i« l     DISCOURSES
SOBER AND TEMPERATE LIFE,
X
        LEWIS &ORNARO,

           A NOBLE VENETIAN,

   WHEREIN IS DEMONSTRATED, BY HIS OWN
               EXAMPLE,

THE METHOD  OF PRESERVING HEALTH
        TO EXTREME OLD AGE."

     TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN ORIGINAL,
     A SEW EDITION, CORRECTED!
        * '—'----------—,

        TO WHICH IS ADDED.

PHYSIC OP THE GOLDEN AGE. A FRAGMENT,
MIDDLETOWN, N. J.
  OKOROK H. EVAN*.
J836, 
Wz





/834, 
PREFACE.
  The author of the following discourses,
Lewis Cornaro, was descended from one of
the most illustrious families in Venice, but, by
the ill conduct of some of his relations, had
the misfortune to be deprived  of the dignity
of a nobleman, and excluded from all ho-
nors and  public employments in the state.
Chagrined  at  this  unmerited disgrace, he
retired to Padua, and married a lady of the
family of  Spiltemberg,  whose  name   was
Veronica.   Being in possession of a  good
estate, he was very  desirous of having chil-
dren ; and, after a long expectation of this
happiness, his wife was delivered of a daugh-
ter, to whom he gave the  name of Clara.
This was his only child,  who afterwards was
married to John the son  of Fantini Cornaro,
of a rich family in Cyprus, while that island
belonged to the republic of Venice.  Though
he was far advanced in life when his daughter
Clara came into the world, yet he lived to
see her very old, and the  mother  of  eight
sons and three daughters.  He was a man
of sound  understanding, determined  cou-
rage and resolution.  In  his younger days he
had contracted infirmities by intemperanog, 
if
PREFACE.
anc(  by indulging  his  too  great propensity
to anger ; but when he perceived the ill con-
sequence of his irregularities,  he had  com-
mand enough of himself to subdue his pasJ
eion and  inordinate appetites.   By means
Of great sobriety, and a strict regimen in his
diet, he recovered  his  health   and  vigor,
which  he  preserved to an  extreme old age.
At a very  advanced stage of life he wrote  the
the  following discourses,  wherein  he  ac-
quaints us with the irregularity of his youth,
his  reformation   of  manners,  and   the
hopes  he entertained of living a long  time.
Nor  was  he mistaken  in  his  expectation,
for he resigned his  last breath  without any
agony,  sitting  in   an   elbow  chair, being
abdve a hundred years  old.   This happen-
ed at Padua, the 26th of April,  1566.   His
lady, almost as old as himself, survived him
but a short  time, and  died an  easy death.
They were  both  interred  in  St.  Antony's
church, without any pomp, pursuant to their
testamentary directions.
  These discourses, though written in Cor-
naro's  old age,  were  penned at different
times, and published separately : The first,
which  he  wrote at  the  age of eighty-three,
is entitled, A Treatise  on  a Sober Life, in
which  he  declares  war against  every  kind
of intemperance ;  and his  vigorous old a«re
speaks  in   favor   of  his  precepts.   The
lecond  treatise he composed at the age of 
PREFACE.
V
eighty-six:  it  contains farther encomiums
on sobriety,  and  points out the means of
mending a bad constitution.  He says, that
he came into the world with a choleric dis-
position, but that  his  temperate way of life
had enabled him to subdue  it.   The third,
which  he wrote  at  the  age of ninety-one,
is  entitled,  An  Earnest Exhortation  to a
Sober  Life ;   here he uses the strongest ar-
guments to persuade mankind to embrace a
temperate life, as the  means of attaining a
healthy and vigorous old age.  The fourth
and last, is a Letter to Barbaro, Patriarch of
Aquileia, written  at the  age  of ninety-five;
it contains a lively description of the health,
vigor,  and perfect use of all his faculties,
which  he  had  the happiness of enjoying at
that advanced  period of life.
 . This useful  work was  translated  some
years ago into English, under the title of,
Sure and certain Methods  of  attaining  a
Long and Healthy Life. The translator seema
rather to have  made use of a French version
than of the Italian  original;  he  has  like-
wise omitted several passages of the Italian,
and the whole is rather a paraphrase  than a
translation.  This  has induced us- to  give
the public an exact and faithful version of
that excellent performance, from the Venice
edition in 8vo. in the year  1620 :* and as a
 * The first edition was published by the author at Padua, in
4io.  A. D. 1558.
                    a2 
vi
FREFACE.
proof of the merit and  authenticity  of the
work, we beg leave to quote Mr. Addison's
recommendation  of it,  Spectator, vol. iii-
No. 195.
   " The most remarkable instance  of the
efficacy  of temperance,  towards the  pro-
Curing long life, is what we meet with  in a
little  book  published  by  Lewis  Cornaro^
the Venetian;  which I the rather mention,
because it is of undoubted credit, as the late
Venetian ambassador, who was of the same
family, attested more than once  in conver-
sation, when he resided  in England.   Cor-
naro, who was the  author of the little treatise
I am mentioning, was of an infirm constitu-
tion till  about forty, when,  by obstinately
persisting in an exact course of temperance,
he recovered  a perfect state of health ;  in-
somuch that  at  fourscore he published  his
book, which has been translated  into Eng-
lish  under the title of,  Sure  and  certain
Methods  of attaining a Long and Healthy
Life.   He  lived to give a third or  fourth
edition of,  it,  and  after having passed  his
hundredth year, died without pain or  a^ony,
and like one who falls asleep.   The treatise
I mention has been taken notice of by seve-
ral  eminent authors, and  is  written  with
such a spirit of cheerfulness,  religion,  and
good sense, as are  the natural  concomitants
of temperance and sobriety.   The  mixture
of the old man in  it, is rather a recommen-
dation than a discredit to it." 
           A

     Treatise

          ON

A  SOBER LIFE.
 It is a thing  post all doubt, that custom*
by time, becomes  a  second nature, forcing
men  to  use  that,  whether good or bad,  to
which they have been  habituated :  nay, we
see habit, in many things, get  the better of
reason.   This is  so undeniably true,  that
virtuous men, by conversing with the wick*
ed, very often  fall into  the  same vicious
course of life.   The contrary,  likewise, we
see sometimes happen ;  viz. that, as good
morals easily change to bad, so bad morals
change again to good.  For instance :  let a
wicked  man, who was once virtuous, keep
company with  a  virtuous man, and he will
again become virtuous ;  and this alteration
can be  attributed to  nothing hut  the force
of habit, which  is,  indeed,  very  great.
Seeing many examples of this ;  and, besides,
considering  that, in  consequence of this
great  force of habit, three bad customs  have 
8           A GUIDE  TO HEALTH

got footing  in Italy within a  few  years,
even  within my  own  memory;   the  first
flattery and ccremoniousness;  the  second
Lutheranism* which  some  have most  pre-
posterously embraced ;  the  third  intempe-
rance; and that these three vices,like so many
cruel  monsters, leagued, as indeed  they are,
against mankind, have  gradually prevailed,
so far as to rob civil life of its sincerity, the
soul of its piety, and the body of its health ;
I have resolved to treat  of the last of these
vices,  and  prove that it is an abuse, in order
to extirpate  it, if possible.   As to the se-
cond, Lutheranism,  and the first, flattery, I
am certain  that some great  genius or  ano-
ther wiii soon undertake the task of expos-
ing their deformity, and  effectually suppress-
ing them.  Therefore,  I firmly hope,  that
before I die, I  shall  see these three  abuses
conquered and driven out of Italy ;  and this
country  of course  restored  to  its  former
laudable and virtuous customs.
   To come, then, to that abuse of which I
have  proposed to speak, namely,  intempe-
rance ;  I say, that it  is a great pity  it should

  *The author writes with the prejudice of a zea-
lous Roman  Catholic against the doctrine of the
Reformation, which he  here distinguishes by the
name of Lutheranism.  This was owing  to the ar-
tifices of the Romish clergy in those days, by whom
the reformed  religion was misrepresented, as intro-
ductive of licentiousness and debauchery. 
AND  LONG LIFE.
&
have prevailed so muchj as entirely to banish
sobriety.  Though  all are agreed, that in-
temperance is the offspring of gluttony, and
sober living of abstemiousness ;  the former,
nevertheless,  is  considered as a  virtue and
a mark of distinction, and the latter, as dis-
honorable and the badge of avarice.  Such
mistaken notions are entirely owing to the
power of custom* established by our senses
and irregular appetites ;  these have blinded
and  besotted  men  to  such  a degree,  that,
leaving  the  paths of virtue, they have fol-
lowed those of vice, which lead them before
their  time to an old  age,   burdened  with
strange  and mortal  infirmities, so as to ren-
der them  quite  decrepid before forty, con-
trary to the effects of sobriety, which, before
it was banished by this  destructive intem-
perance, used to keep men sound and hearty
to the  age  of eighty and   upwards.   O
wretched  and unhappy Italy ! do not you
see,  that  intemperance murders every year
more of your subjects, than  you  could lose
by  the  most  cruel plague,   or by fire  and
sword in many battles? Those truly shame-
ful  feasts, now  so  much in fashion, and  so
intolerably profuse,  that no tables are  large
enough to hold  the  dishes, which  renders if
necessary to heap them one  upon  another ;
those feasts, I say, are so many battles ; and
how is it  possible to support nature by such a
variety  of contrary  and unwholesome foods 1 
10          A GUIDE TO HEALTH

Put a stop to this abuse, for God's sake, for
there is not, I am certain of it, a vice  more
abominable  than this in  the  eyes  of the
divine  majesty.  Drive away this new kind
of death as you  have banished the plague,
which, though it  formerly used to  make
such havoc, now does little or  no mischief,
owing to the  laudable practice of attending
more   to  the  goodness  of the  provisions
brought to our markets.  There  are means
still left to banish intemperance, and  such
means,  too, that every man may have re-
course  to them without   any  assistance.
Nothing more is requisite for this purpose,
than to  live up to the simplicity dictated by
nature, which teaches us  to  be content with
little, to  pursue  the medium of holy abste-
miousness and divine reason, and to  accus-
tom ourselves to eat no more than is abso-
lutely necessary to support life ;  considering,
that what exceeds this, is disease and death,
and  merely gives the  palate a satisfaction,
which, though  but  momentary,  brings  on
the body a long and lasting  train of disagree-
able  sensations  and diseases, and at length
destroys it along with the soul.   How many
friends of mine, men  of the  finest  under-
standing  and  most  amiable  disposition,
have I seen carried off by  this nlague, in
the flower of their  youth ;  who,  were they
now living, would  be an  ornament to the
public, and  whose company I  should enjoy 
AND  LONG LIFE.
11
with as much  pleasure, as  I  now feel con-
cern at their loss.
   In  order,  therefore,  to put a  stop  to  so
great an evil, I have resolved  by this short
discourse to demonstrate, that intemperance
is an abuse  which may be easily removed,
and that the good  old  sober living  may  be
substituted in its stead ;  and this I undertake
the more  readily, as many young  men  of
the best understanding, knowing that it is
a vice, have requested  it of  me,  moved
thereto by seeing their fathers drop off  in
the flower of their youth, and  me so sound
and hearty at the age of eighty-one.  They
expressed a desire to reach the same term,
nature not forbidding us  to wish for longe-
vity ;   and old age being, in fact, that time
of life in  which  prudence can be best exen-
cised, and the fruits of  all the other virtues
enjoyed with less  opposition,  the  passions
being then so subdued,  that man gives him-
self up entirely to reason.   They beseeched
me to let them  know  the method  pursued
by me to  attain it;  and then finding them
intent  on so laudable  a pursuit, I have re-
solved to treat of that method, in order to  be
■of service not only to them, but to all those
who may be willing to peruse this discourse.
I  shall, therefore,  give my reaso-as  for  re-
nouncing intemperance,  and  betaking my-
self to a sober course of life;  declare freely
the method  pursued by  me for that purpose; 
{3         A GUIDE  TO HEALTH

and then  set forth the effects of so good a
habit  upon me;  whence it  may be  clearly
gathered,  how easy  it  is  to  remove  the
abuse of  intemperance.   I shall conclude,
by showing how  many  conveniences  and
blessings  are the  consequences of a sober
life.
  I say, then, that  the heavy train of infirmi-T
ties, which had not  only invaded, but even
made  great inroads in my constitution, were
my motives for  renouncing intemperance,
to which  I had been greatly  addicted ;  so
that, in  consequence of it,  and the  badness
of my constitution, my stomach being ex-
ceedingly  cold and  moist, I was fallen into
different kinds of  disorders, such as  pains
in my stomach, and  often  stitches, and spi-
ces of the gout;  attended by what was still
worse, an  almost  continual slow fever,  a
stomach generally  out  of order, and a per?
petual thirst.   From these natural and ac?
quired disorders the  best delivery I  had to
hope for, was death, to put an end  to the
pains  and miseries of life;  a period  very rer
mote iu the regular course of nature, though
I had hastened  it by  my irregular  manner
of Jiving.  Finding myself,  therefore,  ia
such  unhappy  circumstances between  my
thirty-fifth and fortieth  year,  every  thine
that could be thought  of having been  tried
to no  purpose to relieve  me, the physicians
gave  me to understand,  that there was bfij 
AND  LONG LIFE.
13
one  method  left to get  the  better of my
complaints, provided I would  resolve to use
it, and patiently persevere in it.  This waa
a sober and  regular life, which they assur-
ed me would be  still of the  greatest  ser-
vice to me, and would be as powerful  in its
effects, as the intemperate and irregular one
had been in reducing me to the  present low
condition : and that I might  be fully  satis-
fied of its salutary effects, for though by my
irregularities  I was become infirm, I  was
not reduced  so low,  but that a temperate
life, the opposite in every respect to an in-
temperate one,  might still entirely recover
me.   And  besides, it  in fact  appears, such
a  regular  life, while  observed,'* preserves
men of a bad constitution, and  far gone  in
years, just as a contrary course has the pow-
er to  destroy those of the best constitution,
and  in their prime;  for this plain  reason,
that  different modes of life are  attended  by
different effects;  art following, even herein,
the steps  of nature,  with  equal power  to
correct  natural  vices   and  imperfections,
This is obvious  in husbandry and  the like.
They added, that if I did not  immediately
have  recourse  to such  a  regimen, I  could
receive no benefit  from it in  a few months,
and that in a few more I must resign myself
to death.
   These  solid  and  convincing argumenti
made such an impression on me, that, mor-.
                     B 
14         A  GUiBE TO HEALTH

