from the ambient earth Hence it appeareth that the most convenient season for collecting of roots is the Spring-time immediatly before they put forth new leaves or stems And I am confident that Mr. Culpeper never eated Parsneeps but in winter though he did it not for this reason Let the judicious Reader consider if this be not a very clear hinting at the reason of that assertion of Mr. Culpepers chap. 1. of leaves of herbs or trees which he who wrote as before in the Epistle doth most impudently set down without any reason subjoyned unto it in these words The leaves of such herbs as run up to seed are not so good when they are in slower as before some few excepted the leaves of which are seldom or never used But here Mr. Culpeper seemeth to answer for such omissions in that learned and compleat Method of Physick by these words concerning the book in his Epistle to the Reader In mine if you view it with the eye of reason you shall see a reason for every thing that is written But these words do rather pre-require more reason in the Reader than is in the book In the second place take notice how he commendeth this his book You read before that in the Title-page he calleth it A compleat method of physick and in the Epistle to the Reader he writeth thus The prosit and benefits arising from it or that may accreu unto a wise man from it are many so many that should I sum up all the particulars the Epistle would be aâ— big aâ— the Book and then he reduceth all to three general heads which no man but he who hath the forementioned eye of reason and can bring-but that which is not there-benn will be able to discover Mr. Culpeper his sounding forth his own praises after this manner and his frequent satyrical reflections upon others doth directly transgress that excellent precept which Dionysius Cate gave to his Son Officium alterius multis narrare memento Atque aliis cum tu beneseceris ipse siteto As also the more considerable sentences of the holy Ghost Prov. 27.2 Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth 2 Cor. 10.18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved If he had remembred that the coats and garments which Dorcas made in her life-time did commend her frugality most after her death Acts 9.39 he would have been more sparing in penning and causing print such commendations of his own writings in his life-time and rather have reserved them for to have been enlargements or flesh and sinews to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Ghost which was printed after his death In the third place take notice that though Mr. Culpeper in his Epistle to the Reader did reprehend Gerard Perkinson c. for never giving one wise reason for what they wrote c. yet all along through the book he doth most confidently take upon him to determine the degrees of heat and coldness or driness and moistness of herbs according as did the most fabulous writers who were the first authors of such like traditions Take this one instance as the most considerable because a part of that discourse which in the Epistle he calleth the Key of the whole book which savoureth of most presumptuous considence and reasonless tradition and it is concerning Worm-wood of which he writeth thus it is hot and dry in the first degree viz. just as hot as your blood and no hotter Should such a Critick have so peremptorily asserted without giving any reason for it at least should he not have prefixed to his book a rational rule for discovering the temperaments of herbs in general seing all others who wrote before him concerning herbs did assert the like and never gave the least shadow of reason for it Surely he had a good opportunity for the doing of this in his Key to Galens method of physick subjoyned to his Translation of the London Dispensatory sect 1. where he writeth of the temperature of Medicines in general and where he hath a discourse not exceeding eight lines in 8 vo neither assording two grains of instruction to the Reader Fourthly let the judicious Reader consider what he hath written at large concerning Wormwood which discourse he called the Key of the whole book and in the close of it he calleth it a Jewel more worth than a Diamond and asserteth that in the words of it lies a Key which will unlock the cabinet of Physick for as Mr. Culpeper wrote concerning some places of Scripture translated into English It would make a man sick to see it being a discourse stuffed with variety of most ridiculous impertinencies particularly where he saith that where Dr. Reason dwells not Dr. Madness dwelleth and Dr. Madness bringeth in Dr. Ignorance Dr. Felly Dr. Sickness and Dr. Death You must excuse my not meddling with any thing in his writings which is astrological For I acknowledge my self not to be sufficiently acquainted with the principles of that Art and therefore do refer him unto others Only I will say this that if his Astrology in Medicinals be no better than it and the Astrology of others more famous than he was in Politicks in the time of the Commonwealth when Monarchy was said to be eternally exiled from Great Britain by all the powers of the heavens they will mis-spend their time who will take the pains to read Concerning his great skill in the Pharmacopoetical art which he endeavoureth to manifest in his Translation of the London Dispensatory and Chapters subjoyned unto his English Physician I will only say this that whosoever shall compare those his writings with the ingenious and learned Animadversions of Dr. John Zuelfer upon the Augustan Dispensatory will be soon convinced that an Apprentice of one years standing would have written as well if not better than he did Take now a demonstration of his matchless impudence which is this in his Translation of the London Dispensatory when he describeth the virtues of the Vinegar of Squills prefixing his own name to them he doth it according to Galen his words which he had stollen either out of Galens own works or else from the Augustan Dispensatory Yet notwithstanding of this he had so much impudent confidence as a little after to challenge the learned Physicians of London for stealing the prescript of the Lochoch of Purslain from Ausberg and then addeth these ridiculous and scurrilous words you shall shortly hear the Augustan Physicians come with how and cry after the Colledge and cry stop theeves Let others remember this proverb which he forgot Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum Before I conclude I will acquaint you with this true story An able Physician of our Nation being demanded by one of Mr. Culpepers disciples if he had read any of Mr. Culpepers works answered I thaâ—k God I never had so much leisure as to do it It having been my misfortune to have some leisure for that end I
