"Ends of the Art of Physick: An Art to which, under God, some owe their Conception, others their Birth; and which is helpful to Mankind in all the Periods of Life. It easeth the Pained, and comforteth the Sick and Languishing; it giveth Sight to the Blind, Hearing to the Deaf, and Feet to the Lame. It cheareth the Melancholick, restoreth the Use of Reason to the Distracted, and procureth Sleep and Quiet to the Restless. It extinguisheth the Flame of Feavers, draineth and drieth up the Deluge of Dropsies, and putteth Life and Beauty into the Faces of the Fair Sex. In short, it cureth Diseases almost innumerable; and if not all and always, 'tis because Sin, that hath made Death certain, must needs also make some Diseases incurable." But though this Commendation primarily belongeth to the Physician's Learning, yet the Apothecary's Art, which is so subservient, and such an Handmaid thereunto, must not be deprived of its Share in it.

A Controversy happened of late between these Apothecaries and the Physicians; the Physicians complaining, that the Apothecaries did exceed their Office and Trade, in taking upon them to adminster Physick; and so intruded into the Physicians Province: And also that they wanted some Skill, and some Care, in making and preparing their Physick. Wherefore they not long ago sued one Rose an Apothecary, for several Months Practice. In which time he had by his own Advice ministred Medicines to one Man, to a considerable Value. This was proved in Court. But yet the Jury hesitated, as to the finding it for the Plaintiff. Whereat the Court wondering, the Lord Chief Justice asked them, Whether they did not believe the Evidence? To which the Foreman replied, That the Defendant had done only what other Apothecaries did. Wherupon my Lord set the Jury right. And then they brought in a Verdict for the Plaintiff.

It is thought by some, that London and the Suburbs are overstocked with Apothecaries; reputing the number of them to be near a thousand: Whereas in Paris there were but fifty one; in Stockholm and Copenhagen but four or five apiece; and in Hamburgh but one Apothecary's Shop. For they say, that one Apothecary's Shop is sufficient to make up at least three Physicians Prescriptions, and they of good Business.

In the 4th of King James I. the King incorporated the Apothecaries with the Grocers, to be one Body Corporate and Politick. They were again divided from the Grocers, and made a Body Corporate of their own by a Charter of the same King, to wit, 13 Jac. I. May the 30th. In which Charter are all the Apothecaries Names inserted, beginning with William Besse, amounting to 104. Which we may conclude to be all of that Calling in London and the Suburbs.

This Company have a Physick Garden in Chelsea, replenished with various Plants. Those that have the Privilege of going into it, have a Ticket given them, which hath the Impression of a Phœbus on it, and round it is this suitable Motto, Herbarum est subjecta potentia nobis; taken out of Ovid, and follows immediately after the Words the Company took for their Motto; viz. Opiféq; per Orbem dicor.

Anno 10 Regin. Annæ, 1712, an Act passed for reviving and continuing several Acts therein mentioned. One whereof was, for exempting Apothecaries from serving the Offices of Constable and Scavenger, and other Parish and Ward Offices, and serving upon Juries. This Act referred to, was that made 6 & 7 Reg. Guliel. 3. which was to continue for the space of seven Years. Which Act was continued by an Act made 1 Regin. Annæ, for a further time of seven Years; and to be in force, after the Expiration thereof, for the space of eleven Years.

THE Supporters and Crest of this Company being not here presented, were as follow: The Supporters are two Turks in Habit, with Turbants upon their Heads. On the right side a Turk supporting the Arms, habited in Silk, Gules, decked, Gold; holding on his Right Hand a Battle-Ax, Or. On his left Arm a Skean of Silk, hanging down, proper: His Robe turned down about his Neck, Azure, escaloped. His Face with Whiskers, proper. Upon his Head a Turbant, Argent, charged in the middle with a Lozenge, Gold; with a Tassel upen the top, Gules. The Turk on the Sinister side also supports the Arms with his Right Hand; Robed Blew, and decked Gold; holding in his Left Hand, proper, a Scymitar sheathed, all Gold, a Skean of Silk hanging down his Left Arm, proper. His Robe about his Neck as before, turned down, escaloped, Gules. His Face and Hair and Whiskers, proper. The Turbant on his Head, Argent, charged with a Lozenge, Or.

For the Crest, Upon an Hill, Vert, a Mulberry-Tree, proper; Silk-Worms hanging about the Tree, and on the Leaves of the Tree, crawling.]

This Company of SILK-THROWERS, or SILK-THROWSTERS, having gained their Trade and Skill of Silk-Throwing from the Strangers, since Anno quinto of Queen Elizabeth, and being for the most part Freemen of this City, were made a Fellowship of this City, 4 die Junii, Anno 19 of King James I. Sir Francis Jones, Knight, being then Lord Maior. And 23. die Aprilis, Anno 5 Caroli Regis, they were incorporated by the name of the Master, Wardens, Assistants, and Commonalty of the Trade, Art and Mystery of Silk-Throwers of the City of London.

There were several Tradesmen, called Silk-Twisters, Foreigners, towards the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, living in St. Martin's Liberty; who seemed to be of the same Art and Calling. Among the trading Strangers that came over into England from Flanders, and those Parts for their Religion, in the said Queen Elizabeth's Reign, there were divers of this sort that dealt in dressing and preparing Silk for other Trades.

Tho' this Craft of Throwing Raw Silk is generally thought and said to have been but of late standing in England, viz. in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, yet it is plain, that Thrown Silk was known in England long before. For in the 12th of Edward IV. it was enacted, that no Silk, nor Colein Silk, Thrown or wrought, should be brought in, upon pain of Forfeiture thereof. Which Act was renewed and confirmed in the 1st of King Henry VII. Which Acts suppose that it had been brought in before. But the Throwing of it in England was not known nor practised till many Years after.

An Order was entered and registered in the Archives at Guild-Hall, London, concerning the Silk-