l e m e . l i b r a r y . u t o r o n t o . c a

s t c 2 4 3 6 0

v e r . 1 . 0  ( 2 0 1 9 )



OF THE NATVRES, 
properties, profits, hurtes 
and helps that come 
of Wyne.

ALTHOVGH 
the order of learning 
do require, that eue­
rye man that shall 
write of anye thing, 
should declare & open 
by definition it that he 
entendeth to entreate 
of: yet nede not I (as I iudge) going a­
bout to write of wine, to take any great 
paine to make a definition of it, bicause 
all men, women and childer, that are 
cummed to any perfite age, know well 
inough that Wine is the iuice of grapes 
pressed out, and put vp into vessels, to be 
drunken afterwards at conuenient times 
of men, for diuerse endes and purposes 
that the Grape maker hath ordeyned it 
for.






Some Wine is called Creticum of 
Creta, which is named in English Can­
die, some is called Graecum of Graecia,, 
some Rhennish, bicause it groweth be­
side the Rhene, some Gallicum, that is 
French Wine, bicause it groweth in 
France, and some is called Rheticum 
bicause it groweth in Rhetia, and so a 
greate sorte of other Wines haue their 
names of the countries, & places wheras 
they growe.






THere are twoo sortes of newe 
Wine, one that is called Must, 
and that is but latelye made or 
pressed out of the grapes, and is 
swete in tast, troubled in color, and thick 
in substaunce, and this sort is properlye 
called in Latin Mustum. And another 
sorte is called newe Wine, which hath 
left his sweetnes & gotten clearenesse, but 
yet it is not long since it was made. Ga­
len in his booke of making of medicines, 
seemeth to call all Wine that is not fully 
fiue yeares olde, newe wine, and it that 
is past fiue yeares vntill it hee ten yeare 
olde, wine of middle age, and it that is 
aboue the age of ten yeares, olde wine, 
and Dioscorides writing of the nature 
of Wines in his fifte booke, calleth it 
Wine of middle age, that is more than 
seauen yeare olde, and Plinie writeth,






not without an error of the scribe (as I 
gesse) that Falerno media aetas incipit 
ab anno decimo quinto. But Valerio­
la a man otherwise wel learned, leauing 
the authoritie of Galen, calleth it newe 
Wine that keepeth still his Mustish and 
sweete taste, and as yet hath gotten no 
sharpenesse, and he calleth that Wine of 
middle age, that is no more sweete, but 
is cleare, and sayth that he and his coun­
trimen take the most notable Wines of 
Fraunce for olde Wines, before they bee 
fullye one yeare olde. And this doth he 
holde enarrationum medicinalium, 
lib. sexto, enarratione septima. In the 
same place he reproueth Aloisius Mun­
della for saying that wine sixe yeares 
olde was newe wine after Galen, who 
although fayled in exceeding one yeare 
beyond Galens numbring of the yeares 
of new wine, yet he went a great deale 
farther from Galens minde than Mun­
della did. Must when it is made euen of 
ripe grapes, is but hote in the first de­
greee. for Galen in his boke of the powers 
of simple medicines, hath these wordes






following. Vinum est ex fecundo or­
dine excalfacientrum. Sed quod ad­
modum vetus est ex tertio, sicut quod 
mustum vocant ex primo, caliditatis 
eius proportioni respondet siccitas, 
that is, wine (that is to say of midle age) 
is hote in the seconde degree, but it that 
is verie olde is hote in the third degree, 
as it that is called Must is hote in the 
first degree. By these words their errour 
is openly confuted, that holde that euery 
wine is hote in the second degree.






Out of all 
these places of the authours that I haue 
alleadged, I gather that Fuluus color is 
it that a man may call in English, redish 
yelow, for as Virgill calleth Golde Ful­
uum, bicause it is redishe yellow, our 
countrymen marking in golde both a 
readnesse and also a yellownesse, some­
time saye, that a thing is as red as gold,






and other whiles, that a thing is as yel­
low as gold, as commonlye they say that 
his eyes & skin that hath the disease that is 
called in Duch, Die guel sucht, and the Northen English tongue, the Guelsought, 
and in Southerne English, the yellowe 
iaundise, are as yelow as gold. This dis­
ease is named in Latin Aurigo of Cor­
nelius Celsus, of the color of gold. Galen 
seeming to doubt whether al men vnder­
stoode what he ment by this word κίῤῥος
which Hippocrates vseth in this signi­
fication, taketh the paine to open and 
shewe by two other Greeke words what 
he meaneth by κίῤῥος, saying that he 
thynketh that κίῤῥος maye bee called 
πνρρος ῶχρος, that is, Wine of a fierye 
color, hauing mixed therewith the color 
of yellow Ochar, which Ochar is not of 
a bright yellowe color as ξανφος is, but 
more darker, whereby a man may plain­
ly know that Fuluum which is called in 
Greeke κίῤῥον or πίῤῥον ῶχρον is a redish 
yellow color,  as our Muscadine and Ba­
stards are, when as they come to vs are of. 
Vinum sanguineum, that is sanguine, or






