George Bate

a most noted Physitian of his time, Son of John Bate of Burton or Bourton in Buckinghamshire, was born at Maidsmorton near to Buckingham, became one of the Clerks of New Coll. in the beginning of 1622 aged 14 years, was thence translated to Qu. Coll. for a time, and thence to S. Edm. Hall, took the degrees in Arts as a member of the last, entred on the Physick line, and took a degree in that faculty 1629, at which time being licensed to practice, exercised it, in, and near Oxon. for some years among precise and puritanical people, he being then taken to be one of their number. In 1637 he proceeded in his faculty, and became thereupon more noted among men, especially when K. Ch. 1. (to whom he was chief Physitian) and his Court kept their residence several years in Oxon in the time of the grand rebellion. Afterwards when his Maj. and his cause declined, he retired to London, closed with the times for interest sake, became Physitian to the Charter-house, Fellow of the Coll. of Physitians, and at length chief Physitian to Oliver while he was General, and afterwards when Protector, and did not stick (tho he pretended to be a concealed Royalist) to flatter him in an high degree. Upon the restauration of King Ch. 2. an. 1660 he got in with the Royal party, (by his Friends report that he by a dose given to Oliver hastned him to his end) was made chief Physitian to K. Ch. 2. and a member of the Royal Society. His published works are these.

The Royal Apologie: or, the declaration of the Commons in Parliament, 11. Feb. 1647. canvassed.—Printed 1648 in about 14 sh. in qu. There was also a book entit. The Regal Apologie, printed, as ’tis said, at Paris the same year in qu, but who the author of it was, I know not. unless the King himself.

