his carriage by
half-a-dozen of his servants, he was shown into a neat but plain
parlour, from which he had the prospect of twenty or thirty people at
dinner in a spacious hall. In the middle of them was the learned doctor
himself, who with much complaisance invited the company to eat heartily.
'My good friend,' said the doctor to a pale-looking man on his right
hand, 'you must eat three slices more of this roast-beef, or you will
never lose your ague.' 'My friend,' said he to another, 'drink off this
glass of porter; it is just arrived from England, and is a specific for
nervous fevers.' 'Do not stuff your child so with macaroni,' added he,
turning to a woman, 'if you wish to cure him of the scrofula.' 'Good
man,' said he to a fourth, 'how goes on the ulcer in your leg?' 'Much
better, indeed,' replied the man, 'since I have lived at your honour's
table.' 'Well,' replied the physician, 'in a fortnight you will be
perfectly cured, if you do but drink wine enough.'

"'Thank heaven!' said the gentleman, who had heard all this with
infinite pleasure, 'I have at last met with a reasonable physician; he
will not confine me to bread and water, nor starve me under pretence of
curing me, like that confounded quack from whose clutches I have so
luckily escaped.'

"At length the doctor dismissed his company, who retired loading him
with thanks and blessings. He then approached the gentleman, and
welcomed him with the greatest politeness, who presented him with his
letters of recommendation, which, after the physician had perused, he
thus accosted him:--'Sir, the letter of my learned friend has fully
instructed me in the particulars of your case; it is indeed a difficult
one, but I think you have no reason to despair of a perfect recovery.
If,' added he, 'you choose to put yourself under my care, I will employ
all the secrets of my art for your assistance. But one condition is
absolutely indispensable; you must send away all your servants, and
solemnly engage to follow my prescriptions for at least a month; without
this compliance I would not undertake the cure even of a monarch.'
'Doctor,' answered the gentleman, 'what I have seen of your profession
does not, I confess, much prejudice me in their favour; and I should
hesitate to agree to such a proposal from any other individual.' 'Do as
you like, sir,' answered the physician; 'the employing me or not is
entirely voluntary on your part; but as I am above the common mercenary
vie