in your skill, that there is no pill or portion you can order me, which I will not take with pleasure, but, as to a change in my diet, that is impoffible. Portion. 17. That is, anfwered the phyfician, you julep? with for health without being at the trouble of acquiring it, and imagine that all the con fequences of an ill-fpent life are to be washed decoction? away by a julep or a decoction of fenna. But as I cannot cure you upon these terms, I will not deceive you for an inftant. Your cafe is medicine. out of the power of medicine, and you can only be relieved by your own exertions. 18. How hard is this anfwered the gentle- despair. man, to be thus abandoned to despair even in the prime of life! Cruel and unfeeling doctor, will you not attempt any thing to procure me attempt ? ease? Sir, anfwered the phyfician, 1 have al ready told you every thing I know upon the fubject. 19. I must however acquaint you, that I ingenuity? have a brother phyfician who lives at Padua, a man of the greatest learning and ingenuity, who is particularly famous for curing the gout. If you think it worth your while to confult? confult him, I will give you a letter of recommendation; for he never tirs from home even to attend a prince. 20. Here the converfation ended; for the difpirited. gentleman, who did not like the trouble of the journey, took his leave of the phyfician and returned home, very much difpirited. In a little while he either was or fancied himfelf journey. 21. For this purpose he had a litter fo con- recumbent ? trived that he could lie recumbent, or recline at his eafe, and eat his meals. The distance was not above one day's tolerable journey, recline? H but Fatiguing. waggon. wearifome. eagerly. parlour. Spacious? but the gentleman wifely refolved to make four of it, for fear of over-fatiguing himself. 22. He had, befides, a loaded waggon attending, filled with every thing that conftitutes good eating; and two of his cooks went with him, that nothing might be wanting to his accommodation upon the road. After a wearifome journey, he at length arrived within fight of Padua,and eagerly inquiring after the heufe of Dr Ramozini, was foon directed to the spot. 23. Then, having been helped out of his carriage by half a dozen of his fervants, he was fhewn into a neat but plain parlour, from which he had the profpect of twenty or thirty people at dinner in a fpacious hall. In the middle of them was the learned doctor himself, complacence. who with much complacence invited the company to eat heartily. ague? Specific? Luff ulcer? replied.. pretence. 24. My good friend, faid the doctor, to a pale-looking man on his right hand, you must eat three flices more of this roaft beef, or you will never lofe your ague. My friend, faid he to another, drink off this glafs of porter; it is júft arrived from England, and is a fpecific for nervous fevers. 25. Do not stuff your child fo with macar. oni, added he, turing to a woman, if you would wish to cure him of the fcrophula. Good man, faid he to a fourth, how goes on the ulcer in your leg? Much better indeed, replied the man, fince I have lived at your honour's table. Well, replied the phyfician, in a fortnight you will be perfectly cured. 26. Thank heaven, faid the gentleman, who had heard all this with infinite pleafure, I have at laft met with a reasonable phyfician; he will not confine me to bread and water, nor ftarve me, under pretence of curing me, like that confounded quack from whofe clutches elutches I have fo luckily efcaped. At length Clutches., the doctor difmitfed his company, who retired loading him with thanks and bieffings. retired? 27. He then approached the gentleman, and welcomed him with the greatest polite- politeness. nes, who prefented him with his letter of recommendation, which after the phyfician had peru.ed, he thus accolted him: Sir, the letter difficult. of my learned friend has fully intructed me in the particulars of your cafe; it is indeed a difficult one, but I think you have no realon to defpair of a perfect recovery. defpair? 28. If, added he, you choose to put yourself under my care, I will employ all the fecrets indifpenfable? of my art for your affitance; but one condition is abfolutely indifpenfable; you must prefcriptions? fend away all your fervants, and folemnly engage to follow my prefcriptions for at least a month without this compliance I would not undertake the cure even of a monarch. : 29. Doctor, anfwered the gentleman, what I have feen of your profeffion, does not, I confefs, much prejudice me in their favour, and I fhould hesitate to agree to fuch a propofal from any other individual. Do as you like, fir, anfwered the phyfician; the employing of me or not, is entirely voluntary on your part. monarch. prejudice? befitate? voluntary? mercenary? obftinate? 