tified as I was besides, by the thoughts  of
dying in the prime of life, and at the same
time perpetually tormented  by various dis-
eases,  I immediately  concluded,  that  the
foregoing contrary effects  could not be  pro-
duced but by contrary  modes of living: and
therefore,  full of hopes,  resolved, in order
to avoid at once both  death and disease, to
betake myself to a regular  course of life.
Having, upon this, inquired of them what
rules I should  follow, they told  me  that  I
must not use  any food, solid or  liquid,  but
such as being  generally  prescribed  to sick
persons, is, for that reason, called  diet, and
both very sparingly.   These  directions,  to
say  the truth, they  had  before given  me;
but it was at a time of life when, impatient
of such restraint, and  finding myself satia-
ted,  as it were, with  such  food, I  could  not
put  up with it, and  therefore  eat freely of
every thing I liked best;  and likewise, feel-
ing myself in  a manner parched  up  by the
heat of my  disease,  made  no  scruple  of
drinking, and  in large quantities, the wines
that best pleased my palate.   This, indeed,
like  all  other patients, I kept  a secret from
my physicians.  But, when I had  once  re-
solved  to  live  sparingly,  and according  to
the dictates of reason, seeing that it  was
my duty as  a man so to do, I entered with
so much resolution  upon this new  course
of life, that nothing  has been  since able  to 
AND  LONG L1FB.
15
dirert me from it.  The consequence  was,
that in a few days I began to perceive, thai
•uch a course agreed with me very well;
and by pursuing it, in  less than a year,  I
found  myself (some  persons, perhaps,  will
not believe it)  entirely freed from all  my
complaints.
  Having thus recovered  my health, I be-
gan seriously to  consider the power of tem-
perance, and say to myself, that if this vir-
tue had  efficacy  enough to subdue  such
grievous disorders  as mine, it  must  have
still greater to  preserve me in health, to
help my bad constitution, and  comfort my
very weak  stomach.   I  therefore applied
myself diligently to discover what kinds of
food suited  me  best.  But, first, I resolved
to try,  whether those,  which  pleased  my
palate,  agreed  or  disagreed with my  sto-
mach,  in order to judge for myself of the
truth of that proverb, which I once held for
true, and is univerally held as  such in the
highest  degree,  insomuch that  epicures,
who give a loose  to  their appetites,  lay  it
down  as a fundamental  maxim.   This pro-
verb is,  that whatever  pleases  the palate,
must agree  with the  stomach, and nourish
the body ;  or  whatever is palatable must be
equally wholesome and nourishing.   The
issue was, that I found it to be false:  for,
though rough and  very  cold wines, as  like-
wise  melons  and  other  fruits,  sallad, fish, 
18         A GUIDE TO  HEALTH
 and pork, tarts, garden-stuff, pastry, and the
 like, were very pleasing  to my palate, they
 disagreed with  me notwithstanding.  Hav-
 ing thus convinced myself that the proverb
 in question was false, I looked upon it  as
 such ;  and, taught by experience, I gave
 over the use of  such  meats and  wines, and
 likewise of ice;  chose wine  suited to my
 stomach, drinking of it but the quantity I
 knew I could digest.   I did the same by my
 meat,  as well in regard  to quantity as  to
tjuality,  accustoming  myself never to  cloy
 my stomach with  eating  or  drinking;  but
constantly rise from table with a disposition
 to eat and drink still  more.  In this I con-
formed to the proverb, which says, that  a
 man, to consult his  health, must check  his
 appetite.  Having in  this manner, and  for
these reasons, conquered  intemperance and
 irregularity, I  betook myself entirely to  a
temperate and regular life ;  which  effected
 in me the alteration already mentioned, that
is, in less than a year it rid me of all those
disorders, which had  taken so deep a  root
 in me;  nay, as I have already observed, had
made  such  a progress, as to be in a man-
 ner incurable. It had likewise this other good
effect,  that  I  no longer  experienced those
annual fits of sickness, with which  I used to
be afflicted, while I   followed a  different
that is a sensual course of life:  for then  I
used  to   be attacked  every  year  with   a 
AND  LONG LIFE.
17
strange  kind  of  fever,  which  sometimes
brought  me  to death's  door.   From  this
disease, then, I also freed myself, and be-
came exceeding healthy, as I have continu-
ed from that time forward to this very day ;
and  for no other  reason  than  that I never
trespassed  against regularity,  which by its
infinite efficacy has been the cause, that the
meat I constantly ate, and the wine I con-
stantly drank, being such as agreed with my
constitution,  and taken in  proper quantities,
imparted all their virtue to my body, and then
left it without difficulty, and  without engen-
dering in it any bad humors.
   In consequence therefore  of  my  taking
such methods, I have always enjoyed, and
(God be praised-) actually enjoy  the best of
healths.   It  is true,  indeed, that, besides
the  two foregoing most important  rules
relative to eating and drinking, which I have
ever been  very scrupulous to observe ; that
is, not to take of  any thing, but  as much as
 my stomach can easily digest, and to  use
those things only,  which  agree with me ;
I have carefully avoided  heat,  cold, and
extroardinary  fatigue, interruption of  my
usual hours  of rest, excessive venery, mak-
ing any stay  in bad air,  and exposing my-
 self to the wind and sun ; for these, too, are
 great  disorders.   But  then,  fortunately,
 there is n© great difficulty in avoiding them,
 the love of life and health having more sway
                    b2 
 18         A GUIDE TO HEALTH

 over  men of understanding, than  any satis-*
 faction they could find in  doing what must
 be extremely hurtful  to their constitution.
 I have likewise done all that lay in my pow-
 er  to  avoid  those  evils, which we  do  not
 find so easy to remove;  these are melan-
 choly, hatred,  and  other  violent  passions,
 which appear to have  the greatest influence
 over our bodies.  However, I have not been
 able  to  guard so  well against either one
 or  the  other kind  of those disorders,  as
 not to  suffer myself  now  and then to  be
 hurried away by  many, not to say  all  of
 them;  but  I  have  reaped the  benefit  of
 knowing by experience that these passions
 have, in the  main, no  great influence over
 bodies governed by the two foregoing rules
 of eating and drinking, and  therefore can do
 them  but very little harm ;   so  that  it may
 with great  truth be affirmed, that whoever
 observes these two capital rules, is liable to
 very little  inconveniency from any other
 excesses.  This, Galen, who was an emi-
 nent physician, observed  before  me.   He
 affirms, that so long  as  he followed these
 rules  relative  to  eating and  drinking,  he
suffered but little  from other disorders, so
 little,  that  they never  gave him  above  a
 day*s  uneasiness.   That  what  he says  is
true, I am a living  witness, and so  are many
others, who know  me, and  have seen, how
often  I have been exposed to heats and 
AND LONG LIFE.
19
colds, and such  other disagreeable  changes
of weather;  and  have,  likewise,  seen me
(owing  to various misfortunes, which  have
more than  once  befallen  me) greatly dis-
turbed in my mind.   For they cannot only
say of  me that such disturbance  of mind
has done me very little harm, but they can
aver of  many  others, who did not  lead  a
sober and regular life, that  it  proved  very
prejudicial to them,  among   whom was  a
brother  of my ovvu, and  others of my fami-
ly, who,  trusting to  the  goodness of  their
constitution, did not follow my way of liv-
ing.   The consequence hereof was  a great
misfortune to them, the perturbations of thfl
mind having  thereby acquired an extraor-
dinary influence over their  bodies.  Such,
in a word, was their  grief and  dejection  at
seeing me  involved  in expensive  law-suits,
commenced against me by great and  power-
ful  men, that, fearing I should be cast, they
were  seized  with  that melancholy humor,
with  which   intemperate   bodies   always
abound ; and these  humors  had  such an
influence over them, and increased  to  such
a degree, as  to  carry them off before their
time;  whereas  I  suffered nothing  on the
occasion; as  I  had  in me  no superfluous
humors of that kind.  Nay, in order to keep
up  my spirits,  I brought myself to think,
that  God had raised  up  these suits against
me, in order  to  make me more sensible of
my strength  of  body and mind;  and that 
20         A GUIDE TO HEALTH

 I should get the better of them  with honof
 and advantage, as it, in fact, came to pass :
 for, at  last, I  obtained a decree exceeding
 favorable to my  fortune and my character,
 which,  though it  gave  me  the  highest plea-
 sure, had not the  power to do me any harm in
 other respects.  Thus it is plain, that neither
 melancholy nor  any other affection of the
 mind can hurt bodies governed with tempe-
 rance and regularity.
    But  I must go a step farther, and  say
 that even misfortunes themselves can do but
 very little mischief, or cause but  very  little
 pain, to such bodies ; and  that this is true, I
 have myself experienced at the age of seven-
 ty. I happened, as is often the case, to be in
 a coach, which, going at a pretty smart rate,
 was overset, and in that condition drawn  a
 considerable  way  by  the horses, before
 means  could be found  to stop them ; whence
 I received so many shocks and bruises, that
 I  was  taken  out with my  head and all the
 rest of my  body  terribly battered,  and a dis-
 located leg and  arm.   When I was brought
 home,  the  family immediately sent  for the
 physicians, who, on their arrival,  seeing me
 in so  bad  a plight, concluded, that within
 three days  I should die ;  nevertheless, they
 Would  try what  good  two  things would do
 me ; one was to  bleed me, the other to purge
 me;  and thereby prevent my humors alter-
 ing, as they every moment  expected, to such
 a degree as to ferment greatly, and  bring on 
AND LONG LIFE.
21
a high fever.  But I, on  the  contrary, who
knew, that the sober life I had led for many
years past, had  so well united, harmonized,
and  disposed  my  humors, as  not to leave it
in their power to ferment to such  a degree,
refused to be either bled or purged.   I just
caused  my leg and arm to  be set, and suf-
fered myself to be rubbed  with some oils,
which  they said  were proper on  the  occa-
sion.   Thus,  without using any other kind
of  remedy,  1  recovered, as  I thought  I
6houId, without feeling the least  alteration
in myself, or  any other bad effects from the
accident;  a thing which appeared miracu-
lous even in  the eyes  of the physicians.
Hence  we are to infer, that  whoever  leads
a sober and regular  life, and  commits no
excess  in  his diet, can suffer but very little
from disorders of any other  kind, or  exter-
nal accidents.  On the contrary, 1 conclude,
especially  from  the  late  trial  I have  had,
that excesses in  eating or drinking are fatal.
Of this I convinced myself four years ago,
when  by  the  advice of my physicians, the
instigation of my friends, and the importu-
nity  of my own  family, I  consented to such
an excess, which, as it will appear hereafter,
was attended with far worse consequences
than could naturally be expected.   This ex-
cess consisted in increasing  the quantity of
food I generally made use of;  which increase
alone brought on me a most cruel fit of sick-
ness.  And as it is a case so much  in point to 
22         A GUIDE TO  HEALTH
the subject in band, and the knowledge of it
may be useful to some of my readers, I shall
take the trouble to relate it.
   I say, then, that my  dearest friends and
relations, actuated by the warm and laudable
affection and  regard they have for me, see-
ing how little I  ate, represented to  me, in
conjunction with my physicians, that the sus-
tenance I took could not be sufficient to sup-
port one so far advanced  in years, when it
was become necessary not only  to preserve
nature,  but to  increase its vigor.  That, as
this could  not be done  without  food, it was
absolutely  incumbent upon me to eat a lit-
tle  more plentifully.  I, on the other hand,
produced  my reasons  for  not  complying
with their  desires.   These  were,  that  na-
ture is  content  with little, and that with
this little I had preserved myself so  many
 ears;  and that,  to me  the habit of it was
 ecome a  second nature;  and  that  it was
more agreeable to reason, that, as I advan-
ced in years and lost my strength, I should
rather lessen than  increase the  quantity of
my food :  farther, that it was but natural to
think, that  the powers of the stomach grew
Weaker from day  to day ; on which  account
1 could  see no reason to make such an  ad-
dition.    To corroborate my arguments  I
alleged  those  two natural  and very true
proverbs;  one, that he, who has a mind to
eat a great  deal, must eat  but little ;   which
is said  for  no  other reason  than this, that
 
