Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	air_n	earth_n	element_n	2,483	5	9.5484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02060	The compleat horseman and expert ferrier In two bookes. The first, shewing the best manner of breeding good horses, with their choyce, nature, riding and dyeting ... The second, directing the most exact and approved manner how to know and cure all maladies and diseases in horses ... dedicated to his most Excellent Majestie, by Thomas de Gray Esquire.	De Grey, Thomas.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1639 (1639)	STC 12205; ESTC S106703	378,871	394

or with some sword hatchet Bill or other edge-toole or that you should enforce him to doe more than what nature or strength were well able to compasse or leading him upon plaine ground he might wrinch any member or sway his back or breake his leg either by the stroke or stripe of some other horse or otherwise accidentally or should by misfortune fall downe some steepe precipice whereby he may breake or dislocate some limb or member all these disasters we usually doe call Accidentall and all such things of this nature Hippiat Which be the elements which doe give life and nutriment unto man and all other living creatures Hippos They are foure in number that is to say Fire Ayre Water and Earth whose natures if you shall please I will discusse elsewhere Hippiat No I pray let us have them both now and elsewhere their natures conditions and qualities Hippos The nature of Fire is to be hot and dry Ayre to be hot and moyst Water to be cold and moyst and Earth to be cold and dry Hippiat Doe you know the twelve Signes of the Zodiacke and how they doe govern the body of man and of all creatures Hippos Yes I doe know them all perfectly and thus are they called Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Vrgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius Pisces These doe all governe the twelve Months of the yeare and are placed above the Zodiack Hippiat Doe you know the names of the Planets and their numbers Hippos That I doe very well and they bee seven in number to wit Saturne Iupiter Mars Sol Venus Mercury and Luna Hippiat What parts doe the twelve Signes before mentioned governe H●ppos Aries governeth the Head Taurus the Neck Gemini the Shoulders and Armes Cancer the Stomack and Breast Leo the Heart Virgo the Belly an● Guts Libra the Reines and Buttocks Scorpio the Privy parts Sagittarius the Thighs Capricornus the Knees Aquarius the Legs and Pisces the Feete Hippiat In what dayes is it best for a horse to be let bloud Hippos If there be no extraordinary cause as in case of desperate sicknes or so then Ianuary the third and the fifteene Febru●ry the fourth and nineth March the seventeene and eighteene Aprill the tenth and sixteene May the first thirteene Iune fifteene and twenty But for Iuly and August by reason that the Canicular-dayes be then predominate bloud-letting is not so good but only in urgent case of necessity In September the eleventh and twenty eight October the eight and twenty three November the fift and sixteene December the fourteene and twenty six And these daies doe wee hold to be the very best unlesse dangerous or sudaine sicknesse doe cause us to alter the same for in cases of necessity no daies are to be regarded or observed For Qui retinente vita et non sit mortis imago Si semper fuerit vivens morietur et infra Hippiat What medicine would you apply to a Horse who may have any of the foure Maladyes Hippos I would give him of the foure Cordiall waters which I would make of Buglas Savin Succary Aquavitae Endife and the like Hippiat How would you make a comfortable drinke Hippos I would make it of certaine Cordialls to wit of Sugar Cinamon Cloves Nutmegs Saffron Licoris Annyseeds all these in fine powder adding thereto white wine and all these infused in a cleane earthen pot and hereof would I make a drinke Hippiat Whereof would you make an operative drinke Hippos I would take white Wine Sallet-oyle Aloes Rubarb Agarick Duke or Duck-powder Hony Cordial-powder and of all these things would I put such a quantity as I should thinke requisite and according to the strength and corpulency of the Horse Hippiat Whereof would you make a laxative Clister Hippos Into a laxative Clister I will put either of Pellitory Melelote or Cammamile but Pellitory is the best and of this would I make a Decoction and to this Decoction would I put Sallet Oyle Hony Aloes and Verjuice of the Crab. Hippiat What be the natures of your principall Drugs Hippiat Agarick purgeth the Braine Allos the Breast and body Rubarb purgeth the evill water and it openeth the Liver and helpeth obstructions and oppilations Aristolochia-Rotunda mollifieth the Breast Liver and Lungs and Bacchalauri or Bay-berries doe mortifie the peccant Humours which doe ingender in the Breast or Entrayles nere about the Heart and Saffron