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THE SECOND BOOKE 695
plainly feele and sensibly perceive a generall weaknesse
and declination in their ancient vigor, and that their
lives are nothing so long as before they were. Loe
here the first of my tales. The other is that before I
was troubled with the stone-chollicke and gravell in the
bladder, hearing divers make especiall account of a
hee-goates blood as a heavenly manna sent in these
latter ages for the good and preservation of mans life":
and hearing men of good understanding speake of it as
of an admirable and much-good-working drugge and of
an infallible operation: I, who have ever thought my
selfe subject to all accidents that may in any sort fall
on man, being yet in perfect health, began to take
pleasure to provide my selfe of this myracle, and forthwith
gave order (according to the receipt) to have a
buck-goate gotten and carefully fed in my own house.
For the blood must be drawne from him in the hottest
month of summer, and he must only be fed with soluble
hearbes, and drincke nothing but white-wine. It was
my fortune to come to mine owne house the very same
day the Goate should be killed; where some of my
people came in haste to tell me that my cooke found
two or three great bowles in his paunch, which in his
maw amongst his meat shocked one against another.
I was so curious as I would needes have all his garbage
brought before me; the thicke and large skinne
whereof I caused to be opened, out of which came
three great lumps or bodies, as light as any spunge, so
framed as they seemed to be hollow, yet outwardly
hard and very firme, bemotled with divers dead and
wannish colours: the one perfectly as round as any
bowle, the other two somewhat lesser, and not so
round, yet seemed to grow towards it. I have found
(after I had made diligent inquiry among such as were
wont to open such beasts) that it was a seld-seene and
unheard of accident. It is very likely they were such
stones as ours be, and cozen-germanes to them; which
if it be, it is but vaine for such as be troubled with the
stone or gravell to hope to be cured by meanes of a
beasts blood, that was drawing neere unto death, and