Van Helmont's works containing his most excellent philosophy, physick, chirurgery, anatomy : wherein the philosophy of the schools is examined, their errors refuted, and the whole body of physick reformed and rectified : being a new rise and progresse of philosophy and medicine, for the cure of diseases, and lengthening of life / made English by J.C. ...

A Poetical Soliloquie of the Translatour, Harmonizing and Sympathizing with the Author's Genius.

WHen first my Friend did ask me to translate, Van Helmonts Works wrapt up in hidden state, Of Roman dialect; that 'twas a Book Of Med'cine and Phylosophy, I took It in good part enough, and did not doubt But to perform what I should set about, By Gods asistance; for I willing stood Much pains to take about a publick good. I forth with entred on it and did see, More than my friend, thereof, could tel to me: For why, since something was begot within My inward parts which loved truth, but sin And selfish errour hated, I began To feel and love the spirit of the man, Whom I perceived like a gratious Son, To build his knowledg on the Corner Stone; And out of self to sink in humble wise, As his Confession in me testifies. The light of understanding was his guide, From heath'nish Books and Authors he did slide, And cast them of, that so he might be free, Singly to stand, O Lord, and wait on thee, And in the pray'r of silence on thee call; Because he knew thee to be All in All. And thou didst teach him that which will conduce To th' profit of his Neighbour, be of use, Both unto soul and body, as inclin'd To read with lowly and impartial mind: But as for lofty and and self-seeking ones, Thou scatter wilt their wisdom, wealth, and bones: Because thou art not honour'd in a lye Whether of Nature or Divinity: But in the truth of knowledge of thy Life, And of thy wondrous works which men of strife, And alienated, can no whit attain, Till from the fall they do return again. Helmont, that thou returned'st I believe, Thy testimony of it thou dost give, When by the light thou saist (entring thy dore) Thou changed wast from what thou wert before: And cause thou suffredst by a wicked sort For being good, and once wast poyson'd for't: That 'twas unjustly, I am doubting past, 'Cause th' Enemies conscience prickt him at the last. And truely'n many places of thy Ream Words slow forth from thee like a silver stream; And so, that I at sundry times have found, Sweet op'nings from the un'ty in the ground. But did thy life in words alone consist, Or art thou to be enrowl'd among the list Of Stoical Notionists, which only spend Their time in contemplation, and so end Their days; or were good actions wrought by thee, Which (as the fruits discover do the tree) Did shew that healing virtue forth did start From thy fire-furnace, as love from thy hart. If not, how is it that thou dost us tel Thou ceased'st not Annually to heal Some Myriades or ten thousands, yed Thy medicines were not diminished:

Or that thou wert so tender of the poor, (What if I say that bagd from door to door That thou retiredly didst live at home, And cure them out of Charity, not ro•••• And gape for gain for visits as do most Physitians who unto rich houses post; Floating about even as in a floud, Of poysoned purged filths and venal blood; And so the peoples wealth, health, life do soa••, Through the s••ay vi••ard of a Doctors cloak: But Helmonts hand-pen asit plain appears: Their false-paint coverings a funder tears: In room whereof, such Practic••, Theory, It doth insert, that they as standers by, (Like Bibels Merchants) will ven, we••p and wa•••• When they shall see their trade begin to fail, And upright Artists held up by the ••an Of him who owns the good Samaritan. Yet such School-Doctors shall not thus relent, Whom Grace and goodnesse shall move to repent. This is not utter'd out of spleen but pity, Unto the sick in Country and in City: No just cause given by these words to hate; But to be owned by the Magistrate. And I my self in former silly times, Through School-tradition, and Galenick lines, Have wrong'd my body, weaken'd my nature, Clipping my vitals in their strength and Stature? And though, through Grace, to soul and body to, T'was turned to good, yet that's no thank to you. Help Chymists help to pul their Babel down, Builtby the pride of Academicks Gown; Let Theophrastus Azoth, Helmonts Lore, Erect an Engine such as ne're before. Hark Chymists, hark, attend Baptista's law, He speaks to h's Sons, as th' Lyon by the Paw; And why as th'eye is opened to look, May y' not discern Hercules by his foot? Be it sufficient that he gives a tast, Least pretious peat is he unto swine should east. Be't no dishonour to the Ghymick School, That some mistakes thereof he doth contro••••: Rather a praise unto the Masters eye, Houshold disorders for to rectifie. Strike Chymists strike, strike fire out of your 〈◊〉〈◊〉, And force the fire unto the highest stint Of a Reverb'ratory, such a heat, As Galen back out of the field may beat; And fetch th' Archeal Crasis Seminum, To keep the field gainst a Rololleum. Srrive not not by reason if you'd win the day, P••ice your Athanar, as he, another way: Aime not at lucre in what ye undertake, Your motive love, the spirit your guider make: That day to day in you the Word may preach, And night to night unto you knowledge teach: That so Elias th' Artist, if he come, Ye as prepar'd, may bid him welcome home. And all well-wishers unto Science, true, Unto whose hands't shall come this Book to view: See that your hearts are simple to the pure, No filthinesse true wisdom can endure: The milky way must be the paper here, And th'Inke Nectar from th' Olympick sphere:

