Preface, 1566-07-10, Pierre Hassard to the Reader

Author:	Pierre Hassard
Recipient:	Reader
Type:	Preface
Date:	10 July 1566
Place:	Brussels
Pages:	8
Language:	French

Quote as:

https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2084

Editor:	Edited by Julian Paulus
Source:	Paracelsus, La grande, vraye, et parfaicte chirurgie, ed. Pierre Hassard, Antwerpen: Willem Silvius 1567, sig. A4v-A8r [BP083]

CP:	Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum

Translation:

Raw translation see below

Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Pierre Hassard

[sig. A4v] Pierre Hassard d’Armentieres medecin et chirvrgien av lectevr benevole.

La verité, lumiere & conducteresse de toutes bonnes œuvres, lecteur beneuole, n’a voulu que moy (aiant ia long temps & par moult de fois experimenté la certitude de la doctrine de cest Aucteur) soie esté ingrat vers elle, laquele m’a donné quelque goust & congoissance de la vraye Medecine & Chirurgie: Ie sçay bien que plusieurs qui veuillent estre supellatifz en ces facultez, crieront & vitupereront grandement ceste doctrine, la disantz hereticque & hors des bornes de toutes raisons: & que c’est vne chose nouuelle, absurde, faincte, faulse, & qu’ilz n’ont iamais veue, ouye, ne leue, comme si toutes choses dependoient de leur folle ignorance: mais c’est vne chose assez manifeste que la vraye doctrine & Philosophie a esté tousiours poursuyuie par vn tas de ceulx qui veuillent estre veus telz quilz ne sont, n’y ne veuillent estre aussi: lesquelz i’appelle auec nostre Aucteur Hippocrites, ce que tout homme de bon iugement pourra en soy facilement iuger par leurs œuures lesqueles au grand detriment & perdition de la republicque en seront foy, monstrantz de combien telz Medecins & Chirurgiens sont auiourd’huy estoignez de la vraye & parfaicte Medecine ancienne, laquele estoit alienée de toute ambition: comme appart par l’epistre de Hippocrates au Roy de Perse Artaxerxes qu’il refusa par vne vraye charité & amour de sa patrie tous tresors honneurs & biens, estimant la sapience & science plus precieuse que l’or: au contraire auiourd’huy les Medecins n’ayantz cure [sig. A5r] sinon du gaing ne se soulcient gueres du vray fondement de la Medecine, & est assez quilz puissent estre honorez des granz, & richement payez, ne se soulciantz nullement de s’emploier en la cognoißance des vrayes remedes & leurs preparations: Car il suffit auiourd’hui pour estre Medecin (tant a esté la peuple abusé par plusiers centaines d’années) destre bien vestu, & les doigtz remplis d’anneaux auec vne grauité rogue, & alleguer quelques motz de latin, d’Auicenne, ou Galene, par termes incogneux pour estre plus admiré des assistens: quand au surplus reietter tout le reste de la charge, sur les Apoticaires, qui sont de mesme estoffe & farine que leurs docteurs. Certes toute autre a esté la diligence de noz ancestres & premiers docteurs & maistres qui ne se contentoient seulement de la cognoissance de Philosophie, Astrologie, Medecine & Chirurgie: mais außi rendoient peine & diligence de cognoistre & entendre la nature de toutes choses simples & composées, desqueles (non par la main d’autruy comme on faict maintenant, mais de leur main propre) ilz composoient les medicamentz dont ilz vsoient, lesquelz eulx mesmes ilz donnoient ou applicquoient aux malades, obseruantz l’operation & succes d’iceux, sans s’en voulloir attendre a la relation des aßistens, ou du malade: qui a esté cause qu’ilz ne voulloient auoir que .3. ou .4. malades pour vne fois a solliciter: cela a esté außi motif que sans craindre peril, labeur, despence, ne mesme leur santé ilz ont circuit grande partie du monde pour ouyr la diuersité des Philosophes, & leurs doctrines, ensemble apprendre, esprouuer & trouuer infinies especes de simples remedes & medecines, par lesqueles ilz ont subuenu aux deffectz des corps humains. Tele doncques a esté la maniere de paruenir au degre de vraye parfection par les anciens, deuant Hippocrates & iusques a son temps, mais depuis luy, a commençe (comme tesmoigne nostre Aucteur en autres lieux) a decliner & degenerer: car les grecz pour la pluspart, sont tous descendus de la plus noble par- [sig. A5v] tie a la plus rude & elementaire, en quoy Galene a principalement excellé par sur tous autres: De maniere que depuis ledict temps de Hippocrates (dont il soit memoire) n’auons eu riens de bon, vray, ou parfait enseignement, ny en la Medecine, ny en la Chirurgie, iusques au temps de nostre Aucteur, lequel debuons croire auoir esté suscité par nostre Seigneur, qui le a rempli de des graces, autrement seroit impossible: qu’il eubt sceu & entendu, ce qu’il escrit en toutes disciplines: car en Philosophie il a escrit plus de .236. Volumes, en Medecine bien .60. au .70. en Astrologie autant sans grand nombre d’autres en Theologie & Iustice politicque, Ie delaisse encore ceulx en Magie naturele & autres artz. Et n’a iamais voulu reposer mais tousiours, peregriner, veiller, escrire, cercher, experimenter de tous, en tous, & part tout, pour trouuer le vray fondement de tous artz & sciences, & principalement de Medecine & Chirurgie: & trouue que iceluy a curé ce que les autres estiment incurable sicomme Epilepsie, Hydropisie, Apoplexi, Lepre, chancre, Loup, noli me tangere, ou poupe, & leurs semblables, auec tele dexterité & breueté de temps & sans accidentz, dissections, ou douleurs, que les indoctes & ahurtez a leurs opinions l’ont eu en grande haine, & declaré enchanteur ou magicien, ce que ie tiens & confesse außi, non comme ilz l’entendent mais de magie vraye & naturele, sortant de la pure fontaine cabaline, qui es celle qui a esté tant prisée & recommandée par les anciens & sainctz peres: qui de ce mesme nom auec grande reuerence, ont estez appellez magi.

