Three exact pieces of Leonard Phioravant Knight, and Doctor in Physick, viz. his Rationall secrets, and Chirurgery, reviewed and revived. Together with a book of excellent Experiments and secrets, collected out of the practises of severall expert men in both faculties.: Whereunto is annexed Paracelsus his One hundred and fourteen experiments : with certain excellent works of B.G. à Portu Aquitano. Also Isaac Hollandus his Secrets concerning his vegetall and animall work. With Quercetanus his Spagyrick antidotary for gun-shot.

Short Amimadversions upon the Book lately Published by one who stiles himselfe NOAH BIGGS, Helmontii Psittacum.

Friend,

YOu set a bigg Saile to a little Vessell: I beleeve your Arke doth not like Noah's, containe all the vitality of Rationals, and Sensibles.

You write Pag. 205. con∣cerning Mastication. See∣ing all Aliment ought to passe into a liquid Re∣duction, or tendance to Chilificative mutation, or Alimentall conversion, therefore Mastificati∣on is to be highly commended.

You have like the great Fish, that swallowed Ionah, received in Van Helmont, though not di∣gested him; and the same taxe may passe on you, which somtimes did on a Noble Courtier, de∣vorasti, non edisti. It was the judgment of

Doctor Charlton, a Learned Physitian, a favourer of Van Helmont, that he had a better Faculty, Ever∣tere opiniones Veterum, quam extruere, & stabilire Novas.

When was ever Practice amongst the Physiti∣ans so narrowly confined, as they kept themselves to one Author? Do not some of them follow Minfect, others Hartman, others Grulingius, others will have their prescriptions made after Querce∣tan, Faber, or Poterius, some after Begvinus, Millius, Billich, Burgravius, Becherus, or other Authors; And some disgust all, which are not Paracelsian, or accord with Basilius, Valentinus his Master, and are pleased to practise after their Medicines, with the additions of their own Experiments, out of their reading, and judegment on their severall Authors. I would gladly know who ties himselfe to Sennertus, Riverius, or any one Mo∣dern Author, as if universall Learning were contained in the sphere of one Microcosme: Yet you are so much for Helmont, as if he were the great Luminary of the World. I confesse, I honour Van Helmont, but if you do no cures out of the tract of his Method, I beleeve you must study more knowledge in his Medicines then barely how to Translate them, or otherwise you

will faile in the honour you aspire unto, and from teaching others, come your selfe to learn from those you unworthily vilifie.

You say Pag. 12. The Schooles are ignorant of the Quiddities, and Dihoties of things, do you your selfe understand either your own, or the essence of the lowest inferiour Animals? Pag. 15. Why did you not by the golden Trident of Chymicall Theoremes, whom as a Lady of Ho∣nour you have courted, devoutly kissed, and pro∣fesse your strict observance to, becalm this Sea of distraction? And as you say, Pag. 16. write in that, in which there is no beaten path, which you think most honourable, because he that leades hath this advantage above others, if others follow him, he hath the glory of the first undertaking, if not the excuse of prejudice: But had not Van Helmont traced out this Path to you, I could think you would have acquiesced to the ancient opinions, and not have aspired to be reckoned amongst the publick Benefactors of Civill and Humane life.

Pag. 35. You have a jerke at Bartholomeus Ca∣richterus, but I beleeve your own learning and judgment will hardly bring you to be a Physitian to so great an Emperour as Maximillian the

Second. For your threefold Character you give of a good Purge, Pag. 80. I hardly be∣leeve your Patients will be so happy as to meet with such from you. The London Dispensatory hath variety of medicines, some following one Author, and some another, for which purpose it was so enlarged, as thought necessary in respect of the severall variety of judgment, and practises of our Modern Physitians.

You say, Pag. 11. reading is no way con∣ducible to knowing: If you had never read Van Helmont, you had never written in this stile. You say, Pag. 11. The disease known is not the halfe way to the cure, but if you know not the disease, I conceive you would hardly, or blindly come to the cure of them. You write, Pag. 15. The Physitians like to the self-conceited Laodiceans, while they presume they keep the keyes of the Sci∣ence, they neither enter themselves into the Closet, and inner Parlour of Nature, nor admit, willingly, others that would. But observe your own in∣circumspection and levitie: For had you peru∣sed their Pharmacopoea, published 1650. A Capite ad Calcem, you could not have committed so grosse an error, (nor did their former want pre∣scriptions of Chymick medicines) but if you

please to cast your eye on it, from Pag. 187. ad fi∣nem Libri, you may see many good Chymick pre∣parations, besides the multitude of other prescrip∣tions, which are left to the judgement and choyce of Ingenious Practitioners, to fetch out of other Chymick Authors.

And had you but cast your eye on their care∣full expression, in fine Pharmacopoeae, you would have been silent, or written more temperately, which I must expose to your knowledge in their own words.

Ne nos (Amice Lector) in hac operis suscepti meta, simulque cum calamo nostro curam deposuisse tui videamur, certior ut fias, cupimus, nos etiam saluti tuae, publicaeque utilitati, nihilo segnius invigilare, adeoque officinam Chy∣micam, seorsum in horto Collegii erigendam curasse, ar∣tificemque Idoneum accersivisse, eidemque instruendo & cor∣rigendo Collegarum peritissimos destinasse, ut medica∣menta, quanto efficaciora, tanto cautius, quanto difficilli∣ora, tanto diligentius, quanto pretiosiora, tanto sincerius componerentur. Denique eidem suffragia nostra, locum∣que ac lucrum omne gratis dedisse, & concessisse, ut ad tam singularem benevolentiam promerendam pari honesta∣te impelleretur. Tu Quisquis es, nobiscum fruere, vove & vale. Now judge of the condition you stand in with knowing men.

Hath not Rome, France, Augusta, Collen, Amsterdam, and other Nations their severall Pharmacopaeas? Must all be drowned, if Noah, your petty Arke hold them not up. Pag. 107, and 108. Concer∣ning Glisters, that they never reach to the Ileon, or have any nourishing quality.

Bartholinus in his Physicall exercitations, hath a tract against that opinion; where, by his au∣thorities, experiments, and reasons, you might be somewhat staggered, if you do not jurare in ver∣ba Magistri: against whom Doctor Heers, in his tractate de Fontibus spadanis, casteth forth bit∣terrer language then I will throw upon you; yet I desire you to remember what Doctor Met∣calfe of Cambridge not long since said, on the cen∣sures of some nimble-tounged Scholars on the grave Academians: You young men think us old men fooles, but we old men know you are so. And be not offended that I advise you, that would be held Magistrum in Artibus, to study also to be Magistrum in Moribus. But I will conclude with these two Grammar verses,

Adde quod ingenuas dedicisse fideliter Artes Emollit mores, nec sinit esse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

And must tell you, for your rash extravagant

censures, you are worthy to be transmitted back to the Colledge Censors, or Deanes.

W. I.