forget his name. For my part, I'll travel through the world, rather than return without him; that were as much as a limb or two were worth.

Har. Was ever such a sad misfortune! to lose the letter ! I should not even know his name, if I were to hear it.

Dor. Can I find no invention to be revenged? (Aside.) -Heyday! who are these?

Jam. Hark ye, mistress; do you know where-wherewhere doctor what-d'ye-call him, lives?

Dor. Doctor who?

Jam.
Dor.

Doctor-doctor-what's his name?

Hey! what, has the fellow a mind to banter me? Har. Is there no physician hereabouts, famous for curing dumbness?

Dor. I fancy you have no need of such a physician, Mr. Impertinence.

Har. Don't mistake us, good woman; we don't mean to banter you; we are sent by our master, whose daughter has lost her speech, for a certain physician, who lives hereabouts; we have lost our direction, and 'tis as much as our lives are worth, to return without him.

Dor. There is one Doctor Lazy lives just by, but he has left off practising. You would not get him a mile, to save the lives of a thousand patients.

Jam. Direct us but to him; we'll bring him with us one way or other, I warrant you.

Har. Ay, ay, we'll have him with us, though we carry him on our backs.

Dor. Ha! revenge inspires me with one of the most admirable thoughts to punish the cruel churl. (Aside.) He's reckoned one of the best physicians in the world, especially for dumbness.

Har. Pray tell us where he lives?

Dor. You'll never be able to get him out of his own house; but, if you watch hereabouts, you'll certainly meet with him, for he very often amuses himself here with cutting wood.

Har. A physician cut wood!

Jam. I suppose he amuses himself in searching after herbs, you mean.

Dor. No, he's one of the most extraordinary men in the world he goes dressed like a common clown; for there is nothing he so much dreads, as to be known for a physician.

Jam. All your great men have strange oddities about 'em.

Dor. Why, he will suffer himself to be beat, before he will own himself to be a physician: and I'll give you my word, you'll never make him own himself one, unless you both of you take a good cudgel and thrash him into it; 'tis what we are all forced to do, when we have any need of him.

Jam. What a ridiculous whim is here!

Dor. Very true; and in so great a man.
Jam. And is he so very skillful a man?

Dor. Skillful! why, he does miracles. About half a year ago, a woman was given over by all her physicians, nay, it is said, she had been dead some time; when this great man came to her, as soon as he saw her, he poured a little drop of something down her throat, he had no sooner done it, than she walked about the room as if there had been nothing the matter with her.

Both. Oh, prodigious!

Dor. "Tis not above three weeks ago, that a child of twelve years old, fell from the top of a house to the bottom, and broke its skull, its arins, and legs.-Our physician was no sooner drubbed into making him a visit, than having rubbed the child all over with a certain ointment, it got upon its legs, and ran away to play.

Both. Oh, most wonderful!

Har. Hey! James, we'll drub him out of a pot of this ointment.

Jam. But can he cure dumbness?

Dor. Dumbness! why, the curate of our parish's wife, was born dumb, and the doctor, they say, with a sort of wash, washed her tongue till he set it a-going, so that in less than a month's time, she out-talked her husband.

Har. This must be the very man we were sent after.
Dor, Yes, no doubt; and see, yonder he is.

Jam. What, that he, yonder?

Dor. The very same. He has spied us, and is taking up his bill.

Jam. Come, Harry, don't let us lose one moment.-Mistress, your servant; we give you ten thousand thanks for this favor.

Dor. Be sure and make good use of your sticks.
Jam. He shan't want for that. (Exeunt.)

Scene 2. Another part of the Wood.

(Enter James, Harry, and Gregory.)

Greg. Feugh! 'tis most confounded hot weather. Hey! who have we here?

Jam. Sir, your most obedient, humble servant.
Greg. Sir, your servant. (Bowing.)

Jam. We are mighty happy in finding you here.
Greg. Ay, like enough.

Jam. 'Tis in your power, sir, to do us a very great favor. We come, sir, to implore your assistance in a certain affair. Greg. If it be in my power to give you any assistance, masters, I am very ready to do it.

Jam. Sir, you are extremely obliging; but, dear sir, let me beg you'd be covered-the sun will hurt your complexion. Har. Oh, do, good sir, do be covered.

Greg. These should be footmen, by their dress; but courtiers, by their ceremony. (Aside.)

Jam. You must not think it strange, sir, that we come thus to seek after you; men of your capacity will be sought after by the whole world.

Greg. Truly, gentlemen, though I say it, that should not say it, I have a pretty good hand at a fagot.

