Bate, George

, an eminent physician, was born at Maid’s Morton near Buckingham, 160S. At fourteen years of age he became one of the clerks of New college, in Oxford; from whence he was removed to Queen’s college, and afterwards to St. Edmund’s hall. When he had taken the degrees of bachelor and M. A. he entered on the study of physic; and having taken a bachelor’s degree in that faculty in 1629, he obtained a licence, and for some years practised in and about Oxford, chiefly amongst the Puritans, who at that time considered him as one of their party. In 1637 he took his degree of doctor in physic, and became so eminent in his profession, that when king Charles kept his court at Oxford, he was his principal physician. When the king’s affairs declined, Dr. Bate removed to London, where he accommodated himself so well to the times, that he became physician to the Charterhouse, fellow of the college of physicians, and afterwards | principal physician to Oliver Cromwell, whom he is said to have highly flattered. Upon the restoration he got into favour with the royal parly, was made principal physician to the king, and fellow of the royal society; and this, we are told, was owing to a report raised on very slender foundation, and asserted only by his friends, that he gave the protector a dose which hastened his death. He died at his house in Hatton-garden, April 19, 1668, and not 1669, as in the Biog. Brit. and was buried at Kingstonupon-Thames.

His principal work is an account of the rebellion, with a narrative of the regal and parliamentary privileges, printed under the title of “Elenchus Motuum nuperorum in Anglia, simul ac Juris Regis el Parliamentarii brevis narratio,” Paris, 1649, and Frankfort, 1650, 4to. Before it went to the press, it was communicated to Dr. Peter Heylyn, who made several observations on it, greatly tending to the honour of the king and the church. The first part of the Elenchus was translated into English by an unknown hand, and printed at London in 1652, in 8vo. The second part, in which the author had the assistance of some papers communicated to him by the lord-chancellor Hyde, afterwards earl of Clarendon, was printed in Latin at London in 1661, at Amsterdam the year following in 8vo, and reprinted with the first part at London in 1663, in Bvo. With such assistance this may be supposed an impartial work; but he has been accused of leaning too much to the Puritans, among whom he appears to have lived much in the early part of his life. In 1676, a third part was added to the “Elenchus,” also in Latin, by Dr. Thomas Skinner, a physician, but is inferior to the former. In 1685, the whole was translated by A. Lovel, M. A. of Cambridge. The only answer to Dr. Bate’s work, entitled “Elenchus Elenchi,” was written by Robert Pugh, an officer in the king’s army, and printed at Paris in 1664, 8vo, to which Bate replied; but we do not find that his reply was published. Dr. Bate wrote likewise, 1. “The Royal Apology; or, the declaration of the Commons in parliament, Feb. 11, 1647,” 1648, 4to. 2. “De Rachitide, sive morbo puerili, qui vulgo the Rickets dicitur,” Lond. 1650, 8vo. Mr. Wood tells us, the doctor was assisted in this work by Francis Glisson and Ahasuerus Regemorter, doctors of physic, and fellows of the college of physicians, and that it was afterwards translated into English by Philip Armin, and printed at London, | 1651, 8vo and about the same time translated by Nicolas Culpepper, who styles himself ‘ student in physic and astrology.’ 3. After Dr. Bate’s death came out a dispensatory in Latin, entitled “Pharmacopoeia Batcana; in qua octoginta circiter pharmaca plcraque omnia e praxiGeorgii Batei regi Carolo 2clo proto-medici excerpta,” Lond. 1688 and 1691. It was published by Mr.lames Shipton, apothecary, and translated into English by Dr. William Salmon, under the title of “Bate’s Dispensatory,” and was long a very popular work. There was another George Bate, who wrote the “Lives of the Regicides,” London, 1661, 8vo. ¹