The Frugal Life: a Paradox

Part 1

The Frugal Life.

“That a Spare Diet is better than a splendid and sumptuous.”

A PARADOX: By Ortensio Lando, M.D. 1543.

With Introduction by .... WILLIAM E. A. AXON.

MANCHESTER. 1899.

THE PARADOX OF A FRUGAL LIFE.

INTRODUCTION.

The friendship of Nicholas Ferrar, the head of the remarkable household at Little Gidding, and of the saintly George Herbert, is a pleasant episode of seventeenth century history. One of its results was the appearance at Cambridge in 1634 of a little volume, entitled “Hygiasticon.” This contains a translation, believed to be by Ferrar, of the treatise on dietetics by the learned Jesuit, Leonard Lessius, George Herbert’s version of Luigi Cornaro’s book on Long Life, and “A discourse translated out of Italian that a spare diet is better than a splendid and sumptuous.” This version was made by one whose initials, T.S., have not been deciphered. The name of the original author was equally unknown to bibliographers. It is, in fact, the twenty-fourth of the “Paradossi” printed at Lyons in 1543. This book, although it has no author’s name attached, is known to be the production of Ortensio Lando, sometimes known by his Latin name of Hortensius Tranquillus. He was born at Milan about the end of the fifteenth century, and died at Venice about 1553. He was a graduate in medicine of the University of Bologna, and for years led the life of a wandering scholar, but finally settled at Venice where he died. He was the author of fifty or more books. This seventeenth century version of Lando’s paradox whilst not slavish, makes an excellent presentation of the spirit and aim of the original. In the few places where the English writer has amplified the additional matter is noteworthy. It has, therefore, been thought sufficient to modernise the spelling, modify the arrangement and punctuation, and substitute here and there a modern word for one that sounded less crude in the seventeenth than in the nineteenth century.

When a scholar, such as Ortensio Lando was, undertakes to defend paradoxes he is not always to be taken too seriously, but in this praise of frugal life and simple diet there is an accent of sincerity that carries conviction.

WILLIAM E. A. AXON.

THAT A SPARE DIET IS BETTER THAN A SPLENDID AND SUMPTUOUS--A PARADOX.

I verily believe, however I have titled this opinion, yet it will by no means be allowed for a Paradox by a number of those, whose judgement ought to bear the greatest sway. And, to speak freely, it would seem to me very uncouth, that any man that makes a profession of more understanding than a beast, should open his mouth to the contrary, or make any scruple at all of readily subscribing to the truth and evidence of this position, that a frugal and simple diet is much better than a full and dainty.

Tell me, you that seem to demur on the business, whether a sober and austere diet serves not, without further help, to chase away that racking humour of the gout, which by all other helps that can be used, scarce receives any mitigation at all; but, do what can be done, lies tormenting the body, till it have spent itself. Tell me whether this holy medicine serve not to the driving away of headache, to the cure of dizziness, to the stopping of rheums, to the stay of flukes, to the getting away of loathsome diseases, to the freedom from dishonest belchings, to the prevention of agues, and, in a word, to the clearing and draining of all ill humours whatsoever in the body. Nor do the benefits thereof stay only in the body, but ascend likewise to the perfecting of the soul itself: for how manifest is it, that through a sober and strict diet, the mind and all the faculties thereof become waking, quick, and cheerful, how is the wit sharpened, the understanding solidated, the affections tempered, and, in a word, the whole soul and spirit of a man freed from encumbrances, and made apt and expedite for the apprehension of wisdom, and the embracement of virtue?

The ancient sages, were, I am sure, of this opinion; and Plato in particular made notable remonstrance of it; when upon his coming into Sicily from Athens, he did so bitterly condemn the Syracusian tables, which being furnished with precious and dainty cates, provoking sauces, and rich wines, sent away their guests twice a day full of good cheer. But what wouldst thou have said, oh, Plato! if thou hadst perhaps lighted upon such as we Christians nowadays are; amongst whom, he that eats but two good meals a day, as we term them, boasts himself, and, is applauded by others for a person of great temperance and singular good diet?

