A BRIEFE DIScours of certain Bathes or medicinall Waters in the Countie of Warwicke neere vnto a village called Newnam Regis 1587 THE benefits no doubt are great and manifold which almightie God of his large bountie exceeding goodnes of late yeeres hath plentifully bestowed vppon this little soile of England since the prosperous reigne of our most gratious Souereigne wherein the Gospell hath sincerely and freely beene preached in whose time many strange euents haue happened to the great benefit of this countrie For who haue not in admiration our long continuance of peace and tranquillitie our neighbours all round about vs being in continual wars Who doth not maruell at our plentie and abundance of all things It is miraculous in the indgement of the world that so manie strange stratagems practised by euill disposed persons as well to subuert our quiet estate as to take from vs our most Souereigne Ladie and Queene far beyond the capacitie of man as it were with Gods finger and power onely haue beene from time to time ouerthrowen brought to nought Infinite more tokens may particularly be recited by the which men may iustly gather arguments of Gods well pleased mind with the gouernment of our most gratious Queene amongst the which the bathes and medicinall waters of late yeeres discouered in sundrie parts of England are not of least moment for most men yet liuing can witnes of many rare and strange cures done by sundrie wels heeretofore vnknowen which may make manifest to the world that God is well pleased and in that respect hath blessed this our countrie far more than other nations and are as it were plaine arguments to bring other princes to imbrace the Gospell to roote out all superstition and idolatrie to plant in their countries true religion out of Gods booke and aboue all things to seeke Gods glorie and his kingdome And it is not altogither a vaine coniecture to thinke that God in these daies miraculously reuealed wels and springs of medicinall waers neuer knowen before to worke effects strange and maruellous in our sights thereby to induce all men to for sake such puddle pits which mans deuise hath digged and drinke onely of the cleere fountaines of his word thence onely to fetch remedy for our diseased soules The bathes of Bathe and Buckstan for their antiquitie and long proofe in times past are of great fame and no doubt as of more efficacie than others may iustly most be accounted of neuertheles manie other waters in England of late yeeres discouered haue the testimonie of experience by sundry effects and rare cures done by them to haue no small medicinall power as by the euents in sundrie diseased people receiuing remedie by them hath beene made manifest Amongst the which the wels in Warwickeshire nigh a village called Newnam Regis haue had most credite by the vse of which great numbers of people haue found helpe beyond their expectation which yet liuing do and will beare testimonie thereof and no doubt many and rare vertues and qualities are in them far beyond common waters as will appeere by diligent search of their minerals If any shall obiect or seeke cause why so many and so strange euents supposed to be done at the first by these waters the like are not now nor haue not of late yeeres beene performed Surely this came not by meanes of defects in the nature of the waters but rather by the great abuse of them For at my being there I found great concurse of alsorts of people affected with sundry and dissidēt diseases which all in one maner vsed these waters both inwardly and outwardly without counsell or any iust consideration carried away with opinion as it seemed that the faculties and vertues of them were supernaturally giuen from God without any ordinarie meanes and so the vse of the same not to depend of any order or aduise of Physicke but that it was sufficient by any means to vse them Much like vnto the superstition of our forefathers which in old time accounted their pilgrimages and the vowing of a penie to some one saint or other or the dipping of a cloth in bathe waters to be sufficient for the curing of any of their maladies And by these means the natures and qualities of these bath waters not considered nor the constitutions and temperaments of the parties weighed many receiued more hurt than good For in truth euerie medicinall water doth not cure euery infirmitie nor euerie man is to vse euerie bathe but these things are to be distinguished and so considered of by the learned that the bathe may be apted to the disease and be agreeable to the partie diseased And amongst our countrimen this is in truth a great fault that when a thing is knowen to do good to many we straightwaies generally proceede in the vse of it without respect of difference of parties or of affects as if one shoe might serue for euery mans foote that we cease not from abusing of the same vntill many bad successes haue bred discredit to the thing as of late hath appeered by the abuse of Mechoacan and diuers other Indian and forren medicines The consideration heerof occasioned me to thinke it not altogither a vaine labor to