Dr. Willis's practice of physick being the whole works of that renowned and famous physician wherein most of the diseases belonging to the body of man are treated of, with excellent methods and receipts for the cure of the same : fitted to the meanest capacity by an index for the explaining of all the hard and unusual words and terms of art derived from the Greek, Latine, or other languages for the benefit of the English reader : with forty copper plates.

POSTSCRIPT.

WHile these were Printing, the most sad message arrives, that the Author, most worthy of Immortality, oppressed by the irresistible assault of a Pleurisie, is departed from among the Living; neither did the Arts profit their Master, which did all others. The Reader will pardon us, if we for a little space celebrate the Funeral of so Sacred a Memory, nor esteem it superfluous to hear in a few words, what manner of person he was who wrote such things: yea he will rejoyce to understand that he was equally Good as Learned, that he also exercised himself in the Practice of Piety, who was most conversant in that in Physick.

The matter requires a just Commentary, but we shall briefly propound what at first came into our sudden thought, while our mind was surprized with so unexpected an Accident.

Extracted from an honest Family, he had a Father educated in ingenuous Studies, who after he had gone Master of Arts in the University of Ox∣ford, being taken with the retiredness of the Countrey, repaired to a Pos∣session he had near the same City, and solely attended his Domestick Affairs, and maintenance of his Family: being enough deserving of the World, who begat such a Son. But He, the Civil War raging, being snatcht away by the Contagion of a Camp-Feaver, left his Son an Orphan, near about twenty years of age, placing the first Rudiments of his Studies in Christ-Church; who being called to take on him the care of an Inheritance, for some time re∣mained in the Countrey, but harrased by the Incursions of the Rebels, who were possessed of a Garrison strong enough Five miles from thence, and every where Plundering, he betook himself again to Oxford, being the Tents of the King as well as the Muses; where listing himself a Souldier in the University Legions, he received Pay for some years; until the Cause of the Best Prince being overcome, Cromwell's Tyranny afforded to this wretched Nation a Peace more cruel than any War. From thence, the Church being trampled on, and Divinity together with Divines suppressed, he ap∣plyed himself to the study of Physick, in which, in a short time he made emi∣nent progress. In the mean time being nevertheless addicted to the study of Piety, (whereof it was a considerable demonstration, that when the Litur∣gy of the Church of England was thrust out of the Church, and none could be present scot-free at those holy Offices after the ancient manner) he enter∣tained Religion then a Fugitive; and allotting part of his House for Holy uses, brought it so to pass, that Assemblies, and Publick Prayers, and other Offices of Piety were constantly performed according to the Rites of the Church of England. In the mean time he writ and published those most excellent Tracts by which he first became known to the World, viz. Of Fer∣mentation, of Feavers, and of Urines.

At length the King restored, and access opened to University Degrees and publick Employs, he proceeded Doctor, and was publickly declared Professor of Natural Philosophy, which Profession he did adorn with the highest praise; Moreover, his Anatomy of the Brain, and his Treatise of the Scurvy, and of Convulsions, were published.

But about the year 1667. being called to London to practise Phy∣sick, it is incredible to relate, how soon, and with how great Commendations he grew famous, especially being so composed by Nature and Custom, that he could not recommend himself by words composed to deceive, or the cunning Arts of Mountebanks. But though he spent whole days and nights in care of the Sick, he was yet at leisure to adorn his Art by composing Books, from whence among a thousand Interruptions he published these Treatises, of the Accension of the Blood, and of Muscular Motion, of the Soul of Brutes, of the Diseases of the Brain, and the first part of his Phar∣maceutice Rationalis, and at length the other which we now present. All which, with the Author's Animadversions, and writings unpublished, be∣ing collected into one Volume, and committed to the care of the most faithful Apothecary Mr. J. Hemming, we hope some time to print here.

Moreover, the same care for Divine Worship was still impressed on this most Pious Soul; and since he could not be present, by reason of Employ, at the Canonical Hours at the Publick Devotion in the Parish Church where be dwelt, he procured the Sacred Offices of the Church to be there celebrated early in the Morning and late in the Evening, and for the most part was con∣stant at them, whatever Business was repugnant. And seeing this Instituti∣on profitable to many in the Neighbourhood, who were likewise all day de∣tained about Commerce and Trades, he endowed a Priest with a fit Salary at his Death, to discharge that Function for ever.

But small was this proof of his excellent Pious temper. Although no Person more frugal and attentive to his employ, yet none more munificent, de∣nying all things to himself, yet denying nothing to the Poor and helpless-Besides what bestowed with his own hands, he provided Almsgivers and Dispensers of his Charity every where in the City, Countrey, and in the Uni∣versity. I speak what I know by frequent experiment; one might easier have received from him, for a fit object of Charity, an hundred Crowns, than have extorted as many farthings from most others. And though any one might justly impute the large Revenues he acquired, to his indefatigable Diligence and conctant Frugality, yet I believe it rather to proceed from his bountiful Largesses. and the Divine benediction thereon. From the beginning of his Youth to the last period of his life, he was Master of no summ of Money which he accounted his own, until he had consecrated some considerable Portion of it to God and the Poor: and when a few days before his last, which I must ever lament, we conferr'd together, (as if he had foreknown his approaching Death, and being more solicitous about the Poor than his own Off-spring,) he diligently advised about stating these Accompts.

I omit here to decipher, how undisturbed he was in Adversity, and how temperate in Prosperity; how modest in the highest Fame for his Learn∣ing; when unworthily provok'd, how prone to forgive Injuries; how faithful to his Prince to his death; how obedient to the oppressed Church; how candid and ingenuous in the Profession of his Art; how indefatigable his Studies, how sparing in his Speech, and how much a Christian in the whole state of his Life. To finish all which according to his deserts, is not the work of one hour or Paragraph. In short, he was constantly exer∣cised in Prayers, Studies, Labours, Almes, and Watchings; at length being near Fifty seven years of Age, in the begiming of November he seemed troubled with a Cough (now the Epidemical Disease of the time) which (while it was thought light and inconsiderable) suddenly passed into a Pleurisie and Peripneumonia. And when this most expert Person was not relieved by frequent Bleeding and diligent taking of Remedies, himself perceived the Period of his Life to approach, (his Friends hoping better;) and after three days his Houshold affairs being settled, and having ta∣ken the Viaticum of the Holy Eucharist, and being received into the Peace of the Church, he commended his pious Soul to God, having his senses entire to the last breath, and finisht his most exemplary Life with the like Death.