apprentices, termes giuen to any simple, as you giue to this; you cal it neckwede. A, well, I pray you, woulde you know the propertie of this Neckeweede in this kinde? Neckweed (a halter) beinge chaunged into such a lace, this is his vertue. Syr, if there be any yonkers troubled with idelnesse and loytryng, hauyng neither learnyng, nor willyng handes to labour: or that haue studied Phisicke so longe that he or they can giue his Masters purse a Pur- is good for thievish gacion, or his Chist, shoppe, and Countinghouse, a strong vomit; yea, if he bee a very cunning practicioner in false accomptes, he may so suddenly and rashely minister, that he may smite his Father, his Maister, or his friende &c. into a sudden incurable consumption, that he or they shall neuer recouer it againe, but be vtterly vndone, and cast either into miserable pouertie, prisonment, bankeroute &c. If this come to passe, then the best rewarde for this practicioner, is this Neckeweede: if there be any swashbuckler, common theefe, ruffen, or murtherer past grace, y nexte remedie is this Lace or Corde. For them which neuer loued concored, peace nor honestie, this wil ende all the mischief; this is a purger, not of Melancholy, but a finall banisher of all them that be not fit to liue in a common wealth, no and all scamps, more then Foxes amonge sheepe, or Thistles amonge good Corne, hurters of trew people. This Hempe, I say, passeth the new Diat, bothe in force and antiquitee. [1 Fol. xxviii,] for swashbucklers past grace, parents' death If yonge wantons, whose parentes haue left them fayre Also for young houses, goods and landes, whiche be visciously, idle, spendthrifts vnlearnedly, yea or rather beastly brought vp: after the death of their saied parentes, their fruites wil spryng who after their foorth which they haue learned in their wicked youthe: then bankets and brothels will approche, the Harlots waste their all will be at hande, with dilightes and intisementes, the Baude will doe hir diligence, robbyng not onlie the pursses, but also the hartes of suche yongemen, whiche when they be trapped, can neuer skape, one amonge with harlots an hundreth, vntill Hempe breaketh the bande amonge and in gambling these loytring louers. The Dice whiche be bothe smalle and light, in respecte vnto the Coluering, or double Cannon shotte or Bollet, yet with small force and noyse can mine, break downe, and destroy, and caste away their one Maisters houses, faire feldes, pleasaunt Woddes, and al their money, yea frendes and al together, this can the Dice do. And moreouer, can make of worship beggars, or thieves. debauchery and robbery which makes men full borne Gentilmen, miserable beggers, or theefes, yet for the time "a-loft syrs, hoyghe childe and tourne thee, A life of reckless what should youth do els: I-wisse, not liue like slaues or pesantes, but all golden, glorious, may with dame Venus, my hartes delight" say they. "What a sweete heauen is this: Haue at all, kockes woundes, bloud and nayles, caste the house out at the window, and let the Diuell pay the Malte man: a Dogge hath but a day, a good mariage will recouer all together:" or els with a Barnards blowe, lurkyng in some lane, wodde, or hill top, to get that with falshead in an hower, whiche with trueth, labour, & paine, hath bene gathered for perhappes .xx. yeares, to the vtter vndoyng of some honest familie. Here thou seest, gentle Marcellus, a miserable Tragedie of a wicked shamelesse life. I nede not bring forth the example of the Prodigall childe. Luke .xvi. Chapter, whiche at length came to grace: It is, I feare me, in vaine to talke of him, whose ende was good; but a greate nomber of these flee from grace, and come to endes moste vngracious, finished only life by this Hempe. Although sometime the innocente man dieth that way, through periurie for their one propper gooddes, as Naboth died for his owne Vineyarde, miserable in the eies of the worlde, but precious in the ends with Hemp. The use of Hemp sight of God. This is one seruice whiche Hempe doeth. Also this worthy noble herbe Hempe, called Cannabis in Latten, can not bee wanted in a common wealth, no Shippe can sayle without Hempe, y sayle clothes, the shroudes, staies, tacles, yarde lines, warps & Cables can to the Sailor, not be