ould
never want either physician or physic. Nay, by attending duly
to what I have said, he would become his own physician, and,
indeed, the best he could have; since, in fact, no many can be a
perfect physician to any one but himself. The reason of which is,
that any man may, by repeated trials, acquire a perfect knowledge
of his own constitution, and the most hidden qualities of his
body; and what wine and food agree with his stomach. Now, it
is so far from being an easy matter to know these things perfectly
of another, that we cannot without much trouble discover them in
ourselves, since a great deal of time and repeated trials are
requisite for the purpose.

These trials are, indeed, (if I may say it) more than necessary,
as there is a greater variety in the natures and constitutions of
different men, than in their persons. Who could believe, that
old wine, wine that had passed its first year, should disagree
with my stomach, and new wine agree with it? and that pepper,
which is looked upon as a warm spice, should not have a warm
effect upon me, insomuch that I find myself more warmed and
comforted by cinnamon? Where is the physician, that could have
informed me of these two latent qualities, since I myself, even
by a long course of observation, could scarce discover them?
From all these reasons it follows, that it is impossible to be
a perfect physician to another. Since, therefore, a man cannot
have a better physician than himself, nor any physic better than
a regular life, a regular life he ought to embrace.

I do not, however, mean, that, for the knowledge and cure of
such disorders, as often befall those who do not live regularly,
there is no occasion for a physician, and that his assistance
ought to be slighted. For, if we are apt to receive such great
comfort from friends, who come to visit us in our illness, though
they do no more than testify their concern for us, and bid us be
of good cheer; how much more regard ought we to have for the
physician, who is a friend that comes to see us in order to
relieve us, and promises us a cure? But for the bare purpose of
keeping ourselves in good health, I am of the opinion, that we
should consider as a physician this regular life, which, as we
have seen, is our natural and proper physic, since it preserves
men, even those of a bad constitution, in health; makes them live
sound and hearty to the age of one hundred and upwards; and
prevents their dying of si