AND LONG LIFE.
23
eating little makes a man live very long; and
living very long  he must eat a great deal.
The other proverb was, that what we leave
after  making a hearty meal, does us more
good  than what we have eat.  But neither
these proverbs, nor any  other  arguments  I
could think  of, were  able  to  prevent their
teazing me  more  than  ever.   Wherefore,
not to  appear obstinate, or affect to know
more than the  physicians themselves ;  but,
above  all, to please  my family,  who  very
earnestly  desired it, from a persuasion that
such  an  addition  to  my usual  allowance
would preserve my strength, I  consented to
increase the quantity  of food, but with two
ounces only.  So that, as before, what with
bread, meat, the  yolk  of an egg,  and soup,
I eat as much as  weighed in all twelve oun-
ces, neither more or less, I now increased  it
to fourteen ;  and as before I drank but four-
teen ounces of wine,  I now increased  it to
sixteen.*   This increase  and irregularity
had, in  eight days time,  such an effect upon
me, that  from  being  cheerful  and brisk, I
began to be peevish and  melancholy, so that
nothing could please me ; and was constantly
so strangely disposed, that I neither knew
what  to say to others, nor  what to do with
myself.   On the twelfth day, I was attack-
ed  with a  most violent pain  in my side,
which held me twenty-two hours, and was
  * A weak but pure wine, for which cider, b»er, or water may
 fee the beat substitute io tjsU country. Ed. 
24         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
 succeeded by  a terrible  fever, which conti-
 nued thirty-five days  and as many nights,
 without  giving  me  a  moment's  respite;
 though, to  say  the truth, it began  to  abate
 gradually on'the  fifteenth.   Bat,  notwith-
 standing such  abatement,  I could not, du-
 ring the  whole time, sleep  half a quarter of
 an  hour together, insomuch, that every one
 looked upon me as a dead  man.   But, God
 be  praised,  I recovered  merely by my for-
 mer regular course of life, though  then  in
 my seventy-eighth year,  and in  the coldest
 season of a very cold year,  and reduced to a
 mere skeleton ;  and  I am  positive that it
 was the great regularity I had observed  for
 so many years,  and that only, which rescued
 me from the jaws of death.   In all that time
 I never knew  what sickness  was,  unless I
 may call by that name some slight  indispo-
 sitions of a day or  two's continuance; the
 regular life I had led, as I  have already  ta-
 ken notice, for  so many years,  not having
 permitted any  superfluous  or bad Tiumors
 to breed  in me  ;  or if they did, to  acquire
 such strength and malignity, as  they gene-
 rally acquire in the superannuated bodies
 of  those who  live  without rule.   And  as
 there was not any old malignity in my hu-
 mors, (which is the thing that kills  people,)
 but  only that  which my  new irregularity
 had occasioned, this fit of  sickness, though
 exceeding violent, had  not  strength enough
to destroy  me.  This it  was, and  nothing 
AND  LONG LIFE.
25
 else,  that  saved  my life ;  whence  may be
 gathered, how great is the power and effica-
 cy of regularity ;  and  how  great, likewise,
 is that of  irregularity, which  in  a few days
 could bring on  me so terrible a  fit of  sick-
 ness, just as regularity had preserved  me in
 health for so many years.
   And  it  appears to me a no weak  argu-
 ment,  that, since  the  world, consisting of
 the four elements, is  upheld by order ;  and
 our life, as to the  body, is no other than an
'. harmonious combination  of  the  same  four
i elements,  so  it  should  be  preserved  and
] maintained by the very  same order;  and,
i on  the  other hand, it must be worn out by
! sickness, or destroyed  by death,  which are
 produced by the contrary effects.   By order
 the  arts are  more easily learned :  by order
 armies  are rendered victorious;  by  order,
 in  a word, families, cities, and even  states
 are  maintained.    Hence  I  conclude,  that
  orderly  living is  no  other than a most cer-
  tnin cause and foundation of health and long
 life;  nay  I  cannot  help  saying, that it  is
  the  only  true  medicine;   and  whoever
  weighs the matter well, must also conclude,
  that this is really the case.  Hence it is  that
  when  a physician comes to  visit a patient,
  the first thing he prescribes  is to live  regu-
  larly.   In like manner,  when  a  physician
  takes leave of a patient, on  his being reco-
  vered,  he  advises him,  as  he  tenders  his
  health, to lead a regular life.  And it is not
                    c 
26         A GUIDE  TO HEALTH
 to be doubted that, were a patient so reco-
 vered to live in that manner, he could nev-
 er be sick again, as it removes every cause
 of illness;  and  so,  for the future,  would
 never want either physician or physic.   Nay,
 bj  attending duly to  what  I have said, he
 would become his own physician, and,  in<-
 deed, the best he could have ;  since, in fact,
 no man  can be a perfect  physician  to any
 one  but  himself.   The  reason  of  which is,
 that any  man  may, by repeated trials, ac-
 quire a  perfect knowledge of his own con-
 stitution,  and the most hidden qualities  of
 his body ;  and  what wine  and food agree
 with  his stomach.   Now, it is so  far from
 being an easy matter  to know  these  things
 perfectly of another, that we cannot without
 much trouble discover  them in  ourselves,
 since a great deal of time and repeated trials
 are requisite for that purpose.
  These trials are, indeed, (if I may say it,)
 more than necessary, as there is  a greater
 {variety in the natures and  constitutions of
 different men than in their persons.   Who
 could believe, that old wine, wine that  had
 passed its first year, should disagree with my
 .stomach, and  new wine agree with it?  and
 ithat pepper, which is looked upon as a warm
 spice, should not have a warm effect upon
 me, insomuch that I find myself more  warm-
ed  and  comforted by  cinnamon ?  Where
 is the physician that could have informed me
 of these two latent qualities, since I myself, 
AND LONG LIFE.
27
 even by a long course of observation, could1
 Scarce  discover them ?  From all these rea-
 sons it  follows, that it is impossible to be a
 perfect physician to another.   Since, there*
 fore  a  man  cannot have  a  better  physi-
 cian  than himself, nor  any  physic better
 than a regular life,  a regular life  he ought to
 embrace.
   I  do not, however, mean,  that, for  the
 knowledge and cure of such disorders  as
 often befall those who do not live regularly,
 there is no occasion for a physician, and that
 his assistance  ought to be  slighted.  For,
 if we are  apt to receive  such great comfort
 from friends,  who  come to visit in our  ill-
 ness, though  they  do no more than testify
 their concern for us, and  bid  us  be of good
 cheer;  how much  more regard ought we to
 have for the  physician, who is a  friend that
 Comes to  see us in order to relieve us, and
 promises  us a cure?  But for the bare pur*
 pose of keeping ourselves in good  health, I
 am of opinion, that we should  consider as a
 physician this  regular life, which,  as we have
 seen, is our natural and proper physic, since
 it  preserves men, even those of  a bad con-
 stitution, in health ; makes  them  live sound
 and  hearty to the  age of one  hundred and
 upwards ;  and prevents their dying of sick-
 ness, or through a corruption of their humors,
but merely by a  dissolution of  their radi-
cal  moisture,  when  quite  exhausted;  all
which effects t.o ual wise men have attribu- 
28         A GUIDE  TO HEALTn
ted to potable gold, and the elixir, sought for
by many, but discovered  by few.    How-
ever, to confess the truth, men, for the  most
part, are  very  sensual  and  intemperate,
and love to  satisfy their appetites,  and to
commit every excess ;  therefore, seeing that
they  cannot  avoid being greatly injured by
such excess,  as often as they are guilty of it,
they  by way  of apologizing for their conduct
say, that it is better to live ten years  less
and enjoy themselves; not considering, of
what importance are ten years more  of  life,
especially a  healthy  life, and at a maturer
age ; when men  become sensible of their
progress in knowledge and virtue, which can-
not attain to  any degree of perfection before
this period of life.
  Not to  speak, at  present, of many other
advantages, I shall  barely mention  that in
regard to  letters and the sciences ;  for the
greatest number of the best and most cele-
brated books  extant,  were written   during
that  period  of life, and  those  ten  years"
which some  make  it their  business  to  un-
dervalue,  in  order to give a  loose to their
appetites.  Be that  as it  will, I would  not
act like   them.   I  rather  coveted  to live
these ten years, and, hid  I not done so,  I
should never have finished those tracts which
I have composed in consequence of my hav-
ing been  sound  and  hearty these ten years
past; and which T have the pleasure to think
will be of service to others.  These sensual- 
AND LONG LIVE.
29
jsts add, that a regular  life is such as no man
can lead.  To this I  answer,  Galen, who
was so great a physician, led such a life, and
chose it as the best physic.  The same did
Plato,  Cicero, Isocrates,  and  many other
great men  of former  times ; whom, not to
tire the reader, I shall forbear naming : and*
in our own days,  pope Paul Farness led it,
and cardinal  Bembo  : and it  was for that
reason they lived so long ;  likewise our two
doges, Lando  and Donato ; besides many
others  of meaner  condition, and those who
live not  only in cities, but also in different
parts of the country, who all found great be-
nefit by conforming to this regularity. There-
fore, since  many have led this life, and many
actually  lead  it, it is  not such a life but that
every one may conform to it;  and the more
so, as no great difficulty attends it; nothing*
indeed, being requisite but to begin in good
earnest,  as  the above-mentioned Cicero af-
firms,  and all those  who  now live in this
manner.  Plato,  you  will  say,  though  he
himself lived very regularly, affirms, notwith-
standing, that, in republics, men  cannot do
so, being often obliged to expose themselves
to heat," cold, and several other kinds  of
hardship, and other things, which are all so
many  disorders, and incompatible with a re-
gular  life.   I  answer, as I have already ob-
served, that these  are not disorders attended
with  any  bad consequence, or which affect
either health or life, when  the man who unj
                   c2 
30         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
 dergoes them, observes the rules of sobriety,
 and commits no  excess in the two  points
 concerning  diet  which  a  republican may
 very well avoid, nay it is requisite he should
 avoid ;  because, by so doing, he  may be
 sure either to escape those disorders, which,
 otherwise, it would be no  easy matter  for
 him to  escape  while exposed to these hard-
 ships ;  or, in case he could not escape them,
 he  may more  easily  and speedily prevent
 their bad effects.
  Here it  may be  objected, and some actu-
 ally object, that he, who leads  a regular life,
 having  constantly, when well,  made  use of
 food fit  for the  sick, and  in small quantities,
 has no resource left in case of illness. To this
 I mirrht, in the first place, answer, that na-
 ture, desirous to preserve man in good health
 as lon^  as possible, informs him, herself, how
 he is to act in time of illness : for she imme-
 diately deprives him, when sick, of his appe-
 tite,  in  order that  he may eat but little ;  be-
 cause nature (as  I have said already) is  sa-
 tisfied with  little  ; wherefore, it is requisite,
 that a man, when  sick, whether he has been
 a regular or  irregular  liver,  should use  no
 means,  but such  as are suited to his disor-
 der; and  of these even  in  a much smaller
quantity than he  was wont to do when in
health.  For were he to eat as much as he
 used  to do,  he would die by it; because it
would be  only adding to the  burden, with
 which nature was already oppressed, by o[. 
AND LONG LIFE.
31
ving her a greater quantity of food than she
can in such circumstances support; and this,
I imagine, would be a sufficient caution to
any  sick  person.  But,  independent of all
this, I might answer some others,  and still
better, that whoever leads  a  regular  life,
cannot  be sick ;  or,  at least, but  seldom,
and  for  a short time ;   because, by living
regularly, he extirpates  every seed of sick-
ness: and thus, by removing the cause, pre-
vents the effect;  so  that he  who pursues a
regular course of life,  need  not  be appre-
hensive of illness, as  he need  not be afraid
of the effect, who has guarded against the
cause.
   Since  it therefore appears that a regular
life is  so  profitable  and  virtuous, so lovely
and so  holy,  it ought to be  universally fol-
lowed and embraced ;  and the more so,  as
it does not clash with the  means or duties
of  any station,  but  is ensy to  all ;  because,
 to lead it, a man need not tie  himself down
to eat so little as  I do,  or  not  to eat fruit,
 fish,  and  other things  of that  kind,  from
 which I abstain, who eat little, because it is
 sufficient  for  my puny and  weak stomach;
 and fruit, fish, and other things of that kind,
 disagree  with  me,  which is my reason for
 not'touching them.  Those, however, with
 whom such things agree, may and  ought to
 eat of them ; since  they are  not by any
 means forbid the use of such  sustenance.
 But, then, both they, and all others, are for- 
32         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
bid to eat a greater quantity of any kind  of
food,  even of that which agrees with ihem*
than what  their stomachs can easily digest;
the same  is  to  be understood  of  drink*
Hence it is that those,  with  whom nothing
disagrees, are not bound to observe any  rule
but that relating to the  quantity,  and not to
the quality, of their food ; a rule  which they
may, without the least difficulty in the world,
comply with.
  Let  nobody tell me,  that there are num-
bers who,  though they live most irregular-
ly,  live in  health and spirits to those remote
periods of  life, attained by the most sober ;
for,  this argument  being grounded on a
case full  of uncertainty  and  hazard,  and
which, besides, so seldom occurs, as to  look
more  like  a  miracle than the work of na-
ture, men should not suffer themselves to be
thereby persuaded  to  live irregularly, na-
ture having  been too liberal to those  who
did so without suffering by it; a favor which
very few have  any right to expect.   Who^
ever,  trusting to his youth, or the strength
of his constitution,  or  the  goodness of his
stomach,  slights these observations,  must
expect to  suffer  greatly by  so doing,  and
live in constant danger  of disease and death-
I therefore affirm, that  an old man, even of
a bad constitution,  who leads a regular and
sober life,  is  surer  of a long one  than a
young man  of the best  constitution   who
leads a  disorderly life.  It  is not J    fa 
AND LONG LIFE.
33
doubted, however, that a man blessed with
a good constitution  may, by living  tempe-
rately, expect to live longer than one whose
constitution is  not so good ;  and that God
and  nature can dispose matters so,  that a
man shall  bring into the world with  him so
sound  a constitution, as to  live long  and
healthy,  without observing  so strict  rules ;
and then die in a very advanced age through
a mere dissolution of his elementary  parts ;
as was the  case  in Venice, of the procurator
Thomas Contarini ;   and in Padua,  of the
cavalier Antonio Capo di Vacca.  But  it is
not one man in a hundred thousand  that so
much can be said of.  If othersjiave a mind
to live  long and  healthy,  and die without
sickness of body or  mind, but by mere dis-
solution, they must submit to live regularly,
since they cannot otherwise  expect to enjoy
the fruits of such a  life, which are   almost
infinite  in  number,  and each of fhem,  in
particular,  of infinite  value.  For,  as such
regularity  keeps the  humors  of the body
cleansed and purified ;  it suffers no vapors
to ascend  from the stomach to the head ;
hence  the  brain of  him who lives  in  that
manner, enjoys such  a constant serenity,
that he is always perfectly master of himself.
He, therefore, easily soars above the low and
grovelling  concerns of this life, to the exalted
and beautiful  contemplation  of heavenly
things, to  his exceeding great  comfort and
satisfaction ;  because  he,  by this   means, 
#4        A GWIDE TO HEALTH

