The composition or making of the moste excellent and pretious oil called oleum magistrale First published by the commaundement of the King of Spain, vvith the maner hovv to apply it particulerly. The which oyl cureth these diseases folowi[n]g ... Also the third book of Galen of curing of pricks and wounds of sinowes. A method for curing of vvounds in the ioynts, and the maner how to place them. Abreef gathering togither of certain errours which the common chirurgians dayly vse ... Faithfully gathered and translated into English by George Baker chirurgian. 1574.

¶ TO THE RIGHT honourable Edward de Vere Earle of Oxford, Vicount Bul∣beck, Lord of Escales and Badles∣mere and Lord great Chamberlain of England, his singuler good Lord and maister, George Ba∣ker vvisheth helth, long life vvith much increace of vertue & honor.

IT IS NOT vnknowene to any (right honorable) which haue beene but meanly conuersant in good learning, how far the Gretiās did surmount all the nations of the world in renown of vertue, learning, politique gouernmēt and noble victoryes. For what nation dooth not reuerēce their sages? what people dooth not

imbrace their studyes? what Cittie dooth not desire their gouernment? what prouince was not subiect to their Em∣pire? yea was not Grecia the Theatre, Spectacle and light of the whole world? were there not in it many famouse Cit∣ties whose peple & inhabitāts for ciuilitie, whose lawes for policy, whose edifices for mag¦nificence might seem Ange∣licall, deuine, and celestiall? as Athens and Thebes. &c.

But none more famouse thē the Cittie of Sparta, whiche by the space of vij. c. yeeres ex∣celled all the Cities of Grecia when they moste florished, hoth

in renown of glory and equitie of lawes, & whē they were sub¦dued: this one cittie Sparta by defending them selues frō fo∣rain inuasion atchiued more ho¦nor then whole Graecia did e∣uer win by enlargīg their Em¦pire. For when Philip of Ma¦cedonia (in his cōquest of those Ilandish Cuntreyes and his sonne Alexāder after him at the winning of Thebes (were proclamed Emperours of Sea and land, the Spartanes con∣sented not therto nor would be come tributoryes.

What should be the cause that this one Citie should lesse fear the force of Alexander then

all other? how became it so in∣expugnable? was it so strongly fortified with walles and Bul∣warks and warlike munition? not at all. The courage of the Citizens was their onely wall of defence. Did the name of Hercules (whose progenie they were) defend them? nay rather the good counsail of Li¦curgus made them invincible? who among other things ex∣horted them to indeuer to excel the whole world in renown of vertue and glory of valiant∣nes as their proginitour Her¦cules did, whiche if they did not: it were but vain to vaunt of their petydegree.

Can it be said that the multi∣tude of Citizēs made thē strōg that when by continuall warre the number was greatly dimi∣nished and their force much we¦kened? Surely by concord they were preserued.

Such is the strength that the obseruatiō of good lawes doth bring to common welths, such frutes, kindely braunches (not degenerating from a vertuous stock) do yeeld, such commody∣ties proceed from vertue, and contrary effects from contrary causes as may appeer in those same Lacedemonians which af¦terwards by degeneratiō were brought to the like thraldome

that their neighbours were in, beeing at length more asha∣med, then proud of their pety degree, more fearful, thē glad of their long resistance. Such alteration folowed the chaūge of gouernment when no iot of Licurgus lawes, nor any other steps of their proginitors ver¦tues remained among them, but eche man neglected his othe gi¦uen to the common welth, eche man as he was able most to pre∣vail exercised tirany ouer his owne Citizens, eche mā accoū∣ted that libertie to doo what li¦ked him, to liue riotously and li∣centiously, eche man studied to enrich himself, to fortifye his

owne house and to fether his owne nest. But in the mene time the strēgth of the cōmon welth decayed and their forrain ene∣myes increaced, and at length they found by experience how pernitious a thing it is to abro¦gate good lawes, to chaunge the countenaunce of a wel go∣uerned state. To race out the memory of their noble proge∣nitors.

Which example (right Ho∣norable) I wish to be marked of all noble families and fa∣mouse Cities, that therin they may cōsider that by vertue they are preserued and by dege∣neration they fall.

Yet doo I not wright these thīgs to your honor by the way of exhortation: but rather as a testimony of that which is alre∣dy apparāt to all men, namely to your honors study carefully to ioyne the commendation of vertue with your nobilitie of blood and linage, whose desire it is (with noble Themisto∣cles) so to aduaunce the glory of your cuntrey (wherby your owne honor is the more excel∣lent) that no barbarous Siri∣phian may vpbraid your honor as though it depended onely of the nobilitie of your country and family, when as if oppor∣tunitie would serue your honor

I dout not would be found in no¦ble attempts and valeant acts nothing inferiour to Themi∣stocles.

In the meane time among in∣finit tokens: this is one espetial signe of your honours heroicall minde, that is in courage, acti¦uitie and Chiualry, you your self seek to expresse Achilles and other noble personages, so also your honor doth hartely im¦brace all suche as excel in any worthy vertue, whether it be to cōmend & adorne her with her semly coulours as Homer. &c or to attend like handmaids on her as Hipocrates or Galen with their needful art of Chi∣rurgiry,

neither dooth your ho∣nor suffer them to passe vnre∣warded, as may appeer by the moste parte of thē which your honor hath entertaīed into your seruice as I myself haue had experiēce since it pleased your honor to entertain me (though farre vnworthy) for my pro∣fessiō in the art of Chirurgiry since the which time I haue ac∣coūted bothe my self and all my labours whatsoeuer, to be due vnto your honor. So that if by continuall study I might hap∣pely inuēt, or by dayly practise in the art of Chirurgery finde out any mistery which other be∣fore me had not obtaīed. I was

fully purposed to cōsecrat and dedicate the same vnto your name, not that I am so foolish to think that by any my inuen∣tiōs & labours any thing shold be added to that huge hepe of your heroycal vertues, but part¦ly because (as I haue said) I might transfere them to any o¦ther, beeing owing vnto your honor, and partely because the renown of your honours name might obtaine grace for my boldnesse, and bring credit to my labours.

But in the meane time till I shall be able of myne owne knowledge to ad some thing to the perfectiō of the Art and

open some good rule to the re∣leef of my countreymen: I haue aduentured to interpret one small work of the fatherly both Phisition and Chirurgion Galen, which I iudged moste necessary for our time, hauing ioyned the same with other treatises, no lesse fruteful then profitable.

Which woork although it a∣greeth nether with the dignity of your noble name, nor parad∣uenture is answerable to your honours oppinion and expecta¦on of me, and (whiche I must needs confesse) is superfluous to your honour, who can bothe read and vnderstand the same

in the first tungs wherein the Authors haue written: yet be cause other may be releued ther¦by, I thought I might bothe easely obtain pardon, and also be bolde to vse your honours pa¦tronage in this behalf, see∣ing the same your honours cur∣tesye and clemencye is vsually extended to all men which doth not vse to esteem such gifts as this according to the value, but accepting willingly the good meaning of the person.

Thus beseeching your ho∣nour to take in good parte this testimony of my thankfull hart suche as it is. I beseech

also the Immortall God to vp∣holde the renown of your Ho∣nours name in the noble li∣nage of your noble Progeni∣tors.

Your Honours humble and obedient Seruant George Baker.