decorative border  
¶ Here bigynneth the difference of astronom, with the gouernayle to keep mans body in health, all the four seasons of the year.  
 woodcut of astronomer surrounded by four stars   


¶ Of the difference of astronomy.  
ALexander fayresone, I pray thee that yf thou mayst do it, that thou rise not, nor eat, nor drink, nor do any other thing, but by the council of somethat knoweth and hath the science in knowlegynge the stars and astronomy. And thou shalt wyte my dere sone that almighty god hath made nothing without cause, but hath done every thing reasonably. And by certain sciences & ways, the wise phylozopher Platon sought and felt the operacyons of all things composed of the four elements, & the humours contraries. And had also the knowledge of the things created and formed. And also my dere sone Alexander I pray the believe not such fools which say that the science of the planets is so hard to be known, and that none may come thereto. Surely they be fools and wote not what they say. It is a noble thing to know things which be to come. Yf thou knowest the things which be to come, thou and other persons may put remedy by good prayers. And require the creature that hath ordained thē to return their malice, and ordain them otherwise. think nor dere sone that god hath ordained and predestynate such things, but that by his power he may change them otherwise when he pleaseth. Wyte thou deresonne that the good people pray to our creature with orisons and devout petitions, by fasting & sacrefyces, byalmesse and other maner, axynge of pardon of their sins and doing penance, that our lord may return and remember such predestynacyons which other do fear so much. ¶ return we deresone to our first purpose, wyte thou that astronomy is devised in. iiij. partes. That is to wyte in ordinance of stars, In the disposition, of signs, and of their elongacyons. Of the moving of the son. And this partre is called science of astronomy: The other parte is of the knowledge of the moving of the says & of the moon. And this party is called astronomy. And is the worthiest, of stars, planets, and signs. And, there is M. xxviij. planets signed and formed, of the which we shall speak more plainly.   

¶ Of the gouernayle of health.  
HEalth among all things is to be gott●n & hath more than any might of r●chesses. For the keeping of health is by using of equal things conioy●ned to thē body, as by aftemperaunce of humours. For the glorious god hath ordained them, and given dyvers remedies to the aftemperaunce of the humours to the keeping of health. And hath shewed it to his holy men and prophetes, and to many other just men which he dyde choose and enlumyned with the holy ghost, in his sapience divine, and mighty. And hath given them the gifts of the science of these things here after following. These philosophers put the beginning of it. That is to wit they of ynde, of Grece, and of Athenes. which philosophers were just and perfect, and their wr●tynges were the beginning of science and secrets. For in their writings is nothing found to be reproved nor sp●ylt, but approved of all wisemen▪   

¶ Of the gouernayle of sick people.  
ALl wise and natural philosophers say that man is made and composed of four contrary humours, the which haue alway need to be sustained with meate and drink. The substance whereof behoveth to issue and be corrupt yf any do alway eat and drink, and he should wax weyke and fall in great dyseses and haue many inconveniences. But yf he eat and drink temperately and he shall finde help of life, strength of body, and health of all the membres The wise philosophers say that yf any man trespass the god of nature, and the good maner of living, be it into much eating and drinking, or to much sleeping, or waking, into much walking or restynge, being to laxatyfe, or to much letting of blood or to little, it can not be but he must fall into many diseases, and greves. Of the which diseases I haue bryefly found, and therein I will shewethe my council, and remedy for the same. All wise philosophers accordeth in one asking. Who so keepeth him fro over much eating and drinking, & from that excesses aforesaid, and keepeth temperance, he shall be healthful of his body / and live long. For I can finde no man but he is of this opinion, and wylsay that aldelectable things of the world, be it inpleasure of the body, it is but for to live the longer in them. But for a more secret ye ought to enforce you to do such things as ben belonging to long life, and not to folowethe appetite, that is to wit not to put lie meate vpon ●eate. And dere sone I haue herde often spoken of hippocras which kept manytymes diet to the end that he might live andendure the longer. Not for to live and endure for the meate and drink. Also dere sone it is great holsomnesse to be purged of superfluytes & evil humours which ben in the body.   

