The eloquence of the British senate Author:William Hazlitt Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MR. WANDESFORD. This long and closely reasoned speech about a posset-drink, and sticking-plaister, applied by the duke of Buckingham to James I. a little befo... more »re his death, is a proof of the gravity with which our ancestors could treat the meanest subjects, when they yere connected with serious consequences. Mr. Wandesford's Speech. Thus have your lordships heard this charge against the duke of Buckingham briefly stated ; and now may it please you to have represented also to your wisdoms and justice the nature of this offence in itself, and how it stands apparelled with circumstances. The various composition and structure of our bodies, the several natures and degrees of diseases, the quality and power of medicines, are such subtle mysteries of nature, that the knowledge thereof is not appre hended without great study and learning, not perfected without long practice and experience. This tender consideration induced, it seems, the charity and providence of that law, which makes it penal for unskilful empirics, and all others, to exercise and practise physic, even upon common persons, without a lawful calling and approbation; branding them that shall thus transgress as improbos, malitiosos, temerarios et audaces homines : but he that without skill and calling shall direct a medicine, which upon the same person had once wrought bad effects enough to have dissuaded a second adventure, and that when physicians are present, physicians selected for learning, and art, prepared by their office and oaths, without their consent, nay, even contrary to their directions, and in a time unreasonable, I say, must needs be guilty, albeit towards a common person, of a precipitate and unadvised rashness ; but to practise, my lords, such ex- pe'riments upon the sacred person of a king, ...« less