L’an 1539. moy estant en chemin de Rußie par le pais de Liuonie, I’arriuai en quelque monastere pour heberger, ou ie me tins par 2. iours, pour visiter aucuns liures d’vne vielle bibliotecque qui restoit illec depuis la desolation dudict monastere a cause de la secte, entre lesquelz ie trouuai 2. fragmentz des œuures de Machaon & Podalirins (appertenantz a vn bon viel pere qui ne s’en [sig. A6r] voulut defaire, encore que luy en offrise argent assez) lesquelz traictoient entierement la forme & maniere de discipline comme cestuy nostre aucteur. Pourtant qouy que disent ses maluoeillantz, ie sçay & croy certainement que ce n’est vne doctrine nouuelle qu’il nous insinue, mais ancienne pure & veritable: Et celle que auons pour le iourd’huy est Sophisticquée, & par l’imposture desdictz Hippocrites du tout deprauée. Ce que ces iours quand i’escriuoie ces presentes m’a tesmoigné le tresdoct & grand amateur dudict Paracelsus Ioannes Scultetus Montanus de Strigonie Medecin & Chirurgien insigne, disant que ledict Paracelsus est en tele estimé a present par la Poloigne, Tranßiluanie, Moranie Grece, Athenes & Damas, qui sont pour se temps vniuersitez florissantes qu’il ne se y enseigne autre doctrine que la sienne: mesme, luy qui a veu & leu la plusgrande partie de ses œuures, entre autres s’en void aucunes qu’il a dediées a ladicte vniuersité d’Athenes. Or comme riens n’est couuert qui ne soit reuele, & riens n’est caché qu’il ne soit en fin sçeu, il a pleu a nostre Seigneur Dieu omnipotent, que le temps soit a present venu, que la vraye & parfaicte Medecine & Chirurgie soient reduictes en lumiere & remises en vsage: Et ne soient les malades plus abuses si malheureusement par vn tas d’Imposteurs & trompeurs, teriacqueurs, fœbures, massons, sauatiers, tisserans, orfœbures &c. lesquelz ne pouans viure de leur mestier, ou apres auoir dißipe leur patrimoine, & celuy bien souuent de leurs femmes en meschans vsages ou autrement, ne se hontissent point de se faire par le poure abusé peuple nommer docteurs, & pour mieux iouer leur farce, ainsi que bateleurs se desguisent & mettent bien souuent en forme de Roix ou Princes, lesquelz on sçait bien qu’ilz ne sont pas: tout ainsi ceste racaille se monstrent parez de vestementz de soye ou velours, & les doigtz bien aornes, & auec vne tele faintise deceoiuent les gentz, ausquelz ilz font entendre qu’ilz ont apprins leur art de [sig. A6v] quelques Iuifz Tartare, Egyptien ou Sarrazin, ou quilz ont a grandz frais recouuert quelques liure, ou ilz puissent leurs meurtres & venins, qu’ilz baillent sans aucun respect ou limitation indifferemment a vn chascun. Qui est, comme ie croy, la plus grande playe que Dieu pourroit enuoier au monde: car qui est plus noble ou plus pretieux a l’homme que sa vie ou santé. Si l’homme veut edifier vne maison il consulte auec les charpentiers & massons: s’il veut faire vne robe auec le cousturier sans en demander conseil au cordouanier: Iceulx encore ne s’en peuuent mesler si premier il n’appert par bonne examination & experience qu’ilz sont idoines a ce faire: Mais s’il est question de la santé ou de la vie on s’en raporte a vne vielle sempiterneuse, ou enchantereße, a vn tisseran, a vn orfœbure, a vn sauatier, ou a vn meschant garnement, qui (peult estre) a esté bourreau en quelque autre lieu & suffit qu’il saçhe, Iaser & caqueter au plaisir de la commere, qui luy porte l’vrine, laquele doibt bien se garde de luy riens dire de l’estat du patient, mais fault que entierement, il die l’aage, le sexe, la maladie, quand elle commençha, quand elle finira, voire (qui est encore plus ridicule) de quel villaige on l’apport: & ce par l’inspection de ladicte vrine, que s’il ne faict tout cela, & ne les sçait enueloper de ses bourdes & deceptiues parolles, il n’est pas bon maistre, ce que telz imposteurs sçauent trop bien faire, car en ce est toute leur estude, cure & sollicitude, àfin d’attraper l’argent de bonnes gentz. Ce seroit certes au magistrat d’auoir regard à telz exces & meurtres, & d’extirper teles pestes hors de la republicque, mettant ordre que telz asnes ne peußent ainsi miserablement tuer les gentz ou pour le moins mutiler sans en porter la correction & punition.

