Before passing to the Bibliography of "Spadacrene Anglica," a brief mention must be made of Michael Stanhope, Esquire, whose two books did much to add to the celebrity of the English Spa, and were afterwards associated with the later editions of "Spadacrene Anglica." His first work was published towards the end of 1626, and is entitled,
"Newes out of Yorkshire, or an account of a journey, in the true
discovery of a sovereigne Minerall, Medicinal Water in the
West-Riding of Yorkeshire, neere an Ancient Towne called
Knaresbrough, not inferior to the Spa in Germany. Also a taste of
Other Minerall Waters of severall natures adjoyning" By M.S.
Ecclest. 38. 4. The Lord hath created Medicines out of the Earth:
he that is wise will not despise them.
A large extract has already been given from this book, which was dedicated "To the Right Honourable, the Vertuous, and Religious Lady, the Lady Katherine Stanhope, wife to the Lord Philip Stanhope, Baron of Shelford."
Stanhope's other work was entitled,
"Cures without Care, or, a summons to all who finde little or no
help by the use of ordinary physick to repaire to the Northerne
Spa. Wherein by many Presidents of a few late yeares, it is
evidenced to the world, that infirmities in their own nature desperate
and of long continance have received perfect recovery in the west
Riding of Yorkshire. Also a description of the said water, and
of other rare and usefull springs adjoyning, the nature and efficacie
of the Mineralls contained in them, with other not impertinent
notes. Faithfully collected for the publique good by M. St."
Tibul. "felix quicunque dolore
alterius disces posse carere tuo,"
London, 1632.
Stanhope dedicated this work "To The Right Honourable, Thomas Lord Wentworth, etc., Lord President of his Majesties Council established in the North." Lord Wentworth is better known as the Earl of Strafford, and was beheaded in 1642. In it is contained a catalogue of persons who have received either benefit or cure by the waters.
An abridgement of the two works of Stanhope was made by John Taylor and published in 1649 under the title "Spadacrene Anglica ... Treatise of the learned Dr. Deane and the sedulous observations of the ingenious Michael Stanhope, Esquire." The ingenious Michael Stanhope, Esquire, also appears in the 1654 edition, but in that published in 1736, Stanhope appears as Dr. Stanhope. Short[19] seems to have been the first to make Stanhope a member of the medical profession. His opinion was soon adopted by others, and has apparently never been questioned. After a perusal of "Newes out of Yorkshire" and "Cures without Care," it is difficult to understand how Short arrived at his conclusion, for the internal evidence is entirely opposed to it. Even in the extract from "Newes out of Yorkshire" already quoted, it is obvious that Stanhope dissociates himself from the physicians with the party, for he writes, "then the physitians began to try their experiments," "three other physitians of allowable knowledge," and he refers to Deane as "one who is far from the straine of many of his profession." This extract was selected for an entirely different purpose, yet it is clearly not the language of a fellow-physician in practice in York. Short himself partially recognizes this. He only summarised "Cures without Care," and he justly remarks of the cures therein related that "some whereof are perhaps the greatest and most remarkable in the Authentic Records of Physic down from Hippocrates to this day." Short writes fully a century after "Cures without Care" was published, whereas Taylor was a Apothecary in York and a contemporary of both Deane and Stanhope there, and is accordingly the best authority on the status of Stanhope.
A clue to the identity of Stanhope offers itself in the dedication of "Newes out of Yorkshire" to Lady Katherine Stanhope, wife to the Lord Philip Stanhope, afterwards the Earl of Chesterfield. An outline of the pedigree of the Stanhope family was obtained from the College of Arms and is here partly reproduced to show the relationship of Stanhope to Lady Katherine Stanhope.