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580 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
ceased not to crie out that the number of physitians
had killed him, A bad wrestler became a physitian.
' Courage,' said Diogenes to him, ' thou hast reason to
doe so, for now shalt thou helpe to put them into the
round who have heeretofore ayded to lay thee on it.'
g
ut according to Nicocles, they have this happe, that
the sunne doth manifest their successe, and the earth
doth cover their fault. And besides, they have a very
advantageous fashion among themselves, to make use
of all manner of events; for whatsoever either Fortune
or Nature, or any other strange cause (whereof the
number is infinite) produceth in us or good or healthfull,
it is the priviledge of physicke to ascribe it unto
herselfe. All the fortunate successes that come to the
patient which is under their government, it is from
nature he hath them. The occasions that have cured
me, and which heale a thousand others who never send
or call for physitians to helpe them, they usurpe them
in their subjects. And touching ill accidents, either
they utterly disavow them, in imputing the blame of
them to the patient, by some vaine reasons, whereof
they never misse to finde a great number; as he lay
with his armes out of the bed, he hath heard the noyse
of a coach.
rhedarum transitus arcto
Vicorum inflexu. 1
Coaches could hardly passe,
The lane so crooked was.
His window was left open all night: hee hath laine
upon the left side, or troubled his head with some
heavie thought. In some, a word, a dreame, or a
looke, is of them deemed a sufficient excuse to free
themselves from all imputation : or if they please, they
will also make use of this emparing, and thereby make
up their businesse, and as a meane which can never
faile them, when by their applications the disease is*
growne desperate, to pay us with the assurance that,
if their remedies had not beene, it would have beene
much worse. He whom but from a cold they have
1 Juv. Sat. iii. 236.