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than in any other man. This was evidence of disloyalty, a 
denial of the royal prerogative, of the “right divine to 
govern wrong.” 
It was from a circumstance of this kind that Mr. Rosewell of a 
Somerset family, and of Dunkerton, but who eventually settled 
at Rotherhithe, was brought to suffer much. In a sermon he 
had said—or was charged with having said—‘“that the people 
made a flocking to the Sovereign upon pretence of healing the 
Evil, which he could not do.” This being reported to Jefferies, 
a trial and much persecution ensued, the result however being 
an acquittal. 
All such unbelievers received many hard names, as usual ; 
especially were they Atheists, still the ideal epithet for stopping 
an opponent ; and also were they Sadducees and ill-conditioned 
Pharisees. As there is a lesson always to be sought and to be 
found in the records and the credulity of the past, what shall 
we learn now? Can we say, as Dr. Oliver in one ofhis Essays 
on the Bath waters implies, when alluding to the cure by the 
seventh son, that the fault was with the people—Si populus 
decipi vult decipiatur ; or, if we say that the fault was rather with 
others, can we say that we are less thoughtless towards or less 
submissive to credulity than our ancestors? Rather will not our 
successors a@ hundred years hence be investigating our beliefs, 
then passed away, and wondering at us, as we now curiously 
wonder at this story of the Cure by Touch ? 
Notes on Autumn Excursions on the Mendips, by J. McMurtrig. - 
(Read February 14th, 1883. ) 
Having nothing particularly new to bring under the notice 
of the Club, the writer had no intention of contributing to the 
present year’s proceedings, but in deference to the wishes of the. 
