¶ The defence of age/ and recovery of youth/ translated by the famous clerk,& right expert medicines, Arnolde de noua Villa very profitable for all men to know.  
R▪  device with initials of printer Robert Wyer (1529-60) w▪   

THe conservation of youth, and withstanding of age, consisteth in the maintening of the powers, the spirits, and the natural here of the body in their state& temperancy,& in the comforting& repayringe of them being defective. For so long as the powers the spirites,& the natural here of mannes body are not debilitate nor wekened, so long( I say) neither shall the skin wrinkle, for the debilite of the natural heat declynyng, to coldness& dryness through the which food& noryshment of the body is corrupted& hindered, is cause of corrugacion or wrinkling of the skin for the meat being first digested in the stomach,& then shortly after sent in to every parte of the body, is digested again of the natural heat of the same parte, where it is received, thē yf the this natural heat be by any occasion corrupted, or destroyed, the food also is sent to the same place shalbe likewise corrupted& thē so ensueth corrugacion of the skin,& hore heres as ye may se in the auncy eut& aged men when theyde could and dry, for hotenes cometh of the defect of natural heat, the which defendeth the body from age, age properly doth make man could and dry and therfore they be of little blood and the powers and natural heat in thē very weke,& unable to concectyng& degestynge of meate, wherefore there increase great plenty of humidites& crude raw humours,& therfore the in spirits& the .iii. degestyons in age be decayed,& in them raineth the debylytie of heat,& this followeth with ȳ course of time the which course may be somewhat let& detended by physic,& by avoiding of such accidental causes as do induce age, as sorrow, sludy, heny nes, disperacion, ouermoch venery, labour, travel, or rest,& when age by any of these causes is come, thē to amputat or cut away the cause by things apropriat, and for the {pre}seruacion of the powers is no better thing then a syrup made of wine& sugar, mixed together .iii. partes of wine and .ii. partes of sugar drunk with fair water, or borage water this sirupe is both meat and drink,& in it be .ii. things confyct together, which are most friendly to nature, and when the powers be weke they need such things as may corrupt them both meate. drinks,& other spices,& moystynge medicines and thi● is a very secret thing. For ●ugacion and reu●●yng o● the skin require such things, as do cleanse and make plain& smooth skin with certain oils, waters,& ointments. Goodlines and fresshenes of colour, is by feeding vpon such meats and drinks, as do engendre good& laudable blood,& are light of digestion,& by such things as do cleanse the blood corupted, and the other powers is overmuch euacuacion, or to often letting of blood, or such other like things. These things may be amended with thus, eating of chickens,& chekyn broth, with oewe rest and sleep, and also with sweet and Odoryferous things, and such other like.¶ things engendrynge euyil& rotten phlegm, be fruits, tysshe, all things made of milk,& such other, of the which be engendered waterye humours nor dygestable in the membres& thē in the same membres it causeth horenes, and wrinkles. But among all other things there is nothing, the which so strongly doth cause a man to look oldely, as fear, and desperation. For because in that passion and effection, al the natural heat of the body doth resort inward, and forsaketh the outward partes, and that most chefelye, when the mans complexion is disposed to the same, and that is the cause that many being tost turmoiled, and vexed with this worldly storms suddenly their here wax hore, or white.  
¶ now thyng{is} that do resist or put away these causes, are chosen the ioyce of pomegranate,& chyefely gold, the ioyce of Borage, and of Fumytotye, and specially green and purified, and the virtue of the roote of Plantayue, and such other.  
¶ The roten phlegm is destroyed with the use of Mirabolanes composed, and Alot rosarum and agaric, things to be had at the Pothecaries And that wherewith properly both melancholy& phlegm be expelled out of the body, is Cleborus niger, called in english, bears foot, prepared by by a certain maner unto few known. For in the rectyfynge of the malyciousnes of this herb, standeth all the secret of his operation. For by him a man shalbe altered from evil compliction to good, and it restoreth youth again but it is not conuenyente for belycate bodies& noble complexions, and therfore I will say little of him. Beware ye never entermedle with this herb without the aduysemente and counsel of some expert and well learned Physycion.  
¶ Also Dianthos composed with sugar, the which properly doth consume all the fleume and melancholy beyuge in the head and it tarrieth and letteth the hore heres coroborateth and strengneth the sences, and prolongeth the life, and chyfely whe● a quantity of it is dysolued in aqua vyte well and craftily made, and sometime it is dissolved in wine, and lieth in it .ii. or .iii daies, and thē strained,& so used conveniently according to the counsel of a Physytion.  
¶ Other things also there be, which quicken& maketh lusty the body, as Diacameron, Mirabolany, Chebuly composed which by their property do consume and wast the phlegmatic superfluites of the stomach and do comfort him, and do claryfy the blood, and be of great force against melancholy, and the use of those do comfort youth, and causeth a man for to wax young again, and defendeth a man from hore heres. Also the decoction of sene with Dlaboraqinatum, and of the whey of Sotes milk, and such other. And one of the chief things, whereby age is defended& youth prolonged, is once in a mouth to haue a vomet to expel the fleumatycke humour, and once in a weke to receive aclyster/ and specyallye that composed of the ioyce of Mercury/ Walworte/ Elder/ and bete with half an ounce of Yeropegara/ the which is a great secret.  
