think, has never been allowed fair usage, either in the world, or the play-boufe,

In the proportion that credulity is a more peaceful poffeffion of the mind, than curiofity; fo far preferable is that wisdom, which converses about the furface, to that pretended philofophy, which enters into the depth of things, and then comes gravely back with informations and difcoveries, that in the infide they are good for nothing. The two fenfes, to which all objects firft addrefs themselves, are t the fight and the touch; these never examine farther than the colour, the fhape, the fize, and whatever other qualities dwell, or are drawn by art upon the outward of bodies; and then comes reafon officiously with tools for cutting, and opening, and mangling, and piercing, offering to demonftrate, that they are not of the fame confiftence quite through. Now I take all this to be the laft degree of perverting nature; one of whofe eternal laws it is, to put her beft furniture forward. And therefore, in order to fave the charges of all fuch expensive anatomy for the time to come, I do here think fit to inform the

reader,

reader, that in fuch conclufions as thefe reason is certainly in the right; and that in most corporeal beings, which have fallen under my cognizance, the outfide hath been infinitely preferable to the in: whereof I have been farther convinced from fome late experiments. Laft week I faw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe, how much it altered her perfon for the worse. Yesterday I ordered the carcafe of a beau to be ftripped in my prefence; when we were all amazed to find fo many unfufpected faults under one fuit of cloaths. Then I laid open his brain, his heart, and his Spleen: but I plainly perceived at every operation, that the farther we proceeded, we found the defects increase upon us in number and bulk: from all which, I justly formed this conclufion to myself; that whatever philofopher or projector can find out an art to folder and patch up the flaws and imperfections of nature, will deferve much better of mankind, and teach us a more useful fcience, than that fo much in prefent efteem, of widening and expofing them, like him, who held anatomy to be the ultimate end

of

of phyfic. And he, whose fortunes and difpofitions have placed him in a convenient station to enjoy the fruits of this noble art; he that can with Epicurus cons tent his ideas with the films and images, that fly off upon his fenfes from the superficies of things; fuch a man, truly wife, creams off nature, leaving the four and the dregs for philofophy and reafon to lap up. This is the fublime and refined point of felicity, called the poffeffion of being well deceived the ferene peaceful state of being a fool a mong knaves.

But to return to madness. It is certain, that according to the fyftem I have above deduced, every species thereof proceeds from a redundancy of vapours; therefore, as fome kinds of phrenzy give double ftrength to the finews, fo there are of other Species, which add vigour, and life, and fpirit to the brain: now, it ufually happens, that these active fpirits, getting poffeffion of the brain, resemble those that haunt other waste and empty dwellings, which for want of bufinefs either vanish, and carry away a piece of the house, or elfe stay at home and fling it all out of the windows.

windows. By which are myftically difplayed the two principal branches of madnefs, and which fome philofophers, not confidering fo well as I, have mistaken to be different in their causes, overhaftily affigning the first to deficiency, and the other to redundance.

I think it therefore manifeft, from what I have here advanced, that the main point offkill and address is to furnish employment for this redundancy of vapour, and prudently to adjust the feafon of it; by which means it may certainly become of cardinal and catholic emolument in a commonwealth. Thus one man chufing a proper juncture, leaps into a gulph, from thence proceeds a hero, and is called the faver of his country; another atchieves the fame enterprize, but, unluckily timing it, has left the brand of madness fixed as a reproach upon his memory; upon fo nice a distinction are we taught to repeat the. name of Curtius with reverence and love; that of Empedocles with hatred and contempt. Thus also it is ufually conceived, that the elder Brutus only perfonated the fool and mad-man for the good of the

public;

a

public; but this was nothing elfe, than a redundancy of the fame vapour long mifapplied, called by the Latins, Inge nium par negotiis; or, to tranflate it as nearly as I can, a fort of phrenzy, never in its right element, till you take it up in the business of the state.

Upon all which, and many other reafons of equal weight, though not equally curious, I do here gladly embrace an opportunity I have long fought for, of recommending it as a very noble undertaking to Sir Edward Seymour, Sir Chriftopher Mufgrave, Sir John Bowls, John How, Efq, and other patriots concerned, that they would move for leave to bring in a bill for appointing commiffioners to infpect into Bedlam, and the parts adjacent; who fhall be impowered to fend for perfons, papers, and records; to examine into the merits and qualifications of every student and profeffor; to obferve with utmoft exactness their feveral difpofitions and behaviour; by which means, duly distinguishing and adapting their talents, they might produce admirable inftruments

VOL. I.

▲ Tacit.

X

for