The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latin and compared with the French. by Tho: Johnson. Whereunto are added three tractates our of Adrianus Spigelius of the veines, arteries, & nerves, with large figures. Also a table of the bookes and chapters.

The Voyage of Thurin, 1535.

MOreover, I will here shew to the Readers the places where I have had means to learn the Art of Surgery, for the better instructing of the young Surgeon: and first in the year 1536. the great King of France sent a great Army to Thurin, to recover the City and Castles which the Marquess of Guast, Lieutenant-General of the Emperor had taken: where the high Constable of France the great Master, was Lieutenant General of the Army, and Monsieur de Montain, Colonel-General of the Foot, of which I was then Surgeon. A great part of the Army arrived in the Country of Suze; we found the Enemy which stopt the passage, and had made cer∣tain Forts, and Trenches, insomuch that to hunt them out and make them leave the place, we were forced to fight, where there were divers hurt and slain, as well of the one side as of the other: but the enemies were constrained to retire,* 1.1 and get into the Castle, which was caused partly by one Captain Ratt, who climed with divers Souldiers of his company upon a little Mountain; there where he shot directly upon the enemies, he received a shot upon the ancle of his right foot, wherewith presently he fell to the ground; and said then, Now is the Rat taken. I dressed him, and God healed him. We entred the throng into the City, and passed over the dead bodies, and some which were not yet dead; we heard them cry under our Horses feet, which made my heart relent to hear them. And truly I repented to have forsaken Paris to see such a pitifull a specta∣cle. Being in the City, I entred into a stable thinking to lodg my own, and my mans horse, where I found four dead Souldiers and three which were leaning against the wall,* 1.2 their faces wholly dis∣figured, and neither saw nor heard, nor spake; and their clothes did yet flame with gun-powder which had burnt them. Beholding them with pitty, there happened to come an old Souldier who asked me if there were any possible means to cure them; I told him no: he presently ap∣proached to them, and cut their throats without choler. Seeing this great cruelty I told him he was a wicked man; he answered me that he prayed to God, that whensoever he should be in such a case, that he might finde some one that would do as much to him, to the end he might not mi∣serably languish. And to return to our former discourse, the enemy was summoned to render, which they soon did, and went out, their lives only saved, with a white staff in their hands; the greatest part whereof went and got to the Castle of Villane, where there was about 200. Spa∣niards; Monsieur the Constable would not leave them behinde, to the end that the way might be made free. This Castle is seated upon a little mountain, which gave great assurance to them within, that one could not plant the ordnance to beat upon it, and they were summoned to render or that they should be cut in pieces;* 1.3 which they flatly refused, making answer, That they were as faithful servants to the Emperor, as Mounsieur the Constable could be to the King his Master. This answer heard, they made by force of arms, two great Cannons to be mounted in the night with cords and ropes, by the Swissers and Lansquenets; when as the ill luck would have it, the two Cannons being seated a Gunner by great negligence set on fire a great bag of gun-powder, where∣with he was burned together with ten or twelve souldiers; and moreover the flame of the pow∣der was a cause of discovering the Artillery, which made them, that all night they of the Castle did nothing but shoot at that place where they discovered the two pieces of Ordnance, wherewith they killd and hurt a great number of our people.

The next day early in the morning a Battery was made, which in a few hours made a breach, which being made, they demanded to parly with us; but twas too late for them: For in the mean time our French foot seeing them amazed, mounted to the breach, and cut them all in pieces,* 1.4 except a fair young lusty maid of Piedmont, which a great Lord would have kept and pre∣served for him to keep him company in the night, for fear of the greedy Wolfe. The Captain and Ensign were taken alive, but soon after were hanged upon the gate of the City, to the end they might give example and fear to the Imperial souldiers not to be so rash and foolish, to be willing to hold such places against so great an Army. Now all the said souldiers of the Castle, seeing our people comming with a most violent fury, did all their endeavor to defend themselves, they killd and hurt a great company of our souldiers, with pikes, muskets, and stones, where the Surgeons had good store of work cut out. Now at that time I was a fresh-water souldier, I had not yet seen wounds made by gun-shot at the first dressing. It is true, I had read in John de Vigo,* 1.5 in the first book of Wounds in General, the eighth Chapter, that wounds made by weapons of fire, did participate of Venenosity, by reason of the powder, and for their cure he commands to cau∣terize them with oyl of Elders scalding-hot, in which should be mingled a little treacle, and not to fail, before I would apply of the said oyl, knowing that such a thing might bring to the patient great pain, I was willing to know first, before I applyed it, how the other Surgeons did for the first dressing, which was to apply the said oyl the hottest that was possible, into the wounds, with tents and setons; insomuch that I took courage to do as they did. At last I wanted

