the physician for necessity’s sake.  The knowledge of the physician lifteth up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be admired.  The Lord hath created medicines of the earth, and he that is wise will not abhor them,” Eccles. lviii 1.  But of this noble subject, how many panegyrics are worthily written?  For my part, as Sallust said of Carthage, praestat silere, quam pauca dicere; I have said, yet one thing I will add, that this kind of physic is very moderately and advisedly to be used, upon good occasion, when the former of diet will not take place.  And ’tis no other which I say, than that which Arnoldus prescribes in his 8.  Aphoris. [4101]"A discreet and goodly physician doth first endeavour to expel a disease by medicinal diet, than by pure medicine:”  and in his ninth, [4102]"he that may be cured by diet, must not meddle with physic.”  So in 11.  Aphoris. [4103]"A modest and wise physician will never hasten to use medicines, but upon urgent necessity, and that sparingly too:”  because (as he adds in his 13.  Aphoris.) [4104]"Whosoever takes much physic in his youth, shall soon bewail it in his old age:”  purgative physic especially, which doth much debilitate nature.  For which causes some physicians refrain from the use of purgatives, or else sparingly use them. [4105]Henricus Ayrerus in a consultation for a melancholy person, would have him take as few purges as he could, “because there be no such medicines, which do not steal away some of our strength, and rob the parts of our body, weaken nature, and cause that cacochymia,” which [4106]Celsus and others observe, or ill digestion, and bad juice through all the parts of it.  Galen himself confesseth, [4107]"that purgative physic is contrary to nature, takes away some of our best spirits, and consumes the very substance of our bodies:”  But this, without question, is to be understood of such purges as are unseasonably or immoderately taken:  they have their excellent use in this, as well as most other infirmities.  Of alteratives and cordials no man doubts, be they simples or compounds.  I will amongst that infinite variety of medicines, which I find in every pharmacopoeia, every physician, herbalist, &c., single out some of the chiefest.

SUBSECT.  II.—­Simples proper to Melancholy, against Exotic Simples.

Medicines properly applied to melancholy, are either simple or compound.  Simples are alterative or purgative.  Alteratives are such as correct, strengthen nature, alter, any way hinder or resist the disease; and they be herbs, stones, minerals, &c. all proper to this humour.  For as there be diverse distinct infirmities continually vexing us,

[4108] “[Greek:  nousoi d’ anthropoisi eph aemerae aed’ epi nukti
        automatoi phoitosi kaka thnaetoisi pherousai
        sigae, epei phonaen aexeileto maetieta zeus.]”

       “Diseases steal both day and night on men,
        For Jupiter hath taken voice from them.”