326 LETTER TO 



disposed of and rejected. No cloud, therefore, 

 now hangs over the conduct of the college ; 

 nothing now intervenes to alter its natural co- 

 lours, or to distort the light by which it is seen, 



Your Lordship, perhaps, notwithstanding the 

 facts which have been described in the fore-' 

 going narrative, will scarcely think it possible, 

 that the college of Physicians should have in- 

 tentionally violated their engagement, or have 

 advisedly acted in contempt of the grounds of 

 a decision in the Court of King's Bench ; and 

 hence you may imagine, that they were in^ 

 fluenced by some well-founded objection to the 

 person proposed for examination, though from 

 ignorance or inadvertence, they might have 

 given to their conduct the appearance of a de- 

 sertion of principles, which they were bound to 

 maintain. Lest, therefore, you should be in^ 

 duced by your ancient respect for the college, 

 to form an opinion so unfavourable to my cause, 

 I will now attempt to prove, that no well- 

 founded objection did exist to my being ex- 

 amined by them ; I mean, no objection, which 

 any of those who resisted the proposal for an 

 examination, would venture publicly to avow. 

 In such an undertaking I must necessarily 

 speak much of myself ; but for this I hope I 



