By all means therefore, fair promises, good words, gentle perswasions are to be used, not to be too rigorous at first, or to insult over them, not to deride, neglect or contemn, but rather, as Lemnius exhorteth, to pity, and by all plausible means to seek to reduce them:

but if satisfaction may not be had, mild courses, promises, comfortable speeches, and good counsel will not take place; then as Christopherus à Vega determines, lib. 3. cap. 14. de Mel. to handle them more roughly, to threaten and chide, saith Altomarus, terrifie sometimes, or as Salvianus will have them, to be lashed and whipped, as we do by a starting horse, that is affrighted without a cause, or as Rhasis adviseth, one while to speak fair and flatter, another while to terrifie and chide, as they shall see cause.

When none of these precedent remedies will avail, it will not be amiss, which Savanarola and Ælian Montaltus so much commend, clavum clavo pellere, to drive out one passion with another, or by some contrary passion, as they do bleeding at nose by letting blood in the arm, to expel one fear with another, one grief with another. Christopherus à Vega accounts it rational Physick, non alienum à ratione:

and Lemnius much approves it, to use an hard wedge to an hard knot, to drive out one disease with another, to pull out a tooth, or wound him, to geld him saith Platerus, as they did Epileptical Patients of old, because it quite alters the temperature, that the pain of the one may mitigate the grief of the other; and I knew one that was so cured of a quartan ague, by the sudden comming of his enemies upon him.

If we may believe Pliny, whom Scaliger cals mendaciorum patrem, the father of lies, Q. Fabius Maximus that renowned Consul of Rome, in a battle fought with the King of the Allobroges, at the river Isaurus was so rid of a quartan ague. Valesius in his controversies, holds this an excellent remedy, and if it be discreetly used in this malady, better then any Physick.

Sometimes again by some fained lye, strange newes, witty device, artificial invention, it is not amiss to deceive them. As they hate those, saith Alexander, that neglect or deride, so they will give ear to such as will sooth them up. If they say they have swallowed frogs, or a snake, by all means grant it, and tell them you can easily cure it: ’tis an ordinary thing.

Philodotus the Physician cured a melancholy King, that thought his head was off, by putting a leaden cap thereon: the waight made him perceive it, and freed him of his fond imagination. A woman in the said Alexander, swallowed a Serpent as she thought; he gave her a vomit, and conveyed a Serpent, such as she conceived, into the bason; upon the sight of it she was amended.

The pleasantest dotage that ever I read, saith Laurentius, was of a Gentleman at Senes in Italy, who was afraid to piss, least all the Town should be drowned; the Physicians caused the bels to be rung backward, and told him the town was on fire, whereupon he made water and was immediately cured.

Another supposed his nose so big that he should dash it against the wall if he stirred; his Physician took a great peece of flesh, and holding it in his hand, pinched him by the nose, making him believe that flesh was cut from it.

Forestus obs. lib. 1. had a melancholy Patient, who thought he was dead, he put a fellow in a chest, like a dead man by his beds side, and made him reare himself a little, and eat: the melancholy man asked the counterfeit, whether dead men use to eat meat? he told him yea; whereupon he did eat likewise and was cured.

Lemnius lib. 2. cap. 6. de 4. complex. hath many such instances, and Iovianus Pontanus lib. 4. cap. 2. of Wisd. of the like: but amongst the rest I find one most memorable, registred in the French Chronicles, of an Advocate of Paris before mentioned, who beleeved verily he was dead, &c. I read a multitude of examples, of melancholy men cured by such artificial inventions.