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That he might, on this occafion, obtain the affiftance of furgeons with lefs inconvenience and expence, he was brought, by his father, at fourteen, to Leyden, and placed in the fourth class of the publick school, after being examined by the master: here his application and abilities were equally confpicuous. In fix months, by gaining the first prize in the fourth class, he was raised to the fifth; and in fixth months more, upon the fame proof of the fuperiority of his genius, rewarded with another prize, and translated to the fixth; from whence it is ufual in fix months more to be removed to the university.

Thus did our young ftudent 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, in 1682, his father died, and left behind him a very flender provifion for his widow and nine children, of which the eldest was not yet feventeen years old.

This was a most afflicting loss to the young scholar, whose fortune was by no means fufficient to bear the expences of a learned education, and who therefore feemed to be now fummoned by neceffity to fome way of life more immediately and certainly lucrative; but, with a refolution equal to his abilities, and a spirit not fo depreffed and fhaken, he determined to break through the obftacles of poverty, and fupply, by diligence, the want of fortune.

He therefore asked and obtained the confent of his guardians to profecute his ftudies as long as his patrimony would fupport him; and, continuing his wonted industry, gained another prize.

He

He was now to quit the fchool for the univerfity, but, on account of the weakness yet remaining in his thigh, was, at his own entreaty, continued fix months longer under the care of his mafter, the learned Winfchotan, 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 at Leyden, distinguished 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; still regulating his ftudies with a view principally to divinity, for which he was originally intended by his father, and for that reafon exerted his utmost application to attain an exact knowledge of the Hebrew tongue.

Being convinced of the neceffity of mathematical learning, he began to ftudy thofe fciences in 1687, but without that intenfe industry with which the pleafure he found in that kind of knowledge induced him afterwards to cultivate them.

In 1690, having performed the exercifes of the univerfity with uncommon reputation, he took his degree in philofophy; and on that occafion difcuffed the important and arduous fubject of the diftinct natures of the foul and body, with fuch accuracy, perfpicuity, and fubtilty, that he entirely confuted all the fophif

try

try of Epicurus, Hobbes, and Spinofa, and equally raised the characters of his piety and erudition.

Divinity was ftill his great employment, and the chief aim of all his ftudies. He read the feriptures in their original languages, and, when difficulties occurred, confulted the interpretations of the most antient 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 of the fimplicity and purity of their doctrine, the holiness of their lives, and the fanctity of the difcipline practised by them; but, as he descended to the lower ages, found the peace of Christianity broken by ufelefs controverfies, and its doctrines sophisticated by the subtleties of the fchools. He found the holy writers interpreted according to the notions of philofophers, and the chimeras of metaphy

"Jungebat his exercitiis quotidianam patrum lectionem, fecundum chronologiam, a Clemente Romano exorfus, & juxta feriem feculorum defcendens: ut fu Chrifti doctrinam in N. T. traditam, primis patribus interpretantibus addifceret.

"Horum fimplicitatem finceræ doctrine, difciplinæ fanctitatem, vitæ Deo dicatae integritatem adorabat. Subtilitatem fcholarum divina poftmodum inquinaffe dolebat. Agerrime tulit, Sacrorum interpretationem ex fectis fophiftarum peti; & Platonis, Ariftotelis, Thoma Aquinatis, Scoti; fuoque tempore Cartefii, cogitata metaphyfica adhiberi pro legibus, ad quas caftigarentur facrorum fcriptorum de Deo fententiæ. Experiebatur acerba diffidia, ingeniorumque fubtiliffimorum acerrima certamina, odia, ambitiones, inde cieri, foveri: adeo contraria paci cum Deo & homine. Nihil hic magis illi obftabat; quam quod omnes afferant facram fcripturam árłęwwowałws loquentem, θεοπρεπώς explicandam; & θεοπρόπιαν finguli definiant ex placitis fuæ metaphyfices. Horrebat, inde dominantis fectæ prævalentem opinionem, orthodoxiæ modum, & regulas, unice dare juxta dictata metaphyficorum, non facrarum literarum; unde tam variæ fententiæ de doctrina fimpliciffima." Orig. Edit.

ficians

ficians adopted as articles of faith. He found difficulties raised by niceties, and fomented to bitterness and tancour. He faw the fimplicity of the chriftian doctrine corrupted by the private fancies of particular parties, while each adhered to its own philosophy, and orthodoxy was confined to the sect in power.

Having now exhausted his fortune in the pursuit of his ftudies, 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 fciences to a felect number of young gentlemen in the univerfity.

At length, his propension to the study of physic grew too violent to be refifted; and, though he still intended to make divinity the great employment of his life, he could not deny himself the fatisfaction of fpending fome time upon the medical writers, for the perufal of which he was fo well qualified by his acquaintance with the mathematicks and philosophy.

But this science corresponded so 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 mafter that profeffion, and to take his degree in phyfick, before he engaged in the duties of the miniftry.

It is, I believe, a very just observation, that men's ambition is generally proportioned to their capacity. Providence feldom 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 complete knowledge of medi

cine by way of digreffion from theological ftudies, would have been little lefs than madness in most men, and would have only expofed them to ridicule and contempt. But Boerhaave was one of those mighty geniuses, to whom scarce any thing appears impoffible, and who think nothing worthy of their efforts but what appears infurmountable to common understandings.

He began this new course of study by a diligent perufal of Vefalius, Bartholine, and Fallopius; and, to acquaint himself more fully with the structure of bodies, was a conftant attendant upon Nuck's publick diffections in the theatre, and himself very accurately infpected the bodies of different animals.

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Having furnished himself with this preparatory knowledge, he began to read the ancient physicians in the order of time, pursuing his enquiries downwards from Hippocrates through all the Greek and Latin writers.

Finding, as he tells us himself, that Hippocrates was the original fource of all medical knowledge, and that all the later writers were little more than tranfcribers from him, he returned to him with more attention, and spent much time in making extracts from him, digesting his treatises into method, and fixing them in his memory.

He then defcended to the moderns, among whom none engaged him longer, or improved him more, than Sydenham, to whofe merit he has left this attef tation, "that he frequently perufed him, and always "with greater eagerness."

His infatiable curiofity after knowledge engaged him now in the practice of chemistry, which he pro

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