[2861] “Qui blandiendo dulce nutrivit malum,
        Soro recusat ferre quod subiit jugum.”

       “He that by cherishing a mischief doth provoke,
        Too late at last refuseth to cast off his yoke,”

[2862] “Helleborum frustra cum jam cutis aegra tumebit,
        Poscentes videas; venienti occurrite morbo.”

       “When the skin swells, to seek it to appease
        With hellebore, is vain; meet your disease.”

By this means many times, or through their ignorance in not taking notice of their grievance and danger of it, contempt, supine negligence, extenuation, wretchedness and peevishness; they undo themselves.  The citizens, I know not of what city now, when rumour was brought their enemies were coming, could not abide to hear it; and when the plague begins in many places and they certainly know it, they command silence and hush it up; but after they see their foes now marching to their gates, and ready to surprise them, they begin to fortify and resist when ’tis too late; when, the sickness breaks out and can be no longer concealed, then they lament their supine negligence:  ’tis no otherwise with these men.  And often out of prejudice, a loathing, and distaste of physic, they had rather die, or do worse, than take any of it.  “Barbarous immanity” ([2863]Melancthon terms it) “and folly to be deplored, so to contemn the precepts of health, good remedies, and voluntarily to pull death, and many maladies upon their own heads.”  Though many again are in that other extreme too profuse, suspicious, and jealous of their health, too apt to take physic on every small occasion, to aggravate every slender passion, imperfection, impediment:  if their finger do but ache, run, ride, send for a physician, as many gentlewomen do, that are sick, without a cause, even when they will themselves, upon every toy or small discontent, and when he comes, they make it worse than it is, by amplifying that which is not. [2864]Hier.  Capivaccius sets it down as a common fault of all “melancholy persons to say their symptoms are greater than they are, to help themselves.”  And which [2865]Mercurialis notes, consil. 53. “to be more troublesome to their physicians, than other ordinary patients, that they may have change of physic.”

A third thing to be required in a patient, is confidence, to be of good cheer, and have sure hope that his physician can help him. [2866]Damascen the Arabian requires likewise in the physician himself, that he be confident he can cure him, otherwise his physic will not be effectual, and promise withal that he will certainly help him, make him believe so at least. [2867]Galeottus gives this reason, because the form of health is contained in the physician’s mind, and as Galen, holds [2868]"confidence and hope to be more good than physic,” he cures most in whom most are confident.  Axiocus sick almost to death, at the very sight of Socrates recovered his former health.  Paracelsus assigns