bloud coloured Wine, it is that we call 
commonly in English Clared wine, but 
not the pale, or pallet (as some call it) 
Clared wine. Vinum nigrum, so na­
med of Plinie, and called οινας μελας, 
in Greeke, is foolishly, but commonlye 
called in English red wine, when as it 
ought to be called blacke Wine, of the 
blacke color that it hath in comparison of 
other wines.






Of the natures of wynes after their tastes.

THe wines that are commonlye 
brought into England, named 
by their tastes in Greeke οινοι






γλνκοις ςυπτικοι, αυςκροι και ςυφνοι, that 
in Latine, vina dulcia, astringentia, 
austera & acerba, and such like as are 
acria and acida, for the most part wherof 
we haue neuer one proper name in En­
glish, though we can name dulce vinum 
well in English sweete wine: but what 
shall we call acre, austerum and acer­
bum in common vsed English? surely 
I cannot tell, for I cannot giue to euery 
one of these wordes one seuerall vsed 
English word, without circumlocution, 
wherfore seeing that the proper English 
wordes are so harde to be found: and the 
meaning of the words are as little kno­
wen of the most part of all men, I think 
it shall be necessarye to shewe by the au­
thoritie of some old learned writer, what 
these words adstringens, austerum and 
acerbum, acer and acidus doe signifie 
and betoken. If any man say that I nede 
not to take this paine, bicause the great 
and costlye booke, called Thesaurus 
linguae Romanae & Britannicae, that 
is, the treasure of the Latin and English 
tongue, hath done that thing alreadie: I






aunswere that I asked counsell of that 
great booke, and in dede as I found great 
plentie both of good Latin wordes, and 
fine maners of speaking, gathered wyth 
great paines, and ordered with no small 
learning and iudgement: but in the Eng­
lish, as I found to much plentie of light, 
and new inckhorne termes: so in some 
places I founde such scarcenesse, lacke, 
and want of proper and true Englishe 
names, that the author is faine to giue 
one name to diuerse Latin wordes, for 
when I looked how he englished Acer, 
he englisheth it thus. Eger, sharpe, tart, 
soure or fell. Lo, here is great plentie of 
wordes, and yet we can not tell what a­
cer in taste doth properly signifie, and a 
litle after he writeth these wordes, acer, 
acidus succus, Vitruuius, eger. By this 
booke we may English lac acidum, eger 
milke. And afterwarde where as of pur­
pose he expoundeth what Acidus betoke­
neth, he englisheth it, eger, soure, sharp, 
and he englisheth acidula pira, soure 
peares, he englisheth Acerbum, vnripe, 
soure, displeasant, and Acerbitas, soure­






nesse of taste, sharpnesse or grieuousnesse 
of time. He englisheth Austerus, soure, 
sharpe, vnpleasant, and gustus austerus 
a rough or soure tast.

Now how shall a man know by this 
booke what difference is betweene, acer, 
acidus, austerus and acerbus, when as 
he calleth them all soure, and putteth so 
small difference betweene one and ano­
ther. Surely we haue but small helpe of 
that booke in declaring of these words, & 
many such other, that are much occupied 
in phisicke and philosophy, and in other 
both liberall and mathematical sciences. 
Wherfore I wishe, to the ende that the 
booke may be in dede as it is called: that 
one learned phisition & philosopher like 
vnto Linaker, one olde and learned granmarian like vnto Clemond, and one 
perfite Englishman like vnto Sir Tho­
mas Moore, had the amendment and 
making perfite of this booke commited 
vnto them. But now as Terence sayeth, 
quoniam hac non successit, alia aggre­
diendum est via. Galen in the first of 
his bookes that he writeth of the powers






of simple medicines sayth. Cap. 39. If any 
man doe taste quinces or apples, or med­
lers, or mirtels, doubtlesse he shall know 
that there is an other feeling that is mo­
ued vnto vs of these things in the  tongue, 
and another of bodies astringentibus, 
that is, that are onely binding, for those 
things that are binding, appeare to driue 
inwarde that part of vs that they touche 
in al places equally or in like, as pulling, 
stopping, as drawing togither. But au­
stera seeme to goe downe euen vnto the 
bottome, and to moue a rough and vn­
equal feeling and drying vp and wasting 
all the moisture of feeling bodies. Fur­
thermore when as that bodie which is 
moued vnto our tongue doth mightilye 
drie and draw togither, and maketh it 
rough euen to the bottome, as choke 
peares that are not ripe, and cornelles, 
euerye such is called acerbum, differing 
from austero in the excesse of these qua­
lities. That is to say, austerum in many 
things is like vnto acerbo, but acerbum 
is in all those things wherein they are 
something like, much stronger and migh­






