To the Distinguished and Illustrious
Henry, Earl of Surrey.
David Edwardes, Physician, Sends Greetings

How often, Henry, I have recalled the honourable achievements of those noble dukes, in what great honour all Englishmen held your grandfather during his lifetime for his remarkable ability and happy successes in warfare, as well as his extraordinary prudence in the administration of civil affairs; and also at present how expertly everything that pertains to us English is daily managed by your famous father. I cannot sufficiently admire your family, but not so much for those reasons as because I see you established above what can be said for many other young men in this age, and turning your mind so seriously to those things which will render it better. I am by no means certain whether I ought to ascribe this to the benefit of that stock from which you have been brought forth to us, whether to the gods who through you smile upon and favour us English. However it may be, let us hope what has occurred will be to the advantage of our commonwealth, and that the more so since you have pursued worth-while things for so long a time. Thus you will approach the next age better prepared, and good habits will meanwhile strengthen your mind so that later you will not easily fall into worse. But the more you may be strengthened by counsel and prudence, with confidence placed in your family, so much the better guidance will Norfolk have when you succeed as heir to your father’s estates. Meanwhile how much more useful you will be to your people as Earl of Surrey, and finally so much the more will all Englishmen desire you to undertake the affairs of the commonwealth. There is no doubt that you can achieve all these things which will be to the increase of your honours and to the honour of your family.

As your talent and gravity of character promise, so we have great hope that you will be like your father and grandfather. I wish you both the greatest successes and the most fruitful increase of all the best things. And once more I wish that this whole year from its beginning may be happy for you and yours. With this augury I dedicate to you this our introduction to anatomy. For as this part of the art of medicine is not known to all, because it is something very difficult to comprehend, it requires an easy arrangement by which readers, as if led by the hand to it, may lean upon it. This is indeed a slight work, but wholly useful for all physicians and surgeons, because it explains many things briefly. It contains nothing obscure, nothing elaborate, very readily accessible to the talents of all those who are neither dull nor ill-adapted to matters of knowledge. In this, if anything differs from the common opinions of physicians, let no one be astonished because the learned do not believe the same in these matters.

Hereafter, if God permit, I shall compose a complete book of anatomy in which I shall further the opinions of all the learned, to which my own opinion will be added. I could have done this at present but not, however, with the same effort or with the form of an introduction preserved. It remains that this little book, which we have enlisted in the service of the commonwealth, may be pleasing to you, for it recognizes the existence of those very few unlearned physicians by whose mistakes many perish, from which this fact will be gathered, that no parts of the body should be unknown to physicians. Farewell. Cambridge. 1 January.