he ayer strikyng in. But if the sicke on this wise
beforesaid canot sweate kyndly, then nature must be holpen, as I
sayd before. And for so moch as sweat is letted in this disease
fower waies, by disorder, wekenes of nature, closenes of the
pores in the skinne, & grosnes of the humoures: my counseil is
to auoide disorder by suche meanes as hetherto I haue taught,
and next to open the pores if they be close, and make thinne the
matter, if it be grosse, and prouoke sweat, if nature be weke.
Those you shal doe by gentle rubbynges, this by warme drinckes
as hereafter streight I will declare. And for that euery man
hath not the knowlege to discerne which of these is the cause of
let in sweatyng, I wil shewe you plainly howe to do with moste
suretie and leste offense. I wyll beginne with wekenes of
nature. Therefore remember well that in treatynge the causes of
this disease, I sayed that this sweate chauncethe commonly in
theim of the mydde age and beste luste, the infection hauyng a
certein concordance, or conuenience with the corrupte spirites
of theim more then others. Knowe agayne that nature is weke, ij.
waies, either in the selfe, or by the annoiance of an other. In
the selfe, by wante of strength consumed by sicknes or other
wise. By annoiaunce of an other, when nature is so ouerlaid with
the quantitie of euill humours that it can not stirre. Betwene
thes two set youre witte, and se whether the person be lustye
(34) or sickly. If he be lustye, vnderstande that the sweat doth
not stoppe for wekenes of nature in it selfe. Then of necessitie
it must be for some of thother causes. But for whiche, thus
knowe. Consider whether the lusty person were in foretyme geuen
to moche drynkyng, eatyng and rauenyng, to moch ease, to no
exercise or bathinges in his helth, or no. If all these you
finde in him, knowe that bothe nature is wekened by the
annoiance of the humoures, and that the skinne is stopped, and
the humoure grosse, and that for thys the sweate is letted. If
you finde onely some of these, and that rauenynge, annoiance is
the cause. If want of exercise or bathinges, stoppinges of the
pores and closenesse, or grosenes of humours, or bothe, be the
cause of not sweatying. On the othersyde, if the person be
sickely, it is easely knowen that his wekenes consisteth in
nature the self. And for so moche as weke folkes and sicke shal
also by other causes not sweate, consider if in his sickenes he
hath swette moche or no, or hath