London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 1800-1950
Another doctor who made his reputation by lecturing was Dr. G. Wallis,
of Red Lion Square. He had originally established himself at York,
where he was born, but being much attached to theatrical amusements, and
a man of wit, he had written a dramatic piece, entitled ’The Mercantile
Lovers: a Satire.’ It contained a number of highly caustic remarks,
either so directly levelled at certain persons of that city, or taken by
them to themselves, that he lost all professional practice, and had to
leave York, when he came to London, and, as already mentioned, commenced
lectures on the Theory and Practice of Physic. He published various
medical works, and died in 1802.
In the reign of James I. lived Dr. Edward Jorden, whom we mention on
account of two curious circumstances in his life. The doctor, being on
a journey, benighted on Salisbury Plain, and not knowing which way to
ride, met a shepherd of whom he made inquiry what places were near where
he could pass the night. He was told there was no house of entertainment
for travellers near, but that a gentleman of the name of Jordan, and a
man of great estate, lived close by. Looking on the similarity of the
names as a good omen, Jorden applied at the house, where he was kindly
received, and made so good an impression on his host that the latter
bestowed on him his daughter with a considerable fortune.
The second circumstance was this: James, as is well known, was a firm
believer in witchcraft. Now, it happened that a girl in the country was
said to have been bewitched by a neighbour. The King had her sent for,
and placed under the care of Dr. Jorden, who very soon discovered the
girl to be a cheat; in fact, she confessed as much, saying that her
father, having had a quarrel with a female neighbour, had induced her
(his daughter) to accuse the woman of having bewitched her and brought
upon her the fits she simulated. This confession Jorden reported to the
King, the doctor not being courtier enough to see what James wanted,
namely, a witch to burn. But as the girl had for a short time given him
the prospect of such a treat, the King, though she by her own confession
was a diabolical liar—for everyone in those days knew that the charge of
witchcraft involved the risk of losing life by a fiery death—James
actually gave her a portion, and she was married, ’and,’ as the account
naïvely observes, ’thus was cured of her inimical witchery.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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