be hole & sound/ flee heavy charges be not wroth/ soup not to late/ & i'll under meal sleep wake after meet and eschew & spare strong drinks & namely of wine: hide not thy piss/ nor constrain the not to siege/ keep well these three things/ gladness in mind/ travail in measure/ & rule of meet/ and drink as thou would/ eat boldly in winter/ and in veer scarcely/ and in summer measure well thy meats/ and flee namely fruits of August. Arystotle writing to great Alexandre and said sith to man is a bretyll body me seemeth I should write unto the some profitable thing of leechcraft if thou wilt he said busily behold the ensample of wholesome governance and live after this precious order of diet ye shall need no leech out take accidents of battle/ & such other/ what is first on morrow to be done  
AFter that a man hath well and peaceably fulfilled his sleep look he rise & cloth himself with good cloth and sweet if he have them/ then he oweth to walk a little evenly to stretch out his limbs & comb his heed for why kembing draweth out the vapours that come fro the stomach to the heed in time of sleep/ & therewith look that ye be busy to put out the superfluities of the body insyeging pissing coughing and spitting/ then look he wash his hands & his face in summer with cold water/ & in winter with hot water. Then look he pray & praise his lord after his doctrine of his law/ & visit the poor in god/ then if he like him he should study or read dispute or talk and wise men's council saying busily here & in measure be merry & flee utterly wrath & sorrow in asmuch as he may/ & use himself measurably to travail as walking or riding & in clean high places fro mire & marros/ for this profiteth moche for it breaketh wind in a man's body & strengeth & lengeth his limbs & comforteth the heat of the stomach and strengeth his joints/ and melteth evil humours.  

¶ Of the body exercise and of his profit.  
WE owen unto know by actors of leechcraft that though that shall live fair and well in wholesome governance/ aught to have even and tempered exercise to fore meet/ for that giveth to all the body tempered heat even and not passing/ which should a man's exercise be/ a phecysyen describeth thus. Exercise is a wilful moving by which a man's wind is made great & oft it needeth that this travail be wilful/ & not stressed by need but that he be all fire and work after his own will. And therefore labour of carpenters & plowmen masones mariners & such other is none exercise of leechcraft/ for it hath not properly wilful moving/ merchants truly burgeys cloisterers & such other walking well & long/ but it is not properly exercise of leechcraft. But when a man walketh freely of his own will/ & so swiftly till he begin to faint & his wind change/ then anon he should rest/ for if he moved any ferther/ it should be pain & faintness/ & such exercise is cleped tempered for thereby grow many gods to man's body first for thereby is the kindly heat strengthened & each & so been other four virtues that is to say/ virtue drawing/ virtue defying/ virtue withholding/ and virtue out putting and so been there .v. bodily wits/ that is to say/ hearing/ saying/ smelling/ tasting/ & feeling/ & so been there three myndly virtues/ that is to say/ maginityf dyscretyf & memoratyf. And though error happened in all these werkynges of leechcraft so it were not to notable & exercise were as should be should never man's body need other medicine/ for exercise fulfilleth the defaults of all other/ for they be not merry the dread blodeletting & such other/ but by exercise may be heeled nevertheless two things been needful to every well exercised that is to say that he be not to full ne to empy to full than would the humours louse and so were great dread of the liver or some fever or sudden death for thy in such a case look that there be long discrete abstinence so that he be not to empty for than should his body he feeble out of measure and at the last for feebleness it must needs lose/ therefore who that is to empty it needeth that he labour not till he be more & better relieved. ¶ Truly auctors say that exercise is one of the highest & noblest thing that may be done of to man's body & full needful it is in governal of health & lengthing of life for why exercise fulfilleth the medicines of bloods & bathynges and such other things/ & therein is no dread nor bitterness ne expenses/ but therein is pure recreation of body & of soul so it be done in clean places/ and than should men show themself to the clean air & delight in saying far & near. water & land/ heaven & earth/ green & fallow ¶ And in all these he should praise and worship our lord god ¶ Fulgens dyscryvyth exercise in a full manner thus saying exercise is true keeping of man's life and prick of kind sleeping & the