Early modern dietaries are prose texts recommending the best way to maintain physical and psychological well-being. Three sixteenth-century dietaries contains Thomas Elyot's Castle of Health, Andrew Boorde's Compendious Regiment and William Bullein's Government of Health, all popular and influential works that were typical of a genre advising the reader on how best to maintain physical and psychological health. They are here introduced, contextualized and edited for the first time in a modern spelling edition. Introductory material explores the dietary genre, its relationship to humanism, humoral theory, and the wide range of authorities with which the dietary authors engaged. The volume includes an examination of the bibliographical and publication history of each work, comprehensive explanatory notes and appendices that provide prefaces to earlier editions, a glossary, and a list of authorities and works cited or alluded to in the dietaries.
Joan Fitzpatrick is Senior Lecturer in English at Loughborough University
IntroductionHistory and contextsThe dietariesNote on the editorial history of the dietariesTextual issuesFinding aids (indexing)The DietariesThe Castle of Health, Thomas ElyotA Compendious Regiment, or a Dietary of Health, Andrew BoordeThe Government of Health, William BulleinAppendicesWorks cited