thing promised in the Title-page that the world can hardly produce another like it so that the old saying Parturiunt montes which contain those Mines and Minerals may be the motto of its Frontispiece and Nascitur ridiculus mus its Post-script Before I pass from this purpose I will give you a taste of Mr. Culpeper his found divinity and abilities in applying and interpreting of some passages of the holy Scriptures As 1. in his Treatise of Aurum Potabile pag. 3. he writeth thus Truly we considering how mysteriously God by his Spirit hath penned the Scripture to the sons of men that none but his own chosen ones understand the mysteries of it have ceased to question the integrity of Philosophers in penning such ridles meaning their writings concerning the Philosophers stone Aurum potabile c. that prophesie Isa 6.9,10 which is so often repeated in the New Testament must be verified Go unto this people and say hearing you shall hear but not understand and seeing you shall see but not perceive c. Let the judicious Readers who have any knowledge of the Scriptures consider whether or not that Prophesie was penned only or at all in relation to the writings of these Philosophers as his words do clearly import especially seing the Apostle Paul applyeth them more yea only spiritually Act. 28.25,26,27 2. Page 9. of the same Book from these words Gen. 3.22,23,24 The Lord turned man out of the garden lest he should eat of the tree of life and live for ever and he placed in the garden cherubims and a flaming sword which turneth every way to keep the tree of life he inferreth as very probable these conclusions 1. That the place of the garden is still probably remaining and sure he meaneth in it's primitive integrity because Angels had been but a feeble guard if they could not have keeped out a little water viz. at the flood of Noah when all the high hills that were under heaven were covered fifteen cubits upward Gen. 7.19,20 2. That the bodies of Enoch and Elias may be there It is admirable that he would not give Moses a place amongst them possibly because being the only chief Magistrat amongst the Israelites he looked too like to a King but it is more probable that if the garden of Eden was the Coemitery of Enoch and Elias that there also God buried Moses and that the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor where God buried Moses Deut. 34,6 was the garden But it becometh no man to study wisdom in the matters of God above what is written and far less did it beseem Mr. Culpeper to doubt if not contradict those Scriptures 2 King 2.11 at the end And Elijah went up by a whirlewind into heaven Heb. 11.5 Enoch was translated that he should not see death 3. Page 11. He writeth thus We read Gen. 5.3 that Adam begat a son in his own likeness that is as we understand not of pure and temperat Elements of which he was created but of corrupted and mixed Elements as if at his first creation of temperat Elements they had not been mixed and therefore mortal This rare Divine alloweth no spiritual meaning unto those words It is more probable than any of these his opinions that an Assembly of the most ignorant Divines in the English Commonwealth wherein he lived which licenced his impudent Pen to scrible would have rejected him as insufficient for translating or interpreting of the Scriptures unto them In the next place take notice of his treasonable and scandalous expressions whereby he spoke evil of Dignities mocking at their afflictions in the day of their calamity and so in a superlative manner transgressing that command Obadiah 13. I shall pass by with silence those of them with which he larded his Almanacks when the Sun-like glory of Monarchy was eclipsed by the opacous Republican Parliament whose inconsiderable and base constituent atoms had no splendor but what was communicat unto them at first by the King the fountain of all honour and desire you only to notice such of them as were his most christian and charitable meditations in relation to the fifth Commandment when he was bidding farewell to the world viz. when he was penning that Pamphlet which he entituled Culpepers Ghost In the second and twelfth pages whereof he writeth such unchristian treasonable and scandalous expressions as cannot be mentioned without committing the like crimes and therefore I must forbear to insert them here referring you to his own writings and in these few words only give you my verdict of them Notwithstanding that Solomon the wisest of men who was inspired by the Spirit of God did affirm Prov. 28.2 For the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof and chap. 30.21 When a servant reigneth the earth is disquieted and cannot bear it yet Mr. Culpeper was so foolish and hasty in his words Prov. 29.20 as to mock at the father of the state Prov. 30.17 and not be afraid of the judgment there threatned The Supream Magistrat of the Vniverse having put an happy end unto the long and Cimmerian dark night of Anarchy wherein such fiery meteors did appear in our Brittish Horizon but were not able to change the coats and far less the hearts of one truly loyal person I shall not determine their altitude in the region of Rebellion but only offer unto you some of the sanctuaries measuring Reeds by which you may do it your selvs Titus 3.1,2 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers and to obey Magistrats c. Exodus 22.28 Acts 23.5 Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people Ecclesiastes 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought c 2 Peter 2.9,10,11,12,13 1 Peter 3.10 James 3. to ver 11. I shall conclude this purpose with those three sentences of Gods Word which a good Poet might convert into a most pertinent Epitaph upon Mr. Culpeper Prov. 21.24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath Pov. 10.31 But the froward tongue shall be cut off Pro. 12.19 But a lying tongue is but for a moment Take now some of his most christian and charitable complements which he passed upon the Physicians of the Colledge of London of whom many for their singular abilities and diligence in their business were honoured to stand before the King and Princes of the â—and In the second page of his Epistle to the Midwives of England he calleth the Physiceans a company of lazy Doctors most of whose covetousness outweighs their wits as much as a Mil-stone outweighs a feather And in the Epistle to the Reader of that same book who are they that cry out against Empyricks who The Colledge of Physicians And why do they so they kill men for waâ— of judgment and who is the cause of this themselves forsooth for if they taught men the true rules of physick is any man so madd as to practice false ones I
