beach in Cambridgeshire, where he practised for some years with great success. He was created doctor of medicine by the university of St. Andrew's, 7th May, 1720, when, leaving Wisbeach, he fixed his abode at Stepney, and was admitted an Honorary Fellow of the College of Physicians 19th January, 1725-6. Dr. Massey was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1718, and acted as secretary in 1725 and 1726. He was also a fellow of the Royal Society. He compiled and published "A Catalogue of the Library at Wisbeach. 8vo. 1718." When advanced in years he returned to his native county, and died at Rostherne in Cheshire, 27th March, 1743. JAMES FIGG, of Guildford, was admitted an Extra Licentiate of the College of Physicians 20th June, 1726. JOHN HOLLINGS, M.D. was born in Shropshire, and educated at Magdalen college, Cambridge, as a member of which he proceeded M.B. 1705, M.D. 1710. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 25th June, 1725; and a Fellow, 25th June, 1726. Dr. Hollings was a fellow of the Royal Society, physician-general to the army, and physician in ordinary to the king. He died 10th May, 1739, leaving the character of an able classical scholar, and a most accomplished man. His only publication was the Harveian Oration for 1734, entitled "Status Humanæ Naturæ expositus in Oratione coram Medicis Londinensibus habitâ. 4to. Lond. 1734." JONATHAN GOULDSMITH, M.D. was born in Cheshire, and educated at Brasenose college, Oxford, as a member of which he took the two degrees in arts, A.B. 13th October, 1715, A.M. 13th June, 1718; and then, accumulating those in physic, proceeded M.D. 11th June, 1724. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 25th June, 1725; and a Fellow, 25th June, 1726. He delivered the Gulstonian Lectures in 1728, and was Censor in 1729. He died in Norfolk-street, Strand, 12th April, 1732. GEORGE TURBERVILLE was admitted an Extra Licentiate of the College 22nd July, 1726. NICHOLAS BRINLEY, of Totness, Devon, was admitted an Extra Licentiate of the College of Physicians 22nd July, 1726. SIR WILLIAM BROWNE, M.D.-Abundant materials exist for a lengthened sketch of this busy and pedantic physician. His egotism and garrulity were so great as to rivet the attention of his contemporaries, many of whom have delighted in recording their reminiscences, and holding up the worthy old knight to that good-natured ridicule to which he might lay so fair a claim. Sir William Browne was born in the county of Durham in 1692, and was the son of a physician. In 1707 he was entered at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he describes himself in 1711 as in his soph's year, and attentively studying the Articles of the Church of England. He proceeded A.B 1710; A.M. 1714; and having obtained a licence ad practicandum from the university, he settled about the year 1716 at Lynn, in Norfolk, under the patronage of the Turner family. It was about this time that our physician wrote the well-known epigram on George the First's handsome present to the university of Cambridge. The circumstances were as follow. Dr. John Moore, successively bishop of Norwich and Ely, one of the most learned men of his time, had collected one of the best and most ample collections of all sorts of good books in England. The bishop died 31st July, 1714; shortly after which the king purchased his library for 60007., and presented it to the university of Cambridge. By a curious coincidence, a regiment of cavalry was dispatched to Oxford at the very time that the library was removed to Cambridge. Browne commemorated it thus:- The King to Oxford sent a troop of horse, With equal skill, to Cambridge books he sent, He took the degree of doctor of medicine at Cambridge in 1721, and shortly afterwards, according to his own statement, got incorporated at Oxford. He practised at Lynn for more than thirty years, and acquired by his profession a competent fortune, though even then he evinced no small amount of eccentricity. Upon one occasion, a pamphlet having been written against him, he nailed it to his own house-door. In 1748, through the influence of the duke of Montague, he was knighted by king George II. A respectable bookseller at Lynn used to relate, that the first time he had to make out his bill after the doctor had been dubbed a knight, he wrote, "Sir William Browne, debtor to Thomas Hollingbury;" when he delivered it into the knight's hand, he looked at it a short time, and then turning to him said, "Mr. Hollingbury, you might have said "the honourable sir William Browne." "I beg your pardon, sir William," replied the bookseller, "but upon my word I did not know it was customary to prefix to the name of a knight the word honourable." "As to that," rejoined the knight, "if it be not customary, it would yet have been pleasing." About the same period he distinguished himself as a champion of the fair sex at Lynn, but under what circumstances, and in what manner, are now unknown. The incident led to the following epigram, the product, it has always been thought, of his own pen: Domino Wilhelmo Browne, militi. Sit, Miles, terror, castigatorque Gigantis, Be thou, O knight, the giant's scourge and dread, Oh! may thy labours those of Lynn subdue. From an early period of his professional career, Sir William Browne had contemplated an eventual removal to the metropolis; and with the view of securing his due position, whenever that should be feasible, he presented himself before the College of Physicians for examination, and was admitted a Candidate 30th September, 1725, and a Fellow 30th September, 1726. In 1749 Sir William removed to London. He was named one of the Elects of the College 9th April, 1750, and delivered the Harveian Oration in 1751. He served the office of Censor in 1750, 1751, 1752, 1753, 1771; was elected Treasurer 3rd December, 1751, in place of Dr. Horseman deceased; was Consiliarius in 1752, 1755, 1762; and President in 1765 and 1766. This was a period of great excitement in the College. The dispute with the Licentiates was then at its height; and Sir William Browne, a man of strong feelings, extraordinary garrulity, and utterly void of discretion, was wholly unfit at such a crisis to occupy the Presidential Chair. He was an energetic defender of the exclusive privileges of the English universities; and, in the contest between the College and Dr. Schomberg, had unfortunately printed a pamphlet as ill-judged as it must have been offensive to the Licentiates. These circumstances brought him under the lash of Foote, in his "Devil on Two Sticks." Foote gave an inimitable representation of the Esculapian knight on the stage, with the precise counterpart of his wig and coat and odd figure, and glass stiffly applied to his eye. Sir William sent Foote a card, complimenting him upon having so happily represented him, but, as he had forgotten the muff, he sent him his own. Whilst he filled the office of President, the Licentiates in a body forced their way into the College and even into the room where the Comitia was being held. Sir William maintained his composure, and at once dissolved the Comitia; but the affair left an abiding impression on him, and, dreading a defeat or some indignity, he determined to resign his office, not choosing, as he was wont to say, to stay to be beaten by the Licentiates. As another opportunity may not occur, I may here state that a second attempt was made the following year (1767) to break into the College, but the precaution had been taken of closing the iron gates. which guarded the entrance from Warwick-lane. The assembled Licentiates offered a smith ten guineas and an indemnification of three hundred pounds to force the gate, but he refused. At this time the following lines vindicating Sir William against the abuse and anger of the Licentiates became public. They were represented as having been sent to him by an anonymous correspondent, but were more probably written by himself:- |