This Fancy is Half Knavery, Half Humour, and the Doctor’s Part in’t is
no more then according to the Common Practice of the World, in Law, as
well as in Physick, when People make the Remedy Worse then the Disease;
as when a Man spends the Fee Simple of an Estate in a Contest for the
Title. The Barber that Pick’d the Gentleman’s Pocket while he was Washing
of his Face, Wrote after this Copy. The Moral holds forth This Matter of
Advice to us, not to Contract any Obligations Rashly; for Good Offices in
course are rather Baits, and Snares, then Benefits; and there are some
Certain People, that a Sober Man would not Venture the being Beholden
to. The Poor Woman here, had her Jest for her Houshold-Stuff; and the
Vain Satisfaction of paying her Physician with a Conceit for his Money.
It Minds me of the Orator that was to Teach a Young Man Rhetorick, on
Condition of Double Pay upon the Perfecting of him in his Profession,
and not a Penny before; The Master follow’d his Scholar Close, and came
to him at last for his Money, according to the Bargain; The Young Fellow
begg’d him over and over to Forbear it a while, but could not Prevail.
He told him Then, that there was nothing Due to him; for if Rhetorick be
(as you say) the Art or Power of Persuasion; and if I cannot prevail with
you to forbear your Money, I am not Master of my Trade yet. This was the
Woman’s Way of Reasoning with the Physician. The Doctor would have his
Money for the Curing of her Eyes, and the Woman shuffl’d it off that she
was not Cur’d, for she could see nothing at all, which was One Fallacy
upon Another.