The town of Ashbourn, being a great thoroughfare to Buxton Wells, to
the High-peak, and many parts of the North; and being inhabited by many
substantial people concerned in the mines, and having also three or four
of the greatest horse-fairs in that part of England, every year; is a
very populous town.
There appeared at Ashbourn, for some market-days, a very extraordinary
person, in a character, and with an equipage, somewhat singular and
paradoxical: this was one Dr. Stubbs, a physician of the itinerant kind.
The doctor came to town on horseback, yet dressed in a plaid night gown
and red velvet cap. He had a small reading-desk fixed upon the pummel
of his saddle, that supported a large folio, in which, by the help of
a monstrous pair of spectacles, the doctor seemed to read, as the horse
moved slowly on, with a profound attention. A portmanteau behind him
contained his cargo of sovereign medicines, which, as brick-dust was
probably the principal ingredient, must have been no small burden to his
lean steed.
The 'squire, or assistant, led the doctor's horse slowly along, in a
dress less solemn, but not less remarkable, than that of his master.
The doctor, from his Rozinante, attended by his merry-andrew (mounted on
a horse-block before the principal inn), had just begun to harangue
the multitude, and the speech with which he introduced himself each
market-day was to this effect--
"My friends and countrymen! you have frequently been imposed upon, no
doubt, by, quacks and ignorant pretenders to the noble art of physic;
who, in order to gain your attention, have boasted of their many years'
travels into foreign parts, and even the most remote regions of the
habitable globe. One has been physician to the Sophi of Persia, to
the Great Mogul, or the Empress of Russia; and displayed his skill at
Moscow, Constantinople, Delhi, or Ispahan. Another, perhaps, has been
tooth-drawer to the king of Morocco, or corn-cutter to the sultan of
Egypt, or to the grand Turk; or has administered a clyster to the queen
of Trebisond, or to Prester John, or the Lord, knows who--as if the
wandering about from place to place (supposing it to be true) could make
a man a jot the wiser. No, gentlemen, don't be imposed upon by pompous
words and magnificent pretensions. He that goes abroad a fool will come
home a coxcomb.
"Gentlemen! I am no High German or unborn doctor--But here I am--your
own countryman--your fellow subject--your neighbour, as I may say. Why,
gentlemen, eminent as I am now become, I was born but at Coventry, where
my mother now lives--Mary Stubbs by name.
"One thing, indeed, I must boast of, without which I would not presume
to practise the sublime art and mystery of physic. I am the seventh son
of a seventh, son. Seven days was I before I sucked the breast. Seven
months before I was seen to laugh or cry. Seven years before I was heard
to utter seven words; and twice seven years have I studied, night and
day, for the benefit of you, my friends and countrymen: and now here I
am, ready to assist the afflicted, and to cure all manner of diseases,
past, present, and to come; and that out of pure love to my country and
fellow creatures, without fee or reward--except a trifling gratuity,
the prime cost of my medicines; or what you may choose voluntarily to
contribute hereafter, out of gratitude for the great benefit, which, I
am convinced, you will receive from the use of them.
"But come, gentlemen, here is my famous, * Antifebrifuge Tincture; that
cures all internal disorders whatsoever; the whole bottle for one poor
shilling.
* A celebrated quack made this blunder; that is, in plain
English, a tincture that will bring on a fever.
"Here's my Cataplasma Diabolicum, or my Diabolical Cataplasm; that will
cure all external disorders, cuts, bruises, contusions, excoriations,
and dislocations; and all for sixpence.
"But here, gentlemen, here's my famous Balsamum Stubbianum, or Dr.
Stubbs's Sovereign Balsam; renowned over the whole Christian world, as
an universal remedy, which no family ought to be without: it will keep
seven years, and--be as good as it is now. Here's this large bottle,
gentlemen, for the trifling sum of eighteen-pence.
"I am aware that your physical gentlemen here have called me quack, and
ignorant pretender, and the like. But here I am.--Let Dr. Pestle or
Dr. Clyster come forth. I challenge the whole faculty of the town of
Ashbourn, to appear before this good company, and dispute with me in
seven languages, ancient or modern; in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew--in
High-Dutch, French, Italian, or Portuguese. Let them ask me any question
in Hebrew or Arabic, and then it will appear who are men of solid
learning, and who are quacks and ignorant pretenders.
"You see, gentlemen, I challenge them to a fair trial of skill, but not
one of them dares show his face; they confess their ignorance by their
silence.
"But come, gentlemen, who buys my elixir Cephalicum, Asthmaticum,
Arthriticum, Diureticum, Emeticum, Diaphoriticum, Nephriticum,
Catharticum.--Come, gentlemen, seize the golden opportunity, whilst
health is so cheaply to be purchased."
After having disposed of a few packets, the doctor told the company,
that as this was the last time of his appearing at Ashbourn (other
parts of the kingdom claiming a part in his patriotic labours), he was
determined to make a present to all those who had been his patients, of
a shilling a-piece. He therefore called upon all those who could produce
any one of Dr. Stubbs's bottles, pill-boxes, plaisters, or even his
hand-bills, to make their appearance, and partake of his generosity.
This produced no small degree of expectation amongst those that had
been the doctor's customers, who gathered round him, with their hands
stretched out, and with wishful looks. "Here, gentlemen," says the
doctor, "stand forth! hold up your hands. I promised to give you a
shilling a-piece. I will immediately per-; form my promise. Here's my
Balsamum Stubbianum; which I have hitherto sold at eighteen-pence the
bottle, you shall now have it for sixpence."
"Come! gemmen," says the merry-andrew, "where are you? Be quick! Don't
stand in your own light. You'll never have such another opportunity--as
long as you live."
The people looked upon each other with an air of disappointment. Some
shook their heads, some grinned at the conceit, and others uttered their
execrations--some few, however, who had been unwilling to throw away
eighteen-pence upon the experiment, ventured to give a single sixpence;
and the doctor picked up eight or nine shillings more by this stratagem,
which was more than the intrinsic value of his horse-load of medicines.
[Illustration: 073]
This egregious quack conceiving that he had now squeezed the last
farthing out of his audience, commenced his retreat from the crowd with
his usual solemnity of deportment, and mock-heroic dignity; when a sly
countryman, who had stood near him for some time, and had listened with
a less than ordinary portion of credulity, nay, who had, indeed, more
than once lifted up his eyes in token of disbelief, and curved his mouth
into an arch of humourous contempt--raised a pitchfork which he had been
leaning upon, and urged it into the posterior of the poor beast, who
was condemned to crawl underneath the Doctor and his baggage.--This
Rozinante no sooner felt the insidious prick, than; bent on revenge, she
raised her heels with deadly intent; but in order to raise her heels,
the old creature found it necessary to lower her head, when the Doctor
took that opportunity, which to say the truth, he could not avoid, of
toppling over her shoulders. While the medical gentleman was performing
his somerset in the air, amidst a shower of his own bottles, to the
manifest delight of the multitude, who shouted and screamed with joy,
and pelted him with stones, and mud, and filth--purely out of the extacy
of their gratification, another well disposed patient taking advantage
of the moment, presented a besom to the Merry Andrew, and fairly swept
him from the horse-block, on which he was capering, among his
master's bottles, gallipots, and nostrums, which now bestrewed the
pavement.--After a few minutes floundering, the faithful pair regained
their legs, and gathering up the remnants of their trade, retreated to
their inn with all convenient speed, amidst the huzzas and laughter of
the mob.
[Illustration: 074]