The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-07-04
CORNARO.
The Man Who Lived to- be a Hundred Be-
cause He Wanted to Live.

The Man Who Lived to- be a Hundred Be-
cause He Wanted to Live.
Cornaro's regimen-which consisted
of eggs, soup, bread, pancakes. and
such like food, with wine-was, as he
tells us, intended for himself alone. All
people should live tempefately; but the
temperance of one man is the excess of
another. Cornaro's method is the
simple one that each man should find
out for himself what is the suitable
quantity of food and drink for himself,
and then live accordingly. The charm
of Cornaro's narrative consists In the
garrulous naivete with which he sets
forth his simple creed and practice.
Italy, he says, was suffering from three
great evils-first, from fattery and
ceremonies; secondly, from the effects
of the Lutheran doctrines; thirdly,
from debauchery. These three evils,
or rather 'cruel monsters of human
life," have destroyed respectively social
sincerity; secondly, the religion of the
soul; thirdly, the health of the body.
The first two plaques he leaves to be
dealt with by some "gentili spirit, !"
who will Danish them from the world;
the third he undertakes to extirpate
himself, being convinced that Italy be-
fore his death will return to her former
flair and lovely manners" To this
end he gives his own practice as an ex-
ample to be followed, at least in its
aim and spirit. His daily allowance of
food was three rolls, the yolk of an
egg, with meat and soup, the whole
weighing twelve ounces; his dstily al
lowance of wine fourteen ounces. On
one occasion, after he had Slightly i'm
creased the quantities, he became
"choleric and melancholy" and soon
fell into violent fever, from which
he only recovered by retucning
to his former regimen. He newer ate
or drank to the extent of his appetite;
avoided extremes of heat and coldt was
careful to have sufficient sleep. To keep
clear of grief, melancholy, hatred and
other perturbations of the minGt was
also an essential part of his system,
| though temperance in eating and
| drinking will do much to counterfeit
mental troubles, as well as to neutral;ize
the effects of bodily hardships. Once
when powerful enemies brought suit
against him he kept his equanimity,
and won his case in the end. while, his
brother, who led an irregular life, died
of anxiety while the case was still 60
ing on. If men were but temperate as
he was himself, they would live to be q
hundred years old. He himself in
tended to do so, and to die at last, not
of disease, but of ''pura resoluzione."
If he had had good constitution tE
start with he would reach one hundred
and twenty years instead of only one
hundred. He did, in fact, die very
nearly at the age of one hundred. if he
did not surpass it. He is sure that
having on earth led life pleasing tc
God, he will by His mercy enjoy the
heavenly life after death. Until hC
adopted the temperate life he never
'knew that the world was fair" Ever
the deaths of relations and friend.
troubled him little, so calm and equablt
had his temper become. These anG
other doctrines to the same effect he
published in his first treatise, writer
when he was at the age of eighty-thPee
three years later he followed it up by 6
second, the "Compendio della Vite
Sobria;" five years later still he pub
lished third; and, finally, at the age
of ninety-fve, he brought out hi
Loving Elaboration. urging hiI
readers to do as he had done, and tt
enjoy the happiness he had found. No
little of 1t, he tells us, was due to th'
fact that many of them had followed
his Saturday RerteaO.