The noble experyence of the vertuous handy warke of surgeri, practysyd [and] compyled by the moost experte mayster Iherome of Bruynswyke, borne in Straesborowe in Almayne ... Item there after he hath authorysed and done it to vnderstande thrugh the trewe sentences of the olde doctours and maysters very experte in the scyence of surgery, as Galienus, Ipocras, Auicenna, Gwydo, Haly abbas, Lancfrancus of mylen, Iamericus, Rogerius, Albucasis, Place[n]tinus, Brunus, Gwilhelmus de saliceto, [and] by many other maysters whose names be wryten in this same boke. ... Item yf ye fynde ony names of herbes or of other thynges wherof ye haue no knowlege, yt shall ye knowe playnly by the potecarys. Item here shall you fynde also for to make salues, plasters, powders, oyles, and drynkes for woundes. Item who so desyreth of this science ye playne knowlege let hym oftentymes rede this boke, and than he shall gette perfyte vnderstandynge of the noble surgery

¶ The Prologe of the noble hand worke of Surgery.

TO y^e laude of our sauy∣our Chryst Ihesu. & the honoure of his blessyd moder our lady saint ma¦ry. and all the holy cōpa ny of heuyn. & for the hel¦pe of mankynde / this bo¦ke is translated out of duche in to englis••he And for y^e loue & comforte of all them that entende to studye the noble arte of Chyrur gia / y^e whiche is called the handyworke of Surgery / very vtyle and profytable to al that entende to occupye this noble sciens y^e herein is openly exprest and shewyd / how it shalbe practysed & vsyd / For many one is therin very ignoran̄t y^t wyll medle ther with / whyche neuer laboured nor neuer sa poynt of y^e begynnynge or endynge therof / wherefore it is often tymes senc and dayly chaunceth in small townes / borowghs / & vyllages / that lyefarre from ony good cyte or great towne y^e dyuerie people hurt or dyseased for lacke of cōnynge men / be ta¦ken in hande of them y^t be barbers or yōge maisters to whome this sciens was neuer dysclosed / not thynkynge on the wordes of the olde lernydmen that say / It is not wel possible to man that he sholde brynge well to a good ende y^t thynge whiche he neuer or hath but lytell sene. ¶ Thus ye yonge studyntys / maysters / & ieruaūtes of bar∣bers and surgyens that entende this noble arte & cōnynge / beholde / ouerse / and rede with diligēce this lytell boke that I Ihe∣ronims Bruynswyke borne in Straesbo∣rowgh / out of the lyne of Salerne / hathe with great labour cōpyled / set / & gadered togyder to your behoof & great profyt this lytell volume / thynkynge on many noble auctours in dyuers bokys / whiche playu∣ly doth specesy / Iursyd be those that god hath with cōnynge endewed to the helth / socour / & helpe of mankynde / & wyll nat occupye it. But vlessyd be they that amon∣ge his euyn crysten wyll lyberally sheme and mynistre suche gyftes of grace as god hathe endewyd hym with for the preserua cyon of man. Wherfore my frendys thynke y^t ye may now for a lytell money haue gret lernynge & cōnynge to your honour & pro∣fyte / the whiche herafter ye myght fortune nat to gett for ten tymes so moche golde as it sholde coste you now.

Oye yonge brgynnynge surgyens vn∣close yourerys w all your dyligence and marke well the wordes of the greate maysters whiche cōmaunde you whan ye be called or desyred to any pacyent or disea¦sed parsone / that yf the dyseas fall to your cōnynge to ponderous / & that ye be nat ful¦ly parfyte / than be nat ashame but quicly gete another dyscrete surgyen or ••mayn∣desyrynge them that they wyll helpe &•• sell you in y^t besynes at your nede ▪ sor yo•• honesty lyath in that cure / & also the great cōforte of your paeyēt so dy••eased. ¶ Ey••st ye lerne by chaunce / that thynge that ye seldon or neuer haue sene before. ¶ Serō∣darily / yf ought in your handes happen to mysfortune ▪ that y^e other may quycly than amende it. ¶ Thyrdly / that the wounded parson haue y^e lesse grudge or mystrust in you. ¶ Fourthly / Whā the cure hath good spede / thā be ye parttaker of al the honour therof / & if y^t mysfortune fall bytwene your handys / than be they boūde euery man to bere the charge of your hynder and losses / whiche were to moche for you alone.

¶ Fyftly / for this wyse dede ye be praysed of all them that be discrete or lerned men y^t speke of you / whiche say / he desyreth to ler¦ne / and wyll nat that any man sholde be by hym neglygently spylt or peryshed. and

thus mayye come to yone poncpose with honesty and pleasure / whiche ellys myght tourne to yourgrete shame & dysplesure.

¶ Also ye maye consydere that two maye better amende a fawte thā one / for no only workeman can wel parceyue the fawtys of his owne worke alone tyll he hath very longe wrought vpō it / or ellys nere hande fynyshte hit / and than is it somtyme euyll & ipostyble to be mendyd / but pryncypally in many operacyons belongyng to surge∣ry / Therfore whan ye go two or more ab∣out the pacyent / take hede that ye make no dyscorde▪ In lyke wyse whan any of you be present alone with your pacyent / blame ••at the other that is absente / nor dyffame hym nat But what ye haue to saye withe eche other let that be secrete within your selfe for grewynge of your pacyente / for it myght tourne hym to greate payne & hyn∣draunce in his dyseas through your dyscō∣forte. The one shall folow the others coun∣sell and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall ••••de nothynge from eche other that ye shall thynke profytable & be∣ho•…•… for your pacyent or seke body / for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tourne you to shame / and hym to greate payne. Also ye ought nat only to be ••••pert in surgery but also in astronomy or phylosophy / wher••ore ye shall dyligent¦ly studye & often rede suche thynges as for you in this mater or scyens shal be vtylle & profytable wherby ye shall haue parfytte vnderstondynge & knowlege of your noble scyence that ye do enterpryse / ye shall for no golde nor syluer take in hande y^e thynge that ye thynke is incurable / or nat lykely to be cured / for sauyge of your goodname Also ye shall nat prayse yourselfe / nor bla¦me none other. Item ye shall also counfor¦te your pacyent how so euer it be with hym but to his good frendys ye shall shewe the trouthe & gyue them parsyte knowlege of his dyseas. ¶ Also ye shold knowe & vnder stonde parfytly your Anathomia / whiche is the gaderynge and also y^e dysmēbrynge of the lymmes of y^e body / becauseye sholde preserue man for the iopardy of dethe / yf it nede requyred that ye sholde cut hym in any place wout doynge to hym any scathe and to yourselffe an euerlastynge / shame / and grete dyshonesty.