THat Mr. William Trigg Practitioner of Physick, the last great sicknesse did by Gods blessing upon his Physick and Chyrurgeries, cure many that are still living; and did abundance of good to all sorts of people in and about this City: when most of the Colledge Doctors deserted us, since which time your Petitioners have for above twenty yeares, in their severall times of sicknesses, and infirmities taken Physick from him; for whom they have great reason to blesse the Lord, who hath made him the instrument to restore us, and many of our severall Families, to our for­mer healths; and in which time, we doe verily beleeve in our consciences, that he hath done good to above thirty thousand Persons; and that he maketh all his Compositions himselfe, not taking any thing for his Physick from poor people; but rather releiving their necessities, nor any mo­ney from any of us for his advice; and but moderately for his Physick: his custome being to take from the middle sort of Patients, 12^d. 18^d. 2s 2s. 6^d. as they please to give, very seldom five shillings, unlesse from such as take much Physick with them together into the Countrey: Having done many wonderfull cures of divers of your Petitioners, and others who had long languished, and spent great summes of money upon other Physitians and left by them as incurable

That there is a good and wholesome law made in the 34^th. year of King Hen 8. c. 8. Permitting every man that hath knowledge, and experience in the nature of Herbs, Roots, and waters, to improve his Talent for the common good and health of the people; the Copie whereof your Petitioners have humbly presented, to be as a glasse to represent the faces, and conditions, of things to be such now, as formerly they were.

WHerein the Parliament holden at Westminster, in the third yeare of the Kings most gracious reigne, amongst other things for the avoiding of Sorceries, Wichcraft, and other inconveniences, it was enacted that no person within the City of London, nor within seven myles of the same; should take upon him to exercise and occupy as Physitian, or Chyrurgion, except he be first examined, approved and admitted by the Bishop of London, and others, under and upon certaine paines and penalties in the same Act mentioned. Sithens the making of which said Act, the Company and Fellowship of Chyrurgions of London, minding onely their own lucres, and nothing the profit of the diseased, or patient, have sued, troubled, and vexed divers honest Persons, as well men as women, whom God hath endowed with the knowledge of the nature, kinde, and operation of certaine herbes, rootes, and waters, and the using and ministring of them, to such as are pained with customable diseases: As womens breasts being sore, a pin and a web in the eye, uncomes of hands, scaldings, burnings, sore mouthes, the stone, strangury, saucelim, and morfew, and such other like diseases. And yet the said persons have not taken any thing for their paines, or cunning; but have ministred the same to the poor people, onely for neighbour­hood and Gods sake, and of pity and charity. And it is now well known, that the Chyrurgions admitted will do no cure to any person, but where they shall know to be rewarded with a greater summe, or reward, then the cure extendeth unto; for in case they would minister their cunning to poor peo­ple unrewarded, there should not so many rotte and perish to death, for lacke of helpe of Chyrurgery, as daily doe; but the greatest part of Chyrur­geons admitted be much more to be blamed, then those Persons that they trouble: For although the most part of the Persons of the said craft of Chyrurgeons have small cunning; yet they will take great summes of money, and doe little therefore, and by reason thereof they doe oftentimes im­paire and hurt their patients, rather then doe them good. In consideration whereof, and for the ease, comfort, succour, help, reliefe and health, of the Kings poor Subjects, Inhabitants of this his Realm, now pained, or diseased, or that hereafter shall be pained, or diseased. Be it ordained, established, and enacted, by the authority of this present Parliament, that all time henceforth it shall be lawfull to every person being the Kings subject, having knowledge and experience, of the nature of herbs, roots, and waters: or of the operation of the same by speculation, or practice, within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other of the Kings Dominions, to practice, use, and minister, in and to any outward sore; uncombe, wound, appostumacions, outward swelling, or diseases; any herbe, or herbes, oyntments, bathes, pultes, and emplasters, according to their cunning experience and knowledge, in any of the diseases, sores, and maladies before said, and all other like to the same; or drinks of the stone, and stran­gury, or agues; without sute, vexation, trouble, penalty, or losse of their goods, the foresaid statute in the aforesaid third yeare of the Kings most gracious reigne, or any other Act, Ordinance, or Statute to the contrary hereof, heretofore made in any wise notwithstanding,

Yet notwithstanding the President, and Colledge of Physicians in London, envying the happy successe of his Physick; endeavour by all meanes possible to suppresse the said Mr. William Triggs Practice, and have maliciously preferred severall Inditements against him at the common law, and have brought an information, and an action of debt upon him, &c. Prohibiting all men from practising Physick, which are not by them licensed; which was made to suppresse Mountebanks, who then cozoned and deluded the people; and not to be put in execution against him, who is the poor peoples honest Doctor, as may appeare by thousands of our hands hereunto annexed: Endeavouring to make him odious in the sight of all men; who under God hath preserved thousands of our lives; whom God hath endowed with the knowledge of the nature, and operation of Herbs, Rootes, and many wonderfull secrets in Physick, and Chyrurgerie; wherein if the said Colledge shall prevail, many poore people must of necessity perish to death, for want of help in time of sicknesse, from which there is no exemption, for they are not able to pay great fees to Doctors, and Apotheca­ries bills which cost more then his advice and Physick: Nor can we have accesse unto them when we desire, which we familiarly have to Doctor Trigg to ourgreat ease and comfort.

Forasmuch as your Honours have declared, that the health of the people, is the supreame law; and that he who in the great plague, adventured himselfe for our good, ought to be incouraged in his practice in times of health. Your Petitioners hope that if there be any penall lawe in force, that is distructive to the health and welfare of the people: Your Honours will be pleased in your great wisdomes, to suspend the execution thereof; rather then to suffer many poore people to perish to death, for want of help; and your Petitioners therefore most humbly beseech this Honou­rable House, who hath done such great things for the saftie of this Kingdom, for the sakes of so many poore people, in and about this City, who are deeply concerned herein, as much as their lives are worth; to Order that the said D. Trigg, shall and may quietly, and without any distur­bance, or penalty, practice and administer Physick, in and about this City, notwithstanding any Charter, or law to the contrary. And that your Honours would be pleased, that such moneyes as have been recovered against the said William Trigg, may be remitted unto him; For why should any man suffer for saving his neighbours life.