Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	time_n	world_n	8,543	5	4.4611	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16823	The pisse-prophet, or, Certaine pisse-pot lectures Wherein are newly discovered the old fallacies, deceit, and jugling of the pisse-pot science, used by all those (whether quacks and empiricks, or other methodicall physicians) who pretend knowledge of diseases, by the urine, in giving judgement of the same. By Tho. Brian, M.P. lately in the citie of London, and now in Colchester in Essex. Never heretofore published by any man in the English tongue.	Brian, Thomas, 17th cent.	1637 (1637)	STC 3723; ESTC S114775	61,310	120

mortality and present imminent danger gave him the best instructions that I could to prepare himselfe for that sodaine change of this life for another that was like to be and so tooke my leave of him But before I could get away I was desired by some of his friends that were about him to tell them for they thinke that wee can surely tell or else that we are not our crafts-masters whether hee would dye or no and I tooke upon me to determine his death before eight of the clocke the next night within halfe an houre of which time he dyed But before I could get out of the chamber they began to whisper as the manner is and to scoffe me to my face saying amongst themselves that they did nor perceive but that he might live as long as I but my predictions proved so true and were so soone accomplished that I came off from that their censure with more than ordinary credit for as much as I had prefixed so short a time of his life and the event death following now so neere the utmost bounds and limits of the time Yet I confesse ingenuously that I was too peremptory in determining his death within so short a time or by such an houre for I had told them that hee could not live untill such an houre which was ●ight of the clocke and that if he should escape that houre he would recover but yet both of these predictions might have proved false for he might both escape that houre and yet might not recover though I said he would if he passed that houre but dye within a few dayes or houres after Neither did I pronounce my judgment from any grounds of Art that did determine his death within such an houre but onely by conjecturall probabilitie for your cunning men or Conjurers nay the Devill himselfe cannot otherwise than upon conjecture determine a sicke mans life unto an houre unlesse you make him one of the Almighties scoret counsell Nay I dare affirme that the Devils may and often are deceived in their conjectures and calculations touching the life and death of men and yet their naturall knowledge is farre more than mens for they are spirits and their acquired knowledge is as much beyond mens because they are ancienter than men even from the beginning of the world are not subject to the same mortality that man is who before he come to begin to have understanding is in his Grave I say therefore that no Physician nay the Devills who are ancienter than Aesculapius or Hippocrates or any of that race cannot determine the life and death of a man but upon conjecture and may be deceived but yet you looke that a Physician should be able to doe it and not to erre because such an event doth oftentimes accidentally follow such a peremptory conclusion as this of mine was that this partie would dye within such an houre It is true indeed and I might truely say the nature of the disease and the strength of the body with all other signes of death being well considered that I thought the partie would scarce live untill such an houre but if I should say without any qualification of the sense that the partie would not live untill such an houre and that he would recover if he should passe that houre you might thinke that I spake without my booke for I could not say so but that I must speake more than I know and so derogate from the providence of God in assuming that knowledge unto my selfe that belongs onely to him I was likewise called to another lustie yong man one John Duffield by name in the very same Towne very shortly after who was sicke of the very same disease in the same manner whose friends were very importunate at me to be tampering with him and to use my best skill to recover him but I perceived that there had another Quack been tampering with him before who had omitted the opportunity of letting him blood and found him so far and in such case debilitated that now there was no place for bleeding unlesse I had beene contented to have undergone the scandall that would have soone ensued so I wished them to send for the Physician of the soule and told them there was no place for my Art For had I caused him to have been let blood he would have gone neere to have dyed under the Chirurgians hands and then they would not have stuck to have said that I had kil'd him for it was afternoon and almost night when I was called unto him and he dyed before the next morning Yet as I said before of the incertaine judgment of diseases by the water his water was of as good a colour and consistence every way as any healthfull mans yet notwithstanding I gave my judgement so upon this Urine as that I satisfied the messenger for I asked the messenger how long the partie had been sicke who answered almost a weeke from whence I gathered that it was a violent disease although the water did not witnesse the same and so gave the description of a Fever which shewed how the partie was affected and made the messenger thinke that I perceived his disease in the water but you I hope well perceive how I did it and how a man may be sicke unto death his Urine shewing no disease at all and if a Physician can satisfie the messenger and seeme to describe the disease by the Urine notwithstanding So now I proceed to sit in judicature upon this modest harlot the Urine who in Chronicall diseases seemeth to import no disease at all and yet she is caught ipso facto in her close tricks for which she is come to publike censure But first before I come to examine this strumpet I must further shew you how I come to know certainely whether it be a Chronicall disease or no since she is namely the Urine so perfidious as that there is no credit to be given to any thing that she comes to give in evidence cōcerning the state of any sick or well bodies water whomsoever Now that I discern namely whether it be a Chronicall disease or no by the same question that I propounded in giving my judgement upon Urines in violent diseases and that question was this I onely asked the messenger how long the partie had been sicke by answer whereunto I am certified or at least have strong presumption whether it be a Chronicall or violent disease for if the Pisse Post say a weeke or lesse I then presume that it is a violent disease But if the Pisse-bearer say that the partie hath not beene very well a good while which is their answer commonly in a Chronicall disease when we aske how long the partie hath been sicke for indeed they are not sicke in most Chronicall diseases but are illish or not well I dare say then that it is a Chronicall disease and when I have once received this answer to the forenamed