And then 't may open unto you a path, For finding that which long been hiden hath: For there's a way by Simples for to cure, Unto Simplicity the nearest sure; If not Antiquity, at Scriptures note; Solomon for 'n example may be brought. The Author opes a gate in that Divine Chapter, that treats ••'th power of medicine. And not a little of Moses C••••••lism He hinteth at that in of Magnetism: So truly doth the Saviour report, That to the carkas•• Eagles do resort. In former time, thy younger learning years, Thou as a tender heart, yet void of fears; People that had the plagues infection, Didst visit, and by them wert spew'd upon: Some breathing forth their life within thy arms, Unto thy grief, because thou then their harms Wert not so able to repair, untill Thou hadst attain'd a great Adeptist skill: For thou by Revelation dost show, What Co-us us'd two thousand years ago. All which supposed, I can freely wink, At some mistakes whereby thine eye did blink, As to Religion, because thou wert Honest, upright, sincere, and sound in heart: For if the folly of them thou hadst seen, As other things de••y'd by thee, they'd been. And if in Nature thou art ought mistaken, Thy many truths are not to be forsaken; For why ye Schools, ye cannot, neither dare ye Deny, but that humanum est errare, Until the minds perfection in the Light, Which he believ'd, yet would not claim it quite: And so his candour is to be commended, In not assuming what God had not ended. Yet know that where one truth is you among, In Helmonts breast there lodged ten for one; And that not taken up by hear-say trust, As ye are wont, but stamped by the Iust: For Reason Dialectical, he saith, Must vail the Bonnet unto light in faith; Sith Reason savours of an earthly soil, Dies with the sense, our Parents did beguil: And therefore Logick may no longer center Within mens minds as Sciences Inventer. And Nat'ralists must needs go to the wall, As those of Ath••••s in the daies of Paul; Since that four El'ments, Humors, and Complexions, Are proved plain to be but childish fictions: Which Ethnicans by phansie blind misled, Have rashly plac'd in seeds and ferments sted. This is some liquor pour'd out of his bottle, A deadly draught for those of Aristotle. Astrol'gers also will be soon undon, Since Herm's and Venus circle with the Sun: And since the Planets common Ordination, Was to stir up a Blas for seasons station: And since the Heavens can no forms bestow, To th' Prince of life all creatures do them owe. Ye Theologians, look what will befal ye, Since man is not defin'd by [Rationale] But by a Spirit and Intellectual light: Now every one may see by his own sight;