filth of foul colour & tending of slothes heat & wasting of superfluities & sadding of limbs & slaying of sicknesses & driving away of vices medicine of langores winning of time & debt of youth & joy of old or age & help of health enemy of idleness and destroying of all evil. ¶ But among all other things it is to wite that exercise measureth measurably heateth a man's blood & drieth it. And therefore measurable phlegmatic men should use it & rest cooleth a man & moisteth him & that is good for choleric men for thy he alone draweth himself from exercise that would fain fail joy and felicity in this life. Galyen saith that great purgations & vomits should not be taken but selden & for great need for why ¶ Who so will each month once or twice greatly purge himself he shall bring his body to many evil uses for he shall engender therein many noyous humours for why each day exercise is fulled full to keep a man's health for who that eateth or drinketh moche/ may not be hole but if he will somewhat sleep & swink. Then these things that be said it showeth that measured exercise hath many profits for it/ stirreth the kindly heat & openeth the poors/ & looseth cold and thick tough humours And when they been loused beareth them out at the poors & maketh a man's joints sliper & light & it comforteth all the membres of a man's body. Wherefore noyous humours been more handsomely purged & measured by exercise than by laxatives or vomytees/ for neither of them may be without empeyrement of kind/ and right as due keeping of kindly exercise is needful/ so other while is rest. For why rest in as much as it is contrary to exercise/ some is bodily/ some is ghostly/ of which each either if it be measured after that kind would it is heleful both to the body and soul/ and if it be not so it is contrary. ¶ For why if rest be to much it engendereth nourisheth and multypleth evil humours and increaseth moche corruption. For why when water resteth to much it stynketh/ so Iron and each metal rusteth when it resteth.   

¶ The spices of exercise.  
spices of exercise been there well many as there been diverse states of persons/ some been strong and some be feeble/ some rich and some poor/ and some prelate's at the large and some subjects and enclosed & sometime weather is fair & clear & sometime not so but dark & rain/ & therefore it needeth to have spices of exercise for why the best spice & the first is to walk tofore meet in high places and clean. Another spice is to ride & that is for rich men/ but great prelate's must have other manner of exercise for why in chamber shall be a great cord knitted in the end & hanged up/ and take that cord with both hands and stand upright so that thou touch not the earth and stand a good while then run as much as thou mayst heder and thither with that cord and other while skip/ and if this please the not/ have a stone of. xxx.li. weight or there about and if thou wilt have health therein oft bear that stone fro that one side of the house to that other side/ or a long while hold up that stone or thou let it down or bear it about thy neck/ or bythene thine hands/ and so of other manners till thou faint or thus hold a staff in thy hand & let another take it from the if he may with even draft/ or thus close a penny in thine hand and let an other take it if he may or thus hold thy breath as long as thou mayst and then puff it out as herd as thou mayst do. ¶ And this manner of exercise is full profitable to put out noyous superfluities/ for why many superfluities in sleep been witholden therefore if thou have none other manner of exercise holding of breath helpeth it moche. ¶ Yet there been other manners of exercise for young men that been lusty as to run/ to wrestle/ to leap/ too cast the stone/ and so of other plays/ also tempered freshly companing with a young brown woman is good in winter/ and with a young white woman is good in summer & is also good and helping in governing of health to body but not to soul/ except to them than that mown have it by god's laws so nevertheless that there be so moche time between that he feel himself eased & lightened in his body and that he eat the better and sleep the better. But therewith understand that asmuch as helpeth tempered compaynyenge so moche noyeth dystempred companyenge and namely to much for it cooleth him wasteth him & feebleth him. For why man's kind is made of the best blood and best defied that hastily may torn in to man's limbs. And for why when a man casteth out that noble humours to moche he is hugely dyosclored and his body much feebled more than he let four scythes so much blood out of his body/ also who that moche dealeth or companyeth fleshly with a woman lightly catcheth the palsy with more evil.   

¶ How a man should behave him in eating.  
