Time cures the greatest afflictions. There is no trouble, however pungent, which time has not the power of softening or removing. It is also esteemed to have no small influence in curing diseases affecting the body.

«Medicus dedit qui temporis morbo moram»,
Is plus remedii quam cutis sector dedit."

The physician who allows the disease to subside gradually, is more successful than he who has immediate recourse to rough and violent remedies, which is not unlike the following, El tiempo cura el enfermo, que no el ungüento, it is time, and not medicine that cures the disease. The Spaniards do not appear to have had much reverence either for medicines, or for the dispensers of them. Si tienes medico amigo, quitale la gorra, y embialo a casa de tu enemigo, if you have a physician for your friend, make your bow to him, and send him to your enemy, as the surest way to get rid of him. Time also brings things to perfection. Col tempo et la paglia si maturano mespoli, time and straw make medlars ripe.

A speech deserving to be embalmed, to be preserved to the latest period of time. To be written in letters of gold.

–––«An erit qui velle recuset
Os populi meruisse? et cedro digna locutus
Linquere».
«Who lives, we ask, insensible to praise,
Deserves, and yet neglects, the proffer'd bays?
Who is not pleased that from the bookworm's rage,
The juice of cedar shall preserve his page?»

The ancients were accustomed to varnish the leaves of the papyrus, on which they had committed any thing to writing, with an oil extracted from the cedar, which had the faculty of preserving them from becoming putrid, as well as of driving away noxious or devouring insects; the oil of juniper was used, it is said, for the same purpose and with equal effect. It is probable that Russia leather, used in binding books, owes its power of killing or driving away the bookworm, if it really has that property, to some similar ingredient used in its preparation.