Cuſtom, and Conſtitution come next to be examin'd, together with the Qualities, and Vertue of the Food; and I confeſs, the two firſt, eſpecially that of Conſtitution, ſeems to me the more likely Cauſe of Health, and conſequently of Long-life; which induc'd me to conſider of what Quality the uſual Sallet Furniture did more eminently conſiſt, that ſo it might become more ſafely applicable to the Temper, Humour, and Diſpoſition of our Bodies; according to which, the various Mixtures might be regulated and proportion'd: There's no doubt, but thoſe whoſe Conſtitutions are Cold and Moiſt, are naturally affected with Things which are Hot and Dry; as on the contrary, Hot, and Dry Complexions, with ſuch as cool and refrigerate; which perhaps made the Junior Gordian (and others like him) prefer the frigidæ Menſæ (as of old they call'd Sallets) which, according to Cornelius Celſus, is the fitteſt Diet for Obeſe and Corpulent Perſons, as not ſo Nutritive, and apt to Pamper: And conſequently, that for the Cold, Lean, and Emaciated; ſuch Herby Ingredients ſhould be made choice of, as warm, and cheriſh the Natural Heat, depure the Blood, breed a laudable Juice, and revive the Spirits: And therefore my Lord [69]Bacon ſhews what are beſt Raw, what Boil'd, and what Parts of Plants fitteſt to nouriſh. Galen indeed ſeems to exclude them all, unleſs well accompanied with their due Correctives, of which we have taken care: Notwithſtanding yet, that even the moſt Crude and Herby, actually Cold and Weak, may potentially be Hot, and Strengthning, as we find in the moſt vigorous Animals, whoſe Food is only Graſs. 'Tis true indeed, Nature has providentially mingl'd, and dreſs'd a Sallet for them in every field, beſides what they diſtinguiſh by Smell; nor queſtion I, but Man at firſt knew what Plants and Fruits were good, before the Fall, by his Natural Sagacity, and not Experience; which ſince by Art, and Trial, and long Obſervation of their Properties and Effects, they hardly recover: But in all Events, ſuppoſing with [70]Cardan, that Plants nouriſh little, they hurt as little. Nay, Experience tells us, that they not only hurt not at all, but exceedingly benefit thoſe who uſe them; indu'd as they are with ſuch admirable Properties as they every day diſcover: For ſome Plants not only nouriſh laudably, but induce a manifeſt and wholeſom Change; as Onions, Garlick, Rochet, &c. which are both nutritive and warm; Lettuce, Purſelan, the Intybs, &c. and indeed moſt of the Olera, refreſh and cool: And as their reſpective Juices being converted into the Subſtances of our Bodies, they become Aliment; ſo in regard of their Change and Alteration, we may allow them Medicinal; eſpecially the greater Numbers, among which we all this while have skill but of very few (not only in the Vegetable Kingdom, but in the whole Materia Medica) which may be juſtly call'd Infallible Specifics, and upon whoſe Performance we may as ſafely depend, as we may on ſuch as familiarly we uſe for a Crude Herb-Sallet; diſcreetly choſen, mingl'd, and dreſs'd accordingly: Not but that many of them may be improv'd, and render'd better in Broths, and Decoctions, than in Oyl, Vinegar, and other Liquids and Ingredients: But as this holds not in all, nay, perhaps in few comparatively, (provided, as I ſaid, the Choice, Mixture, Conſtitution, and Seaſon rightly be underſtood) we ſtand up in Defence and Vindication of our Sallet, againſt all Attacks and Oppoſers whoever.
We have mentioned Seaſon and with the great Hippocrates, pronounce them more proper for the Summer, than the Winter; and when thoſe Parts of Plants us'd in Sallet are yet tender, delicate, and impregnated with the Vertue of the Spring, to cool, refreſh, and allay the Heat and Drought of the Hot and Bilious, Young and over-Sanguine, Cold, Pituit, and Melancholy; in a word, for Perſons of all Ages, Humours, and Conſtitutions whatſoever.
To this of the Annual Seaſons, we add that of Culture alſo, as of very great Importance: And this is often diſcover'd in the taſte and conſequently in the Goodneſs of ſuch Plants and Salleting, as are Rais'd and brought us freſh out of the Country, compar'd with thoſe which the Avarice of the Gardiner, or Luxury rather of the Age, tempts them to force and Reſuſcitate of the moſt deſirable and delicious Plants.
