Lib. IV. Of the Advancement of Learning. 127 



many of them full of wavering, inconftancy, and every days devilcs 5 

 and iuch as came into their minds without any certain, or ad vifed courfe 

 of Cure. For they JJjotilcl even from the beginnitigj ajier they have made 

 afMllandpcrfe&dijcoVfryofthedifeafCy meditate and refolve upon an or- 

 derly fequcnce of Cure ^ and not without important reafons depart there- 

 from. And let Phyficians know for certain, that (for example) three 

 perchance, or four receipts, are rightly prefcribed for the Cure of fome 

 greatdifeafe; which taken z« due order ^ and in due /paces of time 

 perform the Cure '-3 vchichif they were taken ftngk^ or hythemfelves alone^ 

 or if the Courfe ware inverted^ or the entervals of time not obfcrved^ would 

 be hurtful. Nor is it yet our meaning that every (crupuJous andfuper- 

 ftitious way of Cure in eftimation (hould be the beft , no more thaa 

 that every ftreight way is the way to Heaven, but that the way fhould be 

 right as well as ftreight and difficult. And this Part which we call Fi^ 

 lum Medicinale we let down as Deficient. So thefe are the Parts which 

 in the Knowledge of Medicine, touching the cure of Difeafes, arc defi- 

 deratc, (avethat there remains yet one part more of more u(e than all 

 the other, v/hich is here wanting, A true and Active natural Philofo- 

 phy, upon which the fcience of Medicine fjould be built : but that belongs 

 not to this Treatife. 



IV. The third part of Medicine we have fet down to be that of the ^JJ'c^av.' 

 Prolongation of Life, which is a part new and Deficient, and the moft do cur.-' 

 noble of all: For if any fuch thing may be found out, Medicine (hall vit^> 

 not be praftis'd only in the impurities of Cures, nor ftiall Phyficians be 

 honour'd only for Neceffity, but for a gift, the greateft of earthly Do- 

 nations tljat could be confer'd on mortality, whereof men, next under 

 God, may be the Di(penfers and Adminiftrators. For although the world 

 to a Chrijiian man, travelling to the land of Promife, be as it were a wil- 

 dernefi, yet that ourfijooes andvejiments (thas is our Body, which is as 

 a coverture to the foul^) be lej^ worn away while we fojourn in this wil- 

 dernefi, is to be tjicemcd a gift coming from the divine goodnefi. Now 

 becaufe this is one of the choiceft parts of Phyfick, and that we have 

 let it down amongft Deficients, we will after our accuftomed manner 

 give fome Admonitions, Indications, and Precepts thereof. 



§, Firji we advertije, that of Writers in this Argument there is none 

 extant that hath found out any thing of worth, that I may not fay,any 

 thing found touching this fubjedt. Indeed Arijiotk hath left unto po- 

 fterity a fmall brief Commentary of this mattery wherein there is fome 

 acutenels, which he would have to be all can befaid, as his manner is : Delongi- 

 But the mote recent Writers have written fo idly, and fuperftitiouOy up- tud-& 

 on the point, that the Argument it felf, through their vanity, is re- ^'"'''^'^'•. 

 puted vain and fenflefi, 



§ Secondly, we advert ife, that the intentions of Phyficians touching 

 this Argument are nothing worth : and that they rather lead men a- 

 way from the point, than direft them unto it. For they difcourle that 

 Death is a defiitutiott of Heat and Moijiure, and therefore natural heat 

 ffiffuld be comforted and radical moijiure cherifijt j as if it were a matter , ^ . . . 

 to be efFeded by Broaths, or Lettuces, and Mallows, or * Jujubs, or p^,)!^, '^ 

 fine Wafer-cakes, or elfe with hot fpices, generous wine, orthe/pirits 

 of wine, or chymical oyls 5 all which do rather hurt, than help. 



§ Thirdly, we admonifh men that they ceafe to trifk, and that they 



be 



