Pharmacologia anti-empirica, or, A rational discourse of remedies both chymical and Galenical wherein chymistry is impartially represented, the goodness of natural remedies vincidated, and the most celebrated preparation of art proved uncapable of curing diseases without a judicious and methodical administration : together with some remarks on the causes and cure of the gout, the universal use of the Cortex, or Jesuits powder, and the most notorious impostures of divers empiricks and mountebanks / by Walter Harris ...

To the most Noble, and most Illustrious Prince, Henry Duke of Beaufort, Marquess and Earl of Worcester, Baron Herbert, Lord of Ragland, Chepstow, and Gower, Lord Presi∣dent, and Lord Lieutenant of Wales, and the Marches, Lord Lieutenant of the Counties of Glocester, Hereford, and Monmouth, and of the City and County of Bristol, Lord Warden of His Majesties Forest of Deane, and Constable of the Castle of Saint Bria∣vels, Knight of the most Noble Or∣der of the Garter, and one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council.

May it please your Grace,

ALL Arts and Professions do Improve, and grow Useful to the World, according as they

receive Encouragement from the Favour of Great and Illustrious Personages. No Profession that can be thought of (excepting only that which takes care of our Souls) can possibly be so Useful to Hu∣mane Life, as this of Physick; and no Person whatsoever in these Realms (excepting the Royal Fa∣mily) can Honour or Encourage a Faculty so considerably, as your Grace may by vouchsafing it the Honour of your Countenance and Protection. Your Grace's Family is but one step below the Royal; for your Genealogy is rightly de∣rived in a Male Line, not only from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lan∣caster, fourth Son of King Edward the Third, but also from Geoffry Plantagenet, Earl of Anjou, by his Wife Maud the Empress, Daughter of Henry the First, King of En∣gland, Son of King William the Con∣queror.

From the foresaid Great Duke of Lancaster, the Famous BEAUFORTS, Dukes and Earls of Somerset, have descended, in Memory of which Noble Ance∣stors, next to the Consideration of your own Eminent Loyalty and Ser∣vices to the Crown, His Majesty has been pleased to create your Grace, DUKE OF BEAUFORT.* 1.1 And it is highly remarkable, in what a constant Series of Gran∣deur your Progenitors have all along flourished, under the Title of Kings, Dukes, Marquesses, and Earls, for above seaven hundred years; not one of them in all that time having descended to any lower Dignity.

Your Grace's Grand-father, Henry Marquess and Earl of Worcester, if well considered in all respects, and especially as to the Vastness of his Trea∣sure,

was the most Serviceable and Potent Subject who asserted the In∣terest of His Majesty of ever Blessed Memory, and who himself made a very signal opposition to the tor∣rent of the late unnatural Rebelli∣on, both by his own Person, and by incredible Supplies of Men and Money; insomuch that Ragland Ca∣stle, your Grace's Patrimony, was the very last Strong Hold that sub∣mitted to the Usurper's Yoke; and when it at last did, though there had not appeared the least pro∣spect of Relief, yet it yielded up∣on very Honourable Conditions, after a long Defence, maintained at his own sole Charge.

Your Grace's Father, Edward first Earl of Glamorgan, and afterwards Earl and Marquess of Worcester, not inferior in Loyalty to your Grand∣father, did by the help of his Fathers

Purse, raise several Armies, and ran imminent hazards in the same Service, and therefore both had the Honour to be Excepted Per∣sons in the Rebels Act of Oblivion, their Estates were sold by the U∣surpers, their Seats defaced, their Woods Cut down, and Ragland Ca∣stle, a Sumptuous and Large Man∣sion, as well as a Strong one, was absolutely Demolished, to your Grace's no little damage.

And your Grace treading in their steps of Loyalty (though not in Re∣ligion) was likewise your self in Arms for the late King, even un∣der fourteen years of Age, and was Prosecuted severely for it, and suffer∣ed an Imprisonment in the Tower, for your Early Endeavours towards the Restauration of our present So∣veraign, wherein you were after∣wards highly Instrumental, and sent

by the then House of Commons (of which you were a Member, and the first of their Commissioners) to invite his present Majesty to return to the Exercise of his Undoubted Right, which he has ever since maintained to the Unspeakable Ad∣vantage of all his Subjects, and the just Admiration of all Foreign Poten∣tates.

