Of Pears

There is a greater variety of pears than apples, of which those are best which have a sweet rich vinous taste. The rough and styptick are hard of digestion. Some have this quality to such a degree that they cannot be swallowed but with the utmost difficulty, and therefore they are called Choak-pears. The unripe are hard of digestion, and unwholesome. Even pears in general are reckoned enemies to the nerves, when eaten immoderately. This appears from the diseases that afflict women and children, who swallow all sorts without distin-ction in a plentiful year. They yield more nourishment than apples, but it is of a bad sort, and is apt to cause nervous fevers, by impoverishing the blood. Some pears that are hard and unfit to eat raw, become very useful when stewed with a little spice.

Of Figs

There are several sorts of figs, which differ in shape, size, colour, and taste. They ought to be chosen soft, juicy, ripe, and of a sweet delicious taste. In hot southern countries they are greatly used as aliment as well as dates. They are easy of digestion, yield moderate nourishment, have a detergent faculty, and are useful in disorders of the breast, kidneys, and bladder. If eaten too frequently, they are windy, deprave the blood, deject the strength, and breed obstructions. Dry figs imported from abroad are most used in physick, for they are good in disorders of the breast and lungs, coughs, and the asthma. When eaten be fore dinner, they open the body, and cleanse the breast from thick humours and the kidneys from gravel.

Of Quinces

Those quinces are best that are ripe, fleshy, and have an agreeable smell. They should never be eaten raw, because then they generate wind, and cause crudities. They are best made into marmalade, for this strengthens the stomach, stops vomiting, is good in loosenesses, and profuse bleeding of all kinds: it is suitable to all ages and consti-tutions, provided it be taken moderately.

Of Pome Granates

There are three sorts of pome granates, the sour, the vinous, and the sweet. The sour strengthen the stomach, stop vomiting and loosenesses, shar-pen the appetite, and abate the heat of fevers: but they are bad in disorders of the bread, and are hurtful to the teeth and gums. The sweet are cooling, moistening, abate the sharpness of acrimonious humours in the breast, and are useful in coughs. These and the vinous agree with all ages and constitutions, provided they are used with moderation. The sour are best in hot weather, and are most suitable to persons of a bilious constitu-tion; but are hurtful to old persons, because they render the breathing difficult.

Of Melons

The flesh of melons is moistening, allays the heat of the blood, chears the spirits, is easy of di-gestion, and yields good nourishment when eaten with moderation; but when it is fed upon with excess, it generates crudities and causes violent colics, which are often followed with a very violent looseness, or the bloody flux, which are hard to cure. Sometimes the immoderate use of melons is succeeded with quartan agues, which are very obsti-nate. Besides, old persons, who are of a plegmatic or melancholic constitution, ought to abstain from them. However, the bad effects may be prevented by eating them with salt and pepper. Some strow sugar over them, and drink freely of generous wine afterwards.