ried, owing to a remarkable disappointment which he experienced in 1693. He was upon the point of being united to a mer the first in robbing the second of a patriot and defender, by not taking a due care of the third; which will be accounted downright murder, in the eyes of that incensed Deity that will most assuredly avenge it. "The pain that afflicts my nerves interrupts me from making any other request to you, than that your Lordship would give credit to the words of a dying man, who is fearful that he has been in a great measure an abettor and encourager of your intemperance; and would therefore, in these his last moments, when he is most to be credited, dehort you from the pursuit of it; and that in these, the days of your youth-for you have many years yet to live, if you do not hasten your own death-you would give ear to the voice of the Preacher, whom you and I, with the rest of your company, have, in the midst of our riotous debauches, made light of for saying, "Rejoice, Oh young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: But, know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment." On which day, when the hearts of all men shall be laid open, may you and I, and all that sincerely repent of acting contrary to the revealed will in this life, reap the fruits of our sorrows for our misdeeds, in a blessed resurrection; which is the hearty prayer of, "My very good Lord, "Your Lordship's most obedient, The letter enclosed was as follows: "DOCTOR, “Though I am no friend of yours, but, on the contrary, one that could wish your destruction in a legal way, for not preventing the death of our most excellent Queen when you had it in your power to save her; yet I have such an aversion to the taking away men's lives unfairly, as to acquaint you that if you attempt to go to meet the gentlemen you have appointed to dine with at the Greyhound, in Croydon, on Thursday next, you will be most certainly murdered. "I am one of the persons engaged in the conspiracy, with twelve more, who are resolved to sacrifice you to the ghost of her late majesty, that cries aloud for your blood; therefore, neither stir out of doors on that day, nor any other, nor think of exchanging your present place of abode for your house at Hammersmith, since there and every where else, we shall be in quest of you. chant's daughter in the city, when he discovered that the young lady was with child by her father's book-keeper, on which Radcliffe wrote the following letter to the old gentleman: “SIR, "The honour of being allied to so good and wealthy a person as Mr. S. has pushed me upon a discovery that may be fatal to your quiet and your daughter's reputation, if not timely prevented. Mrs. Mary is a very deserving gentlewoman, but you must pardon me if I think her by no means fit to be my wife, since she is another man's already, or ought to be. In a word she is no better, and no worse than actually quick with child; which makes it necessary that she be disposed of to him, that has the best claim to her affections. No doubt but you have power enough over her, to bring her to a confession, which is by no means the part of a physician. As for my part, I shall wish you much joy of a new son-in-law, when known; since I am by no means qualified to be so near of kin. Hanging and marrying, I find, go by destiny; and I might have been guilty of the first, had I not so narrowly escaped the last. My best services to your daughter whom I can be of little use to as a physician, and of much less in the quality of a suitor. Her best way is to advise with a midwife for her safe delivery, and the person who has conversed with her after the manner of women, for an humble servant. The daughter of so wealthy a gentleman as Mr. S. can never want a husband; therefore the sooner you bestow her the better, that the young hans-en-kelder may be born in lawful wedlock, and have the right of inheritance to so large a patrimony. You will excuse me for being so free with you; for though I cannot have the honour of being your son-in-law, I shall ever take a pride in being in the number of your friends. "Who am, Sir, "Your obedient Servant, The old gentleman took the doctor's advice, and had the young couple instantly married. He gave his book-keeper five thousand "I am touched with remorse, and give you this notice: but take care of yourself lest I repent of it, and give proof of so doing, by having it in my power to destroy you, who am "For Dr. Radcliffe, at his house in Carshalton, Surrey." "Your sworn enemy, pounds, and at his death left his whole fortune, amounting to one hundred thousand pounds, to him and his children. As to Radcliffe, the escape he had gave him almost an antipathy to all women, so that he used to say he wished "for an act of parliament whereby nurses only should be permitted to prescribe for them." When Radcliffe lived in Bow-street, Covent garden, he had for his next door neighbour Sir Godfrey Kneller, the celebrated painter. Kneller's garden was richly furnished with exotic plants and flowers, of which Radcliffe was very fond, and to oblige him Sir Godfrey permitted him to break a door out in the wall which divided the two gardens. But the doctor's servants made such havoc among the hortulary curiosities, that Sir Godfrey found himself under the necessity of making a complaint to their