tier than austerum is: and Galen in an­
other place writeth, that astringent is 
weaker than acerbum and austerum, in 
all those properties that they haue anye 
likenesse in. And Galen in the .ix. booke de 
simplicium medicamentorum facul­
tatibus, sayeth that adstringentia draw 
togither, bind togither, and do make thick 
our substance, and therfore vpon what­
soeuer part of our bodie they be layde 
without, by and by they make it full of 
wrinkles, and draw togither. Further­
more after the doctrine of Galen, we may 
perceiue in some kindes of peares, mar­
ked at diuerse times, gustum acerbum, 
austerum & astringentem. When the 
peares are newly growen, if ye taste of 
them at the first, ye shall perceyue that 
they are harde and drie, and are verye 
rough in taste, and then they are called 
acerba, but after that they are more than 
halfe ripe, when that hardnesse and dri­
nesse is gone, then become they moyster 
and softer, and are in taste austera. And 
when they are full ripe, they are astrin­
gentia, with a sweete taste ioyned ther­






with. By this discription, I trust wise 
and learned men by taking of some paine 
in reading of olde English writers shall 
come by the knowledge of right and pro­
per English wordes for these .iij. Latin, 
or els at the least I iudge that men shall 
vnderstande what difference is betweene 
astringens, austerum and acerbum. In 
the meane time vntill that we may spede 
better, we may english astringens, binding, austerum, soure bin­
ding, and a­
cerbum, rough and binding like choke 
peares. And Galen lib. 1. simpl. medic. 
facultatibus. cap. 39. and in diuerse o­
ther places maketh an open and plaine 
difference betweene acre and acidum, 
contrarie to it that is alleaged of Vitru­
uius, who maketh them both one. For 
Galen sayeth, that acria are calida, and 
that acida are cold.

Acer may be Englished biting sharp, 
and acidum may be named soure as sor­
rell, and soure milke, and diuers other 
things. Aetius writeth, that wine that 
is soure with an harrish binding, so that 
it be well smelling withall, hurteth the






head, but it which is waterishe, neither 
breedeth the headach, neither hurteth the 
sinewes. Galen also sayth that soure bin­
ding wines stoppe flowings, and streng­
then the stomach, and hurt not the head, 
but that they helpe not them that are 
fallen into a swounde.

Wines that are rough and binding in 
taste like vnto choke peares, stop vomi­
tings and flowings of the belly, and they 
coole and drie. Moreouer they goe hardlye 
downe, when as those things that are 
only of a soure taste, go easily downe.

I haue learned by experience (sayeth 
Galen) that all those things that binde, 
and are also soure, are manifestly cold.

Simeon Sethi sayeth, wines that are 
a little and gently binding, & are in color
red, and in substance thin, are good for 
them that are of a good and a meane com­
plexion and temperature. But they are 
of a good complexion and of a mean tem­
perature that are neither to hote nor to 
colde, neither to moyst nor to drie, of the 
which sort I weene we shall finde as few 
at this time almost, as we shalbe able to






finde citizens of Platoes common welth 
in euery parish of England. And Galen 
a man of more authoritie than Simeon 
Sethi is of, writeth in the booke of good 
and euill iuices, that as fierie red wines, 
for asmuch as they are hote in working, 
by and by fill the heade, euen so those 
wines that are thin and waterishe, and 
doe lightly bind, not only are not vnnoy­
some vnto the head, but also take awaye 
small headaches, and he saith afterward, 
all wines that are binding, are comfort­
able for the stomache, and that such as 
are soure and colde, be of subtill partes, 
but they that are binding, are of grosse 
parts de simplie. med. facultatib. lib. 
4. cap. 2.

Whatsoeuer things are sweete, cannot 
be colde, therfore sweete wines are of an 
hote complexion: and Dioscorides sayth, 
sweete wines hath grosse partes in it, 
and doth breath out of the bodie more 
hardlye, it filleth the stomache full of 
winde, it troubleth the bellye, and the 
guttes as Must doth, but it maketh not 
a man so sone drunken, but it is most fit






of all other for the kidneys & the bladder.








Of the Triacle Salt.

THe Triacle Salt is a medicinall 
Salt, made of diuers excellent 
herbes, and of burnt Salt and 
burnt Vipers, or else of the tro­
chiskes of Vipers being burnt. And the 
composition of this Salt, is found both 
in Galen and also in Aëtius. 






