Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/84

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THE LIFE OF

that year were) was sick of the [1]sweating sickness; who lying in so great extremity of that disease as by no invention or devices that physicians in such cases, commonly use, (of whom she had divers both expert, wise, and well learned, then continually attendant about her) could she be kept from sleep, so that both the physicians and all other there present despaired of her recovery and gave her over. Her father, (as he that most entirely tendered her), being in no small heaviness for her, by prayer at God's hand sought to get her remedy. Whereupon going up, after his usual manner, into his aforesaid new building there in his chapel on his knees with tears most devoutly besought Almighty God that it would

  1. This distemper began at first in 1483, in Henry the Seventh's army upon his landing at Milford-haven, and spread itself in London from the 21st of September to the end of October. It return'd here five times, and always in summer: first in 1485; then in 1506; afterward in 1517, when it was so violent that it kill'd in the space of three hours. It appeared the fourth time in 1520, and again in 1528, (which seems to be the time when this Lady had it,) and prov'd mortal in the space of six hours. The manner of its seizure was thus; first it affected some particular part, attended with inward heat and burning, unquenchable thirst, restlessness, sickness at stomach and heart, (tho seldom vomiting) headach, delirium, then faintness, and excessive drowsiness. The pulse quick and vehement, and the breath short and labouring. None recovered under 24 hours. The only cure was to carry on the sweat, which was necessary for a long time: Sleep to be avoided by all means.—Dr. Friend's History of Phisick, Vol. II. p. 335, &c.