A Bungling Cobler that was ready to Starve at his own Trade, changes his Quarter, and sets up for a Doctor; and by the Force of Sour Looks, and Hard Words, Conjures himself into some sort of Reputation with the Common People. His Master-piece was a Composition that he Bill'd about, under the Name
of a Sovereign Antidote. This Physician came in time to fall Sick himself, and the Governor of the Place gave him a Visit. He calls for a Cup, and a Dose of his Antidote, puts a little Fair Water in't, under a Pretence of so much Poison; stirs it together, and gives it his Patient. This (says he) is only to try the Force of your Medicine; and if you outlive it, I'le give ye a considerable Sum of Mony for your Receit. The poor
Quack had more care of his Life then of his Credit, and so for fear of being Poysond, told the whole Truth of the Matter, and how he came co be a Physician. The Governour upon this Discovery, call'd the People together, and bad them consider the Folly and Madness of their Confidence, that would venture
the Patching up of their Carcases, upon the Skill of an Ignorant Fellow, that no body that knew him would trust so much as with the Mending of a pair of Old Shoes.
The Moral.
There's Quacking in all Trades: Bold Ignorance passes upon the Multitude for Science; and it is with Men as 'tis with Brutes, some are to Eat, and others to be Eaten. Confident Knaves, live upon Credulous Fools.
REFLEXION.
No Fable can be Pleasant, Profitable or Instrutive in Emblem, that is not drawn to the very Life of Nature; and we have a Horror for the Monstrous Productions of the Brain, as well as for those of the Body. Wherefore the Test of an Editying Parable, is a Congruity of the Moral to the Lines of Practice, and to the Image of Truth. The Resemblance must be Touching, and a Man must have a Feeling of it to be Mov'd with it, 'Tis never right, 'till I can say to my self, How many Instances have I seen in the World of this Cobler turn’d Doctor? How many Underlayers, that when they could not live upon their Trade, have rai'sd themselves from Cobbling to Fluxing, and taken upon them to cast the Water of a Body Politick, as well as of a Body Natural? This minds me of a Cobbling Colonel of Famous Memory, (and he was a States-man too of the Long Parliament Edition,) to a Lady of Quality in Ireland, She had been so terribly Plunder'd, that the Poor Woman went almost Barefoot: And as she was Warming her Feet once in the Chimny Corner, the Colonel took notice that her Shoes wanted Capping; Lord, Madam, (says he,) Why d'ye wear no Better Shoes? Why truly Sir, says she, all the Coblers are turn’d Colonels, and I can get no body to Mend 'em. Now to do Right to the Apologue; there are several Remarkable Innuendo's in't: Here’s First a Coxcomb that Commences Doctor. Secondly, A kind of an Individuum Vagum, dressd up in the Character of a Man of Quality. Thirdly, From being ready to Starve, Himself, he makes a very good Living out of the Privilege of Poysoning and Destroying other People. Fourthly, It gives us to Understand the Force of Impudence on the one hand, and of Ignorance on the other for what was it but the Brazen Face of the Quack, assisted by the Silliness of the Mobile, that Advanc'd this Upstart from the Stall to the Stage? It is not to be Imagin'd the Power of Tumour and Pretence, Bold Looks, Hard Words, and a Supercilious Brow, upon the Passions of the Multitude. To say the Truth on't, we are impos'd upon by Botchers, and Men of Forehead, without Common Sense, in all Trades and Professions, even to the Venturing of Soul, Body, Life and Estate upon their Skill, Honesty and Credit. Can any Man look about him in the World now, and cast his Eye and Thought upon Every-days Instances of some of these wonderful Improvements and Conversions, without Saying to Himself, The Mythologist Pointed at all these Men in this Fable? For it holds as well from Foppery to Policy; from Baseness to Honour, and from Beggery to Superfinity, as from Patching to Purging, and from the Stall to the Urinal. But a Tryal of Skill at last puts him past his Latin; and when it comes to that once, he'll have more Wit then to Venture his Life upon his Antidote.
