Politeuphuia VVits common wealth.

Of Phisicke.

Defi. Phisicke is that naturall Philosophie which tendeth to the knowledge of man, and those causes which concerne the health and good estate of his body.

PHisicke is a continuall fountaine or spring of knowledge, by vvhich vvee maintaine long life.

Hipocrates made certaine Phisitions sweare that they should not bewray the secret and hidden faults and euils.

The sicke man desireth not an eloquent Phisition, but a skilfull. Seneca.

VVee begin to be sicke as soone as wee be borne. August.

The infirmity of the body, is the sobriety

of the minde. Ambr.

The strength of the body is the weakenes of the mind, and the weakenes of the body the strength of the soule. Hierom.

All kindes of diseases are not in Phisitions bookes. August.

Delicate fare is the mother of sicknes.

Phisicke rightly applyed, is the repayre of health, and the restitution of a weake or de∣cayed nature.

Next vnto the glory of God, vve ought to regard the profit of the Common wealth, and then philosophy, vvhich is phisicke, nothing being more commodious.

Phisick being rightly vsed, is an art to finde out the truth both of diuine & humaine be∣ginnings.

The scope of phisicke, is to glorifie God in the workes of nature, teaching men to lyue well, and to helpe their neighbours.

A pratling Phisition, is another disease to the sicke man.

Vnskilfull Phisitions, flatter griefe, til griefe become desperate.

The Orator doth not alwaies perswade, nor the Phisition cure. Arist.

The temple of Aesculapius, was in the olde time builded without the Citty.

To know the vse of phisick is sweete, but to tast it, is vnsauery.

It is requisite that hee be tormented vvith paine, vvhich may and vvill not be eased by phisick.

Death holdeth a sword against our throats, and phisicke a preseruatiue of health to our harts.

Death is most desired of them that bee mi∣serable, and phisicke most esteemed of them that be mighty.

The cōforting of griefe, is phisick to main∣taine griefe.

They that be sound themselues, are more ready in counsaile, thē skilfull in knowledge, to prescribe rules of phisick to the sick.

As a blind man cannot see the fault of ano∣thers eyes, so an vnskilfull Phisition cannot perceiue the defects of the body.

To take phisicke when the disease is despe∣rate, is to desire the Phisition, to help to con∣sume our substance.

Medicines be no meate to liue by.

The patient vnrulie, maketh the Phisition more cruell.

The thiefe is commonly executed that kil∣leth but one man, and the Phisition scapeth, that killeth a thousand.

Phisitions often-times, doe vse vnder the showe of honey, to giue theyr patients gall; and by this meanes preserue theyr health: vvhereas if they vvent plainly to worke, the sicke vvould neuer take that vvhich vvere wholesome, if not lothsome.

The number of Phisitions, is in the increa∣sing of diseases.

Great varietie of medicines, dooth no good at all to a weake stomack.

Hipocrates, aboue all other things, recom∣mendeth to a Phisition that hee should well aduise himselfe, if in plagues & ordinarie dis∣eases, hee found nothing which was diuine; that is to say, whether the hand of God were not the proper causes of the sicknesse, of the party diseased.

Sicknes is not to be prouoked vvith phi∣sick, except the disease be most dangerous & vehement. Plato.

At thys day, most of the Almaines and Zwitters, refuse phisick, and cure theyr dis∣eases with good and spare dyet.

Some haue compared those vvhich vse of∣ten to take phisick, to them vvhich driue the Burgesses out of the Cittie, to place stran∣gers in their roome.

It is recorded, that the Romaines were sixe

hundred yeeres together vvithout Phisiti∣ons.

Phisitions are happie men, because the sunne makes manifest vvhat good successe soeuer happeneth in theyr cures, and the earth buried what fault soeuer they commit∣ted. Nicocles.

Aegri, quia non omnes conuales••unt, non id circo nulla medicina est.

Cic.

Dat Galenus opes et Iustianus honores.

Ex alijs paleas, ex istis colligegrana.