From The Physician

Dear English 318,

OK, OK, Right now you not only don't like me, you hate my story. Well, let me tell you why you are wrong.

Me:

Yes, I'm cheap, greedy, don't read the Bible much, and send my patients to my friend the alchemist (who sends me his patients). However, I do have a lot of knowledge, the knowledge I'm supposed to have. I do watch over my patients. And don't you think my friend the alchemist and I are pretty successful in keeping our patients alive? I mean, otherwise, how would our scam work? It's bad to kill off customers. And if I keep gold I got during the plague, you do realize I had to expose myself more to plague victims than the rich people who hid in the country or their castles.

My Story:

First of all, you should thank me for telling such a short story. Seriously, at this time in the semester, are you really upset that you didn't have more reading and thinking to do?

Look at my words starting on p. 442 lines 111-117.

For which the fame out sprong on every side
Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wide,
That thurgh that land they preised hire echone
That loved vertu, save envye allone,
That sory is of oother mennes wele,
And glad is of his sorwe and his unheele--
The Doctour maketh this discripcioun.

Think of how many patients I've seen that envy other people's good fortune and are glad when other people suffer more than they do. Remember what I said about the best teachers? Either the truly pure and innocent, or those that have experienced life. Well, I'm not a good person, but I am experienced in life. I have knowledge to teach.

So what have I to teach you in my story?

First of all, who knows better than I how important it is to have supporters. When people support you, you stay strong and healthy. When people corrupt you or turn against you, you are more likely to engage in risky behavior and / or die. Think about how many times I've seen this with the plague. People take risks with other people and die. People are abandoned by their supporters and die. Even being rich or powerful can't always get you what you want. Even virtue can't protect you from evil or death. Bad things happen to good people.

Finally, how many stories have we had so far that glorified women who killed themselves in order to remain virgins or because they lost their virginity. Go ahead, I dare you to count them. And always these women are praised. But no one really thinks about them. What I did? I showed you in detail what it looks like when a father kills his daughter, with her agreement, to keep her from losing her virginity. Didn't like it, did you? Maybe people ought to rethink all those "noble" examples of women.

Well, that's it for now. Unless...well, I wasn't planning to tell anyone, but I have a cure for the common cold. All you have to do is provide a little gold--some for the recipe, some for the payment. Isn't gold worth not getting colds anymore?

http://www.thadguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/cure-for-cold.png


The Physician