It is the duty of an Hiftorian to give an account of every inftitution when it comes to take place in a kingdom; and I have difcharged that duty fo far as I have gone (I would fain hope) to the fatisfaction of the Reader. This obliged me to make a fhort Difcourfe on the Unition of Kings, and to take notice of the extravagant effects afcribed to that Unition. The Sanative Virtue of touching for the King's Evil, being one of those effects, the relation of Chriftopher Lovel was inferted in a note, to fhew it was erroneously ascribed to the Unition. It was put there with no other view, than to refute that notion; and without any defign of publishing it: But the Note (perhaps for want of a mark, directing it should not be copied, as I used in fome other cafes) being tranfcribed together with the Discourse, for the Prefs, I did not, when the proof sheet was fent me, ftrike it out; obferving nothing in it that could reasonably give offence, were it not for the comments of malevolent people; for the perfon touching is not named, and what is faid of him agrees to more than one person.

I have not in that difcourfe delivered my own opinion on the fubject; contenting myself with relating those mentioned by W. of Malmbury. Several curious and knowing perfons have wrote upon it, particularly Dr. Tooker, a Divine, and Mr. John Brown, Surgeon to King Charles the IId. The Book of the former being published A. D. 1597, under the title of Charisma, that of the latter A. D. 1684, under the title of Charifma Bafilicon, I have not feen Tucker, or Tooker's book these thirty years, fo long it is fince the relation I quoted thence was copied. I have transcribed others very remarkable (particularly the cure of a German, who had been thirteen months his patient, by the Royal Touch) from

Clows,

Clows, an experienced Surgeon, in Queen Elizabeth's time, who published A. D. 1602, a treatise of the Artificial Cure of that distemper; though he owns throughout it, that the Queen's Touch was the only infallible remedy. But though I have not these books by me, nor a thousand others from which I have extracted paffages, I think I may fairly make use of my own tranfcripts. The late learned Mr. Anftis, in the twenty-fixth page of a MS. difcourfe on Coronations, which he left at. his death unfinished, hath these words:

"The Miraculous Gift in curing this diftemper, [the King's Evil] by the Royal Touch of our Kings, as well as of the French King, is undeniable," and in p. 49 taking notice of his having convinced a Surgeon of the antiquity of our Kings touching by feveral citations, he adds that he [the Surgeon] published these citations; and therefore I refer you [i. e. his fon, the present garter, to whom the difcourfe is addrefs'd] to that pamphlet. I paffed fome days with him, at Mortlake, about twenty-fix years ago, when a pamphlet wrote by a Surgeon about the King's Evil, was advertis'd in the News-Paper, and had a good deal of discourse with him on the fubject; and by what was then faid, I am perfuaded that Mr. Becket's enquiry into the antiquity and efficacy of touching for the King's Evil, printed in 8vo.. A. D. 1722 (according to the Bookfeller's Stile, who begin their year even before Christmas) was the pamphlet in queftion. But I never faw it, and had intirely forgot the name of the Surgeon : When having Mr. Anftis's Discourse abovementioned before me, and confulting a learned gentleman (who had ftudied phyfic above forty years, and tranfcribed my note for the Prefs) about the name of the Surgeon referred to by Mr. Anftis ; it was either by his opinion or my own inadvertance.

that

that I put down Tucker for the name of that Surgeon. I have endeavoured to find out this pamphlet, but in vain. The prefent Mr. Antis hath neither that or any other treatife on the fubject in his library. Whoever hath it may ob serve by the records cited in it, (efpecially if the Account of the Houfbold in the 6th of Edward I. which there is fcarce a man in England befides the late Mr. Anftis hath ever look'd into, be cited for the cure of 182 perfons of the King's Evil by that Prince) whether the author be the Surgeon to whose book he refers. After all, whether the Surgeon's name be Tucker, or Becket, or any other is a matter of very little confequence.

Deans Yard, Feb. 13, 1748.

Yours, THO. CARTE.

Transcribed by me Will. Whifton, Feb. 24,1747-8.

N. B. What remarkable facts we have well attefted of the cure of the King's Evil by the touch of one or two old families in Europe, and is fuppofed to be a kind of miraculous operation, done by thofe and only thofe families, of which already, feems to me to be a great mistake, and to be rather a remains of the old healing of the Sick by the anointing them with the Holy Oil, or in the want of fuch Oil, by the prayers and impofition of the hands of Prefbyters, in St. Mark. St. James, and the Apoftolical Conftitutions, of which in part already. For though the Kings or Queens ftroke the part affected, which is called the Impofition of Hands, and ought probably to be done by Prefbyters, and charitably beftow the gold and filver pieces, and put them about the necks of the patients, while they are on their

knees

knees in the pofture of Prayer; yet are the Prayers themselves, and the Benediction, pronounced only by the Chaplains in waiting, who are always Prefbyters. See the Form of Healing in the Common Prayer Books, printed in the reign of Queen Anne, who used to touch for the Evil, though I think that neither King William, nor Queen Mary, nor King George the Firft or Second have ever done it; while yet I fuppofe they might have done it with the like fuccefs as our former Kings, and even Queen Elizabeth herself had done it before. Mr. Carte, in the first volume of his history, lately published, book IV. p. 291, has given us fo extraordinary an history of the healing of one Chriftopher Lovel, of Bristol, in the year 1716, just now fet down; as did Mr. Bates, the King's famous Surgeon in my hearing, do the like in another inftance many years ago, that I cannot but think this matter deferves a more ferious and exact confideration and examination than it has of late met with, while it ought always to be impartially taken notice of, in what cafes and circumftances, and how far this Touch has been effectual, and when, as well as how far it has failed. For that it has by God's Bleffing frequently healed the patients, at least in part, and for fome time, is I believe abfolutely undeniable; nor is it, I prefume, pretended that it has never failed of its effect. But of this Royal Touch, fee Dr. Tucker's book on that fubject, and Mr. Fuller's Church Hiftory, pretty largely, under Edward the Confeffor, Cent. VI. p. 145148.

As to any plea for the Title of Royal Families, from the fuccefs of this Touch, I know nothing of it: Nor can I find in the Sacred Writings, any other divine right they have, but the choice and recognition of the people. Nor by

confe

confequence can I find any other rightful and lawful King of Great-Britain, than our present King George II. See my Scripture Politicks through

out.

The Form of the Healing in Queen Anne's Time.

P

Revent us, O Lord, in all our doings with

thy moft gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help; that in all our Works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Holy Gofpel is written in the 16th Chapter of St. Mark, beginning at the 14th Verfe.

Jefus appeared to the Eleven, as they fat at meat, and upbraided them of their Unbelief and Hardness of Heart, because they believed not them which had feen him after he was rifen. And he faid unto them, Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel to every Creature: He that believeth and is baptized shall be faved; but he that believeth not shall be damn'd. And these figns fhall follow them that believe: In my name they shall caft out Devils; they shall fpeak with new Tongues, they fhall take up Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: They fhall lay their hands on the Sick, and they fhall recover: So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into Heaven, and fat on the Right-hand of God: And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with figns following.

Let