write somewhat of the most famous bathes and medicinal waters in England wherein I trauelled as well in those of Bathe Buckstan as in others And haue an intent to publish the same But vpon occasion of the maruellous effects a few yeeres past done by those wels in Warwickeshire not only heard but also seene by my selfe through persuasion of some of my friends I spent more time in triall and examination of them than in the others and so did wholy put mine endeuors for the discouerie of their minerals natures and properties and withall to set foorth in what diseases and bodies the same are most conuenient not omitting the true vse of them when they are either inwardly to be droonken or outwardly to be applied Which in very deed I did accomplish euen when these wels were first reuealed but I did forbeare to impart that I had done to any my friends for that I was certainly informed that an ancient learned man of my familiar acquaintance intended to write and publish the same argument who for his deep learning graue iudgement and long experience would no doubt haue performed it in a far better sort had not those his endeuors been preuented with vntimely death it herefore the expectation of that promised intent now void and made frustrate I hauing of late occasion to peruse againe those my trauels and notes of my meditation of the asore said wels in Warwickeshire and imparting the same to some of my friends learned in the art of physicke was by them persuaded to digest in order these my conceits and greatly incouraged to communicate the same to many whereby they which heerafter meane to vse these bathes may the better be informed how with iudgement and discretion to
proceed in the true vse of them and the learned may be occasioned further to examine the minerals and causes of their effects whereby I doubt not but that the fame of them may be restored to their former credit In regard and consideration heerof and the rather that I may by this my enterprise be an occasion and means to stir vp the deuotion and liberalitie of such well disposed persons as are forward and zealous in furthering all such good intents and purposes I thought it not amisse by publishing this briefe discourse to signifie how good a deede it may be that some cost were bestowed about these welles that the same may be more commodious to such as haue occasion to vse them For at the first all medicinall fountaines are as naked springs vnhandsome to vse vntill some such personages haue by Gods prouidence been stirred vp charitably to adorne the same with all conueniencie And as in other countreys men are greatly to be commended for their diligent cares in making all things about the bathes conuenient for the bathers so truely some defect heereof is and may iustly be found in this our realme of England For they which haue trauelled do find the bathes in Italy and in diuers parts of Germany farre better ordered than any heere in England and do find fault that euen these our auncient bathes of Bathe and Buckstan are so slenderly left without any great addressing of things necessary Much more therfore these new discouered springs which are yet vtterly vnfurnished do require the helpe of some able and well disposed for their ornament and good deuises meete for them which shall vse them And for as much as the purpose of mine attempt in this little pamphlet tendeth onely to the publike benefite of my countrey I most humbly request that as that mighty Persian disdained not a cup of common water offered to him by a meane person so your L. will vouchsafe to accept as a testimonie of dutiful affection this little treatise of medicinall waters which I present to your L. at this time inuited by the common vsage of all men in token of a good and prosperous new yeere resting a continuall begger to the almightie to send you long and prosperous life with increase of all honorable preferment Your Honors most humble to be commanded WALTER BAYLY ¶ A briefe discourse of certaine Bathes or Medicinall waters in the Countie of Warwicke neer vnto a village called Newnam Regis IT is well and trulie said and vpon very sufficient ground reason by Aristotle the chiefest learned of all the heathen Philosophers that Philosophy proceeded and tooke his beginning from woonder and admiration For wheras in truth it is alwaies seene that we doubt and are altogither ignorant of the hidden causes of such euents and things which astonish and amaze vs the wit of man being naturally indued with an vnsatiable desire of knowledge bendeth all his force and industrie to attaine the perfect discouerie of all such secret matters neuer ceasing or surceasing painfull trauels with earnest search and inquirie vntill he be fully satisfied and thoroughly resolued touching al causes circumstances belonging to such effects as seemed strange whereunto when he hath attained the woondring ceaseth the minde being satisfied with the apprehēsion of the causes Wherfore that assertion of Pythagoras that The beginning of Philosophie is to woonder at nothing as Schegkius reporteth doth not carrie so good probabilitie the