made. No Plowe, or Carte can be without Plowman, 1 ropes halters, trace &c. The Fisher and Fouler [Fol. xxviii. b.] Fisher and muste haue Hempe, to make their nettes. And no [Fol. E. i.] After Dinner, sleep standing against a cupboard. [1 Fol. E. i. b.] Andrew Borde on Sleep, Rising, and Dress. [from his Regyment, ?1557-] Whole men of what age or complexion so euer they be of, shulde take theyr naturall rest and slepe in the nyght and to eschewe merydyall sleep. But and nede shall compell a man to slepe after his meate: let hym make a pause, and than let hym stande & lene and slepe agaynst a cupborde, or els let hym sytte upryght in a chayre and slepe. Slepynge after a full stomacke doth ingendre dyuers infyrmyties, it doth hurte the splene, it relaxeth the synewes, it doth ingendre the dropses and the gowte, and doth make a man looke euyll colored. Beware of veneryous actes before the fyrste slepe, and specyally beware of suche thynges after dyner or after a full stomacke, for it doth ingendre the crampe and the gowte and other displeasures. To bedwarde be you mery, or haue mery company aboute you, so that to bedwarde no angre, nor heuynes, sorowe, nor pensyfulnes, do trouble or dysquyet you. To bedwarde, and also in the mornynge, vse to haue a fyre in your chambre, to wast and consume the euyl vapowres within the chambre, for the breath of man may putryfye the ayre within the chambre: I do advertyse you not to stande nor to sytte by the fyre, but stand a good but stande or syt a good way of from the fyre, takynge the flauour of it, for fyre doth aryfie and doth drye vp a mannes blode, and doth make sterke the synewes and ioyntes of man. In the nyght let the wyndowes of Before bedtime be merry. Have a fire in your bedroom, way off it. Shut your windows. [* Fol. E. ii.] Lie first on your left side. To sleep grovel ing on the belly, is bad; your howse, specyallye of your chambre, be closed. Whan you be in your bedde,' lye a lytle whyle on your lefte syde, and slepe on your ryght syde. And whan you do wake of your fyrste slepe, make water yf you feel your bladder charged, & than slepe on the lefte side; and looke as ofte as you do wake, so oft turne your selfe in the bedde from one syde to the other. To slepe grouellynge vpon the stomacke and bely is not good, oneles the stomacke be slowe and tarde of dygestion; but better it is to laye your hande, or your bedfelowes hande, ouer your stomacke, than to lye grouellynge. To slepe on the backe vpryght is on the back vtterly to be abhorred': whan that you do slepe, let not your necke, nother your sholders, nother your hands, nor feete, nor no other place of your bodye, lye bare vndiscouered. Slepe not with an emptye stomacke, nor slepe not after that you haue eaten meate one howre or two after. In your bed lye with your head somwhat hyghe, leaste that the meate whiche is in [ Fol. E. ii. b.] your stomacke, thorowe eructuacions or some other cause, ascende to the oryfe (sic) of the stomacke. Let your nyght cap be of scarlet: and this I do aduertyse Wear a scarlet you, to cause to be made a good thycke quylte of cotton, upright, is worse. nightcap. 1-1 Compare what Bulleyn says: -slepe. The night is the best time the daie is euill: to slepe in the fielde is perilous. But vpon, or in the bedde, liyng firste vpon the right side, untill you make water: then vpon the lefte side, is good. But to lye vpon the backe, with a gaping mouth, is daungerous: How to lie in bed. and many thereby are made starke ded in their slepe: through apoplexia, and obstruccion of the sinewes, of the places vitalle, animall, and nutrimentalle. Bullein's Bulwarke, The booke of the use of sicke men and medicenes, fol. lxx. See also Sir John Harrington's directions from Ronsovius: "They that are in health, must first sleepe on the right side, because the meate may come to the liuer, which is to the stomack as a fire vnder the pot, and thereby is digested. To them which haue but weake digestion, it is good to sleepe prostrate on their bellies, or to haue their bare hands on their stomackes: and to lye vpright on the backe, is to bee vtterly abhorred." p. 19. 2 This wenche lay upright, and faste slepte. Chaucer. The Reeves Tale, 1. 4192, ed. Wright. Who should put their hands on their stomachs. |