have given you a taste only of what I found in such of his writings as providence did throw into my hands And all that ever I learned from them is this which I look upon as the Corollary of this discourse Mr. Culpepers writings are only either other mens writings which he hath translated into English or collections out of other mens works which he hath deformed with malicious scurrilous detracting and railing expressions and studied to beautifie with some ridiculous and sometimes impertinent jests So that that sentence which you will find in the Epistle to the Reader prefixed to his Translation of the London Dispensatory may be most pertinently applyed unto himself mutatis mutandis A Physician riding passing in Plush Print and not one grain of wit more than was printed before he was born By these words he doth well condemn those who rest satisfied with what is already discovered and known unto all and press not forward unto new discoveries which ought to be the only exercise of the Scholars especially Physicians of our age wherein is abundance of most excellent books already published concerning all subjects and yet there was never a scribler in the world which made the Press ruminat more to little or no purpose than he did For a conclusion to this discourse I will answer one great objection wherewith I will very probably be troubled hereafter which is this since Mr. Culpeper his death his relict Mrs. Alice Culpeper hath in print by way of Epistle renounced many books of her Husbands printed in his life-time one whereof called Culpepers last Legacy c she denieth to have been written by him because it is not written according to her Husbands lofty and masculine stile and in such a solemn valediction he could not possibly have forgot his wonted respects to the Colledge some whereof we have mentioned before to whom he did so frequently address himself in â—ivers of his writings and others of them are in Epistles subscribed by him self viz. the English Physician and Directory for Midwives which I have seen alledged to be very falsely printed and to contain many gross mistakes So that those passages which I have before mentioned out of his writings and particularly that ridiculous assertion concerning Barrenness in his Directory for Midwives Book 3. Sect. 3. at the end printed 1652. but left out of those which were since printed The words are these I will tell you no more than I have known tryed the cure is easie and was done by the man only who could not give his wife due benevolence making water through his wives wedding Ring so there was one superstition helped another may possibly be alledged to be such mistakes as he or rather she in his name did dis-own For answer 1. I conceive that it is a gross reslection upon her Husband to make people believe that he was such a fool as could not keep his papers till they had gone to the Press with his own knowledge 2. It is probable that when Mistris Culpeper shall die some of her relations will in her name renounce that Epistle of hers which I found prefixed to the English Physician the Treatise of Aurum Potabile and the Directory for Midwives all reprinted 1656 after his death because she would not have been so much unchristian as to have denied that book Culpepers last Legacy to be her Husbands especially because it containeth none of his wonted respects to the Colledge which were nothing but most unchristian and scurrilous railings against men by serving of whom he would have been honoured but he was ever so foolish as to forsake this mercy Having called to remembrance that Distichon of Cato's Contra verbosos noli contendere verbis Sermo datur cunctis animi sapientia paâ—…cis I will proceed no further Farewell POSTSCRIPT TO CULPEPERS GHOST Animula vagula I am confident that since thy arrival at the Elysian fields and conference with so many able scrutators of natures mysteries as are mentioned in thy book entituled Culpepers Ghost thou hast attained the knowledge of such things as thou wast not well acquainted with in this world as appeareth from thy expressions page 5. and 6. concerning Chymistrie and therefore I will propose unto thee some Querees to which I desire thee to return answers with the first Post Quer. 1. What is it in the Netle which at the first touch offendeth a mans hand and sudainly vesicateth the skin seing Cantharides do vesicat as strongly though not so soon All that you have said of this in your English Physician which in the Epistle to the Reader you assirmed to contain a reason for every thing that is written is this Nettles are so well known that they need no description at all they may be found by feeling in the darkest night Quer. 2. Why Cantharides which do vesicat but slowly are so prejudicial to nature when immoderatly used not only internally but also externally as appeareth from their inimical operation upon the Bladder and yet Nettles which vesicat so sudainly do no harm when used as a good Pot-herb Quer. 3. Why the decoction of Nettles provoketh the Menstrua seing the juyce of the leaves stayeth bleeding at the mouth as you affirmed in your English Physician without giving any reason for averting the challenge of improbability Quer. 4. Why the sensitive plant contracteth it self at the touch of man Quer. 5. Why recent Red Roses being boyled amongst Oyl do not communicat their redness unto the Oyl as Chamomel doth its greenness Quer 6. Why the eyes of a Cat and the flesh of many fishes arâ— luminous in the dark seing the most scintillent Diamond is defficient in this Quer. 7. Why the flesh of fresh-water fishes are not at all luminous in the dark Quer. 8. Why the spirits of Sulphur and Vitriol do intend the redness of the Tincture of Roses when extracted by warm water Quer. 9. Why the smoak of inflamed Brimstone maketh a recent Red-rose of a white colour when held unto it Quer. 10. Why the Oyl of Tartar being instilled into the said Tincture or put upon the whitned Rose destroyeth the redness of the one and maketh both contract a green colour Quer. 11. Why the Tincture of Red-roses having a little Allum dissolved into it and tasted by a man maketh his spittle of a green colour seing the Allum did not alter the colour of the Tincture Quer. 12. Why Dogs which take much pleasure in killing of wilde fowls or in serving such as kill them with Guns as Plivers c. will eat none of their flesh or bones Quer. 13. Why doth not the Sugar of Syrups made of acide juyces as of Limons Sorrel c. crystallize after they have been boyled too much as the Sugar of other Syrups viz. the Syrup of Violets pale Roses c. Quer. 14. What is it in Aloe which is so eminently astringent and stoppeth the slux of blood when externally applyed to wounds seing it is very