Jam. O dear, sir!

Greg. You may, perhaps, buy fagots cheaper elsewhere; but, if you find such in all this country, you shall have mine for nothing. To make but one word, then, with you, you shall have mine for ten shillings a hundred.

Jam. Don't talk in that manner, I desire you.

Greg. I could not sell 'em a penny cheaper, if 'twas to my father.

Jam. Dear sir, we know you very well-don't jest with us in this manner.

Greg.

Faith, master, I am so much in earnest, that I can't bate one farthing.

Can a person,

Jam. O pray, sir, leave this idle discourse. like you, amuse himself in this manner? Can a learned and famous physician, like you, try to disguise himself to the world, and bury such fine talents in the woods?

Greg. The fellow's a ninny.

Jam. Let me entreat you, sir, not to dissemble with us.
Har. It is in vain, sir, we know what you are.

Greg. Know what you are! what do you know of me? Jam. Why, we know you, sir, to be a very great physician. Greg. Physician in your teeth! I a physician!

Jam. The fit is on him.-Sir, let me beseech you to conceal yourself no longer, and oblige us to--you know what. Greg. Know what! No, sir; I don't know what. But I know this, that I'm no physician.

Jam. We must proceed to the usual remedy, I find. you are no physician?

Greg. No.

Jam. You are no physician?

Greg. No, I tell you.

Jam. Well, if we must, we must. (Beats him.)

And so

Greg. Oh! Oh! Gentlemen! gentlemen! what are you doing? I am-I'm whatever you'd please to have me! Jam. Why will you oblige us, sir, to this violence?

Har. Why will you force us to this troublesome remedy? Jam. I assure you, sir, it gives me a great deal of pain. Greg. I assure you, sir, and so it does me. But pray, gen. tlemen, what is the reason that you have a mind to make a phy. sician of me?

Jam. What! do you deny your being a physician again? Greg. To be sure I do--I am no physician.

Har. You are no physician?

(They beat him.) Oh!

I am a phy.
I had rather

Greg. May I be hanged, if I am. oh! Dear gentlemen! Oh! for mercy's sake! sician, and an apothecary too, if you'll have me. be any thing, than be knocked o' the head. Jam. Dear sir, I am rejoiced to see you come to your senI ask pardon ten thousand times for what you have forced

ses;

us to.

Greg. Perhaps I am deceived myself, and am a physician without knowing it. But, dear gentlemen, are you certain I'm a physician?

Jam. Yes, the greatest physician in the world.

Greg. Indeed!

Har. A physician that has cured all sorts of distempers.
Greg. The dickens I have!

Jam.

That has made a woman walk about the room after she was dead six hours.

Har. That set a child upon its legs, immediately after it had broke 'em.

Jam. That made the curate's wife, who was dumb, talk faster than her husband.

Har. Look ye, sir; you shall have content; my master will give you whatever you will demand.

Greg. Shall I have whatever I will demand?

Jam. You may depend upon it.

Greg. I am a physician without doubt-I had forgot it, but I begin to recollect myself. Well-and what is the distemper I am to cure?

Jam. My young mistress, sir, has lost her tongue.

Greg. Well, what if she has; do you think I've found it? But, come, gentlemen, if I must go with you, I must have a physician's habit; for a physican can no more prescribe without a full wig, than without a fee. (Exeunt.)

Scene 3.-Sir Jasper's House.

(Enter Sir Jasper and James.)

Sir Jasper. Where is he? where is he?

Jam. Only recruiting himself after his journey. You need not be impatient, sir, for were my young lady dead, he'd bring her to life again. He makes no more of bringing a patient to life, than other physicians do of killing him.

Sir J. 'Tis strange so great a man should have those unaccountable odd humors you mentioned.

Jam. 'Tis but a good blow or two, and he comes immediately to himself. Here he is.

Sir, this is the doctor.

Sir J.

Greg.

pray?

(Enter Gregory.)

Sir J. Dear sir, you are the welcomest man in the world.
Hippocrates says, we should both be covered.
Ha! does Hippocrates say so? In what chapter,
In his chapter of hats.

Greg.

Sir J. Since Hippocrates says so, I shall obey him. Greg. Doctor, after having exceedingly traveled in the highway of letters

Sir J. Doctor! pray whom do you speak to ?

Greg. To you, doctor.

Sir J. Ha! ha!-I am a knight, thank the king's grace for it; but no doctor.

Greg. What! you're no doctor?

Sir J. No, upon my word.