132 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. nature. — And then he comes over him the third time, with the same question again : AVliy I am all swelled, says t'other, as if I had a dropsy, — Best of all, quoth the doctor, and goes his way. Soon after this, comes one of the sick man's friends to him, with the same question, How he felt him- self? Why, truly so well, says he, that I am e'en ready to die of I know not how inany good signs and tokens.' " ' May it please your majesty, your's and the sick man's case is the very same,' cries Radcliffe — ' you are buoyed up with hopes that your malady will soon be driven away, by persons that are not ap- prized of means to do it, and know not the true cause of your ailment : but I must be plain with you, and tell you that, in all probability, if your majesty will adhere to my prescriptions, it may be in my power to lengthen out your life for three or four years, but beyond that time nothing in physick can protract it, for the juices of your stomach are all vitiated ; your whole mass of blood is cor- rupted, and your nutriment, for the most part, turns to water. However, if your majesty will forbear making long visits to the Earl of Brad- ford (where the king was wont to drink very hard) I'll try what can be done to make you live easily, tho' I cannot venture to say I can make you live longer than I have told you.' He then left a recipe behind him, which was so hapj^y in its effects, as to enable the king, not only to make a progress in the western parts of his king- dom, but to go abroad, and divert himself at his palace at Loo, in Holland." In 1699, the Duke of Gloucester, heir-presump-