our unto men and then to subjoyn the Spagyricall description of them Six years ago a valetudenary Rustick as I was credibly informed who was accustomed to make an anniversary it neration to the Wells at Bramtton as he was travelling through Annandale he felt a smell like to that of Brampton wells which made him walk contrary to the wind following the smell brought thereby and then upon the top of a little Rock which nature hath scituated north-wards and at the distance of one mile from Moffet which was covered with mire and clay he discovered two little Spring-wells the neather and biggest whereof is distant from the steep Rock by whose side runneth a little Burn into which the Water descendeth about two or three foot and the upper about six or seven When experience had induced him to believe that these Waters were in their qualities and operations most like unto the Waters of Brampton he recommended them to his friends and acquaintance asserting that they were enriched with the like and many other virtues So that within twelve moneths after all sorts of sick persons did begin to resort unto them and that from all places of the Country The manifold commendations which I did every where hear uttered concerning their virtues and effects did beget in me a longing desire after a sight and tryal of them especially seing I could never hear from any of a reason for the vulgar opinion concerning them Two years are not yet expired since the Earl of Hartfield to whose former titles of honour His Majesty since His happy restoration to the Government of this His ancient Kingdom hath added the Title of Annnadale because of his Lordship and his Ancestors their singular Loyalty was pleased to command the dressing of the Wells So that the entry into them is much bettered and their diversity is made more perspicuous by the removal of the clay and the surrounding of them with a wall The stones of the upper Well are white and crystalline and the neather hath blackish stones not much unlike unto the markasite of Antimony Thus you have the Topographicall description Let us proceed unto the Spagyricall The limpide Waters of the Wells of Moffet are impregnat with the putide Sulphur of Antimony Nitre and natural Salt-Amoniack We shall 1. illustrat this assertion 2. Prove it's verity by the strength of reason and experiments 3. We shall manifest the falshood of the common opinion 4. answer some objections and 5 give some rules concerning the use of the Water And first of all we say that water which is impregnat with Nitre doth extract the Sulphur of Antimony whil'st it passeth through an Antimomonial Mine 2. As this water which is impregnat with the Sulphur of Antimony passeth through other veins of the Earth it encountreth some Salt-Amoniack or Salt which by coagulation cometh of the Urines of the almost innumerable Beasts which live in the circum-jacent Moors for the artificial Salt-Amoniack is made of the Urineâ— of Beasts which produceth a precipitation indigestion and putide smell into the Sulphur through it's suddain fermentation I will now prove the verity of the assertion And 1. I say that the assertion is most probable because the water wherewith the Saffran of Mettals Crâ—cus Metallorum which is Antimony calcined with Nitre was washed that is wherein it was for a long time boyled hath the same smell that the Water of Moffet-Wells hath when some drops of Aqua-regia which is made of Aqua-fortis and Salt-amoniack are instilled into it Now the smell of the water of the Wells is most like to the smell of the dross of powder which remaineth in Guns which have been often shot 2. This artificial Water tinctureth Silver as the water of the Wells do 3. In this water precipitateth the putide Sulphur of Antimony which is redish-yellow or rather the Antimonial atoms wherein the foresaid Sulphur doth reside And the stones of the Upper-well are covered with a matter very much resembling the same 4. The stones of the Neather-well are a little coloured like Antimony and some of them do contain a metallick like matter which doth scintillat almost like unto Antimony 5. As the Water of the Neather-well descendeth into the preterlabent rivolet a matter whitish and salinous and without doubt Nitrous wherein the diuretick virtue of the Water resideth doth attach it self unto the rocks 6. There appeareth no such matter upon the rocks by which the water of the Upper-well descendeth because the saltish and scintillating stones of the Well have already detained and separated the same from the Water 7. It is hence probable that the Sulphur of the Upper-well will evaporat sooner then that of the Neather because it 's Water containeth but little salt which should detain the evaporating Sulphur for salt detaineth Sulphur and the smell proceedeth from the evaporating Sulphur as shall afterwards be proven 8. Before the evaporation of the Sulphur the water doth not depose its salt upon the rocks else it would be attached to the very inmost stones of the Neather-well which is false as well as to the outmost 9. The whitish stones of the Upper-well are nitrous and Antimonial for when their double quantity of Nitre is added to them and they afterwards calcined in a Mortar they take flame after the same manner that Antimony calcined with Nitre doth and become like unto Diaphoretick Antimony 10. Whilst this mixture is a calcining it melteth and boileth as Allom cast upon a hot Iron and contracteth great saltness and acrimony 11. When I was calcining one of those white stones gifted by a friend with its anatick quantity of Nitre and when I had caused pulverize the same and mixed it with fountain water there did immediatly arise a smell most like to that of the Wells 12. When a little destilled Vinegar is instilled into the water wherewith the Saffran of Mettals was washed the like smell and precipitation are produced and this mixture doth inquinat Silver with the colour of Copper 13. The putide sulphur of the water of Moffet-Wells doth still evaporat so that within few dayes the most limpide water is left destitute of all smell 14. The putide sulphur of the artificial water doth likewise evaporat yea the simple water without Vinegar wherewith the Saffran of Mettals was washed becometh destitute of all putide sulphur when it is preserved for the space of three or four months because it doth evaporat out of the alien humide body and relinquisheth the antimonial atoms wherein it did reside separable by precipitation upon the copious affusion of fountain water 15. From whence proceedeth the vomitive and purgative virtue of the water if not from Antimony We do therefore reject the common opinion viz. That the fore-mentioned water runneth through mineral sulphur or Brimstone and that it borroweth its putide smell from it But seing Dr. Andrew Baccius a Roman Physician in his fourth Book of hot Baths and sixth Chapter entituled Concerning places or
