drink no more than, will [2934]satisfy hunger and thirst. [2935]Lessius, the Jesuit, holds twelve, thirteen, or fourteen ounces, or in our northern countries, sixteen at most, (for all students, weaklings, and such as lead an idle sedentary life) of meat, bread, &c., a fit proportion for a whole day, and as much or little more of drink.  Nothing pesters the body and mind sooner than to be still fed, to eat and ingurgitate beyond all measure, as many do. [2936] “By overmuch eating and continual feasts they stifle nature, and choke up themselves; which, had they lived coarsely, or like galley slaves been tied to an oar, might have happily prolonged many fair years.”

A great inconvenience comes by variety of dishes, which causeth the precedent distemperature, [2937]"than which” (saith Avicenna) “nothing is worse; to feed on diversity of meats, or overmuch,” Sertorius-like, in lucem caenare, and as commonly they do in Muscovy and Iceland, to prolong their meals all day long, or all night.  Our northern countries offend especially in this, and we in this island (ampliter viventes in prandiis et caenis, as [2938]Polydore notes) are most liberal feeders, but to our own hurt. [2939]_Persicos odi puer apparatus_:  “Excess of meat breedeth sickness, and gluttony causeth choleric diseases:  by surfeiting many perish, but he that dieteth himself prolongeth his life,” Ecclus. xxxvii. 29, 30.  We account it a great glory for a man to have his table daily furnished with variety of meats:  but hear the physician, he pulls thee by the ear as thou sittest, and telleth thee, [2940]"that nothing can be more noxious to thy health than such variety and plenty.”  Temperance is a bridle of gold, and he that can use it aright, [2941]_ego non summis viris comparo, sed simillimum Deo judico_, is liker a God than a man:  for as it will transform a beast to a man again, so will it make a man a God.  To preserve thine honour, health, and to avoid therefore all those inflations, torments, obstructions, crudities, and diseases that come by a full diet, the best way is to [2942]feed sparingly of one or two dishes at most, to have ventrem bene moratum, as Seneca calls it, [2943]"to choose one of many, and to feed on that alone,” as Crato adviseth his patient.  The same counsel [2944]Prosper Calenus gives to Cardinal Caesius, to use a moderate and simple diet:  and though his table be jovially furnished by reason of his state and guests, yet for his own part to single out some one savoury dish and feed on it.  The same is inculcated by [2945]Crato, consil. 9. l. 2. to a noble personage affected with this grievance, he would have his highness to dine or sup alone, without all his honourable attendance and courtly company, with a private friend or so, [2946]a dish or two, a cup of Rhenish wine, &c.  Montanus, consil. 24. for a noble matron enjoins her one dish, and by no means to drink between meals.  The like, consil. 229. or not to eat till he be an hungry, which rule Berengarius did most strictly observe, as Hilbertus, Cenomecensis Episc. writes in his life,