innumerable ills follow
its advancing steps, unless prevented by timely care; till life itself
grows burthensome.

The disease was common in antient Greece; and her physicians understood
it, better than those perhaps of later times, in any other country; who
though happy in many advantages these fathers of the science could not
have, yet want the great assistance of frequent watching it in all its
stages.

Those venerable writers have delivered its nature, and its cure: in the
first every thing now shews they were right; and what they have said as
to the latter will be found equally true and certain. This, so far as
present experience has confirmed it, and no farther, will be here laid
before the afflicted in a few plain words.

SECT. II.

Persons Subject to it.

Fatigue of mind, and great exertion of its powers often give birth to
this disease; and always tend to encrease it. The finer spirits are
wasted by the labour of the brain: the Philosopher rises from his study
more exhausted than the Peasant leaves his drudgery; without the benefit
that he has from exercise. Greatness of mind, and steady virtue;
determined resolution, and manly firmness, when put in action, and
intent upon their object, all also lead to it: perhaps whatever tends to
the ennobling of the soul has equal share in bringing on this weakness
of the body.

From this we may learn easily who are the men most subject to it; the
grave and studious, those of a sedate temper and enlarged understanding,
the learned and wise, the virtuous and the valiant: those whom it were
the interest of the world to wish were free from this and every other
illness; and who perhaps, except for this alloy, would have too large a
portion of human happiness.

Though these are most, it is not these alone, who are subject to it.
There are countries where it is endemial, and in other places some have
the seeds of it in their constitution; and in some it takes rise from
accidents. In these last it is the easiest of cure; and in the first
most difficult.

Beside the Greeks already named, the Jews of old time were heavily
afflicted with this disease; and in their descendants to this day it is
often constitutional: the Spaniards have it almost to a man; and so have
the American Indians. Perhaps the character of these several nations may
be connected with it. The steady honour, and firm valour of the
Spaniard, very like that of the ancient Doric nation, who followed