Suffusion is 
the running 
of a noisome 
humor in 
the eye 
which if it 
be not stop­
ped, engen­
dreth haw
and pearle
in the eye,
and some 
names his
disease Ca­
taracta.


And I haue driuen away 
the disease of vnsatiable hunger, which 
is called in greke Bulimos, with this salt:









THE NAMES OF DIS­
eases and griefes that maye be healed
by the great Triacle, called Theria­
ca Andromachi, as Galen wri­
teth in his booke vn­
to Piso.

THE biting of all venemous
beasts and serpents. 

All kinde of poysons and poyse­
ned drinkes. 

The diseases of the stomach. 

Shortnesse of winde. 

The Colicke. 

The Iaundise or Guelesought. 

The Dropsey. 

The consumption of the Lungs or ptisick. 

All kinde of Cramps, or drawings togi­
ther, or shrinking of sinewes. 

The pleuresey or side ague with a stitch,
and spitting of bloud, and vlcerations. 

Sores of the bladder. 

Stopping of water or vrine. 






Paines of the Kidneyes. 

Pestilence, and pestilent diseases. 

The biting of a mad dog. 

Olde headakes. 

Disinesse of the head. 

Hardnesse of hearing. 

The dulnesse of the eye sight. 

The falling sicknesse. 

Vomiting of bloud. 

Wormes in the guttes. 

The diseases of the Liuer. 

The diseases of the Milt. 

The bloudie flix. 

The common flix. 

The turning tormentes of the guttes. 

Wasting away with to much sweating. 

The stopping of womens monthly sick­
nesse. 

The stopping of the mother. 

The stopping of the Emrodes. 

All superfluous flowings of the body. 

All diseases of the ioyntes. 

Poysoning, and falling to perillous dis­
eases. 

The common Lepre called Elephantia­
sis. 






The disease of the minde that came of
melancholye. 

All melancholicke diseases. 

Plentie of choler:  called melancholy.

The quartaine ague. 

The feare of water after the biting of a 
mad dog. 

The weakenesse of the wittes or senses. 



THE NAMES OF THE
diseases and griefes that maye be hea­
led by the Triacle Salt: according 
vnto the learning of Ga­
len and Aëtius.

All the diseases of the skin, but
chiefly those that follow. 

THe white Morphew. 

The Lepre of the Grecians and 
scripture. 

The wilde scurfe. 

The common Lepre, called in Latin E­
lephantiasis.

The blacke morphew. 

Wilde scabbes. 

The falling of the heare. 






Thinnesse of the heares. 

Stopping of sweate. 

Ouermuch plentie of flegmaticke excre­
ments. 

Lacke of digestion. 

Lacke of appetite. 

Dulnesse of senses or wittes. 

Suffusions that breede the hawe, and
pearle in the eye, called of some Cata­
racta.

Stopping of venemous diseases. 

The outragious flowing of venemous
diseases. 

The biting of venemous beasts and ser­
pentes. 

The pestilence and contagious aire. 

The disease of the kidneyes. 

The debilitie and weakenesse of the kid­
neys. 

Olde headaches. 

The falling sicknesse. 

Olde Iaundise. 

The diseases of the Milt. 

The Colicke. 

The dropsey. 

The vnsatiable hunger called Bulimos.






The cold that a man taketh in cold weather. 

Shakings and tremblings, that come
before agues. 

Consumptions, Ptisicks, and wastings
of the bodye. 

The Palsie and weaknesse of the ioints,
and other members. 

The Goute. 

All diseases of the ioyntes. 

Olde quartaines. 

Dotings, and madnesse that come of me­
lancholie. 

All kinde of wormes that breede within
a man. 

The rotting & other diseases of the teeth. 

Rheumaticke humors in the head. 

Certaine diseases of the eyes. 







THE NAMES OF THE
diseases that may be healed by the no­
ble preseruatiue medicine called Mi­
thridatium, as Galen and Aëtius and all
other learned Phisitions, that wrote
after them of such matter, do
beare witnesse in their
writings.


THe stopping of the Liuer. 

Olde reumes flowing downe
into the stomacke and brest. 

Impostumes. 

Deepe Vlcerations, and of scraping of the 
skin that are farre in the body. 

Consumptions and Ptisicks. 

Windynesse in the body. 

The common flixe. 

The dull appetite. 

Euill fauored color of the face and other
places of the body. 

The stone. 

Hardnesse and painefulnesse in making
of water. 

Gathering togither of melancholy. 

Dulnesse of the eye sight. 

All deadly poyson. 


FINIS.