Neither is your Grace only Great in such Noble Ancestors, Great in so Loyal a Grandfather and Father, Great in a most Hopeful Issue, De∣servedly Great in his Majesties Fa∣vour, to the advantage of whose Royal Interest and Dignity you have so highly contributed by wise and Fortunate Counsels, and by a shin∣ing Example of Loyalty in a most Turbulent Juncture, but also Great in a most Affable Deportment, and obliging Condescension to all de∣grees

of your Inferiors; so that your Grace may be truly said to have gained at least as many Hearts for His Majesty's Service, and under His Majesty for your own, as any Noble-man whatsoever. Nor can I omit the mention of that most Regular Government of each part of your Numerous Family, wherein (by the Excellent Conduct of your Grace, and your most Virtuous Consort) may be seen the Grandeur of a Princes Court, without any manner of Vanity, and a various multiplicity of Af∣fairs carried on without any noise, and with the most exact Order and Decency. The Divine Service is there Solemnly and Daily performed, Sermons frequently Preached, and the Holy Sacrament according to the Church of England duely Admi∣nistred; which Pious Institution of your Family must needs bring down

many Blessings on your Grace, and may be an Excellent Pattern to the rest of the Nobility of En∣gland.

How Happy therefore is His Sacred Majesty (whom Heaven Pre∣serve and Prosper) in so Wise, Faithful, and Pious a Counsellor! and how Happy is your Grace in serving a Prince, who Knows how to value justly the Merits of a Subject never so Great, His Ma∣jesty being not only in years Supe∣rior to all the Kings and Princes in Europe, but indisputably in Wis∣dom and Capacity. Insomuch that I have often heard very Judicious persons maintain, that if His Ma∣jesty had not been Born King of these Realms, he would certainly of right have claimed, and justly carried the Election before all others, who might for any kind of

Merit, have presumed to appear Competitors. Nor is His Sacred Majesty only Supream in the Gifts and Accomplishments of Nature, in his Stupendious Prudence in the Arts of Governing, but he is pleased in his Universal Goodness, particular∣ly to Encourage the Profession of Physick; and it is well known, and to the Honour of Physick be it spo∣ken, that His Majesty can better judge between a Physician of Words, and a Physician of Sense, between what is Physick in reality, and what only bears the Name of it, than perhaps any man of the Faculty.

The Design of this Treatise, is in some measure to vindicate the Reputation of this Art, against the Shameless Pretences or Pra∣ctices of Illiterate Empiricks, and to obviate some Errors of no small consequence, which have

been apt to prevail too much of late. Wherefore I presume to hope, that your Grace may please in this as well as other things to tread in the steps of His Sacred Majesty, and to be another Patron to a Noble, and most Useful Pro∣fession. I could name Kings and Princes heretofore, who have not disdained to become Professors, and write Books of Physick. And at this day the Physicians of the Colledge at Milan are established, Sacri Palatii,* 1.2 & Aulae Lateranensis Comites, Aurataeque Militiae Equites, and do wear Chains of Gold, by the Grant and Patent of Clement the Eighth. And possibly it would be never the worse for the Pu∣blick, if there were some appa∣rent Discrimination between the Le∣gal Professors of Physick, who spare no Pains or Cost to qualifie them∣selves for an Honest Discharge of

a most Serious Employment; and who (I can speak it certainly of many, to my own Knowledge) are always ready to do as much Good in their way, as is required of Good Christians; between those Worthy and Learned men, and the Ignorant Tribe of Impudent Empiricks, who are as ready to do all man∣ner of mischief. Nor could I wish any such Discrimination other∣wise, than as it might best con∣duce to the Real Service, and Be∣nefit of the Generality. Your Grace will Pardon so Unworthy an Advocate in pleading so Good a Cause. Men that are placed in a Sphere below, cannot choose but look up sometimes, and make Applications to Greatness: from which Inclination it is, that I presume upon this Address to your Grace, it being not only my Greatest Honour, but my Greatest

Ambition also to avow, and to Style my self,

My most Noble Lord,

Your Grace's Most Humble, most Devoted, and most Obedient Servant, Walter Harris.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Beaufort is a Ca∣stle in Anjou.
• * 1.2

  Jo. Bap∣tist. Syl∣vatic.