Car ce n’a esté assez ausdictz auollez imperitz coureurs & vagabondz d’infecter la Medecine, mais violent außi ces sacrileges, la Chirurgie (qui sont artz tant sainctes, nobles, & libres, & pour lesqueles sçauior & enten- [sig. A7r] dre, il faut auoir experience de tant d’autres graues sciences & disciplines) faisant profeßion d’icelle, en sorte qu’il n’est accident, tant soit estrange, difficile a guarir, ou außi incurable, qu’ilz ne promettent affronteément & asseurent de guarir: Pourueu toutesfois qu’on leur donne quelque somme de deniers sur la main, pour faire comme ilz disent la despence, lequel argent, encore que le malade ne receoiue aucun allegement d’eulx, ne fault pourtant qu’il espere d’en iamais recouurer maille: Et le peuple rude & imperit se delecte de telz trompeurs & se laisse ainsi abuser, non pas seulement quand a son argent mais außi en sa santé, & bien souuent sa vie laquele il expose & met en aduenture: comme s’il en auoit .3. ou .4. au coffre: Et en sont ces abuseurs venus à tele insolence que mesmes aucuns superieurs en ont estéz abusez & deceus, & leur permettent exercer leur tromperies, mesmes en aucuns lieux leur en sont baillés lettres pour lesqueles obtenir ilz sont vigilantz, àfin que és autres lieux puissent plus librement abuser la commune.

