THE French Mountebank, OR An Operator fit for theſe Times.
COnducted by the hand of Providence, me arrived at Dover on the firſt of March, where me ſtayed two, tree, foure, and five dayes, exerciſing my faculty in a charitable way among tee poore Seamans, tee reſidue of tee time before I came to this renowned City, me ſpent for tee moſt part in Canterbury, where by reaſon of tee great confluence of People, me was forced to erect a Stage, whereon to preſerve my own ſelfe from ſtifling, and the better to preſent my own ſelfe and my Rarities to the ſight and view of the multitude. Yet for for all this me could take very little money. Me appeared every day with my Dwarfe, my Hermaphrodite, and my Monkey, and entertained them all a mode de France, with Songs, Anticks, and Maſques, yet all would not not doe, me could ſee but little money.
When me had vented all my Commodities, it was not ſafe for me to ſtay long there, yet me be ſure if tey do them no good, tey will do them no harme: And now me be newly come unto this famous City of London, and the City of London cannot but confeſſe themſelves very much beholden to me, that after ſo many yeares travaile, and experience in ſeverall Countries, both Chriſtian, and Pagan, me be pleaſed now in theſe latter, and moſt knowing daies of mine, to leave wandring, and reſide here with them.
The reaſon why me do ſhew mine ſelfe in print firſt is, becauſe me be tickled in the conceit by ſome, that this is the beſt way to make my ſelfe known unto you, and the ſetting up of Bils upon Poſts, is the tricks of tee Mountebanke, which me do abhorre.
Imprimis, me do meane to tell you what rare exploits me have done abroad.
And now Dukes, Earles, Lords, Biſhops, Knights, Deanes, Prebends, Gentlemen of Englant, &c. and all others, High and Low, Rich and Poore, me do addreſſe mine ſelfe to you in all humility. For as much as me do underſtand that ſince this preſent Perliament, there hath been many ſtrange and unheard of diſeaſes, ſeizing upon certain ſorts of People, that were in perfect health before, and as yet remaining incureable, me being accuſtomed to cure ſuch diſeaſes, do undertake theſe Maladies following, and for my better proceeding in the cure when they come to my hands, me joyn to every Mallady ſome ſhort directions for their obſervation. Though a Parliament (as me do know) be ſalus Populi, the beſt meanes conduceing to the health of this Nation, yet as in ill conditioned ſtomacks, oftentimes the beſt Cordials degenerate into an ill nature, and ſo become as offenſive to the Body, as the ill humours themſelves; even ſo this Parliament, (which God preſerve) though as well a temper'd Cordiall for this languiſhing Kingdome as ever was, yet to ſome ill humoured Members it hath proved Feavouriſh, and ſet them all on Fire, as Ieſuits, Papiſts, and Cavaliers: and to others as bad as poyſon, as to Church ▪ Statiſts, and Monopoliſts, thoſe Catterpillers of the Common-wealth, &c. So then me being by my proffeſſion to cure all diſeaſes, muſt not be blamed, if me do name all indifferently, and me do ſee no reaſon why me ſhould be blamed for nameing ſuch of theſe diſeaſes, which me do intend, and promiſe to cure, therefore Sans diſsimulation, or Feare, me do proceed.
Theſe and many more the Profeſſour hereof will faithfully performe, he beeing but newly come to town you cannot expect much from him, till longer obſervation hath better acquainted him with the diſeaſes now raging, and ranging in this Land.
If any deſire to make uſe of him in any of theſe particulars aforenamed, or to make known any other Malladie wherewith they are afflicted, let them repaire to the Phyſitiaus Colledge.
Vive Le Roy.