It is certain, ſays a [71]Learned Perſon, that about populous Cities, where Grounds are over-forc'd for Fruit and early Salleting, nothing is more unwholſom: Men in the Country look ſo much more healthy and freſh; and commonly are longer liv'd than thoſe who dwell in the Middle and Skirts of vaſt and crowded Cities, inviron'd with rotten Dung, loathſome and common Lay Stalls; whoſe noiſome Steams, wafted by the Wind, poiſon and infect the ambient Air and vital Spirits, with thoſe pernicious Exhalations, and Materials of which they make the Hot Beds for the raiſing thoſe Præcoces indeed, and forward Plants and Roots for the wanton Palate; but which being corrupt in the Original, cannot but produce malignant and ill Effects to thoſe who feed upon them. And the ſame was well obſerv'd by the Editor of our famous Roger Bacon's Treatiſe concerning the Cure of Old Age, and Preſervation of Youth: There being nothing ſo proper for Sallet Herbs and other Edule Plants, as the Genial and Natural Mould, impregnate, and enrich'd with well-digeſted Compoſt (when requiſite) without any Mixture of Garbage, odious Carrion, and other filthy Ordure, not half conſum'd and ventilated and indeed reduc'd to the next Diſpoſition of Earth it ſelf, as it ſhould be; and that in Sweet, [72]Riſing, Aery and moderately Perflatile Grounds; where not only Plants but Men do laſt, and live much longer. Nor doubt I, but that every body would prefer Corn, and other Grain rais'd from Marle, Chalk, Lime, and other ſweet Soil and Amendments, before that which is produc'd from the Dunghil only. Beſide, Experience ſhews, that the Rankneſs of Dung is frequently the Cauſe of Blaſts and Smuttineſs; as if the Lord of the Univerſe, by an Act of viſible Providence would check us, to take heed of all unnatural Sordidneſs and Mixtures. We ſenſibly find this Difference in Cattle and their Paſture; but moſt powerfully in Fowl, from ſuch as are nouriſh'd with Corn, ſweet and dry Food: And as of Vegetable Meats, ſo of Drinks, 'tis obſerv'd, that the ſame Vine, according to the Soil, produces a Wine twice as heady as in the ſame, and a leſs forc'd Ground; and the like I believe of all other Fruit, not to determine any thing of the Peach ſaid to be Poiſon in Perſia; becauſe 'tis a Vulgar Error.
Now, becauſe among other things, nothing more betrays its unclean and ſpurious Birth than what is ſo impatiently longed after as Early Aſparagus, &c. [73]Dr. Liſter, (according to his communicative and obliging Nature) has taught us how to raiſe ſuch as our Gardiners cover with naſty Litter, during the Winter; by rather laying of Clean and Sweet Wheat-Straw upon the Beds, ſuper-ſeminating and over-ſtrowing them thick with the Powder of bruiſed Oyſter-Shells, &c. to produce that moſt tender and delicious Sallet. In the mean while, if nothing will ſatisfie ſave what is rais'd Ex tempore, and by Miracles of Art ſo long before the time; let them ſtudy (like the Adepti) as did a very ingenious Gentleman whom I knew; That having ſome Friends of his accidentally come to Dine with him, and wanting an early Sallet, Before they ſate down to Table, ſowed Lettuce and ſome other Seeds in a certain Compoſition of Mould he had prepared; which within the ſpace of two Hours, being riſen near two Inches high, preſented them with a delicate and tender Sallet; and this, without making uſe of any nauſeous or fulſome Mixture; but of Ingredients not altogether ſo cheap perhaps. Honoratus Faber (no mean Philoſopher) ſhews us another Method by ſowing the Seeds ſteep'd in Vinegar, caſting on it a good quantity of Bean-Shell Aſhes, irrigating them with Spirit of Wine, and keeping the Beds well cover'd under dry Matts. Such another Proceſs for the raiſing early Peas and Beans, &c. we have the like [74]Accounts of: But were they practicable and certain, I confeſs I ſhould not be fonder of them, than of ſuch as the honeſt induſtrious Country-man's Field, and Good Wife's Garden ſeaſonably produce; where they are legitimately born in juſt time, and without forcing Nature.
