Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/296

 292 FAMILIAR COLLOQUIES. never a word of the despair they had of his life, demanded their fees. Ma. How many doctors had he? Ph. Sometimes ten, sometimes twelve, but never under six. Ma. Enough, in conscience, to have done the business of a man in perfect health. Ph. As soon as ever they had got their money they privately hinted to some of his near relations that his death was near at hand, and that they should take care of the good of his soul, for there was no hope of his recovery ; and this was handsomely intimated by some of his particular friends to the sick man himself, desiring him that he would commit the care of his body to God, and only mind those things that related to a happy exit out of this world. George, hearing this, looked wonderful sourly at the physicians, taking it very heinously that they should leave him now in his distress. They told him that physicians were but men, and not gods, and that they had done what art could do, but there was no physic would avail against fate, and so went into the next chamber. Ma. What did they stay for after they were paid ? Ph. They were not yet agreed upon the distemper : one would have it to be a dropsy, another a tympany, another an imposthume in the guts, every man of them would have it to be a different disease, and this dispute they were very hot upon all the time he was sick. Ma. The patient had a blessed time of it all this while. Ph. And to decide this controversy, they desired by his wife that the body might be opened, which would be for his honour, being a thing very usual among persons of quality, and very beneficial to a great many others, and that it would add to the' bulk of his merits; and lastly, they promised they would purchase thirty masses at their own charge for the good of his soul. It was a hard matter to bring him to it; but at last, by the importunities and fair words of his wife and near relations, he was brought to consent to it; and this being done the consultation was dissolved, for they say it is not convenient that physicians, whose business it is to preserve life, should be spectators of their patients' death, or present at their funeral. By and by Bernardino was sent for to take his confession, who is, you know, a very reverend man, and warden of the Franciscans. His confession was scarce over, but there was a whole houseful of the four orders of begging friars, as they are called. Ma. What, so many vultures to one carcase 1 Ph. And now the parish priest was called to give him the extreme unction and the sacrament of the eucharist. Ma. That was very religiously done. Ph. But there had like to have been a very bloody fray between the parish priest and the monks. Ma. What, at the sick man's bedside ? Ph. Nay, and Christ himself looking on too. Ma. Pray, what was the occasion of so sudden a hurly-burly? Ph. The parson of the parish, so soon as ever he found the sick man had confessed to the Franciscan, did point blank refuse to give him either the extreme unction, the eucharist, or afford him a burial, unless he heard his confession with his own ears. He said he was the parson of the parish, and that he was accountable for his own flock, and that he could not do it unless he was acquainted with the secrets of his conscience. Ma. And don't you think he was in the right? Ph. Why, indeed, they did not think so, for they all fell upon him, especially Bernardino and Vincent the Dominican. Ma. What