water that are abominable in either taste or smell saith that there are two general causes of all thâ— stink of terrestrial things whereof the one is pâ—…se as they say by the mixture of a thing naturally putide and the other accidental and by way of rottenness and doth presently subjoyâ—… That almost the whole substance of Sulphur by which me thinks he can understand no other thing than Brimstone consisteth in a rotten smell and that the mixture of it with earth or water is the first and general cause of all abominable smell and taste yea of natural rottenness as he writeth a little after but that the second cause of any stink is putrefaction which is contrary to digestion and concoction as saith Aristotle viz. the corruption and indigestion of the proper and natural temperament caused by external heat In answer to which we reply 1. There is no body naturally putide For that stinking smell which is called putor is the ingrate smell which proceedeth originally from the foresaid rottenness or putrefaction wherein the substance of Brimstone cannot consist seing that putor is only a quality and accident of a body Now nature did never produce any kind of body naturally stained with any such spot as rottenness is But that the loathsome smell called putor doth proceed only from rottenness by the Latines called putrede and that the name putor is only given to its ingrate smell hence appeareth in that the multitude of Authors do call bodies which are naturally indued with an ingrate smell nor putide but fetide as Assa foetida Atriplex foetida c. whose foetor or stink is a good and medicinal quality by nature conferred upon them and not a quality consisting in the corruption and indigestion of their natural and proper temperaments by external heat But they call Vlcers whose ingrate smell proceedeth from the corruption of the natural temperament by putrefaction putidâ— and never fetide as doth Senuertus Tom. 3. lib. 5. pag. 2. chap. 5. at the beginning and through the whole Chapter he calleth these Vlcers which he describeth putride and never fetide And Weckerus Syntax Medic. utriusque lib. 3. pag. 743. concerning the curing of external diseases and in particular of the sordide and putride Vlcer He calleth an Vlcer that putrifieth the member sordide putrified and putride although he saith that from such an Vlcer ariseth a fetide and cadaverous smell which we think improperly called fetide seing it is not natural but hath its original from putrefaction 2. Brimstone that is not inflamed hath scarcely any smell and that smell which it hath is not ingrate Therefore the whole substance almost of Brimstone doth not consist in an natural stink called foetor much less in a preter-natural called putor especially seing it is a natural and terrestrial mixed body and a proper species or kind intended by nature as the same Author confesseth in the beginning of the second Chapter of the same Book 3. We shall hermetically explain the forementioned putrefaction which the Author hath aristotelically described by saying that the putrefaction of any body taketh its rise from the fermentation thereof As for example When the recent Vrine of a man or Flesh which hath never been salted or keeped for the space of one month 〈◊〉 longer whilst they are fermenting they putrifie that is the dâ—gested or concocted Sulphur being by the internal Mercury and the external heat inciting it solved from the rest of the Elements it beginneth to become indigested and to evaporat that is to evanish and then beginneth putrefaction and the putide smell from the action of the Air upon the evaporating and recrudescing Sulphur for where there is almost no combustible or perfectly digested Sulphur as in some Minerals and Mettals there is no fermentation nor putrefaction From what hath been said it may appear that fermentation is twofold 1. When by the strength of the internal Mercury and external heat the confused and naturally mixed elements of a body existing in its natural estate as of recent Vrine and such like are solved and separated from one another For the solved recrudescing and evaporating Sulphur of fermented Vrine and Flesh savoureth unpleasantly And the sulphureous spirit of fermented Wine is separated from the salt contained in the Tartar and the Tartar is separated from the rest when it is attached to the sides of the vessel And fermented Wine savoureth because of the evaporating Sulphur whereas Wine whilst it is in the Grapes savoureth not because it is not fermented neither containeth eveporating Sulphur 2. When many bodies fermented as before are united by an humide body they are by the strength of the internal composed Mercury and of the external heat brought under one dominion and power and all their qualities and properties which are naturally distinct do by a new fermentation unite as it were in one new quality which nevertheless may afterwards be separated by defermentation whilst the body is putrifying as when different meats and drinks are changed into Chyle and when of so many simpleâ— fermented as before sudorifick Treacle is made which in process of time will putrifie For the virtues of the ingredients of recent Treacle are really distinct and each of them attempteth operation after their proper manners before fermentation and then Treacle is exhibited with less success then afterwards when it is sufficiently fermented And this was the reason why Banderâ—n asserteth that within ten years the frigidity of Opium and Hyosciamus is overcome by the calidity of the rest of the medicaments And therefore Philonium Romanum whose composition they enter is of little or no virtue And the Opiat called Aurea Alexandrina should not be made use of until it be six months old because the strength of the Opium doth predomine and the fermentation is not yet ended You will find these things in his Pharmacopoeia But you would observe by the way that putrefaction doth not arise in every fermentation but in that only wherein is 1. much recrudescing Sulphur as in Electuaries both liquid and solide whose compositions Almonds the greater Cold seeds commonly so called but which yet are really though temperatly hot for there is nothing cold wherein Sulphur doth abound And that the truth of this may be unquestionable I shall only add this that the intense heat of Mustard doth mainly if not only exist in its abundant Sulphur or Oyl whereof it containeth so much as will in few dayes wet a sheet of paper as if it were dipped in Oyl wherein its pouder is keeped and the difference betwixt the taste of this Sulphur and that of the forementioned seeds proceedeth only from the different degrees of heat proceeding from the different degrees of concoction and such like do enter for such become soon rancide and do putrifie because they contain almost no Salt for fixing of the Sulphur and prohibiting its recrudescence 2. Or where there is much superfluous humidity which inquinateth the Sulphur as in
