CULPEPER’s 
EPISTLE TO THE READER. 
AKE Notice, That in this Edition I have made very many Additions to every 
sheet in the book: and, also, that those books of mine that are printed of that 
Letter the small Bibles are printed with, are very falsely printed; there being twenty 
or thirty gross mistakes in every sheet, many of them such as are exceedingly dan- 
gerous to such as shall venture to use them: And therefore I do warn the Public of 
them: I can do no more at present; only take notice of these Directions by which 
you shall be sure to know the True one from the False. 
The first Direction The true one hath this Title over the head of every Book, Tue 
Comptete Herpat anp EnNGuisH PuysiciaN ENLARGED, The small Counterfeit ones 
have only this Title, Tur Eneuisu Puysician. 
The second Direction.—The true one hath these words, GoveRNMENT AND VIRTUES, 
following the time of the Plants flowering, &c. The counterfeit small ones have these 
Words, Virtus anp Usz, following the time of the Plants flowering. 
The third Direction—The true one is of a larger Letter than the counterfeit ones, 
which are in Twelves, &c. of the Letter small Bibles used to be octal on. I shall 
now speak something of the book itself. 
All other Authors that have written of the nature of Herbs, give not a bit of 
reason why such an Herb was appropriated to such a part of the body, nor why it 
cured such a disease. Truly my own body being sickly, brought me easily into a 
capacity, to know that health was the greatest of all earthly blessings, and truly he 
was never sick that doth not believe it. Then I considered that all medicines were 
compounded of Herbs, Roots, Flowers, Seeds, &c. and this first set me to work in 
studying the nature of Simples, most of which I knew by sight before; and indeed 
all the Authors I could read gave me but little satisfaction in this particular, or none 
at all. I cannot build my faith upon Authors’ words, nor believing a thing because — 
they say it, and could wish every body were of my mind in this,—to labour to be 
able to give a reason for every thing they say or do: They say Reason makes a 
man differ from a Beast; if that be true, pray what are they that, instead of reason _ 
for their judgment, quote old Authors? Perhaps their authors knew a reason for _ 
_ what they wrote, perhaps they did not; what is that to us? Do we know it? Truly, s : 