if it be discreetly given doth marveylously comfort and enlighten the Heart CHAP. II. Of the causes of Sicknesse in generall and the causes of Health and long Life Hippiat NOw that we have proceeded thus farre in a discussion of the Office of the Ferrier Let us approach yet nearer to intreate of the Cures and that we may goe on Pedetentim and Gradatim Let us first discusse the causes of Maladies and therefore I demand of you What are the true Causes of the sicknesse of the Horse Hippos Sir that man which hath a desire to become an Expert Ferrier must apply himselfe to understand the true nature of two things viz. of Generation and of Corruption in which I could never find the least discord in the Primary nature of Horses albeit compounded of the contrary nature of the foure Elements But I will proceed in Anatomizing unto you the verity hereof more particularly whereby you may the better understand my meaning Hippophyl But friend Hipposerus in my judgement you begin to assume too high a pitch for ordinary Fe●riers who are in a manner all or the greater number un-lettered persons and therefore will never be able to understand what Generation and Corruption meaneth for these are termes taken from the grounds of Philosophy and therefore above their Genius or Sphere Hippos Sir there be many things necessary to bee duly knowne and as diligently to be observed in him that desireth to be a perfect and able Ferrier which whosoever shall be defective in he may well be an Empyreticall-Hors-Leach but skilfull Ferrier or Marshall he shall never be And for that you please to say that I sore too high because I began my discourse with the termes of Generation and Corruption if you had not interrupted me I should have explicated my selfe so cleerely as that a very reasonable judgement might easily have apprehended me for I hold it not a thing fitting to pussell mens Braines either with Chimeras which they are not able to understand or with over-long and tedious discourses of things meerly impertinent but if you shall be pleased to heare me with patience I will touch upon this subject to wit What are the causes of Sicknesse in generall as also of Health and long Life and that Laconica brevitate and so leave the rest to your judgement and practise especially considering what other Authours my Masters have so learnedly and no lesse sufficiently intreated in this very Art To begin therefore and but to say what I said before with the causes of sicknesse and death of Horses in generall in

the true knowledge whereof consisteth their preservation I doe hold it a thing most needfull that we doe perfectly know that thing which wee doe cal Generation and Corruption which all Physitians and Philosophers have so much discussed both in their Schooles and Writings and how the body of the Horse like also to that of Man is compounded of the foure Elements viz. Fire Aire VVater and Earth Of the fo● Elements Fire Ay●● Water an● Earth The natures of these four Elements are different for Fire is hot and dry but it participates most of Heat Ayre is hot and moyst but chiefly moyst Water is moyst and cold but most cold Earth is cold and dry but most dry Fire and Ayre are both light Elements and VVater and Earth both heavy Four Humours also there are Of the fo● Humours Bloud Phl●gme Choler 〈◊〉 Melancho●● which be as it were four Children to these four Elements and these are Bloud Phlegme Choler and Melancholy These foure Humours are attendant upon the four former Elements without which a naturall body cannot be made for Bloud naturally if it be perfect is hot and moyst but taketh most from heat and therfore is subordinate to Ayre Phlegme is cold and moyst but the principall quality thereof is coldnesse and therefore hath reference to VVater Choler is hot and dry but his chiefest nature is heate and therfore is governed by the Element of Fire Melancholy is cold and dry but his chiefest condition is drynesse and therefore subjects it selfe unto the element of earth Now the fountaine of the bloud is the Liver which dispersing it selfe by the helpe of the veines into all the parts of the body nourisheth and preserveth the same Flgme preoccupateth the braine being a cold and spungy substance and the seat of the sensible soule Choller inhabiteth the Liver which being hot and dry maketh a pleasing harmony with the bloud Melancholy resideth in the spleene which is the receptacle and discharge of the excrements of the Liver From whence we may collect that it hath its proper use and end as for demonstration Bloud principally nourisheth the body Flegme occasioneth motion of the joynts and members Choler exciteth and provoketh the body to avoyd it's excrements and lastly Melancholy disposeth the body to an appetite Whereupon all the learned Philosophers doe with one unanimous assent agree in this that in every naturall body there are foure principall instrumentall