Imatges de pàgina
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A man unarmed to fight it maketh bold :
From pensive cares and troubles manyfold,
It rids the mind: it arts doth teach with
grace:
Whom hath not cups well fraught made eloquent ?
Whose tongue hath not, thereafter, trolled apace?
This pleasant juice to them such force hath lent.
What poor so pinch'd, that doth not quite forget
His rueful state, when wine and he have met?

HORACE."

We extract the following, from a chapter on memory, for the benefit of students.

66

Now, the better to repress fumes and propulse vapours from the brain, it shall be excellent good after supper, to chew with the teeth (the mouth being shut) a few grains of coriander, first steeped in vinegar, wherein marjoram hath been decocted, and then thinly crusted, or covered over with sugar. It is scarce credible, what a special commodity this bringeth to the memory. No less virtuous and sovereign is the confection of quinces, called diacidonion, if a pretty quantity thereof be likewise taken after meat. For it disperseth fumes, and suffereth not vapours to strike upwards; and the same effect, also, have certain grains of mastic swallowed. By experience and daily proof, it is found true, that agalochus, (commonly called lignum aloes) being either used in perfume, or smelled unto with the nose, hath a marvellous virtue to corroborate the brain, and refresh the senses in so much, that being stamped, pulverized, and mingled with some cloves, and the bone of a raven's heart, and then all mixed with oil of nigelle, hath such sovereign virtue in strengthening and comforting the brain, that if the head of a cock be therewith anointed, he will crow continually, without any craving."

The virtue of an external application of oil, is a curious subject. Was the object of the ancient gymnasts in using oil, to produce increased suppleness of muscular action? or did they merely aim at a cutaneous effect?

"Men in the olden time did not riotously abuse ointments and oils, to satisfy their effeminate delicateness, and nice wantonness; but used them for purposes of health: for, orderly and duly used, they indense the body, that the air or winds should not batter and damnify it or else ratify, that it be not stopped, and inwardly pestered, with abundance of fuliginous humours and oppilacions. So, Augustus Cæsar, demanding of Pollio, who was above an hundred years old, how he conserved himself in such perfect sound strength, was answered, by using, within, wine: without, oil. "

We end our extracts with the following beautiful, but, we fear,

too flattering picture of England in the author's time. In one point the picture is but just, and still remains so, viz. the courteous and benevolent way in which the English are in the habit of receiving strangers, "such as bear any countenance and estimation of learning."

"Not long ago, travelling into that flourishing island, England, partly to see the fashions of that wealthy country, with men of fame and worthiness, so bruited and renowned, and partly to visit William Lemnie, in whose company and well-doing I greatly rejoice, (as a father cannot but do) and take singular contentation inwardly; even at my first arrival at Dover, and so along my journey toward London, which I dispatched partly upon horseback, and partly by water, I saw and noted many things, able to ravish and allure any man in the world, with desire to travel, and see that so noble a country. For being brought by D. Lemnie, (a skilful physician, and well thought of there for his knowledge and experience) into the company of honourable and worshipful personages, every gentleman, and other worthy persons shewed unto me (being a stranger born, and one that never had been there before) all points of most friendly courtesy; and taking me first by the hand, lovingly embraced, and bade me right-heartily welcome.

"For, they be people very civil, and well affected to men well stricken in years, and to such as bear any countenance and estimation of learning, which thing, they that half suspect, and have not had the full trial of the manners and fashions of this country, will scarcely be persuaded to believe. Therefore, frankly to utter what I think of the incredible courtesy, and friendliness in speech, and affability used in this famous royalme, I must needs confess, it doth surmount, and carry away the prize and price of all others. And beside this, the neat cleanliness, the exquisite fineness, the pleasant and delightful furniture, in every point for households, wonderfully rejoiced me; their chambers and parlours, strewed over with sweet herbs, refreshed me, their nosegays finely intermingled with sundry sorts of fragrant flowers in their bed-chambers and private rooms, with comfortable smell cheered me up, and entirely delighted all my senses. And this do I think to be the cause, that Englishmen, living by such wholesome and exquisite meat, and in so wholesome and healthful air, be so fresh and clean coloured; their faces, eyes, and countenance carrying with it, and representing a portly grace and comeliness, giveth out evident tokens of an honest mind: in language very smooth and allective, but yet seasoned and tempered within the limits and bounds of moderation, not bombasted with any unseemly terms, or infarced with any cloying flatteries or allurements. At their tables, although they be very sumptuous, and love to have good fare, yet neither are they to overcharge themselves with excess of drink, neither thereto greatly provoke and urge others, but suffer every man to drink in such measure as best pleaseth himself, which drink (being either ale or beer) most pleasant in taste, and wholesomely relished, they fetch not from foreign places, but have it amongst themselves brewed.

As touching their populous and great haunted cities, the fruitful

ness of their ground and soil, their lively springs and mighty rivers, their great herds and flocks of cattle, their mysteries, and art of weaving and cloth-making, their skilfulness in shooting, it is needless here to discourse: seeing the multitude of merchants exercising the traffic and art of merchandize among them, and ambassadors also sent thither from foreign princes, are able abundantly to testify, that nothing needful and expedient for man's use and commodity, lacketh in that most noble island."

END OF VOL. XII. PART II.

LONDON:

Printed by D. S. Maurice, Fenchurch Street.

INDEX TO VOL. XII.

Abbot, Archbishop, 303.

Abbot, Dr. Robert, 303.

Acland, Sir John, 56. 61. 64.

CLIEVELAND, JOHN, his Works re-
viewed, 123.

Clieveland, John, 51.

Acts and Ordinances of the Long Parlia- Clifford, Captain, 195.

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Constant, Benjamin, 249.

CORBET, BISHOP, his Poems reviewed, 299.

Corbet, Vincent, 301.

CORIAT'S, Jun. Travels, reviewed, 287.

Courtney, Mr. 189. 198.

Cranmer, Archbishop, 80.

Crocker, Mr. 196.

Cromwell, Oliver, 136.

D'Arlincourt, M. 249.
Dee, Dr. 1. 2. 15.

De Retz, Cardinal, 256.
Derby, Countess of, 55.
Dibdin, Mr. 288.

Digby, Colonel, 212, 213. 215.
Douce, Mr. 23.
Drewe, Sir Thomas, 199.
Dryden, Mr. 313.

Edgeworth, Miss, 251.

Elton, Mr. 275.

Fairfax, Sir Thomas, 61.

Farmer, Dr. 23.

Fell, Dr. 309.

Fielding, Henry, 217.

FIELDING, SIR JOHN, his Penal Code of
London reviewed, 216.

FIRMIN, THOMAS, Life of, reviewed, 165.

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