A Collection of Chirurgical Tracts. Beckett William

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СКАЧАТЬ the Suppression of the Abbies, which was the Destruction of a prodigious Number of Manuscripts. John Bale, before-mentioned, though an utter Enemy to Popery and Monastic Institution, remonstrates against this Piece of Barbarity, in pretty strong Terms, to King Edward VI. Covetousness, says he, was at that Time so busy about private Commodity, that public Wealth was not any where regarded. A Number of them, which purchased those superstitious Mansions, reserved of those Library-Books, some to serve their Jacks, some to scour their Candlestics, and some to rub their Boots, and some they sold to the Grocers and Soap-sellers, and some they sent over Sea to the Book-binders, not in small Numbers, but at Times whole Ships full. Yea, the Universities of this Realm, are not all clear in this detestable Fact: But cursed is the Belly which seeketh to be fed with so ungodly Gains, and so deeply shameth his natural Country. I know, says he, a Merchantman (which shall at this time be nameless) that bought the Contents of two noble Libraries for forty Shillings Price; a Shame it is to be spoken. This Stuff hath he occupied instead of gray Paper, by the Space of more than these ten Years, and yet he has Store enough for these ten Years to come. A prodigious Example is this, and to be abhorred of all Men, which love their Nation as they should do. Yea, what may bring our Nation to more Shame and Rebuke, than to have it noised abroad, that we are Despisers of Learning? I judge this to be true, and utter it with Heaviness, that neither the Britons, under the Romans and Saxons, nor yet the English People under the Danes and Normans, had ever such Damage of their learned Monuments, as we have seen in our Time. Our Posterity may well curse this wicked Fact of our Age, this unseasonable Spoil of England’s most noble Antiquities. Bale’s Declaration upon Leland’s Journal, published 1549. And Dr Thomas Fuller, in his Church History, speaking of the same Thing, tells us, Divinity was prophaned, Mathematics suffered for Correspondence with evil Spirits, Physic was maimed, and a Riot committed on the Law itself. However, notwithstanding this Devastation which was then made among our Manuscripts, our Colleges, and some of our Libraries, will furnish us with a great Number relating to almost all Parts of Learning: Some of which, more especially the most ancient ones, I shall here first give a Catalogue of, and then some more modern ones, confining myself to those which more especially relate to Physic and Chirurgery. And, first, we have in the Norfolk Library, belonging to the Royal Society,

      Libellus de Arte Medicinali in Lingua Pictica conscriptus. And in Cottonian Library,

      Præcepta nonnulla Medicinalia; partim & Divina ad dierum rationem Saxonice. Galbe. A. 2. 3. 1.

      Exorcismi quidam & Medicinalia; partim Latine partim Saxonice. Galbe. A. 2.

      Medicinalia quædam Saxonice & Latine Vitel. B. 3. 4.

      Herbarium, Latine & Hibernice ordine Alphabetico. Vitel. F. 14. 34.

      Tractatulus de Morbis, Latine & Hibernice mutilis initio & fine.

      Astronomica quædam & Medica Literis Saxonicis Membr. in Corpus Christi Coll. in Oxon.

      S. Dustan de Lapide Philosophorum. In the same College.

      Tractatus Botanicus in Lingua Cambro-Britannica. In Jesus Coll. Oxon.

      Medicinales Quæstiones Magistri Henrici de Wynton super Isagogen Joannitii. In New College Library in Oxon.

      Liber Phlebotomiæ. By the same Author, in the same Library.

      Tractatus de effectibus quatuor Qualitatum, secundum magistrum Ursonem. In New College Library.

      Practica Chirurgiæ. Tho. Sculling, continens quatuor partes. In New College Library.

      Guilielmi Scoti Medici Watlingtoniensis celeberrimi Liber de differenciis Urinarum.

      Joannis Ketham Chirurgia parva.

      De Virtutibus Herbarum & notabila Chirurgica.

      Liber rerum Medicinalium quondam spectans ad Pharmacopolam Edw. IV. Regis Angliæ in quo continentur Medicamina quam plurima pro Rege & Magnatibus præparata. In Mr Hen. Worsley’s Library.

      William de Pine, his Chyrurgery.

      Receipts and Observations for curing Emrods, Fistula’s, Leprosy, Aches in the Joints, Tetters, Worms, Cramps, and Noli me tangere, in a very ancient Hand. By Robert Williams of Cockwood.

      A Treatise containing the whole Rules of Physic and Surgery, M. S. Vetus. Formerly in Dr Tyson’s Library.

      Medicines of Master Willeam du Jordyne, given to King Henry, Regent and Heuter of the Reume of Fraunce. In Mr Thoresby’s Library.

      A approbat Treite for the Pestilence, studied by the grettest Doctours of Fysick amongs Thuniversitie of Cristen Nations yn the Time of St Tho. of Canterburie. In the same Library.

      A Book of Surgery, wrote in the Year 1392. Divided into three Parts. The first of Anatomy. The second of Wounds, Imposthumes, Dislocations, and Fractures of Bones. The third, the Antidotary of Surgery. Formerly in Dr Tyson’s Library.

      Friar Theodore Chalk’s Chirurgical Receipts, on Vellum. Dedicated to Archbishop Valentine.

      Here beginnen gud Medicenes for all Yevels yat any man may have yat gud Leches have drawn out of ye Bokes yet Galien Aschipeus Ypocras hadden. For yai were the best Leches yat were in ye World. On Vellum, in my Possession.

      I proceed now to give an Account of some of our early Writers, besides those already mentioned. And first of Maugantius, who was by Birth a Briton, a famous Physician and Mathematician; who, says Leland, for his eminent Learning, was made President of a noble College (in those Days) of two hundred Philosophers; which Geofrey of Monmouth extols to the Skies, under the Name of Legionum Urbs; which Bale supposes to be Chester, excelling all other British Cities, at that Time, in Wealth and Roman Structures. This Place being most pleasantly situated, Astrologers, and other Artists, settled in it to observe the Motions of the Stars, and undertook to forewarn Mankind from the Comets, and certain Indications of the Planets, what should come to pass. Hence Maugantius, said to be superior to all others in this Art, being questioned by King Vortiger, whose chief Physician he was, about the prodigious Conception of Ambrose Merlin, after a Recital of various Philosophical Reasons, did, at length, it seems, give him Satisfaction therein. This Person, who was the most renowned Scholar of his Country, and who is said to have composed several Books, flourished in the Year of Christ 470, when King Vortiger was much distressed by the invading Anglo-Saxons. I have before observed, that there were several Dignitaries of the Papal Communion as well as those of inferior Orders, besides the Monks, who very early took upon them to practise Physic; and that they were absolutely forbid to exercise that Profession, by the Roman Assembly, in 1139. Of this Sort was Frabricius, or Faricius, as he is sometimes written, who practised Physic not long before this Time. He was the eighteenth Abbot of the Monastery of Abington in Berkshire; to whose Care Godfrey de Vere committed himself, to be cured of a grievous Disease he then laboured under; and, as an Acknowledgment for the Care the Abbot had taken of him, he bequeathed to the Abbey before-mentioned, the Church belonging to his Estate, in the Village of Kensington, near London, with 240 Acres of Land, &c. which was confirmed by the King; a Copy of which Grant will be given in the Antiquities of that Town, and the History of it’s Abbey. This Abbot departed this Life the VIIth of the Calends of March, Anno 1117. Soon after him flourished Athelardus, a Monk of Bath, who was so diligent in searching out the Mysteries and Causes of Natural Things, that he deserves to be equalled with some of the ancient Philosophers. Having a СКАЧАТЬ