members The instrumentall members The braine the heart the liver and the stones or gignitors from which all the parts of an organicall body is said to be framed and these are the braine the heart the liver and the stones or gignitors and each one of these doe performe its true function to all the particular members of the body for the sinewes doe receive their sustentation from the braine and these are called animall spirits the arteries from the heart which are vitall spirits the veines from the liver which are naturall parts and the seed-vessels from the stones or gignitors as the place of generation Now forasmuch as I have shewed you the foure elements with their true natures the foure humours with their qualities and the foure instrumentall members with their true conditions It now remaineth that we intreat briefly of the foure naturall faculties which is in every body together with their true attributes The foure naturall faculties To eate to retaine to concoct and to expell The first faculty is to eate the second to retaine the third to concoct and the fourth to expell And to answer to these foure faculties you must understand that there are residing in the body the afore-named humours that is to say Bloud Flegme Choler and Melancholy whereof nature maketh use of the service of but one of these onely to work upon which is an excrement which we doe justly call whey or wheyish-bloud whose engendring is wrought in the liver and so conveieth it selfe into the veines at what time the foure humours doe take from the body that forme and substance it ought to assume and of this very liquor doth nature serve it selfe to resolve the meat and so to operate that the same may passe through the straight caves conducts pores and passages carrying nourishment to all the parts of the body You must therefore understand that the veines are the receptacles for the bloud which is mixed with the vitall spirits so as the said veines have their source or origin from the liver whereby their office is to exhaust from the liver unto the veines the said wheish substance and to inject part thereof through the passages into the bladder and from thence againe forth of the body by which meanes the body is freed from offence and from sustaining domage whereof two of the veines conduct part of the said whey from the liver unto the coddes and so to the seed-vessels where it remaineth with some small quantity of the purest bloud by which meanes the operation of the stones whose quality are hot and dry doe thereby effect a most perfect seed Which two veines nature who is the most exquisite Artist and Quae nihil habet vitii hath planted one in the reines on the right side which endeth in the right cod and another semblable in the left both which take their issue from either of the coddes accordingly besides nature hath bestowed upon the right cod much heat and drynesse so hath she also given unto the left as great a quantity of cold and moysture the right cod by meanes of its heate engendring the male and the left by reason of its cold engendring the female and so likewise is it as well of the female as of the male of every creature But now to come to the heart which is formed with the liver and braine and maintained with the purest bloud which is so excessively hot as whilst the creature liveth if you put but your finger into its hollow part it is impossible to continue it there long without burning or scalding the same from whence it must necessarily ensue that the liver being the fountaine of all the bloud must of necessity have great and abundance of pure bloud wherwith to support and maintaine the structure of the whole body and the vitall spirit of any creature is none other thing than a corporeall fume or vapour to speake properly very pure and subtile begun in the heart by the operation of the naturall heat spread by the arteries and veines to refresh and comfort the whole body which agitative or subtile Spirit proceeding from the heart and vitall spirits being a continuall motion by reason that motion and agitation is the true life therof which continually remaineth in all living creatures But the heart which may be truely and rightly stiled the fountaine of life and heat nature hath assigned it its proper place which is to be scituate in the center that is the middle part of the body from whence proceedeth life and heat into each