Undoubtly, our extravagance in this matter, having added prologues of breakfasts, interludes of banquets, epilogues of rere-suppers to the comedy would have caused thee to turn thy divine eloquence to the praise of those Syracusion gluttons, which, in respect of our usages and customs, might seem great masters of temperance.

Nay, very Epicurus himself, however, he may thank Tully’s slanders, his name is become in this regard so infamous, yet placed his chief delight this way in no greater dainties than savoury herbs, and fresh cheese.

But I would fain once understand from these gluttons, that seem born only to waste good meat, what the reason may be, that nowadays the store of victuals is so much abated, and the price enhanced of that it was in time of old, when yet the world appears to have been then much fuller of people than it now is? Undoubtedly, that scarcity and dearness under which we labour, can proceed from nothing but our excessive gluttony which devours things faster than Nature can bring them forth. And that plenty and cheapness, which crowned their happy days, was maintained and kept on foot chiefly through the good husbandry of that frugal and simple diet which they used.

S. Jerome, writing of the course of life held by those good fathers that retired themselves into the deserts of Egypt, the better to serve God, tells us, that they were so enamoured of spare and simple diet, that they censured it in themselves for a kind of riot, to feed on anything that was dressed with fire. The same in every point doth Cassian report, in his relations of the holy monks and hermits of his time.

I find in ancient physicians, that the inhabitants of the old world were such strict followers of sobriety, that they kept themselves precisely to bread in the morning; and at night they made their supper of flesh only without addition of sauces, or any first or second courses. And by this means it came to pass, that they lived so long and in continual health without so much as once hearing the names of those many grievous infirmities that nowadays vex mankind.

What think you might be the cause, that the Romans, the Arcadians, and the Portugals passed so many hundred of years, without having any acquaintance at all with physic or physicians? Surely nothing else but their sober spare diet, which when all is done, we are ofttimes constrained to undergo, and ever indeed directed and advised unto, by those who really practise this divine science of physic, for the recovery and conservation of their patient’s health, and not covetously for their own gain. I read in approved histories, that Ptolemy, upon some occasion or other out-riding his followers in Egypt, was so pressed with hunger, that he was fain to call in at a poor man’s cottage, who brought him a piece of rye-bread; which when he had eaten, he took a solemn oath, that he never in all his life tasted better, nor more pleasing meat: and from that day forward, he set light by all the costly sorts of bread, which he had been formerly accustomed unto.

The Thracian women, that they might bear healthful, strong, and hardy children, ate nothing but milk and nettles, and the greatest dainties that the Lacedemonians had amongst them, was a certain kind of black pottage, that looked no better than melted pitch, and could not by computation stand in above three half-pence a gallon at the most. The Persians, that in their time were the best disciplined people on the earth, ate a little Nasturtium with their bread; and that was all the victuals that this brave nation used, when they made conquest of the world.

Artaxerxes, the brother of Cyrus, being overthrown in battle, was constrained in his flight to sit down with dry figs and barley-bread which upon proof he found so good, as he seriously lamented his misfortune, in having,--through the continual cloying of artificial dainties, wherewith he had been bred up,--been so long time a stranger to that great pleasure and delight, which natural and simple food yields, when it meets with true hunger.

True it is, our stomach is a troublesome creditor, and ofttimes shamelessly exacts more than its due: but undoubtedly, if we were not partial, and corrupted by the allurements of that base content which dainties promise, we might easily quiet the grudgings and murmurings thereof. It’s not the stomach, I wis, which would rest apayed with that which is at hand; but the satisfaction of our capricious fancies, that makes us wear out our selves, and weary all the world besides with uncessant travel in the search of rarities, and in the compounding of new delicacies. If we were but half as wise as we ought to be, there need none of all this ado that we make, about this and that kind of Manchet, Dutch-bread, and French-bread: and I know not what new inventions are brought on foot, to make more business in the world; whereas with much less cost and trouble we might be much better served with that which grows at home, and is to be found ready in every thatched cottage. That which is most our own, and that which we therefore perhaps, fools as we be, most contemn in this kind,--barley-bread I mean,--is by all the old physicians, warranted for a most sound and healthful food. He that eats daily of it, say they, shall undoubtedly never be troubled with the gout in the feet.

Continue reading The Frugal Life: a Paradox free in the Wunder reader →