When a man hath well exercised him as it is said tofore/ rest a while after and when a little fresh wheat breed well baked and somedeal soured then drink a draft of good clear wine or other good savoury drink then rest a while after & study in some wise means then have some solace & mirth with thy friends & with other honest company. Then against even take thy meet and supper most savourly but if thy custom be there against. But general rule of all fysyke and leches/ is that thine hour of eating be when thou art kindly hungry/ & tofore ye hungers eat not/ but if it be a little mess of good werme meet to provoke thyn appetite with & when thou hast appetite let not/ for as a fecysyon saith the stomach out of use to suffer hunger fulfilleth the body of rotten humours. And then will a man's body wax naughty humours/ because that the colere is drawn to the mouh of stomach/ so that aftward when he would eat he may not. furthermore it is to wit that no man should eat but he knew certainly his stomach void of that thing that he eat to fore/ & that shall a man know by desire that he hath to eat/ & by plenty of spitting coming up to his mouth. For who that eateth without desire of his meet shall find the kindly heat of his stomach cold/ & he that eateth with desire he shall find kindly his stomach give up a smell and savour like incense/ by these & such other should be understand of them that have meet ordained at their own will/ and who that will not eat when some ever that he might have meet for they been not bounden to the laws of this craft dyatory as to the qualities of the meats/ understand that thilk meet which that most governeth thine health should not be passing in any quality/ for why/ meats that been to hot burn the blood as pepper/ garlic/ onions/ cresses/ sage/ mints percely/ and such other/ and though meats that been to cold fresen the blood/ as lettuce/ pursylam/ gourds & such other. And if thy meats been to watery than they rote the blood/ as been melons/ cocumbres/ & if thy meats been to dry it throweth out thine victual virtues & if thy meats been to fat they let thy digestion and if thy meats been to sweet they stoup that and make the constypute & costyffe & thy meats been bitter they nourish the not. And if thy meats be to salt they bren noye & break thy stomach and if thy meats been to sour they make the son old. For thy none of these meats moche & continually use is good to health of man's body but only that meet is good that is tempored & lacketh to mykelnesse as been these good meats for health of man's body & wholesome lamb or young kids souking calves hens capons chekyns ꝑtryches plovers fesauntes small birds of the field and of the wood but not of the water. And when the season cometh young rabottes & pigs feet been good & other extremities as groyen and ears & scaled fish of clean running water Rear eyren or eggs. Also borage ox tongues wheat breed well bake & wellavyned & somedeal salted of that that is one day old or twain & of other that been not to much passing in any quality & if we dread excess of any quality amend it by the contrary thereof an ensample if thou be seek of evil and tough meats use therefore sharp meats & short as a little of hard cheese scraped small and of little quantity/ & also a peer or two or three of the most best fruit to thy complexion & nature. soothly salt meats sour and bitter may be amended with sweet apples sweet meats been amended with sweet honey and good old wine & so of all other and if thou wilt eat fruit eat them fast cheryse/ grapes and almonds and after meet a few peers quinces and nots a few while they been green and walnottes been best but let the skin be clean picked away fro the meet. Also the complexion of a man should be looked to as if he tempered keep him so with like meats and drinks and if it be dystempred by his contrary bring it little and little again to tempre and for why to sangweyn men dystempred give malyncolyous meats and to malyncolyous men sangweyn meats & to phlegmatic men/ colered meats/ for every evil complexion may be brought to temper. But if necessaries of livelihood let it. And know when thou wilt & note it for a sovereign notabylyte/ who that eateth oft milk & fish oft katche thereof a leper or a white scab. Also oft to use high coloured wine & milk together bringeth a man to both leper and scab/ here none sufficeth of quality of meats as to the quantity/ understand that thy meet ne thy drink should be no more/ but as thy kindly health might overcome it else/ thy body shall waste & thy virtues vex feeble. And for the quantity of meats drinks may not certainly be spewed look how thou felyst it hath done the most good and such quantity use. ¶ furthermore understand that no man should eat anon after his exercise ne anon after he were bathed/ but first rest him a while so that he hunger & then when he will eat if he be a rich man set tofore him many meets of which that one is better than that other For a fecysyon saith it shall better save him & better nourish him & skill why for meet that is taken with delight the stomach hugely coveteth hastily katcheth long holdeth & well defyeth & that meet that is best defyeth is most nourishing for man's body. Truly other meet that is not defied is taken with fulsonnes & defyeth not well/ for why a man desire more mutton than a capon the mutton shall rather be eaten & so of all other meats. But there that is moche distance in quality of meats we may not do thus & also beware that it be none errant appetite as in women that been with child & though it otherwhile be ye shall it not always be denied. furthermore as Galyen saith that at one meal men should not eat divers meats & therefore at morrow eat but breed alone & at even