a fit of the stone in the Kidneis the Squinancy Phrensie Iliaca Passio the Arthritis or what other sharp disease soever wherewith there is a Fever alwayes complicate or whether it be a simple Fever which is primarily the disease it selfe but yet I will not alwayes use the same description to all commers because divers messengers may come to a Physician and may stay for companies sake to goe away together and might fall to questioning with each other what the Doctour said unto them and so might thinke if I should use the same description unto them all that I could say nothing else I therefore vary my description of the disease and am sometimes shorter in the same and then if I find by expostulation with the messenger that I have omitted any thing that I should have spoken of I say that it proceeded from such a cause as I had already named and that I should have come to speake of that anon I am sometimes likewise larger in my description as I am here in relating how the party is affected for whom this Nurse comes and she is as ready to take me up for the same and sayes that it is true indeed that the party can take no rest hath no appetite to meate and was taken as I said in the manner of an Ague but complaines not of her stomach at all but cries out My head my head and complaines altogether of want of rest To whom I reply that the paine in the head is the chiefe of the passions that the party is affected withall but yet that it proceeded from the oppression of the stomach and oppilation of the Liver and Spleene which being obstructed send a cholericke fume unto the braine which infiame the Animall spirits and cause this paine which hindred rest and that if rest were not caused it would make the party rave be franticke and burst forth into senselesse and idle talke Thus having answered this objection I now begin to touch the Urinall to see if it have setled enough but finding it not to have setled enough to my purpose and to shew me those things that I must finde out of it I set it downe againe very tenderly saying it must yet settle alittle better and then I fall to questioning with the Nurse concerning something that may shew me the sexe for I must find that out of the water too And now I aske her what the party useth to doe in the time of health and this is a question that may she thinkes as well be answered without giving me any light of the sexe as the former question which was How long the party had beene sicke of giving me any light of the disease but you shall heare what I collect from thence She answers I demanding what the party useth to do that the party useth to do little save onely to goe up and downe the house to worke about the house to walke up and downe abroad to keepe a shop to labour or the like and from all these I have my severall collections Now if she say that the party useth to doe little save onely to goe up and downe the house I presume that it is the Mistresses of the house or the good-wifes or one of their daughters or some Gentlewoman in the house but for certaine that it is a womans water or a maides for they should and commonly doe if their shooes be not made of running leather keepe their house and their worke is to walke up and down the house but if she say the party useth to doe such worke as is to be done in or about the house it is most likely that it is a maid-servant but if she say to walke abroad I then presume that it is a mans water and that it may be the Master of the house or his sonnes or some other Gentlemans whose worke and imployment is onely to walke abroad and take his pleasure but if she say to keepe a shop I suppose it to be the Masters thereof or an he Apprentice his or if she say that the party useth to labour I imagine it to be a man-servant or some hired labouring mans so by her answer to this question namely what the party useth to doe in the time of health I discerne the sexe And now I take the Urinall againe in my hand for by this time it hath stood long enough to settle and now I say that it is a womans water suppose that her answer to my question What the party used to doe in the time of health did inferre as much that she hath a burning Fever is so dangerously sicke that she will hardly recover unlesse such and such speedy meanes be used and yet that All will scarce doe and this danger I will alwayes pretend in every Violent disease though there be no deadly signe at all but not to the sicke parties for that they cannot indure to heare of but secretly to the messenger or some neere friend or by-stander if I be present with them and then if the party live I shall not so much as have my judgement called in question for saying the party would die but be magnified for that I have recovered her of a dangerous disease nay to be sure to be happy in my predictions and prognosticks concerning the life and death of my Patients for they must alwayes have a hint of that although the thought of death be an unwelcome guest I will deliver mine opinion both wayes I will threaten or rather pretend the danger of death to the sicke party if my opinion be desired with a But if such and such meanes be used you may haply recover and to some by-stander or hanger on I will secretly whisper that there is no danger at all or else I will promise life to the Patient which is altogether wished and threaten death to some other inquisitour and thus was a learned Doctour in Physicke over-matched by a meaner Practicant in Physicke at Ashford in Kent who used this policy in his prognosticks I have for mine owne part and office herein delivered my selfe well enough to this Nurse in my prognosticks concerning the event of the womans sicknesse for whom she is come I have told her how the woman is affected what the disease is and what will be the event and the Nurse is reasonable well satisfied herewith but yet I have omitted something that she will be sure to tell me of for since she hath undertaken the matter she will not goe without her errand So now she asks me if I perceive nothing else by the water and I imagine well enough what it is else that I should perceive by it for when that question is propounded it is to know whether the woman be with child or no to whom I answer that there are many moe things to be perceived by the water but not at all times as whether a woman were with child or no which is that you looke for but it is

