University of Virginia Library

Certaine Necessary obseruations For Health

Eschewe lewde lust yf thou be wise, hote spice and wines forbeare:
Fly su[r]feit, riot and excesse, and eke long sweating here.
Rawe frutes thy stomacke will annoy: beware of drinking late:
Long watching with disordred hours, will soone impaire thy state.
Impatience is noe frend to health, a fretting irefull moode:
Will stirre the vaines and hurt the braine, and soone infect the bloode.
Eate seldome of the salt and sower, the windy rootes eschewe:
The lemon and the coucumber will make thy stomack rewe.
The bale and bane of eies and sight is venus winde and fyre:
Oft looking downe doth hurt them much, cold water they desire.
To rubb, to combe, to stretch the armes, yf fasting that thou bee:
To body, head, and spleene also, are holesome thinges for thee.
Noone sleepes, much slouth, and sitting still, what breed they els but wo:
Who euer saw a slouthfull man a healthfull body shewe.
To ache, to goute, to stone, to reume, to palsey, pyles and all:
A lazie body by desert is subiect and most thrall.
Vse exercise then in measure and meane, yf sound thou wilt be still:
But after sweat beware of cold, for that will breede much ill.
Ware how thou sit or lie on ground, for that thy ioynts will lame:
The body drawes soone from the earth, that will corupt the same.
The early morning mountaine walkes, and eke the runing streames:
Refresh the wearied spirits of man, when Phebus shews his beames.
But ware at night when dewe is fallen, and sunne by course is set:
The noysome ayre ere thou beware, will soone thy corps infect.
Apohecaries shop of drugges let not thy stomack be:
Nor vse noe phisick till thou neede, thy frende aduiseth thee.
Let seldome blood but when disease, or plurisies doo call:
But after fiftie yeares be past, ware bleed thou not at all
Obserue these rules and lessons well, keep neck and feete from cold:
So mayst thou liue by natures course, till yeares haue made thee old.