a fecond Wife, and in July, 1674, was married to Eve du Bois, Daughter of a Minifter of Leyden, who, by her prudent and impartial Conduct, fo endeared herself to her Hufband's Children, that they all regarded her as their own Mother.

Herman Boerhaave was always defigned by his Father for the Miniftry, and with that View inftructed by him in grammatical Learning, and the first Elements of Languages; in which he made fuch a Proficiency, that he was, at the Age of eleven Years, not only Master of the Rules of Grammar, but capable of tranflating, with tolerable Accuracy; and not wholly ignorant of critical Niceties.

At Intervals, to recreate his Mind, and strengthen his Constitution, it was his Father's Cuftom to fend him into the Fields, and employ him in Agriculture, and fuch Kind of rural Occupations, which he continued through all his Life to love and prac tife; and by this Viciffitude of Study and Exercife, preferved himself, in a great Measure, from those Diftempers and Depreffions, which are frequently the Confequences of indifcreet Diligence, and uninterrupted Application; and from which Students, not well acquainted with the Conftitution of the hu man Body, fometimes fly for Relief to Wine, inftead of Exercise, and purchase temporary Eafe, at the Hazard of chronical Diftempers.

The Studies of young Boerhaave were about this Time interrupted by an Accident, which deferves a particular Mention, as it firft inclined him to that Science, to which he was by Nature fo well adapted, and which he afterwards carried to fo great Perfection.

In the twelfth Year of his Age a ftubborn painful, and malignant Ulcer hroke out upon his left Thigh, which, for near five Years, defeated all the Art of the Surgeons and Phyficians, and not only afflicted him with the most excruciating Pains, but Vol. II. Р

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expofed him to fuch fharp and tormenting Applications, that the Disease and Remedies were equally infufferable. Then it was that his own Anguish taught him to compaffionate that of others; and his Experience of the Inefficacy of the Methods then in Ule, incited him to attempt the Discovery of others more certain.

He began to practise at leaft honeftly, for he began upon himself, and his first Eflay was a Prelude to his future Succefs; for having laid aside all the Prefcriptions of his Physicians, and all the Applications of his Surgeons, he at laft, by fomenting the Part with Salt and Urine, effected a Cure.

That he might on this Occafion obtain the Affiftance of Surgeons with lefs inconvenience and Expence, he was brought by his Father, at Fourteen, to Leyden, and placed in the fourth Clafs of the public School, after having been examined by the Mafter: Here his Application and Abilities were equally confpicuous. In fix Months, by gaining the first Prize in the fourth Clafs, he was raised to the Fifth; and in fix Months more, upon the fame Proof of the Superiority of his Genius, rewarded with another Prize, and tranflated to the Sixth; from whence it is ufual, in fix Months more, to be removed to the University.

Thus did our young Student advance in Learning and Reputation, when, as he was within View of the University, a fudden and unexpected Blow threatened to defeat all his Expectations.

On the 12th of November, 1682, his Father died, and left behind him a very slender Provifion for his Widow and nine Children, of which the Eldeft was not seventeen Years old.

This was a moft afflicting Lofs to the young Scholar, whofe Fortune was by no means fufficient to bear the Expences of a learned Education, and who therefore now feemed to be fummoned by Ne

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ceflity to fome Way of Life more immediately and certainly lucrative; but with a Refolution equal to his Abilities, and a Spirit not to be depreffed or fhaken, he determined to break through the Obfacles of Poverty, and fupply by Diligence the Want of Fortune.

He therefore afked and obtained the Confent of his Guardian, to profecute his Studies as long as his Patrimony would fupport him; and, continuing his. wonted Induftry, gained another Prize.

He was now to quit the School for the Univerfity; but, on Account of the Weakness yet remaining in his Thigh, was, at his own Intreaty, continued fix Months longer, under the Care of his Master the learned Wynfchoton, where he once more was honoured with the Prize.

