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The old gentleman took the doctor's advice, and had the young couple instantly married. He gave his book-keeper five thousand 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, Coventgarden, 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 havock 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 domesticks 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 physick."

When Prince Eugene was in England he signified his intention of dining with Doctor 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 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 Lilly 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 Doctor Case."

Upon

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 instances. When Dr. Drake was impris

* 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 abilities, 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," replies Rock, "the nineteen come to me when they are unwell, and the doctor is welcome to the twentieth."

soned

oned 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 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, acknowleging 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, to 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.

NICHOLAS

NICHOLAS ROWE.

THIS ingenious writer was born at Little Berkford, in the county of Bedford, in 1663. His paternal ancestors were settled at Lamberton, in Devonshire, but his father, who was bred a lawyer, resided in London, and the son received his education under Busby, at Westminster, where he was chosen a king's scholar, and distinguished himself by his proficiency in the classicks, and by the felicity of his compositions. At the age of sixteen he was taken from school and entered a student of the Middle Temple, where he applied to the law with steadiness, and was called to the bar. But though he had great encouragement to proceed in that employment, the love of the muses prevailed over every other consideration; and, at the age of twenty-five, he produced his tragedy of the Ambitious Stepmother. The success of this piece induced him to discard the law, and to continue writing for the stage. His most successful performance was the tragedy of Tamerlane, and it was that upon which Mr. Rowe set the highest value. There are some critics, however, who think it the worst play our author wrote. One reason of its success, if not the principal, was its being a party play; the two principal cha

racters

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