t it, as is said
before, be mingled with water of _Endive_; and once in foure dayes,
and chiefely when he findes his stomacke in the morning to be weake
and fainting. And though it be true, that, in the _Indies_, they use
it all the yeare long, it being a very hot Countrey, and so it may
seeme by the same reason it may be taken in _Spaine_: First, I say,
that Custome may allow it: Secondly, that as there is an extraordinary
proportion of heate, so there is also of moisture; which helpes, with
the exorbitant heat, to open the pores; and so dissipates, and
impoverisheth our substance, or naturall vigor: by reason whereof, not
only in the morning, but at any time of the day, they use it without
prejudice. And this is most true, that the excessive heate of the
Country, drawes out the naturall heate, and disperseth that of the
stomack and of the inward parts: Insomuch that though the weather be
never so hot, yet the stomack being cold, it usually doth good. I do
not onely say this of the _Chocolate_, which, as I have proved, hath a
moderate heate; But if you drinke pure wine, be the weather never so
hot, it hurts not, but rather comforts the stomack; and if in hot
weather you drinke water, the hurt it doth is apparant, in that it
cooles the stomack too much; from whence comes a viciated Concoction,
and a thousand other inconveniences.

You must also observe, that it being granted, as I have said, that
there are earthy parts in the _Cacao_, which fall to the bottome of
the Cup, when you make the drinke, divers are of the opinion, that,
that which remaines, is the best and the more substantiall; and they
hurt themselves not a litle, by drinking of it. For besides, that it
is an earthy substance, thick, and stopping, it is of a malancholy
Nature; and therefore you must avoid the drinking of it, contenting
your selfe with the best, which is the most substantiall.

Last of all, there rests one difficulty to be resolved, formerly
poynted at; namely, what is the cause, why _Chocolate_ makes most of
them that drinke it, fat. For considering that all of the Ingredients,
except the _Cacao_, do rather extenuate, than make fat, because they
are hot and dry in the third degree. For we have already said, that
the qualities which do predominate in _Cacao_, are cold, and dry;
which are very unfit to adde any substance to the body. Neverthelesse,
I say, that the many unctuous parts, which I have proved to be in the
_Cacao_, are those, whic