Rusticus pudor, bashfulness, flushing in the face, high colour, ruddiness, are common grievances, which much torture many melancholy men, when they meet a man, or come in [4356]company of their betters, strangers, after a meal, or if they drink a cup of wine or strong drink, they are as red and fleet, and sweat as if they had been at a mayor’s feast, praesertim si metus accesserit, it exceeds, [4357]they think every man observes, takes notice of it:  and fear alone will effect it, suspicion without any other cause.  Sckenkius observ. med. lib. 1. speaks of a waiting gentlewoman in the Duke of Savoy’s court, that was so much offended with it, that she kneeled down to him, and offered Biarus, a physician, all that she had to be cured of it.  And ’tis most true, that [4358]Antony Ludovicus saith in his book de Pudore, “bashfulness either hurts or helps,” such men I am sure it hurts.  If it proceed from suspicion or fear, [4359]Felix Plater prescribes no other remedy but to reject and contemn it:  Id populus curat scilicet, as a [4360]worthy physician in our town said to a friend of mine in like case, complaining without a cause, suppose one look red, what matter is it, make light of it, who observes it?

If it trouble at or after meals, (as [4361]Jobertus observes med. pract. l. 1. c. 7.) after a little exercise or stirring, for many are then hot and red in the face, or if they do nothing at all, especially women; he would have them let blood in both arms, first one, then another, two or three days between, if blood abound; to use frictions of the other parts, feet especially, and washing of them, because of that consent which is between the head and the feet. [4362]And withal to refrigerate the face, by washing it often with rose, violet, nenuphar, lettuce, lovage waters, and the like:  but the best of all is that lac virginale, or strained liquor of litargy:  it is diversely prepared; by Jobertus thus; [Symbol:  Rx] lithar. argent. unc. j cerussae candidissimae, [Symbol:  Dram]jjj. caphurae, [Symbol:  Scruple]jj. dissolvantur aquarum solani, lactucae, et nenupharis ana unc. jjj. aceti vini albi. unc. jj. aliquot horas resideat, deinde transmittatur per philt. aqua servetur in vase vitreo, ac ea bis terve facies quotidie irroretur. [4363]Quercetan spagir. phar. cap. 6. commends the water of frog’s spawn for ruddiness in the face. [4364]Crato consil. 283.  Scoltzii would fain have them use all summer the condite flowers of succory, strawberry water, roses (cupping-glasses are good for the time), consil. 285. et 286. and to defecate impure blood with the infusion of senna, savory, balm water. [4365]Hollerius knew one cured alone with the use of succory boiled, and drunk for five months, every morning in the summer. [4366]It is good overnight to anoint the face with hare’s blood, and in the morning to wash it with strawberry and cowslip water, the juice of distilled lemons, juice of cucumbers, or to use the seeds of melons, or kernels of peaches beaten small, or the roots of Aron, and mixed with wheat bran to bake it in an oven, and to crumble it in strawberry water, [4367] or to put fresh cheese curds to a red face.