honesty and respectability; and at the same time remark, the utter inefficiency, and worse than uselessness, of the punishment which was inflicted on him. Nothing can be more evident, than that the uncertainty of any punishment at all, led him on from crime to crime, and that the degree of it was lost in the chance of entire escape. The horror of death was always driven from his thoughts by the bustle of his occupation, and the restless nature of his life; and when the fatal sentence was passed upon him, he bore up against it with a fortitude, which showed he was worthy of preservation. His execution stopped a stream, whose channel should only have been diverted. A close confinement, and a constant occupation, would have soon restored him to a proper sense of his sins against society, and rendered him perhaps, at last, a useful member of some other community; while an imprisonment for life is as likely to create as striking an impression on the multitude, as an example in the infliction of death, while it certainly cannot do so much harm.

ART. V.-Memoirs of the Life of John Radcliffe, M. D. interspersed with several Original Letters, &c.

1715.

The celebrated founder of the Radcliffe Library at Oxford was one of the most successful physicians of his age, and, at the same time, exceedingly remarkable for the originality of his character. He was distinguished in his profession for the sagacity with which he traced the causes of disease, and for the soundness of judgement which dictated his remedies, rather than for his science and his learning. At Oxford he was more an observer of men than a reader of books, and there laid the foundation of that character, which he ever after maintained. After practising for some time at Oxford, where his fame was spread by some remarkable cures, he removed to London, where he soon became known for his dexterity in his profession, the bluntness of his wit, and the social qualities of his heart. Dr. Radcliffe appears to have been a man who lived, if any man ever did so, entirely after his own humour, and in the completest disregard of the opinions of the world. His original feelings were of too good and too generous a nature to make this freedom dangerous, and the only consequence was, an innocent but wayward life, and a free utterance of his thoughts in the plainest language which occurred to him. His vast success in his practice poured in upon him immense

wealth, and gave ample opportunity for his hun.cursome generosity to display itself. After a life spent in benevolent exertions in behalf of his fellow-creature, and a fortune expended in charitable donations, he left very large estates, with which he endowed, after the lapse of certain interests, his venerable Alma mater. The little book which records the chief transactions of his life, is scarce, and is of so interesting and amusing a character, that we shall be doing a service to our readers by making a selection of some of the more remarkable anecdotes, which it contains in great abundance, of this remarkable personage.

John Radcliffe was born at Wakefield, in Yorkshire, of respectable parents, who sent him to Oxford at the age of fifteen years, in 1665. After taking his bachelor of arts' degree in 1667, he proceeded to that of master of arts in 1672. Of the manner in which he spent his time at the university, his biographer observes :

"It is to be confessed, indeed, that he had but a slender opinion of logical altercations, which, by the help of a parcel of abstruse terms, and very formal though immaterial distinctions, had, at this time, obtained much credit amongst his contemporaries, who were wont to make light of him on this account, upon several occasions. But his proficiency in more polite, as well as more advantageous literature, soon made it appear that his acquirements were preferable to theirs; and that whilst they were bewildering themselves in the dark intricacies of modes, figures, and accidents, he, to the admiration of all that knew his propensity to cheerful conversation, grew daily more and more conspicuous for the bright advances that were made by him towards the most important discoveries.

"The business he was intent upon, was no less than the preser vation of mankind; and this he did not endeavour to make himself master of, by any useless application to the rubbish of antiquity, in old musty volumes, that required ages to be thoroughly perused; but by a careful examination of the most valuable treatises that saw the light from modern hands. His books, while he was a student in physic, (for so we must term him till he became a practitioner) were very few, but well chosen: so few, indeed, as to make Dr. Bathurst, the head of Trinity College, (who, notwithstanding his seniority in the university, kept him company for his conversation) stand in a surprise, and ask,Where was his study? Upon which, pointing to a few vials, a skeleton, and an herbal, he received for answer, Sir, this is Radcliffe's Library."

In 1675, Mr. Radcliffe took a degree in physic, and commenced practice. The novelty, however, of his treatment, soon created him enemies in the university among the old practitioners, some of whom continued so through the greater part of his life. All kinds of insinuations were thrown out against

the guess-work, as it was called, of his cures; and all deplored, that his friends had not made him a better scholar. His replies seem to have been confined to a few nicknames, and a silent determination to go on curing his patients. His fame was soon spread far and wide; and having acquired considerable wealth in Oxford, he removed, in 1684, to London, where he had not been a year before he received more than twenty guineas per day.

"His conversation, at this time, was held in as good repute as his advice; and what with his pleasantry of discourse, and readiness of wit in making replies to any sort of questions, he was a diverting companion to the last degree, insomuch, that he was very often sent for, and presented with fees for pretended ailments, when the real design of both sexes, that were equally delighted with him, was to reap advantage by his way of talk. Not but he was often out of humour at being dealt with after that manner, and would frequently give biting replies to such as were pressing with him for his prescriptions upon trifling occasions."

Dr. Radcliffe was a strong Tory, and nothing was wanting but to make him a Roman Catholic, to render him agreeable in the eyes of the Court.

