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Sir Thomas Elyot's (c 1490-1546) Castel of Helthe, 1541, "Complexion is a combynation of two dyvers qualities of the foure elements in one bodye, as hotte and drye of the Fyre: hotte and inoyste of the Ayre."
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Bartholomeus Anglicus (Bartholomew of England) (c 1203–1272), Batman vppon Bartholome, "Mans bodie is made of foure Elements, that is to wit, of Earth, Water, Fire and Aire: euery seuerall hath his proper qualities. Foure be called the first and principall qualityes, that is heate, cold, drie, and moist: they be called the first qualities, because they slide first from the Elements into the things that be made of Elements."
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Sir John Harington's (1561-1612) Englishmans Doctor, or the Schoole of Salerne, 1608, "The watry flegmatique are fayre and white; The sanguin, roses joynd to lillies bright; The collericke, more red; the melancholy, Alluding to their name, are swart and colly."
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From William Shakespeare's (1564-1616) Love's Labour's Lost Act 1, Scene 2
Boy, A Woman, Master.
Brag. Of what complexion?
Boy. Of all the foure, or the three, or the two, or one of the foure.
Brag. Tell me precifely of what complexion?
Boy. Of the sea-water Greene sir.
Brag. Is that one of the foure complexions?
Boy. As I haue read sir, and the beft of them too.
Brag. Greene indeed is the colour of Lovers: but to haue a Love of that colour, methinkes Sampfon had small reason for it. He surely affected her for her wit.
Boy. It was so sir, for she had a greene wit.
