fecuted with all the ardour of a philofopher, whofe induftry was not to be wearied, and whofe love of truth was too ftrong to fuffer him to acquiefce in the reports of others.

Yet did he not fuffer one branch of fcience to withdraw his attention from others: anatomy did not withhold him from chemistry, nor chemistry, enchanting as it is, froin the ftudy of botany, in which he was no lefs fkilled than in other parts of phyfick. He was not only a careful examiner of all the plants in the garden of the univerfity, but made excurfions for his further improvement into the woods and fields, and left no place unvifited where any increafe of botanical knowledge could be reasonably hoped for.

In conjunction with all thefe enquiries he ftill perfued his theological ftudies, and ftill, as we are informed by himself, " propofed when he had made him"felf mafter of the whole art of phyfick, and obtained "the honour of a degree in that fcience, to petition

regularly for a licence to preach, and to engage in "the cure of fouls," and intended in his theological exercise to discuss this question, "why fo many were formerly converted to Christianity by illiterate perfons, and fo few at prefent by men of learning."

In pursuance of this plan, he went to Hardewich, in order to take the degree of doctor in phyfick, which he obtained in July 1693, having performed a publick difputation, "de utilitate explorandorum excrementorum in ægris, ut fignorum."

Then returning to Leyden, full of his pious defign of undertaking the miniftry, he found to his furprise unexpected obftacles thrown in his way; and an infinuation difperfed through the university that made VOL. IV.

Ꮓ

him

him fufpected, not of any flight deviation from re!ceived opinions, not of any pertinacious adherence to his own notions in doubtful and difputable matters, but of no less than Spinofifm, or, in plainer terms, of Atheism itself.

How fo injurious a report came to be raised, circulated, and credited, will be doubtless very eagerly inquired: we fhall therefore give the relation, not only to fatisfy the curiofity of mankind, but to fhew that no merit, however exalted, is exempt from being not only attacked, but wounded, by the most contemptible whispers. Those who cannot ftrike with force, can however poifon their weapon, and, weak as they are, give mortal wounds, and bring a hero to the grave: fo true is that observation, that many are able to do hurt, but few to do good.

This deteftable calumny owed its rife to an incident from which no confequence of importance could be poffibly apprehended. As Boerhaave was fitting in a common boat, there arose a converfation among the paffengers upon the impious and pernicious doctrine of Spinofa, which, as they all agreed, tends to the utter overthrow of all religion. Boerhaave fat, and attended filently to this difcourfe for fome time, till one of the company, willing to diftinguish himself by his zeal, instead of confuting the positions of Spinofa by argument, began to give a loofe to contumelious language, and virulent invectives, which Boerhaave was fo little pleased with, that at laft he could not forbear asking him, whether he had ever read the author he declaimed against.

The orator, not being able to make much anfwer, was checked in the midft of his invectives, but not without

5

without feeling à fecret refentment against the perfon who had at once interrupted his harangue, and expofed his ignorance.

This was obferved by a stranger who was in the boat 'with them; he enquired of his neighbour the name of the young man, whose question had put an end to the difcourfe, and having learned it, fet it down in his pocket-book, as it appears, with a malicious defigny for in a few days it was the common converfation at Leyden, that Boerhaave had revolted to Spinofa.

It was in vain that his advocates and friends pleaded his learned and unanfwerable confutation of all atheiftical opinions, and particularly of the fyftem of Spinofa, in his discourse of the distinction between foul and body. Such calumnies are not eafily fuppreffed, when they are once become general. They are kept alive and fupported by the malice of bad, and fometimes by the zeal of good men, who, though they do not abfolutely believe them, think it yet the fecureft method to keep not only guilty but fufpected men out of publick employments, upon this principle, that the fafety of many is to be preferred before the advantage of few.

Boerhaave, finding this formidable oppofition raifed against his, pretenfions to ecclefiaftical honours or preferments, and even against his defign of affum ing the character of a divine, thought it neither neceffary nor prudent to ftruggle with the torrent of popular prejudice, as he was equally qualified for a profeffion, not indeed of equal dignity or impor tance, but which muft undoubtedly claim the fécond place among thofe which are of the greatest benefit to mankind.

He therefore applied himself to his medical ftudies with new ardour and alacrity, reviewed all his former obfervations and enquiries, and was continually em ployed in making new acquifitions.

Having now qualified himself for the practice of phyfick, he began to vifit patients, but without that encouragement which others, not equally deferving, have fometimes met with. His business was, at firft, not great, and his circumftances by no means eafy; but still, fuperior to any difcouragement, he continued his fearch after knowledge, and determined that profperity, if ever he was to enjoy it, fhould be the confequence, not of mean art, or difingenuous folicitations, but of real merit, and folid learning.

His fteady adherence to his refolutions appears yet more plainly from this circumftance: he was, while he yet remained in this unpleafing fituation, invited by one of the first favourites of king William III. to settle at the Hague, upon very advantageous conditions; but declined the offer. For having no ambition but after knowledge, he was defirous of living at liberty, without any restraint upon his looks, his thoughts, or his tongue, and at the utmost diftance from all contentions, and state-parties. His time was wholly taken up in visiting the fick, studying, making chemical experiments, fearching into every part of medicine with the utmost diligence, teaching the mathematicks, and reading the fcriptures, and thofe authors who profefs to teach a certain method of loving God*.

This

"Circa hoc tempus, lautis conditionibus, lautioribus promiffis, invitatus, plus vice fimplici, a viro primariæ dignationis, qui gratia flagran

This was his method of living to the year 1701, when he was recommended by Van Berg to the university, as a proper perfon to fucceed Drelincurtius in the profefforfhip of phyfick, and elected without any folicitations on his part, and almost without his confent, on the 18th of May,

On this occasion, having obferved, with grief, that Hippocrates, whom he regarded not only as the father but as the prince of phyficians, was not fufficiently read or efteemed by young ftudents, he pronounced an oration, " de commendando Studio Hippo"cratico;" by which he restored that great author to his juft and ancient reputation,

He now began to read publick lectures with great applause, and was prevailed upon by his audience to enlarge his original defign, and inftru&t them in chemistry.

This he undertook, not only to the great advan tage of his pupils, but to the great improvement of the art itself, which had been hitherto treated only in a confused and irregular manner, and was little more than a history of particular experiments, not reduced to certain principles, nor connected one with another;

flagrantiffima florebat regis Gulielmi III, ut Hagam-comitum fedem caperet fortunarum, declinavit conftans. Contentus videlicet vita libera, remota a turbis, ftudiifque porro percolendis unice impenfa, ubi non cogeretur alia dicere & fimulare, alia fentire & diffimulare: affectuum ftudiis rapi, regi. Sic tum vita erat, ægros visere, mox domi in mufro fe condere, officinam Vulcaniam exercere; omnes medicinæ partes acerrime perfequi; mathematica etiam aliis tradere; facra legere, & auctores qui profitentur docere rationem certam amandi Deum." Orig. Edit.