CONCERNING THE EARL OF ESSEX. 269 



my brother of his gout, and asked me how it went 

 forward : and I told her majesty, That at the first 

 he received good by it ; but after in the course of 

 his cure he found himself at a stay, or rather worse : 

 the queen said again, &quot; I will tell you, Bacon, the 

 &quot; error of it : the manner of these physicians, and 

 &quot; especially these empirics, is to continue one kind of 

 &quot; medicine; which at the first is proper, being to draw 

 &quot; out the ill humour ; but, after, they have not the 

 &quot; discretion to change the medicine, but apply still 

 &quot; drawing medicines, when they should rather intend 

 &quot; to cure and corroborate the part.&quot; &quot; Good Lord ! ma- 

 11 dam,&quot; said I, &quot; how wisely and aptly can you speak 

 &quot; and discern of physic ministered to the body, and 

 &quot; consider not that there is the like occasion of physic 

 &quot; ministered to the mind : as now in the case of my 

 &quot; lord of Essex, your princely word ever was, that you 

 &quot; intended ever to reform his mind, and not ruin his 

 &quot; fortune : I know well you cannot but think that 

 &quot; you have drawn the humour sufficiently ; and there- 

 &quot; fore it were more than time, and it were but for 

 &quot; doubt of mortifying or exulcerating, that you did 

 &quot; apply and minister strength and comfort unto him : 

 &quot; for these same gradations of yours are fitter to cor- 

 &quot; rupt than correct any mind of greatness.&quot; And 

 another time I remember she told me for news, That 

 my lord had written unto her some very dutiful let 

 ters, and that she had been moved by them ; and 

 when she took it to be the abundance of his heart, 

 she found it to be but a preparative to a suit for 

 the renewing of his farm of sweet wines. Where- 