Delaisse donc ces impostures ô Chirurgien & faictz diligence d’apprendre ce qui est de neceßité de sçauoir à celuy qui veult estre tenu pour bon maistre, àfin que par vne vraye charité tu puisses subuenir aux necessitez de ton prochain. Ce que (comme ie t’asseure) tu pourras abondamment trouuer en ce liure aussi auant qu’il t’en sera besoing, contre les iournelz accidentz, & ce qui reste quand à la perfection de la vraye entiere & parfaicte Medecine i’espere que par le moyen de nostre bon ami dessusdict Ioannes Scultetus Montanus, & d’autres gentz de sçauoir & diligence, tu auras copie du reste des œuures de nostre Aucteur (enquoy aussi ne defauldrons de toute nostre puissance) ie sçay que quand les liras, si tu n’as entierement l’entendement brutal & agreste, tu y trouueras vne si melliflue & sauoureuse doulceur de verité, que tantost tu ietteras de toy les abusions d’Auicenne, Mesues, Lanfranc, Guido de Vigo, [sig. A7v] & autres infinis barbares, qui iusques a maintenant ont piteusement souillé & contaminé cest art tant saincte & sacrée, se veaultrantz en icelle ainsi que pourceaux en la fange: Exerce donc & experimente auant que tu iuges, & tu ne te trouueras frusté ainse que bien puis tesmoigner comme en ayant faict l’essay: en exerceant la Chirurgie de mes mains propres, en plusieurs personnes & Regions diuerses sicomme Liuonie, Russie, Svvecie, VVandalie, France, & en ces noz pais bas, & me suis tousiours mieulx trouue de ses conseilz que de ceaulx de Galene, Celsus, Aegineta, Mesues, ou Hippocrates &c. a raison que leur fondement n’est constitué sur la verité. Et ne te faut pourtant esbahir si nostre aucteur parle en cest œuure d’aucunes choses, qui nous ont esté iusques a maintenant incogneues comme irrecouurables: sicomme dis baulme, lequel on a tousiours creu croistre seulement en Egypte en vn village nomme la Materée qui est a demie lieue du grand Cayre, ce qui est faulx, car cest arbrisseau, se trouue aussi en certaines montaignes d’Austrice, & Allemaigne, comme la vraye terre sigillée, & aussi les Gammahi desquelz i’ay trouuez aucuns pres de Louuain & Bruxelles, mais ces choses ont esté parci deuant ignoréez, par negligence de les enquerir & faulte de les cognoistre: comme nous auons veu de nostre temps en chose de moindre estimé & importance, c’est asçauoir du vray Scordeon, que n’estoit icy cogneu, & toutesfois i’en pourroie monstrer pleines prayries, par auant il se vendoit bien cher a la libure par aucuns qui se disoient l’apporter d’Italie, & ilz le cueilloient deuant noz portes: n’a ce esté grande honte a noz anciens d’auoir ignore vne chose si patente & laquele ilz foulloient des piedz & qui si apartement est descrite par Dioscorides, & toutesfois s’en trouue encore aucuns si opiniastre, qu’on ne leur peut persuader la cognoissance d’iceluy: Et toutesfois ilz veuillent a cause de leur nom de Docteur instruire les autres, & qui est encore plus intolerable, s’en trouue aucuns, lesquelz [sig. A8r] n’aiantz iamais traicté vne playe ou vlcere ou a grand peine veau, ne faict oncques vne Emplastre se ingerent d’enseigner & lire ou faire leçon aux Chirurgiens & barbiers n’est ce point chose monstreuse & ridicule de vouloir enseigner ce que iamais on n’a exercée? car veritablement la Chirurgie ne consiste point seulement en speculation ou theoricqz mais principalement, en experience & vsance. Si le Chirurgien doncques a quelque difficulté quil demande le conseil du Medecin, qui est aussi Chirurgien, non en ses liures, mais de faict & Experience.

