To the myghty and Chꝛiſtiane
Pꝛince, Edward Duke of Summerſet, Erle of Herfoꝛd, Loꝛde
Beachampe, and Uncle vnto the Kynges Maieſty, Wyllyam Tur⹀
ner his ſeruaunt, wyſheth increaſe in the knowledge of God⹀
des holy woꝛde, and grace to lyue therafter.
lthough (moſt myghty and Chꝛiſtiane Pꝛince) there be many noble and excellent artes ⁊ ſciences, which no man douteth, but that almyghty God the autor of all goodness hath gyuē vnto vs by the handes of the Hethen, as neceſſary vnto the vſe of Mankynd: yet is there none among them all, whych is ſo openly cōmended by the verdit of any holy wꝛiter in the Bible, as is yͤ knowledge of plantes, herbes, and trees, and of Phiſick. I do not remembꝛe, that I haue red anye expꝛeſſed commendation of Grammer, Logick, Philoſophie, naturall oꝛ moꝛall, Aſtronomie, Arithmetyke, Geometry, Coſmographie, Muſyke, Perſpectiue, oꝛ any other ſuch lyke ſcience. But I rede amonge the commendatyons and pꝛayſes of kyng Salomon, that he was ſene in herbes ſhꝛubbes and trees, and ſo perfectly that he diſputed wyſely of them from the hygheſt to the loweſt, that is from the Cedꝛe tre in mount Liban vnto the Hyſop that groweth furth of the wall. If the knowledge of Herbes, ſhrubbes, and trees, which is not the leſt neceſſary thynge vnto the knowlege of Phiſicke were not greatly commendable, it ſhulde neuer haue bene ſet among Salomons commendacyons, and amongeſt the syngular giftes of God. Therefoꝛ wher as Salomon was commended foꝛ the knowledge of Herbes, the ſame knowledge of herbes was expꝛeſſedly ynough cōmended there alſo. I rede alſo in the boke called Eccleſiaſticus, this commendacyon, and alowyng of Phyſicions and Phiſick in this playn and expreſſed woꝛdes. Honoꝛ the Phiſicion foꝛ nedes ſake, foꝛ the Loꝛde dyd oꝛdayn hym. Foꝛ Phiſick commeth from the hygheſt, and ſhall receyue rewarde of the kyng, The knowledge of the Phiſiciō ſetteth vp hys heade, and maketh yͤ noble to wondꝛe. The higheſt made medicines out of the earthe, neither wyll a wyſe man refuſe them oꝛ foꝛbeare them. Taketh not water ſwetnes of a tree, that the power of it may be knowen vnto men? He indued man with knowledge, that he might get prayſe of hys wonders. He heleth by theſe, and taketh away the payne or man. The Potecary tempereth hys mictures together, but his woꝛkes bꝛinge nothinge to perfeccyon, but from the loꝛde commeth furth helth into all the bꝛoade woꝛlde. My ſonne in thy ſyckenes fayle not, but pꝛay vnto God: foꝛ he ſhall heale yͤ: leue of ſynne, ſhewe ſtraight handes, and clenge thy harte from all ſynne. And then afterwarde gyue place vnto the Phiſicion, as to him: whom god hath oꝛdened. This open pꝛayſe and commendacyon is gyuen by holy wꝛiters vnto Phiſick, and the knowledge of herbes, which I fynde not to be gyuen vnto anye other ſcyence. But if that Phyſick had gotten no ſuche pꝛayſe of holy wꝛiters, yet foꝛ all that were Phyſicke moꝛe woꝛthy ⁊ moꝛeA.ii.to be
