University of Virginia Library

To his Mistres A. L.

Epistle. 6.

In that same month wherein the spring begins,
And on that day when Phœbe left the twinnes
(Which was on Saturday, the twelft of March)
Your seruant brought a letter seal'd with starch,
Which by my soule (sweet mistres) when I op'te
And read your motion farre from that I hop'te,
Beleeue me (had not troubles tir'd me quite)
Might be enough, to make me laugh outright:
You pray me to aduise, and tell you what
Will take away your pursines and fat,
You pray me without any let, or pause,
To write of both the remedie, and cause,
And in a short discourse to let you know
The Antidote of that mislikes you so.
Well, since your beautie may, & must command
Thus briefly will I answer your demand:
Fatnes (connaturall to sicke, and hole,
Which neerest vnder-dwell the Northren pole)
In those by nature who enioy the same
Is passible, not preiudiz'd by blame:
That other growne by surfet, and excesse,
That choaks the vitall powers with heauinesse,
Is that (faire mistres) which you ought to flie
And that which Phisiques art may remedie:
Fatnes by nature (not immoderate)
Kils not the wit, quels not the minds estate:
But fatnes, by intemperance increast,
(When liuing man resembleth lothsome beast,
And belly cheere with greedie gluttonie
Is held the fulnes of felicitie:
This maketh men addicted to the same,
Dull in conceit, grosse minded, worthie blame,
Of such doe Basile, Galen, Plato, write,
That fattest bellie hath the weakest sprite:
For reason, (onely made for mans behoofe)
Affords here of this true, and certaine proofe:
Therefore doe lawles belly-gods by kind
Defect in vnderstanding, and in mind,
Because grosse blood by their disordred feede,
And swift concoction, plenteouslie doth breede:
And by this bloud, grosse spirits from their harts
Ascend, and seaze vpon their vpperparts,
And from these spirits, spirits of the braine
A dead and lothsome dulnes doe retaine,
Through which it comes, that they wax starke, & slow,
Because their spirits animall be so.
That fatnes then engendred, and engrost,
By ryot, surfet, belly cheere and cost,
Is hatefull: and that fatnes nature breeds
From good complexion, orderly proceeds:
Which prais'd, because approu'd, me thinks I heare
A saint, sweet like your selfe, lay lip to eare,
And with a maiden blush intreat me tell
Why fatnes most doth in the bellie dwell.
Whereas the head (the master part of all)
Is fleshles, slender, prettie, round, and small?
To this, this answer mistres doe I make:
The bellie therefore fatnes doth pertake,
Because it keepes the matter of our meate,
And still containes our fatnes-breeding heate,
But for the head, it therefore is not charg'd,
With fat, or flesh, or by such like enlarg'd,
Because the heauenly workman did prouide,
That such a part, which is the bodies guide,
And is the feare, where souerainlike remaines
That reasonable power the soule containes,
Should not by flesh, be soyld, or ouerset,
For feare the works of reason should be let;
This probleme plainly opened to the eie,
It followeth thus of fatnes orderlie,
It vitiats beautie, makes a barraine wombe,
Because the bloud which Sperma should become
Is wholely turnd to fat, it hastneth age,
And houlds our appetites in vassellage:
It hinders bloud, and shortneth breathing to,
And maketh all things tedious that we do:
It causeth sownings, passions of the hart,
It makes the pulses in their places start.
Briefly, (if Auicen speake not amisse)
Grossenes the bodies lothsome fetter is,
The selfe opinion olde Pythagoras
Maintaind: who seeing once a fat man passe,
Said thus to them that did attend him then,
A lothsome prison dothyond spirite pen:
This Plato knowing well, and waxing grose,
Chose out a shadie wood, and fruitfull close;
Where walking, he his schollers taught & train'd,
Which all his followers afterward maintain'd:
A world it were to reckon vp, and wright,
How all those olde Philosophers do fight,
Contend, debate, decide, dispute, intreate,
Whether this fatnes come from cold or heate:
But to be short, the Synode and the sect
Of those who rightly natures works respect:
Conclude that by a double sort of heate,
Our fat is made, and moult, and so concreate.
Excessiue heate dissolues, the meane makes hard;
Heate in excesse, as deeper read, award
Is that same heate, which doth ingender fat,
Heate moderate, is rightlie counted that
Which Galen tearmeth cold: By this decree
Two mightie factions thus accorded bee:
Well since these proofes the causes doe assure
Let vs debate a little on the cure:
Much sitting, and long abstinence from care,
Drinking of oylie wines, our fat prepare,
Egs, whitemeat, pottage, do increase the same,
And bring the waxing bodie out of frame:
Let therefore fat men growne by gluttonie,
(For to the rest no medcine I applie:)
Open a vaine; or if that seeme too sore,
Vse cuppings, and oft rubbings euermore,
Liue in that aire, which is both hot, and drie,
Watch much, and sleeping little, hardly lie:
Walke much, and tosse, and tumble in the sunne,
Delight to ride, to hauke, to hunt, to runne,
Drinke little, gargarize, flie grosser food,
Or if some deeme a hare, or partridge good
Feede modestly thereon, and if he hath
Some crownes to spend, goe often to the bath:
Not Esculapius, were he now aliue
Could better helps, or remedies contriue,
Except behoulding mightie Prædoes port,
He cut off both his legs to make him short:
Whether am I transported in discourse,
My Muse me thinks hath run too long a course.
The question is resolu'd, why faile I then
To seale this letter vp, and leaue my pen?
Faith, nought but this in kindnes to desire
(My Genius of good wit) since I require,
To count her fatnes no deformitie,
But as it is the guise in Italie,
To nourish that: for fat, slicke, faire, and full,
Is better lik't, then leane, lancke, spare, and dull.