Comes to consider,  know,  and understand,
that which  otherwise he would  never have
considered, known,  or understood ;  that is,
how great is the power, wisdom, and good-
ness  of  the Deity.  He  then descends to
nature, and acknowledges her for the daugh-
ter of God ;  and sees, and even feels with
his hands, that which,  in any  other age, or
with a perception less clear, he could nevet
have seen or felt.  He then  truly  discerns
the brutality of that vice  into which they
fall, who know not how to subdue their pas-
sions,  and  those three  importunate lusts
which, one would imagine, came  all toge-
ther into the world with us, in order to keep
us  in  perpetual  anxiety  and  disturbance.
These are, the lust of the flesh, the  lust of
honors, and  the lust of  riches ; which are
apt to increase  with years  in such  old perj
sons as do not lead a regular life; because,
in their passage through  the stage of man-
hood, they did  not, as they ought,  renounce
sensuality and  their  passions, and  take  up
with sobriety  and  reason ;  virtues  which
men  of  a regular life did not  neglect when
they  passed  through the  above-mentioned
stage.  For,  knowing  such  passions  and
such lusts to be inconsistent with reason,  by
which they are entirely  governed, they, at
once, broke  loose  f;om  all temptations to
vice ; and, instead of being slaves to their
to their inordinate  appetites,  they applied
themselves to  virtue  and  good works ; and 
AND LONG LIFE.
35
jby these means they altered their conduct,
and  became men of good and sober lives.
When,  therefore,  in process of time,  they
see themselves  brought by a long series of
years to  their dissolution, conscious  that,
through  the singular mercy of God,  they
had  so  sincerely  relinquished the paths of
vice,  as never  afterwards to  enter thcmj
and  moreover  hoping,  through  the merits
of our Saviour Jesus  Christ, to die in his
favor, they do not  suffer themselves to  be
cast down at the thoughts of death, know*
ieg that they must die.   This is particularly
the case,when, loaded with honor, and  sated
with  life,  they see  themselves arrived  at
that age, which  not one  in many thousands
of  those  who  live  otherwise  ever attains.
They have still the  greater reason not  to be
dejected at the thoughts of death,  as it does
 not  attack them  violently and by  surprise,
 with  a  bitter and painful turn of their hu-
 mors, with  feverish sensations, and  sharp
 pains,  but steals upon them insensibly and
 with  the greatest ease and gentleness ; such
 an end, proceeding  entirely from an exhaus-
 tion of the radical  moisture,  which decays
 by degrees like the oil of a  lamp, so that
 they pass  gently, without any sickness, from
 this terrestrial and  mortal to a celestial and
 eternal life.
   Oh holy and truly happy regularity \  How
 holy and  happy should  men, in fact,  deem
 Jthee, sines the opposite habit  is the  cause 
36
A GUIDE HEALTH
of such  guilt  and misery, as evidently ap-
pears to  those  who  consider the  opposite
effects of both !  so that men should know
thee by thy voice alone, and thy lovely name;
for what a glorious name, what a noble thing,
is an orderly and sober life ! as, on the con-
trary, the bare mention of disorder and in-
temperance  is  offensive  to our ears.   Nay,
there is the same difference between the men-
tioning these two things, as between the ut-
tering of the words angel and devil.
  Thus  I have  assigned  my reasons for
abandoning intemperance, and betaking my-
self entirely to  a sober life ; with the method
I pursued in doing so, and what was the con-
sequence of it; and, finally,  the advantages
and  blessings which a sober life confers upon
those who embrace it.   Some sensual, in-
considerate persons affirm, that a long life is
no blessing ; and that the state of a man who
has  passed  his seventy-fifth  year,  cannot
really be  called life  but death; but this is a
great mistake,  as I shall fully prove ;  and it
is  my sincere  wish, that all men  would en-
deavor to attain my age, in order that they
too may  enjoy that period of life, which of
all others is the most desirable.
  I will therefore give an account of my re-
creations, and the relish which I  find at this
stage of life, in order to convince the public
(which  may likewise be done by all those
who know me) that the  state I have now at-
tained to is by  no means death, but real life • 
A.\D LONG LIFE.
3T
such  a life as by  many is deemed happy,
since it abounds with all the felicity that can
be enjoyed in this world.   And this testimor
ny they will give, in the first place, because
they see, and not without the greatest amaze-
ment, the good state of health and  spirits I
enjoy ;  how I  mount my horse without any
assistance, or advantage of situation ;  and
how I not only ascend a single  flight of
stairs, but  climb up  a  hill from bottom to
top,  afoot, and  with the greatest ease  and
unconcern; then how  gay,  pleasant,  and
good  humored I am ; how free  from every
perturbation of mind, and every disagreeable
thought; in lieu of which, joy  and  peace
have so firmly fixed their  residence in my
bosom, as never to  depart  from it.  More-
over, they know in  what manner I  pass my
time, so as not to find life a burden  ; seeing
I can contrive to spend every hour of it with
the greatest  delight and  pleasure, having
frequent  opportunities  of conversing with
many  honorable gentlemen, men  valuable
for their good sense and manners, their ac-
quaintance with letters, and every other good
quality.  Then when I  cannot enjoy their
conversation, I betake myself to the reading
of some good book.  When I have read as
much as I like, I write ;  endeavoring, in this
as in every  thing else, to be of service to
others, to the utmost of  my power.  And all
these things I do with the greatest ease to my-
self, at their proper seasons, and  in  my own
                    D 
36         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
house ;  which, besides being situr.ted in tha
most  beautiful quarter of this  noble  and
learned  city  of Padua, is,  in  itself, really
convenient and handsome,  such,  in  a word,
as it is no longer the  fashion to build ; for,
in one  part  of it, I can shelter myself from
extreme heat, and, in the other, from extreme
cold,  having  contrived the apartments ac-
cording to the rules of architecture, which
teach  us what is to be observed in practice.
  Besides this house, I have my several gar-
dens, supplied with running waters ;  and  in
which I  always find  something  to do,  that
amuses  me.  I have another way  of divert-
ing myself, which is going every  April and
May; and, likewise, every September and
October, for  some  days, to enjoy an emi-
nence  belonging  to  me  in the  Ivsganean
mountains, and in the most beautiful part  of
them, adorned with fountains and gardens;
and, above all, a convenient and  handsome
lodge  ; in which place  I  likewise  now and
then make one in some  hunting party suit-
able to my taste and age.   Then I enjoy for
as many days my villain the plain, which  is
laid out in regular streets, all terminating in
a large square, in  the middle of which stands
the church, s-.iited to  the  condition of the
place.   This villa is divided by a wide and
rapid  branch  of the river  Branta,  on  both
sides of which there is a considerable exteat
of country, consisting entirely of fertile and
well cultivated fields.   Besides, this  district 
AND  LONG LIFE.
39
is now, God be praised, exceedingly well in-
habited,  which it was not at first, but rather
the reverse ; for it was marshy; and the air so
unwholesome, as to make it a residence fitter
for snakes than  men.   But, on my draining
off the waters, the air mended,  and  people
resorted to it so fast, and increased to such
a degree, that it soon acquired  the perfection
in which  it now appears ; hence 1  may say,
with truth, that  I have  offered in this place,
an altar and a temple to  God, with souls to
adore him : these are things which afford me
infinite pleasure, comfort, and satisfaction, as
often as I go to see and enjoy  them.
  At the  same seasons everv year, I revisit
someof the neighboringcities, and enjoy such
of my friends as live there, taking the greatest
pleasure in their company and conversation;
and  by their means I  also enjoy the conver-
sation of other men of parts, who live in the
same places; such  as architects,  painters,
sculptors, musicians, and  husbandmen,  with
whom this age  most certainly abounds.   I
visit their new works ;  I revisit their former
ones ;  and I  always learn something, which
gives me satisfaction.   I see the  palaces,
gardens,  antiquities ; and with  these,  the
squares and other public places, the churches,
the fortifications, leaving nothing unobserved,
from whence  I may reap  either entertain-
ment or  instruction.  But what  delights me
most, is, in my journeys backwards  and fur-
wards, to contemplate the situation and other 
40          A GUIDE  TO HEALTH
 beauties of the places I pass through ;  some
 in the  plain, others  on  hills, adjoining to
 rivers or fountains ;  with a great many fine
 houses and gardens. Nor are my recreations
 rendered less agreeable and entertaining by
 my  not seeing well, or not hearing readily
 every thing  that is said  to me ;  or  by any
 other of my faculties not being perfect;  for
 they  are all, thank God, in the highest perfec-
 tion ; particularly my palate, which now re-
 lishes better  the simple fare I  eat, wherever
 I  happen to be, than it formerly did the most
 delicate dishes, when I led an irregular life.
 Nordoesthe change of beds give meanyunea*
 siness, so that I  sleep  every where soundly
 and quietly, without  experiencing the least
 disturbance ; and all my dreams are pleasant
 and delightful.
   It is likewise with the greatest pleasure and
 satisfaction I behold the success of an under-
 taking so important to this state, I mean that
 of draining and improving so many unculti*
 vated pieces of ground ; an undertaking be-
 gun within my memory, and which T  never
 thought  I  should  live to  see  completed^
 knowing how slow republics are .pt to pro*
 ceedin enterprizes of great importance. Ne-
 vertheless, I have lived to  see  it ;  and was
 even  in person, in these marshy places, along
 with  those  appointed  to superintend  the
draining of them, for two months together,
during the greatest heats  of summer, with-
 out ever finding  myseif the worse for the fa* 
AND  LONG LIFE.
41
tigues  or  inconveniences I suffered ;  of so
much efficacy  is that orderly life, which I
every where constantly lead.
  What is more, I am in the greatest hopes,
or rather sure, tosee the beginni.-ig  and  com-
pletion  of another  undertaking of  no less
importance, which is that of preserving our
estuary or port, that last and  wonderful bul-
wark of my dear country,  the preservation
of which (it is not to flatter my vanity  I say
it, but merely to do justice to truth) has been
more than once recommended by  me to this
republic, by word of month, and in writings
which cost me many nights study.  And to
this dear country of mine, as I am bound by
the laws of nature  to do every  thing, from
which it may reap any benefit, so  I most ar
dently wish  perpetual duration, and a long
succession of every kind of prosperity.  Such
are my genuine and no trifling satisfactions ;
such ar.) the recreations  and diversions  of my
old age, which is so much the more to be va-
lued than the  old  age, or even  youth, of
other men,  because being freed,  by  God's
grace, from  the perturbations of the mind,
and  the infirmities of the body, it  no longer
experiences any of those contrary  emotions,
which torment a number of young men, and
many oldonesdestituteofstrength and health,
and every other blessing.
   And if it be lawful to compare little mat-
ters, and such as are esteemed trifling,  to af<»
fairs of importance, I will further  venture to
                    d2 
42         A GUIDE TO  HEALTH

say, that such are the effects of this sober
life, that at my  present age of eighty-three,
I have been able to write a very entertaining
COmedy, abounding with innocent mirth and
pleasant jests.  This species of composition
is generally the child and offspring of youthf>
as  tragedy is that of old age;  the former
being by its facetious and sprightly turn suit-
ed to the bloom  of life,  and the latter by  its
gravity adapted to riper years.  Now, if that
good old man,* a Grecian  by birth, and a
poet, was so  much extolled for having writ*
ten a tragedy at the age of seventy-three, and,
on that account alone, reputed of sound me-1
inory and understanding, though tragedy  be
a grave  and melancholy  poem ; why should
I  be deemed less happy, and to have a smaller
share of memory and understanding, who
have, at an  age ten  years  more advanced
than  his, written a comedy, which, as every
one knows, is a  merry and  pleasant kind  of
composition?  And, indeed, if I may be al-
lowed to be an impartial judge  in my own
cause, I cannot help thinking, that I am now
of sounder memory and understanding, and
heartier, than   he   was  when ten  years'
younger.
  And, that no comfort might be Avanting to
the fulness of my years,  whereby  my  great
age  may be  rendered  irksome,  or rather
the number of my enjoyments  increased,  I
have the additional comfort of seeing a kind
               * Sophocles. 
AND  LONG LIFE.           43
Dt immortality in a succession of descendants^
For, as often as I return home, I find there,
before me, not one or two, but  eleven  grand
children, the oldest of them eighteen, and the
youngest two ; all the offspring of one father
and one mother;  all blessed   with the best
health ;   and, by  what  as  yef  appears,
fond of  learning, and of good parts and mo-
rals.  Some of the youngest I always play
with ; and, indeed, children from  three  to
five are  only  fit for play.   Those above that
age I make companions of; and, as  nature
has bestowed very  fine voices upon them, I
amuse myself, besides, by seeing and hearing
them siqg, and play on v-uious instruments*
Nay, I sing  myself, as I  have  a better voice
now, and a  clearer and loudei pipe, than at
any other period of life. Such are the recrea-
tions of my  old age.
  Whence it appears, that the life I lead is
Cheerful, and not gloomy, as  some persons
pretend,  who know no better; to whom, in
order that it  may appear what value I  set
on every other kind  of life, I  must declare*
that I would not exchange my manner of liv-
ing or my grey hairs with any of those  young
men, even of the best constitution, who give
way to  their appetites;  knowing,  as 1 do,
that such are daily, nay hourly, subject, as I
have already observed, to  a  thousand kinds
of ailments  and deaths.   This is in fact so
obvious, as  to require no proof.  Nay, I re-
member perfectly well, how I used to behave 
44          A GUIDE TO HEALTH

at that time of life.  I know how inconside-
rately that age is apt to act, and  how fool-
hardy young men, hurried on by the heat of
their blood, are wont  to  be ; how apt they
are  to  presume  loo  much  on  their  own
strength in all their actions;  and  how san-
guine they are in their expectations;  as well
on account of the little experience they have
had for  the  time  past, as by reason of the
power they  enjoy in  their  own  imagina-
tions  over the time to come.  Hence they
expose themselves ras! ly to every kind of
danger ;  and, banishing reason, and  bowing
their necks  to the yoke  of   concupiscence,
endeavor to   gratify all  their appetites, not
minding, fools as they are, that they thereby
hasten, as I  have several times observed, the
approach of what they would most willingly
avoid, T  mean sickness, and death.  Of these
two evils, one is troublesome and painful, the
other, above all things, dreadful and insup-
portable ; insupportable to every man, who
has given himself up to his sensual appetites,
and to young men in  particular, to whom it
appears a hardship to die  an early  death ;
dreadful to those who reflect on the errors to
which this mortal life is subject, and  on the
vengeance which the justice of God  is wont
to take  on sinners,  by condemning them to
everlasting punishment.   On  the other hand,
I, in my old  a-jfe, (praise to the Almighty,) am
exempt  from both these apprehensions'; from
the one, because I am sure and certain, that 
AND  LONG LIF*.           45
I cannot  fall  sick, having removed all the
causes of sickness by my divine  medicine ;
from the other, that of death, because from
so many years experience I have learned  to
obey reason ; whence I not only  think it  a
great piece of folly to fear that, which can-
not be avoided,  but likewise firmly expect
some consolation, from  the grace  of Jesus
Christ, when I shall arrive at that period.
  Besides, though I am sensible that I must,
like others, reach that term, it is yet at  so
great a distance, that I cannot discern it, be-
cause 1 know I shall not die except by  mere
dissolution,  having already, by  my regular
course of life, shut up all  the other avenues
of death, and thereby prevented the humors
of my  body  from  making any other war up-
on me, than that  which  I must expect from
the elements employed in the composition  of
this mortal frame.  I am not so  simple as
not to know, that, as  I  was born, so I must
die.  But that is  a desirable death, which
nature  brings  on  us  by way of dissolution.
For nature, having herself formed the union
between  our body  and  soul, knows best  in
what manner it maybe most easily dissolved,
and  grants us a longer day to do it, than we
could expect from sickness, which is violent.
This is, the  death, which, wiihout speaking
like  a  poet, I may call, not death, but life.
Not can  it be otherwise.  Such a  death does
not overtake one  till after a very long course
of years, and in  consequence of an extreme 
46          A  GUIDE TO HEALTH