At his Removal to the University, the fame Genius and Industry met with the fame Encouragement and Applaufe. The learned Triglandius, one of his Father's Friends, made foon after Profeffor of Divinity of Leyden, diftinguished him in a particular Manner, and recommended him to the Friendship of Mr. Van Apphen, in whom he found a generous and conftant Patron.

He became now a diligent Hearer of the most celebrated Profeffors, and made great Advances in all the Sciences, ftill regulating his Studies with a View principally to Divinity, for which he was originally intended by his Father; and for that Reafon he exerted his utmoft Application to attain an exact Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue.

Being convinced of the Neceffity of mathematical Learning, he began to ftudy thofe Sciences in 1687, but without that intense Industry with which the Pleasure he found in that Kind of Knowledge induced him afterwards to cultivate them.

In 1690, having performed the Exercises of the University with uncommon Reputation, he took his

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Degree

Degree in Philofophy; and on that Occafion difcuffed the important and arduous Queftion of the diftinct Natures of the Soul and Body, with fuch Accuracy, Perfpicuity, and Subtilty, that he entirely confuted all the Sophiftry of Epicurus, Hobbes, and Spinofa, and equally raised the Character of his Piety and Erudition.

Divinity was ftill his great Employment, and the chief Aim of all his Studies. He read the Scriptures in their original Languages; and when Difficulties occurred, confulted the Interpretations of the most ancient Fathers, whom he read in order of Time, beginning with Clemens Romanus.

In the Perufal of thofe early Writers, he was ftruck with the profoundest Veneration for the Simplicity and Purity of their Doctrine, the Holinefs of their Lives, and the Sanctity of the Discipline practifed by them; but as he defcended to the lower Ages, he found the Peace of Christianity broken by uselefs Controverfies, and its Doctrines fophifticated by the Subtilties of the Schools. He found the Holy Writers interpreted according to the Notions of Philofophers, and the Chimeras of Metaphyficians adopted as Articles of Faith. He found Difficulties raised by idle Curiofity, and fomented to Bitterness and Rancour. He faw the Simplicity of the Chriftian Doctrine corrupted by the private Notions of particular Parties, of which each adhered to its own Philofophy, and Orthodoxy was confined to the Seet in Power.

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Having now exhaufted his Fortune in the Purfuit of his Studies, he found the Neceffity of applying to fome Profeffion, that, without engroffing all his Time, might enable him to fupport himself and having obtained a very uncommon Knowledge of the Mathematicks, he read Lectures in thofe Sciences to a felect Number of young Gentlemen in the Univerfity.

At length his Propenfion to the Study of Phyfic grew too violent to be refifted; and though he ftill intended to make Divinity the great Employment of his Life, he could not deny himfelf the Satisfaction of spending fome Time upon the medicinal Writers, for the perufal of which he was fo well qualified by his Acquaintance with the Mathematics and Philofophy.

But this Science correfponded fo much with his natural Genius, that he could not forbear making that his Business, which he intended only as his Diverfion; and ftill growing more eager, as he advanced further, he at length determined wholly to master that Profeffion, and to take his Degree in Phyfic, before he engaged in the Duties of the Ministry.

It is, I believe, a very juft Observation, that Mens Ambition is generally proportioned to their Capacity. Providence seldom fends any into the World with an Inclination to attempt great Things, who have not Abilities likewife to perform them. To have formed the Defign of gaining a competent Knowledge in Medicine by way of Digreffion from theological Studies, would have been little lefs than Madness in moft Men, and would have expofed them to Ridicule and Contempt: But Boerhaave was one of thofe mighty Capacities to whom fcarce any Thing appears impoffible, and who think nothing worthy of their Efforts but what appears infurmountable to common Understandings."

He began this new Courfe of Study by a diligent Perufal of Verfalius, Bartholine, and Fallopius; and to acquaint himself more fully with the Structure of Bodies, was a conftant Attendant upon Nuck's public Diffections in the Theatre, and himself very accurately infpected the Bodies of different Animals.

Having furnished himself with this preparatory Knowledge, he began to read the ancient Phyficians in the Order of Time, pursuing his Inquiries downwards

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