But to return again to Health and Long Life, and the Wholeſomneſs of the Herby-Diet, [75]John Beverovicius, a Learn'd Phyſician (out of Peter Moxa, a Spaniard) treating of the extream Age, which thoſe of America uſually arrive to, aſſerts in behalf of Crude and Natural Herbs: Diphilus of old, as [76]Athenæus tells us, was on the other ſide, againſt all the Tribe of Olera in general; and Cardan of late (as already noted) no great Friend to them; Affirming Fleſh-Eaters to be much wiſer and more ſagacious. But this his [77]Learned Antagoniſt utterly denies; Whole Nations, Fleſh-Devourers (ſuch as the fartheſt Northern) becoming Heavy, Dull, Unactive, and much more Stupid than the Southern; and ſuch as feed much on Plants, are more Acute, Subtil, and of deeper Penetration: Witneſs the Chaldæans, Aſſyrians, Ægyptians, &c. And further argues from the ſhort Lives of moſt Carnivorous Animals, compared with Graſs Feeders, and the Ruminating kind; as the Hart, Camel, and the longævous Elephant, and other Feeders on Roots and Vegetables.
I know what is pretended of our Bodies being compoſed of Diſſimilar Parts, and ſo requiring Variety of Food: Nor do I reject the Opinion, keeping to the ſame Species; of which there is infinitely more Variety in the Herby Family, than in all Nature beſsides: But the Danger is in the Generical Difference of Fleſh, Fiſh, Fruit, &c. with other made Diſhes and exotic Sauces; which a wanton and expenſive Luxury has introduc'd; debauching the Stomach, and ſharpening it to devour things of ſuch difficult Concoction, with thoſe of more eaſie Digeſtion, and of contrary Substances, more than it can well diſpose of: Otherwiſe Food of the ſame kind would do us little hurt: So true is that of [78]Celſus, Eduntur facilius; ad concoctionem autem materiæ, genus, & modus pertineat. They are (ſays he) eaſily eaten and taken in: But regard ſhould be had to their Digeſtion, Nature, Quantity and Quality of the Matter. As to that of Diſſimilar Parts, requiring this contended for Variety: If we may judge by other Animals (as I know not why we may not) there is (after all the late Conteſts about Comparative Anatomy) ſo little Difference in the Structure, as to the Uſe of thoſe Parts and Veſſels deſtin'd to ſerve the Offices of Concoction, Nutrition, and other Separations for Supply of Life, &c. That it does not appear why there ſhould need any Difference at all of Food; of which the moſt ſimple has ever been eſteem'd the beſt, and moſt wholſome; according to that of the [79]Naturaliſt, Hominis cibus utiliſſimus ſimplex. And that ſo it is in other Animals, we find by their being ſo ſeldom afflicted with Mens Diſtempers, deriv'd from the Cauſes above-mentioned: And if the many Diſeaſes of Horſes ſeem to [80]contradict it, I am apt to think it much imputable to the Rack and Manger, the dry and wither'd Stable Commons, which they muſt eat or ſtarve, however qualified; being reſtrained from their Natural and Spontaneous Choice, which Nature and Instinct directs them to: To theſe add the Cloſeneſs of the Air, ſtanding in an almoſt continu'd Poſture; beſides the fulſome Drenches, unſeaſonable Watrings, and other Practices of ignorant Horſe-Quacks and ſurly Grooms: The Tyranny and cruel Uſage of their Maſters in tiring Journeys, hard, labouring and unmerciful Treatment, Heats, Colds, &c. which wear out and deſtroy ſo many of thoſe uſeful and generous Creatures before the time: Such as have been better us'd, and ſome, whom their more gentle and good-natur'd Patrons have in recompence of their long and faithful service, diſmiſs'd, and ſent to Paſture for the reſt of their Lives (as the Grand Seignior does his Meccha-Camel) have been known to live forty, fifty, nay (ſays [81]Ariſtotle,) no fewer than ſixty five Years. When once Old Par came to change his ſimple, homely Diet, to that of the Court and Arundel-Houſe, he quickly ſunk and dropt away: For, as we have ſhew'd, the Stomack eaſily concocts plain, and familiar Food; but finds it an hard and difficult Task, to vanquiſh and overcome Meats of [82]different Subſtances: Whence we ſo often ſee temperate and abſtemious Perſons, of a Collegiate Diet, very healthy; Huſbandsmen and laborious People, more robuſt, and longer liv'd than others of an uncertain extravagant Diet.
[83]——Nam variae res
Ut noceant Homini, credas, memor illius eſcae,
Quae ſimplex olim tibi ſederit——