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conservation of the fluids. He maintained the animation of 
all things, and he peopled the world with sylphs, nymphs, 
gnomes, and salamanders. According to his physiology, an 
archceus or demon presided in man's stomach, whose mission 
it was to separate the poisonous from the nutritious part of the 
food, and direct each into its proper course.* Unfortunately, 
although Theophrastus Bombastus Yon Hohenheim could so 
far “ quote Scripture " as to speak of Divine revelation as a 
source of knowledge, his habits gave the lie to his assumption 
in this respect.f What, then, was the character and style 
of the man who thus for the time being became a teacher of 
his fellows in matters scientific ? A vagrant, passing whole 
nights in low taverns drinking with boors as sottish as him- 
self ; who, having in open court in Bale insulted the magistrate 
before whom he was brought, fled the city, to die in poverty 
and misery in Saltzburg. Whence came his “ inspiration" ? 
By his own account, handed down to us through his biographies, 
he obtained it by having, in the vestibule of Hades — he used 
a stronger term than that — got possession of the works of 
Galen, and in the same place held lively disputes with 
Avicenna. And yet, extravagant as were his theories as just 
expressed, they attracted many ardent (and even pious) minds 
at the time, and, according to the accounts from which I quote, 
were afterwards woven into new schemes of fanciful philosophy. 
3. Bishop Hall,J one of the best and wisest men of the 
period in which he lived, was thoroughly imbued with 
“ science" according to the interpretation just quoted. Here 
is the state recorded by him as concerning ‘ f the superstitious 
man," — He confessed that old wives and stars were his 
counsellors. His night-spell was his guard, and charms were 
his physician; he wore Paracelsian characters as a remedy 
against the toothache, and a little hallowed wax as an antidote 
for every ill." History records at least one prescription of a 
“ counsellor " thus referred to ; but then it was for a poor 
patient. Having, in the first instance, obtained a penny and 
a loaf of bread, she approached the patient, and in a low voice, 
repeated near him the lines : — 
“ Thy loaf in my hand, and thy penny in my purse, 
Thou art never the better, and I — am never the worse.” 
Two hundred and fifty years ago, spells, charms, and specifics 
were worn outwardly ; now the latter are taken inwardly ; the 
* Mery on ; quoted from Sprengel, vol. iii. pp. 311-316, 382. 
t Id., pp. 342-352 ; also Biographie TJniverselle. 
X Joseph Hall, Bishop of Exeter and of Norwich, born 1574, died 1656. 
See Brand’s Popular Antiquities , vol. iii. pp. 269, et seq. 