veritie of that affirmation rather taketh place after Philosophie is attained than in the beginning For we are not occasioned to search out the causes and grounds of things knowne which are not strange vnto vs. No mā laboreth about ordinary matters ech man trauelleth to learne heare and know the causes of strange euents and of haps vnvsual So that we may iustly conclude with Aristotle that admiration and wondring gaue occasion of Philosophy without the which no man is stirred with desire of knowledge and after the wit of man is satisfied with vnderstanding of the causes which breed astonishment the woondering ceaseth and the minde is maruellouslie pleased and delighted with the knowledge thereof And as the veritie of this position is aboundantly confirmed in great varietie of naturall effects which by meanes of their strangenes haue been occasion to the learned in all ages to exercise their wits for the vnderstanding apprehension of them so amongst all other things naturall bathes by meanes of their diuers operations and vertues in curing of sundrie maladies and diseases haue vehemently incensed stirred vp all diligēt students which bestow their times in inquirie and search of naturall causes earnestly to pursue the knowledge of their mysteries not ceasing vntill they haue thoroughly conceaued and apprehended all such intricate difficulties as vnto them appertaine And of this very particular matter we haue had a domestical familiar example offered vnto vs within these fewe yeers heer in England For it hapned not long since in Warwickshire neer vnto a Village called Newnam Regis that a certaine husbandman occupied in lopping of trees chaunced to receiue a greeuous wound in his hand whereupon he repaired presently to a fountain which was not far off after he had washed and clensed the wound very well with the water he presently found al pains of his hurt asswaged and in short time the wounde thoroughly closed healed that he needed no further helpe by the art of surgerie which effect he imparted to his neighbors as a strange successe and it so amazed the hearers that after another hauing a deepe wound in his heele with a sieth came to the same fountaine recouered was made hole onely with the lotion of the same water These and such rare cures done by these wels astonished all the inhabitants thereabout And the fame hereof occasioned great concourse and multitudes of diseased people to run into those parts and many receiued helpe of their infirmities as is verefied by the testimonies of the worshipfull So that the fame heerof confirmed now by often experience was at length so far spread that such as were diseased almost out of all parts of this land came to those waters for remedie wherupon all men hauing the noueltie of the matter in admiration many in that they had not obserued such strange things to be done by common water supposed some secret vertue to be imparted from God to these wels whence such rare cures were miraculously performed farre beside and beyond the ordinary course of nature The learneder and wiser sort instructed with the grounds of natural Philosophie after they vnderstood the reports to be indeed not altogither fabulous and vaine but to carrie much truth to satisfie their woondering cogitations gaue themselues to a farther search to finde out the true and naturall causes of these euents For as it may be accounted meere impietie to detract any thing from the omnipotent power of God to thinke his hand so shortened that he is not aswell
stonie crust Moreouer wheras the aforesaid residence or grounds is found in taste to be salt it is to be surmised that either salt or Niter haue place in this mixture But bicause it is the propertie of salt if it be put to the fire to crackle and leape and this residence being so vsed doth onely sparkle without any noise making I would thinke it more probable to refer it vnto Niter than vnto salt and for this cause the rather for that I haue often noted it to haue greater acrimonie to pearce the toong deeper than salt is commonly wont to do so that it is euidant that Limestone and Niter are in substance in these waters The coniectures of other things supposed to be mingled are not so manifest yet there is great probabilitie that some portions of Allum are in these waters for that it is obserued that if the water of these wels being heate and cast vpon new pewter vessels they will yeelde to them the colour or tincture of Allum Moreouer if you die common water with any blacke colour and powre the same vpon the sediment of this bath the darke colour of that water will waxe brighter and more cleere and this effect by al writers is accounted proper to Allum There is no small suspicion that some parts of iron also are mixed with these waters For daily much iron ore is founde euerywhere in places neer adioining And hard by these fountains a kind of clay is found of colour like to rustie iron Likewise if you cast strong vineger vpon the grounds of these waters being separated by such meanes as is aforesaid you shall see the drosse floting in the top to resemble iron But besides