[Sca-cooks] Book Question - Via Recta Ad Vitam Longam

[Johnna Holloway]

EEBO has at least three for sale under EEBO Editions.
As early as 1620 which is up on EEBO TCP.

  It's a dietary and put forward certain ingredients that
"giue good and profitable nourishment to the bodie." It sets out to  
answer such questions as:
"Whether, in the regiment of health, the vse of sauces is to bee  
allowed, as necessarie and wholsome?"
"Whether new fruits eaten raw, yeeld any wholsome or pro∣sitable  
nourishment to the bodie?"
"Whether the ordinary vse of two meales in a day, be best for the  
preseruation of health?
Whether the eating of one or of diuers sorts of meats at a meale are  
alike profitable for the health of the bodie?
Whether it be better to suppe more liberally, then to dine?"

I've quoted from it at times because it's used in other sources and  
places like OED and English food histories. It turns up in EEBO  
searches.

It's one of the sources for the description of a breakfast.

Venner, Tobias, 1577-1660.

Via recta ad vitam longam, or A plaine philosophical discourse of the  
nature, faculties, and effects, 1620.

Page 87

And if any man desire a light nourishing, and comfortable breakfast, I  
know none better then a couple of potched eggs, seasoned with a litle  
salt, and a few cornes of pepper also, with a drop or two of vinegar,  
if the stomacke be weake, and supped

Page 88

off warme, eating therewithall a litle bread and butter, and drinking

after a good draught of pure. Claret wine. This is an excellent  
breakfast, and very comfortable for them that haue weake stomacks.  
Eggs moderately vsed are accommodate for euery age, and constitution,  
especially for the elder sort of people, and such as want bloud; but  
soonest offensiue to the cholerick and sanguine, for whom in hot  
seasons they are not conuenient.

Hope this answers the question

Johnnae

On Dec 7, 2011, at 12:09 PM, Daniel Myers wrote:

>
> Has anyone here looked at this book?  Is it worth getting a copy?
>
> "Via Recta Ad Vitam Longam", Tobias Venner
>
> - Doc