"THE OOLDE ORDRE OF MAKYNG THE KYNGES BEDD, NOT TO BE USED NOR DONE, BUT AS HYS GRACE WOLL COMAUND AND APOYNTE FROM TYME TO TYME HERAFTER.

"Furste, a groome or a page to take a torche, and to goo to the warderobe of the kynges bedd, and bryng theym of the warderobe with the kynges stuff unto the chambr for makyng of the same bedde. Where as aught to be a gentylman-usher, iiii yeomen of the chambr for to make the same bedde. The groome to stande at the bedds feete with his torch. They of the warderobe opennyng the kinges stuff of hys bedde upon a fayre sheete, bytwen the sayde groome and the bedds fote, iii yeomen, or two at the leste, in every syde of the bedde; the gentylman-usher and parte commaundyng theym what they shall doo. A yoman with a dagger to searche the strawe of the kynges bedde that there be none untreuth therein. And this yoman to caste up the bedde of downe upon that, and oon of theym to tomble over yt for the serche thereof. Then they to bete and tufle the sayde bedde, and to laye oon then the bolster without touchyng of the bedd where as it aught to lye. Then they of the warderobe to delyver theym a fustyan, takyng the saye therof. All theys yomen to laye theyr hands theroon at oones, that they touch not the bedd tyll yt be layed as it sholde be by the comaundement of the ussher. And so the furste sheet in lyke wyse, and then to trusse in both sheete and fustyan rownde about the bedde of downe. The warderoper to delyver the second sheete unto two yomen, they to crosse it over theyr arme, and to stryke the bedde as the ussher shall more playnly shewe unto theym. Then every yoman layeing hande upon the sheete, to laye the same sheete upon the bedde. And so the other fustyan upon or ii with suche coverynge as shall content the kynge. Thus doon, the ii yomen next to the bedde to lay down agene the overmore fustyan, the yomen of the warderobe delyverynge theym a pane sheete, the sayde yoman therewythall to cover the sayde bedde. And so then to laye down the overmost sheete from the beddes heed. And

* Stroak, from the Saxon, rtɲacan, lavigare.

then the sayd ii yomen to lay all the overmost clothes of a quarter of the bedde, Then the warderoper to delyver unto them such pyllowes as shall please the kynge. The sayd yoman to laye theym upon the bolster and the heed sheete with whych the sayde yoman shall cover the sayde pyllowes. And so to trusse the endes of the said sheete under every end of the bolster. And then the sayd warderoper to delyver unto them ii lytle small pyllowes, werwythall the squyres for the bodye or gentylman-ussher shall give the saye to the warderoper, and to the yoman whych have layde on hande upon the sayd bedde. And then the sayd yomen to lay upon the sayde bedde toward the bolster as yt was bifore. They makyng a crosse and kissynge yt where there handes were. Then yomen next to the feete to make the feers as the ussher shall teche theym. And so then every of them sticke up the aungel about the bedde, and to lette downe the corteyns of the sayd bedde,or sparver.*

"Item, a squyer for the bodye or gentylman-ussher aught to sett the kynges sword at hys beddes heed.

"Item, a squyer for the bodye aught to charge a secret groome or page to have the kepynge of the sayde bedde with a lyght unto the time the kynge be disposed to goo to yt.

"Item, a groome or page aught to take a torche, whyle the bedde ys yn makyng, to feche a loof of brede, a pott with ale, a pott wyth wine, for them that maketh the bedde, and every man.

“Item, the gentlyman-ussher aught to forbede that no manner of man do sett eny dysshe upon the kinge's bedde, for fere of hurtyng of the kinge's ryche counterpoynt that lyeth therupon. And that the sayd ussher take goode heede, that noo man wipe or rubbe their handes uppon none arras of the kynges, wherby they myght bee hurted, in the chambr where the kynge ys specially, and in all other."-Archæologia, vol. iv. p. 311.

* Sparver, a camp or turn-up bed, from ɲpappan, obdere, to shut, or close up.