seem to be enriched by reason of the acrimony of their taste resembling that of the Balsam of Brimstone which is esteemed one of the best Ant-asthmatick medicines which we have and is best known unto our Aesculapian sons and servants by the name of Dr. Macullochs Balsam because that learned and expert Physician to his Majesty King James the sixth of glorious memory was the inventer of its more terss preparation whereof the antients were ignorant and which he left behind him unto us his Country-men 7. We shall propose and answer three questions one whereof is concerning Coals and the rest are concerning Oyls Quest 1. Why do not Coals yield a sixed salt when exposed to spagyrical resolution seing they are one of the kinds of minerals which do most abound in salt It is answered 1. that because they do not render this kind of salt it is not to be supposed that therefore they contain none of it for the whiteness of their ashes and their intense corrosive quality when converted into Lime by calcination with stones of their own nature as was said do sufficiently demonstrat the contrary ◠They do not yield any fixed-salt because when they are calcined their fixed-salt doth so corrode the metallick earth which they contain that it converteth the same with its self into a magisterial pouder from which as from the magisterial pouders of Pearls Corall Lead c. experience teacheth the impossibility of separating the corrosive salt 3. They afford no fixed-salt because they are of the nature of Lime-stones from which when converted into the most corrosive Lime it is impossible to extract any fixed-salt Teste Zuelfero Chymico expertissimo in Animaadversionibus suis in Appendice in Antidotorum Classem de salibus Theriacalibus Pharmacopoeiae Augustanae ab ipso ingeniosissimè reformatae pag. 276. colum 2. Quest 2. Why do some oyls perpetually descend unto the bottom of the water as some oyls which ar destilled by descension Ans These oyls being more crass than others are also more ponderous and therefore cannot be supported by water which is endued with more tenuity of parts but when these oyls are by reiterated destillations rectified and so deprived of these craster parts the water will support them Quest 3. Why do the most part of if not all oyls descend unto the lowest parts of sulphureous spirits as of Wine Barley c of an aqueous consistence Ans The tenuity of the spirit is the undeniable cause why it cannot support the more crass oyl unless it be in a most exile quantity which is most participant of its nature and properties For if you will mix some crass water with such a spirit it will then support the oyl to which it formerly denied that service Seing the curious Former of all things hath much embellished the superfice of our Scottish ground with so many mineral springs of different natures and richly enambled its bowels with such a variety of metallick markasites as is well known it is much to be regrated that so few have attempted the discovering of their natures or having made some progress in that adventured to expose their conceptions concerning either of them unto Fames fingering I know not if any of our Country-men have published any thing concerning our Mettals and it is to be feared that there will be little or nothing done to this purpose in haste seing it hath pleased the Almighty to put an end unto the dayes of that most learned and ingenious Mineralogist the Lord Hopton who died Dec. 1662. And according to my best knowledge there are only three who have written concerning our Mineral Springs The first is Dr. Moor present Professor of Medicine in the Vniversity of Aberdeen who published a little book concerning the Well of Peterhead in the year 1636. from which it is manifest that then though a student only of Medicine he was privy to many of the most excellent actions of Art and Nature The second is Dr. Anderson who wrote most learnedly upon the Cold-spring of King-horn in anno 1618. and in that his book mentioneth many rare springs wherewith Scotland is replenished and which we will here insert because that book is rare to be found The first is the spring which issueth from the top of Rattray-cave in the Barony of Slains whose water doth in a short time congele into a hard stone as saith our forecited Author also in his memorial of the most rare and wonderfull things of Scotland Our learned and ingenious Country-man Dr. Sylvester Rattray doth also make mention of this water in his book entituled Aditus novus ad occult as sympathiae Antipathiae causas inveniendaes Here you would take cotice of a story which will convince you of the possibility of this A Scottish Gentleman having been in France and there acquainted with another of that Country who it seemeth was curious to know the various and almost miraculous operations of Nature did inform him by writing concerning this Well and its water The French man returned him this answer I am sorry that you should think me such a fool as to believe such a Paradox as this is that water should in a short time be converted into a stone Whereupon our Country-man fearing least the other should think this a meer fiction he took the pains to set a glass under the droping water untill it became full and then he sent the glass unto him the water therein contained being converted into a stone A very ingenious argument for convincing so confident a Gain-sayer Secondly a spring of the same nature which himself did see in one of the vaults which were most curiously hewed out of a solide rock of Roslain-castle Thirdly two Wells in the Castle of Dumbarton distant two or three foots the one from the other the uppermost whereof springing from north to south yieldeth a very salt water the other running from south to north exhibiteth fresh water Fourthly the Mud-earth wells of Menteith Fifthly the Lady-well of Strathearn Sixthly the Lady-well of Ruthven-Seventhly this Oyly-well at St. Catharines Chappel The third is Mr. William Barclay whom Dr. Anderson stileth his very learned friend and old Parisien acquaintance and of whom he writeth that he would have all the effects of the Cold-spring of King-horn to proceed from Tinn c. So it is very probable that that Gentleman hath written something concerning that or some other spring And seing there are very many rare and admirable springs in several places of this Kingdom far distant from one another concerning which none hath as yet put pen to paper such as live near to any one of them would do well to attempt the discovering of their natures and virtues and then publish them for the good of others by the doing of which they would purchase unto themselves further access into natures Cabin where they would find greater discoveries of her manifold and great mysteries with the knowledge of which Providence hath decreed to inrich