weakness ; it  being only by slow  degrees,
that men grow too feeble to walk, and unable
to reason, becoming blind, and deaf, decrepid,
and  full of every  other  kind  of infirmity.
Now I (by God's blessing) may be quite sure
that I am  at a very great distance from such
a period.  Nay,  I have reason to think, that
my soul, having so agreeable adwelling in  my
body, as not to meet with  any thing in it  but
peace, love, and  harmony, not only between
its humors,  but  between my reason and  the
senses, is exceedingly content and well plea-
sed with her present situation ; and of course,
that a great length of time and many years
must be requisite to dislodge  her.   Whence
it must be concluded for certain ; that I have
still a series of years to  live in health and
spirits, and enjoy this beautiful world, which
is, indeed, beautiful to those, who know how
to make it so, as I have done, and likewise
expect to be able to do, with God's assistance,
in the  next; and all by the means of virtue,
and that divine regularity of life, which I have
adopted, concluding an alliance with my rea-
son,  and declaring  war against my sensual
appetites ;  a thing which every man may do,
who desires to  live as he oughu
  Now, if this sober life  be so happy ;  if jt3
name  be so desirable and delightful; if the
possession of  the blessings which attend it
be so  stable and permanent, all  I have still
left to do,  is to beseech  (since I  cannot  com-
pass my desires  by  the powers of oratory) 
AND  LOiXG LIFE.
47
every man of a liberal disposition, and sound
understanding, to  embrace  with open  arms
this  most valuable  treasure  of a  long and
healthy life:  a treasure which, as it exceeds
all  the other  riches and blessings of this
world, so it deserves  above  all things to be
cherished,  sought after, and carefully preser-
ved.  This is that divine sobriety, agreeable
to the Deity, the friend of nature, the daugh-
ter  of reason, the sister of all the  virtues,
the companion of temperate  living, modest,
courteous,  content with  little,  regular, and
perfect mistress of all her operations.  From
her,  as  from  their proper root, spring life,
health, cheerfulness, industry, learning, and
all  those actions  and employments worthy
of noble and generous minds.  The laws of
God and man are  all in her favor. Repletion,
excess, intemperance, superfluous humors, dis-
eases, fevers, pains, and th j dangers of death,
vanish, in  her presence,  like clouds  before
the sun.   Her comeliness ravishes every well
disposed mind.  Her influence  is so sure, as
to promise to all a very long  and agreeable
existence ; the facility of acquiring  her is
such,  as ought to induce every one to look
for her, and share in her victories. And, last-
ly,  she promises to be a mild and agreeable
guardian of life; as well of the rich as of
the poor ;  of the  male as of the female sex ;
the  old  as  of the young ;  being that which
teaches the rich modesty; the poor frugality ;
men, continence ; women, chastity ; the old, 
 48         A GUIDE TO HEALTH

 how to ward off the attacks of death ; and be-
 stows on  youth firmer and securer hopes of
 life.   Sobriety renders the senses clear,  the
 body light, the understanding lively, the soul
 brisk,  the  memory tenacious, our  motions
 free, and all  our  actions regular and easy.
 By means of sobriety, the soul, delivered, as
 it were, of her  earthly burden, experiences
 a great deal of  her natural liberty ;  the spi*
 rits circulate gently through the arteries ; the
 blood runs freely through the veins ; the heat
 of the  body, kept mild and  temperate, has
 mild and temperate effects: and, lastly, our
 faculties, being  under a  perfect  regulation,
 preserve a pleasing and agreeable harmony.
   O most innocent and  holy sobriety,  the
 sole refreshment of nature, the nursing mo-
 iherof  human  life, the  true  physic of soul
 as  well as of body!  How ought men  to
 praise  thee and thank thee for thy prince-
 ly gifts!  since   thou  bestowest  on  them
 the means  of preserving this blessing, I mean
 life and health,  than which it  has not  plea-
 sed God we should  enjoy a greater on this
 side of  the grave, life and existence being a
 thing so naturally coveted,  and  willingly pre-
 served,  by every living creature.  But, as I
 do not intend  to write a panegyric  on this
 rare and excellent virtue, I shall put an end
to this discourse, lest  I  should be guilty of
excess,  in dwelling so long on  so pleasing a
 subject.  Yet as numberless things may stijl
be said of it, I leave off, with an intention of 
AND  LONG  LIFE.
49
setting forth the rest of its praises at a more
convenient opportunity.
   A COMPENDIUM OF A  SOBER  LIFE.

   My treatise  on a sober life has begun to
answer my desire, in being of service to ma-
ny persons  born with  a weak constitution,
who every time they committed the least ex-
cess, found themselves  greatly indisposed, a
thing which it  must be allowed does not hap-
pen to robust people :  several of these  per-
sons  of weak  constitutions, on  seeing the
foregoing treatise,  have betaken  themselves
to a regular course of life, convinced by ex-
perience of its  utility.   In  like  manner, I
should be glad  to be of  service to those, who
are born with a good constitution, and presu-
ming upon it, lead a disorderly life ; whence
it comes to pass, that on their attaining the
age of sixty  or  thereabouts, they are attacked
with various pains, and diseases;  some with
the gout, some with pains in  the side,  and
others with pains in the stomach, and the like,
to which they would not be subject, were they
to embrace a sober  life ; and  as most of them
die before they attain theireightieth year, they
would live to a hundred, the  time  allowed  to
man by God  and  nature.  And, it is but
reasonable to believe, that the intention  of
this our  mother is,  that we should all attain
thatterm,in order that we might all taste tha
sweets of every state of life.   But,  as our
                     E 
50         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
birth is subject to the revolutions of the hea-
vens, these have great influence over it, espe-
cially in  rendering  our constitutions  robust
or infirm; a thing which nature cannot ward
against;  for, if she could, we should all bring
a good constitution  with us into the  world.
But then she hopes, that man, being endow-
ed with  reason and understanding, may  of
himself compensate, by dint of art, the want
of that, which the heavens have denied him ;
and, by means of a sober life, contrive  to
mend his infirm  constitution,  live to a great
age, and  always enjoy good health.
  For man, it is not to be doubted, may by
art exempl himself in part from the influence
of the heavens; it being the common opinion,
that the heavens give an inclination,  but do
not impel us ; for which reasons the learned
say, that  a wise man rules the stars.  I was
born with a very choleric  disposition,  inso-
much that there was no living with me ; but
I took notice  of it, and considered,  that a
person swayed by his passion must at certain
times be  no better than a madman ; I mean
at those  times, when he suffers his passions
to predominate,  because he  then  renounces
his reason and understanding.   I, therefore,
resolved to make my choleric disposition give
way  to  reason ;  so that now,  thou orh born
choleric,  I never suffer anger entirely to over-
come me.  The man,  who is naturally of a
bad  constitution, may, in like  manner, by
dint of reason, and a sober life, live to a great 
AND  LONd LIFE.           51
age and in good health, as I have done, who
have natuially the worst, so that it was im-
possible  I should live  above  forty  years,
whereas I now find myself sound and  hearty
at the age of eighty-six ;  and were it not for
the long  and violent fits  of illness which I
experienced in my youth, to such a degree
that the physicians gave me over, and which
robbed me of my radical  moisture, a loss ab-
solutely irreparable, I might expect to attain
the above mentioned term  of one hundred.
But I know for good reasons that it is impos-
sible ;  and  therefore  do not think of it.   It
is enough for me,  that I have lived forty-six
years heyond the term I had a right to expect,
and that, during this so long a respite, all my
senses have continued perfect ; and even my
teeth, my voice, my memory, and my  strength.
But what  is still more, my brain is more it-
self now  than   ever it was ; nor  do  any of
these powers abate as I  advance in  years;
nnd this because, as  I grow older, I lessen
the quantity of my solid  food.
   This retrenchment is necessary, nor can it
be avoided, since  it is impossible for a man
to live for ever ; and,  as he draws near his
end, he is reduced so low as to be no longer
able to take any nourishment, unless it be to
swallow, and that too with difficulty, the yolk
of an egg in the four and twenty hours, and
thus end  by mere dissolution,  without any
pain or sickness, as I expect will be my case.
This is a  blessing of great importance ; yet 
53         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
 maybe expected by all those, who shall lead
 a sober life, of whatever degree or condition,
 whether high, or  middling,  or low;  for we
 are all of the same species, and composed of
 the same four elements.  And, since a long
 and healthy life  ought  to  be  greatly coveted
 by every man, as  I  shall presently  show, I
 conclude that every man is bound in duty to
 exert himself to  obtain longevity, and that he
 cannot promise  himself such  a blessing with-
 out temperance  and sobriety.
  Some  allege,  that many, without  leading
 such  a life,  have  lived  to a hundred, and
 that in  constant health, though  they  ate a
 great deal, and  used indiscriminately  every
 kind of viands and wine ; and, therefore, flat-
 ter themselves, that they shall be equally for-
 tunate.   But in  this they are guilty of two
 mistakes; the first is, that it  is not one in a
 hundred  thousand that ever attains that hap-
 piness;  the  other mistake is, that such, in
the end, most assuredly contract some illness,
which carries them off;  nor can they ever be
sure of ending their days otherwise : so that
the safest way to obtain a long and healthy
life is, at least after forty, to embrace sobrie-
ty.   This is no such  difficult  affair, since
history informs us of so many who in former
times lived with the greatest temperance ; and
 1 know  that the present  age  furnishes us
With many such  instances, reckoning myself
one of the number; we are all human beings
 and endowed with reason, consequently we
 are masters of all our actions. 
AND  long life.           53
  This  sobriety is  reduced  1o  two things,
quality and quantity.  The first, namely qua-
lity,  consists in nothing but not eating food,
or drinking wines, prejudicial to the stomach,
The  second,which is quantity, consists in not
eating  or  drinking  more  than  the sto-
mach can easily digest;  which quantity and
quality  every man should be  a perfect judge
of by the time he is forty, or fifty, or sixty ;
and,  whoever observes these two rules, may
be said to live a regular and seber life.  This
is of so  much virtue and efficacy, that the hu-
mors of such a man's body become mosthomo-
geneous, harmonious, and perfect; and, when
thus  improved, are no longer liable to be cor-
rupted or disturbed by any  other disorders
whatsoever, suc'< as suffering excessive heat
or cold, too much  fatigue, want of natural
rest, and the like, unless in the last degree of
excess.   Wherefore, since the humors of per-
sons, who observe these  two  rules relative to
eating and drinking, cannot possibly be cor-
rupted,  and  engender acute diseases, the
sources of an untimely death, every  man is
bound to comply  with  them ;  for whoever
acts  otherwise, living a disorderly instead of
a regular life, is constantly exposed to disease
and  mortality, as well in consequence of such
disorders, as of  others without nut.iber, each
of which is capable of producing the same
destructive effect.
  It is, indeed, true, that even those, who ob-»
serve the frwo rules relating to diet.the obser--
                      e2 
64        A GUIDE T° HEALTH

vance of which constitutes a sober life, mayi
by committing any one of the other irregu*
larities, find himself the worse  for it a day or
two, but not so as  to breed a fever.  He may,
likewise, be affected by the revolutions of the
heavens ;  but neither the heavens, nor those
irregularities, are capable  of  corrupting the
humors of a  temperate person ; and it is but
reasonable and natural  it should be so, as
the two irregularities of diet are interior, and
the others exterior.
   But as there are some person*, stricken in
years, who are, notwithstanding, very glutton-
ous, and allege that neither the quantity nor
quality of their diet makes any  impression
upon them, and therefore  eat  a  great deal,
and  of every thing without distinction, and
indulge themselves equally in point of drink-
ing, because  they do  not know in what part
of their bodies their stomachs are situated ;
such, no doubt, are beyond all measure sen-
sual, and slaves  to gluttony.  To  these I
answer, that what  they say is impossible in
the nature of things, because it is impossible
that every man who  comes into  the world,
should bring with  him a hot, a cold, or a tem-
perate constitution; and that hot foods should
agree with hot  constitutions, cold with cold
ones, and  things   that are  not of a tempe-
rate  nature with  temperate ones, is likewise
impossible in  nature.  After all, these  epi-
cures must allow, that they are  now and then
out of order;  and that they cure  themselves 
AND  LONG LIFE.
55
by taking evacuating medicines and observing
a strict diet.  Whence it appears, that th< ir
being out of order is owing  to their eating
too much, and of things disagreeing with their
stomach.
  There are other old gluttons, who say, that
it is necessary they should eat  and drink a
great deal to keep up their natural heat, which
is constantly diminishing, as they advance in
years ; and that it is, therefore, necessary to
eat heartily, and of such things as please their
palate, be they  hot, cold, or temperate ; and
that, were they to lead a sober life, it would
be a short one.   To these I answer, that our
kind mother, Nature, in order that old men
may live still to a greater age, has contrived
matters so, that they should be able to subsist
on little, as I do ; for, large quantities of food
cannot  be digested  by old and feeble sto-
machs.   Nor should such persons be afraid
of shortening their days by eating too little,
since  when  they  happen to  be indisposed,
they recover by  lessening the quantity of their
food ; for it is a trifle they eat,  when confined
to a regimen, by  observing  which they get
rid  of  their  disorder.  Now,  if by reducing
themselves to a very small quantity of food,
they recover from the jaws of death, how can
they doubt that with an increase of diet, still
consistent however with sobriety, they will be
able to support nature when in perfect health?
  Others say that it  is better for  a  man  to
suffer every  year three or four returns of his 
56         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
usual disorders, such as the gout, pain in tha
side,  and the like, than be tormented the
whole year by not indulging his appetite, and
eating every thing his palate likes best;  since,
by a good regimen alone, he is sure  to get
the better of such attacks.  To this I answer,
that our  natural heat growing less and less,
as we advance in years, no regimen can re-
tain virtue sufficient to conquer the malignity,
with  which disorders  of repletion  are  ever
attended ;  so that he   must die,  at last, of
these  periodical  disorders,  because they
abridge life, as health  prolongs it.
   Others pretend, that it is much better to
live ten years less, than not indulge one's ap-
petite. To this I answer, that longevity ought
to be highly valued by men  of parts; as to
others, it is no great  matter  if  it is  not duly
prized by them, since  they are  a disgrace to
mankind, so that their death is rather of ser-
vice to the public.  But it is a great misfor-
tune, that men of bright parts should  be cut
off in that manner, since he, who is already
a cardinal, might, perhaps, by living to eighty,
attain the papal crown ; and in the state, ma-
ny, by living some years extraordinary, may
acquire  the ducal dignity ; and  so in regard
to letters, by which a man may rise so as to
be considered as a god upon earth ; and the
like in every other profession.
   There are others, who,  though their  sto-
machs become weaker and weaker with re-
spect to digestion, as they advance  in  years, 
AND LONG LIFE.
57
cannot, however, be  brought  to retrench the
quantity of their food,  nay they rather in-
crease  it.  And, because ihey find themselves
unable to  digest the great quantity of food,
with which  they must  load their stomachs,
by eating twice in the four and twenty hours,
they make a resolution to  eat but once, that
the long interval between one meal and the
other may enable them to eat at one sitting
as much as they used to do in two ; thus they
eat till  their stomachs,  overburdened  with
much food, pall, and sicken, and change the
superfluous  food into  bad  humors,  which
kill a man before  his  time.  I never knew
any person, who led that hind of life, live to
be very old.  All these old men  I have been
speaking of would live  long, if, as they ad-
vanced  in years, they lessened the quantity
of their food,  and  eat oftener, but little at a
time ;  for old stomachs cannot  digest large
quantities of food ; old men changing in that
respect to children, who eat several times in
the four and twenty  hours.
   Others  say, that temperance may, indeed,
keep a man in health, but that it cannot pro-
long his life.  To  this I answer, that expe-
rience  proves the contrary ; and  that I my-
self am a  living instance of it.   It  cannot
be said that, sobriety is  apt to shorten one's
days, as sickness does ; and  that the litter
abbreviates life, is most certain.  Moreover,
a constant succession of good health is pre-
ferable to frequent  sickness, as  the  radical 
58         A GUIDE TO  HEALTH

