_Fowl._] Amongst fowl, [1359]peacocks and pigeons, all fenny fowl are
forbidden, as ducks, geese, swans, herons, cranes, coots, didappers,
water-hens, with all those teals, curs, sheldrakes, and peckled fowls, that
come hither in winter out of Scandia, Muscovy, Greenland, Friesland, which
half the year are covered all over with snow, and frozen up. Though these
be fair in feathers, pleasant in taste, and have a good outside, like
hypocrites, white in plumes, and soft, their flesh is hard, black,
unwholesome, dangerous, melancholy meat; _Gravant et putrefaciant
stomachum_, saith Isaac, _part. 5. de vol._, their young ones are more
tolerable, but young pigeons he quite disapproves.

_Fishes._] Rhasis and [1360]Magninus discommend all fish, and say, they
breed viscosities, slimy nutriment, little and humorous nourishment.
Savanarola adds, cold, moist: and phlegmatic, Isaac; and therefore
unwholesome for all cold and melancholy complexions: others make a
difference, rejecting only amongst freshwater fish, eel, tench, lamprey,
crawfish (which Bright approves, _cap. 6_), and such as are bred in muddy
and standing waters, and have a taste of mud, as Franciscus Bonsuetus
poetically defines, _Lib. de aquatilibus_.

"Nam pisces omnes, qui stagna, lacusque frequentant,
Semper plus succi deterioris habent."

"All fish, that standing pools, and lakes frequent,
Do ever yield bad juice and nourishment."

Lampreys, Paulus Jovius, _c. 34. de piscibus fluvial._, highly magnifies,
and saith, None speak against them, but _inepti et scrupulosi_, some
scrupulous persons; but [1361]eels, _c. 33_, "he abhorreth in all places,
at all times, all physicians detest them, especially about the solstice."