resent my writing against a dead Man who is unable to answer for himself and so challenge me of baseness To this I answer that it appeareth Mr. Culpeper having astrologically foreseen that some would write against him after his death did pen that Pamphlet entituled Culpepers Ghost generously to excuse any that intended to do it and to excite others who inclined not to it and that he might not come short of them in the like work For it is impossible to exult so much over him after his death as he doth in that Pamphlet and others of his writings over others who were gone hence before his own birth Others will possibly condemn my noticeing and answering such scurrilous profane and unchristian expressions as are found in his writings and which no sober or wise man will care-for To these I answer that though it be impossible that he by being answered according to his folly can be rendered capable of being impeded from becoming wise in his own conceit yet such as survive him and are daily in his name printing books stuffed with such expressions as were familiar unto him may be taught this lesson It ought to be the lamentation of all who have any knowledge of the mysterious operations of sagacious Nature that there are so few who make it their study to discover more of her mysteries and that such as have made some progress in this work are so sparing in communicating their knowledge unto others especially in this age wherein there are so many who as Mr. Culpeper ever did offer nothing to the most delicat pallats but crambe recocta that is ov'r-nights Keal It is most probable that if Mr. Culpeper had been so far favoured by the heavenly powers as to have been made the first discoverer of the circulation of the blood as was the most learned and famous Dr. Harvey he would have made Aurum Potabile of it that is written of it to no purpose I am confident that the learned Dr. Thomas Willis considering the most laudable practices of Dr. Harvey in writing de Generatione Animalium Circulatione sanguinis and of Dr. Glisson in writing de Rachitide and that there are too many books already in the world writen concerning all subjects as they are already known did defer to employ the Press untill he had prepared something which would as all intelligent persons will acknowledge merit no small acceptation viz. his Diatribae duae Medico-Philosophicae de fermentatione febribus and his dissertatio epistolica de urinis which do demonstrat that he is one who maketh it his great study ingeniously to discover and candidely to communicat the knowledge of the mysteries of Art and Nature because à vulgari sententiâ tanquam via maximè trita paulisper recedens minus calcato insistens tramiti as he writeth in his Preface to his Diatriba de febribus But least this Epistle should become disproportionat to that to which it is presixed I will sum up all that I have to say in this request that you would put a favourable construction upon this attempt in doing of which you shall obliege Your cordial Well-wisher M. M. CULPEPER'S CHARACTER OR A CHARACTER of Mr. Culpeper and his Writings IT was by some reported of Cato that he never spake a word of which he had cause to repent and there are no doubt not a few who will say little less concerning what Mr. Culpeper hath wrote But such as believe what Solomon said Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin will easily be convinced that he who made so many motions in so many volumns which he wrote could not but make some trippings If Bishop Latimer was more cautious of what he said before his examiners when he heard the pen of another writing behind the hangings because literascripta manet and nescit vox missa reverti how much more cautious should Mr. Culpeper have been in writing with his own hand and thereafter publishing in print such things as were most reprehendible by any sober man as you will annon be convinced I will first mention such of his expressions as are most derogatory to the glory of God and prejudicial to his servants In the Epistle to the Reader prefixed to his book entituled A directory for Mid-wives he writeth thus In this world the devil hath his agents and their actions are to keep you in darkness Who are our jaylors I say Scholars and thus I begin to prove it in divinity they have given us a translation of the Bible such a one as it is all the proper names in Scripture they have given you in pure Hebrew names in an English character Pray do so much as read the four or five first Chapters of the first book of Chronicles and see what instruction you can find there And a little after he writeth of the Scripture thus When you want knowledge you know whether to go for it not to an idle Priest but to one that will not upbraid you far your labour Besides all this whole sentences in Scripture are so translated that â—t would make a man sick to see them Had not the Priests formerly absconded the mysteries of the truth from us Sermons would have been cryed about the streets for three halfpence a dozen By these expressions you may know how the pulse of his soul did beat at the writing of them For Solomon hath said Prov. 21.23 Who so keepeth his tongue keepeth his soul Surely then when the tongue raileth against God himself and his servants it argueth the soul at that time to be in a lamentable estate by reason of most depraved principles Without transgressing against the rules of charity Mr. Culpeper no doubt may be called the most audacious Momus of this our age wherein he lived in daring to vilisie that most exact translation of the holy Scriptures in such a parenthized expression and also to speak the worst of evils concerning Dignities as you shall hear hereafter I am confident that if he had been more diligent in searching the Scriptures like the Bereans Act. 17.11 for edification he would have found more instruction from these Chapters in the first book of Chronicles for by comparing them and the like places with Matth. 1. and Luke 3. he might according to the judgment of all Divines have understood that they were penned by the Holy Ghost chiefly for this end that it might appear to the Church in after-ages that Jesus Christ our Saviour was lineally descended of Abraham and David and not only that we might be instructed by the etymological interpretations of the names else the Spirit of God would have set down the interpretations of them all in the Text as He did for reasons known to Himself of many in several places some whereof we will here insert Araham Gen. 17.5 A father of a great multitude or many nations Asher Gen. 30.13 Blessedness Babell Gen. 19.9 Confusion Ben-oni Gen. 35.18 Son of sorrow Beaula Isaiah
