[214]. Swift’s Letters.
[215]. Coxe, p. 297.
[216]. Letter of Erasmus Lewes to Swift, vol. xv. p. 108.
[217]. Boyer, p. 714.
[218]. Boyer. Arbuthnot’s Letter to Swift, vol. xv.
[219]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 147.
[220]. Her early medical attendant, and that of her family, Dr. Ratcliffe, the singular benefactor of Oxford, was not present at her sick-bed. He died soon afterwards. This humorist, and shrewd physician, had offended her Majesty some time previously, by saying that her complaint was nothing but “vapours.” Possibly he was so far right, that repose, not medicine, was what the poor, harassed Queen required. Dr. Ratcliffe had been sent for to Prince George by the Queen’s express desire. On that occasion he had given her Majesty no hopes; telling her that however common it might be for surgeons to use caustics in cases of burning and scalding, “it was irregular for physicians to expel watery humours by the same element.” To this dogmatic assertion he added a promise that the dying Prince should have an easy passage out of this world, since he had been so “tampered with,” he could not live more than six days.—Ingram’s Memorials of Oxford, vol. iii. p. 8.
For some further notice of this extraordinary man, see the concluding portion of this volume.
[221]. Somerville, Appendix II p. 656.
[222]. Lediard, p. 447.