The marrow of physicke, or, A learned discourse of the severall parts of mans body being a medicamentary, teaching the manner and way of making and compounding all such oyles, unguents ... &c. as shall be usefull and necessary in any private house ... : and also an addition of divers experimented medicines which may serve against any disease that shall happen to the body : together with some rare receipts for beauties ... / collected and experimented by the industry of T.B.

THE Preface to the Reader.

Gentle Reader,

THE chiefest thing that induced me to publish these collecti∣ons, was (besides the earnest intreaty of divers intimate friends) a principall aime at my countries good: and these I have the rather adventured to divulge, be∣cause there are contained many receits by me daily practised (and therefore need no Proba∣tum to be annexed) with divers varieties not published by any heretofore, which I hope will be to the great benefit, of all such as shall have occasion to practise any thing heerin con∣tained; where I strive not to set forth an elo∣quent and lofty stile (as if it were some fancy delighting history) but a plaine way to helpe ••he poorer sort; Seeing therefore that I here

produce a thing serious, and for the generall good; I hope the Readers hereof will vouch∣safe me such countenance, as is usuall in seri∣ous weights, and most necessary occasions: some men perhaps will thinke that nothing good or secret will be put in Print, because these kinde of bookes are very difficult to be publi∣shed in English; others againe knowing such things, would be loath to publish them and make the secrets of their science common, but I am rather of the Grecians minds, who once a yeare writ in the Temple of Aesculapius all the cures they had performed, and by what reme∣dies; and I think with Aristotle, that a good thing is the better, the more common it is; and as Cicero saith we are not borne to our selves, nor should we have regard to our owne parti∣cular profit, in keeping the secrets of Physick so close; for a great number of people perish for want of meanes to procure the advise of a Phy∣sitian; when perhaps with a little instructions, they might have cured themselves; but we are to consider the generall good, and commodity of our country, and commonwealth; for in Italy, France, and other countries, scarce any Physitian

but hath published some booke in his mother tongue, and rather then in any other language.

In this booke I have for thy better instructi∣on, first collected a short introduction to lead thee into the method, & course that thou ough∣test to observe; next I have shewed the man∣ner of making and compounding all such me∣dicaments (as will be usefull in a private house) with the nature and vertue of every receipt, which those that have formerly published some of these have failed to do: here also are inserted divers secrets for Beauties, such as have never before been published; next I have ad∣ded a briefe way of conserving, and preserving, which by the Grace of God, I shall inlarge in the next impression: and lastly I have added all such medicines, as cannot be justly brought in∣to the number of oiles, Vnguents, Plaisters, Poultisses, Waters, Powders, &c. And that I call a Miscellanea or Hot••hpotch; neither nee∣dest thou to marvaile, because I have beene more curious in prescribing the sundry curati∣ons of diseases, then in unfolding the nature of them: for if my booke come amongst the il∣literate,

let me make it the best waies that can be devised, yet it will not suffice; and the learned will not be content were it never so big: there∣fore I strive by diversity of medicines to fit eve∣ry complexion, and make every man cunning in his owne constitution, and to know so much as will cure many ordinary and com∣mon diseases, which often fasten upon the ig∣norant, and to chase away a malady that hath caught hold on their bodies; for a Physition is not alwaies at hand, nor Apothecary ever to be had, whereby many have perished; but a lit∣tle knowledge may prevaile in the beginning of an infirmity; as for su••h things as are very chargeable to be made unlesse a great quantity be compounded, I thinke it will be better to store thy self at the Apothecaries.

I w••ll not stand to amplifie my selfe because all that I seek in this book is to eschew prolixi∣ty; and because heerin I would not willingly exceed the bounds of a preface making the porch bigger then the house; the world daily produceth a sort of cri••icks, that rather will carp at a fault, then amend it, and regard more the

letter then the Authours intent; which indeed were lets sufficient to have staied me from publishing any thing, had not the reasons afore∣said mightily importuned me hereto: for he that sets forth any thing to the world must frame and fashion it just as Solon did his laws; frame them rather to the content, and willing observation of the vulgar, then to the rule of equity; and more to satisfie the opinions, and fantasies of men, then to serve the time.

For my owne part I have not heerby sought any vaine glory, and praise, by shewing the manner of compounding, and the nature of medicines, which I have done more faithfully, and more amply, then ever any hath done heer∣tofore in English; and this is comfort suffici∣ent to me, though the world yield me not their approbation, that I have done something whereby others may reape profit. And if my book chance to come under the censure of the learned, all I demand is, that if they cannot af∣ford it their good wills and words, let them in like manner adventure themselves to be judged by others as I have heer done: and thus

Reader I end, only craving thy favourable ac∣ceptation: which will encourage me, if not to hazard the like again, yet at least to amplifie and enlarge the next impression heerof; and also to consecrate all my studies only to thy commodity.

T. B.