LXIV. THE APHORISMS OF HIPPOCRATES.

THE lapse of more than two thousand years, though it has diminished the authority of the Father of Physic, has not lessened the admiration of his genius, which has been expressed by every qualified critic. Hippocrates amply merits the noble title of the Father of the art of healing, though it is obvious that it is not in his writings that we are to seek the first rude notions of physic. Some healing herbs, some rough chirurgical attempts, must have been used to soothe pain or avert death for many a long century before the sage of Cos: not only does all history, sacred and profane, bear testimony to this, but it is evident from the texture of his works. We e see in them the exquisite finish of the sculptor, rather than the rough hewing of the stone-cutter. Yet does Hippocrates deserve the praise which countless generations have lavished upon him of having invented the art which he professed; for in his hands the scattered precepts of the Eastern Brahmin, of the Egyptian priest, of the Greek demi-god Esculapius, kindled by the Promethean fire of his own genius, became one living whole, and astonished a grateful world. We may imagine him at one time culling the surgical anthology of Podalirius and Machaon, those heroes of the Trojan war, who, like the arrows in the old mythus, were equally potent in curing as in causing wounds; at another time we learn that he copied from the Egyptian temples those inscriptions by which patients had recorded the remedies that had restored them to health; at another, the great master reveals the fruits of his own vast experience, and, with a candour which it is easier to praise than to imitate, selects the most instructive, that is the most unsuccessful, cases for relation.

In all these instances, however, his writings have that homogeneousness which is the touchstone of true genius, the diagnostic mark (to use a medical term) by which the great and original thinker is distinguished from the mere compiler: his style, too, has the fluency which naturally

results from an abundance of materials; and the fastidious Athenians, when they reverenced the stranger from Cos as little lower than a tutelary deity (just as when they ascribed the history of Herodotus to the inspiration of the Muses), might have been influenced by the graces of the author, as well as by the success of the physician. He wrote in the Ionic dialect; and as Homer made this. form of Greek the language of epic poetry, so the fame of Hippocrates consecrated its melodious variations to the service of physic.

Some few writers think it necessary to depreciate his merits, lest we should be tempted to imitate his practice: but, for our part, we would rather retain what is instructive, even in an obsolete medical creed, and not follow those zealous iconoclasts, who, in banishing superstition from the temple, would "break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers,"

When we praise the style of Hippocrates, we praise it as far as it can be discerned through the corruptions of the text; for, if any student is unconscious of his obligations to the patient critics who have smoothed the way for his persual of the ancient poets and historians, we would recommend him to try his hand at the Greek physicians. He will respect Elmsley, and adore Porson, and heartily wish that a Hermann or a Schneider would clear up Hippocrates and Aretæus. For want of an editor, they are in the state of those heroes of the olden time, forgotten, says Horace, for want of a poet :—

66

Omnes illachrymabiles
Urgentur ignotique longâ

Nocte, carent quia vate sacro."

Even the Aphorisms, though the editions are more nume. rous than the leaves which strew the ground in autumn, are replete with errors introduced by ignorant transcribers. A great number of the Aphorisms have the air of being violently transplanted from the other works of the author, and several are repeated in substance and almost in words: this is especially the case in the eighth section, which is perhaps altogether spurious.

A few examples may serve to give our readers some notion of the tone and manner of these celebrated axioms. "Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases."-§ i. 6.

"Spontaneous lassitude denotes disease."—§ ii. 5. "The fat are more apt to die suddenly than the lean.” - ii. 44.

"When pain arises in two different places, the stronger one obscures the other."-§ ii. 46.

(It is on this principle that the gout is said to cure the tooth-ache; and that the nervous and irritable usually derive benefit from blistering and other excoriations.)

"The south wind causes deafness, dimness of sight, heaviness of the head, weariness, and a sense of relaxation such are the symptoms which the sick experience when it prevails. But should the wind be from the north, coughs, sore throats, constipation, dysuria, shivering, and pains in the side and chest [are frequent]. When it prevails, we must expect such things in diseases."§ iii. 5.

"Autumn is unfavourable to the consumptive."§ iii. 10. (On account of the rapid changes of temperature?)

The list of aperients, which is now of enormous length, was so scanty in those early ages, that Hippocrates seems to have been obliged to make use of hellebore as an ordinary purgative, though he well knew its occasional violence, for he says, "Hellebore is dangerous to those whose flesh is healthy, for it causes convulsions."- § iv.16. In a subsequent Aphorism, he informs us that " vulsions caused by hellebore are fatal.”—§ v. 1.

con

"When convalescents suffer pain, abscesses form in the situation of the pain."

"But, if any part was in pain before the illness, the disease fixes itself there."--§ iv. 32 and 33.

"Ulcers on the bodies of the dropsical are not easily healed."-§ vi. 8.

(And therefore the practice sometimes recommended of evacuating the fluid from dropsical limbs by numerous incisions and punctures is by no means void of danger.)