And with them for the Fame of Cures. what, I pray, followeth? Even this, that Phyficians fay to themfelves, as Solomon expreffes it upon a higher Occafion: If it happen to me, as it happeneth to the Fool, to what Purpofe is it, that I have taken more Pains to be Wife? Ecclef.2. And indeed I do not much blame Phyficians, that they ufe commonly to intend fome other Study, which they fancy, more than their Profeffion. For you fhall have of them, Poets, Antiquaries, Humanifts, Statesmen, Divines, and in thefe Arts better feen, than in their own Profeffion. Nor does this come to pafs, as I conceive, because (as a certain Declaimer again ft Sciences objects to Phylicians) they have fuch foul and fad Spectacles ever before their Eyes, that it is altogether neceffary for them to draw off their Minds to other Objects; (for as they are Men, Nibil bumani a fe alienum putent, They can think no Office of Humanity unbecoming them;) But upon this very ground, that we are now upon; Namely, That they find there is little matter of Difference, either as to Reputation, or Profit, whether they are Moderately or Eminently fkill'd in their Profeffion. For the Vexations of Sickness, the Sweetness of Life, the Flattery of Hope, and the Recommendation of Friends, make Men depend upon Phyficians, whatever they be. But nevertheless, if a Man feriously weigh the Matter, thefe Things tend rather to the Blame Blame of Phyficians, than to their Excufe.; For they ought not to caft away Hope, but to put to more Strength. För if a Man would awake his Obfervation, and look about a little, he will eafily fee in obvious and familiar In-i ftances, what a Command and Sovereignty thei Subtilty and Sharpness of the Understanding hath over the Variety either of Matter or Form. Nothing more variable than the Faces>> and Countenances of Men; yet the Memory can retain the infinite Diftinctions of them.> Nay, a Painter with a few Shells of Colours, by the Benefit of his Eye, the Force of his Imagination, and the Steadiness of his Hand, could imitate and defcribe with his Pencil the Faces of all, that are, have been, and may be, if they were brought before him. Nothing more variable than Man's Voice; yet we cafily difcern the Differences of it in every particular Perfon: Nay, you 'fhall have a Buffoon or Pantomime imitate and exprefs to the Life as many as he pleafes. Nothing more variable, than the differing Sounds of Words yet Men have found the Way to reduce them, to a few Letters of the Alphabet. So that it is not Want of Subtilty or Capacity in the' Mind of Man, that breeds thefe Mazes and Incomprehenfions in Sciences, but rather, the too remote placing of the Object. For as the Senfe, afar off, is full of miftaking, but within due Distance, errs not much; fo is it of the Understanding. For Men are wont to take a Profpect of Nature, as from a high Turret, and to view her afar off, and to be too much taken up about Generals; whereas if they would vouchfafe to defcend, and approach Particulars, and more attently and diligently look into Things themselves, there might be made a more true and profitable Comprehenfion. Now the Remedy of this Inconvenience does not lie in this alone, to quicken or ftrengthen the Organ, but withal to go nearer to the Object. And therefore there is no doubt, but if Phyficians, laying afide Generalities for a while, would go up boldly to Nature; they might affume to themselves what the Poet fays, Et quoniam variant Morbi, variabimus Artes; WHICH they ought the rather to do, because the Philofophies themselves, upon which Physicians, whether they be Methodifts, or Chymifts, do rely (and Medicine not grounded upon Philofophy is a weak Thing,) are indeed of little Worth. Wherefore if too wide Generalities (tho' they were true) have this Defect, that they do not well bring Men Home to Action; certainly there is greater Danger in those Generals, which are in themselves falfe, and instead of Directing, Mislead. ME MEDICINE therefore (as we have feen) is a Science which hath hitherto been more profeffed than laboured, and yet more laboured than advanced; fince the Pains beftowed thereon, have been rather in Circle than in Progreffion. For I find much Iteration by Writers in it, but small Addition. WE will divide it into three Parts, which we will call the three Duties thereof. The Firft is Prefervation of Health; the Second, the Cure of Difcafes, the Third, Prolongation of Life. And for this laft Duty, Phyficians seem not to have acknowledged it as a principal Part of their Profeffion, but to have mingled and confounded it (ignorantly enough) with the other Two. For they fuppofe, if Diseases be repelled before they invade, and be cured after they have feized the Body, that Prolonga tion of Life follows of Course. Which tho' it be fo without all queftion, yet they are fhort in not difcerning, that both of these belong only to Difeafes, and to that Prolongation of Life alone, which is fhorten'd and intercepted by Difeafes: But the Extending the very Thread of Life, and the Proroguing of Death (which infenfibly creeps upon us, by Natural Refolution, and the Confumption of Age) for any Time, is an Argument which none of the Phyficians has worthily handled Neither Q4 Neither let this Scruple trouble Men's Minds, That a Thing which is under Providence wholly, fhould be reduced to Rule and Art : For without doubt, Providence equally difpofes and determines all Deaths whatsoever, whether they come of Violence, or from Difeafes, or from the Courfe of Age; and yet it does not therefore exclude Preventions and Remedies. For Art and Industry do not command, but are fubfervient to Nature and Providence. But of this Part we shall speak by and by; thus much in the mean time by way of Preface; leaft any one should unskilfully confound this Third Office of Medicine (as hath hitherto usually been done) with the Two former. AS for the Duty of Preferving Health, (the First of the Three aforefaid) many have written of it, as in other Points unskilfully enough, fo (in my Judgment) in attributing too much to the Quality of Meats, and too little to the Quantity thereof. And in the Quantity it felf, like Moral Philofophers, they have too much extoll'd Moderation; whereas both Fafting, and full Eating, interchangeably ufed, and made cuftomary, are better Prefervatives of Health than thofe fame moderate Ufages, which weaken Nature, and render her impatient of Excefs and Hardship, if Occafion fhould be. And for the Kinds of Exercife, contributing moft to the Prefervar |