flesh alone for when two divers meats been take at one male of them come two evils one in either by itself another in them both together in themself for then one travaileth to torn in to great and heavy humours and that other in to subtle and light in them both for if subtle meet go before it is first defied and goeth forth and draweth with him the great meats undefyed and if the great meats go first tofore than the subtle meet is not medefyed & may not for the great go forth & so it waxeth corrupt And which of these manners ever it be always it is evil but more evil it is that the subtle follow the great for the chaufing/ and changing in to kind of raunes may be helped/ but the changing in to corruption never or selden and of wonder hard is helped. ¶ And thereto accordeth Galyen a fycysyon & other doctors but nevertheless peradventure a contrarious custom long used may do away the corruption. ¶ Also weet well that virtue of defying is oft broken when raw meet is put on half sudden for th'one rawness showeth out the other & so the half sudden is corrupt. Moreover that no man eat so moche that the stomach be evyed therewith ne that his appetite cease. But who that useth great exercise and to much & seld and therewith eateth unruly and contyneth it he shall die by sudden death or shall feel wicked sickness ye though his meet were right good for by cause his digestion is corrupt therefore keep well thy stomach from to much meet & drink. And it so mishap any time anon with water and oil of such other spew it out anon/ and than sleep and if thou may not sleep walk softly up and down and xxiiii hours eat not after/ ne drink not then eat a little with a draft of good clean wine so the wine be not to great ne of high colour & on the third day have some exercise & be bathed than eat a little after & after sleep & thou may then use this electuare dyatryon as saith a fycysyon. Two cause be of sicknesses that is diverse meats & long sitting & moche etynge of diverse meats for of them been gendered divers humours some good & some evil long sitting for then the meet that is first take is defied or the last begin to defy and so that is defied draweth with him to the liver that is undefyed and so these two been cause of great sicknesses. Also as old wise men saying/ manshold never eat his fill at one meal in taking divers meats for as a wiseman saith no thing is worse than to multeply meats & so to sit long thereat for thy he saith that men in old time were satisfied at morrow with breed alone & therewith they said reasonably the more meet should be toward even/ but the custom were contrary for a vycenne saith that hole men should better eat at against night then on morrow for the kindly heat is closed within them & gathereth about the bowels/ nevertheless phlegmatic men eat not to cold for they need but little exercise to move her kindly heat which more weete by the morrow But now the most usage is here again & among many men it is found more wholesome to eat by day then by night & peraventure that is skill of custom And therefore thus saith a wise man short souper & light souper is selden grievous great soupers noyen as leches teach we read it oft openly also as a vycenne saith between two etynges xi hours to be is profitable & so eat thrice in two days as to day twice and to morrow but ones and so to continue forth so that if error fall in twice eating/ and so again ward for that one must be amended by that other sith it is hard to live without error in moreover understand that men that have good understanding/ eating for they would live but they that gone by flesshelynes would live for to eat & ontrary to nature. ¶ And wit thou well that too a coleryk mannes stomach when the virtue is strong and great heat great meats been good. As be of pork great venison & great bestly fishes rough & great breed salt meet flesh half sudden & great mighty coloured wine/ & if the heat of the stomach be feeble & if he have but little exercise the meats aforesaid would much noye hym-but to such a stomach give subtle meats as chickens & small fishes of stony running water. rear eggs breed well baken & well soured small wine & of clean & orient colour not deep & such other. ¶ But these meats should be corrupt of an hot stomach/ & if the virtue dygestyffe be in the mean time of dieting as capons hens partridges & such other. Also and governance of health i'll all cessyvous meats & namely these but if it be for a medicine/ i'll also all fruits and all herbs that been not good as these namely/ coal wortes & lettuce for they make malycolyous blood Galyen saith that my father ever forbade me that I should eat no new fruits & green if I would be without sickness/ & while he lived so did I & was also without sickness/ & when he was deed I eat fruits & caught the fevers/ & after that I caught cunning to keep myself I kept me from fruits. And I had no more the fevers/ but if it were a little sharp. fever called offymera/ & all my friends that kept my doctrine/ kept them from fruits & had their health/ arnold a great clerk saith thus. In lente long usage of stopping meats/ as fish & pese pottage therefore it is profitable first to eat porrey of peasen/ for this is a war that wise men hath commended/ & thus it is made/ do pesen in fair water all night & in the same water boil them on the morrow a good while & then cleanse them and keep the cleansing and when meet time cometh do thereto a little wine powder of spyknard a little saffron & clean small salt & then boil it on a walm/ & so eat it for it openeth & cleanseth well the capital veins of the liver & the ways oft of the urine/ & keepeth fro the stone & gravelles namely if the foresaid pesyn be sudden in the foresaid water with persely.   

