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598 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
humanitie and civilitie to enquire of their state and
maladie, and according to their skill or experience give
them some sound advise and good counsell. We differ
not greatly from them: there is no poore woman so
simple* whose mumbling and muttering whose slibberslabbers
and drenches we doe not employ. And as for
mee, were I to buy any medicine, I would rather spend
my money in this kinde of physicke than in any other,
because therein is no danger or hurt to be feared.
What Homer and Plato said of the Egyptians, that
they were all physitians, may well be said of all people.
There is neither man nor woman that vanteth not
himselfe to have some receipt or other, and doth not
hazard the same upon his neighbour, if he will but give
credite unto him.
I was not long since in a company where I wot not
who of my fraternity brought newes of a kinde of pilles,
by true accompt, composed of a hundred and odde
severall ingredients; whereat we laughed very heartily,
and made our selves good sport; for what rocke so
hard were able to resist the shocke or withstand the
force of so thicke and numerous a battery ? I understand,
neverthelesse, of such as tooke of them, that the
least graine of gravell dained not to stirre at all. I
cannot so soone give over writing of this subject, but I
must needs say a word or two concerning the experience
they have made of their prescriptions, which they
would have us take as a warantice or assurance of the
certainty of their drugges and potions. The greatest
number, and, as I deeme, more than the two thirds of
medicinable vertues, consist in the quintessence or
secret propriety of simples, whereof wee can have no
other instruction but use and custome. For quintessence
is no other thing than equality, whereof wee
cannot with our reason finde out the cause. In such'
trials or experiments, those which they affirme to have
acquired by the inspiration of some daemon, I am
contented to receive and allow of them (for touching
myracles, I meddle not with them) or be it the
experiments drawne from things, which for other