, one of the greatest physicians, and most capricious humourists of
, one of the greatest physicians, and most capricious humourists of his time, was born at Ipswich, about 1535, and educated at Clare-hall, Cambridge, of which he became fellow. He afterwards settled at Cambridge as a physician, without taking a medical degree. His sagacity in judging of distempers was very great, and his method of cure was sometimes as extraordinary; he was bold and singular in his practice, and the oddity of his manners gave him a very great character among the vulgar, who conceived that he must possess extraordinary abilities. Mr. Aubrey informs us, that it was usual for him to sit among the boys, at St. Mary’s church, in Cambridge; and that when he was sent for to king James at Newmarket, he suddenly turned back to go home, and that the messenger was forced to drive him before him. We find he was consulted along with sir Theodore Mayerne and others in the sickness which proved fatal to prince Henry; and it is said that at the first sight of him, Butler from his cadaverous look made an unfavourable prognostic. The reputation of physic was very low in England before Butler’s time; hypothetical nonsense was reduced into system, not only in medicine, but also in other arts and sciences. Many droll stories have travelled down to us, of some extraordinary cures as strangely performed; for these the reader is referred to Winwood’s Memorials, vol. III. Richardi Parkeri, Sceletos Cantabrigiensis, Fuller, Prax. Mayern. p. 66; and Wood in his account of Francis Tresham, esq. He died Jan. 29, 1618, aged eighty-two, and lies buried in St. Mary’s church, in Cambridge, with an elegant and pompous epitaph over him. He left no writings behind him.
his gentleman, in 1704, carried the balls to the town-hall, each man paying half-a-guinea each ball. One of the greatest physicians of his age conceived a design of
Nash was now fairly for life entered into a new course
of gaiety and dissipation, and steady in nothing but in the
pursuit of variety. He was thirty years old, without fortune, or useful talents to acquire one. He had hitherto
only led a life of expedients; he thanked choice alone for
his support; and, having been long precariously
supported, he became, at length, totally a stranger to prudence or precaution. Not to disguise any part of his
character, he was now, hy profession, a gamester; and
went on from day to day, feeling the vicissitudes of rapture and anguish in proportion to the fluctuations of fortune. About 1703 the city of Bath became, in some measure, frequented by people of distinction. The company
was numerous enough to form a country-dance upon the
bowling-green; they were amused with a fiddle and hautboy, and diverted with the romantic walks round the city.
They usually sauntered in fine weather in the grove,
between two rows of sycamore trees. Several learned
physicians, Dr. Jordan and others, had even then praised
the salubrity of the wells; and the amusements were put
under the direction of a master of the ceremonies. Captain Webster was the predecessor of Mr. Nash. This gentleman, in 1704, carried the balls to the town-hall, each
man paying half-a-guinea each ball. One of the greatest
physicians of his age conceived a design of ruining the
city, by writing against the efficacy of the waters; and
accordingly published a pamphlet, by which, he said, “he
would cast a toad into the spring.
”