master. Notwithstanding this the grievance still continued, so that the knight at last let the doctor know by one of his domestics that he should be obliged to brick up the door way; to this the doctor, who was often in a choleric mood, returned for answer, "that Sir Godfrey might do any thing he pleased to the door, except painting it." When the footman returned, he hesitated for some time about delivering this uncourteous message, but Kneller insisted upon hearing every word, and then said, "Did my very good friend Dr. Radcliffe say so? Then go back, and after presenting my service to him, tell him, that I can take any thing from him but physic." When Prince Eugene was in England he signified his intention of dining with Dr. Radcliffe, who, instead of the high dainties which his highness found at other tables, ordered his to be covered with barons of beef, quarters of mutton, and legs of pork for the principal course, to which was added strong beer of his own brewing, seven years old. When the prince took his leave, he said "Doctor, I have been entertained at other tables like a courtier, but received at your's It is more than probable that this letter was only intended to frighten the doctor, by some who owed him no good will. The intention however was sufficiently answered, for the menaces which he received, preyed upon his spirits and hurried him to his grave. like a soldier, for which I am highly obliged to you, since I must say that I am more ambitious of being called by the latter appellation than the former. Nor can I wonder at the bravery of the British nation, that has such food and such liquors of their own produce as you have this day given me a proof of." One of Radcliffe's contemporaries was a noted quack named Dr. John Case, who united the two professions of a physician and an astrologer. He took the house wherein the famous William Milly had resided, and over his door he placed the following distich, by which he earned more money than Dryden did by all his works: "Within this place Lives Dr. Case." Upon his pill-boxes he had these very curious lines: Here's fourteen pills for thirteen pence, Enough in any man's own con-sci-ence. In Granger's Biographical History of England, is the following anecdote of this man and Radcliffe, communicated by Mr. Gosling, of Canterbury. "Dr. Maundy, formerly of Canterbury, told me, that in his travels abroad, some eminent physicians, who had been in England, gave him a token to spend at his return with Dr. Radcliffe and Dr. Case. They fixed on an evening, and were very merry, when Dr. Radcliffe thus began a health: "Here, brother Case, to all the fools your patients."-"I thank you, good brother," replied Case, let me have all the fools, and you are heartily welcome to the rest of the practice."* The generosity of Radcliffe's temper appeared in many instan * A somewhat similar anecdote is told of the late Dr. Rock. Being one day in a coffee-house on Ludgate Hill, a gentleman expressed his surprise that a certain physician of great abililities, had but little practice, while such a man as Rock was making a fortune. "Why," says Rock, "that's true, but how many wise men, think you, pass up and down this street.” "About one in twenty," says the other. "Well then," replics Rock, "the nineteen come to me when they are unwell, and the doctor is welcome to the twentieth." ces. When Dr. Drake was imprisoned for a libel, Radcliffe sent him fifty guineas, privately, though he had received many injuries from him. He also exerted his influence to save him from punishment, and he succeeded in his application. Much about the same time a fellow that had robbed Radcliffe's country house, one Jonathan Savile, lying under sentence of death for another crime, took a resolution of writing to the doctor, ac knowledging his offence; this letter was brought to him when he was at the Mitre Tavern, in Fleet Street, in company with several persons of quality, to whom he read it, and who were surprised at what they called the impudence of the fellow. But Radcliffe, after ordering the messenger to call upon him in two days, took Lord Granville into another room, and said, "he had received such satisfaction from the letter, in clearing up the innocence of a man whom he had unjustly suspected of the robbery, that he must be a petitioner to his lordship, tq-use his interest with the queen for the criminal's pardon.' This was granted, and in consequence the man was sent to Virginia, where, in a little time, by virtue of the doctor's bounty, he acquired considerable property. His gratitude was evinced by his reformation, and by his sending the doctor several presents. THE DEATH OF SOCRATES. THE following account of the death of Socrates, is translated from the Phædon of Plato. We copy it from the pages of Dr. Bigelow's American Medical Botany, a valuable work now in the press. ' AND Crito hearing this gave the sign to the boy, who stood near. And the boy departing after some time returned bringing with him the man who was to administer the poison, who brought it ready bruised in a cup. And Socrates beholding the man, said, “Good friend, come hither, you are experienced in these affairs, What is to be done?" "Nothing," replied the man, "only when you have drank the poison, you are to walk about until a heaviness takes place in your legs. Then lie down. This is all |