all these probabilities I am the rather induced to credite that this mettall hath place in these waters for that the vse of them is daily seene to be very profitable in affects of the Splene Reines and Bladder for I my selfe being there present am an eie witnes that one which by long obstruction had a scirrous splene manie yeeres by the vse of these waters recouered his perfect health Likewise I did see another which being subiect to a strangurie by means of a stone in his bladder when no other helpe could serue the drinking of this water brake the stone and the man was in short time healed The like successe haue I there seene in diuers other affects as namely in womens whites in the gonorrhaicall passion and in all inward exulcerations both of the reins and the bladder so that I may boldly conclude that these baths are not vtterly void of iron and I could hartily wish that they did more abound with this mettall for manie excellent effects which were consequently to be expected heerof The generall qualities and temperament of the water of these wels FOrasmuch as the minerall which beareth the chiefest swaie in these waters is the Limestone after the which we finde as ingredients of inferior sort and lesse portions Niter Iron and Allume it euidently appeereth that these waters haue great force and facultie to drie and somewhat to coole For the Limestone as Agricola writeth in his booke of minerals hath a drieng qualitie which is increased by the mixture of the Niter Iron and Allume which all haue force to drie so that I may reasonably conclude that this bath drieth to the farthest of the second degree how beit the cooling and refrigeration extendeth not so far for that the excesse of this qualitie is mitigated and repressed by the heate of Niter Allum also is supposed to haue in it some hot parts notwithstanding the parts which heat are not so many nor so great that the same may be comparable or equall to the cooling portions of all the rest but that we may instly conclude that these bathes do in facultie drie strongly and somewhat coole Touching the second faculties of the minerals of these waters we find iron to haue an astringent and corroborating force very conuenient in diseases of the liner and splene Niter to be abstersiue resoluing discussing extenuating and cutting of grosse and clammish humors and Allume not only to be astringent but also to haue force to absterge and clense so that heereof the discreete physition may plainly see the causes why these waters do manifestly cure wounds and vlcers as wel externall as internall and do good in manie other infirmities Neither is it to be marueled that these waters do heale sicknesses which are contrary and repugnant for by this discourse it appeereth that they stand of contrarie things differing in qualities wherby they may produce contrarie and dissident actions Particular diseases which may be cured by the vse of these waters VVHereas the vse of these waters is generally conuenient in such maladies which are hot and moist they must needs in special do good in inflammatiōs of the eies in excessiue bleeding and ouerlarge fluxe of womens termes in their whites in the gonorhaical passiō in shortnes of breathing and in sundry pectorall diseases in obstructions and other affects of the spleene in gouts in suffusions and diuers like imperfections of the eies in difficultie of hearing in weakenes and loathing of the stomacke and ouermuch laxitie of the gums being vsed as a lotion in the cholicke passion proceeding from sharpe humors in the bloody flixe in the wormes in the pissing euil in the stone in the hemorrhoides egresse of the fundament in the headach rheume and in affects of the nerues and sinews and likewise in such deformities as happen vnto the skin as ringwoormes scabs and externall vlcers And the truth of the premisses common experience hath confirmed vnto vs. The vse of these Wels. COncerning the vse of the waters of these wels I do not doubt but that in time farther experience will best teach the true vse of them In the meane we haue sufficient proofe that the same doe good both inwardly dronken and also outwardly applied Therfore it shal not be amisse to mention som conuenient rules and orders for the vse of these Bathes according to the precepts of our ancient writers set downe to be obserued in all Bathes which may easily be applied to these waters as occasion shall serue First therefore that we may the better knowe when and in what diseases these Bathes either inwardly are to be dronken or outwardly to be vsed by lotion it is to be vnderstood that Bath waters do only good to these parts by the which they do passe and which they foment as Fallop noteth in his booke de aquis medicatis And bathe waters are said to foment the parts of the bodie not onely such as they do in substance touch but all others to whom they do impart their vapors faculties So that outward parts of the affected do receiue good when by lotion they are washed with these waters the inwarde parts take most comfort by drinking of them so the bowels and those members are best cured by