LETTER XXVIII. .

Dr. PLOT to Dr. CHARLETT.

Dipping for the Bite of a Mad Dog.

GOOD MASTER,

Rochester, Aug. 18, 1693.

ACCORDING to my promise I here send you word that I have reached this place, having been as successful in my journey as I could expect; but the greatest rarity that I met with has been here, viz. a medicine for the bite of a mad dog, which was applied here to Dr. de Langley, Prebend of Canterbury, his wife, and fair daughter, who were all three dipt in salt water, a little below the bridge, without figleaves, last Friday morning, by two lewd* fellows of this town, the spectators, you may be sure being very numerous. That the Rev. Dr. was really mad I hope you will not doubt; but whether the medicine had its due effect, I guess

*We presume that lewd is here used in its original signi fication of unlearned, ignorant, in contradistinction to the lered, that is, the clergy, clerks, or such as were able to read and write.

"Now is not that of God a ful fayre grace,
That swiche a lewed manne's wit shal pace
The wisdom of an hepe of lered men?"

Chaucer's Prolog. to the Canterbury Tales.

I shall hear by that time I reach Canterbury, when you shall be sure to hear again from

Your most faithful friend,

ROB. PLOT.

LETTER XXIX.

Extract of a Letter from Sir PETER PETT to ANTHONY WOOD, (the date illegible, but most probably in 1693.)

The Earl of Clarendon-Curious Account of a Layman preaching.

I SHALL have occasion ere long in print to do justice to yourself and the Athena Oxonienses* with great art, learning, and labour, most usefully composed; I am heartily sorry for the ill usage you have had from some.

words in

Your your letter of some designing unmercifully to make you a tool to please the capricious humour of one, are obscure to me, but the following ones about their designing to patch up

* First printed in two volumes folio, London, 1691-92; afterwards, with some omissions and many additions, by Bishop Tanner, folio, 1721. It was in this very valuable work that Mr. Wood gave offence to Henry, Earl of Clarendon, by some reflections on the character of Edward the late Earl, who had been Chancellor of the University. See a full account of the proceedings, &c. in the Life of Anthony Wood, written by himself, Oxford, 1772, 8vo.

the reputation of a Lord who hath been dead almost these twenty years, I well enough understand. The account of the progress of the suit of the E. of Clarendon against you in the Vice Chancellor's court hath long ago been sent me by a correspondent of mine in Oxon. I heard there during the pendency of the suit that that learned and loyal person Mr. Dodwell was likely to make your peace with the Earl upon terms easy

to

you.

But it seems I was therein misinformed. I should be glad to hear from you (if it be so) that his Lordship shewed any good nature to you in the remittal of the costs you were condemned in, or that in any matter he took not the advantage of the Summum Jus against you after sentence. †

*Sir Peter Pett assisted Wood with his advice in this cause. Mr. Anstis, (garter king at arms) had several original letters to Sir Peter from Mr. W. on the subject, which he afterwards exchanged with Mr. Dale. Life, 3.

+ This sentence was "That he [Wood] should be banished and deprived of all priviledges belonging to a Member of the University, until he should make a proper recantation. That the Book should be burnt, and that he should pay the costs of the suit, which amounted to thirty four pounds." This sentence was fully executed. The second volume of the Athena was burnt on the 31st of July, 1693, and with the money arising from the fees gained by Lord Clarendon, the two statues of Charles the First and Second, standing in the niches of the gate leading to the Physic Garden, were purchased. In a conversation held afterwards with the Earl en the subject, Anthony told him he "had gotten more

For I love to hear good of all mankind and particularly of my enemies. And I can assure you that that Lord hath given me ten thousand times more trouble than he hath to you, or than has been given me by all mankind throughout the whole time of my life, and that by his taking out a Patent in Ch. 2d's time for derelict lands, and which by my interest in K. James, I obtained his Order in Council to repeal. And according to the rule Pepe na Oɛps, I have undergone troubles from him and he from me, and so I suppose he will yet from you. Perhaps the course of your life may much wear away before any second edi tion of your Athenæ, or any opportunity given you for enlargement therein. Nor is matter in so bulky and dear a volume so likely to arrive at the notice of many as in a book of small bulk and price. I knew very well that glorious Confessor of Loyalty Judge Jenkins, and was intimately

money from him than he could get again in six years, for that he earned but two pence a day."

* The celebrated David Jenkins here alluded to, was born at Hensol, in Glamorganshire, and educated at Oxford and Gray's Inn. He was afterwards appointed one of the Judges for South Wales, where he distinguished himself by his learning and eminence in his profession, and by his steady adherence to the cause of Charles the First. During the civil wars he was taken prisoner at Hereford, and being impeached of treason before the House of Commons, was fined one thousand pounds for denying their authority, and

acquainted with him. And he gave me an admirable Manuscript of Common Law of his own composing, that he began at that time you mention he lived at Oxford, and finished after his return to Windsor Castle. It was a scandal to the age that he was not made a judge in Westminster Hall. After the Restoration, I asking him how it happened he was not, he told me he was represented at court as a superannuated man and unfit for such a place. But reverâ, I knew him then to be a very acute man, and of infinitely quicker parts than Judge Mallet, who was then made Lord Chief Justice of England. Old Clarendon had as much power then as ever Premier

refusing to kneel. He was then confined in Wallingford Castle, and an act passed for his trial. Wood says, that he now fully expected to be hanged, and resolved to suffer death" with a bible under one arm, and Magna Charta (of which he was a zealous defender) under the other." His life was, however, spared, as it is said at the instigation of Henry Marten, and at the restoration he had his estate in Glamorganshire restored to him, to which he retired and died there, December 6, 1667, aged 81 or more. It may be remarked that it was in the life of Judge Jenkins that Wood made use of the offensive expressions which afterwards caused him so much trouble. "After the restoration of K. Ch. II. (says he) 'twas expected by all that he should be made one of the Judges in Westminster Hall, and so he might have been, would he have given money to the then Lord Chancellor, but our author scorned such an act after all his sufferings."

Athena ii. 328.