moisture is thereby preserved. Hence it may
be fairly concluded, that holy sobriety is the
true parent of health and longevity.
  O thrice holy sobriety, so useful to man,
by the services thou renderest him ! thou pro-
longest his days, by which  means he greatly
improves his understanding, and  by  such
improvement he avoids the bitter fruits of
sensuality, which  are  an enemy to reason,
man's peculiar  privilege i  those  bitter fruits
are  the  passions  and  perturbations of the
mind.   Thou, moreover,  freest  him  from
the dreadful  thoughts of death. How greatly
is  thy faithful  disciple  indebted to thee,
since by thy  assistance he enjoys this beauti-
ful  expanse  of  the visible  world, which is
really beautiful to  such as know how to view
it with a philosophiceye, as thou hast enabled
me to do.   Nor could I, at any other time
of  life, even when I was young, but altoge-
ther debauched by  an irregular life, perceive
its beauties, though I spared no pains or ex-
panse  to enjoy every season of life.  But I
found  that all the pleasures  of that age had
their alloy ;  so that I never  knew, till I grew
old, that the  world was beautiful.  O truly
happy life, which, over and above all these
favors  conferred on thine old man, hast  so
improved and perfected his  stomach, that he
has  now a  better  relish for his  dry bread
than he had formerly, and in his  youth, for
the most exquisite dainties :  and  all this he
has compassed by acting rationally,  know 
AND LONG LIFE.
59
Ing,  that bread  is, above all  things, man's
proper food, when seasoned by a good appe-
tite ;  and while  a man leads a sober life, he
may be sure  of  never  wanting that  native
sauce; because, by always eating little, the
stomach,  not being much burdened, need
not wait long to have an appetite.   It is for
this  reason, that dry bread relishes so well
with me ; and  I know it from  experience,
and can with truth affirm, 1 find such sweet-
ness in it, that I  should  be afraid of sinning
against temperance, were it not for my being
convinced of the absolute necessity of eating
it, and that we cannot make use of a more
natural food.  And thou, kind parent Nature,
who actest so lovingly by thy aged  offspring
in order to prolong his days,  hast contrived
matters so in his favor, that he can live upon
very little ; and  in order to add to the favor,
and  do him still greater  service, hast made
birn  sensible, that as in  his youth he used to
eat twice a day, when he arrived at old age,
he ought  to  divide that food,  of which  he
was   accustomed  before to make   but two
meals, into  four ; because, thus divided, it
will  be more easily digested ;  and  as, in his
youth, he made but two meals in  the day, ha
should, in his old age, make  four, provided
however he lessens the quantity, as his years
increase.   And  this is what I do, agreeably
to my own  experience ; and,  therefore, my
spirits, not  oppressed by much food,  but
barely kept  up,  are  always brisk;  espe* 
60         A GUIDE TO  HEALTH
cially  after eating, so  that I am accusto-
med then to sing a song and afterwards to
write.
  Nor do I ever find myself the worse for
writing immediately after meals ; nor is my
understanding ever clearer ;  nor am I apt to
be drowsy ; the food I take  being in too
small a quantity to send up any  fumes to the
brain.  O, how  advantageous it is to an old
man to eat but little !   Accordingly, I who
know  it, eat but just  enough  to keep body
and  soul together ;  and the  things I eat are
as follow.   First, bread, panado, some broth
with an egg in it, or such other good kinds
of soup  or  spoon-meat.  Of flesh meat, I
eat veal,  kid, and mutton.  I  eat poultry of
every  kind.   I  eat  partridges,  and other
birds, such as  are thrushes.  I  likewise eat
fish ; for instance, the  goldney and the like
among sea  fish ;  and  the  pike  and  such
like   among  fresh-water  fish.   All these
things are  fit  for an old man ;  and, there-
fore, he ought  to be content with them, and,
considering their number and  variety, not
hanker after others.   Such old  men, as are
too poor to  allow themselves provisions  of
this kind, may  do very well with bread, pana-
do, and eggs ;  things  which  no poor  man
can want, unless it be common begorars, and
as we call them vagabonds, about whom we
are  not  bound  to make ourselves  uneasy
since they have  brought themselves  to that
pass by their  indolence, and had better  be 
AND LONG LIFE.
61
  dead than alive, for they are a disgrace to hu-
  man nature.  But though a poor man should
  eat nothing but bread, panado, and eggs, there
  is no necessity for his eating more than his
  stomach can digest.  And whoever does not
  trespass  in point  of either quantity or qua-
  lity, cannot die but by mere dissolution.  O,
  what a  difference there is between a regular
  and an irregular life !  One gives  longevity
  and health, the  other produces disease and
  untimely deaths.
    O unhappy, wretched life, my sworn ene-
  my, who art good for nothing but to murder
  those, who  follow thee!  How many  of my
  dearest relations and friends hast thou robbed
  me  of,  in  consequence of their not  giving
  credit to  me ;  relations and  friends, whom I
  should now enjoy.  But thou hast not been
  able to destroy me according to thy wicked
  intent and  purpose.  I am still alive  in spite
  of thee, and have attained to  such an age, as
  to see around me eleven  grandchildren, all
  of fine understanding, and amiable disposi-
  tion ; all  given to learning  and virtue ; all
  beautiful in their persons and lovely in their
  manners ;  whom,  had I obeyed thy dictates^
  I should never have beheld.   Nor should I
  enjoy those beautiful and convenient apart-
  ments which I have built from the ground,
  with such a variety of gardens,  as required
  no small time to attain their present  degree
1  of perfection. No !  thy nature is to destroy
1  those who  follow  thee, before they  can see
I                      F 
62         A GUIDE  TO HEALTH
their houses or gardens so much as finished{
whereas I,  to thy no small confusion, have
already enjoyed mine for a great number of
years.   But,  since thou  art  so pestilential
a vice, as to poison and to destroy the whole
world ;  and I am determined to use my  ut-
most endeavors to extirpate thee, at least in
part ; I have resolved to  counteract  thee so,
that ray eleven grandchildren shall take pat-
tern after me ; and  thereby expose thee, for
what  thou  really art, a most  wicked, des*
perate,  and mortal enemy of the children of
men.
  I really cannot help regretting, that men
of fine parts, and such there are, who have
attained a superior  rank  in letters or any
other profession, should  not betake them-
selves to a regular life, when they are arrived
at the  age of fifty or sixty : or as soon  as
they find themselves attacked by any of  the
foregoing  disorders,  of  which they might
easily recover; whereas, by being permitted
to  get  ahead, they become  incurable.  As
to  young  men, I am no  way  surprised at
them,  since, the passions  being strong at
that age, they are of  course the more easily
overpowered by their baleful influence.  But
after fifty, our lives  should, in  every thing,
be  governed by reason,  which  teaches  us,
that the consequences of  gratifying our pa-
late  and appetite  are disease and death.
Were this pleasure of the palate lasting, it
arould be some excuse  ; but it is so momen» 
AND  LONG LIFE.
Ga
tary, that there is scarce any distinguishing
between the beginning  and the end of it ;
whereas the diseases it produces are very du-
rable.  But it  must be a great contentment
to  a man of sober life,  to  be able to reflect
that, in the manner he lives, he is sure, that
what he eats, will keep  him in good  health,
and be productive of no disease or infirmity.
  Now I was willing to  make this short ad-
dition to my treatise,  founded on  newa rea-
sons; few persons caring to peruse longwind-
ed  discourses;  whereas  short tracts  have a
chance of being read by many ; and I wish
that many  may see this  addition, to the end
that its utility may be more extensive.
AN  EARNEST  EXHORTATION;

Wherein the authoruses the strongest arguments to persuade
  nil men to embrace a  regular and sober lif'-, in order to at-
  tain «!d  age, in which they may enjoy all the favors and
  blessings that God, in  his goodness, vouchsafes to bestow
  upon mortals.

  Not  to be wanting to my  duty,  that  duty
incumbent upon every man ;  and not  to lose
at the  same time the  satisfaction I  feel  in
being useful toothers, I have resolved  to take
up  my  pen,  and  inform  those  who,  for
of  conversing  with me, are  strangers  to
what those know and see, with whom  I have
the pleasure of being acquainted.  But,  as
Certain  things may appear, to some persons, 
64         A GUIDE  TO HEALTH
scarce credible, nay impossible, though ac-
tually fact, I shall not fail to relate them fdr
the benefit of the public.   Wherefore, I say,
being (God  be  praised) arrived at my  nine-
ty-fifth year, and still  finding myself sound
and hearty, content  and  cheerful, I  never
cease  thanking the Divine Majesty for so
great a blessing ; considering the usual fate
of other old men.   These  scarce  attain the
age »f seventy,  without  losing  their health
and spirits ; growing melancholy and  pee-
vish ;  and   continually  haunted  by  the
thoughts of death ;  apprehending their last
hour from one day to another,  so that it is
impossible to drive such thoughts out of their
mind; whereas such things give me not the
least uneasiness ;  for, indeed, I cannot, at
all, make them the object of my attention, as
I shall hereafter more plainly relate.  I shall,
besides, demonstrate the  certainty I have of
living to a hundred.  But to render this dis-
 sertation more methodical, I shall  begin by
 considering man at  his  birth;  and  from
 thence accompany him  through every stage
 of life to his grave.
   I therefore say, that  some come into the
 world  with the stamina of  life  so  weak
 that they live but  a few days, or  months, or
 years ; and it cannot  be clearly  known, to
 what such  shortness of life is owing ; whe-
 ther to some defect in the  father or the mo-
 ther, in begetting them ; or to the revolu-
 tions of the heavens; or to the  defect  of 
AND  LONG LIFE.
65
nature, subject, as she is, to  the celestial in-
fluence.  For,  I could  never bring  myself
to believe, that nature, the  common parent
of all, should be partial to any  of her chil-
dren.  Therefore, as we cannot assign  the
causes, we must be  content  with reasoning
from the effects, such as they daily appear to
our view.
  Others  are born  sound, indeed, and  full
of spirits ; but, notwithstanding, with a poor
weakly constitution ; and of these some live
to the age of ten ;  others to twenty ; others
to thirty and forty ; yet they do not live to
extreme old age.  Others, again,  bring into
the world a  perfect constitution, and live to
old age ; but it is generally, as 1 have alrea*
dy said, an old age full of sickness and  sor-
row ; for which they are to thank themselves;
because they most unreasonably presume on
the goodness of their constitution ; and can-
not by any means be brought to depart,when
grown old, from the mode of life  they pur*
sued in their younger days, as  if  they still
retained   all their  primitive vigor.  Nay,
they intend to  live  as irregularly when past
the meridian of life, as they did all the time
of their  youth ;  thinking they shall never
grow old, nor their constitution  be  ever im*
paired.  Neither do they consider, that theif
stomach has lost  its natural heat; and that
they should, on  that account, pay  a greater
regard to the quality  of what they eat,  and
what wines they drink ; and likewise to the
                     f3 
 66         A GUIDE TO HEALTH