take these things with his provender you may then sometimes administer of these powders and other simples with good Ale or Beer giving it him as you give drinks and it will suffice howbeit it will doe him more good to be given in his provender Hippiat What is the best thing to be given to a horse to preserve the liver from infecting and to refine the bloud Hyppos I have knowne many things administred in this case but the very best is Liver to preserve to take the root of Polipodium of the Oke to wash it and to make it very cleane then cut or chop it very small then take Liver-wort one handfull small chopped also and so much Rubarb as the weight of a tester either cut very small or grated give him this in his provender three or four mornings together fasting and give him no meat in three houres after and let his drinke be white water for that day and give him this monethly and once in halfe a yeare make tryall of his bloud to see how pure or foule it is and administer accordingly Hippoph I pray you Hipposerus what is the true nature of Rubarb whether is it purgative or binding Hippos Truely Sir Rubarb hath two contrary natures for if you either scrape grate or cut it then is it a loosener for it dissolveth and openeth the liver and expelleth the obstructions thereof it expulseth all bad humours in and about the heart liver and spleene it clenseth the body and sendeth away the peccant humours among the excrements and all such things as may annoy or offend the intrayles but if you shall pound or beat Rubarb in a Morter or otherwise the spirit thereof being a subtile body will Transire and fly away whereby the operation thereof will be to bind and be no way profitable Hippoph Let this suffice for the present I have detained you too long from your particular affaires it now growes late and therefore I will take leave till our next meeting which God willing shall be to morrow at the same houre at what time I shall not faile you for that I desire a finall end of this businesse wherefore for this present I will take leave recommending you both to God CHAP. III. Of such things which are of necessity to be knowne by every expert Ferrier before he doth adventure to administer Hippophyl HItherto Hippiatrus we have proceeded orderly and your servant Hipposerus hath discoursed very accurately pithily Neverthelesse some things there be which yet he hath not put home enough whereby I have not received that full satisfaction I desire Hyppiat Sir Sithence we are met here againe to discusse such things whereof you desire to informe your selfe my will is to have you fully and substantially satisfied if it may be in every point which might concerne this our subject wherfore I entreat you to propose your doubts and looke in what Hipposerus may faile my selfe shall endevour to supply to the utmost of our best skill Hippophyl Sir I thanke you but withall one favour I must begge of you and that is that for that my memory may peradventure faile me it being none of the best if as things occurre to my thoughts I should aske any question out of season and order yet you will not take it ill that I should interrupt him or you in your discourses Hippiat No truely Sir will I not and therefore begin to make your demand and Hipposerus shall give you answer Hyppoph I thank you then thus As touching the composition of the body of the horse more I grant might have been spoken in words but not more to purpose for a man to runne into divisions and subdivisions were but to beget confusion in the unlearned Reader such are your ordinary Smiths for the most part for whose instruction I doe principally undergoe these paines and to send him away worse satisfied in his judgement than before Whereas a plaine and succinct methode doth more edifie and instruct him than the other can doe I therefore demand of you Hypposerus that forasmuch as you have spoken well of the foure Elements to wit Fire Ayre Water and Earth yet have you not demonstrated their natures or where they are placed For true it is my selfe and all men do perfectly know that these foure elements are not these foure materiall and visible elements which we daily behold and make use of as things most usefull for us towards the sustentation of our livelihood being creatures without which we cannot live but I would gladly have you shew what their true natures be being things incorporate and therefore concealed from our eyes I would also know in what parts they doe raign and have their identity or being Hippos Sir as touching the natures of these foure Elements I have sufficiently made appeare unto you in Capitulo praecedenti poenè in initio but as touching the second part of your demand I say that these foure elements which be in nature so dissonant and distinct one from the other as that nothing can be more no white can be more opposite to blacke neverthelesse that you may know these Elements I thus averre The nature of the 4. Elements The Fire is highest being neare neighbour or adjoyning to the Moone and therefore naturally hot Ayre is placed next unto it and therefore naturally light The Water is annexed to the Ayre and therefore naturally moyst And the earth is scituate next to the Water but lowest and out of that reason naturally heavy As touching their vertues all the learned doe hold 1 Fire that Fire by meanes of its heat exciteth matter to Generation and occasioneth warmth in every living