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THE SECOND BOOKE 213
enough to endure the sicknesse when it shall come,
he doth in his fancie prevent the same, and headlong
runneth to meet with it. What I speake of Physicke,
the same may generally be applied and drawne to all
manner of learning. Thence came this ancient opinion
of those Philosophers who placed chiefe felicitie in the
knowledge of our judgements weaknesse. My ignorance
affords me as much cause of hope as of feare: and
having no other regiment for my health than that of
other men's examples, and of the events I see elsewhere
in like occasions whereof I find some of all sorts:
and relie upon the comparisons that are most favourable
unto me. I embrace health with open armes,
free, plaine, and full, and prepare my appetite to enjoy
it, by how much more it is now lesse ordinarie and
more rare unto me: so far is it from me that I, with
the bitternesse of some new and forced kind of life,
trouble her rest and molest her ease. Beasts do
manifestly declare unto us how many infirmities our
mindes agitation brings us. That which is told us of
those that inhabit Bresill, who die onely through age,
which some impute to the clearnesse and calmnenesse
of their aire, 1 rather ascribe to the calmenesse and
clearnesse of their mindes, void and free from all
passions, cares, toiling, and unpleasant labours, as a
people that passe their life in a wonderfull kind of
simplicitie and ignorance, without letters, or lawes
and without Kings or any Religion. Whence comes
it (as we daily see by experience) that the rudest and
grossest clownes are more tough, strong, and more
desired in amorous executions; and that the love of
a Muletier is often more accepted than that of a perfumed
quaint courtier ? But because in the latter the
agitation of his mind doth so distract, trouble, and
wearie the force of his bodie, as it also troubleth and
wearieth it selfe, who doth belie, or more commonly
cast the same down even into madnesse, but her own
promptitude, her point, her agilitie, and, to conclude,
her proper force ? Whence proceeds the subtilest follie
but from the subtilest wisdome ? As from the extremest