quantity of each,  which they ought to less-
en : whereas,  on the contrary, they are for
increasing it;  saying,  that, as we lose our
health and vigor by growing old, we should
endeavor to repair the loss by increasing the
quantity of our food, since it is by sustenance
that man is preserved.
  In this, nevertheless, they are greatly mis-
taken, since,  as the natural heat lessens as a
man grows in years, he should diminish the
quantity of his meat and drink ; nature, es-
pecially at that period,  being  content  with
little.   Nay,  though they have all the rea-
son to believe this to be the case, they are so
obstinate as to think otherwise, and still fol-
low  their usual  disorderly life.   But were
they to relinquish it in due time, and betake
themselves to a regular and  sober course,
they would not grow infirm in their old age,
but would continue as I am strong and hearty,
considering how good and perfect a constitu-
tion it has pleased the Almighty to bestow upon
them ; and would live to the age of one hun-
dred and twenty.   This has been the case of
others, who, as  we  read  in  many authors,
have lived a sober life, and, of course, were
born with this perfect constitution ;  and had
it been my lot to enjoy  such a constitution,
I should make no doubt of attaining the same
age.   But, as I was born with feeble stami-
na, I  am afraid I shall not outlive  a  hun-
dred.   Were  others,  too,  who are  also born
with an infirm constitution, to betake them- 
AND LONG LIFE.
67
 selves to a  regular life, as I have done, they
 would attain the age of one hundred and up-
 wards, as will be  my  case.
   And  this certainty of being able to live a
 great age is, in my opinion,  a great advan-
 tage, and highly to be valued ; none being
 sure to live  even a single hour, except such
 as adhere to the rules of temperance.  This
 security of life is built on good and true na-
 tural reasons,  which can  never fail; it being
 impossible in  the nature  of things, that he,
 who leads a sober and regular  life,  should
 breed any sickness,  or die of an unnatural
 death, before the time, at which it is abso-
 lutely impossible he should live.  But sooner
 he  cannot  die, as  a  sober  life  has  the
 virtue to  remove  all  the usual causes  of
 sickness, and  sickness cannot happen with-
 out a cause;  which cause being  removed,
 sickness is, likewise, removed ;  and sickness
 being removed, an untimely and violent death
 must be prevented.
  And there is  no doubt, that  temperance
 has the virtue and efficacy to remove such
 causes ; for  since  health  and sickness,  life
 and death, depend  on the good or bad quali-
 ty of the humors, temperance  corrects their
 vicious tendencies, and renders them perfect,
being possessed of the  natural power of ma-
king them unite and  hold  together,  so  as to
render  them  inseparable,  and  incapable
of alteration or fermenting;  circumstances,
which  engender  cruel fevers,  and end in 
68         A GUIDE TO HEALTH
death.   It is true, indeed, and it would be a
folly to deny it, that, let  our humors be orn
giually ever so good, time, which, consumes
every thing, cannot fail to consume and ex-
haust them ; and  that man, as soon as that
happens, must die of a natural  death ; but
yet without sickness, as  will be my  case,
who shall die at my appointed time, when
these humors shall be consumed, which they
are not at present.  Nay, they are  still per-
fect ; nor is it possible they should be other-
wise in  my present condition, when I find
myself hearty and content,  eating with a
good appetite, and sleeping soundly.   More-
over, all my faculties areas good as ever, and
in the  highest perfection ; my  understand-
ing clearer and brighter than  ever;  my judg-
ment sound ; my  memory  tenacious ; my
spirits good ; and  my  voice, the first thing
which is apt to fail others, grown  so strong
and  sonorous, that I cannot help  chantino?
out loud my prayers morning and night, in-
stead of whispering and  muttering them to
myself,  as was formerly my custom.
  And these  are  all so many true and sure
signs and tokens, that  my humors  are good,
and cannot waste but with time, as  all those,
who converse  with me, conclude.   O, how
glorious this life of mine is like to be, replete
with all the felicities which man can enjoy on
this side of the grave ;  and even exempt from
that sensual brutality which age has enabled
my better reason to banish !  because  where 
AND  LONG LIFE.
69
reason resides, there is no room for sensuali-
ty, nor its bitter fruits, the passions, and  per-
turbations  of the mind,  with a train of dis-
agreeable apprehensions.  Nor yet  can  the
thoughts  of death find  room in my  mind,
as I have no  sensualtty  to  nourish  such
thoughts.  Neither can the death of grand-
children  and other relations and friends make
any impression on  me, but for a moment or
two !  and then it is over.   Still less am I lia-
ble to be cast down by losses an point of for-
tune (as  many  have seen to their no small
surprise.)  And this is a happiness not to be
expected by any but such as attain old age by
sobriety, and not in consequence of a strong
constitution ;  and such may moreover expect
to spend their days happily, as I do mine, in
a perpetual round of amusement and plea-
sure.   And how is it  possible a man should
not enjoy himself, wbo meets with no crosses
or disappointments in his  old  age, such as
youth  is constantly plagued with and from
which, as I shall presently show, I  have the
happiness of being exempt?
  The first of these is  to  do service to  my
country.  O what a glorious  amusement !
in which I  find infinite delight, as I thereby
show her the means of improving herimpor-
tant estuary or haibor beyond the possibility
of its  filling for thousands of years to come ;
so  as  to secure to Venice her surprising  and
miraculous title of a maiden  city, as  she
really is ;  and the only  one  in the whole 
tO         A GUIDE TO  HEALTH*
world ;  she  will, moreover, thereby,  add td
the lustre of  her great and  excellent sur-
name of queen of the sea : such is my amuse-
ment ;  and  nothing is wanting to make  it
complete.  Another amusement of mine,  is
that of  showing this maid and queen  in what
manner she  may abound with  provisions, by
improving large tracts of land, as well marshes,
as barren sands, to great profit. A third amuse-
ment, and  an amusement, too, without any
alloy, is the showing how  Venice,  though
already  so strong  as to be in a manner im-
pregnable,  may  be rendered still stronger;
and,  though extremely  beautiful, may still
increase in beauty ; though rich may  acquire
more wealth, and may be made to enjoy bet-
ter  air,  though her air is excellent.  These
three amusements, all  arising from the idea
of public utility, I enjoy in  the highest de-
gree. And  who can say, that they admit of
any alloy, as in fact they do not ?  Another
Comfort I enjoy, is, that, having lost a consi-
derable  part of my income,  of which my
grandchildren had been unfortunately  robbed,
1 by mere dint of thought,which never sleeps,
and without any  fatigue of body, and very
little of  mind, have found a true and infalli-
ble method of repairing such loss more than
double,  by  the means of that most  com-
mendable  of arts,  agriculture.   Another
comfort I still enjoy is  to thhik, that my  trea-
tise on temperance, which I wrote in order
to be useful  to others, is really so, as many
assure me by  word  of mouth, mentioning 
AND  LONG LIFE.
71
that it has  proved extremely useful to them,
as it in fact  appears to have been, while others
inform me by letter, that, under God, they are
indebted to me for life.  Still another com.-
fort I  enjoy,  is  that of being able to write
with my own hand ; for,  I  write enough to
be of service to others, both on architecture,
and agriculture.   I, likewise,  enjoy another
satisfaction, whdi is that  of conversation
with men of bright parts and superior under-
standing, from whom, eve.i  at this ad\anced
period of life, I  learn something.   Wnat a
comfort is  this, that old as  I am, I should be
able, without  the least  fatigue, to  study the
most important, sublime, and difficult subjects!
   I must farther add, though it may  appear
impossible  to  some, and may  be so in some
measure, that at  this age  I enjoy, at once,
two lives ;  one terrestrial, wh'ch 1 possess in.
fact ; the other celestial, which I possess in
thought ;  and this thought is equal to actual
enjoyment, when founded  upon  things  we
are sure to attain, as  I am sure to attain thai
celestial life,  through the infinite goodness
and mercy of God.  Thus, I enjoy this ter*
restial  life,  in  consequence  of my sobriety
and  temperance, virtues   so agreeable  to
the Deity  ; and I enjoy, by the grace  of the
same  Divine Majesty, the celestial, which
he  makes  me  anticipate  in   thought;  a
thought so lively, as to  fix  me entirely on
this object, the enjoyment  of which I hold
and  affirm to  be of the  utmost  certainty 
72        A  GUIDE TO HEALTH

And I hold that dying, in  the manner I ex-
pect, is not really death, but a passage of the
soul from this  earthly life to  a celestial, im-
mortal, and infinitely perfect existence. Nei-
ther can it be otherwise :  and this thought is
so superlatively sublime, that it can  no lon-
ger stoop to low and wordly objects, such as
the death of this body, being entirely taken
up  with  the  happiness of living a celestial
and divine life ; whence  it  is,  that  I  enjoy
two lives.  Nor can the  terminating  of so
high a  gratification, which  I enjoy in this
life, give me  any concern ; it rather affords
me infinite pleasure, as it will  be  only  to
make room for another glorious and  immor-
tal life.
   Now, is it  possible, that  any one should
grow tired of so great a comfort and blessing
as this which I really enjoy ; and which every
one else might enjoy  by  leading  the life I
have led ?  an example which every  one has
it in his power to follow; for I am but a mere
man, and no  saint; a servant  of  God,  to
whom so regular a life is extremely agreeable.
   And  whereas manv embrace a  spiritual
and contemplative life, which  is  holy and
commendable, the chief employment of those
who lead it being to celebrate the  praises  of
God; O,  that they would, likewise, betake
themselves entirely to  a  regular and sober
life!  How much  more agreeable would they
render themselves in the sight of God  !  What
a much greater honor  and ornament would 
AND  LONG LIFE.
73
they be to the world !   They would then be
considered as  saints, indeed, upon  earth, as
those primitive Christians  were held,  who
joined  sobriety to so recluse a life. By living
like them, to the age of one hundred andtwenr
ty, they might, like them, expect, by  the pow-
er of God,to work numberless miracles; and
they would, besides, enjoy constant health and
spirits, and  be always  happy within them-
selves; whereas they are now, for the most part,
infirm, melancholy, and dissatisfied.  Now,
as some of these  people think, that  these are
trials sent them  by God Almighty, with  a
view of promoting their salvation, that  they
may do  penance, in  this life, for their past
errors, I  cannot  help  saying,  that, in my
opinion, they are  greatly mistaken.  For I can
by no means believe, that it is agreeable to the
Deity that man, his  favorite creature, should
live  infirm, melancholy, and dissatisfied  ; but
rather  enjoy good health and spirits, and be
always content within himself.  In this man?
ner did the holy fathers live, and by such con:
duct did  they daily render  themselves more
acceptable to the Divine Majesty, so  as  to
work the great and  surprising miracles we
read in history.  How beautiful, how glori-
ous  a scene should we then behold ! far  more
beautiful than in  those ancient times, because
we  now  abound with so many religious or-
ders and  monasteries  which did not then ex-
ist ; and were the members of  these  cora:
naunities to lead a  temperate life, we shqul<j
                      G 
74          A GUIDE TO HEALTH

then behold such a number of venerable old
men,  as would create   surprise.  Nor would
they trespass against their rules ; they would
rather improve upon them ; since every rela»
gious  community allows its  subjects  bread,
wine,  and sometimes eggs (some of them al-
low meat,) besides soups made with vegeta-
bles,  salads, fruit, and cakes, things which
often  disagree with them, and even shorten
their lives.  But, as they are allowed such
things by their rules,  they freely  make use
of them;  thinking, perhaps, that it would be
wrong to abstain from them, whereas it would
not.  It would be rather commendable, if, af-
ter the age of thirty, they  abstained from such
food,  and confined  themselves   to  bread,
wine, broths, and eggs :  for  this is  the true
method of preserving  men  of bad constitu-
tion ;  and it is a life of more indulgence,
than that led by the holy fathers of  the desart,
who subsisted entirely on  wild fruits and roots,
and drank nothing but pure water ;  and ne-
vertheless lived, as I have already mention-
ed, in good  health and  spirits, and always
happy within themselves.   Where those of
our days to do the  same, they would, like
them, find the  road to Heaven much easier,
for it  is always open to every faithful Chris-
tian, as our Savior,  Jesus Christ, left it, when
he came down upon earth to shed his precious
blood, in order  to deliver us from  the tyran*
nical  servitude  of the devil ;  and all through
his immense goodness. 
AND  LONG LIFE*
n
  So that, to  make an end  of this discourse,
I say, that since length of days abounds with
so many favors and blessings, and I happen
to be  one of  those who  are arrived  at  that
state,  I cannot  (as I would not willingly
want charity,) but give testimony in favor of
it, and solemnly assure  all mankind, that  I
really enjoy a great deal more than  what I
now mention  ; and that I have no other  rea-
son for writing, but that of demonstrating the
great   advantages which   arise  from  lon-
gevity, to the end that their own conviction
may induce them to observe those excellent
rules  of  temperance  and  sobriety.   And
therefore I never cease to raise  my voice,
crying out to you, my friends:   May your
days be long, that you may be the better ser-
vants to the Almighty.
               LETTER,

From Signor Lewis Cornaro to the  Right
      Reverend  Barbaro, Patriach
            Elect of Aquileia.

     MY LORD,
  The human understanding must certainly
have something divine in its constitution and
frame.  How divine the  invention of con-
versing with an absent friend by the help of
writino- 1  How divinely is it contrived by na-
ture, that men, though at a great distance! 
76          A GUIDE TO HEALTH

should see one another with  the intellectual
eye, as I now see your lordship ! By means of
this contrivance,  I shall endeavor to enter-
tain you  with matters of the greatest mo-
ment.  It is true, that I.shall  speak of no-
thing but what I have already mentioned ; but
it was not at the age of ninety-one, to which
I have now attained ; a thing I cannot help
taking notice of,  because as  I advance in
years,  the sounder and heartier I grow, to
the amazement of all the world.  I, who can
account for it, am bound to show that a man
may enjoy a  terrestrial paradise after eighty;
which I enjoy ; but it is not to be obtained
except by temperance and sobriety, virtues so
acceptable  to the Almighty,  because they
are enemies to sensuality, and friends to rea-
son.
  Now, my lord, to begin, I  must tell you,
that, within these few days past, 1 have been
visited by many of the learned doctors of tins'
university,  as well  physicians as  philoso-
phers,who were well acquainted with my agej
my life, and manners ; knowing how  strut,
hearty, and  gay I was, and in what perfec-
tion all my  faculties  still continued ; like-
wise  my memory, spirits, and understand-
ing ;  and  even my voice and teeth.   They
knew, besides, that I constantly employed
eight hours every day in writing treatises with
with  my own  hand, on  subjects  useful  to
mankind, and spent many hours in  walking
and singing.   O,  my lord,  how  melodious" 
              and Long life.           77

my voice is grown !  were you to hear me
chant my prayers, and  that to my lyre, after
the example of David, I am certain it would
would give great pleasure, my  voice is so mu*
sical.   Now, when they told me  that they
had been  already acquainted  with all these
particulars, they  adde 1, that it was, indeed,
next to a miracle, how  I  could write  so
much, and upon subjects that required both
judgment and spirit.   And, indeed, my lord,
it  is incredible, what  satisfaction and plea-
sure I have in these compositions. But, as I
write to be useful, your  lordship may easily
conceive what pleasure I enjoy.   They con-
cluded by telling me, that I ought not to be
looked upon as a person advanced in  years,
since all my occupations were those of a young
man ;  and, by no means, like those of other
aged persons, who, when they have reached
eighty, are reckoned decrepid.  Such, more-
over, are  subject, some  to the gout, some to
the sciatica, and some to other complaints, to
be  relieved  from which they must  undergo
such a number of painful operations, as can-
not but render life extremely disagreeable.
And if by chance one  of them happens to
escape  a long illness, his faculties are  im-
paired  and he cannot see or  hear so well;
or else fails in some one or other of the cor-
poreal faculties : he cannot walk, or his hands
shake ;  and,  supposing him exempt from
these bodily infirmities,  his memory, his spi-
rits, or his understanding fail him ;  he is not
                   G2 
 78         A guide to health

 cheerful, pleasant, and happy within himself
 as I am.
   Besides all these blessings, I mentioned
 another, which I enjoyed, and so great a bless-
 ing, that  they were all amazed at it, since it
 is altogether beside the  usual course  of na-
 ture.  This  blessing is, that I had already
 lived fifty years in spite of a most powerful
 and mortal enemy, which I can by no means
 conquer,  because it is  natural,  or an oc-
 cult quality implanted in my body by nature;
 and this is, that every year, from the  begin-
 ning of July t?li ihe end of August, I cannot
 drink any wine of whatever kind  or  coun-
 try ;  for, besides being during these two
 months quite disgustful to my palate, it disa-
 grees with my stomach.  Thus  losing my
 milk, for  wine  is, indeed,  the milk of old
 age;  and having nothing to drink, for no
 change Or preparation  of waters  can have
 the virtue of wine, nor of course do me any
 good; having nothing, I say, to drink, and
 my stomach  being thereby disordered,  I can
 eat but very little  ; and this spare diet, with
 the want of wine,  reduces  me, by the  mid-
 dle of August,  extremely low ; nor is the
 Btrongest  capon broth, or any other remedy,
 Of service to me ;  so  that   I am ready,
 through  mere weakness,  to  sink  into the
 grave.  Hence they inferred that  were not
the new wine, for  I always take care to have
some  ready by the beginning of September*
ta come in so soon, I should be a dead man; 
AND  LONG LIFE.
79
But what surprised them still more was, that
that this new wine should have power suffi-
cient to restore me, in two  or three days, to
that degree of health and strength, of which
the old wine had robbed  me ;  a fact they
themselves have been eye-witnesses of, with-
in these few  days ;  and  which a man must
see to believe it ;  insomuch that  they could
not help crying out, " Many of us, who are
physicians, have visited him annually for seve-
ral years past ; and ten  years ago, judged it
impossible  for  him  to live a year or  two
longer,  considering what  a mortal enemy
he carried about hirn, and his advanced age ;
yet we do not find him so weak  at  present
as he used to be."   This singularity, and the
many other  blessings they see  me enjoy,
bbliged them to confess, that the joining  of
such a number of favors  was, with regard  to
me, a special grace conferred on me, at my
birth, by nature, or by the stars, and to prove
this to be a good conclusion, which it real-
ly is not, (because not grounded on strong and
sufficient  reasons,  but merely on their own
opinions,) they found themselves under a ne-
cessity to display their eloquence, and to say
8 great many very fine things.  Certain it is,
my lord,  that  eloquence,  in men of bright
parts,  has  great power ; so  great, as to in
duce  people to believe  things  which have
neither actual nor possible existence.  I had,
however,  great pleasure and satisfaction  in
hearing them;  for,  it must,  no  doubt, be a
                    g3 
feO        A GUIDE  TO HEALTH

