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others.” The child would take no money, always declined, 
declaring that then he could not heal ; but fruit, sugar, points, 
garters, “skarfes” and such like trifles were given and taken. 
The father had not benefited nor used “ any imposture or deceipt” 
_ but was only carried away by a “simple credulity ;’ the whole 
business making him “a little vain-glorious, and swell into a 
higher conceit of himself than formerly he had showed.” 
The result of the inquiry was that the Bishop “did straightly 
charge and Command” Gilbert not to suffer his child to touch 
any more, “as he will answeare the contrary at his perill,” and to 
this he promised Obedience, although he expected to be much 
troubled in putting off the people who would persistently come. 
In time by perseverance he succeeded, and they “gave over” 
coming, and so far as ‘we can know the practice was discontinued. 
Although it was easy enough to see “simple credulity” and 
“misconceit ” in this case, it was not to be observed in the case 
of the King. During the time of Charles there was much healing 
and many proclamations about it. A little later it seemed likely 
to give trouble. In 1643 after the King had gone to Oxford the 
question was raised by a pamphlet, as being the humble petition 
of divers hundreds afflicted who could not be cured because of his 
_Majesty’s absence, the cure being “proper only to our English 
Kings, no Soveraigne else having that miraculous vertue,” and so 
“deceased” wretches as they were they were left to possess their 
‘souls without their bodies, enduring a thousand deaths, “dying 
every day alive.” Again when the King was a prisoner at 
Holmby, the people “flocked ” there to be touched ; “a pleasant 
‘imposition on the populace,” remarks Oldmixon. So great was the 
concourse that the Parliament issued a proclamation declaring the 
business a superstition. 
On the restoration of Charles II. the practice was revived, and 
during his reign he touched 92,107 persons. Easter and Whit- 
suntide had been the usual chief times, but now as having a more 
suitable temperature Michaelmas was substituted for the latter. 
