130 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. recovery, but his elforts were ultimately in vain, and the queen died. Some few months after this unhappy event, the doctor, who till then had kept himself in the good graces of the Princess Anne of Denmark, forfeited them, owing to his too great addiction to the bottle, and after the fol- lowing uncourtly manner. Her royal highness, being indisposed, caused him to be sent for; in an- swer to which, he promised to come to St. James's soon after ; as he did not, however, make his appearance, a messenger was again despatched after him, to inform him that the princess was extremely ill, and to describe the nature of her indisposition. — When Radcliffe heard the symp- toms detailed, he swore by his Maker, " That her highness's distemper was nothing but the va- pours, and that she was in as good a state of health as any woman breathing, could she but believe it." No skill or reputation could excuse this rudeness and levity ; he was, in consequence, dismissed from his attendance on the princess, and Dr. Gibbons succeeded him in the care of her health. His credit with the king remained, notwithstanding, undiminished, of which a splendid proof was given in the following year, by his being sent for to go abroad to attend the Earl of Albemarle, a great favourite of his majesty, and who had a considerable command in the army during the campaign which ended with the taking of Namur. Radcliffe re- mained in the camp a week only, was successful in his treatment of his patient, and received from King William 1200/. ; from Lord Albemarle 400 gui- neas and a diamond ring; he was offered also the dignity of a baronet, which he begged to decline.
