lister’s TRAVELS IN FRANCE.

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fame time when Marflial cut Pere Jaque’s wav, but had not fo good fuccefs as Marflialhad ; for all that Marflial cut are alive and very well, whereas the other loft one ortwo of his number; befides, thofe that lived were not fo foon cured, no, not by amonth or fix weeks.” Thus far Mr. Probie.

The pox here is the great bufinefs of the town ; a difeafe which in fome meafurehath contributed to the ruin of phyfic here, as in London . This fecret fervice hathintroduced little contemptible animals of all forts into bufinefs, and hath given themoccafion to infult families, after they had once the knowledge of thefe misfortunes.And it is for this reafon the quacks here, as with us, do thrive vaftly into great richesbeyond any of the phyficians, by treating privately thefe calamities.

It was a pleafant diverfion to me to read upon the walls every where about the town,but more particularly in the Fauxbourgh of St. Germain, the quacks’ bills printed ingreat uncial letters.

As,

De par l’ordre du Roy.

Remede infallible & commode pour la gerifon des maladies fecretes fans garder lachambre.

Another,

Par permiflion de Roy.

Manniere tres aifee & tres fure pour guerir fans incommodite, & fans que perfone enappercoive, les maladies veneriennes, &c.

Another,

Par privilege du Roy.

L’Antivenerien de medicin Indien, pour toutes les maladies veneriennes, telles quellespuiffent eftre, fans aucun retour, & fans garder la chambre. II eft tres commode& le plus agreable de monde.

Another,

Remede aflure de 8 ieur de la Brune privilege du Roy, &c. fans qu’on foit contraint degarder la chambre, &c.

By thefe bills it is evident, there is yet a certain modefty and decorum left in theconcealing this difeafe, even amongft the French : they would be cured fecretly, andas though nothing were doing ; which thofe wretches highly promife. But this is thathandle which gives thofe mean people an occafion to infult their reputation, and injurethem in their health for ever.

Every body here puts their helping hand, and meddles with the cure of this difeafe,as apothecaries, barbers, women, and monks ; yet I did not find by all the inquiry Icould make, that they had other remedies than we. Nay, there is fomething pra&ifedin the cure of this diftemper in England, which they at Paris know nothing of; butthis old verfe forbids me to fay any thing further :

Artempudere proloqtd, quam faclites.

The apothecaries’ fliops are neat enough, if they were but as well ftored with medi-cines ; and fome are very finely adorned, and have an air of greatnefs, as that of Mon-fieur Geofferie, who has been provoft des merchands, in the Rue Burtebur, wherethe entry to the Bafie Cour is a port-cochier, with vafas of copper in the niches of thewindows; within are rooms adorned with huge vafas and mortars of brafs, as well forfight, as for ufe. The drugs and compofitions are kept in cabinets difpofed round theroom. Alfo laboratories backwards in great perfettion and neatnels. I mull needscommend this gentleman for his civility towards me ; and for his care in educating his

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