¶ How a man should behave him in his drink.  
THe less ye drink at meet the better it is ever so it be measurably taken/ for a man should not at meet drink moche lest it make meet to swim in his stomach/ wherefore men should drink a little/ so that the meet be well meddled & tempered together. And then let it be a long while or thou drink again/ & than drink a great draft at ones ne drink not to much after the first morsel in no manner of wise/ but drink oft a little & a little of small clean wine best according to health & governing of thy complexion & nature/ & for health of body is clean & small claret wine not to new ne to mighty so it be well & proporsyonly tempered with the quantity of clean water. More over no man be so hardy to drink fasting cold water/ nor after that he hath accompanied with a woman nor after great travail nor after exercise till he have first rested him/ nor by night namely if he have glove tofore/ for why long sleep and fast sleeping is cure thereto.   

¶ What shall be done after mete.  
AFter when thou haste eat thou shouldest stand or walk a little softly up and down till thy meet go down to the bottom of the stomach and then sleep a little if that thou be used thereto both the day and the night namely sleep first on thy right side for that is kindly for thy digestion shall be better for then lieth thy liver under thy stomach/ as fire under a cauldron. And after thy first sleep torn on thy left side that thy right side may be rested of thy long lying thereon. And when thou hast lain thereon a good while & slept turn again on thy right side & there sleep all night forth/ & look that thou lie not to straight ne to crooked with thy legs but in a mean between straight & crooked. And in no wise lie not upright/ for them will the superfluities abide within the & turn to wicked & grievous evils contrary to health. Also to lie grovelling on the womb is good/ so that thy breath be not grieved therewith & the heavier & the greater thy meet be & the more thou haste taken thereof/ ever the longer thy night sleep be & ever the subtyler that thy meet be and the less thou have ever the less should thy sleep be. For sleep is full helpy to old men for it maketh them moist and therefore saith Galyen when he was old he eat letuses with spices for he would sleep the better. More over sleep is full helpy to the digestion of thy meats but not anon after that thou hast eaten for thou mightest be strangled. Also wit thou that if a man before avauntyssyed of his body/ moche sleep then is not good for him for it will waste his moistness/ and of one thing beware that to long sleep or to short feebleth a man's body and breaketh it. And after thou hast eaten take no latuaryes nor other hot things for they turn thy meet to corruption nor anon after thou haste eat run not nor ride not to fast for then every strenge moving thing turneth thy meet to corruption/ also the virtue dygestyffe is nourished through rest also after meet & tofore as much as thou mayst slay wrath sorrow & pencyfulnesse & right as tofore me exercises been good so after meet they noye & rest is best. Moreover Aueroys saith right as cold water cast in a pot boiling letteth the boiling for a time/ so to drink after meet namely soon letteth the digestion & maketh it to cease for a time/ & therefore it is not good after meet to drink moche till the meet be defied/ but after meet to suffer thrust somewhat is good. And if thou wilt easily void thy stomach stand after thy souper till thou be weary or walk a thousand paces & wit thou that glotery & when thy meet defyeth not well what ever the case be bathing ne blood letting ne exercise been not good but rest sleep abstinence & dyatryon pypyon. Exercise is not good for thereby should thick raw humours be lole & then thereof the limbs should be nourished & that were evil/ for why in such exercise the kindly heat is not comforted but more feebled & strangled for the raw humours are dissolved for right as water quencheth fire so raw humours quencheth kindly health.   

