Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DIETARY, OR RULES FOR HEALTH, SELECTION, by JOHN LYDGATE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DIETARY, OR RULES FOR HEALTH, SELECTION, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: And if so be that lechis done the faile
Last Line: To all indifferent, richest diatorye.


And if so be that lechis done the faile,
Thanne take good hede, and use thynges three,
Temperat diete, temperat travaile,
Nat malicious for none adversite;
Meke in trouble, gladde in poverte;
Riche with litel, content with suffisaunce;
Nat grucchyng, but mery like thi degre:
If phisyk lak, make this thy governaunce.

* * *

Fyre at morowe, and towards bed at eve,
For mystis blak, and eyre of pestilence;
Betime at masse, thow shalt the better preve,
First at thi risyng do to God reverence,
Visite the poor with intyre diligence,
On al nedy have thow compassioun,
And God shal sende grace and influence,
To encrease the and thy possessioun.

Suffre no surfetis in thy house at nyght,
Ware of rere-soupers, and of grete excesse,
Of noddyng hedes, and of candel light,
And sloth at morow, and slomberyng idelnes,
Whiche of al vices is chief porteresse;
Voyde al drunklew, Iyers, and lechours;
Of al unthriftes exile the mastres,
That is to say, dyse, players, and haserdours.

After mete beware, make not to longe slepe,
Hede, foote, and stomak preserve ay from cold;
Be not to pensyf, of thought take no kepe;
After thy rent, mayntene thyn houshold,
Suffre in tyme, in thi right be bold;
Swere none othis no man to begyle;
In thy youth be lusty, sad whan thow art olde.

Dyne nat at morwe aforne thyn appetite,
Clere eyre and walkyng makith goode digestioun,
Between meles drynk nat for no froward delite,
But thurst or travaile yeve the occasion;
Over-salt mete doth grete oppressioun
To feble stomakes, whan they can nat refrayne;
For nothing more contrary to theyr complexioun,
Of gredy handes the stomak hath grete peyne.

Thus in two thinges standith al the welthe
Of sowle and body, whoso lust to sewe,
Moderat foode gevith to man his helthe,
And al surfetis doth from hym remeue,
And charite unto the sowle is dewe:
This ressayt is bought of no poticarye,
Of maister Antony, nor of maister Hewe,
To all indifferent, richest diatorye.






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