¶ In howe many manners a man may keep his health.  
GOod sone I pray the haue in thy mind steadfastly these certain instruccyons & keep thē. know thou that health is chiefly in two things. The first is let a man use such meats and drinks as he hath ben nourished with. The second that he purge him of ill humours that be corrupt and grieve him. For the body of man is fed with meats & drinks which nourish it by natural heat that drieth, nourisheth and feedeth the moistness therof.   

¶ Of dyvers meats for the stomach.  
when the body is fat and full of vapours, gross meats is good for it. And of the nourysshynge of such a body, the digestion is gross, and of great quantity for the great heat, and vapours of the body And when the body is slender & dry a subtle and moist meats be good for it. And the digestion therof is of small quantity for the streytnesses of the conduytes. And it is great wisdom and science for a man to use such meats as ben good and appertenent to his complexion, that is to wit yf he feed him with hote meats temperately But yf the heat be to grievous and brenning with in the body by over strong wines and hote meats, or other accydentes than contrary meats and drinks will do great ease and profit, that is to wit such as bencolde.  

¶ Of the stomach.  
¶ Yf the stomach be to hote, than hot & course meats be good. For such a stomach is like a mighty fire for to brenne great weight of logs. But when the stomach is cold and feeble than it is good to haue light and subtle meats.   

¶ The signs to knowledge the stomach.  
¶ The signs of a stomach that is of an ill and weyke digestion is when the body is unlusty, heavy, and slothful the face is swollen, and he yaneth often, and hath pain in his eyen, and holketh often and rudely and the bolkynge is sour and unsavoury, watery and styukynge, and thereby is bred winds and swelling of the bely & the appetyre of meate is marred. therefore sweet sone be ware of meats & drinks that may hurt or becontrary to thy health.    

¶ An epistle of great value.  
most dere sone Alexander sythe it is so that the body of man is corruptible by diversity of complexion, and of contrary humours that be in it, whereby often there cometh corruption to it, I thought to deliver the some thing that shall be necessary and profetable to the. In the which I will treat of the secrets of physic which shall please the For certain diseases come to a king which be not honest to show to physycyons. And yf thou wilt observe this lesson, thou shalt haue no need of Physycyons, except in causes that may come in battle, the which may be exchewed. Alexander fair sone when thou rysest from thy sleep, walk and stretch thy membres eqally and comb thy heed, for stretchynge of the lymbes giveth force, and combynge reyseth the vapours that ben come in sleeping and putteth them from the stomach. In summer was she thy heed in cold water, which shall yield the natural heat, and shall because of appetite to meate. Than cloth thee with goodly and rich apparel. For the heart of man delighteth in the beholding of precious meats and clothing. Than rub thy teeth with some course lynnyn, or other thing that is hote and dry of complexion, and sweet of smell for it is wholesome for the teeth, and keepeth them clene, cleanseth the stench of the muoth and clereth the voice, and giveth appetite to eat. And rub the heed often in the same wise for it openeth the claustres of the brain, and thycketh the neck and other members, and cleanseth the face and the sight, and prolongeth stowpynge of age, and amendeth the blood. Also anoint the sometime with sweet smelling ointments, as the time requireth, for in such sweetness thy heart taketh great pleasure, & is nourished thereby. And the spirit of life taketh refection in good odoures: and the blood sinneth merely through▪ the bains of the body. After that take sometime an electuary of a wood called Aloes / and rhubarb which is a precious thing, to the price of four pens, which thou shalt finde written in the book of physycke, and this shall do the much good, for it voideth the heat of the Mouth, of the stomach, and warmeth the body and wasteth winds, and maketh good taste and savour. After this I council thee that thou be often with thy noble and wise men of thy realm, and speak to them of thy besynesses that thou hast to do. And govern them sadly according to their good customs.   