oil, and was constrained in stead thereof, to apply a digestive of yelks of eggs, oyl of roses, and turpentine. In the night I could not sleep in quiet, se••ting some default in not cauterizing, that I should finde those to whom I had not used the burning oyl, dead impoysoned; which made me rise very early to visit them, where beyond my expectation,* 1.6 I found those to whom I had applyed my digestive medicine, to feel little pain, and their wounds without inflammation or tumor, having rested reasonable well that night: the other to whom was used the said burning-oyl, I found them feverish, with great pain and tumor about the edges of their wounds. And then I resolved with my self, never so cruelly to burn poor men wounded with gun-shot. Being at Thurin I found a Surgeon, who had the same above all others, for the cu••ing of wounds of gun-shot, into whose favor I found means to insinuate my self, to have the receit of his Balm as he called it, wherewith he dressed wounds of that kinde, and he held me off the space of two years, before I could possible draw the Receit from him. In the end by gifts and presents he gave it me, which was this; To boil young whelps new pupped, in oyl of Lillies, prepared earth-worms, with Turpentine of Venice. Then was I joyful and my heart made glad, that I had understood his remedy,* 1.7 which was like to that which I had obtained by great chance. See then how I have learned to dress wounds made with gun-shot, not by books. My Lord Marshal of Montain remained Lieutenant-General for the King in Piedmont, having ten or twelve thousand men in garrison through the Cities and Castles, who often combated with swords and other weapons, as also with muskets; and if there were four hurt, I had alwaies three of them; and if there were question of cutting off an arm or a leg, or to trepan, o•• to reduce a fracture or dislocation, I brought it well to pass. The said Lord Marshal sent me one while this way, another while that way, for to dress the appointed Souldiers which were beaten as well in other Cities as that of Thurin, insomuch that I was al∣wayes in the country one way or other. Mounsieur the Marshal sent for a Physician to Milan, who had no less reputation in the medicinal Art (then the diseased Mounsieur le Grand) to take him in hand for an hepatical flux, whereof at last he dyed. This Physician was a certain while at Thurin to deal with him, and was often called to visit the hurt people, where he alwaies found me, and I consulted with him, and some other Surgeons, and when we had resolved to do a∣ny serious work of Surgery, twas Ambrose Pare that put his hand thereto, where I did it promptly and with dexterity, and with a great assurance, in so much that the said Physician admired me, to see me so ready in the operation of Surgery, seeing the small age which I had.* 1.8 One day dis∣coursing with the said Lord Marshal, he said to him, Signor tu, hai un Chirurgico giovane di an∣ni, me eglie vecckio di sapere e di esperientia. Guardae lo bene, perche egli ti fara servicio & honore. That is to say, Thou hast a young Surgeon of age, but he is old in knowledg and experience, pre∣serve him well, for he we will do thee service and honor. But the old man knew not that I had dwelt three years in the Hospital of Paris, there to dress the diseased. In the end Mounsieur Marshal died with his hepatical flux. Being dead,* 1.9 the King sent Mounsieur the Marshal of Annebaut to be in his place, who did me this honor to pray me to dwell with him, and he would use me as well or better, then Monsieur the Marshal Montain; which I would not do for the grief I had for the loss of my Master who loved me intimately, and I him in the like manner; and so I came back to Paris.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The retiring of the enemy.
• * 1.2

  History.
• * 1.3

  Brave answer of the Soul∣diers.
• * 1.4

  Exemplary punishment.
• * 1.5

  Counsel of de Vigo.
• * 1.6

  Experience•• of a bold mans happy success.
• * 1.7

  Receit of an excellent balm for wounds with gun-shot.
• * 1.8

  Wi••ness of the dexterity of the Author.
• * 1.9

  The death of Marshal Mountain.