Alſo the body hath corruption, and that commeth of too much running and dropping, and of too long chaunging. Then to reſtore in the bodie what is loſt by running and chaunging, & amend euill alteration and changing, and ſome deale to withſtand corruption, the preſence of the foure humours, is neceſſary, that the body animally, by their meanes may be kept ſafe. Theſe foure humours be bred in this manner. When meate is receyued in the place of concoction, that is in the ſtomacke, firſt the more ſubtill part and fléeting thereof, that Phiſitions call Pertiſinaria, is drawen by certaine veynes to the lyuer. And there by the working of kindly heate, it is changed into the foure humours. The bréeding of theem is made & beginneth in the lyuer, but it endeth not ther at ful. Firſt working heate turneth what is colde & moyſt into yt kind of fleme, & then what is hot & moyſt, into the kinde of bloud: and then what is hot and drye into the kinde of Cholera: and then what is colde and drye into the kinde of Melancholia. Then the proceſſe is ſuch Firſt, fleame is bread, as an humour halfe ſod: ſecond bloud, that is perfectly ſodde: the thirde Cholera, that is ouer ſodde: the laſt is Melancholia, that is more earthly, and the dregges of the other. And ſo ſuch is the order as Auicen ſaith. The bréeding of Elements be ſtraight, and returning into the ſame. For of aire fire is bread, and of fire aire, and euery Elemēt of other. The bréeding of ye humors is ſtraight, and not by contrary. By ſéething bloud is bred of fleame, and not that it retourneth. Likewiſe bloude is made cholar, by great heate drieng and making ſubtill the humour, but not that it returneth. And by burning of cholar in lyke manner Melancholia is made, and not that it retourneth. For it fareth in the bréeding of humours, as in the bréeding of wine of Muſte, as ſaith Conſtantine.[1] For when Muſte is feruent, a manner ſome is brend, that commeth vp and fleeteth aboue, and another earthlye ſubſtaunce goeth to the bottome, and the thirde is water: and as that is more or leſſe, the Wine is féeble and leſſe hot. And the elder it is, yt hotter it is, through the reſolution of ſuch watrineſie: And when it is full ſodde, then the Wine is moſt cleere. So in the humours is one part that is light and commeth vpward, and that is Cholera: another, as it wer drafts, and goeth downward, and that is Melancholia: the third, as it were raw, and that is fleame: the fourth, is bloud, remayning in his pureneſſe, and is clenſed from other humours. But no bloud is to cleane pured, but that it is ſomewhat meddeled with other humours. And therefore by meddling of other humours, bloud chaungeth kinde and coulour: For by meddling of cholar,[2] it ſéemeth red and by melanchely it ſeemeth blacke, and by fleame it ſeemeth watrie, and ſomie.
¶Of bloud. Cap. 7.
ISidore ſaith, The bloud hath this name Sanguis of Gréek, for yt bloud ſuſtaineth ſtrength, helpeth, and confirmeth the lyfe: For Sancire, is to vnderſtand, Confirme. While bloud is in the bodie, it is called Sanguis in Latine: and if it be ſhedde, it is called Cruor, as it were running and falling. For when bloud is ſhed it runneth and falleth. Other call bloud, as it were ſwéete and ſoft, for it is ſwéete and ſoft in taaſt and in touch. Pure bloud & whole togethers is not but in young folke: for Phiſitions ſay that bloud waſteth by age: therfore in old men is ſhaking and quaking for default of bloud. Bloud is properlye the gouerning of wit: therefore it is the manner of womeen to ſcratch their chéks in ſorrow. And red clothes be laid vpon dead men, in remembraunce of theyr hardineſſe and boldneſſe, while they wer in their bloud. Hetherto ſpeaketh Iſidore lio. 4. Cap. 2.
It appereth in the time of the Saxons,[3] that the manner ouer their dead was a red cloath, as we now vſe a black. The Pagans refuſed blacke, becauſe it repreſenteth darkneſſe, tearmed the infernal colour: and ſo did the olde Engliſh. The red of valianncie, and that was ouer Kings, Lords, Knights, and valyaunt
