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THE SECOND BOOKE 587
must be assured or external circumstances; of the
nature of the place; the condition of the aire; the
quality of the weather; the situation of the planets,
and their influences. In sickenes, he ought to be
acquainted with the causes, with the signes, with the
affections and criticall daies; in drugges, he should
understand their weight, their vertue, and their operation,
the country, the figure, the age, the dispensation.
In all these parts he must know how to proportion and
referre them one unto another, thereby to beget a perfect
symmetrie or due proportion of each part; wherein if
he misse never so little, or if amongst so many wheeles
and several motions, the least be out of tune or temper,
it is enough to marre all.
God knowes how hard the knowledge of most of these
parts is: as for example, how shall he finde out the
proper signe of the disease, every malady being capable
of an infinite number of signes ? How many debates,
doubts and controversies have they amongst themselves
about the interpretations of urine? Otherwise, whence
should that continuall altercation come we see amongst
them about the knowledge of the disease ? How should
we excuse this fault, wherein they fall so often, to take
a martin for a fox ? In those diseases I have had (so
they admitted any difficulty) I could never yet finde
three agreeing in one opinion. I more willingly note
examples that concerne my selfe. A gentleman in
Paris was not long since cut for the stone by the
appointment of physitians, in whose bladder they found
no more stone then in his hand : where also a Bishop,
who was my very good friend, had by his physitians
been earnestly solicited to be cut; and my selfe, because
they were of his counsell, upon their words, aided
to perswade him to it; who being deceased and opened,
it was found he had no infirmity but in his reines.
They are lesse excusable in this disease, for so much
as it is in some sort palpable. Whereby I judge the
arte of chirurgery much more certaine; for it seeth
and handleth what it doth, and therein is lesse conjecture
and divination. Whereas phisitians have no