And living waters out's own Cistern drink, Need not ••ew Cisterns that do leak and chink: Nor tug with pains to dig for earthly Wells, The Spring's within him as Christ in him dwells: Nor run to Temples that are made with hands, Himself's the Temple, if he contrite stands. And cause a New-birth is requir'd of all, Since brutal coupling entred by the fall; And so your follow'rs can't be reputed Christians by birth, nay, but must be transmuted. And since the mind of man may be comp••eated In this lifes time, as sin and self's defeated. Since Char'ty not to dwell, by many's known, In those that with the letter up are blown: For as from mud or dung ascends a stink, So Pride from Leathing sents up like a sink. He did refuse to be a Canon great, Least (as saith * 1.1 B.) he peoples sins should eat. What will protracting crafty Lawyers doe, Since Christ against them hath denounc'd a woe He would not b•• a Professor of the Law, Enough for man to keep's own self in awe: And what will come of Atheists, since 'tis true, That there's a Power Eternal (who in ••••e Of fallen Angels) did mans Soul ereate (In mortal body an immortal state,) To live in h's hand in weal or woe, as they His call of Grace shall or shall not obey. What of curst Hypocrites who in deceit, Take up Profession for a Cloak and Cheat; Better for Sodom and Gomorrah than For such, when Christ doth come the world to fan. But stop my Genius, run not out too far, Although thy shackles much unloosed are, And vitals subtil, while thou tell'st the story, Of what concerns mans good and God his glory; Least Prince of th' Air like Poets Pegasus, Prevail to make thy wit ridiculous, By mounting thee too high upon his wing Of fleshly pride, and Aeolus thee fling Down from the quiet Region of his skie, In the Icarian waters for to die, Or whirl thee higher in his stormy hail, And sting thy conscience with the Dragons tail: For if an inch be given (so they tell) It is not safe for one to take an ell. Wherefore retreat in time of thy accord, Least thou incur the anger of the Lord: And throw thy self along down at his feet, After the Author thou shalt once more greet. I b'lieve thou wert a Medel-master made, By the Creator of the Root and Blade Of healing virt's, the Father of lights (I sing) Whence every good gift doth descend and spring. Thou livedst well, and in the Belgick Nation, Wert a tall Cedar in thy Generation: A good memorial thou hast left behind, Of what in daies now coming, men shall find Writ in Christ's Bosom, and in Natures spread, As they are worthy in those books to read. Thou diedst in peace in Anno forty four, I doubt not but thou liv'st for evermore. My friend is also gone, yet I survive, Lord grant that to thine honour I may live:

And as my life thou gay••st me for a prey, When in a gloomy and despairing day, I thought I should have died without the fight Of thy Love-tokens, and thy face so bright; So I intre••r upon my prostrare knee, That I thy way and Cross may never flee: Than turn a new unto Apostasie. Or thee dishonour, ra••ker let me die. Than to depart again out of thy fear, Better wild horses me in pieces tear: If the remembrance dwell not in me rife, Of thy great goodness, pity of my life. But as large mercy is to me extended; So what is faulty may be fully mended; That perfect righteousness may cloath my back; And I to sound thy praises will not slack, In life, or death, or suffering by the world, Who in transgression up and down are hurl'd; And Tophe••s pit shall surely help to fill, If they in time repent not of their ill. But as he did for's en'mies pardon cry. So do all Chrictian hearts, and so do I. O holy, holy, holy, holy, God! Whose Name's exalted in th' Ascendant Jod; My self doth tremble, and my flesh doth quake, While I the King of Saints my Subject make: I dread thee Lord, I dread thy Sov'raign fame; I love thee so, I can't express the same; My Spirit's on site, and my heart doth flame, With a desire to sanctifie thy Name: My Soul is melted, and my heart is broke, In feeling of the force of thy Love-stroke. Father I thank thee that thou didst enable Me to convey the dish from Helmont•• Table: And if some crums or drops have fell beside, 'Twas what a careful servant might be tide: It being weighty, full of divers fare, If none should over-fall or flow 'twere rare. A Corydon I h'd rather some me deem, Than t' use dark-phrases that would not be-seem Rather a Tautologian be dained, Than to the meanest, leave words unexplained: Rather a home-spun Patcher wanting Art, Than th' Authors meaning willingly pervert: And if his tongue could speak out of the dust, Hee'd justifie this Translate all almost: For though his learned Art I don't comprize, Yet in the Root our Spirits harmonize.

The Dish lest somewhat of its crums and drops, As it was carried through the Printing Shops; Yet what the Press hath nipt off by the way, It here returns again by this survey.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bernard.