A comfortable regiment, and a very wholsome order against the moste perilous pleurisi whereof many doe daily die within this citee of London, and other places: and what the cause is of the same, doen by William Bulleyn, December. 8. Anno salutis 1562.

¶ To the right worshipfull Sir Rob ••rt ••ingf••lde of Lc hryngham knight.

WHEN BY THE argumentes of moste true pe∣tigrees, & old antiquitees: it is to bee (well) proued, that you are not the fruict that is sone ripe and sone rotten, or came in yesterdaie and gone tomorowe. But moste aun∣ciently haue come from the elder Bri∣taines, a people wo••thie of memorie, and at that tyme d••elled in your Ca∣stle in Wailes. Florishyng in knight∣lie est••te, and st••••ll haue proceaded in the same, beeyng linked with many

houses of great honor, fauored of kin∣ges, without male fortune, or turnyng the globe backward, as it is sometyme spightfull alas, againste greate Prin∣ces them selues These thynges consi∣dered, it is a good argumente of Gods blessyng to the third and fowerth ge∣neracion, of them that feare hym: and long life doe happen to thē that honor their parētes. And that is the cause of your long braunches deepe rootes and hard foundacion, not vpō the slipping sandes: but vpō the rocke of honor, in∣uincible to be cast doune, as lōg as you doe vnfainedly loue God, and foresee thende. These your vertues are more to be commended, then the aire or pla cyng of your mansion is to be praised,

nere vnto waters, moist medowes, & mistie rottē fennes: also the said māsiō standeth, verie lowe, inuironed with a depe water, and your woodes, hilles, & swete fieldes but a little to far of. And albeit, that many of our worthie aūcestors, did rū to the vttermost step of nature, yet diuers of thē were trap∣ped, and ouerthrowen in their rase by death, in their tēder, or lustie yeres, a•• appereth by their Epitaphes, fixed v∣pon their solitarie tombes and graues liyng in your churche of Lethringhā (and although as the prouerbe saith: that the yong Lambes skin doe come to the market, as sone as thold shepes. Yet the old shepe, when he can liue no lenger for age: the Lambes and lustie

young shepe doe perishe, through rot∣ten aire, and pestilent pasture, in cor∣rupted soile). Euen so vncleane aire, as a cause primitiue, dooe bryng the cause Antecedente. To corrupcion of humours, stoppyng the naturall ver∣tues, infecting the blood, bredyng son∣drie Apostumacions, sores, and sicke∣nesses in the bodie, and finally cometh the cause Coniunct, and finisheth the malice and extreme vengeaunce aga∣inste nature: and killeth the bodie, ex∣cept God by miracle, medicen by ver∣tue, nature by strength doe preuaile. This euill considered, I am so bold t•• dedicate vnto your Maistership, this small Regiment, against the Pleurisi whiche haue slaine many hundredes:

shortlie, the causes, signes, and cures: that it maie please you to reade theim for in the tyme of occasion, thei shall not be hurtfull. But comfortable to as many as will consider them well: and to this Booke I shall GOD willyng, shortlie adde. xxx. sicknesses more, their causes, signes, & cures, with diat accordynglie to them. Thus wishyng your increase of healthe, worship and longe life: and to my good Ladie, and your children the same. From London.

Your maister∣shippes euer. VVillyam Bulleyn.

Anno salutis. 1562.

Notes

• ••••. viii.