Verse Prolog and Epilog to a Book on Medicine.
Verses written as a Preface to an English Treatise on Medicine. (From Dr. J. F. Payne's vellum MS. of the first half of the 15th century.) [(S. is Sloane 1314; Sl. is Sloane 2584, of the same type as P.]
The man þat wol of lechecraft lere,
Red ovyr this book, and he may here
Many medycinis both [Many a medicyn S. Sl.] good and trewe [trewe S. Sl., newe P.]
To helë [To alle S., To leche Sl.] sores both oolde and newe,
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[S. and Sl. leave out lines 5-10.] And preciouse medycinis, þorw goddis grace,
To save men lyves in diverse place.
Cryst, þat made bothe Est and West,
Geve grace her sowlës have god rest,
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Evere more in hevene for to be,
In hevene wyt þe Trinite.
Her-inne be medycinis, wythout-yn fable,
To hele alle sores þat ben curáble,
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Of swerd, of knyf, and of arwe,—
Be þe wounde wyde or narwe,—
Of sper, of quarel, of dagger, of [of dagger of PS., or . . . or Sl.] dart,
To make him hool in ylkë [in ilka S., on eche Sl.] part,
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So [ȝyf S., So þat Sl.] þe seek wol do wysely,
And kepe him-self fro surfety. [from queysy S., fro serfetrie Sl.]
Be þe wounde nevere so deep,
Þer-of dar [thar S., þar hem (om. no kepe) Sl.] him take no kep,
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