an argument in themfelues.that there is fomething in them worthy eflirnation 
arming men : which then doublet h their diligence to deferue ii more abundantly . Admirable and 
for the imitation of Princes, tvas that aH of A lexander, who fating Ariftotle to compile com. 
memories of 'the bruit creatures, adorvea him for the better performance thereof, ccrtaine thou, 
funds of men, in all Afia and Greece, mofl skiffitllobfcruers of (itch things, to giue him informati- 
on touching all benfts, ffhes,fo:tles, ferpents, and flies. Wbatcamcofit ? t _A bookewritten.where. 
in all learned men in all ages (ince do exercife themfehies principally , for the knowledge of the crea. 
tores. Great isthe number of thofe that of their ownepritiate haute laboured in the fame matter 
from his age downe to our prefent time, which afrdo notin comparifon fatisfie vs .Whereas if in thofe 
en fling ages there had rifenftiU new Alexanders, there ( Certaincly ) would not hauc wanted 
Ariftotles to haue made the euidcncc of thofe things an hundred fold more clcered vnto vs, than 
now they be. Whereby you may percciuc the vnequall cffclls that follow thofe vnfutable caufes of 
publike and prut ate maintenances vnto labours and jludies.Now that l m/?ht not dijpaire m this my 
exhortation, l fee examples of this munificence in our age to giue me Comfort : Ferdinand the Em- 
peror and Cofmus Med ices Prince of Tufcane are herein reriflred for furthering thisfcience of 
plants, in following of it than feints and becomming skilfiill therein : which courfe oft he irs could 
not be holden without the fupportmg and aduancing of fitch as were fludious to cxcell in this kinde. 
Belloniiis likewife ( whom for honours caufe l name ) a man of high attempts in naturallfcience, 
greatly extolleth hu Kings liber alitie, which endued him with free lei (ure to follow the fludieof 
plants, feconded atfo herein ly Moiltmorcncie the Conflable, the Cardinals Caftilion and Lor- 
raine, with (Miuerius the Chancellor fly whofe meanes he was enabled to per forme thofe his notable 
peregrinations m Italy, Africa and Afia : the fweet fruit whereof, as wc haue recciuedfome taflc by 
his oh fer nations fo we jhonld plcntconfly haue becnjillcdwith them, if violent death by mofl accurfed 
robbers had not cut him off. And as iflndethcfe examples of comfort in forreine nations, fowc are (I 
eonfeffe) much to be thankfully God , for the experience we haue of the like things at home. If 
(neuertheleffc) vnto that Phyficke Icllure lately fo well erected, men who haue tins worlds goods 
flail haue hearts aifo of that fpirit,to adde fome ingenious labourer in the skill of (imples, they Jhall 
mightily augment and adorne the whole fcicnceof Phyficke. But if to that likewife they ioinea 
third# tamely the art of Chimicall preparation -.that out of thofe good creatures which God hath 
giue n man for his health, pure fubjlances may be procured for thofe that be ficke, (l feare not to fay 
it, though I fee how Momus fortieth ) this prefent general ion would purchafemore to the perfelit - 
on of Phyficke, than all the generations paft price Galens time haue done : that I fiiy,nothingofthis 
one fruit that would grow thereof ‘ to wtt,the difeouering anf abolijhing of thefefernitious impo- 
ftures and fophiflicat ions , which mount promifing Paracelftans encry where obtrude, through want 
ofatrueandconfrantlightamongvsto difeerne them by. In which behalfe, remembring the 
mournful 1 Jfeech ofgraue Hippocrates ; TheattofPhyiicke truly excelleth all arts, hovvbe- 
ir, through the ignorance partly of thofe that exercife it , and partly of thofe that 
iudge raflily ofPhyfitions,itis accounted of all arts the moft inferiour ii fay in like m, in- 
ner# he art of Chimiftrie isinitfclfethe mofl noble inflrument of 'natur all knowledges flint through 
the ignorance efl impiety .partly of thofe that mofl audacioufy profeffeit without skill, andpartly’of 
them t hat impudently condenme that they know not, it is of all others mofl bafely defpifedandfeorn- 
fully rejected. Aprincipall remedy tor emone fuch contumelious difgracefromthcfe two pure vi,r. 
gins of one fiockc andlinage , is this that 1 haue now infrnuated, euen by creeling the laboratory of 
an indtiftrious Chimijl, by the fweet garden of floun filing fimples. The Phyficke reader by their 
meanes fhatlnol oncly come furnifhedwith authorities of the Ancients, and fenfibte probabilities 
for that he tcacbeth, but with reall demonflrations alfo in many things, which the reafon of man 
without the light of the fornace would neucr hauereachcdvnto. I haue vtteredmy hearts defire, 
forpromoiing firfl the perfection of my profeflton, and next by neceffary confcqnence.the 
healthic Hues of men. If God open mens hearts to prouidefor the former, it cannot be. 
but that the happy fruits Jhall he feene in the later. Let the ingenious 
l tamed iudge whether I haue reafon on my fide ; the 
parti all addilled fell I Jhun, as men 
that neuer meant good to 
pojleritie. 
Plin.Iib.8. 
cap.i«. 
Gryllusin 
orar. de pere- 
gr. lludij mc~ 
die, 
Bellon.de 
ncgl.ftirp. 
eul. prob - 
Hipp.de Lege. 
George 
