Ge. God send you may always enjoy the same.  I am glad to hear it.  You give me a Pleasure in saying so.  It is very pleasant to me to hear that.  I am glad at my Heart to hear this from you.  This is no bad News to me.  I am exceeding glad to hear you say so.  I wish you may be so always.  I wish you may enjoy the same Health as long as you live.  In congratulating you, I joy myself, Thanks to Heaven for it.

Li. Indeed I am very well if you are so.

Ge. Well, but have you met with no Trouble all this while?

Li. None but the Want of your good Company.

Ge. Well, but how do you do though?

Li. Well enough, finely, bravely, very well as may be, very well indeed, happily, commodiously, no Way amiss.  I enjoy rather what Health I wish, than what I deserved, Princely, Herculean, Champion-like.

Ge. I was expecting when you would say Bull-like too.

* * * * *

Of being Ill.

Ge. Are you in good Health?

Li. I wish I were.  Not altogether so well as I would be.  Indeed I am so, so.  Pretty well.  I am as well as I can be, since I can’t be so well as I would be.  As I use to be.  So as it pleases God.  Truly not very well.  Never worse in all my Life.  As I am wont to be.  I am as they use to be who have to do with the Doctor.

Ge. How do you do?

Li. Not as I would do.

Ge. Why truly not well, ill, very ill, in an unhappy, unprosperous, unfavourable, bad, adverse, unlucky, feeble, dubious, indifferent, State of Health, not at all as I would, a tolerable, such as I would not wish even to my Enemies.

Ge. You tell me a melancholy Story.  Heavens forbid it.  God forbid.  No more of that I pray.  I wish what you say were not true.  But you must be of good Chear, you must pluck up a good Heart.  A good Heart is a good Help in bad Circumstances.  You must bear up your Mind with the Hope of better Fortune.  What Distemper is it?  What Sort of Disease is it?  What Distemper is it that afflicts you?  What Distemper are you troubled with?

Li. I can’t tell, and in that my Condition is the more dangerous.

Ge. That’s true, for when the Disease is known, it is half cured.  Have you had the Advice of any Doctor?

Li. Ay, of a great many.

Ge. What do they say to your Case?

Li. What the Lawyers of Demiphon (in the Play) said to him.  One says one Thing, another he says another, and the third he’ll consider of it.  But they all agree in this, that I am in a sad Condition.

Ge. How long have you been taken with this Illness?  How long have you been ill of this Distemper?  How long has this Illness seiz’d you?

Li. About twenty Days more or less, almost a Month.  It’s now near three Months.  It seems an Age to me since I was first taken ill.