The Pꝛologe.
it vnwyſely done, and agaynſt the honoꝛ of my art that I pꝛoſeſſe, and agaynſt the comon pꝛofit, to ſet out ſo muche knowledge of Phiſick in Englyſhe. foꝛ now (ſay they) euery man with out any ſtudy of neceſſary artes vnto the knowledge of Phiſick, will become a Phiſician, to the hynderaūce and miniſyng of the ſtudy of liberall artes, and the tonges, ⁊ to the hurte of the comen welth. Whilſe by occaſyon of thys boke euery man, nay euery old wyfe will pꝛeſume not without the moꝛdꝛe of many, to pꝛactyſe Phiſick. To whom I make thys anſwer, by a queſtyon, how many ſurgianes and apothecaries are there in England, which can vnderſtande Plini in latin oꝛ Galene and Dioſcoꝛides, where as they wꝛyte ether in greke oꝛ tranſlated into latin, of the names deſcriptions and natures of herbes? And when as they haue no latin to come by the knowledge of herbes: whether all the Phiſicians of England (ſauyng very few) committ not yͤ knowledge of herbes vnto the potecaries oꝛ no, as the potecaries do to the olde wyues, that gather herbes, ⁊ to the groſſers, whylſe they ſend all their receytes vnto the potecary, not beyng pꝛeſent their to ſe, whether the potecary putteth all that ſhuld be in to the receyt oꝛ no? Then when as if the potecari foꝛ lack of knowledge of the latin tong, is ignoꝛant in herbes: and putteth ether many a good mā by ignoꝛance in ieopardy of his life, oꝛ marreth good medicines to the great diſhoneſtie both of the Phiſician and of Goddes woꝛthy creatures, the herbes and the medicines: when as by hauyng an herball in Engliſh all theſe euelles myght be auoyded: whether were it better, that many men ſhuld be killed, or the herball ſhuld be ſet out in Engliſh? The ſame reaſon myght alſo be made of ſurgeons, whether it were better yͭ they ſhuld kyll men foꝛ lack of knowledge of herbes oꝛ yͭ an herball ſhuld be ſet out vnto them in Engliſh, whiche foꝛ the moſt part vnderſtand no latin at all, ſauyng ſuch as no latin eares can abyde? Dioſcorides wꝛote hys great herball in greke, in whoſe tyme all the Grekes and many Romanes vnderſtode it yͭ Dioſcoꝛides wꝛote, Galene wꝛote alſo in greke: not only his boke of ſimples, as of herbes, ſtones, earthes, beaſtes, ⁊ metalles, but all the reſt of his bokes where in he taught the hole ⁊ perfyt courſe of Phiſick, and in his tyme coulde all the grekes vnderſtand greke and a great nombꝛe of Romanes alſo. Dyd Dioſcoꝛides and Galene gyue occaſiō foꝛ euery old wyfe to take in hād the pꝛactiſe of Phiſick? Dyd they gyue any iuſt occaſyon of murther? Were they hynderers of the ſtudy of liberall ſciences in greke, becauſe they wꝛote their woꝛkes of Phiſick in yͤ greke tong? If they gaue no occaſyon vnto euery old wyfe to pꝛactyſe phyſike, then gyue I none. If they gaue no occaſion of murther: then gyue I none. if they were no hynderers from the ſtudy of lyberall ſciences, then am I no hynderer wꝛyting vnto the Engliſh my countremen, an Englyſh herball. Allmyghty God, whoſe worde pꝛeachers, and defenders your grace hath pꝛomoted in the tyme of your Pꝛotectoꝛſhip, now defende yow, and my ladyes grace your moſt chaſte bedfellow, with all your graces chyldꝛen and ofſpꝛyng. Amen.