high entertainment to hear such men talk in
that manner.
   Another satisfaction, without the least mix-
ture of alloy, I at the same time enjoyed,
was to think,  that  age and  experience are
sufficient to make a man learned, who with-
out them Avould know nothing ; nor is it sur-
prising they should,  since length of days is
the foundation  of true knowledge.  Accord-
ingly,  it was by means of it alone I discover-
ed their conclusion to be false.   Thus, you
see, my lord,  how apt men  are  to  deceive
themselves in  their  judgment   of  things,
when such judgment is not built upon a solid
foundation.   And,  therefore,  to undeceive
them,  and set  them right, I made answer,
that their conclusion  was  false,  as I should
actually  convince them by proving  that the
happiness I enjoyed was not confined to me
but common  to all mankind, and that every
man might equally enjoy it ; since I was but
a mere mortal,  composed, like all others, of
the four elements ; and endued,  besides ex-
istence and life, with rational and intellectual
faculties, which are  common  to all  men.
For it has  pleased the Almighty lo bestow
on his favorite creature man these extraor-
dinary blessings and favors above other ani-
mals, which enjoy only the sensible percep-
tions; in order that  such  blessings and fa-
vors maybe the means of keeping him long
in good health ; so that length of days is a
universal favor granted by the Deity, and not
by nature and the stars. 
AND LONG LIFE.
61
   But man being in his youthful days more
of the sensual  than of the rational animal,
is apt to yield to sensual  impressions ;  and,
when  he afterwards arrives at the  age  of
forty or fifty, he ought  to consider, that  he
has attained  the  noon  of life, by  the vigor
of youth, and a good tone of stomach ;  na-
tural blessings, which favored him in ascend-
ing the hill ; but that he  must now think of
going  down,  and  approaching  the grave,
with  a heavy weight of years on his back  ;
and  that  old  age  is the  reverse of youth
as much as  order  is  the reverse  of disor-
der.  Hence  it is requisi'e he  should  alter
his mode of life in  regard  to the articles of
eating  and drinking,  on  which health  and
longevity depend.   And  as the first part of
his life was sensual and irregular, the second
should be the reverse; since nothing can sub-
sist without order, especially the life of man,
irregularity being without all doubt prejudical
and regularity advantageous to the human
epecies.
   Besides,  it is impossible  in the  nature of
things, that the man, who is bent on indulg-
ing his palate and  his  appetite, should not
be guilty of irregularity.  Hence it was that,
to avoid this vice, as soon as I found myself
arrived at maturer years,  1 embraced aregu-
ler and sober life.   It is,  no doubt, true, that
I found some difficulty in compassing it; but
in order to conquer this difficulty, I beseech-
ed the Almighty to grant me the virtue of so* 
 82         A CKJIDE TO HEALTH

 briety ; well knowing, that he  would gra-
 ciously hear my prayer.  Then considering^
 that when a man is about to  undertake any
 thing of importance which he knows he can
 compass, though not  without difficulty,  he
 may make it much easier to himself by being
 steady in his purpose ; I pursued the  same
 course.  I endeavored  gradually to relin-
 quish a disorderly life, and to accustom my-
 self insensibly to the  rules of temperance:
 and thus it came to pass that  a sober and re-
 gular life no longer proved uneasy or  disa-
 greeable ; though, on account of the weak-
 ness  of  my constitution,  I  tied  myself
 down  to such  strict  rules  in  regard  to
 the quantity and quality  of what I  ate and
 drank.
   But others, who happen to be blessed with
 a stronger temperament, may  eat many other
 kinds of food, and in greater quantities ; and
 so  of  wines ;  whereas, though  their  lives
 may still be sober,  they will not be so confi-
 ned as mine, but much more free.  Now, on
 hearing  these  arguments, and examining
 the reasons on which they were founded, they
 all agreed that I had advanced nothing but
 what was true.  Indeed the youngest of them
 said, that though he could not but allow the
 favors or advantages I had been speaking of,
to be common to all mankind, yet I enjoyed
the special grace of being  able to relinquish
with ease one kind of life, and embrace ano-
ther ; a thing which he knew by experience to 
AND LONG LIFE.           83
 be feasible, but as difficult to him as it  had
 proved easy to me.
   To this I replied, that being a mortal like
 himself,  I likewise found it a difficult task ;
 but it  did  not become a  person  to shrink
 from  a  glorious but  practicable underta-
 king, on account of the difficulties attend-
 ing it,  because in proportion to these diffi-
 culties, is the honor  he  acquires by it in the
 eye of man, and the merit in the sight of
 God.   Our beneficent Creator  is desirous,
 that, as  he  originally  favored  human  na-
 ture with longevity, we  should all enjoy the
 full advantage  of his intentions ; knowing
 that, when a man has passed  eighty, he is
 entirely  exempt  from   the  bitter  fruits of
 Bensual enjoyments,  and is entirely govern-
 ed by the dictates of reason.   Vice and im-
 morality  must  then  leave  him ;  hence God
 is  willing he should live to a  full maturity
 of years ; and  has  ordained that  whoever
 reaches  his  natural  term, should  end his
 days without sickness  by mere  dissolution^
 the natural way of quitting  this  mortal lifej
 to  enter  upon  immortality,  as  will be  my
 case.  For I am sure  to  die chanting  my
 prayers ;  nor do the  dreadful   thoughts of
 death give me  the least uneasiness, though,
 considering  my great age, it cannot be far
 distant, knowing, as I do, that I was born to
 die, and reflecting  that such numbers have
departed this life without reaching my age.
   Nor does that other thought,  inseparable 
H4         A GUIDB  TO EEALTH
from  the former, namely, the fear  Of those
torments, to which  wicked men  are hereaf-
ter liable, give me any uneasiness ; because
I am  a good Christian, and bound to believe,
that  I  shall be saved by  the virtue  of the
most  sacred blood of Christ,  which he has
vouchsafed to  shed, in order to free us from
those torments.  How beautiful the  life I
lead ! how happy my end ! To this, the young
gentleman, my antagonist,  had nothing to
reply, but that he was resolved to embrace a
sober life, in order to  follow  my example 5
and that he had taken another, more impor-
tant, resolution, which was, that, as he  had
been  always very desirous  to  live to be  old,
so  he was  now equally impatient to reach
that period, the sooner to  enjoy the felicity
of old age.
  The great desire  I  had,  my lord, to con-
verse with  you at this distance, has  forced
me to be prolix, and still obliges me to pro-
ceed ; though   not  much  farther.    There
are many sensualists,  my lord, who say, that
I have thrown away my time and trouble in
writing  a treatise on Temperance, and other
discourses  on   the same subject, to induce
men  to  lead a  regular life ;  alleging, that
it is impossible to conform to it, so that my
treatise  must answer as little purpose as that
of Plato on  government, who took a great
deal of  pains to recommend a thing imprac-
ticable ; whence  they inferred,  that  as his
tfeatise  was of no use, mine will share the 
              AND LONG LIFE.           83

same fate.  Now this surprises me the more;
as they may see by  my  treatise, that I had
led a sober life for many years  before I had
composed it;  and that I should never have
composed  it  had I   not ■  previously  been
convinced, that it was such  a life as a man
might lead ; and being a virtuous life, would
be. of great service to  him ; so that I thought
myself under an  obligation to represent it in
a true light.   I have the satisfaction now to
hear, that numbers,  on seeing my  treatise,
have embraced such a life ; and I have read;
that many, in  times past, have actually led
it ;  so that  the objection, to which Plato's
treatise on government is liable, can be of no'
force against mine. But such sensualists, ene-
mies to reason, and  slaves to their passions;
ought to think themselves well off,  if, while
they study to indulge  their palate and  their
appetite, they do not contract long and painful
diseases,'(and are not, many of them, Overtaken
by an untimely death.
  PHYSIC  OF THE GOLDEN AGE,

               A FRAGMENT.

  Hassar Imma, distinguished as much for
sublime  morality  as the  superior  cast  to
which he belonged, after living, in the invi-
olable practice of his own philosophy, many
years beyond  the  natural  bounds  of human 
88         A  GUIDE TO HEALTH
life, is said to have left the following advice
on record for the use of the species.
  " Children  of the Sun, listen to the dying
advice of your faithful and affectionate in-
structor, who hastens to the  bosom of the
great Allah to give an account and enjoy the
expected reward of his services.
  "  Open  your hearts to the lineaments  of
Divinity legibly stamped on the face of na-
ture.   His works are the  organs by  which
he communicates with  mortals, and repairs
their daily waste of the life he originally
inspired.  It is by an habitual converse with
these, and an humble imitation of the quali-
ties they display, that men  arrive at any de-
gree of human  excellence, that their souls
acquire the faculty of immortality, and that
their bodies are  preserved from the contami-
nation  of licentious enjoyment in purity,
health, and beauty.
  " Debilitate not the  sinews of youth  by
debauchery,  nor deprive yourselves of those
divine  pleasures which  attend  propaga-
tion by premature  fruition.  The  use of
reason is to  restrain the  irregular  impulses
of nature.  Puberty will itself prevent an ex-
cess of indulgence, which is the great ori-
gin of diseases and death.
   "Forget not to  mingle  moderation and
abstinence,  even with  the  holiest  rites  of
wedlock.     A   proper and  habitual re-
straint  in conjugal  pleasure  is like incense
to the  flames of the  altar.   So  far from 
AND LONG LIFE.
87
quenching, it  cherishes and improves the
heavenly fire. Healthy, happy, vigorous, and
beautiful, are the offspring of chaste and ra-
tional love.
  " Avoid all kinds  of indolence and  sloth.
Keep your  body and  mind in  perpetual
harmony  and  motion.   Local  utility and
pleasures are  soon  exhausted.   Man  is
in  his  passage  to eternity.  His  life on
earth is an emblem  of that  immortality
to which he is destined,  and which consists
only in that fruition which  results from ac-
tivity.
   "  Never ride on horseback.  It is  unnatu-
ral for  one  animal to bestride another.  It
impedes the generous circulation  of those
various  liquids  which  cherish,  invigorate,
and  embellish the human  frame.  Spasms
of the  heart,  asthmas, cough, pectoral de-
bilities,  and  stomach  complaints  without
number, are the  constant effects of  this pre-
posterous excercise.
   " Walking, leaping, and running, are the
 only means of improving corporeal strength
 and agility.  All those exquisite  tubes, ves-
 sels, and ligaments, which constitute the vis-
 cera, are in this manner kept in proper mo-
 tion and repair.  Whatever violence you thus
 exert will not only be without danger, but of
 infinite benefit  to the system. It will secure
 health, which is the sweetener of every bless-
 ing human or divine.
   " Guard against an excess of sleep. Jfa- 
 88        A  GUIDE TO HEALTH

 ture  is  aVglutton in nothing.  Moderation
 is  the only medium in which she  is happy
 and contented.   Set  apart only a few hours
 for  rest.  These will bring the inclination
 along with them,  as times  of eating  do
 the  cravings  of appetite.   But never an-
 ticipate  or enlarge them.  Drowsy and  le:
 thargic habits are the dissolution of  both soul
 and body.
   " Lie  not down  on couches of  down  or
 beds of feathers, which absorb and immure
 the  body in luxury, supineness, and sloth;
 but stretch yourself at full length on the bare
 boards and in  the open air.   You  will then
 be braced by the position  nature  intended,
 and suck in the breath  of heaven at every
 draught.  Your  slumbers  will be  light and
 refreshing, and  your dreams salutary and
 pleasing.   A  European, loaded  and  swel-
 tering under  heaps  of  woollen,  exhibits a
 strong and shocking pipture of filthiness and
 putrefaction !
  "  Start from  your  couch  betimes.   The
 moments of the morning are sacred and sa-
 lubrious.  Then the genii of health descend
 and  communicate with  those who visit the
 herbage of the field while rich with  the dews
 of heaven.   How pure and sweet the  smell
 of the air in this unpolluted  state,  before it
is contaminated  by corporeal effluvia '   The
fragrance of the groves will regale your sen-
ses, and the melody of birds allure your hearts
 to gratitude and  praise ! 
AND  LONG LIFE.
89
   "Cleanliness is one of our  greatest con-
 cerns.  All  animals are subject to its laws.
 The means of it are always at hand.   The
 limpid  stream and the briny wave were for
 this purpose ordained and given to the inha-
 bitants  of the  earth.  They purify the sur-
 face, but they brace and strengthen, at  the
 same time, all  the  nerves  and fibres  of the
 human frame. In this manner have the desti-
 nies proscribed  nastiness.   It is the source
 of innumerable diseases.  It  is  loathsome
 and detestable ; and the man or the woman
 who is  averse to bathe or to wash ought not
 to live.
   " Imitate  not the dress of the Europeans,
 which is invariably connected with stiffness,
 awkardness, and deformity.   Your first con-
 cern is the use, and your next the beauty of
 all your members.  Whatever conceals and
 confines is  unnatural; and  all  shapes, ati-
 tudes, or motions, not natural,  must be in-
 convenient, ungraceful, and  preposterous.
   " Be  as much as possible in the open air.
 Man  was not intended, like a mole, to bur-
 row under ground.   And what  are the  pala-
 ces of the great, and all the various efforts of
 human architecture, but protuberances on the
 surface of the globe, just as  unnatural, and
 infinitely more pernicious, than any other spe-
 cies of mole hill.
   " Your  regimen  ought to be simple and
inartificial.   Drink  only the simple water.
It is the  beverage of nature, and  not by any
                      H 
90         A GUIDE TO HEALTH

means, or in any  way,  to  be improved by
art.  No spirits whatever are half so salutary.
It is stronger than the strongest wine, purer
than the virgin  honey, and sweeter than the
sweetest nectar.
  " Eat only fruit and vegetables.   Let the
predaceous  animals prey  on carnage and
blood.   Stain  not the divine gentleness of
your natures by one spark  of cruelty to th«
creatures  beneath you.  Heaven, to protect
them, hath placed you  at  their  head.  Be
not  treacherous to the important trust you
bold, by murdering those you ought to pre-
serve ; nor defile your bodies  by filling them
with putrefaction.   There is enough  of vege-
table and fruit to supply your  appetites, with-
out oppressing  them by carrion,  or  drench-
ing them in blood."
THE  END. 
i 
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
NLM041424768