30. But as I am above the common `mercenary views of gain, I never stake the reputation of fo noble an art, without a rational profpect of fuccefs. And what fuccefs can I hope for in fo obftinate a diforder, unless the patient? patient will confent to a fair experiment of what I can effect? 31. Indeed, replied the gentleman, what candid? you fay is fo candid, and your whole behaviour fo much interefts me in your favour, that I will immediately give you behaviour. proofs of the most unbounded confidence. He then fent for his fervants, and erdered them Elapfed? journey. permiffion. haftened. hofpitable? delicious? difmiffion? keener. ordinary? patience. oblige. prefence. indemnify? them to return home, and not to come near him till a whole month was elapfed. 32. When they were gone, the physician afked him how he fupported the journey. Why really, answered he, much better than I could have expected. But I feel myfelf unufually hungry; and therefore, with your permiffion, fhall beg to have the hour of fupper a little haftened. Moft willingly, answered the doctor; at eight o'clock every thing thall be ready for your entertainment. In the mean time you will permit me to vifit my patients. 33. While the phyfician was abfent, the gentleman was pleating his imagination with the thoughts of the excellent fupper he fhould make. Doubtlefs, faid he to himself, if Signor Ramozini treats the poor in fuch a hospitable manner, he will fpare nothing for the enter tainment of a man of my importance. I have. heard there are delicious trouts and ortolans in this part of Italy. 34. I make no doubt but the doctor keeps an excellent cook; and I fhall have no reafon to repent the difmiffion of my fervants. With thefe ideas he kept himself fome time amufed; at length his appetite growing keener and keener every inftant, from fafting longer than ordinary, he lost all patience, and, calling ore of the fervants of the house, inquired for fome little nice thing to stay his ftomach till the hour of fupper. 35. Sir, faid the fervant, I would gladly oblige you, but it is as much as my place is worth ; my mafter is the best and most gen. erous of men; but fo great is his attention to. his house-patients that he will not suffer one of them to eat unless in his prefence. 36. However, fir, have patience; in two. hours more the fupper will be ready, and then you may indemnify yourfelf for all. Thus Thus was the gentleman compelled to pafs Abflinence? two hours more without food, a degree of abftinence he had not practised for almoft practifed. twenty years. 37. He complained bitterly of the flowness of time, and continually enquiring what was the hour; at length the Doctor returned punc- pun&ual? tual to his time, and ordered the fupper to be brought in. Accordingly fix difhes were fet upon the table with great folemnity, all under flattered. cover and the gentleman flattered himself he fhould now be rewarded for his long abfti nence. 38. As they were fitting down to table, the learned Ramozini thus accofted his gueft: Be- loofe. fore you give a loofe to your appetite, fir, I muft acquaint you, that, as the most effectual method of fubduing this obftinate difeafe, all obftinate? your food and drink will be mixed up with fuch medicinal fubftances as your cafe requires. 39. They will not be indeed difcoverable roafled. by any of your fenfes: but as their effects are equally trong and certain, I must recommend to you to eat with moderation. Having piece. faid this, he ordered the difhes to be uncovered, which to the extreme aftonishment of the gentleman, contained nothing but olives, dried cheeft. figs, dates, fome roated apples, a few boiled eggs, and a piece of hard cheese. 4.0. Heaven and earth, cried the gentleman, Spectacle? lofing all patience at this mfortifying spectacle, is this the entertainment you have prepared Speeches. for me, with fo many speeches and prefaces? Do you imagine that a perfon of my fortune can fup on fuch contemptible fare as would contemptible? hardly fatisfy the wretched peasants whom I faw at dinner in your hall? 4. Have patience, my dear fir, replied the phyfician; it is the extreme anxiety Ihave for peasants? |