a) From Lanfranc's "Science of Cirurgie" in ME translatlon. MS.: Bodl. 7599, Ashmole 1396; late XlVth century. --ed.: R.v.Flelschhacker, EETS. 102. -We. X, 5.
Nedeful it is, that a surgian be of a complexcioun weel proporciound, and that his complexcioun be temperat. Races seith: 'Whoso is nought semelich, is ympossible to have good maners.' And Auicenne: 'Euyle maners but folowen the lijknes of an yuele complexioun.' A surgian muste have handis weel schape, longe smale fyngris, and his body not quakynge, and al must ben of sutil witt; for al thing that longith to siurgie may not with lettris ben writen. He muste studie in alle the parties of philosofie and in logik that he mowe undirstonde scripturis; in gramer, that he speke congruliche, in arte, that techith him to proue his proporciouns with good resoun; in retorik, pat techith him to speke semelich. Be he no glotoun, ne noon enuyous, ne a negardl Be he trewe, unbeliche, and plesyngliche bere he himsilf to hise pacientis! Speke he noon ribawdrie in the sike mannis hous. Geue he no counseil, but if he be axid. Ne speke he with no womman in folie in the sik mannes hous, ne chide not with the sike man ne with noon of hise meyne; but curteisli speke to the sijk man, and in al maner sijknes bihote him heele though thou be of him dispeirid! But neuer-the-lattere seie to hise freendis the caas as it stant.
Love he noon harde curis, and entermete he nought of tho that ben in dispeir. Pore men helpe he bi his myght, and of the riche men axe he good reward. Preise he nought himsilf with his owne mouth, ne blame he nought scharpliche othere lechis. Loue he alle lechis and clerkis, and bi his myght make he no leche his enemye. So clothe he him with vertues, that of him mai arise good fame and name; and this techith etik. So lerne he fisik, that he mowe with good rulis his surgerie defende, and that techith fisik. Netheles it is nessessarie a surgian to knowe alle the parties and ech sengle partie of a medicyn; for if a surgian ne knewe nought the science of elementis, whiche that ben firstmoost force of natural thingis and of dyuers tymes, he mai not knowe science of coniouncions, that is to seie medlyngis and complexiouns, that ben nessessarie to his craft.
b) From John Arderne's "Treatises on surgery~ in ME translatlon. MS.: BM., Stoane 6; early XVth century. -ed.: D'Arcy Power, EETS. 139.
First it bihoueth hym that wil profite in this crafte that he sette god
afore euermore in all his werkis, and euermore calle mekely with hert and
mouth his help; and som tyme visite of his wynnyngis poure men aftir his
myght, that thai by thair prayers may gete hym grace of the holy goste. And
that he be noght yfounden temerarie or bosteful in his seylngls or in his
dedes. And abstene he hym fro moche speche, and most among grete men;
and answere he sleighly to thingis y-asked, that he be noght ytake in his
wordes.
Also be a leche noght mich laughyng ne mich playlng. And als moche
as he may withoute harme fle he the felawshippe of knafes and of vnueste
persones. And be he euermore occupied in thingis that biholdith to his
crafte, outhir rede he or studie he, or write or pray he; for the exercyse of
bokes worshippeth a leche, for why he shal be byholden and he shal be
more thise. And aboue al thise it profiteth to hym that he be founden
euermore sobre; for dronkennes destroyeth al vertu and bringith it to not.
Be he content in strange places of metes and drinkes ther yfounden, vsyng
mesure in al thingis.
When seke men, forsoth, or any of tham bysyde cometh to the leche
to aske help or counsel of hym, be he noght to tham ouer-felle ne ouerhomely,
but mene in beryng aftir the askyngis of the persones: to som reuerently,
to som comonly. If he will fauoure to any mannes askyng, make he
couenant for his trauaile and take it byforehandes. But avise the leche hym
self wele that he giffe no certayn answer in any cause, but he se first the
sikenes and the maner of it. And if he se the pacient persewe bisily the
cure, than after that the state of the pacient asketh aske he boldly more or
lesse. But euer be he warre of scarse askyngis; for ouerscarse askyngis
setteth at not both the markette and the thing. Therfore for the cure of
fistula in ano, when it is curable, aske he competently, of a worthi man and
a gret an hundred marke or fourty pounde with robes and fees of an hundred
shillyng terme of Iyfe by yere. Of lesse men fourty pounde or fourty marke
aske he without fees; and take he noght lesse than an hundred shlllyng for
cure of that sekenes.
And if the pacientes or thair frendes or seruaunts aske by how moche tyme he hopeth to hele it, euermore lat the leche byhete the double that he supposeth to spede by half; for it is better that the terme be lengthed than the cure. For prolongacion of the cure gitteth cause of dispairyng to the pacientes when triste to the leche is moste hope of heithe. And if the pacient considere or wondre or aske why that he putte hym so long a tyme of curyng, sithe that he heled hym by the half, answere he that it was for that the pacient was strong-herted and suffrid wele sharp thingis, and that he was of gode compiexion and hadde able flesshe to hele. And feyne he othir causes pleseable to the pacient; for pacientes of syche wordes are proude and delited.
Also dispose a leche hym that in clothes and othir apparalyngis be he honeste, noght likkenyng hymself in apparalyng or berying to mynistralles; but in clothing and beryng shew he the maner of clerkes, for why it semeth any discrete man ycladde with clerkis clothing for to occupie gentil mennes bordes.
Special Order for a Surgeon.
From "The Book of the Knight of La Tour-Landry" (above), LXII.
The good man thought that his wiff went ofte to the priori, and she had not to do there; and he defended her In payne of her Iyff she shulde no more come there, for it was not his will that she yode thedir for no thinge. And so on a tyme, to saye what she wulde do, her husbonde saide he wolde gone oute of towne, and he hidde hym priuely to loke what she wolde do. And she that was full of synne and tempted with the deuell, yede anone with the prioure. And her husbonde saw, and yode after her and brought her ageyn, and saide: "Here, dame, thou hast broke myn comaundement." And thanne he yode into the towne, and made comenaunt with a surgeon to hele two broken legges; and whanne he had done, he come home and toke a pestell and brake bothe his wyfes ys leggys, and saide to her: "Atte the hardest for a while thou wilt not goo ferre and breke myn comaundement, nother y fynde the contrarye." And thanne he brought her a-bedde.
A BURLESQUE PRESCRIPTION
MS.: Bodl. 29734, Eng. poet. e. 1: XV century. edd.: Th. Wright, Songs and Carols, Percy
Soc. XXIll, 1847; R.H.Robbins, Sec. Lyrics XIV-XV, Oxford 2, 1955. --BR. 813.
For a man that is almost blynd:
Lat hym go barhed all day ageyn the wynd
Tyll the sone be sette;
At evyn wrap hym in a cloke,
And put hym in a hows full of smoke,
And loke that euery hol be well shett.
And whan hys eyen begyne to rope,
Fyll hem full of brynston and sope,
And hyll hym well and warme;
And yf he se not by the next mone
As well at mydnyght as at none
I schal lese my ryght arme.