62.4 Married Cephas John 1.42 A stone Dan Gen. 30.6 A judgment El-beth-el Gen. 35.7 Elymas Acts 13.8 A Sorcerer Ephraim Gen. 41.52 Fruitfull Gad Gen. 30.11 A troup or band Hephzibah Isaiah 62.4 My delight in her Ichabod 1 Sam. 4.21 Where is the glory Jedidiah 2 Sam. 12.24,25 Beloved of the Lord. Jerubbaal Judg. 6.32 Let Baal avenge Joseph Gen. 30.24 Increasing Issachar Gen. 30.18 An hire Ishmael Gen. 16.11 God hath beard Israel Gen. 32.28 A prevailing with God Levi Gen. 29.36 Joyned Loammi Hos 1.9 Not my people Loruhamah Hos 1.6 Not having obtained mercy Melchizedeck Gen. 14.18 and Heb. 7.2 King of righteousness and peace Moses Exod. 2.10 Drawn out Naphtali Gen. 30.8 Wrestling Seth Gen 24.25 Simeon Gen. 29.33 Hearing Zebulun Gen. 30.20 Dwelling Moreover the pious and learned Interpreters being most zealous to advance the knowledge of God and of the Scriptures did upon the margents of many Bibles set down the interpretations of the most part of the proper names I shall only add that Mr. Culpeper his censure of those Chapters in the Chronicles savoureth of no less presumptuous impiety than first the taxing of Almighty God His Wisdom and Will in not authorizing the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures to explicat all the proper names as they did the most considerable Secondly that he would have had the Interpreters to have added unto the Scriptures the explications of those proper names which are not explicat in the original text by doing of which they should have made themselves the object of that dreadfull threatning Revel 22.18 As for that expression of his Whole sentences in Scripture are so translated that it would make a man sick to see them I shall only say this of it that no ingenuous and rational man would have so impudently asserted so great a paradox and untruth without instancing some particular sentence for proving of his assertion It is one of Mr. Culpeper his own physical sentences that physick without a reason is like a pudding without fat the like whereof may very well be said of this his extravagant assertion destitute of probation It is admirable that Mr. Culpeper who in his Epistle prefixed to his Translation of the London Dispensatory assumeth unto himself fellowship with Christ and his Apostles and likeness to God did not take the pains to translate or correct some of those Scriptures which he reprehended But his surviving wife in her Epistle prefixed to his Treatise of Aurum potabile seemeth to give a sufficient reason for this omission in these words My husband left seventy nine books of his own making or translating in my hands Also my Husband left seventeen books compleatly perfected in the hands of Mr. Cole for which he payed my Husband in his life-time Let the sober and judicious Reader judge of the probability of this considering that he had not above nine years for this work and his astrological studies also for he began not to write till the year 1648. or 1649. and he died 1654. or 1655. and whether or not many books have been printed in his name since his death which were not written some years after the same particularly that book entituled Arts Master-piece or the beautifying part of physick whereby all defects of nature in both sexes are amended age renewed youth continued and all imperfections fairly remedied Never before extant though long since promised by Mr. Nic. Culpeper but now published by B. T. Doctor in physick London printed 1660. Concerning this book I have these six things to acquaint you with 1. That it is most probable Mr. Culpeper never wrote it else his Relict had published it as she hath done other books since his death 2. The publisher of it in the Title-page putteth B. T. for his name but at the end of his Epistle to all truly virtuous Ladies â—e setteth L. D. which discrepancy reflecteth not a little upon the Publisher as well as upon the Printer 3. In the Title-page he affirmeth these Experiments to be so far discovered that every man may be his own Apothecary but it is most probable that the Penner of them was as ignorant of the knowledge of that ingenious art as a Mole is destitute of the visible faculty for pag. 71. he ordereth the making of an Oyntment without Oyl or any unctuous liquid body 4. Many if not the most part of the prescriptions contain 1. either such things as are most costly as that Oyntment pag. 70. to cause a beard for the making of which he prescribeth three ounces of Musk. 2. Or such things as cannot easily be gotten as pag. 71. the blood of a Batt for making of an Oyntment for hindering the growth of hair And pag. 73. the turd of a Mole for making of another Oyntment to the same purpose And pag. 77. the blood of a Tortoise for making an Oyntment to take away the hair 3. Or else such things as are ridiculous because not seconded with reason As pag. 79. the Gall of a white Ox for making of a liniment to whiten the hair as if the Gall of a red or black Ox would not serve as well And pag. 100 Grass-plantane the rine taken off and washt nine dayes in spring water for making an oyntment for leprous faces Those nine dayes of purification might be sufficient for bleetching both the herb and the face into other colours 5. Frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora That is there might be from amongst the Tautological farrago of those prescriptions some few composed of the choicest simples for every several distemper there mentioned which would prove more usefull than any of these which are so confusedly set down 6. The book is no wayes answerable to its promising Title-page which may give just ground to suspect that the effects of those remedies will be as disproportionable to the expence that men must be at in trying of the experiments It is a most infallible token of ignorance cheating and foolish ostentation for a man to prefix a most flourishing Title-page to his book which doth scarcely deserve any at all such as is that book entituled A discovery of subterraneal treasure viz. of all manner of Mines and Minerals from the Gold to the Coal with plain directions and rules for the finding of them in all Kingdoms and Countries And also the art of melting refining and essaying of them is plainly declared so that every man that is indifferently capacious may with small charge presently try the value of such eares as shall be found either by rule or by accident As also a way to try what colour any berry leaf flower stalk root fruit seed bark or wood will give with a perfect way to make colours that they shall not stain nor fade like ordinary colours London Printed 1653. and are to be sold by Humphrey Mosley at the Princes Armes in St. Pauls Church-yard This book consisteth of nine sheets only and is so miserably defective in performing any