r thother, did lette. For the clene contrarie
complexions to the infected aier, alwaies remaine helthful,
saulfe and better then tofore, the corrupte and infected aier
notwithstandyng. Therfore cold and drie persones either it
touched not at all, or very fewe, and that wyth no danger: such
I say as beside their complexion, (whiche is so harde to finde
in any man exacte and simple, as exacte helthes) were annoied
with some corrupt humoures & spirites, & therfore mete by so
moch to receiue it, & that by good reason. For nothing can
naturally haue power to do ought against any thing, excepte the
same haue in it selfe a disposicion by like qualities to receiue
it. As the cause in the fote cannot trouble the flanke and leue
the knee (the mean betwixte) except there were a greater
consent and likenes of nature in sufferance (whiche we call
_sympathian_) betwixte those then thother. Nor fire refusynge
stones, canne burne hardes, strawe, stickes and charcole, oile,
waxe, fatte, and seacole, except these same first of al wer
apte, and by conuenient qualities disposed to be enflamed and
burned. Nor any man goeth about to burne water, because the
qualities thereof be contrary, and the body vndisposed to the
like of fire. By whiche reason it may also be perceiued, that
y^e venemouse qualitie of this corrupt aire is (20) [= (19)]
hote and moiste, for it redily enfectethe the lyke complexions,
and those nigh vnto theim, and the contrary not at all, or
hardly: & easely doth putrify, as doe the Southe wyndes.
Therfore next vnto those colde and drie complexions, olde men
escaped free, as like to theim by age: and children, as voide of
replecion consumed by their great hete, and therefore alwaies
redy to eate. But in this disease the subtile humour euill and
abundant in full bodies fedyng y^e spirites, is more to be noted
then the humour complexional, whiche notwithstanding, as an
helper or hinderer to y^e same, is not to be neglected. For els
it should be in all contries and persones indifferently, wher
all complexiones be. The thirde and laste reason is, y^t they
which had thys sweat sore with perille or death, were either men
of welthe, ease, & welfare, or of the poorer sorte such as wer
idle persones, good ale drinkers, and Tauerne haunters. For
these, by y^e great welfare of the one sorte, and large drinkyng
of thother, heped vp in their bodies moche euill matter: by
their ease and idlenes, coulde not waste and consume it.
A comf