¶ And also subiection made with ye ropigra, or Cassia fistula, and the ioyce of fresh roses/ preparate with sugar, is a goodly easer of nature, ministered wisely,& it is a blessed medy eyne to make aman soluble, and ther with also it comforteth the principal membres in man,& altreth the evil disposycion of man to good, it openeth opilacions or stoppynges, it comforteth the heart, and cleanseth it, and to speak of the praise of this medicine wolde require a long process.  
¶ Other things also destroyenge& consumynge the humours, which cause age are those temperat spices known to every booy, cloves, cinamom Liquirice,& such other, but most principally, when they an confyet& incor perat with good wine,& so being fyrit somewhat watered) received& drunken.  
¶ Also it is not unknown, howe that pills made of myrtha, be of an exellente goodness in the conservation of heith& life, for it withstandeth putrefaction rectyfyeth& syncereth the which is redy to putrif action, wherefore this Myrtha is confyete with such things as deade bodies are incered withall, to defend the corpse from putrefaction. And the foresaid spyced wine, when it is received of man it spreadeth itself abroad in the partes of the body, and comforth all the partes of the body,& drieth up the superfluous humydytes of the body, and also the powder of the same spices oft used with meate profiteth wonderfully.  
¶ Howbeit, yf the man be of a dry disposytion, then shal it be needful to adjoin to these spices, some more temperate thing, as the ioyce of Pomegranates, rose-water, sugar, Lyckerice Resyns& such like. Diacameron restoreth digestion lost,& comforteth it and Trifera passeth all declynynge, somewhat more to calidite, the natural heat then& the meat coming to the membres being decayed or corrupted, which cometh of putrefied colour, forthwith ensueth corrugation and old looking as ye may se in such as ar scaby in any parte of their body, for that parte being infected/ it seemeth riuyled and old skin. The infection being once departed again the skin sheweth itself fair, smooth and yongly, and to those gold preparate is sovereign,& the wine of Pomegranat,& this is special good for the lepry. And this wine of granates taken and received howe ye list, hath property to extenate the humours,& to allay the heat of the liver,& to comfort all partes of mans body offended with heat, and it is good against weakness othert, fortefieth the mouth of the stomach,& comforteth the heart. Also Mirabolani, rebuli conditi be very good both in hote& cold diseases, they comfort the stomach, and drieth up the superfluous moistness of the same,& besides this they do help the melancolyke people/ they claryfy and make clear the blood& the spyryt{is} neither is there anythinge more excellent for that purpose then these.  
¶ Also Borage wine made( in time that grapes be gathered& pressed) with must is principally good for melancholy, faint hearted,& mad people, for it cleanseth the blood& taketh away evil fantasies, and comforteth all the regetyue powers,& encountereth all corruption. The electuary also of the Mirabolans used is a thing right often proved and allowed, to the conservation of health and prolonging of the life, and to wax young again, for it comforteth the stomach& maketh it apt& lusty, and comsumeth the watrynes left of the fore food,& the use of this electuary withstandeth age, and causeth man to live long by the help of God.  
¶ again certain suffumygacions and savours made of convenient things, and according as the man needeth is very profitable.  
¶ bathing also temperately without any great swetynge so that only the skin be mundyfyed and cleansed from filthiness, is wholesome and profitable, for thereby the powers are opened, and the super●luous humydyties lutkynge within the skin, be wasted and dried up.  
¶ But the use of good wine/ in the which such spices as we haue spoken of before, haue be steped, and the virtue of them in it desolued, temperately taken with a little water mixed therewith in dew season, shall pass and enter in to all the hid ways of the body, and it shall dry up all the evil humidities, and comforteth all the inward partes, and perfitly doth open all maner of oppilations or stopping, the which is secret for the aparition or opening of places opilat or stopped, causeth the lively spyrit{is} to run throughout every parte of the body, and causeth the natural heat for to wax strong, and to be of great force, but opylacion or stopping causeth the contrary, for the natural heat being conculcate, or strangled, not having fre passage through every parte, is thereby debylytate and wekened, and so not suffyciente and mighty to separate the pure from the unpure, when reupon the superfluous humydities, rotten and putryfyed be in the body much increased, and thereby consequently ensueth the wrynkelynge of the flesh and skin and age at hand.  
¶ Another also strong mean there is, to defend age, and for to recover youth again, by abstinence, and conuenyente for bearing of your quantity of meat, unto such time as the body be brought very low, and made very spare, and then to restoore, and nourish it again with laudable wholesome and good food, which hath a property to engendre clear and pure blood.  
¶ This point also do they observe, the which make faete Oxen, whose flesh the more it waxeth lean and bare, the more also doth it become tender and young, and the better afterward do they like& batten,& ye may also se the practise of this in such as be lately recovered from sickness.  
¶ But to be short, he that will refreyne age, and conserve youth, let him not be negligent in choosing of his meat/ that it be such, as may breed good clear fat, thick& viscous blood and then may he withstand well age.  
¶ And when that such humydyties or moistness, which are in the body, and crude humours that are increased in man, then hath he need of such things which do extenat and exiccat those superfluous moistness, and such things as may digest the crude or raw humours/ sincere and depure the hole body.  
¶ among other things, such as wax aged, haue great need of calefaction/ and humystacion, that is to say, warmynge,& moistynge, of both equally by meats and drinks, and medicines convenient/ by exercise and gladness.  
¶ now that he may keep his body in such temperancy, that he may live without the horrydle danger of grievous sickness, and the better able to serve almyschty God, to whom be all honour and glory. Amen.  
¶ FINIS.   

¶ Imprinted by me Robert wire, dwelling in saint Martyns parish at the sign of saint Iohn evangelist, beside Charynge cross.