Ces choses m’ont incité bening lecteur a prendre le labeur de traduyre ceste œuure du hault Allemain de l’aucteur en nostre lange Francoyse, àfin qu’elle puisse esire, a vn chascun cogneue, & qu’vn chascun se puisse regler selon icelle, & par vne vraye charité & amour de son prochain subuenir aux accidentz, & necessitez des malades, ie sçay que tu ne trouueras en ceste traduction grande eloquence, grace, ne ornement de Retoricque ou langage: a cause que le plus pres que i’ay peu i’ay ensuyui le sens de l’Aucteur, combien que n’aye ensuyui sa Phrase, ne par tout rendu mot pour mot, ce qui seroit impossible, attendu la grande diuersité qui est entre ces .2. langues: mais en ce ay ie labouré de ne riens laisser qui fut du sens d’iceluy. Et sie cest œuure te plaist, cela sera cause de m’aguilloner de te rendre en bref d’autres œuures d’iceluy, non moins admirables & fructueuses. Dieu te gard. De Bruxelles ce x. iour de Iuliet. Anno 1566.

¶ Nec cito, nec temere.

Apparatus

Marginalia

English Raw Translation

Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 14 April 2023. Attention: This translation is a machine translation by artificial intelligence. The translation has not been checked and should not be cited without additional human verification.

Pierre Hassard of Armentieres, physician and surgeon, to the benevolent reader.

Truth, light, and guide of all good works, benevolent reader, has only wanted me (having already for a long time and on many occasions experienced the certainty of this Author's doctrine) to be ungrateful towards her, who has given me some taste and knowledge of true Medicine and Surgery. I know well that many who wish to be superior in these faculties will cry out and greatly revile this doctrine, calling it heretical and beyond the bounds of all reason; and that it is a new, absurd, feigned, false thing, which they have never seen, heard, or read, as if everything depended on their foolish ignorance. But it is quite evident that true doctrine and Philosophy have always been pursued by a crowd of those who want to be seen as what they are not, nor wish to be. I call them, along with our Author, hypocrites, which any person of good judgment can easily judge for themselves by their works, which will be the great detriment and ruin of the republic, showing how far such physicians and surgeons are today from the true and perfect ancient Medicine, which was devoid of all ambition. As evidenced by the letter from Hippocrates to the Persian King Artaxerxes, he refused, out of true charity and love for his homeland, all treasures, honors, and goods, valuing wisdom and knowledge more precious than gold. On the contrary, today's physicians, concerned only with profit, care little for the true foundation of Medicine, and are satisfied if they can be honored by the great and richly paid, not caring at all to engage in the knowledge of true remedies and their preparations. For it is enough today to be a physician (so much has the people been deceived for several hundred years) to be well dressed, with fingers full of rings, with a solemn gravity, and to quote some words of Latin, Avicenna, or Galen, in unknown terms to be more admired by the onlookers. As for the rest, they throw all the responsibility onto the Apothecaries, who are made of the same cloth and flour as their doctors. Indeed, the diligence of our ancestors and first teachers and masters was quite different, as they were not content with just the knowledge of Philosophy, Astrology, Medicine, and Surgery, but also took pains and effort to know and understand the nature of all simple and composite things, from which (not by the hand of others as is done now, but with their own hands) they composed the medicines they used. They themselves gave or applied these medicines to the sick, observing their operation and success, without wanting to rely on the accounts of the bystanders or the patient. This was the reason why they only wanted to have three or four patients at a time to attend to. It was also the motivation for them to travel a large part of the world, without fearing danger, labor, expense, or even their health, to hear the diversity of Philosophers and their doctrines, and to learn, test, and find countless species of simple remedies and medicines, by which they could remedy the defects of the human body. Such, then, was the way to achieve the degree of true perfection by the ancients, before Hippocrates and up to his time. However, after him, it began (as our Author testifies in other places) to decline and degenerate, for the Greeks mostly descended from the noblest part to the most rough and elementary, in which Galen particularly excelled above all others. So, since the said time of Hippocrates (of whom we should remember), we have had nothing of good, true, or perfect teaching, neither in Medicine nor Surgery, until the time of our Author, whom we must believe to have been raised by our Lord, who filled him with his graces. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have known and understood what he wrote in all disciplines: for in Philosophy he wrote more than 236 volumes, in Medicine well 60 to 70, in Astrology as many, and a great number of others in Theology and Political Justice. I still leave aside those in natural Magic and other arts. And he never wanted to rest but always to travel, watch, write, search, and experiment with everything, in everything, and everywhere to find the true foundation of all arts and sciences, especially Medicine and Surgery. And it is found that he cured what others considered incurable, such as Epilepsy, Dropsy, Apoplexy, Leprosy, Cancer, Lupus, Noli me tangere or tumor, and their like, with such dexterity and brevity of time, and without accidents, dissections, or pain, that the unlearned and astonished at their opinions have held him in great hatred, and declared him an enchanter or magician. This I hold and confess as well, not as they understand it, but of true and natural magic, flowing from the pure Cabalistic fountain, which is the one that was so highly prized and recommended by the ancient and holy fathers, who, with great reverence, were called magi by this same name.