expell noxious humours from the vitall parts now which of these methods I shall best use for the messenger can tell me nothing I know not but however the matter is not great for the party ventureth but his life and why shuld not I adventure my skill against it I now therefore pronounce the party to be sicke of a bastard Pleurisie for it is no matter what I say to this messenger or a Fever and that the party would hardly recover further adding that hee should have beene let blood a weeke agoe and that I feared it would now be too late but yet I wish it to be done for if any thing in the world recover him it must be that and if that do it it is but Hab Nab but yet however I must put it in practice so now I hast away the messenger to get a Chirurgion to let him blood and tell him where and in what quantity it must be done and now it is a question whether the disease or the life be let out by this blood-letting if blood offending in quantity or corrupt blood offending in quality putrified by choller in the lesser veines be let out the disease may chance to be let out with it and so Mors or Death may tarry for a sacrifice till some other sicknesse take him upon more advantage But if the good blood seeming to be inflamed be let out when this Fever proceedeth from choller in the greater veins or from Flegme or other mixt humours in the stomach Spleene or Mesentery which ought to be purged the life insteed of the disease may be let out by losse whereof the debt to God and Nature would be paid But haply insteed of blood-letting I prescribe at randome for so I must doe in either some purging Potion and so set the disease and a medicine together by the eares leave the successe to fortune And now whether the party live or die I care not for if he die I have taught them to blame their owne negligence in not sending any sooner but if Nature be of such for●e that she be able to withstand the conflict betweene the disease and the Antidote and start up and take part with the Medicine so that the party recover I shall have more attributed unto me as the onely cause of his recovery than I have deserved or than to God who in his providence had beene pleased by the worke of Nature more than by any skill of mine to spare and recover him and thus you use to over-value the meanes whereby as you suppose you have beene recovered although used so desperatly as I have prescribed for this fellow by a methodicall Physician professing knowledge of diseases by the Urine or used quite contrary to the rules of Art by some rude Empiricke and Quack-salving knave especially if you chance to recover and to under-value the best meanes in the world used by the most grave and learned Physician if the party chance to die never satisfying your selves when things are so come to passe that it was Gods providence saying sic placuit Domino it was Gods will it should be so and so resting your selves contented but still tormenting your selves further in thinking that this child that friend this brother or that sister might have beene recovered if the best meanes had beene used as if God would not have directed thee unto that meanes had it not beene his will now to take this party unto himselfe And now I hope that you perceive by these few instances how a man may deceive the wisest messenger that you can send unto a Physician with a water and shew you the disease by the same although it be not there to be found and how great danger they put their lives in that adventure to take Physicke prescribed by the sight of the Urine only and so I have done with all sharp and violent diseases and am now comming to speake of Chronicall lingring and diseases of continuance wherein I meane to shew you how to give judgement of them by the water though in those diseases it shew lesse than in sharpe and violent diseases CHAP. V. A Recapitulation of those things which have beene spoken touching the giving of judgement of the Vrine in Acute and Violent diseases and a Praecapitulation of some things necessary to be premised touching Chronicall and diseases of continuance before we come to the examination of the Pisse-messengers as we have done in Sharpe and Violent diseases AND now whereas I shew'd you before that I came to instance and shew my cunning in giving judgement upon Urines in violent diseases that diseases are either sharpe and violent the which I have spoke of or Chronicall and of continuance such as I am now to speake of next and that in sharp diseases the Urine is for the most part of an high red colour and that there is a Fever alwayes joyned with every sharpe disease so I shewed you that one may give a description how any sicke party is affected in any violent disease by rekoning up the common Symptomes and companions of a Fever which are oppression of stomach want of appetite Heate Thirst Paine in the head want of sleep c. and make the messenger believe that I perceive the disease by the water because I shew how the party is in some kind affected the which neither I nor any Physician in the world can perceive in or by water but gather by consequence when we once conceive that it is a violent disease for then we know that there is a Fever joyned and that there are some of those Symptomes that I named joyned with it but yet I doe not know what kind of Fever it is nor what violent disease it is and therefore I doe not name or determine it untill I have expostulated with the messenger in such manner as I have already shew'd and thereby come to the knowledge of some specificall note or difference which determine the same I must now likewise give you to understand before that I come to examine some few Urines to shew you how I give my judgement of Chronicall diseases that in Chronicall diseases such as are the Drop●e Gout Palsey Falling sicknesse Scurvey French Pox Green sicknesse Malacie which is the disease of women newly conceived with childe Cough Head-ach Mother and such like the Urine is no way faulty but representeth the Urine of healthfull nay oftentimes the most healthfull men in the world And yet the Physician such a Urine being brought unto him must sentence the partie that made it to be sicke upon no other proofe but onely this lying strumpet and false witnesse the Urine suborned by the beguiled and so selfe-conceited vulgar and connived at by the Pisse-Justice or Judge before whom shee is brought who is corrupted for a testar sometimes for more and sometimes for lesse and is contented to accept of her evidence for truth when he knowes it to be a palpable lye that shee comes