Elenchus motuum nuperorum in Anglia, simul ac Juris regii ac Parliamentarii brevis narratio. Par. 1649. Franc. ad Maen. 1650. 51. qu. Which being communicated to Dr. Pet. Heylyn before it went to the Press, or else when the second part was joyned to it, were by him made many observations on it, which much tended to the honor of the King and Church. This first part of Elenchus was translated into English by an unknown hand, and printed at Lond. 1652 in oct. The second part of the said Elenchus, wherein the author was assisted by some papers lent to him by Sir Edw. Hyde L. Chanc. of England, was printed at Lond. in Lat. 1661, and at Amsterdam in the year following, in oct. and reprinted with the first part at Lond. 1663 in oct. &c. Of which two parts and their author, hear what a learned ((b))((b)) John Durell in his S. Ecclesiae Anglicanae, &c. Vindiciae. Lond. 1669. cap. 28. p. 332. writer says (after he had condemned George Hornius, Honorius Reggus, a Scotch ((c))((c)) Qui scripsit Historiam motuum nuperorum in Scotia. Anonymus, and Salmonetus ((d))((d)) Qui Gallicè scripsit De rebus Anglicis. Scoto-Britannus, who have written very falsly concerning our English affairs) thus—Eorum omnium qui hactenus de rebus apud nos nuper gestis scripserunt latino idiomate, unus Bateus dignus est, qui legatur; quanquam etiam ab Anonymo scriptore propensi nimium in Puritanos animi nuper est accusatus, &c. A third part of Elenchus motuum was slightly composed, and continued from Newer books to the year 1669 by Tho. Skinner a Doctor of Phys. of this University; published in Latine with the former parts, at Lond. 1676, which would have been far better performed by our author Bate, if he had lived but one year longer. At length after the impressions had all in a manner been vended, one A. Lovel M. A. of Cambridge, gave us a translation of all the Elenchi, but not well done—Pr. at Lond. 1685 oct. In which year he had two translations of other mens works extant, the mentioning of which, as being not pertinent, is now to be omitted. But the two parts published by Dr. Bate, having several passages in them that gave offence, not only to the Papists, but Cavaliers for the reason before given, one Robert Pugh who had been one Officer in the Kings Army, wrot an answer to them entit. Elenchus Elenchi, &c. Par. 1664. oct. To which Bate made a reply, but as his Son hath told me, he did not publish it, only put it in Ms in the Cottonian Library; and upon that report did I in my Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon. say as much in the life of ((e))((e)) Lib. 2. p. 354. Dr. Bate. Whereupon Pugh having had notice of, or else had read, it, he made a search after it in the said Library, (as he himself hath told me several times) but could not find it, otherwise he would have made a Rejoynder. Now here by the way, I must let the Reader know that this Rob. Pugh was born at Penrhyn in the Parish of Eglos-Rosse in Caernarvansh. and educated in the Jesuits Coll. at S. Omers: Afterwards coming into England, he bore Arms for the King, and was a Captain in that War that began 1642: Which being done without the consent of the Superiors of his Order, he himself being then a Jesuit, he was ejected from among them. Afterwards he entred himself among the secular Priests, became confessor to Henrietta Maria the Qu. Mother of England, and by P. Innocent the 10. was created Protonotarius Publicus Apostolicus, an. 1653. Besides the former book, he wrot Bathoniensium & Aquis granensium Thermarum comparatio, variis adjunctis illustrata. Lond. 1676. oct. Written by way of Epistle to his patron Roger Palmer Earl of Castlemaine, dated at Bathe 7. Kal. Aug. 1675: Also another book Of the several states and governments that have been in England since 1642. Which is in Ms in the said Earls hands. I have seen also a Lat. Ode of his composition, made on the immature death of Sidney Mountague, who either died of a wound, or in the flames or waters, in the Sea fight between the Engl. and Dutch, on the 5 of the Kal. of Jun. 1672, being then in the Ship of his kinsman Edw. Earl of Sandwich. ’Tis printed on one side of a broad sh. of paper. At length upon the breaking out of the plot called by some The Popish Plot, and by others Oats’s Plot, he was, with other Priests, committed to Newgate Prison in London; where being not able to undergo hardship, and coldness of weather, he surrendred up his last breath about 12 of the Clock at night, on the 22 of January 1678, aged 69 years or thereabouts: whereupon his body was buried the next day in the yard or burying place, belonging to the parish of Christ-church, situate north west at some distance from the said Church, within Newgate, London; where, I remember, I saw his grave, soon after, under the middle part of a brick wall, on the north side of the said yard. He was a person of a most comely port, well favour’d, and of excellent parts, and therefore he deserved a better end. Our author Dr. Bate also, with Franc. Glisson and Ahasuerus Regemorter Doctors of Physick and Fellows of the Coll. of Physitians did compile a book entit.

De Rachitide, sive morbo puerili, qui vulgo the Rickets dicitur. Lond. 1650. oct. Chiefly composed by Glisson: which book was afterwards translated into English by Philip Armin.—Lond. 1651. oct. and about that time also by Nich. Culpeper, as I conceive, who writes himself a Student in Physick and Astrology, author of divers Physical Books and Almanacks. Dr. Bate died in his house in Hatton Garden in Holbourn near London, 19. April in sixteen hundred sixty and nine:1669. Whereupon his body was carried to Kingston upon Thames in Surrey, and was buried by that of his wife Elizabeth (who died 17 Apr. 1667) in an isle or rather a vestry, joyning on the north side of the Church there. Over his grave is a monument fastned to the east wall of the said vestry, between the two east windows, with an inscription thereon, which for brevity sake I shall now omit; and only tell you (1) That after his death was published Pharmacopoeia Bateana. In qua octingenta circiter pharmaca pleraque omnia è praxi Georgii Batei Regi Car. 2o. Proto-medici excerpta, &c. Lond. 1688 and 1691. oct. by the care of J. Shipton an Apothecary and (2) That whereas there hath been one George Bate who hath published The lives, actions and execution of the prime actors and principal contrivers of that horrid murder of our late pious and sacred soveraign K. Ch. 1. &c. Lond. 1661. oct. he is not to be understood to be the same with the Doctor, but another far inferior to him in all respects, one that had ran with the mutable times, and had after his Majesties restauration endeavoured, by scribling, to gain the favour of the Royalists.