¶ Of the maner to travail.  
OR ever thou eat, or thine appetite cometh at thine hour accustomend do some travail, that is to wit walk or tide a little, or do some other work, for it helpeth the body much, it avoydeth all ventosytees, and maketh the body lighter, stronger and lustyeth the stomach, and wasted evil humours of the body and maketh the phlegm of the stomach descend.   

¶ Of the maner of eating.  
¶ fair sone when thy meate is set afore thee, eat of such as thou desirest most, reasonably, with well leuayned breed. And eat of such as ought to be first eaten. For there be two manners of digestion of meate in a man, that is to wit, soft, and hard. For in the bottō is most heat for to make meate, because it is most fleshly, and nighest the heat of the liver where with the meate is sudden and digested   

¶ Of abstinence of meate.  
when thou eatest, eat by leisure, though thou haue great appetite to eat. For yf thou eat gredelye naughty humours do multiply the stomach is laden the body is grieved, the heart is hurt, and the meate remaineth in the stomachs bottom undigested.   

¶ Howe pure water ought not to be drunken.  
ALso beware deresone that ye drink no pure water, specially when thou hast eaten meate. But yf thou be wont thereto. For as soon as the water is vpon the meat, it coleth the stomach, and quencheth the heat of the digestion and comfort of the meate. It letteth digestion and grieveth the body. Yf thou must ned●s drink water alone, take it the most temperatlye, and as little as thou mayst.   

¶ Of the maner to sleep.  
when thou hast taken thy refection and hast lust to sleep lie down on asofte bed and sleep temperately. And first lie down on the leftesyde, and sleep thereon a reasonable space, for the left side is cold and hath need of warmeth. And yf thou feel any pain in thy bely or in thy stomach, than lay thereto a sovereign medicine, that is a warm lynnē cloth laid thereon, wit thou dere sone that travail is good and giveth heat to the stomach, but after dinner it is a naughty thing for the meate abideth undigested in the bottom of the stomach, and therof be bred many diseases. And sleep before feeding it is not good, for it maketh the body leave and drieth the humours. But sleeping after feeding is good, for it fulfylleth the body and giveth force, and nourysshynge thereto. For when the body of man resteth, than the natural heat draweth the heat that was spread in all the membres in to the bottom of the stomach and giveth strength thereto vpon the refection of the meate. And heat requireth rest. Therfore some philosophers haue said that it is better and wholesomer to eat at night than in the morning, for the eating in the morning because of the heat of the day grieveth the stomach, and the body is more travailed therwith. And moreover the person chafeth in trauaylyng doing his business, in going and speaking, and many other things that belongeth to the body of man, by the which heat that is outward toward none the natural heat that is inward is weyked & appeyred, and the meate is hard to digest. But at night it is more easy and less grieved with the heat of travail. And the here and members of man ben more in quiet by the coldness of the night that giveth natural heat to the stomach.   

¶ The keeping of custom or wont.  
THou shalt understand my dere sone that he that is wont to eat but one meal often is diseased, for the stomach is without digestion & the body hath small nourysshynge. And he that is accustomend to eat at one time ones, another time twice, he shall lightly perceive that it doth him harm, for custom chargeth nature.   

¶ How one ought to change custom.  
ANd yf need constrain the toch aungethy custom, do it wisely, that is to wit by little and little. And so by the grace of god thy changing shall be good. But above althynges beware that thou eat not till thou feel thy stomach empty and that it hath made good digestion of the first meal. And this thou mayst know by the desire that thou shalt haue to thy meate: and by thy spatle that turneth wholly in thy inouth, And yf thou eat without need or appetite the heat of thy stomach shall be made cold as ice. And yf necessity be that thou must eat, & haue an appetite thereto, the kind heat of thy stomach will be as hote as fire, and of good digestion. And beware that when thy appetite cometh that thou eat not forthwith, for it will gather ill humours of thy body in to thy stomach, which will hurt thy brain. And yf thou tarry over long or thou eat, it will feeble thy stomach, and the meate will do thy body no good. And yf so be that thou mayst not eat as soon as thy appetyce requireth, and that thy stomach be full of ill humours do so that thou mayst vomit or thou eat, and after that vomit take an electuary, & eat surely   