body and it doth ripen things raw and undigested in such excellent and subtle wise as that the Ayre which is of a more grosse nature may the better enter into the body making a commixture with the Fire whereby also it moderateth the heat of the Fire the coldnesse of the Water and the drynesse of the Earth so as distemper may the lesse oppresse the Body 2 Ayre The Aire by reason of its moystnes maketh the matter apt to receive its naturall shape and through the instinct of the Fire its naturall heat causing the mixt Bodies as well subtle as penetrable as well Light and moving whereby they bee neither too grosse nor too heavy and withall the Ayre cooleth and abateth the extremity of the burning heat of the Heart 3 Water Liver c As touching the third Element which is Water its nature is that through the coldnes thereof it congealeth conglutinateth and bindeth in mixt Bodies both the parts and members together to wit Sinewes Bones Flesh so as the Water by meanes of its coldnes doth temper and asswage the violent heat of the Fire and the condensity of the Ayre 4 Earth collecting those things together which they otherwise would have dissevered And as touching the Element of Earth its nature is by meanes of its drynesse

and Siccity in mixt Bodyes so to harden and fasten them together as that having once assumed their Shaps it causeth them to retein and keep them which otherwise by the force of the other Elements would be so lax and loose as not to be able to hold together wherein I could produce many familiar instances which for brevities sake I am enforced to omit But the opinion of the best Physitians is that when any naturall Body dyeth the substance thereof returneth back againe to those Elements from whence they came Thus you may plainely see that Fire is naturally hot and therefore separateth Ayre moyst and therefore giveth Shape Water cold and therefore bindeth and Earth dry and therefore naturally hardneth and keepeth its impression Wherefore in any Malady in a Horse observe but this one Rule viz. that when at any time an Inflamation shall arise in the Body be you confident it proceeds of Fire and therefore you must administer if you will performe a right Cure things contrary to that Element to wit what may be agreeable to Ayre and Water whereby to moysten coole and allay the rage of the heat If it be a Flux of Bloud or the like proceeding from the abundance of moysture which takes its origin from the Element of Ayre then must you apply Medicines which may connive with the E●rth whose drynesse may harden such moysture If it proceed of Cold Rhumes or the like whereby the infirmity hath its source from the Element of Water you must then administer Medicines cohering with the Element of Fire and Ayre which may be able through its heat and moysture to expell all cold and grosse humours And lastly if the griefe be Maingenesse or the like which cometh from the Earth which be dry and arid infectious diseases then must your applications be had from the Element of Fire whose nature is to dissolve all siccative humours Wherefore I say againe that heat being too predominant is asswaged by the meanes of moystnesse and coldnesse too great moystnesse by heat and drynesse over-much coldnesse by heat and drynes and too great a proportion of drynesse by heat alone Hippophyl But then tell me I pray you bee there no other Elements or beginnings in Living Bodies more then these foure before named Hippos No Sir not any other which have their beginnings but there are two other which the Learned doe terme proper Elements viz. the Ingendring of Seed and Menstruall Bloud but these I say doe assume their essence from the other foure Elements whereby they become a Body w●ich otherwise they could not and therefore are subordinate to them and they take their place after them Hippophil Having spoken sufficiently of the Natures and Qualities of these foure Elements What say you to the Humours Hippos I say that the Humours are also foure in number The 4. first Qualities which Physitians doe stile the first Qualities according as I have formerly intimated and these foure are Bloud Phlegme Choler and Melancholy Bloud being sweet in tast Phlegme neither sweet bitter nor sowre and therefore of no tast or if of any like to that of good Oyle rather sweet then otherwise Choler is bitter in tast and Melancholy is sowre in tast So as by these tasts you may distinguish them and these Humours have reference or neere affinity unto the foure Elements for like as I have before agnized Bloud is of the nature of the Ayre Phlegme of the Water Choler of the Fire and Melancholy of the Earth and these Humours have their particular abode and residence in the body absolute and peculiar to themselves as Bloud hath his abiding in and about the Heart Phlegme in the Braine Choler in the Liver and Melancholy in the Spleene whereby we may the better come to know what