those idle reasoners, who pretend to explain the forma tion of parts, or the animal operations, to which he proves that Art can produce nothing equal, nor any thing parallel. One inftance I shall mention, which is produced by him, of the vanity of any attempt to rival the work of God, Nothing is more boafted by the admirers of chemistry, than that they can, by artificial heats and digeftion, imitate the productions of Nature. "Let all thefe heroes of fcience meet together," fays Boerhaave; let them take bread and wine, the food that forms the blood of man, and by afimilation contributes to the growth of the body: let them try all their arts, they fhall not be able from thefe materials to produce a fingle drop of blood. So much is the moft common act of Nature beyond the utmost efforts of the most extended Science !"

From this time Boerhaave lived with lefs publick employment indeed, but not an idle or an ufelefs life; for, befides his hours spent in inftructing his scholars, a great part of his time was taken up by patients which came, when the diftemper would admit it, from all parts of Europe to confult him, or by letters which, in more urgent cafes, were continually fent, to enquire his opinion, and afk his advice.

Of his fagacity, and the wonderful penetration with which he often difcovered and defcribed, at the first fight of a patient, fuch diftempers as betray themfelves by no fymptoms to common eyes, fuch wonderful relations have been spread over the world, as, though attefted beyond doubt, can fcarcely be credited. I mention none of them, because I have no opportunity of collecting teflimonies, or diftinguishing between

thofe

thofe accounts which are well proved, and thofe which owe their rife to fiction and credulity.

Yet I cannot but implore, with the greateft earneftnefs, fuch as have been converfant with this great man, that they will not fo far neglect the common intereft of mankind, as to fuffer any of these circumftances to be loft to pofterity. Men are generally idle, and ready to fatisfy themselves, and intimidate the industry of others, by calling that impoffible which is only difficult. The fkill to which Boerhaave attained, by a long and unwearied obfervation of nature, ought therefore to be tranfmitted in all its particulars to future ages, that his fucceffors may be afhamed to fall below him, and that none may hereafter excufe his ignorance by pleading the impoffibility of clearer knowledge.

Yet fo far was this great mafter from prefumptuous confidence in his abilities, that, in his examinations of the fick, he was remarkably circumftantial and particular. He well knew that the originals of distempers are often at a diftance from their visible effects; that to conjecture, where certainty may be obtained, is either vanity or negligence; and that life is not to be facrificed, either to an affectation of quick difcernment, or of crowded practice, but may be required, if trifled away, at the hand of the phyfician.

About the middle of the year 1737, he felt the first approaches of that fatal illness that brought him to the grave, of which we have inserted an account, written by himself Sept. 8, 1738, to a friend at London *; which

*«Etas, labor, corporifque opima pinguetudo, effecerant, ante annum, ut inertibus refertum, grave, hebes, plenitudine turgens

corpus,

which deferves not only to be preferved as an historical relation of the difeafe which deprived us of fo great a man, but as a proof of his piety and refignation to the divine will.

In this laft illnefs, which was to the laft degree lingering, painful, and afflictive, his conftancy and firmnefs did not forfake him. He neither intermitted the neceffary cares of life, nor forgot the proper preparations for death. Though dejection and lownefs of fpirit was, as he himfelf tells us, part of his diftemper, yet even this, in fome measure, gave way to that vigour which the foul receives from a consciousness of inno

cence.

About three weeks before his death he received a vifit at his country house from the rev. Mr. Schultens, his intimate friend, who found him fitting withoutdoor, with his wife, fifter, and daughter: after the compliments of form, the ladies withdrew, and left them to private converfation; when Boerhaave took occafion to tell him what had been, during his illness, the chief fubject of his thoughts. He had never

corpus, anhelum ad motus minimos, cum fenfu fuffocationis, pulfu mirificè anomalo, ineptum evaderet ad ullum motum. Urgebat præcipuè fubfiftens prorfus & intercepta refpiratio ad prima fomni initia: unde fomnus prorfus prohibebatur, cum formidabili ftrangu lationis moleftia. Hine hydrops pedum, crurum, femorum, fcroti, præputii, & abdominis. Quæ tamen omnia fublata. Sed dolor manet in abdomine, quum anxietate fumma, anhelitu fuffocante, & debilitate incredibili: fomno pauco, eoque vago, per fomnia turba. tiffimo: animus vero rebus agendis impar. Cum his luctor feffus nec emergo: patienter expectans Dei juffa, quibus refigno data, quæ fola amo, & honoro unicè." Orig. Edit,

doubted

doubted of the fpiritual and immaterial nature of the foul; but declared that he had lately had a kind of experimental certainty of the distinction between corporeal and thinking fubftances, which mere reafon and philofophy cannot afford, and opportunities of contemplating the wonderful and inexplicable union of foul and body, which nothing but long fickness can give. This he illuftrated by a defcription of the effects which the infirmities of his body had upon his faculties, which yet they did not fo opprefs or vanquifh, but his foul was always master of itself, and always refigned to the pleasure of its Maker.

He related with great concern, that once his patience fo far gave way to extremity of pain, that, after having lain fifteen hours in exquifite tortures, he prayed to God that he might be fet free by death.

Mr. Schultens, by way of confolation, anfwered, that he thought fuch wifhes, when forced by continued and exceffive torments, unavoidable in the prefent ftate of human nature; that the beft men, even Job himself, were not able to refrain from fuch starts of impatience. This he did not deny; but faid, "He that loves God, ought to think nothing desirable but what is moft pleafing to the fupreme goodnefs."

Such were his fentiments, and fuch his conduct, in this state of weakness and pain: as death approached nearer, he was fo far from terror or confufion, that he feemed even lefs fenfible of pain, and more chearful under his torments, which continued till the 23d day of September 1738, on which he died, between four and five in the morning, in the 70th year of his

age.

Thus

Thus died Boerhaave, a man formed by nature for great defigns, and guided by religion in the exertion of his abilities. He was of a robust and athletic conftitution of body, fo hardened by early feverities, and wholefome fatigue, that he was infenfible of any fharpnefs of air, or inclemency of weather. He was tall, and remarkable for extraordinary ftrength. There was in his air and motion fomething rough and artlefs, but fo majestick and great at the fame time, that no man ever looked upon him without veneration, and a kind of tacit fubmiffion to the fuperiority of his genius.

The vigour and activity of his mind sparkled vifibly in his eyes; nor was it ever obferved, that any change of his fortune, or alteration in his affairs, whether happy or unfortunate, affected his countenance.

He was always chearful, and defirous of promoting mirth by a facetious and humourous converfation; he was never foured by calumny and detraction, nor ever thought it neceffary to confute them; for they are fparks," faid he, "which, if you do not blow them, will go out of themfelves."

Yet he took care never to provoke enemies by feverity of cenfure, for he never dwelt on the faults or defects of others, and was fo far from inflaming the envy of his rivals by dwelling on his own excellencies, that he rarely mentioned himfelf or his writings.

He was not to be over-awed or depreffed by the prefence, frowns, or infolence of great men, but perfifted on all occafions in the right, with a refolution always prefent and always calm. He was modeft, but not timorous, and firm without rudeness.

He