The poems of George Daniel ... From the original mss. in the British Museum: Hitherto unprinted. Edited, with introduction, notes, and illustrations, portrait, &c. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart: In four volumes |
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 | The poems of George Daniel |  |
40
The Difference.
I knew him here alive, whose everie Breath
Was Health, and med'cine 'gainst Disease and Death;
Kept constant Times of Sleepe, and could not Eate
But at set times, and of such kind of Meat;
This, was grosse feeding, th' other, was foule & nought;
And such men, to infirmities that brought;
This, full of Humor, that, decayed the Blood;
This, was a binder; th' other was not good;
Hee kept a Diet in his drinke, nor would
Hee tast this, t'was too hot; and that, too cold;
This, too too searching was; and that, did bring
Inevitable Death, or a worse thing;
But ffeumotorie, Wormewood, Sage, Rosemarie,
Bettonie, and such moe, as make me wearie
In the recitall; tunn'd in Liquor vp
Each, to his Season; and that soveraigne Cup
Of Antimonie cheifly (which he taught
With as much Zeale as he from whom 'twas bought:)
Hee kept 'em in a booke, the Cures 't had done,
Of Sores, and Sicknes, all beneath the Sun;
ffrom Raging ffeavers, even to that wee call
A Beggar's Ague,—why, it Cures 'em all;
ffrom the poore Village Scabbe, to the hot Pox,
And all the Sores tooke from vnwholsome Smocks;
It cures (almost a Miracle to see),
The new-found Rickets, halfe-lost Leprosie;
Wer't possible, 't would bring a Maidenhead
Backe to the Partie, and revive the Deade;
ffor 't has, from such an one, tane halfe a Score
Odde doting years; from such, as many more;
It has made an old Crazèd vsurer be seene
Neglect his twenties, dote vpon fifteene;
It has done feats, such as the Bath nor Spau
Ere boasted; Such as England never Saw;
Some, in his owne Experience; Some, he tooke
ffrom worshipfull good Credit; and his Booke,
It was the Best, he ever knew; and Hee
Had read from Galen, downe to Alestree;
Hee'd tell me soe; and say, he oft could take
Things from th' Posteriors of an Almanacke,
Very behoofull to the Regimen
Of health; the Times, and Seasons, How and when
Wee should apply all med'cine, in an Hower
Soe Criticall, it might our Health assure;
When best to Bath, and when 't was fitt to bleed,
By way of Nature, or by way of need;
When everie nat'rall office most prevailes;
Knew when to blow his nose, or pare his Nailes;
In everie thing precise; now, this he'ed eat,
And the next meale, th' other was wholsome meat;
ffruits, Some were waterish; windye Some; and then
These, taken moderately, were good agen;
To bedward, take this; next your heart, tomorrow,
Eat this, or Drinke, and it will heale you thorow;
This may your breakefast be; thus you may dine;
Sup thus; but take a glass of this betweene;
In anie Case, thus would he talke, and Strive
With Cost, and Care, to keep himselfe alive;
Hee Studied Med'cine, and obsequiouslye
Ador'd his Custome; Yet I saw him Dye.
Was Health, and med'cine 'gainst Disease and Death;
Kept constant Times of Sleepe, and could not Eate
But at set times, and of such kind of Meat;
This, was grosse feeding, th' other, was foule & nought;
And such men, to infirmities that brought;
This, full of Humor, that, decayed the Blood;
This, was a binder; th' other was not good;
Hee kept a Diet in his drinke, nor would
Hee tast this, t'was too hot; and that, too cold;
This, too too searching was; and that, did bring
Inevitable Death, or a worse thing;
But ffeumotorie, Wormewood, Sage, Rosemarie,
Bettonie, and such moe, as make me wearie
In the recitall; tunn'd in Liquor vp
Each, to his Season; and that soveraigne Cup
Of Antimonie cheifly (which he taught
With as much Zeale as he from whom 'twas bought:)
Hee kept 'em in a booke, the Cures 't had done,
Of Sores, and Sicknes, all beneath the Sun;
ffrom Raging ffeavers, even to that wee call
A Beggar's Ague,—why, it Cures 'em all;
41
And all the Sores tooke from vnwholsome Smocks;
It cures (almost a Miracle to see),
The new-found Rickets, halfe-lost Leprosie;
Wer't possible, 't would bring a Maidenhead
Backe to the Partie, and revive the Deade;
ffor 't has, from such an one, tane halfe a Score
Odde doting years; from such, as many more;
It has made an old Crazèd vsurer be seene
Neglect his twenties, dote vpon fifteene;
It has done feats, such as the Bath nor Spau
Ere boasted; Such as England never Saw;
Some, in his owne Experience; Some, he tooke
ffrom worshipfull good Credit; and his Booke,
It was the Best, he ever knew; and Hee
Had read from Galen, downe to Alestree;
Hee'd tell me soe; and say, he oft could take
Things from th' Posteriors of an Almanacke,
Very behoofull to the Regimen
Of health; the Times, and Seasons, How and when
Wee should apply all med'cine, in an Hower
Soe Criticall, it might our Health assure;
When best to Bath, and when 't was fitt to bleed,
By way of Nature, or by way of need;
When everie nat'rall office most prevailes;
Knew when to blow his nose, or pare his Nailes;
In everie thing precise; now, this he'ed eat,
And the next meale, th' other was wholsome meat;
42
These, taken moderately, were good agen;
To bedward, take this; next your heart, tomorrow,
Eat this, or Drinke, and it will heale you thorow;
This may your breakefast be; thus you may dine;
Sup thus; but take a glass of this betweene;
In anie Case, thus would he talke, and Strive
With Cost, and Care, to keep himselfe alive;
Hee Studied Med'cine, and obsequiouslye
Ador'd his Custome; Yet I saw him Dye.
