one another with the door, each separately essayed to
enter, and the whole triumvirate stuck in the passage. While they
remained thus wedged together, they descried two of their brethren
posting towards the same goal, with all the speed that God had enabled
them to exert; upon which they came to a parley, and agreed to stand
by one another. This covenant being made, they disentangled themselves,
and, inquiring about the patient, were told by the servant that he had
just fallen asleep.

Having received this intelligence, they took possession of his
ante-chamber, and shut the door, while the rest of the tribe posted
themselves on the outside as they arrived; so that the whole passage was
filled, from the top of the staircase to the street-door; and the people
of the house, together with the colonel's servant, struck dumb with
astonishment. The three leaders of this learned gang had no sooner made
their lodgment good, than they began to consult about the patient's
malady, which every one of them pretended to have considered with great
care and assiduity. The first who gave his opinion, said, the distemper
was an obstinate arthritis; the second affirmed, that it was no other
than a confirmed pox; and the third swore, it was an inveterate scurvy.
This diversity of opinions was supported by a variety of quotations
from medical authors, ancient as well as modern; but these were not of
sufficient authority, or, at least, not explicit enough to decide the
dispute; for there are many schisms in medicine, as well as in religion,
and each sect can quote the fathers in support of the tenets they
profess. In short, the contention rose to such a pitch of clamour, as
not only alarmed the brethren on the stair, but also awaked the patient
from the first nap he had enjoyed in the space of ten whole days. Had
it been simply waking, he would have been obliged to them for the noise
that disturbed him; for, in that case, he would have been relieved from
the tortures of hell fire, to which, in his dreams, he fancied himself
exposed. But this dreadful vision had been the result of that impression
which was made upon his brain by the intolerable anguish of his joints;
so that, when he awaked, the pain, instead of being allayed, was
rather aggravated by a great acuteness of sensation; and the confused
vociferation in the next room invading his ears at the same time, he
began to think his dream was realised, and, in the pangs of despair,
applied