"In 1688, some time before the Bishops were sent to the Tower, and matters were carrying on towards the introduction of Popery, by no less violent methods, Father Saunders, one of the Court chaplains, and another Dominican, had it in command from the King, to use what solicitations should be thought needful, to bring him over to their communion, with the rest of the converts they were then making. Accordingly they were very pressing with him to save his poor soul, as they termed it, by embracing a religion, without which he was to expect no less than eternal damnation in the world to come. The Doctor heard what they had to say for some time, and then told them, 'That he held himself obliged to his Majesty for his charitable dispositions to him, in sending them to him, on so good an account as the saving his soul, which he would endeavour to show his acknowledgement of, by his duty and loyalty: but if the King would be graciously pleased to let him jog on in the ways he had been bred up in, during this life, he would run the risk of incurring the penalties they threatened him with, in that which was to come.', As for the instances they gave him, by way of example, of a temporal and a spiritual lord's defection from the established church, he alleged, that it was more the business of a bishop and a statesman, to make curious researches into matters of Revelation, than of a physician; and besought his Majesty, out of his grace and favour to all his loving subjects, to let him continue in the religion of the latter, which would neither endanger his government in church nor state.' However, solicitations were not wanting from another quarter, and Mr. Walker, whom I just mentioned, had orders from above, to write to him, which he did several

times; not only setting before him the great advantages he would receive hereafter, by his admission into the pale of the Romish Church, but the benefits that would attend him in this life."

Dr. Radcliffe's answer to one of his friends' letters, is an admirable proof of his humour and his good sense.

"Sir-I should be in as unhappy a condition in this life, as you fear I shall be in the next, were I to be treated as a turn-coat; and must tell you, that I can be serious no longer, while you endeavour to make me believe what, I am apt to think, you give no credit to yourself. Fathers, and Councils, and antique authorities, may have their influence in their proper places; but should any of them all, though covered with dust 1400 years ago, tell me, that the bottle I am now drinking with some of your acquaintance, is a wheel-barrow, and the glass in my hand a salamander, I should ask leave to dissent from them all.

"You mistake my temper, in being of opinion that I am otherwise biassed than the generality of mankind are. I had one of your new convert's poems in my hands just now: you will know them to be Mr. Dryden's, and on what account they are written, at first sight. Four of the best lines, and most a-propos, run thus:

'By education most have been misled,

So they believe, because they so were bred:
The Priest continues what the nurse began,
And so the child imposes on the man.'

"You may be given to understand, from hence, that having been bred up a Protestant, at Wakefield, and sent from thence in that persuasion to Oxford, where, during my continuance, I had no relish for absurdities, I intend not to change principles, and turn Papist in London.

"The advantages you propose to me, may be very great, for all I know: God Almighty can do very much, and so can the King; but you will pardon me, if I cease to speak like a physician for once; and, with an air of gravity-I am very apprehensive that I may anger the one, in being too complaisant to the other. You cannot call this pinning my faith to any man's sleeve; those that know me, are too well apprized of a contrary tendency. As I never flattered a man myself, so it is my firm resolution never to be wheedled out of my real sentiments, which are, that since it has been my good fortune to be educated according to the usage of the Church of England, established by law, I shall never make myself so unhappy, as to shame my teachers and instructors, by departing from what I have imbibed from them.

"Yet, though I shall never be brought over to confide in your doctrines, no one breathing can have a greater esteem for your conversation, by letters, or word of mouth, than, Sir,

"Your most affectionate and faithful servant,
"JOHN RADCLIFFE."

The conclusion of this story is highly characteristic of the Doctor's kindness of heart.

"Nor did the Doctor, when the necessity of the times, in the succeeding revolution, which followed this epistolatory intercourse by the heels, prove otherwise than a constant friend and benefactor to this great man for though he could not be induced to adhere to his opinion in matters of religion, he would always abide by his determination in points of learning; and out of a generous sense of the pressures Mr. Walker laboured under, on account of his non-compliance with the government that was set over us, by the late King James's abdication, from the time of his first coming to London, after the scene of affairs were changed in Oxford, gave him the allowance of a very handsome competency to the day of his death; not even holding himself content to supply him to his latest breath, but contributing largely to his funeral expenses, that he might be conducted honourably to his grave, in Pancras church-yard, where he was privately interred; and some years after, a very decent monument was erected to his memory, with the two first letters of his name, O. W. in a cypher, and this modest inscription:

Per bonam famam
Et per infamiam."

When the revolution took place, and the Prince of Orange mounted the English throne, Dr. Radcliffe still retained his former principles, though he declined meddling himself with either party until he saw the event. King William had very bad health, and, consequently, availed himself of the skill of Dr. Radcliffe, whose reputation was then at its height. The Doctor, though by no means calculated for a court favourite, was nearly always called in to assist the different branches of the royal family in cases of emergency. Many of the anecdotes, recorded in this life, relate to them, and some we shall quote. Dr. Radcliffe was recommended to the king by the cures which he had performed on two of the principal friends whom he had brought over with him, Mr. Bentinck (afterwards Lord Portland), and Mr. Zulestein (Lord Rochford).

"The restoration of two persons so dear to the king to their perfect health, could not but cause his majesty to have an eye towards him that was the instrument of it, next to God, therefore that prince not only ordered him five hundred guineas out of the privy-purse, but made him an offer of being sworn one of his majesty's physicians, with a salary of 2001. per annum more than any other.

"Though the present was only accepted, and the post refused, because the Doctor very cautiously considered that the settlement of the crown was but then in its infancy, and that accidents might intervene to disturb the security of it. Besides, as body physician to the princess of Denmark, whose service he was more inclined to from the high esteem she had always entertained for him, he had a very com