To all Persons of Quality, Ladies, Gentlemen, tradesman, and all others to whom these Epistolary Lines may come, I. P. wisheth all Health and Happiness, length of days, with increase of Riches.  
Printed with Allowance, Octob. 5. 1671.  
Friendly Reader,  
IF Man will give himself the trouble but to turn his Eye upon himself, and consider how great things God hath done for him; but especially to take a view of those vast Endowments with which he hath inspired his rational Soul: I think he cannot choose but divert himself into a Divine ecstasy, and cry with Job, Quid agerem tibi, O custos hominum, Chap. 7. 20. For so great is the sweet Influence of his mercy, in making man so perfect in those Theological Virtues of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Learning( of which large Volumes have been written) that it would befool the best of Wits, that should be so peremptory to undertake to give a full account of it to us; and if we were able to gilled our Language with Angelical Oratory, we could not speak its due praise.  
But if we consider Learning as it is, and that as it is sought with great diligence, so its use proclaims its virtues, and tells us, that it is an Ornament to Nature, the Handmaid of Wisdom, the right Hand of physic, and the greatest perfection of Humanity: For he that is once well acquainted with this, he climbs( like the Antiquary from year to year, till he arriveth at the Ancient of days) from one degree of Learning to another; as in Naturals, Vegetables, Animals, and so in himself where he may red the misery and frailty of man, and lastly in the Elementary World; and so from things created to the Creator, in which place he must with admiration cease to inquire, and be proud of his ignorance, lest his prying into those things, makes him for ever accursed.  
Now it hath been the care of Judicious men in all Ages, as well Heathens as Christians, to preserve the learned productions of their Labours, to instruct and encourage those that shall inquire for the future. Neither is man made for a selfend, as the Learned Plato tells us, when he saith, We are born not for ourselves alone; but partly for our Country, partly for our Parents, and partly for our Friends: and whatever was first made, was created for mans use; and man created for the mutual assistance one of another, and all for the glory of God. Now there is nothing in the World that can give a more ample demonstration that we follow the Rule of Plato, than by putting in practise the gifts bestowed upon us.  
Nor do I think any thing can be more sweet and pleasant to the Student, nor more honourable to God, than for one man to study the Health and Welfare of another.  
It was the sin of man that hath made him miserable; and Sickness and Diseases is a great part of it in this World. And seeing it is so, and that God hath afforded him succour in these Calamities, why should any man be so stupidly sottish, as to refuse to understand it, or when in necessity to refuse the fruition of it.  
And now because the Study of physic, and the Nature of mans Body belongs to my practise and Profession, I think it highly convenient to speak something in reference to them both; and also to acquit myself like a Physician.  
And because I spoken in the Praise of Learning, take notice, that by the help of that we are assisted to consider, that the Omnipotent Creator by his Divine Will, out of a lumpish, massy, confused nothing, created a decent Order, a comely Structure, Heaven and Earth, a World of every thing.  
Separated the Darkness from the Light, the Waters from the Earth; gave limits and bounds to the swelling Waves, sunk the deep Channels of the Ocean, and drawed the Waters into their proper stations, that so Earth and Water might make one complete Superficies, adorning the Earth with her vegetable Companions( of various Colours and Forms, as it were Arms and Scutcheon of the great Creator) endued the Earth with a fructifying quality; Beautified the Heavens with Stars of various Natures; made two great Lights to divide day and night, and to distinguish the seasons of the year.  
The Air was furnished with Fowls, the Sea repleat with Fishes; and thus were all things put into a perfect order( which five days before were all disorder) fit to entertain a governor to sway and control the unruly Nature of brutish Beasts, and to manure and take the sweetness of things created.  
Thus the Creator draws to a conclusion of his Work, and seems to question and take Counsel with himself, and say, Faciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram, thereby to make man more honourable than any other Creature: So he concludes to make him one part earthly, and two parts heavenly; he gave him a terrene Body, but an immortal Soul, a Divine shape with his face erect towards Heaven, and his Understanding partly Divine, and partly Natural.  
Thus did God finish the Creation in making man, and did assign him with his own Stamp, so that we have Gods Hand and Seal for it.  
Thus was man formed, called by the Greeks {αβγδ}, in reference to his Manhood and Creation; but {αβγδ}, in reference to his parts, he being an Epitome of the Macrocosm or greater World.  
Now let us inquire how Diseases are bread in the Body of Man, and how he comes to be crazy and sickly; therefore take notice, I  told you there were Stars in the Heavens of several Natures; so there are humours in the body of man that are governed by those Stars, so that according to their motion, Rays and Aspects are the natural humours of man either nourished or debilitated, inflamed or congealed, corrupted or cleansed, increased or extinguished. For at sometimes by their cruel Influence they do inflame the blood, consume the Spirits, exhaust the humidum radi●ale, and render Diseases so potent, they will not answer to physic, although ingeniously applied; witness that raging Pestilence 1665. and that Pestilential Dysenteria in 1670. with many others.  
When at some other time by their beneficial Rays, they proclaim the Voice of Joy and Health among us, and make that balsamic, which before was Arsenical.  
