X.] PLANTS AND PLANE'IS. 159 



by the nose by the college of physicians, as they lead 

 bears to Paris garden. Melancholy men cannot bear 

 to be wronged in point of good fame, and that doth 

 sorely trouble old Saturn, because they call him the 

 greatest infortunate ; in the body of man he rules 

 the spleen (and that makes covetous men so sple- 

 netick), the poor old man lies crying out of his left 

 side. Father Saturn's angry, Mars comes to him ; 

 Come, brother, I confess thou art evil spoken of, and 

 so am I ; thou knowest I have my exaltation in thy 

 house, I give him an herb of mine, Wormwood, to 

 cure the poor man ; Saturn consented, but spoke 

 little, and so Mars cured him by sympathy." Then 

 we are treated to the account of some conversations 

 among the gods, with whom our author seems to have 

 been on the most familiar terms. He shows himself 

 superior to the opinions of men, for he winds up his 

 discourse on Wormwood thus j 



" He that reads this, and understands what he 

 reads, hath a jewel of more worth than a diamond ; 

 he that understands it not, is as little fit to give 

 physic. There lies a key in these words which will 

 unlock (if it be turned by a wise hand) the cabinet of 

 physic. I have delivered it as plain as I durst ; it is 

 not only upon Wormwood as I wrote, but upon all 

 plants, trees, and herbs; he that understands it not, 

 is unfit (in my opinion) to give physic. This shall 

 live when I am dead. And thus I leave it to the 

 world, not caring a farthing whether they like or 

 dislike it. The grave equals all men, and therefore 

 shall equal me with all princes ; until which time the 

 eternal Providence is over me : Then the ill tongue 