Complexion raigneth in every Horse as also how he is naturally qualified and disposed for the Horse that is of a Sanguine Complexion is commonly a Bright Bay who is of disposition joviall wanton or merry agile and of motion temperate neither too fiery nor too dull or melancholy Your Milke-white is of Complexion Phlegmatique whose property commonly is to bee lunt heavy and slow your Bright-Sorrell hath commonly reference to Choler and he is naturally for the most part fiery hot and ever-free-mettled but yet of no great strength Your Mouse-Dunne and such like rusty and sut-colours are commonly of a Melancholy Complexion and they be ordinarily cowardly faint-hearted subject to starting flothfull restife stubborne disobedient revengefull c. but if these Complexions be rightly symbolized and doe all meete in one and the same Horse according to each ones proper nature they doe performe their functions as they ought in a perfect harmony whereby the Horse remaineth sound and healthy but if there be discord or disagreement in the Elements and Humours there must bee the like in the Complexions and then doth the poore horse suffer for it to the danger both of Life and Health Hyppophyl I ever understood that there are certaine Spirits which doe remaine in the body of every Horse doe you know them Hipposerus Hippos Yes I doe and they be said to bee two in number viz. The Spirit Animal Spirit Animal and the Spirit Vitall the Spirit Animal hath its residence in the Braine by which meanes it giveth motion feeling and power to the Horse through the ayd of the Sinewes and the Spirit Vitall Spirit Vitall makes abode in the Heart which is the only cause of the excessive heat thereof which disperseth the Bloud into every part and member of the Body For the Heart and the Braine are in equality absolutely different the Heart being most violently hot as I have before shewed and the Braine is as extreamely cold and so hereof needs not any more be spoken in this place Hippophyl But may not a man conjecture to what infirmities or diseases Horses may probably be subject by their Complections Hyppos Yis Sir very easily yea and that with so great advantage and profit to the Cure if the Ferrier be expert and skilfull in the making and applying of his Medicines The disease known by the Complexion as that nothing can be more For example the horse that is of colour either bright-Bay or dark Bay with a pleasant and cheerfull countenance or if he bee a white Flea-bitten white-Lyard or Black with a white-starre or race downe the face or white-foot if he be of eyther of these colours we hold him to bee of a Sanguine Complection and in Horses of this Complec●●on the Element of Aire is most predominant Of the Sanguine Complexion and they be commonly of nature affable well-metled active and of good strength but the Maladies whereunto they are most usually incident are Leaprosies glanders Consumptions and the like yet these Horses are frequently of so able Constitutions as that they have vigour enough to endure good and strong Medicines provided these Medicines be not too hot but cooling The Horse

their true natures and vertues and how and where they be scituate things most needfull to be known then I goe along with the two proper Elements shewing from whence the seed and menstruall bloud is ingendred then I passe forwards in intreating of the foure Humours explaining their natures and vertues poynting unto the places of their abode and residence and what relation and coherence they have unto the foure Complexions I do also shew thee what are the two spirits animall and the two vitall their natures vertues and places of abode and residence in the body of the Horse After all this I shew thee that by duly observing the complexion of the Horse thou art to cure thou mayest thereby the sooner better and with more security and ease perfect thy Cure nay I goe yet further with thee in shewing unto thee an exact way whereby to know by the complexion it selfe the diseases whereunto the Horse is most propense then I make known what be the causes of the evill dispositions of the Horse which bringeth and begetteth unavoydable infirmity and sicknesse whereof they be two in number viz. Intrinsecall and Extrinsecall together with a definition of the nature of sicknesse and so I go along in teaching thee the manner how thou oughtest to administer such Drinks Potions Clisters and Medicines without any the least perill to thy Horse as also the time of the day most suteable to that purpose and what exercise is most requisite to be had after Physicke or Medicine And lastly I come to touch briefly upon his urine and ordure whereby to give the rules infallible how to know and understand the true state of the body of the Horse as well in health as in sicknesse In the fourth Chapter of this second Book I do begin to handle the Cures in particular wherein I run a course by my