¶ Of the four seasons of the year.  
our intention is to treat in this book of the four seasons of the year, with the quality, property, contraryte, and difference of each of them. And they ben certain seasons of the year divided as followeth. That is to wit prymtyme or vere beginneth when the son entereth in the sign of Aries, and lasteth. iiij. score and. xiij. dayes, &. xviii. houres, and the fourthe parte of an hour.  
That is to wit from the .x. day in the end of march, to the four & twenty day of june. And in this season the dayes & nights benegall of length The wether is fair. The warm wether cometh. The snows melt, rivers renne swift and clear, and wax warm, the moistness of the earth riseth to the height of trees, & causeth them to smell sweet. meadows and grains sprowte and corn groweth and all flowers take colour, birds ben clothed with new robes, and enforce them to sing. Trees ben decked with leues & flowers, and the lands with seeds. beasts engender and all people take strength and lust. The earth is arrayed goodly, and is as a fair bride clothed with jewels of dyvers colours because she should semethe fairer at her wedding.  

¶ Of Prymtyme, and what it is.  
THe prymtyme is hote and moist temperately as the air. This season the blood moveth and spreadeth to all the membres of the body, and the body is parfyse intemperate complexion. In this seasonchekyns, kids, & poched eggs ought to be eaten, with let uses and gotes milk in the sethre months. Prymtyme beginneth when the son entereth the sign of Aries and lasteth. xcii. dayes, an hour and a half fro the x day of march to the x. day of june. In this season is the best letting of blood of any time. And than is good to travail and to be laxatyfe And to be bathed. And to eat such things as will purge the bely. For all diseases that cometh, either by purgynge or bleeding, retorneth anon in this Prymetyme.   

¶ Of summer and what it is.  
summer beginneth when the son entereth the first point of the creuyce, and lasteth .xcij. dayes, and an hour and a half. That is to wit fro the .x. day of june to the .x. day of September. In this season the dayes be long and the nights short. And in all regions increaseth and abateth their heat and the see is calm, and the air mek and fair The flowers where and serpentes increase and  shed their venom, & spread their strength. The mights of mannes body be fortified. And all the world is full of wealth, as the fair bride that is goodly stature and in perfect age. The season of summer hote & dry, and than collar is moeued. And in this season is good to bewar● of al things that be hote and dry of complexion. And take hede of to much eating or drinking for thereby is the kindly heat quenched In this season eat meats of cold and moist complexion, as deal, milk with vyneygre, & pottages made with barley meal. eat fruit of eager savour, as Pommegarnetes, and drink small wines, and use not the company of women. In this season let thee not blood, but yf great need compel the. use little travail, and seldom bathing.   

¶ Of Autumpne, or harvest.  
harvest entereth when the son cometh in to the first degree of the balance and lasteth .xci. dayes and an hour and a half. That is to wit fro the .x. day of september to the .x. day of december. In this season the day and night be of one length. And than the dayes wax short & the nights long. The air is ●●rke, and the winds entre the North●n regions or septentryon.  
The wether changeth, and the rivers and springs wax less. The Orcheyardes and fruits wydereth. The beauty of the Earth faydeth. birds cease their singing. Serpentes seek their holes where they assembled their living in summer for the time of winter. The earth is as an old naked woman that goeth from youth to age. This season of harvest is cold and dry, this time black collar is moeued. In this season is good to eat meats that be hote and moist as chickens, lamb, and drink old wines, eat sweet Reasyns. And keep thee from all things that breed black collar, as lyenge with Women more than in summer, nor bathe thee not but yf great need require it to be done In this season yf a man haue need of vomytynge, do it at noon in the hottest of the day. For at that time all the superfluytes of mannes body gathereth together. Also it is good to purge the Bely with a medicine ordeynen therefore and other things that ben to expulce black collar and to refrain humours.   

