F N C I S C V S A L E XA N D E

B^EI 7ii E D 1 C <AlL STVDIOSIS S,

.4. X 1 M i A> & pcnc incredibilirapictur admiratiov.cMedkornmvulgtts,cjuod pofi tantorum virorum tot, tantasq; compGttendonm pbarmaccnm regu-las ftmpliciitm exquifitifiimas ccnfuras, crrortm qui in officinispafsim commit-tuntur delcttas cajiigationcs fummo denique in fafngio euccias medicim diui-tias, Joiusinprxfentia , aliam quafi nomam conflituere vidcar, camque accu-ratius cnucleare 3 & veluti Lernea capitajn dies magis, atq; viagis inualcjcen-tia fcelcra,fkuientia adulteria , borumque migmata, vt ccdipodes, ant vcriusalter ApoliOidiffiluere, edoccre, cumtuatiusaugerc, cmunEiius, atq; exaffiusabfolu,ere,prohiberequevelim: quum pnefertim eruditifiimus Hcrmolaus,acu-tifimus Leonicenus, doffifiimus MarcelluSypn-efiantifiimus I {ucUiuSj,verJatifi-tnus ManarduSjtnnumciiq; alij de remedtca benemeriti y ftngulari cruditione,temporisdiutumitate,longaq;experientia,grciuitate,Jkpicntia,prouidcntia } iudicio, hacde reverbofifiime dijjeruerint,atq; inbisexpur-gandis non parum dejudarint; nefamiliarem BraJauolum,inJurgentem Fuch(ium,lepidim Syluiuvi,ingenioJum Matthiolum poflterga rclinquam; quibusJ'ane,me illisjcientia non anteire liquido tenet,vtfi poji hos,noui quippiam emoliri mihi ipfi perfuaj'erim,aut eos malcdiffts inceJfcre,eorumue labores mihi vcndicare,pri-mum quidem tcmerarij adolcfccntis ejje,putarc qux oculis lynceis illinon viderint,oculatius Jc videre,cinici,ac contumeliofi, in tamprobos virosdebacchari ,fatuiq;, ac improbi, ex Epigrammatario Tocta, in alienislibris fc ingcniojkm prj>Jlarc,qitaftq; aliorum di6ia duntaxat exj'cribere,& velutipofl deftflam mcjjem,fpi-cilegiumfacerc,autpoJi refcin5iamfitim,noua ajferrepocula. quofit vt inani quadamgloriola,&dhuc tyrun-culus,qui vixprima medicinm elemcnta falutajfe exijlimor,vix intra parietcsfamam aluiffe, fupra hnmanasvireshumcrisheradcismparonus,audactcrfatis,atq;impamdeJubwjfcauJusvidear.aYdnum,n.vaflifiimT<,atq; difhciilimum eflnegocium,totiusartis intentum,falutem,atq; pernifiem includens, quonullum cfijalu-brms.CT-qnodpluratncommttncmomnitm vtilitatemajferat,quumomnisars,bwust>T<£fidio,quafiq, tutelagubernetur, citi omnisglorix, totiusq; bonorisprxmium merito tribucndum. quum omnia artis inftit uta, ni-hil propius quamJanitatem Jpe£tent,ca vcrd Jirnplicitm & compojitorum cathena con{ifiat,quum nihil infmplicigcnere oruni cx parte perfc&um natura expojkcrit: id eqtiidem nemo battcnus vtnosperfccit, nec invmm coegit; quanquam rcs videatur agitata inpublicis lcffionibus,iaffata in iudicijs,vbiq; commcmorata,in ampiijsimis arcis,&olitorijsfoYibus celebrata: TJmpe vt rem ipfam, atq; animijinccritatem, vobispu-rifiimi exponam: ne quifpiamfortafiis me inJolcnti£ infimulct, ne commtmi ambitionis inuidia Jhgiiict, vigc-fmoprimo mc£ cetatis anno, Ticirti artium & medicin& titulis decoratus,vix in ^fpotlinea hacciuitatepra-xim exerccre c<zpi,vixdtm fpeciariorum intricata ncgocia, nnilo ordinehinchindc fparja volwmina, varios,fcabrofos, inextricabilcs codices euoluere, atq; meditari, (impticiumj; medicamcntomm fcricm qucmvcluti

tamJiclefli facinoris immanitatcm, medicorum quorundam ignauiam,focordiam, atq; incuriam, non parumJkm admiratus; quad cymerias quafdamtenebras, denftfiimam catiginem, ambagum chaos, tam tetram,tamboYribilcm ,tam infeftam pefiem, tam importunam,meram tcdcpol barbariem pernitioftfiima qu&dm(vtvo-cant) luminaria adbtic viuercfinerent,adhuc in feplaftariorum manibusvcrfari, & iuxta illorttm mortiferadecrcta, prho Jielus,compofitiones ornnesparari,venenwnq;pro medicamine,& tanto cumdifcriminc, atindpro alio medi camcnttm, rncxp:rtum pro cxpcrto,nocuumpro Jalubri, dcniq, mortem prs.fhttav.eam, remedifvice,i(iormiignorantia,frequcntiflimi:offerri,qiumfciliceteggregijpteiriq;vtii,tantaUbron{mcopia,tan-ta induftYia,fxlicitate, acfoccunditatejd his recenfendis omnes ingenij neruos intenderint, iamdudum mul-tip licttcm hydrara ita abtegaucrint, vt vera ab adtdterinis ,fkppofiticia,atquc in totumfpurtafeccrm capta,inucteratos ittos crrorcs, cum maximo mortalium damno extirparent, funditusdelerent ,fo»d ifiime hacl enusparata, ad prijtinam dignitatem rettocarent. Siqnidem rcbv.s longa & objcura catigine n/erfs Jittts itic ni-tor iarn redditus, Umgdia, ac fplendcnttfacie, integer, purusqueJcJeerexerat. id quod compertumbabcnsfcecttndifiimi ingentj Matlhtolus, quafide medica materieaffum ejfct, plurima accuratifiimc ftmul, ac e!e-gantifiimc p,'oJecutus,ahena tabore, '& opere,gratiamftbi, &gtoriam qmndoqtte ambicns, tn comctlcnia.atior " ' • - -*-• /r.,™ „.v

gts qttam. _ . , . . -

rerum prxtextu, bac quidem verjutia, enoneas aftruxijfe opinioncspublicd conciattatus, vtfolusJapere,atif

* 4 deftperc