They that have known me in time past, or, to speak plainly, have used me familiarly all my lifetime, can perhaps tell how God by his great goodness has made me to be born of a noble house (according to the common, I will not say vain, persuasion of them that establish nobility more in the merits of another man than in our own), and that besides I have always had my pleasures and great plenty of riches, yea, far passing the smallness of my deserts.

I will say yet more (not to boast or to advance myself, but to the end to reform [inform] the gentle reader, and to give thanks to God): there are many who know how I, being given even from my first youth unto study, have gotten not only the knowledge of the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean and Arabic tongues, and also of divers other nations and countries; but above all things, having by a natural inclination taken a singular pleasure in philosophy and in the secrets of Nature, I have wandered and travelled abroad in the world the space of seven and twenty years, to the intent to acquaint myself with all sorts of learned and discreet men. By the which diligence and curiosity I have learned many secrets, not only of men of great knowledge and profound learning, and noblemen, but also of poor women, artificers [craftsmen], peasants, and all sorts of men. Moreover, I have been three times to the Levant, and at sundry times have travelled almost all other parts of the world, without resting or sojourning at any time in one place above five months.

Now this my study and desire of knowledge, as well of the universal sciences as of particular secrets, was given me by nature, as to the most part of men (for every man by an instinct of nature desires to know things). Yet I have always been nursled up [brought up, nourished] by a certain ambition and vainglory to know that which another should be ignorant of. This has grafted in me a continual niggardness, or sparing, to distribute or communicate any of my secrets, yea, unto my most singular friends that I had, saying that if the secrets were known to every man, they should no more be called secrets, but public and common.

Now it chanced these few days past, being in Milan in the eighty-second year and seventh month of my age, that a poor artificer was marvellously tormented with the stone, and had been two days without making his urine. The chirurgeon [surgeon] that dressed him, knowing well that I had many secrets, and singularly for the stone, came unto me and requested that I would teach him the receipt [recipe], or at the least give him the medicine composed and ready made, for the health of the patient. But I, perceiving that he would use other men’s things for his own profit and honour, refused to give it him, but willed him to bring me to the sick man, and that I myself would minister the medicine unto him gratis.

The physician, either fearing blame if it should be known that he had recourse to the aid of another man (having perhaps boasted that he had the secret himself), or else meanwhile still to make his profit by dissembling the matter, deferred it yet two days more with divers excuses and colours [pretexts], till he brought me to the patient. Him, at my coming, I found so nigh his end that, after he had a little lifted up his eyes, casting them piteously toward me, he passed from this into a better life, not having any need either of my secret or of any other receipt to recover his health.

With this case I was moved to such compassion and sorrow that not only did I wish myself evil, but I also desired to die, seeing my ambition and vainglory to have been the cause that this poor man was not succoured with the remedy and gift that God, the Father and Lord of us all, had given me. Wherefore so great was the remorse of conscience in me that I desired to sequester myself from the world. And not finding myself of such a disposition of mind that I could live in a monastery among religious men, better edified than I, I was at last fully resolved with myself to choose a place separate from any town, where I have a little land, some books, and a study, to avoid idleness. Here I live a life which I call a monk’s life, with one servant, who goes to the town not to beg, but to buy my provision and other things necessary, to sustain his poor life and mine as long as it shall please God.

But yet, not having the power to put out of my fantasy [mind] that I was a very homicide and murderer for refusing to give the physician the receipt and remedy for the healing of this poor man, I have determined to communicate and publish to the world all that I have, being assured that few other men have so many as I. And, minding to set forth none but such as are most true and proved, I have these days past (taking partly out of my books and partly out of my memory all those that came to hand) made a collection of such as I am certain to be true and experimented [tested by experience], not caring if some of them be written or printed in any other books. For of this my collection the reader, as touching those, may at the least take this profit: that whereas before he might have doubted whether such remedies set forth by any other man were true or not, he shall now be assured, under the affirmance of my faith. For truly I would not set myself (being in the age and disposition, both of body and mind, that I am now in) to write fables or lies that should continue always.

But of one point I will advertise [warn] the reader, and that is, that he do the things with good diligence, and that with medicines concerning man’s body he use the aid and help of physicians, although indeed many of them, moved with a certain rustic and ill-grounded envy, with a passion of jealousy, are wont to blame and contemn things that come not of themselves. Wherefore, as well in this as in every other point, if he that will use these should perchance find that the thing would not take effect according to his contentation [satisfaction], let him take heed that he abuse not himself [does not go wrong] in the confection [preparation] of them, and begin again with more diligence, assuring himself that (as I have said) there is nothing in this book but it is true and experimented. And, giving always glory and praise unto God only for all, I have good hope that by means of his divine grace I will consequently make you a present of the rest of all that I have gotten in so many travails, voyages, costs, and diligent study.

Farewell.