¶ Of winter and wha it is.  
winter cometh when the son entereth the first degree of the sign of Caprycorne and lasteth .lxx. dayes, and an hour and a half. And beginneth the x. day of december, and continueth to the .x. day of march. In this season the nights ben long and the dayes short, it is very cold. The wines be in the press, and the leues fall, and herbs loseth all their strength or the most parte. All Bestes hideth them in Caues and pits of hills. The air and the wether is dark.  
And the earth is like an old decrypyte person, that by great age is naked and nigh to the death. winter is very cold and moist, and than behoveth the to use hote meats, as chickens, hens, Motton and other hote and fat flesh, eat figs, nuts, and drink green wines. And beware of to much lax and bleeding, and eschew company of women, for it will feeble thy stomach, and baths be good. And for the great cold the natural heat entereth into the body, and therfore the digestion is better in winter than in summer. And in harvest the Bely is cold, and than the poores ben open by heat of the season, and reproveth the natural heat of all the partes of the body. And therfore the stomach hath but little heat, whereby the digestion is febled, and the humours assemble there.    

¶ Of natural heat.  
SOne Alexander I pray thee keep the kindly heat of thy body, and thou shalt haue long health. For the body of man dieth in. ii. manners. One is by great age the which overcometh the body and destroyeth it. The other is accydentally, as by weeping, sickness or other adventure.   

¶ Of things that fatteth the body.  
right dere sone these bē things that fatteth the body. That is to wit ease of the body and fyllynge it with dainty meats & drinks, and milk, and than to sleep on a soft bed. All sweet smelling flowers in their season, and bathing in fresh Waters. But yf thou bathe the, tarry not long in it, and haue sweet smelling things in the Bathe. And never drink wine but it be well tempered with water. And specyallye in winter make water of flowers called Assynini and put it in to thy wine, for it is hote of nature. And in summer use Vyoletes and flowers of mallows and other things that be cold, and use to vomit ones in a month specially. For vomytes wassheth the body and purgeth it of wicked humours and stink that is in it. And yf there be but few humours in the stomach, it comforteth the natural heat. And when thou hast vomyted dwyllyngly, the body will fill it with good humydyte & be of good disposition to digest. And yf thou gouernethe thus, thou shalt be merry at thy heart, lusty with reasonable healh and good understanding, glory and honour, and over all thine enemies victory. Also I will that thou delight in the beholding of goodly persons, or in redynge of delectable books, or in werynge of precious garments, and goodly jewels, as the time requireth.   

¶ Of things that leaneth the body.  
THese be the things that maketh the body to be lean, weyke, and dry, to much eating, to much trauelynge, to much walking in the son, to much going, to much sleeping afore noon melancholy, fear, to Bathe in water of the nature of brimstone, eating salt meats, to much drinking of old wine, to be to lax, and over much letting of blood. For hippocras saith that he that Bathe him with a full Bely, or lieth with a Woman shall haue sickness in his entrails. And also to renne, or to ride, or to much travail after meate breedeth a great disease called palsy. And much eating of fish, or milk and wine together hippocras saith it will make one lazar.   

¶ Of the first parte of the body.  
OF the four partes of the body the heed is the first For in the bead gadereth all superfluytes, and evil Humours, which thou shalt sele and know by these signs following. The eyes bē troubled, the hearing is thycked and the nose strylles ben stopped, yf thou feel such a disease take an herb called wormwood, and seethe it in swetewyne till the half be wasted, than holdeit in thy mouth and wash it many times therwith till thou feel that it doth the good, and eat white mustard seed powdered with thy meate. And yf thou do not thus thou mayst happen to haue some disease, and specially inthyne eyes, in thy brain, & in other partes of thy body.   