In the year 1539, while I was on my way to Russia through the country of Livonia, I arrived at a monastery to lodge, where I stayed for two days, to visit some books of an old library that remained there since the desolation of the said monastery due to the sect. Among these, I found two fragments of the works of Machaon and Podalirius (belonging to a good old father who did not want to part with them, even though I offered him enough money), which dealt entirely with the form and manner of discipline like that of our author. Therefore, whatever his ill-wishers say, I know and believe for certain that it is not a new doctrine that he is suggesting to us, but ancient, pure, and true. And the one we have today is sophistic and completely corrupted by the imposture of the said hypocrites. This fact was attested to me these days when I was writing these presents by the very learned and great admirer of the said Paracelsus, Ioannes Scultetus Montanus of Strigonie, a distinguished physician and surgeon, saying that the said Paracelsus is now held in such esteem by Poland, Transylvania, Moravia, Greece, Athens, and Damascus, which are flourishing universities at this time, that no other doctrine is taught there but his own. Moreover, he, who has seen and read most of his works, among others, sees some that he has dedicated to the said University of Athens. Now, as nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed, and nothing is concealed that shall not be finally known, it has pleased our Lord God Almighty that the time has now come for the true and perfect Medicine and Surgery to be brought to light and restored to use. And the sick should no longer be so unfortunately deceived by a host of impostors and swindlers, apothecaries, febrifuges, masons, cobblers, weavers, goldsmiths, etc., who, unable to live off their trade or having squandered their patrimony and often that of their wives in wicked ways or otherwise, are not ashamed to be called doctors by the poor abused people. And to better play their farce, just as jugglers disguise themselves and often pose as kings or princes, which we know well they are not, this rabble shows themselves adorned with garments of silk or velvet, and their fingers well adorned. And with such pretense, they deceive people, to whom they make believe that they have learned their art from some Jewish, Tartar, Egyptian, or Saracen, or that they have, at great expense, recovered some book where they may find their murders and poisons, which they administer without any respect or limitation indiscriminately to everyone. This is, as I believe, the greatest scourge that God could send to the world, for what is more noble or more precious to man than his life or health? If a man wants to build a house, he consults with carpenters and masons; if he wants to make a dress, he consults with the tailor without asking advice from the shoemaker. Moreover, they cannot get involved unless it is first established by proper examination and experience that they are suitable for the task. But when it comes to health or life, people turn to an old gossip, a witch, a weaver, a goldsmith, a cobbler, or a wretched scoundrel who may have been an executioner somewhere else, and it suffices that he knows how to babble and chatter to the satisfaction of the gossip who brings him the urine sample. The gossip must be careful not to tell him anything about the patient's condition, but rather, he must reveal the age, sex, illness, when it began, when it will end, and even more ridiculously, from which village the sample was brought, all by inspecting the urine. If he does not do all of this and is not able to wrap them up in his lies and deceitful words, he is not a good master. Such impostors know this all too well, for that is their entire study, care, and concern, in order to snatch the money from good people. It would certainly be the magistrate's responsibility to look into such excesses and murders and to root out such plagues from the republic, by ensuring that such donkeys cannot continue to miserably kill or at least mutilate people without facing correction and punishment.

