as we find by _Oribasius_, in his Chapter _de Equitatione_, who after he has said, that Riding slowly was tiresome, (which was for want of Stirrups) he goes on to tell you, _Si vehementer impellatur_ (viz. Equus) _quamvis totum corpus laboriosè concutiat, tamen aliquid utilitatis affert, siquidem magis quam omnes aliæ Exercitationes, Corpus et præsertim Stomachum firmat, et sensuum instrumenta purgat, eaque reddit acutiora_. This is a sufficient _Encomium_ of Riding, coming from the Mouth of one of the Ancients, who relied so much upon other Exercises, tho’ we in these Northern Parts want no Recommendation from them, of a thing so much experienc’d by our selves; only we slight and neglect this Advantage, as we do many others, because it is common. I have now with sufficient Brevity, consider’d how much the Ancients depended on the Assistance of Exercises in their Practice; and I leave it to any one, that is not prejudic’d, to judge whether this may not pass for one Reason, why they cur’d so well with so bad a Theory, and such indifferent Materials; when we, with our Circulation and Splendid Pharmacy, are not perhaps able to outdo ’em proportionably to our larger Acquisition of Knowledge; I say, I think this may be one Reason, for I know there is another may be alledg’d likewise, and I think I speak without any undue Aggravation. The Power of Exercises us’d at proper Seasons, and with great and exact Patience, must needs be very great; and if it be true, that in the _Roman_ Common Wealth there was no profess’d Physician for the first Five Hundred Years, there is no way to account for it but by their incredible Temperance, and Variety of Exercises; the few Chronical Distempers they had among ’em, were in all likelyhood, for the most part subsequent to Acute Distempers, which no Temperance can always prevent, and the little vegetable Physick, which they could not but know, with their resolute and indefatigable Application to some of their Exercises, might suffice to help ’em to get clear of ’em. This may perhaps by some be thought rather a Gloss than an Argument, who do no duly consider their wonderful Patience in this respect; the _Pletherismus_, and _Pitylismus_, two odd uncouth Exercises mention’d by _Galen_, are sufficient to convince any Man, that they that would heartily drudge at them in the middle of the _Stadium_, would do any thing that was possible to recover their Health, and might expect the very utmost Benefit that could be obtain’d from the various Motion of the whole, or any part of the Body.