Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/140

122 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. subject. His highness, accordingly, came, and was joined by the chief of the nobihty, even by Prince George of Denmark, who thought himself obliged to prefer his duty to God before that which he owed his king and father. The princess, his royal consort, at that time pregnant, and under Dr. Radclilfe's immediate care, likewise got away by night with the Bishop of London, and retired to Nottingham. It was their intention to stay there till the storm should be blown over ; and the prelate above mentioned pressed the doctor to accompany the princess, in his capacity of her royal liighness's physician ; but Radclitfe excused himself, alleging the multiplicity of his practice, and the dangerous state of health in which many of his patients happened to be, requiring his constant and unremitting attendance, and thus avoided taking any decisive step. He cautiously took care that no imputation of guilt could, by any possi- bility, attach to him afterwards, had the revolution not succeeded, whereby the throne was declared vacant, and occupied by King William and Queen Mary. With King WilHam came the famous Dr. Bidloo, as chief physician ; but the presence of this for- midable rival did not injure the fame of Ead- cliffe, which, on the contrary, increased daily : it was said, indeed, that Bidloo, who was otherwise expert in the knowledge of physic, and knew how to prescribe proper medicaments when he hit upon the distemper, from frequently mistaking the nature of English constitutions, subjected those who advised with him to the greatest hazards. Be this as it may, Radcliffe so far got the start of all his