¶ Of the second parte of the body.  
THe second parte of the body is the bulk, yf disease come there thou shalt know it by these signs following. The tongue is let, the mouth is salt, bitter, and vnsauer●. The mouth of the stomach sour withgrese in all thy membres. It behoveth the to eat but little and to vomit, than eat a little sugar of roses with aloes and take good comforting spices and eat an elctuary name Dionisium. And yf thou do not thus, thou mayst fall in diseases of that side, of the Raynes, and fevers and specially of the Tongue whereby thou shalt not properly speak, and divers other maladyes. Decoccyon of Yysope is good.   

¶ Of the thyrde parte of the body.  
THe thyrde parte of the body is the womb, yf it be cumbered with evil Humours thou shalt know it by these signs. The Bely will Swell with pain and styfness● in the knees, going a slow place. It behoveth to use some welcome and light meats, as is said before with the governing. And yf thou do not thus there will follow ache in the hyppes, in the milt, in the back, and other joints, and in the liver, with ill digestion.   

¶ Of the fourth parte of the body.  
THe fourth parte of the body ben the genitors. Yf superfluity and naughty humours gather in them thou shalt know by these signs. The appetite will wax cold, and redness will appear vpon them and vpon the share. Than must thou take a seed called Api● with Fenellsede and the roote of Mugwort, and of another called Acham, and atracies. And with these herbs put the roots in good white wine, and drink a quantity of it every morning with a little water and hony and eat not much after it. And yf thou do not thus thou shalt haue pain in the Bladder, and liver, and shalt not piss, and shalt haue grief in the Intrayles and lungs with breaking of the ston. sweet sone Alexander I haue rede also the histories of a mighty king, which assembled all the best philosophers that were in Ynde and Grece, commanded them to make a medicine so profitable that he should need none other for his health. The greeks said he that drinketh every morning twice his Monthfull of warm Water shall haue a good end, and shall need none other medicine. The Physycyons of Ynde said that it is good to eat eueryday fasting aquantyte of grains of whytehony. And mesemeth that who so taketh one of these said medicines by reason shall not haue pain in his womb, nor ought not to fear palsy, nor gout, nor ache in his joints. And who so Eateth every morning. vij. Dragmas of clusters of sweet wine grapes, shall not fear that disease of flew me, and it will amend his mind, and claryfye his understanding, and he needeth not to doubt fever quattaynes. And who so Eateth in the morning a fig with nuts and aquantyte of leues of Rue, that day shall not need to fear venom.   

¶ Of natural heat.  
most mighty king I require the to study the maner to keep the natural heat of thy body, with the moisture therof, in the which. ij. things lieth the health of the person. And know thou that the dystruccyon of the body cometh in two things, one is natural, and the other is against nature. And for the contraryte of the complexyon of man, and when age surmounteth the body it behoveth for to die. otherwise unnaturally by adventure, as by weeping, or stones, or by sicknesses and lack of help, or by venom: and other chances.   

¶ Of the qualytes of meats.  
further more it is good that thou know the nature of meats, for some ben gross, orcours, and some ben light and welcome. The welcome breedeth thin blood, and good, as pure white, chickens, and new laid eggs gross meats ben good for such as ben of hote humours, Labourers, fasting, and that sleep after meales. mean meats breedeth no Hote nor superfluous Humours, as the flesh of Lābes, young pork, and other that ben hote and moist, but such meats change often in roasting to hardness to heat, & dryness. And they ought to be eaten forthwith after roasting, and ben good yf they be so taken with good spices. Some meats breedeth melancholy, as beef Cowes flesh, and all flesh that is course and dry Other that breedeth and feed in moist and watery, and shadowy places ben more welcome, better and holsomest.   
¶ FINIS.   

¶ imprinted by me Robert wire dwelling at the sign of saint Iohn evangelist, in saint Martyns parish beside Charynge cross.  
 three blazons  
 printer's devices of Robert Wyer (McKerrow 68 and 69): "cut of St. John the Evangelist with eagle" above "the name and mark of Robert Wyer" 
ROBERT wire.