RADCLIFFE. 123^ competitors, that even his majesty's foreign at- tendants, Mr. Bentinck (afterwards Earl of Port- land), and Mr. Zulestein (Earl of Rocliford)^ applied to him in cases of necessity, wherein he always displayed his skill to the greatest degree ; the first being cured by him of a violent diarrhoea, which had brought him almost to the point of death ; and the last, who was very corpulent, of a lethargy, that had baffled the skill of all other practitioners. The gratitude of King Wilham, for the recovery of his two favourites, was manifested to Radchffe by a present of 500 guineas out of the privy purse, and an offer of making him one of his majesty's physicians, with a salary of 200/. per annum more than any other. The caution and worldly wisdom of Radcliffe were here again ex- hibited ; for though he accepted the present, he begged to decline the appointment, considering that the settlement of the crown was then only in its infancy, and that accidents might occur to disturb its security. Nor did he lose by his refusal, for the weak condition of the king's health, which had from his majesty's childhood suffered from frequent at- tacks of asthma, required his constant professional assistance ; so that it was said, that one year with another, for the first eleven years of the reign of King Wilham, Radchffe received more than 600 guineas for his annual attendance upon his ma- jesty, exclusive of what he received from the great ofiicers of the court. These may serve as speci- mens of his prudence ; and the following story, which may be best related in the words of his first biographer*, affords a good example of his hu-
- W. Pittis.