selfe which I have not known any before me undertake for whereas Master Blundevile Master Markham and others do begin with all the inward diseases which are to be cured by way of Physicke and then with the outward maladies which doe appertain unto Chirurgery I have thought it much better to take the diseases Alphabetically mixing the extrinsecall with the intrinsecall by which meanes they will the sooner and more easily be found and turned unto more readily And wheresoever you shall finde this ✚ mark inserted in the end of any cure I have set the same there to let you know that receit to be undoubted and approved for good and certaine being by my selfe often practised and used And those receits that have not the mark are such Cures which I did procure from sundry able Ferriers whereof I have had no tryall or experience at all for want of time and means and therefore dare not avouch or cry them up for mathematicall albeit they do appear unto me to be probably good but by reason I have not tryed them I would not adventure a probatum or ecce upon them Neverthelesse if God permit me to reprint I doubt not but by that time to give them for approved and warrantable and to adde many more unto them which I have already by me which I do forbeare to publish at this present albeit I do know many of them to be as probably good as any of those In the other Chapters I goe cleane through the whole Alphabet according to that Method used in that 4th Chapter and therfore let this abstract suffice for the present And forasmuch as I have discussed the former things of Breeding c. in my first Booke Yet my intention was not at the first to trench so deepe into that subject but to shew principally the Ferriers Craft and Art out of an earnest desire I have to excite stir up our yong Gentlemen to assume some knowledge of a Mystery so necessary for them to apprehend or at leastwise to have a glimpse of considering how rare a thing it is to finde a skilfull Ferrier among our rurall or Countrey Smiths For if the Nobility Gentry of this our Ile of Great Britaine did truly know how honourable and how commendable Horsemanship were and how much they are esteemed and admired who are the true professours thereof they would labour more than they now doe to breed and have good Horses but it much troubleth me to see how little esteeme Gentlemen now a dayes have thereof Some Horses they have though not for Menage yet for Hunting but what manner of Hunting Fox-hunting forsooth or Harriers which be as fleete as petty Grey-hounds wherewith they do so much over-straine the strength of their poore Horses forcing them over deepe-Fallowes tough-Clayes and wet and rough Lands that albeit those Horses be strong and able yet are they so toyled out therewith as that when they come home at night they would pitty the heart of him who loveth a Horse to see them so be mired blouded spurred lamentably spent and tyred out Whereas if such Horses had beene ridden to the great Saddle and Cannon they would have infinitely delighted all men who should have beheld them But let mee leave them vnto their toylesome sports and let my speech bee directed to such Heroique and Generous Spirits who have a desire to informe and better their understanding in the secrets of this brave Mysterie who if they have a will to bee edoctrinated therein then for a Mathematicall ground of true Horse-manship I must tell them that they having and possessing of good Horses yea and Riding it self is little worth without the knowledge of the Ferriers Craft at the least in the Theorique or Speculative part if not in the Practique and therefore I could wish that every worthy Gentleman should have a good insight thereinto albeit he doth not make it his Trade Occupation or frequent practise and profession Yet it will not be amisse he be able to know every disease in a Horse its Symtomes and how it commeth together with the true signe therof which indeed is a matter of very great consequence For when a Nobleman V. G. Knight or Gentleman shall have a Horse that doth well merit his affection and which shall be for his turne if any accident or Malady shall befall him albeit he may not himselfe take upon him the Cure and to Drench Bloudy or Dresse him with his owne hands yet sending for a Ferrier he may discourse with him upon the Nature of the Disease and thereby come to understand whether the Ferrier speaketh according to Art or not and whether his intended course of administring be answerable to true Art perfect Science and probably a secure way to perfect the Cure so as if the Master and Owner of the Horse be not himselfe enabled with some superficiall knowledge at the least at what time he shall consult with the Ferrier if not I say able to iudge of the Mans sufficiency the Smith himselfe being indeed insufficient by mistaking the Infirmity he may ignorantly administer or apply such contrary Medicine