Therefore this is the primum mobile of all Effects, and the very Punctum from whence we must derive all our prognostics, both in Sickness and in Health, and from whence we must seek an account of the Course of Nature. Now having run over the Heads of the Course of Nature, we may admire the greatness of God in the Worlds Creation, his Mercy in its preservation, and his Wisdom in its operation, and cry out with the Psalmist, Quam magna sunt facta tua, Jehova, valdè profundae sunt cogitationes tuae, Psal. 92. 5.  
Now it will be convenient to speak something concerning the Nature and Signs of certain Diseases, which I think, if rightly considered by some, they would not go so head-long to work as they do, mistaking one thing for another, and so prove the Nurses of Diseases.  
The Scurvy is a Disease very common among us; and because common, but little taken notice of; when indeed it is the very Mother of all Diseases that proceed from Obstructions; and we meet it daily in a several Guise and Habit, and appearing by several Symptoms. For sometimes it is discovered by Laxity, Costiveness, or various coloured Urines, putrid Gums, loose Teeth, stinking Breath, wandring Joyntpains, pustules, consumptive Wastings, shortness of Breath, Suffocation, Stitches, householdstuff, and other Eruptions of the Skin, with many more such like: So that it may well be called the Protean Disease, by reason of its various shapes.  
But because there be many that have this disease, and yet are unwilling to make use of a Physician, I shall for their benefit prescribe a very safe, easy, and familiar way of Cure; and therefore take notice, the Cure consisteth in opening Obstructions, in carrying of the filth by Purgation, and by corroborating the Body; and first begin with an opening Purge, thus:  
Take Senna cleansed one ounce, Rhubarb one dram; infuse them twenty four hours in a pint of Ale or white Wine, then make it a little sharp with oil of Vitriol; and take half an ordinary Beer-glass full in a morning once or twice a week, and it will open the Obstructions, and finely cleanse the body. And because gentle Purgers are apt to stir up wind, you may take in every Dose as much Ginger as will lie on a shilling or more. For a strengthening Medicine,  
Take Mithridate one dram, Antimony diaphoretic seven grains, Salt of Scurvy-grass one scruple: mix them, and take it at night going to bed, drink a little muld Sack after it, and sweat if you can. This continued, will do more good than most of their chemical Preparations so much cried up.  
The dropsy is a disease that generally takes its beginning from a could Liver; which being not able to sanguifie, sendeth a waterish humour into the Cavity of the Belly, which by degrees swelleth all the parts of the body: so that after due Evacuations, good Diet-drinks, is the best Method of Cure.  
The Consumption is a disease usually coming from a defluxive Rheum, and is known at first by a small fever, afterwards by a Cough, spitting up mattry phlegm, want of Appetite, looseness of the Belly, with other such Symptoms; yet let none despair of a Cure, if not too far spent.  
The French Pox is a disease not known always by a Flux of the Yard, but by Pains, Buboes, Nodes, putrid Ulcers, and such like signs; therefore those that have had such foul play in the Sport of Venus, let them not fear, but be assured of a Cure without Fluxing, Salivation, Unction, or any such cursed way invented rather to kill, than cure a Patient, to turn Beauty into a beastly Visage, a pleasant Countenance into a Face like Hell-flames.  
The ston and Gravel is both painful and common, and is so well known, that it needeth no distinct signs to be laid down; yet take notice I have Remedies that few or none know besides myself, and hath or knows will certainly cure, if the disease be not so rebellious to defy all Medicines. I might, if I had more room, have spoken of Agues, fevers, Jaundice, Coughs, Itch, Womens Diseases, pains in the sides, Deafness, Worms both in old and young: And for Womens sore Breasts after their Delivery; I have a most specific balsam which cureth at twice dressing, if there is no tumour; as also all other such painful Sores. But I shall conclude here, and speak something to the second Branch of Study, and that is the most commendable and ingenious Art of Astrology, by so many abused. Let us therefore see what things are predicable by the Stars, nay let us see what things are not predicable, if scanned by an ingenious Artist. I wonder some think ill of this Art, I do engage it is neither joined with magic, knit to Witchcraft, nor supported by Cheating; but harmless, legal, innocent, and profitable: and had not some of its Professors played the Knave by it, it had never been so much abused by the Ignorant; for it is one of the most ingenious of the mathematics, because it discourseth the life of man from the Cradle to the Grave; yet not offensive to the Almighties will. By this may the life of man be handled, with all his Diseases, Craziness, Discomposure of Body, occasioned either by bad directions or bad revolutions, or other bad Positions of the malevolent Stars; by this we are enabled to discover whatsoever depends upon the wealth of one born, whether it will be or not, or whether it will continue or not. I have sometimes admired at the Sympathy of the Heavens with our Actions, when I have seen the truth experienced concerning Women conceiving with Child, their Delivery, together with the Sex of the Infant; so that if Truth may speak for the Art, why should Envy contradict it?  
Thus I have given you a Synopsis of the Art of Astrology, assuring you that all that can be done by Astrology, is lawful; and what cannot be discovered by it, may be judged to be the secret Counsels of the Almighty: where we shall conclude, and tell you that physic and Astrology in all its parts, whether Nativities or Questions, are faithfully studied and practised by me.  
John Partridge.  
All those that are desirous to make use of my judgement, either Physically or Astrologically, let them repair to my Lodging, a little below the Pay-Office, on the other side of the way, next door to the Kings-Head in Broad-street, near Bishopsgate, where I shall give Attendance till three of the Clock in the Afternoon, where they shall be treated civilly, discoursed modestly, and used honestly.