For it was not enough for these ignorant, greedy runners and vagabonds to infect Medicine, but they also violently profaned Surgery (which are such sacred, noble, and liberal arts, requiring knowledge and understanding of so many other serious sciences and disciplines) by claiming to be professionals in it. There is no accident, no matter how strange, difficult to cure, or even incurable, that they do not brazenly promise and assure they can heal. However, this is always provided that some sum of money is given to them upfront, as they say, for expenses, which they will never return even if the patient receives no relief from them. And the uneducated and ignorant people delight in such deceivers and allow themselves to be so abused, not only with their money but also with their health and very often their lives, which they risk as if they had three or four more lives stored away. These abusers have reached such a level of insolence that even some superiors have been deceived and tricked by them, allowing them to practice their deceptions, even granting them licenses in some places. They are vigilant in obtaining these licenses so that they can more freely deceive the general public in other locations.

Abandon these deceptions, O Surgeon, and make haste to learn what is necessary for someone who wants to be considered a good master so that, through true charity, you can attend to the needs of your fellow human beings. I assure you that you will find an abundance of this knowledge in this book, as much as you will need, for daily accidents, and for the perfection of true, complete, and perfect Medicine. I hope that, through the help of our good friend mentioned above, Ioannes Scultetus Montanus, and other knowledgeable and diligent people, you will have access to the rest of the works of our Author (in which we will also spare no effort to help you). I know that when you read them, if you do not have a completely brutal and uncultivated understanding, you will find in them such a honey-sweet and flavorful sweetness of truth that you will immediately cast aside the deceptions of Avicenna, Mesue, Lanfranc, Guido de Vigo, and countless other barbarians who have miserably soiled and contaminated this sacred and holy art, wallowing in it like pigs in the mud. Practice and experiment before you judge, and you will not find yourself frustrated. I can testify to this, having tried it out myself, practicing Surgery with my own hands on various people and in different regions such as Livonia, Russia, Sweden, Wandalia, France, and in these Low Countries of ours. I have always found his advice to be better than that of Galen, Celsus, Aegineta, Mesue, Hippocrates, etc., because their foundation is not based on truth.

Do not be surprised if our author speaks in this work of some things that have been unknown to us until now, such as the recovery of certain substances. For example, balm, which has always been believed to grow only in Egypt, in a village called Materée, which is half a league from the great Cairo. This is false, as this shrub can also be found in certain mountains of Austria and Germany, as well as the true terra sigillata, and also Gammahi, some of which I have found near Louvain and Brussels. These things were previously ignored due to negligence in inquiry and lack of knowledge. We have seen in our time something of lesser esteem and importance, namely the true Scordeon, which was not known here, and yet I could show full meadows of it. It used to be sold very expensively in small amounts by some who claimed to bring it from Italy, but they gathered it right outside our doors. Wasn't it a great shame for our ancestors to have ignored such an obvious thing that they trod underfoot, which is so clearly described by Dioscorides? And yet, there are still some so stubborn that they cannot be persuaded to recognize it. However, they want to instruct others because of their title of Doctor, which is even more intolerable. There are some who have never treated a wound or ulcer or barely managed to make a plaster, yet they meddle with teaching and reading or giving lessons to surgeons and barbers. Isn't it a monstrous and ridiculous thing to want to teach what one has never practiced? For truly, surgery does not consist only of speculation or theory but mainly of experience and practice. If a surgeon, therefore, encounters any difficulty, they should seek the advice of a physician who is also a surgeon, not in their books, but in their actions and experience.

These considerations have encouraged me, benevolent reader, to take on the task of translating this work from the high German of the author into our French language, so that it may be known to everyone, and that everyone may be guided by it, and through true charity and love for their neighbor, provide help for the accidents and needs of the sick. I know that you will not find great eloquence, grace, or ornament of rhetoric or language in this translation, as I have followed the author's meaning as closely as possible, without always following their phrasing or rendering word for word, which would be impossible given the great diversity between these two languages. However, I have endeavored not to omit anything that is part of the author's meaning. And if you find this work pleasing, it will motivate me to soon present you with other works by the same author, no less admirable and fruitful. May God protect you. From Brussels on the 10th day of July, in the year 1566.

¶ Neither hastily, nor rashly.