¶ Of 'noys of evil governance.  
THere been many that only not use evil governance in meats & drinks but also maintain it/ & as they sayn been well at ease & well defyen & they scorn leches & otherwise men that use good governance for they believe that they should be excused of their error by their long custom for why custom is a full strength in keeping of man's body. And the said Galyen thus custom is better defied/ wherefore thus saith Auyceme evil meet used is better than good meet not used the contrary of all these saith Constantyne as it seemeth thus glad they not that use evil meet though they be not now hurt aft they shall not so escape/ heart men may say the custom accordeth with kind or if it accord it shall be held & if it accord not & be not rooted it shall be cast away but not suddenly but little & little. ¶ For thy though it seem them that good governaylle of custom that they been well by reason of custom/ virtue/ strength or age. ¶ nevertheless her virtues wasting privily & so every day they ordain them to leper or to sudden death. As they that long time use beef old salted or bestly fishes or raw flesh or they that sleep to little/ or exercise to moche after meet or out of measure cold or hot and so of many other truly of such it may be said. But if they leave of/ they shall not a start the broke of death.  

FOr health of body cover for cold thy heed  
Eat no raw meet take good heed thereto  
Drink wholesome wine feed the on light breed  
With an appetite rise from thy meet also  
With women fleshly have not a do  
Upon thy sleep drink not of the cup  
Glad toward bed at morrow both two  
And use never late for to sup  
And if it so be that leches done the fail  
Then take good heed to use things three  
Temporat diet temperate travail  
Not malyncolyous for none adversity  
meek in trouble glad in poverty  
Rich with little content with suffisance  
Never grudging merry like thy degree  
If fysyk lack make this thy governance  
To every tale give thou no credence  
Be not to hasty ne suddenly vengeable  
To poor folk do no violence  
courteous of language of feeding measurable  
On sundry meet not greedy at the table  
In fedynnge gentle prudent in dalliance  
Close of tongue in word not deceivable  
To say the best set always thy pleasance  
Have in hate mouths that been double  
Suffer at thy table no detraction  
Have despite of folk that been troublous  
Of false raveners and adulation  
Within thy court suffer no division  
within thy household it shall cause increase  
Of all welfare prosperity and foison  
With thy neighbours live in lest and peace  
Be clean clad after thine estate  
Pass not thy bonds keep thy promise belive  
With three folk be not at debate  
first with thy better beware for to strive  
Against thy fellow no quarrel for to contrive  
With thy subject to strive it were shame  
Wherefore I council pursue all thy live  
To live in peace/ and get the a good name  
Fire at morrow and toward bed at eve  
Again mists black/ and air of the pestilence  
Be time at mass thou shalt the better achieve  
first at thy rising to do god reverence  
visit the poor with entyere diligence  
On all needy have compassion  
And god shall send grace & Influence  
The to increase and thy possession  
Suffer no surfeits in thy house at night  
Ware of rear soupers and of great excess  
Of nodding heads and of candle light  
Of sloth at morrow ne eslombre Idylnesse  
Which of all vices chief porteresse  
Void and dronklew/ liars and lechers  
Of all unthrifty exile the master  
That is to say dice players & hazarders  
After meet beware make not to long sleep  
Heed foot & stomach preserve aye from cold  
Be not to pensive of thought take thou no keep  
After thy rent maintain thy household  
Suffer in time in thy right be bold  
Swear none oaths no man to beguile  
In thought be lusty sad when thou art old  
No worldly joy lasteth but a while  
Drink not at morrow before thine appetite  
From thing contrary to their complexion  
Of great hands the stomach hath great panyne  
Thus in two things standeth all thy wealth  
Of soul and of body who so list them show  
Moderate food giveth to man his health  
And all surfeits doth from him remove  
And charity to the soul is dew  
This receit bought is of no apothecary  
Of master Antony ne of master Hugh  
To all indyferent it is richest dyetarye     

¶ Here endeth the governal of health. Enprented in fleet street in London in the sign of the son by Wynkyn de word.  

winkin de word