he best constitution, and in their prime;
for this plain reason, that different modes of life are
attended by different effects; art following, even herein, the
steps of nature, with equal power to correct natural vices and
imperfections. This is obvious in husbandry and the like. They
added, that if I did not immediately have recourse to such a
regimen, I could receive no benefit from it in a few months, and
that in a few more I must resign myself to death.

These solid and convincing arguments made such an impression on
me, that, mortified as I was besides, by the thoughts of dying
in the prime of life, and at the same time perpetually tormented
by various diseases, I immediately concluded, that the foregoing
contrary effects could not be produced but by contrary modes of
living; and, therefore, full of hopes, resolved, in order to
avoid at once both death and disease, to betake myself to a regular
course of life. Having, upon this, enquired of them what rules I
should follow, they told me, that I must not use any food, solid
or liquid, but such as, being generally prescribed to sick persons,
is, for that reason, called diet, and both very sparingly. These
directions, to say the truth, they had before given me; but it
was at a time of life when, impatient of such restraint, and
finding myself satiated, as it were, with such food, I could not
put up with it, and therefore eat freely of every thing I liked
best; and likewise, feeling myself in a manner parched up by the
heat of my disease, made no scruple of drinking, and in large
quantities, the wines that best pleased my palate. This indeed,
like all other patients, I kept a secret from my physicians. But,
when I had once resolved to live sparingly, and according to the
dictates of reason, seeing that is was no difficult matter, nay,
that it was my duty as a man so to do, I entered with so much
resolution upon this new course of life, that nothing has been
since able to divert me from it. The consequence was, that in a
few days I began to perceive, that such a course agreed with me
very well; and by pursuing it, in less than a year, I found
myself (some persons, perhaps, will not believe it) entirely
freed from all my complaints.

Having thus recovered my health, I began seriously to consider
the power of temperance, and say to myself, that if this virtue
had efficacy enough to subdue such grievous disorders as mine, it
must have still greater to preserve m