Prognostication and Firste Booke

This is a preliminary list; in due course there will be links to each page and also to the page giving a glossary and further information. The folio numbers are those at the top of each right-hand page. A ‘folio’ in this context is a sheet, so each folio has an ‘a’ and a ‘b’ side, i.e. front and back. These are often called by the Latin names ‘recto’ and ‘verso’ in academic work, but we have chosen to use terms that are simpler for the lay reader.

Images 1 and 2, bookplates and signature showing the 19^th and 20^th century history of the volume. These are followed by several blank pages of 19th century paper
Image 3; Title Page; this is dirty and has evidently been the front cover of Edwarde Potter’s Booke for some time.
Image 4; Generall kalender for ever, with a list of evil days; the kalendar’s briefe use.This and the next two pages are copied from Digges’ Prognostication (see below), pages 35 to 36 verso. We have therefore not transcribed the tables; consult the printed volume instead
Images 5 and 6; Folio 1; The generall Kalender (in table form).
Image 7; folio 2a; A Cattalodge or evennitory of all my books

Prognostication

Much of this section is extracts from a book, A prognostication euerlasting of right good effect by the sixteenth century scientist and mathematician Leonard Digges, published in a ‘corrected and augmented version’ by his son Thomas Digges in 1596. See Wikipedia for more details, and follow this link for a full digital edition. (In the references below, we have used the term ‘verso’ for the back of a page, as the digital edition does so)

Image 8; Folio 2b, A rule to knowe the beginning and endeing of every tearme (Digges page 37, with additional notes); how to judge of weather by the sunne riseing, or goeing downe. (Digges page 5)
Image 9; Folio 3a; How weather is declared by the moone; the judgement of ye weather by starres (Digges page 5 verso)
Image 10; Folio 3b; The significations of comets; How by the cloudes, change of weather is perceived; Of the raynebowe; Of thunders; How weather is knowne after ye change of every moone (Digges page 6 and 6 verso)
Image 11; folio 4a; Extraordinary tokens for the knowledge of weather (Digges page 6 verso); A rule to prognosticate the aforesayd by the falling of Newyeares daye (Digges page 12 verso)
Image 12; Folio 4b; Naturall causes, conduceing to all the aforesayde, and first of the raynebowe; Of Rayne; Of Froste, and Dewe. (Digges page 13)
Image 13; folio 5 a; Of Snow; Of Hayle; Of Windes; Of earthquakes; Tokens of earthquakes to come; Of thunders and lightnings; kindes of lightnings; comets or flames in the nighte; A corollarie. (Digges pages 13, 13 verso, and 14)
Image 14; Folio 5 b; The distaunce or miles that the moone is from the Earth, and every planet from other (Digges page 16 verso); naturall causes of many sunnes or moones; A way to get the Golden number, or prime .
Image 15; folio 6 a; A rule for the change, full, and quarters of the moone; For the age of the moone;(Digges page 22 verso); What signes and degrees ye moone differeth from the sunne, the Signe and Grade wherein shee is; The place of the Sunne in the Zodiacke.
Image 16; folio 6 ; To know how long the moone shineth; How the moveable feastes are found; to know the tides (Digges page 22)
Image 17 folio 7 a; A table for the Sundayes letter & leape yeare; A table for the Golden number, or prime: and also for the epacte. (two circular tables, copied from Digges pages 20 and 21, and not transcribed here)
Image 18; folio 7 b; A linear table, headings: The prime, The Sundaies letter, The first Lent Sundaye, Easter day, Rogation, Whitsontide, Betwixte Whitsond. & midsummer (number of weeks and days) (Digges page 21 verso, not transcribed)
Image 19; folio 8 a The use of this table appointed for the moveable feastes; Ensample (Digges page 22)
Image 20; folio 8 b; Table – in what signe the moone is or shall bee at any daye in the yeare (Digges pages 17 verso and 18 verso)
Image 21; folio 9 a; Ensample; A conduceable note for letting Bloude; Signs meete for the complexions (Digges page 19)
(no folio 9 b)
Image 22; folio 10 (on back of folio 9); The dominion of the Moone in mans bodie (Digges page 19)

The firste booke (Liber 1)

Image 23; folio 11 a; Title; Coppye of all suche medicenes where wt the noble Countisse of Oxenford most charitablye in her owne person did manye greate and notable cures upon her poore neighbours; 1. For payne in the head; 2. For the migrime in the eyes 3. To make one Sleepe 4. For the pynne and the webb
Image 24; folio 11 b; 5 For the same; To make syrrope of Elecampayne rootes, for all maner Coughes; medicene for the stone
Image 25; folio 12 a; 8 To staunche bleedinge at the noose; 9 For lacke of hearinge; 10 For toothe ache; 10 For a sarlse flengme or heigh coloured face; 11 for the canker in a mans mouth; 13 For a canker in the tooth
Image 26; folio 12 b; 14To stopp vometinge; 15 For a soore Brest that is swoollen; 16 A plaster for the heate in the Stomake; 17 For a styche; 18 For the cough and ache in the brest
Image 27; folio 13 a; 19 To cause one to make water though it be stopt wt in one; 20 For the bloody fluxe; 21 To stoppe ye bloody fluxe; 22 A speciall water for ye pestilence; 23A speciall water for the stone; 24 An oyntment for ye stone & ye collicke; A medicine for a woman which hath her throwes before her time
Image 28; folio 13 b; 26 To staunch a wound from bleeding; 27 Another for ye same; 28 A water to abate proude flesh or to clense a corrupt poxe or wound; 29 An other for the same ; 30 Oyntment for aches & bruises
No folio 14; the page seems to have been missing when the book was bound in the nineteenth century
Image 29 folio 15a; 38 A medicine for all manner diseases as gouts aches & running goutes; 39 To asswage the stinging of an adder, or any other venomouse beaste; 40 To take out the fire of a burning or scaldinge; 41 for a burning or a scaldinge called mother Cammockes medicine
Image 30; folio 15b; 42 for a fellon, or any sicknes sore, & to breake it; 43 To asswage an evell humour or fellon or to heal a new or green wounde; 44 For shrinkeing of the synnewes; 45 For burning or scaldeinge
Image 31; folio 16a. 46 An other for a burninge; 47 To destroy wormes in children; 48 To drive out the morphy from ye inward parts; 49 For the crampe; 50 For the quinsey; To breake fleagme; 51 A water to kill a pocke or Fistula
Image 32; folio 16b; 53 For the stone; 54 For the akeinge of the wombe; 55 For the megrime in the heade; 56 For sore eyes; 57. To pull out a thorne; 58 For a consumption or a coughe; 59 For the Blacke iaundise .
Image 33; folio 17a; 60 For ye rake or hardness under ye side.; 61To make a suppositorye; 62 A playster for the swelling of ye stomacke; 63 For ye stone & strangurye; 64 To destroy an imposhume; 65 To avoyde winde out of ye stomacke; 66 A drinke for the fever; 67 To make a seere cloth wch is ye blote salve.
Image 34, folio 17b, 68 To make a glyster; 69 For an ache; 70 To breake a fellon; 71 A salve very good for a newe or olde wounde; 72 For a sore breaste;
Image 35; folio 18a; 73 For the pyles or emrodes; For a sore mouthe; 75 A playster for olde bruises, or sores, uncomes, cuts, or any.
Folio 18b is not yet digitised, and will be added later.

Unlocking the Archives

Digitising, transcribing and disseminating archives of the Newcastle Antiquaries

Prognostication and Firste Booke