When loe, another; in a Careles kind
Gurmonds his Meat, and takes as he can find;
Hee neer examines Health, but as he needs,
Hee eats, or Drinkes; he never recks what breeds
Humors, or Bloods; Sweating, and Broyling hot,
Hee drinks cold water, and not knows a Iott
Of Cold, or Sickness for it; he can goe
Clad as in Summer, soe in frost and Snow;
Neer knew the Cup, nor needs it; and the hard
Names of Infirmities, make him more feard
Then any sickness, in it selfe; for these
Hee knowes, as Incident; and noe Disease
Has soe much Terror to him, soe much ill,
As an Apothecarie's misticke Bill;
ffears Death not more then Phisicke; and the Time
Observ'd by Star-gazers, concernes not him;
The moone he values not, nor much the Signe,
Vnles when virgo doth with Scorpio ioyne;
His Zodiack's Gemini; and then he reck's
Her thirteene Changes but to forty weeks;
Tis Venus Yeare, let Lunae's paler shine
Gvild Nunneries, and all her Months vntwine,
ffor poor despairing widdowes, that they may
Cherish fresh hopes of a new wedding Day.
And why are these lesse happie (but much more)
Then the poore Milksop, you have seene before?
Who like the Sottish Ape, with too great Care,
Looseth his dearling Cub, his health, vn'ware;
And then is glad to hug the hated whelpe,
Infirmitie: I doe not scorne the helpe
Of Phisicke, but contemne the rule, which some
Put themselves in, a Liveing Martirdome;
ffor who soe mad! (to Chuse,) would love disease,
With Trouble, rather then his Health, with Ease;
Yet some Men doe't: such wee can not wish worse
Then still to suffer in their owne made Curse
And may they langvish; for ev'n Charitie
ffaints to give Selfe-Sold Slaves their Libertie.
Gurmonds his Meat, and takes as he can find;
Hee neer examines Health, but as he needs,
Hee eats, or Drinkes; he never recks what breeds
Humors, or Bloods; Sweating, and Broyling hot,
Hee drinks cold water, and not knows a Iott
Of Cold, or Sickness for it; he can goe
Clad as in Summer, soe in frost and Snow;
Neer knew the Cup, nor needs it; and the hard
Names of Infirmities, make him more feard
Then any sickness, in it selfe; for these
Hee knowes, as Incident; and noe Disease
Has soe much Terror to him, soe much ill,
As an Apothecarie's misticke Bill;
ffears Death not more then Phisicke; and the Time
Observ'd by Star-gazers, concernes not him;
The moone he values not, nor much the Signe,
Vnles when virgo doth with Scorpio ioyne;
43
Her thirteene Changes but to forty weeks;
Tis Venus Yeare, let Lunae's paler shine
Gvild Nunneries, and all her Months vntwine,
ffor poor despairing widdowes, that they may
Cherish fresh hopes of a new wedding Day.
And why are these lesse happie (but much more)
Then the poore Milksop, you have seene before?
Who like the Sottish Ape, with too great Care,
Looseth his dearling Cub, his health, vn'ware;
And then is glad to hug the hated whelpe,
Infirmitie: I doe not scorne the helpe
Of Phisicke, but contemne the rule, which some
Put themselves in, a Liveing Martirdome;
ffor who soe mad! (to Chuse,) would love disease,
With Trouble, rather then his Health, with Ease;
Yet some Men doe't: such wee can not wish worse
Then still to suffer in their owne made Curse
And may they langvish; for ev'n Charitie
ffaints to give Selfe-Sold Slaves their Libertie.
| The poems of George Daniel | |