Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/389

359 the heart and dispels sadness; and the excess of it is more harmful in summer and autumn than in spring and winter.’ (Q.) ‘What are its good effects?’ (A.) ‘It doth away trouble and disquiet, calms love and chagrin and is good for ulcers in a cold and dry humour; but excess of it weakens the sight and engenders pains in the legs and head and back: and beware, beware of having to do with old women, for they are deadly. Quoth the Imam Ali, (whose face God honour), “Four things kill and ruin the body: bathing on a full stomach, eating salt meat, copulation on a plethora [of blood] and lying with an ailing woman; for she will weaken thy strength and infect thy body with sickness; and an old woman is deadly poison.” And quoth one of them, “Beware of taking an old woman to wife, though she be richer in goods than Caroun.”’ (Q.) ‘What is the best copulation?’ (A.) ‘If the woman be young, well-shaped, fair of face, swelling-breasted and of honourable extraction, she will add to thee strength and health of body; and let her be even as saith the poet, describing her:

(Q.) ‘At what time is copulation good?’ (A.) ‘If by day, after the morning-meal, and if by night, after food digested.’ (Q.) ‘What are the most excellent fruits?’ (A.) ‘The pomegranate and the citron.’ (Q.) ‘Which is the most excellent of vegetables?’ (A.) ‘The endive.’ (Q.)