TRISTIOR ANGLORVM PESTIS VIOLAVERAT ORBEM
INFESTANS ANIMOS CORPORIBVSQVE SEDENS
HANC DEVS INSIGNEM CLADEM MISERATVS AB ALTO
TE MEDICI MVNVS JVSSIT OBIRE BONI
LVMEN EVANGELII FVLVIS CIRCVMVOLAT ALIS
PHARMACON AD FECTIS MENTIBVS ILLVD ERIT
CONSILIOQ TVO CELEBRANT MONVMENTA GALENI
ET CELERI MORBVS PELLITVR OMNIS OPE
NOS IGITVR SVPPLEX MEDICORVM TVRBA TVORVM
HANC TIBI SACRAMVS RELIGIONE DOMVM
MVNERIS ET MEMORES QVO NOS HENRICE BEASTI
IMPERIO OPTAMVS MAXIMA QVE QVE TVO.
TRANSLATION.
To Henry the Eighth, the best and greatest King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and next to Christ, supreme head of the Church of England and Ireland, the Company of Surgeons dedicate these, with their united prayers.
A grievous plague had ravaged the region of England,
Afflicting man’s spirits and penetrating his frame;
God, pitying from on high this remarkable scourge
Commanded thee to perform the office of a good physician.
The light of the gospel flies around on glowing wings,
This will be the balm to enfeebled minds:
Whilst the disciples of Galen meet to raise a monument to thee,
And all disease is swiftly dispelled by thy power.
We, therefore, a suppliant band of thy Physicians,
Solemnly dedicate this house to thee,
And mindful of the favour with which thou, O Henry, hast blessed us,
Invoke the greatest blessings on thy rule.
The following fragmentary notices of the persons represented in the picture, will be found of some interest.
The first figure to the left is Thomas Alsop; he was the King’s Apothecary, and Henry VIII, by his will, left him 100 marks.
Next to him is Dr. William Butts, one of the King’s physicians, ever famous for his memorable interference with the King on behalf of Archbishop Cranmer in 1544, when the Roman Catholic party in the Council endeavoured to procure Cranmer’s committal to the Tower. A full account of this incident will be found in Strype’s Memorials of Cranmer (Oxford Ed., 1812, pp. 177–181), and Shakespeare in his play of Henry VIII (act v., sc. 2) has also graphically described it. Cranmer’s Secretary, aware of Butts’ great influence with the King, sent for the Doctor, and acquainted him with the slight which had been put upon the Archbishop by keeping him standing in the ante-room of the Council Chamber among lacqueys and servingmen, upon which Butts immediately repaired to the King, and said:—
“I’ll show your Grace the strangest sight,
The high promotion of his Grace of Canterbury:
Who holds his State at door, ’mongst pursuivants,
Pages and foot boys.”